[Summary: Nanako reports the findings about the TV World to Naoto. Yosuke gets a birthday he'll never forget.]
[6/21: Tuesday]
Naoto called Nanako on her cell phone. She could hardly believe it. The Detective Prince had obtained her phone number. She hadn't given it to him—what an oversight on her part!—so he must have asked Kanji for it.
Why not take this one step further? Nanako invited him to the Seta residence to discuss the results of the TV World investigation. They'd freeloaded on Kanji's mom too often, anyway. Not that Nanako had any good snacks, but...
He agreed. He agreed!
Should she dress nice? No, she was being silly. Naoto wasn't the type to even notice. Well, he'd notice as part of his detective's instincts, but he wouldn't make anything of it. Nanako's crush wasn't relevant to the investigation.
As expected, the Detective Prince was punctual, arriving at the exact minute he said he would. After dispensing with pleasantries, Nanako brought him to the living room and they sat at the tea table.
"Please report," Naoto said in a business-like fashion.
"Do you have that map of Inaba?" Nanako asked. "Here's the map we made of the TV World. I tried making it to scale, but a fair amount is estimation. Here's the Junes—the stage, we call it the 'backlot'—which I made the center point."
Naoto watched with rapt interest as she explained the landmarks on the map and her full belief that they corresponded to locations in the real world. The detective brought out his scaled map of Inaba. It wasn't a perfect match, but it was sufficient enough to strongly suggest that she was right.
"And you say that Konishi-kun's... 'dungeon' is south of our Junes, and from your triangulation, the estimated distance would set it around here." Naoto circled an area south of the Samegawa River with a red pen. "There are a number of locations of interest in that region. I'm reluctant to ask the Konishi family what their son would be doing around there. They're not exactly friendly towards questioning after two months and no progress."
"I'm friends with Saki Konishi," Nanako said. "I'll ask her myself!"
"I think I'll take you up on that."
They went on to talk about Mayumi Yamano's disappearance from the Amagi Inn. In the middle of their discussion, they heard the front door open. Soon Souji was standing by the stairs and staring openly at the stranger in his house.
"Sou-chan! You're early!" Nanako remarked. "You didn't go to cram school?"
"Takeyoshi-kun isn't feeling well..." he said quietly.
"Ah, well, I won't interrupt further," Naoto said. "I shall take my leave." He tipped his hat and made to stand.
"No, stay!" Nanako said. "We're definitely not done here, Mister!" She motioned for the little boy to come over. "Sou-chan, c'mere. It's okay, Shirogane-san. This is my little cousin, Souji-kun."
"Err, greetings, then, Souji-kun," Naoto said. "I am Naoto Shirogane."
"He's the Detective Prince!" Nanako announced.
"P-prince...?" Souji asked, with a small frown of puzzlement.
"Yep, that cap is his crown!"
"How ridiculous..." Naoto's face turned a glorious red.
"Can you bring my princess down from my room, Souji-kun?" Nanako asked. "I think she'd like to meet a real prince."
Souji stared at her for a moment, and then headed up the stairs.
"Please indulge me, Shirogane-san," she whispered quickly while the boy was out of earshot. "He's only six, but he's such a shy boy. I want to include him into as many things as I can, and try to get him used to meeting new people."
"I see. That's fine. And you were correct in that we weren't finished here." The detective looked down at the TV World map and wrote a note by the Junes lot.
Souji returned, holding a large stuffed rabbit tightly in his arms.
"Thank you, Sou-chan!" Nanako said. "Would you please introduce them?"
"Uh, umm... Shiro... Uh, umm... Th-this is Chan-chan..." Souji held out the rabbit at arm's length.
"I am glad to make your acquaintance," Naoto said in a completely serious voice. "Princess Chan... chan."
Now Nanako was the one blushing in embarrassment... but she didn't regret this. "Y-yeah, uh, come and sit with us, Sou-chan! If you skipped cram school, then you don't have any cram school work, right? Hang out with us!"
The boy obediently sat on the cushion next to Nanako and peered at the map of Inaba on the table. She wondered if he recognized what it was. How old was she when she'd learned to read maps? Middle school, maybe.
"Here's something else you've been wanting, Shirogane-san!" She brought out the folder Yosuke had given her that morning: the list of people who'd bought TVs from Junes in the past year. There weren't too many, so it'd be easy to find a matching truck owner. Of course, this was assuming the culprit had bought a new TV to commit his crimes with, and from Junes...
"Such alacrity," Naoto murmured to himself. "But, yes, this is essential to narrow down the hunt. In fact, I'd like to deliberate on this now... No, it can wait." He put the list down and looked at her. "Nanako-san. You have compatriots. Would they be willing to aid me in a matter? This weekend, in particular. Saturday after school, or perhaps Sunday."
"C-com..." Souji's eyes were crossed as he tried to repeat one of the detective's words. "Com...pa..."
"Compatriots," Nanako finished for him. "It means 'friends' or 'allies,' Souji-kun! And Shirogane-san, even if they're not, I'd make them. Heh heh. What do you have in mind?" A guided tour of everyone's dungeons in the TV World? Probably not, but she could dream!
"Something tedious. I would like to get an idea of the traffic patterns in the town in an attempt to identify the trucks active in this region. I doubt the culprit would keep his truck stored until he feels the need to try and kidnap someone, so he should be using it as one normally would. Well, it's simply an idea, but I thought your... compatriots," – Naoto actually smiled at Souji – "would be willing to observe trucks at different parts of the city. We can get their numbers and match them to the registration list."
"Saturday after school. Or Sunday, but it would have to be after Loveline and Featherman, hmm," Nanako mused.
"I would prefer both days," the detective said, "to get a more accurate representation. But I won't begrudge anyone their morning television."
"Ah, err, I can set the shows up to be recorded." She hung her head in embarrassment. "It's not a big deal! But yeah, I can probably convince my friends. Umm, by the way, you can meet my team, if you'd like. We'd always be glad to have more support."
He shook his head. "I would prefer to work with you and Kanji-san for the time being."
"Yeah, I don't blame you." It wasn't like Chie or Yosuke could tell him anything that Nanako hadn't. He might be able to get something new out of Yukiko by asking something she'd overlooked, but she doubted it.
Naoto began to pore over the map and pointed out the important intersections he'd like to have observed. After marking out their planned locations, Nanako stared at the area he'd circled earlier.
"I really wonder what's south of Junes," she mused.
"Police department," Souji murmured. Both Naoto and Nanako looked at him suddenly in surprise, and he became flustered from the sudden attention. "Y-you asked, so..."
"Is he correct?" Nanako prompted the detective. She'd been to the police department once, but she hadn't paid attention to where it was in relation to Junes. That ride in Adachi's police car had been rather short, hadn't it?
The detective nodded. "Indeed. It's quite possible that had something to do with Konishi-kun's disappearance—"
"Good job, Souji-kun!" Nanako said, giving the boy a hug. "You just helped us with the mystery! Truth and Justice!"
"Ahem." Naoto cleared his throat. "Indeed. Thank you, Souji-kun. That connection was something we had yet to make ourselves. It opens up several different possibilities. I'll have to inquire at the station if Konishi-kun was scheduled for a follow-up interview or some such."
"He might've been kidnapped on the way there," Nanako contributed, "or after the interview was conducted! Well, there are other places near the station, too. Some coffee shop, I see. He could have gone there, too."
"There are so many possibilities the police did not look into regarding that boy's last sighting." Naoto's face had a dark cast to it. "They have it listed in the records as his sister, even though she had reported that she had not seen him after school. It should be listed as his classmates. It's ridiculous."
"Are you at odds with the police department?" she asked. He'd sounded disdainful, as if that was just the tip of the iceberg representing his problems.
"They have not taken kindly to my interference, as one might expect. I questioned the medical examiner in regards to sedatives, for example, and he had nothing to report, nor was he willing to discuss the possibility of chloroform. Well, his reputation is on the line, so I understand that he has to be adamant about the accuracy of his report, but it is both premature and unprofessional to rule it out when it was not at all tested for. As for sources of chloroform in the Inaba area, well, given the ingredients, it is not at all difficult to make in one's own home, although it would be dangerously potent."
"Yeah, I might even have the ingredients myself! It's pretty scary what people often have in their garage, when you think about it. Speaking of scary, Shirogane-san, I captured some of that fog for you." Nanako pulled the three fog-filled jars from under the table, where she'd been keeping them in anticipation for a good moment to bring the subject up. Souji looked at the jar with such curiosity that Nanako had to explain. "It's fog. Fog is just water in the air, you know. But this is special fog and we're not sure if it's water or something else! By the way, why did you need three jars, Detective Prince?"
"It's always better to have more than one sample of something you'd like to research," he explained. "I'm sure you understand."
"Sure. Oh, and here are your glasses!"
"Glasses...?" Naoto took the proffered pair of glasses and inspected them curiously. He put one of the lenses to his eye. "They don't appear to have been built with any ocular correction in mind."
"Put them on, Shirogane-san," Nanako exhorted, "and then look at the fog in the jar!"
He did as he was told, and raised his eyebrows when the fog disappeared from his sight. "I had been warned about the effect, but to see it for oneself. It's highly irregular."
"Souji-kun, here, use mine!" Nanako handed the boy her own pair of TV World glasses. He looked it over curiously, mimicking Naoto's inspection. He touched the metal studs on the frame before finally putting them on.
"The fog..." he noted. "It's gone."
"And when you take them off, it's back again. What do you think of that?" she asked. "Maybe you can solve this mystery for us too, Detective Briefs!"
Souji frowned in concentration, Nanako's rad glasses slipping down his nose because they were too big for his head. "I... I don't know," he admitted.
"That's okay, Detective Briefs!" she told him. "We'll crack this mystery yet!"
"Indeed we shall," Naoto added, tipping his cap perhaps unconsciously.
"We're on the case!" Nanako lifted her fist into the air and struck a pose from the opening to Loveline.
"T-truth and Justice," Souji said with a big smile on his face. Combined with the glasses, Nanako couldn't resist pulling him into another hug.
When they'd stopped giggling, Naoto told her there was one final thing he would like to do with her.
"What's that, Shirogane-san?"
"I would like to map out the influence of this 'TV World' and discover whether it originates from one particular source in Inaba. You said you'd touched a TV in Okina and couldn't," – Naoto cut himself off after glancing at Souji – "err, it wouldn't work. Why here and not there... We can spend a day with a small TV and my scooter and see where the influence ends."
"You have a scooter?" Nanako blinked. The detective was barely old enough for a license!
"It is more motorized bike than scooter," he said, "but yes, and two people can legally ride on it. Not comfortably, I must admit, but it can be done."
Despite her complaints to Yosuke about the dangers of scooters and motorcycles, Nanako was totally up for this. "Not tomorrow—I have plans." She scowled. Stupid plans were still plans, right? Yeah, she couldn't back out of Yosuke's birthday now, unfortunately. Souji was counting on her! "But Thursday or Friday, sure."
"Then unless something comes up, I will see you on Thursday. I can meet you at the school gates, if that's acceptable." She agreed with poorly-disguised excitement. Naoto said he would consider their new leads in the meantime, and then stood up to leave. "Thank you for your hospitality and your assistance."
Nanako walked him to the door, little cousin at her heels. "Souji-kun! Say goodbye to the nice detective!"
"Goodbye, Sh-Shiro...gane-san," Souji said. "Good luck..."
Naoto bowed towards him. "Thank you very much, Souji-kun. Enjoy your evening."
"Isn't he a nice guy?" Nanako asked her cousin after he'd left. "Adachi-san could learn a thing or two from him! Well, I'm kidding. Adachi-san has been very nice, too."
Souji murmured his assent. She kindly asked for her glasses back, and when she took them off his head, she decided she'd ask Teddie to make a set for him. It was just for fun, anyway! Maybe Teddie would make an appropriate pair for him, wouldn't that be strange...?
[6/22: Wednesday]
Nanako had been given only three days to plan the birthday party. Not that there was much to plan. All she'd basically had to do was call everyone up except Yosuke and tell them to get him something and to be available after school this Wednesday. "Doesn't have to be much. It's just Yosuke, after all."
They were having the little party at the picnic table at the flood plain. Nanako was there first, of course, as the event organizer. She'd been the one to buy all the decorations. Not at Junes, because she couldn't risk being caught buying the stuff there by the birthday boy. A party-focused store at Okina City had served her purposes well. Now she was spreading a dinosaur-themed tablecloth onto the picnic table. Yes, dinosaur-themed. She'd seen it at the store and just had to buy it. Yosuke, Souji, same difference.
Souji was her co-organizer, anyway!
"Put that down right here!" she told him. Souji obediently climbed the bench and set the weight attached to the balloons on the tablecloth to help it stay anchored. It was a tad windy today. At least it wasn't raining, although the weather was cloudy.
Originally she hadn't planned to go all out on decorations. It was just Yosuke! But Souji was going to be there, too, and, well... Now she was hanging up a multicolored banner with the words 'Happy Birthday' on it over the picnic table with the help of Souji's step stool and a stapler. There was a dinosaur on either end of the banner. Might as well stick with a theme!
She was still wrapping garland around the wooden frame of the canopy over the picnic table when the first guests arrived: Chie and Yukiko.
"Heya, Nanako," Chie greeted. "Oh! And it's Souji-kun!"
Souji smiled at her, and then he noticed Yukiko. To his credit, he didn't run and hide, but he did stare.
Nanako jumped to his rescue, anyway. "That's Yukiko, Chie's best friend. Yukiko is very nice. And sort of quiet, just like you. At least when she's not laughing, heh heh. Say hello to her."
Yukiko curtsied to Souji. "It's a pleasure to meet you!"
"H-hi," the boy murmured.
Chie took out an envelope that was wedged into the track jacket tied around her waist and put it on the table next to the two boxes already there—Nanako and Souji's gifts. Then she and Yukiko sat together at the table. After a moment she asked curiously, "Does Souji-kun know Yosuke?"
"Yeah," Nanako replied. She finished stapling the garland and then sat across from the two girls, and Souji joined her. "Well, they only just met last Sunday because I took him to Junes, but they both hit it off pretty well. I was really surprised."
"They're both boys." Chie nodded knowingly. "That's probably it."
"Well, I always thought Yosuke needed more boy friends," Nanako said. "Err, friends that are boys, that is. Though the other way is fine too, of course, heh heh."
Chie chuckled, but Yukiko didn't seem to get it. "Boy... friends?"
Nanako didn't bother explaining it to her. "Speaking of boys, Kanji-kun's here!"
"'Sup, senpai?" Kanji was carrying a white box under his arm. It was about half the size of a shoebox. It wasn't wrapped, but it had to be his gift. He set it on the table with the other two boxes and then sat next to Chie.
Souji's fingers dug into Nanako's arm. It started to hurt, so she pulled him into a hug. "H-hey, Kanji-kun, this is Souji-kun, my cousin. Souji-kun, that's Kanji-kun, and I know he looks scary, but he's made of pure sugar. Please calm down, honey."
"Aww, man, I scare children?" Kanji was so crestfallen that Nanako pointed it out to Souji. "Look, Kanji-kun's going to cry!"
Souji stared at Kanji, wide-eyed, for a long moment. "D-don't cry..." he eventually murmured.
"Nothin' wrong with crying, kid," Kanji said. "Sometimes a man's just gotta cry." His eyes caught Nanako's, and she realized he was referring to one of the manga she'd sent him. Heh heh... how cute.
"That's right, Souji-kun," she said. "If you ever wanna cry, you just let it all out, okay?" She hugged him tighter and he made a funny little whimper.
She told everyone they could have any of the soda cans she'd set on the table, and they spent some time talking about their favorite drinks.
Then Chie said, "So, uh, is that it?" as she glanced around the table.
"Well, I was thinking of inviting Saki-senpai," Nanako said, "but, well..."
"Yeah..." Chie agreed.
Honestly, the fact that Yosuke and Saki weren't especially friendly anymore was only half the problem. Nanako just didn't want Saki to go, 'Oh, so you're throwing a party for Hana-chan...?' in a suggestive tone of voice.
Well, since everyone was here, now all they were missing was the guest of honor. Nanako tried calling Yosuke, but he wasn't answering his phone, so she texted him instead, instructing him to immediately come to the flood plain.
It took a while, but eventually Yosuke replied.
Working
Yosuke's dad couldn't be that much of an asshole that he'd make Yosuke work on his birthday. Unless, maybe, they were gonna have a little party among the part-time staff. Nanako doubted it.
You are not, she texted back.
He didn't reply to that. Had he caught wind of her plans and was now trying to avoid it?
Get your ass over here or I'll find it and kick it!
There was no reply to that, so she added, I'm serious!
cming geez
Several minutes later, Yosuke rode up on his bicycle. "Wh-what is all this?" he asked, taking in the sight of everyone gathered there and all the decorations: the banner, the garlands, the balloons and the three gift boxes on the table.
"Duh," said Chie. "It's a birthday party."
Totally dumbstruck, he almost fell off his bike. "Wha... For, for me...?"
"No, for Souji-kun," Nanako said, rolling her eyes. "He wanted me to invite you for some reason. Of course it's for you, ya big idiot!"
"H-happy birthday, p-partner," Souji said, hiding his face against Nanako's blouse.
The others followed suit. "Happy birthday, Yosuke!" "Happy birthday, senpai!" "Happy birthday, Yosuke-kun!"
"Sit down, Yosuke!" Nanako ordered.
In a daze, Yosuke parked his bike against one of the legs of the canopy covering the picnic area, taking a moment to look at the garland wrapped around it, and then took the seat where Nanako indicated—right next to Souji.
"Should we sing something?" Yukiko asked.
"N-no," said Yosuke. "I-it's fine..."
"We'll sing!" Nanako declared, and she led the song, to Yosuke's acute embarrassment.
"You guys didn't have to do anything like this," he said when they were through.
"We didn't have to, but we wanted to, okay?" said Nanako. "We're your friends, you know? And Souji-kun insisted I do something for you."
"Th-then I guess I should be thanking you, huh?" Yosuke patted Souji's head. "Thanks, partner." The boy blushed and made a sound that was almost a giggle.
"Open the gifts, man!" Kanji said. "I'm dyin' to see what everyone got you!"
"A-all right... Which one first, Nanako?"
"Well, I only know what I got you and what Souji-kun got you," Nanako noted, "so..."
"Mine's easiest and probably the worst," said Chie. "So mine first!" She handed Yosuke an envelope. As flustered as he was, it took him a fumbling while to open it. "It's just an envelope, sheesh!"
"S-sorry... There!" Yosuke finally tore it free. Inside was a gift card to a music store in Okina City. "Oh, thanks! Man... I know exactly what I'm gonna get with this! Risette's going to release a 'Ready for Summer' album soon!"
"Oh, you like Risette? Her voice is too high for my tastes." Understatement, Nanako added in her mind. "Did you know she's from Inaba? Anyway, I guess we'll go down the line. Yukiko!"
The addressed girl looked down. "Oh, umm, I didn't get anything..."
"What, not even like a free half hour at the hot springs?" Nanako clicked her tongue.
"You know I can't do that..."
"I was just kidding!"
"Oh, uh!" said Chie. "The gift card was from Yukiko, too!"
"That save would have worked a minute ago, Chie," Nanako told her. "Oh well."
"I-it's okay, Yukiko-san," Yosuke said. "I mean, it's just great that you came with everyone." His face was all red from embarrassment.
"Kanji-kun?"
Kanji handed Yosuke his box. Inside was a brown leather wallet. Yosuke opened it. "Look at the stitching on this thing," Yosuke marveled. "And it's got six card pockets and, oh, I think my phone can fit in it! Yeah, it does! That's awesome."
"I'm glad it fits, senpai," Kanji said. "I was just kinda shootin' in the dark there."
"There's a design on the front," Nanako pointed out.
Yosuke held it up so everyone could see. A stylized frog was stitched on it, surrounded by stitched leaves. He ran his fingers over it. "Man, Kanji, where did you get this?"
"...I made it."
"I'm speechless," Yosuke said. "You made this?"
"W-well, I was makin' it for myself," Kanji admitted, "but then Senpai said it was your birthday comin' up, so... I just changed the design a little. Working with leather isn't as easy as cloth, but yeah, I can do it."
Yosuke stared down at the frog, which seemed to look back at him. The smile on his face told everyone how much he appreciated the gift.
After a long moment, Nanako shoved her box in front of him.
"That's... a nice sized box," Yosuke observed.
"Yeah," said Nanako. She chewed the end of some stray hair, then brushed it aside, annoyed at herself.
He shrugged and opened it to find an orange and yellow bike helmet. He held it in front of him and turned it over in puzzlement.
"Y-you should be wearing one," she murmured. Because he was always crashing and what if he was pitched off face-forward and split his head or something?
"Yeah, you're right," he admitted. "And it matches my bike! I'll wear it. I promise." He smiled at her, glad perhaps that she was thinking of his safety.
"Good!" she said. "And we saved the best for last! Souji-kun's gift!" She pulled the final box forward and flipped the lid.
It was a cake. 'Happy Birthday Hana-chan' was written in frosting on the top.
"You even got me a cake?" Yosuke was shaking his head. "I didn't expect any of this."
"It's just store-bought," Nanako admitted. "But the frosting is all Souji-kun, though I helped with the words. I'm warning everyone now: it will be a sugary death. He kinda went overboard with the frosting."
"I like frosting..." Souji said quietly.
Nanako began to divide the cake into six parts and served it out to everyone on paper plates. It was a marble cake because she hadn't known what flavor was Souji's favorite. "Man, I can't believe you're older than me," she remarked while cutting her own slice of cake into further pieces. "Life isn't fair, right?"
"Does that mean I'm the leader now?" Yosuke teased. "I'm kidding. I'm not gonna fight you for it."
"Whose birthday is next?" Nanako asked.
"Mine!" said Chie. "It's next month! At the verrrry end."
"Nanako will get you a meatloaf instead of a cake," Yosuke said.
"Probably both," Nanako agreed with a nod.
After further inquiry, Yukiko's birthday was in December, and Kanji's in January. Nanako informed them that hers was in October.
When Souji was done eating his cake, he held up the frosting-smeared plate and showed it to Yosuke. "L-look, it's a brontosaurus."
"Uh," said Yosuke. "It sure is, partner! I, uh, I definitely love dinosaurs, too."
Souji smiled up at him, and Nanako had a hard time hiding her impish grin.
"I really wonder how Nanako knew."
"Just eat your cake, birthday boy!" Nanako ordered.
When everyone finished their cake, it was time to wrap up the party. Yosuke began to move everything from his old wallet to the new one, and Chie helped Nanako take down the decorations. Kanji brought down the banner since he was tall enough to without using the step stool. After that, Chie and Yukiko gave Yosuke one last 'happy birthday' before excusing themselves, and Kanji followed shortly after. It was about time for dinner with their own families, after all.
"What do you think, Yosuke?" Nanako asked. "Best birthday, or best birthday?"
Yosuke seemed too embarrassed to answer.
"I'll take care of the clean-up," she said. "You have a great rest of the day, okay?"
"Y-yeah." He paused by his bike. "Umm... Souji, Nanako... Thanks. I mean it."
Nanako dismissed it with a shake of her head. Then she pressed the balloons into his hand.
"Ah, I don't really want the balloons," he said. "That's kind of embarrassing!"
She began to treat him to her DEATH glare, because it had been embarrassing enough for her to bring them here, but then he handed the balloons to Souji and she immediately forgave him.
"You have a great day too, partner, all right?" Yosuke told him.
Souji nodded solemnly, still looking at the balloons.
Yosuke secured his new helmet on his head and gave Nanako and Souji a wave before heading off.
It was too bad that Souji wasn't going to have a great rest of the day. He was just so happy right now, pulling the anchor weight up and down and watching the balloons sway, that Nanako almost decided to have them stay away from home.
She hated how his smile faded when she opened the front door. Yeah, he knew it was a Wednesday.
"There you are!" said Aunt Seta. "I was just about to call. It's not like you two to be out so late."
Yep, Aunt Seta and Adachi-san were at the dinner table, apparently waiting for them.
Nanako explained that she'd had a birthday party for a friend. Then she told Souji to put the balloons in his room. He nodded and quickly headed there to drop them off.
"It's so nice of you to include Souji. I'm sure you two had fun," Aunt Seta said. "But did you save room for dinner?" She smiled self-indulgently and then went to serve the meal she had cooked: shrimp tempura.
Souji returned and took his place at the table. Despite Adachi's presence, he seemed to be in a buoyant mood still. His face wasn't a frown, and he didn't stare at either his mother or the detective like he normally did.
The night took a turn for the awkward, however, when the house phone suddenly rang. Aunt Seta answered it, and soon her face twisted into a pained grimace. She began to gripe at the person on the other end of the line. "You've interrupted an important family dinner and I fail to see why this is my problem." There was a lengthy pause as the person responded, and then she said, "Do I look like a fucking taxi?"
Adachi's eyes narrowed and flickered at Souji in response to the language.
After a few more minutes of berating the person on the line, Aunt Seta hung up. She ran her fingers through her hair. "I knew I shouldn't have answered. I keep my cell off on these nights for a reason... Well, it seems like I've been voted to pick up a guest from the train station at Higashi-Inaba."
"Tough break," said Adachi.
The woman sighed and shook her head. "Tohru-san, you are welcome to finish your meal. I suppose you'll have the kids as company... I have to be going. I'm very sorry about this."
"Not a problem," he said lightly. "I know how it is."
Aunt Seta shook her head again, then grabbed her keys from where they hung on the wall and headed out without further ado.
Without his mom there, Souji stared at Adachi without blinking. It obviously unnerved the man, because after a moment of enduring it, he told the boy he didn't have to stay if he wanted to go to his room.
Souji looked at Nanako, then down at his bowl, and then back at Adachi. "It's okay," he whispered.
Adachi leaned back in surprise. Nanako smiled to herself and then went back to eating.
"Uhh, by the way," said the detective after a minute or so. "I couldn't help but notice there's a friend here..."
He was looking at the fox plush perched at the end of the table.
"Oh, that's Foxie," Nanako said. "She's a thief, but also Souji-kun's best friend. I hope she isn't teaching you bad habits, Souji-kun!"
"N-no," Souji promised. "I'm a good boy... F-Foxie's been good, too..."
"Maybe you're teaching her instead, huh? I think she's happy to learn from you. Isn't that right, Foxie?" Nanako turned the fox towards Souji and had it say, "Souji-kun's taught me to love hugs!"
Souji was blushing, and Adachi snorted in amusement, which made Nanako blush self-consciously too.
"S-sorry, Adachi-san," she said. "I got a little carried away."
Adachi shook his head with a grin. "Keep going," he urged. "This is golden."
"Then... Why don't you give Foxie a hug, Souji-kun?"
The boy stared down at the table, very aware he was being watched. As the moment drew on, she worried he was going to refuse, but then he took Foxie and hugged her close. The little fox's head could be seen against the boy's neck.
'Adorable,' Nanako mouthed at Adachi, who nodded. If only she could take out her phone to take a picture without ruining the moment!
Then Souji replaced Foxie on the table, though he put the stuffed animal much closer to him than it was before.
"Souji-kun," Adachi said suddenly, "do you still have that fish? For the bath?"
Souji answered a long moment later in a whisper. "Yeah..."
"I helped his dad pick it out for him," Adachi confessed when Nanako gave him a questioning look. "It was between a fish and a turtle, and I dunno, I kind of liked the fish more..."
It gave Nanako an idea. "Souji-kun, why don't you show Adachi-san the sponges we got?"
The boy's eyes widened at the request. A long moment later he hopped down from his seat and headed into the bathroom. He returned with several of the dinosaur sponges that had come from the capsules she'd bought at Junes. He spread them out on the table. Some were still a little wet from the last time they'd had a bath.
"Cute," Adachi remarked. "Ah, there's even a couple of the flying ones."
"Y-yeah," said Souji with a noticeable smile.
"What happened to this guy?" Adachi poked at a yellow triceratops that had a big chunk of sponge missing from its back.
"That was me," said Nanako. "I bit it. Uh, it was the t-rex's fault. He got hungry."
Souji patted the 'wounded' triceratops and said he'd get better.
"Unless the t-rex gets hungry again, eh?" Adachi chuckled.
"I'll make sure to feed him," Nanako promised. "By the way, Adachi-san, what's your favorite dinosaur?"
"Eh, I like the velociraptors," he said. "They're small, you know, but you get a bunch of them together and I bet they could take a t-rex down!"
"R-really?" Souji asked.
"No way they could!" Nanako argued in mock disbelief. "They're only about as tall as Souji-kun, and a t-rex could be as tall as Junes!"
"So? They can climb up its back!" Adachi claimed. "And maybe they could get some help from the flying guys. They could do an airlift."
Souji's eyes were sparkling as he imagined that scene.
"Yeah," said Adachi. "Don't underestimate the little guys, right Souji-kun? They've got cunning."
"Yeah! I've got c-cunning!" the boy declared. Then he paused and looked meekly at Nanako. "Big sis... what's that mean?"
"It means craftiness," she said. "Kind of like a mix of smarts and sneakiness wrapped together. I'm totally cunning, and so's Foxie. You, though... I think you're charming instead. Oh! Tell Adachi-san the word you learned yesterday."
"Com...patriot!" Souji enunciated slowly. "I-it means... friend."
"Heh, I know Nanako-kun has plenty of friends," Adachi said.
"Yep, and after today, Souji-kun has met them all!" she said. "And that means that Souji-kun now has lots of friends too!" She moved out of her chair to give Souji a long and very cuddly hug.
Adachi began to chuckle. Hearing it, Nanako let go of Souji to grab Foxie and toss the stuffed animal at him. He caught it reflexively and gave her a confused look.
"Foxie wants a hug, too, Adachi-san!" she cried. "Give her one!"
For a police detective, he had a poor poker face. He was totally embarrassed by her request, but ended up complying, if only to appease her. He awkwardly held the animal to his chest, and then put it back on the table near Souji, patting it twice. "Eh... heh..."
Nanako smiled at him, and Souji was sort of just looking up at him in quiet surprise.
"What about all those dinosaurs?" Adachi asked. "Do they all need a hug, too?"
"Oh! What do you think, Souji-kun?"
Souji blinked down at the dinosaur sponges still on the table. His face screwed up in thought. They were wet, so if he hugged them, his shirt would get wet, so he couldn't do that... He picked up Foxie and had her move over each of the sponges, one by one.
After that display, Adachi announced that it was about time for him to leave. He sounded regretful, and even Souji's face softened with disappointment.
They saw him to the door, and Nanako bid him goodnight. Souji waved him goodbye like a good little boy.
While she was putting away the dinosaur sponges, Nanako thought that maybe someday soon, Adachi would be Souji's compatriot, too.
[AN: Souji doesn't have a canon birthday date, so I'm not sure if we will eventually have a party for him.
Thanks to the following for leaving a review~
kuroXIII - I'll be honest: this is my first time writing a pansexual character, so it's a learning experience for us both!
emelian65 - I don't wanna spoil anything!
Dusk Clark - My coauthor suggested that title, and I'd wondered where he'd got it from. Now I know!
Next Chapter: Feels Like Progress
Working with Naoto makes Nanako think that maybe they're actually getting somewhere in this case.]