- Disclaimer: Persona 4 Golden characters do not belong to me.
- Notice: May contain spoilers. Original characters may be added. Storyline may deviate from original video game/anime.
- Warning: May contain alcohol reference, blood, language, partial nudity, sexual themes, and violence.
"And that ends today's lecture. I remind you all that there will be a test by the end of the week so don't forget to cover the material we've gone through so far." The teacher announced just before the school bell rang signalling the beginning of lunch. In response, the class whined lazily.
Naoto sat sit still in his seat while the other students began to walk out of the classroom. He was never one to spend time chatting with others, especially during breaks at school.
"So, what are you having for lunch today?" Rise approached him with a smile.
It had been this way for a couple of days, ever since the Detective Prince and the troublesome idol came to an agreement that they were now an item. After much protest on Naoto's behalf, he thought it best to keep their relationship a secret. He was sure that after Rise's disappearance, the media would be relentless on finding the latest scoop about her quiet life in Inaba.
In a way, it became a routine for Naoto to spend as much time as he could with Rise. Most of it wasn't by choice, but over time he learned to cope with his girlfriend's insistent demands.
"Hey Naoto-kun?" Rise waved at his direction with her hand. He seemed to be out of his usual self.
"Ah, my apologies." Naoto set down the pencil which he still held unconsciously. "It seems as though I've been exhausted as of late." When he wasn't busy tending to Rise's side, he would stay up for long hours at night hoping to crack the case at hand. Two days have passed since his broadcasted interview and yet nothing happened. What was he missing?
"Oh really? Is it about the upcoming math test because I'm having trouble with it too." Rise looked down at Naoto's notebook which were completely filled with calculations and graphs. It made her own look like a joke, what with all the silly doodles and half-solved problems.
Naoto contemplated on the thought of coming clean and admitting that it was due to the case, but he knew that it would only cause tension. After all, the whole town was convinced that they had found the culprit behind the bizarre murder cases. There was no point in adding salt to the wound. "Yeah"
"So I was thinking maybe we can study together. You know, so we can both pass the test." Rise studied Naoto intently as she awaited his response. There was usually a high chance of him replying with a yes. "I can't afford to fail it." She added quickly.
If she had been any other girl, then he would've turned them down. "Alright."
"Oh, but we need to study at your place. The air conditioner isn't working at my house and I don't think you want to study in a heated room like mine."
With summer in full swing, the weather was quite unkind to students and civilians alike. The thought of spending time at Rise's place wasn't helping either. She wasn't your average teenage girl, especially since she could turn the tables in nearly every situation. Naoto knew just how conniving and skilled Rise truly was given his past experiences.
She had only been to his house a handful of times, with the first being her invitation to their investigation group's get together. For some odd reason, Naoto never invited her over. She couldn't help but wonder why that was so.
Naoto's response took longer than expected. "If that's what you think is best." He looked away to mask his worried expression, hoping that his answer would settle the doubt he sensed in Rise's eyes.
"I'm not being too pushy, am I?" She bent down to his level, forcing Naoto to level with her gaze.
Since when was she so concerned about trivial things like this? Slowly but surely, Naoto broke into a grin. "Even if you are, it's not like you would stop."
"That's true." The important thing was that Naoto and her were now on the same page. It was nice to see him grinning again.
"Anyways, we should take our break now." Rise took her lunch in hand as the Detective Prince rose from his seat. Then, with one swift stride, she pulled him along rushing out the class so that Naoto would fail to hear the grumbling sounds of her famished stomach.
"What am I even doing here?" Touko questioned herself as she stood in front of Shirogane manor. She'd been in town for a day where she stayed at the Amagi Inn to mull things over. And yet, despite having spent countless hours thinking through scenarios, Touko found herself asking the same questions again.
There was no way to be sure if this was the right thing to do, but just as always, she decided to go with her gut. She was never a coward when it came to solving her problems head on and she believed that this was no different.
As she released a breath to recollect herself, she closed her eyes and concentrated on finishing what she had intended to do. Mustering all her courage, she knocked on the double framed wooden door and waited patiently for an answer.
There was a moment of silence before it creaked open and an elderly man greeted her. "Good afternoon Shirogane-san." Touko bowed respectively to the elderly man.
Naoto's grandfather studied her intently and broke into a grin once realizing the visitor before him. "Ah, Touko, it's been a while. You've certainly grown up to be a beautiful young lady."
She smiled gently and pursed her lips. "Thank you."
"Come in." He ushered her into his home as she took in the nostalgic feels from the Shirogane manor. Not much has changed and everything was close to the way it was when she would frolic around with Naoto. And to think that she was here with her closest friend a few weeks ago.
"Naoto is still in school but you can wait here if you like." Naoto's grandfather gave her a reassuring smile. "Make yourself feel at home, okay?"
Once he disappeared from view, Touko walked towards the flight of stairs to explore the rest of the expansive manor.
"Hey, did you see the TV last night? Naoto-kun was on!" Chie leaned forward as she and the investigation team circled around together for lunch.
"That thing about the Detective Prince solving the case? C'mon, we're the ones who actually caught the killer." Yosuke replied to Chie.
Everyone had their lunches in hand as they sat atop the school's rooftop. "But the police were the ones who identified the suspect, and he was cooperating with them on it, right?" Yukiko brushed back a stray strand of her hair. "So it's true that he helped solve the case."
"I'm kinda surprised though. I didn't think he was the type to go after the spotlight like that." Chie took a small bite of her noodles as Yu nodded in agreement.
"Sorry we're late!" Rise announced as she stepped towards the group.
Naoto closed the rooftop's door and trailed the brunette from behind. "Good afternoon" Naoto greeted the others kindly. His senpais waved at him as they took their respective seats.
He wasn't aware that Rise and him were going to have lunch with her group of friends, but perhaps this was to his advantage.
"So, Naoto-kun, we saw you on TV last night." Chie scooted closer to the Detective Prince hoping to hear his thoughts on the matter.
"Yes, it was a necessary thing to confront. The media was relentless in hearing my thoughts on the case." Naoto tugged his collar lightly, sitting atop the rooftop with the heated weather wasn't the ideal thing to do.
"I can't believe you blew me off for your 15 minutes of fame." It was crystal clear that Rise wasn't too happy about the interview.
Naoto sighed and crossed his arms. "I'm sorry." It was probably the millionth time he'd apologized. Rise would never let him live this down. "It was something that I needed to do."
While the others busily ate their meals, Naoto wondered if this was the right time to ask the entire group about their thoughts in the case.
Even though it was supposedly closed, it was apparent that Rise's friends were very much involved with the bizarre murders.
"If all of you would be so kind, could you please indulge my current theory on the matter." Naoto stood from his seat, taking center stage as he addressed all of his senpais.
"What is it?" Yosuke's eyes widened as he studied the short figured boy.
"First, as regards to commonalities between the victims, all of them were kidnapped before they were murdered." He paced back and forth to align his train of thought. "The victims were all locals who had been the focus of recent media attention, becoming suddenly well-known..." Rise looked up at Naoto worriedly. "That is the most likely scenario. I don't believe there's anything intrinsically unique about the victims themselves." When Naoto finished, he placed a hand to his hip, standing tall and confident with his thesis.
"Haven't you all come to the same conclusion?" The entire group looked at each other as if to agree mutually.
"Yeah, we did." Yu replied.
"Then allow me to state my point. Will you admit that a number of you fit these ideal circumstances?" Yukiko and the others realized that Naoto was addressing her, Rise and Kanji. "There was a long interval between the second and third deaths in the case. But after I applied the aforementioned criteria, I discovered several similar disappearances had taken place." Naoto's eyes met the three victims individually. "Yukiko Amagi, Kanji Tatsumi and Rise Kujikawa. All of you disappeared shortly after being shown on TV. Either you escaped death somehow, or you faked your own disappearances in order to divert attention from yourselves."
He could tell that Rise was a little betrayed by his accusations, but nonetheless, he continued. "Since some of you had ties with the victims, there came a point where I suspected one of you must be the culprit."
"You thought one of us was the killer!?" Outraged, Chie jumped from her seat, nearly dropping the bowl of ramen she had left in her hand. "You can't be serious!"
"This was a prior theory, since dicarded." Naoto's words settled Chie's rage for the time being. "Putting together everything I've learned until this moment, I believe exactly the opposite." Yosuke sighed in relief and the others did as well. "You aren't the culprits. You may, in fact, be the only ones with the means to pursue the true perpetrator. Seen as a joining of forces between the rescued, everything falls into place." Naoto turned away from the others.
"Of course, this is all speculation. There is in fact a flaw in the theory. It doesn't account for the third incident...Mr. Morooka's murder."
The others looked amongst themselves as if they had done something wrong. What happened to their previous teacher was regrettable but none of them saw what was coming. It wasn't like the other times in the Midnight Channel.
"He has never been broadcast on television and neither did he ever disappear. We must also consider the condition of his corpse. The first two victims are still listed with an unknown cause of death..." He remembered the gruesome sight that was found of Mr. Morooka's body as well as the other unfortunate victims. "But Mr. Morooka died of an easily indentifiable blunt force trauma to the occipital cranium. The police have not satisfactorily resolved this discrepancy, yet they are desperate to close the case. Further action will be necessary to obtain some sort of decisive evidence."
"Further action? What do you mean?" Chie knit her brows together, her appetite now lost.
"Well, whatever the outcome...the evidence should come to light." Naoto finally turned around to read the various expressions on their faces.
"You said something interesting to me not long ago." The Detective Prince found himself grinning solemnly. "This is not a game for me either."
"Naoto-kun?" Yukiko questioned the boy as he dismissed himself from the group including Rise.
Waiting for Naoto was taking longer than Touko expected. As every minute clicked by, the anxiety she felt only worsened. She sat quietly on the king sized mattress, the only sound was the creak from the wooden flooring as she approached the desktop table and pulled it open.
There were several notebooks, pens and trinkets that lay scattered within, and eventually her curiosity took the best of her as she blindly picked one out and began reading its contents.
As expected, Naoto's writing was consistent and legible. She ran a finger through the pages, remembering some of his reports which she nosily peaked through.
There were a collection of notes that led to the resolution of many cases, most of which Naoto solved with ease. It was as though Naoto was naturally born to be a prodigal detective. Then again, what did she expect from someone conceived into a line of well known investigators.
She flipped through a few more pages until a picture slipped out. Touko softened her eyes at the image, remembering the moment they had shared in this one moment. She was holding the polaroid camera high up, just enough to get Naoto in it. Of course, the Detective Prince looked up worriedly, his eyes glinting with embarrassment and cheeks a bit rosied. It was taken about sometime when they first met, outside of the Shirogane manor. Time flew by too fast and now, they remained as nothing more than memories.
She glanced up at the clock which was a few minutes from turning three. It would only be a matter of time before she would face Naoto and the feelings she kept silenced for so long.
"I totally forgot we had class duties today." Rise whined as she lazily dusted the floor. Naoto busily took the eraser in hand and began removing the words on the chalk board.
After his confrontation with Rise's group, he felt slightly relieved for speaking out in regards to the whole scenario.
When Rise checked back to keep tabs on Naoto, he was already finished with the board and began working on adjusting the class chairs. He was diligent with his work, making sure that each task was completed to the best of his ability.
It encouraged Rise to do better as she quickened her pace with sweeping. Not wanting the class to grow too quiet, Rise opened her mouth to speak a few words. "I can't believe you thought my friends and I were the culprits behind the murder cases."
Naoto pushed a chair into the desk accordingly and stood next to Rise. "It was a plausible theory."
"Oh really?" She began stalking him from behind as he walked down the aisle of desks. "I mean, how could you possibly suspect me to be the true perpetrator? It's not like I look like a criminal or anything."
"You don't have to look like a criminal to be one." Naoto unbuttoned the top of his collared shirt. It was growing a little too hot for comfort. "In many cases, the culprit is the one you least expect."
Defeated, Rise puffed a breath of hot air upwards, causing her bangs to float for a split second. "So what changed your mind?"
Naoto rand his hand on the teacher's desk and dusted it off with a small hand towel. "I realized that you didn't have the uncanny prowess of a criminal mastermind." He had meant it as a joke of sorts to frustrate Rise Kujikawa.
"Oh, so that's what you really think of me?" She closed in on Naoto who was now standing across from her. The only thing separating the two was the single wooden desk. Their eyes were glued to each other, unwavering as they stayed this way for a minute or two.
"I don't think you're capable of murdering anyone." A single shadow loomed over the class as Rise finally broke eye contact. "I'm confident that you are not the culprit, not you or any of your friends."
Naoto took the opportunity to stand beside Rise who was now in deep thought. "Are you sure about that?" The cloud was still hovering above the school and the darkness dwelled over them for a little longer.
Rise wished that she could tell him the entire truth so that he could piece the situation as a whole and find the true perpetrator. But even if she did, like before, the outcome would result with the same end. No one would believe such a ridiculous explanation.
Naoto moved close enough for their faces to meet, just enough to hear her faint breaths. Rise gripped the broom in hand tightly as she struggled from the temptation of kissing the Detective Prince. He was a tease, and so was she, but it was intriguing to see who would be bold enough to make the first move.
Their interactions developed into a game, pushing each other to the limits to keep things interesting.
"I'm positively sure." Naoto whispered through his lips which were mere centimeters from connecting with Rise's. She leaned closer, wanting to satiate her burning desire to feel him press against her like how he always did when they were alone.
And yet, it was Naoto who stepped back as he found more storm clouds setting in beyond the school's windows. "In any case we should hurry up."
Disappointed, Rise lowered her head and trudged to continue her duties. She would be sure to pressure him into kissing her next time.
Touko looked out the window to spot a few storm clouds heading for the town. There was no doubt that it would rain tonight and tomorrow.
She stayed at the manor until nightfall and prepared to leave until she found Naoto opening the door.
"Grandfather, I'm home." He brushed his shoes against the mat and removed the cap from his head. Rainfall had already begun and his clothes clung to his skin, sticking to his slender figure.
Touko tried to step forward as she hid behind the wall's shadows, but the strength she once had before was now gone. In the end, her resolve wasn't as strong as she thought it was.
"Grandfather?" Naoto asked again as he walked to the dining table where he usually was. It seemed as though the Detecive Prince was ignorant of Touko's presence.
She realized that she didn't have the courage to face him right now, so once Naoto left the living room, she ran for the door as quick as she could.
"Ah, Naoto, your friend Touko is here." His grandfather sat in his seat with a newspaper in hand.
"Touko?" Naoto raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"Yes, I'm afraid she's been waiting for you for quite some time now."
Naoto never received a message from Touko saying that she would be in town visiting. So it took her by surprise to hear the sudden news.
He immediately rushed back to the living room to find no one there. "Touko?" He projected his voice loudly as it echoed across the room.
"Naoto-san, she just left a few minutes ago." One of the house maids gestured to the front door.
"What?" He opened the door to find the rainfall pouring harder than before.
"Touko, what are you thinking?" He mumbled to himself and took back his signature blue cap.
"Wait, Shirogane-san you shouldn't go out there! It's raining too hard." His house maid announced as he slipped into his shoes and opened the door, rushing out.
It was too dark to see much of anything and the rainfall only worsened his field of vision.
"Touko?" He ran down the cemented track and stopped at the end that connected with the Samegawa Flood Plain. "Touko where are you?" He was only out for a few minutes, but he was already drenched in rainwater from head to toe.
"Touko?" He ran into the streets and held his hand over his eyes. And within the blink of an eye, a car came fast approaching towards his direction.
He jumped out of the way just enough to avoid any serious injuries. The man stepped out of the vehicle and slowly made his way to Naoto.
There was nothing friendly about the way he was poised and he didn't bother offering his hand to see if the Detective Prince was okay. Naoto narrowed his eyes at the lengthy man, trying hard to identify his face before his inevitable capture.
"Naoto Shirogane, you're coming with me."
... To be continued So if you enjoyed this chapter, remember to fave, follow and/or review. Thanks for reading