It was a dark and stormy night when the Midnight Channel revealed the next victim to be kidnapped. Naoto dropped the TV remote in her hand, the electric static resonating in the room as she realized whose silhouette was broadcasted just a few seconds ago. There was no room for doubt. It was certainly Nanako Dojima.
She hurried down the flight of steps, reached for her coat on the rack, slipped on her shoes and took an umbrella on her way out. The storm showed no signs of letting up on her way to the Dojima residence. The winds were fierce and the rain even more relentless as she jogged her way down the hillside. Her phone rang in her pocket and she answered it immediately.
"Wasn't that Nanako-chan on the Midnight Channel just now? How could it be her?" Rise's voice sounded distressed over the phone.
"I know what you're thinking but Nanako-chan does fit the pattern. She wasn't seen, but she was heard. Do you remember the politician who visited a local school and made the news several times? In those interviews he always quoted a particular student he spoke with. The child became well known while remaining anonymous. That girl was Nanako-chan!" Naoto made a sharp turn around the corner and took a deep breath. "A reporter who took interest in this released her photo and interview using here real name in today's evening paper."
"Oh my God..."
"I should've realized it sooner." Naoto berated herself. "But I was hung up on the idea of people who were shown on TV. It didn't occur to me that this would qualify."
"What are we going to do? Nanako's home alone right now since Yu-senpai is in the Police Department."
"I'm on my way there as we speak to check up on her! Yosuke-senpai and Teddie will meet up at the police station. We can rendezvous there where we'll shed more light on the situation."
"Alright. I'll tell the others then."
Naoto sprinted the last few miles on the way to the Dojima residence. She could only hope that she wasn't too late. When she finally reached Nanako's home her hair was sopping wet and the water drifted down her cheeks. She wiped her hair aside and made a move to knock on the door only to realize that it was open and unlocked.
"Nanako-chan?" Naoto called out as she stepped in. "Nanako-chan are you here?"
The room remained silent and Naoto made an effort to check every room for herself. But she was too late. Nanako was already missing.
While the fog settled around Inaba many of the townspeople grew worried about the effects it might have on their health. The rumors spread across the neighborhood like wildfire. The doctors and nurses at the hospital worked tirelessly to dispel the here say that sparked so much uproar among the town's citizens.
Naoto and her friends waited outside for Nanako who was still recovering after her kidnapping. Dojima-san landed in the hospital with a few fractures and stitches after his car accident while pursuing Namatame. The group also had some lingering wounds after their battle with his shadow in the other world several days ago. Despite Naoto's persona having evolved from accepting her true-self she felt her strength hadn't been at its full potential just yet. The shadows were becoming much tougher to deal with and she needed to get stronger if she were to become of any help to anyone.
Slowly, she pressed her hand against the hospital window. The glass felt cold against her palm and fingertips. She'd never felt so incompetent as a detective especially as one from the prestigious Shirogane bloodline.
The whole squad felt guilty for all that happened within the past few hours. For the brief amount of time that Nanako died everyone was running rampant on raw emotions. It was clear that pinning the murder case on Namatame would have been nearly impossible to do. So, Dojima-san was prepared to take matters into his own hands. When he failed Yosuke was willing to finish the job by pushing him into the TV. And if he did there would have been no exit for Namatame to reach the real world.
To be honest Naoto would have gone through with it too had it not been for Yu's level headed thinking.
She'd only realized her mistake when Yu shed some light on the murder as a whole. They were missing something, something important. They weren't sure what it was exactly, but it was only then that everyone realized that the case was far from over.
Rise walked over to Naoto's side and intertwined their fingers together. She began crying the next second, sobbing and weeping from sheer relief that Nanako was going to be okay. Naoto reached into her pocket and offered her handkerchief to Rise.
"I-I didn't know what I was gonna do." Rise said.
Naoto wrapped an arm around Rise to comfort her. The rest of the group seemed to be at ease now that things settled down.
Nanako was fighting so hard to survive but the most they could do was to wait and believe that she would make a full recovery. As they walked with the group on their way home the fog had lifted slightly. The first sightings of snowfall began to fall over them bit by bit.
"Oh! It's snow." Yukiko extended her hand out as a drop fell right into her palm.
"Hey, you're right. Wow it's been a while since I last saw real snow. It doesn't look that pretty, though, because of all this fog." Rise pointed out.
"I guess this makes it the first snow of the year." Chie said before quickly crossing her arms over her chest. "Brrr. It's freezing! Let's go home. Hey Yosuke, if you find Teddie don't forget to contact us alright?"
"I know, I know. Let's meet up at the special headquarters tomorrow." Yosuke said.
With that final note the group dispersed, Naoto and Rise walking down the shopping district together. Their short walk was met with silence, neither of them eager to say much with all that happened. It was an eventful day full of twists and turns that no one had expected.
"Are you okay?" Rise asked once they stopped at her doorstep.
"Not exactly."
"Do I want to know what you're thinking?"
"Back in Namatame's room was it really right to stop everyone from doing what they were going to do? I have no way of knowing..."
"Hey, it was." Rise lifted her hands to Naoto's face. "It has to be."
Naoto nodded. As an individual who made decisions based on logical and rational thinking her choice tonight was anything but that. Her emotions almost got the best of her and nearly drove her to persecute a man who may or may not be responsible for the series of murders in Inaba. She wondered to herself what sort of detective she would be had she done otherwise.
"I'm glad we didn't do it. I was afraid if we did..."
"There would be no turning back." Naoto finished. "I wanted to. For a moment I considered it."
"It's only natural." Rise said. "You were upset. We all were."
Rise walked up to Naoto and gave her a warm and much needed hug. The detective prince closed her eyes and savored the moment. It was nice to have her so close. Even with the gentle snowfall she didn't feel so cold.
"Are you staying over?"
"My Grandpa will be worried if I do."
"That's not exactly a no."
"I'll send him a message. Walking around in this fog might not be the best idea after all."
When they entered, the house was even quieter than usual.
"My Grandma said she would be nursing her friend who got sick from the fog. It's just the two of us tonight."
Eventually, Naoto grew familiar with the layout of Rise's house. The storefront held several containers of ingredients for the tofu. She'd eaten some of their goods on several occasions, usually after their training in the other world. It was a small rustic house and the floor creaked with every step they took as she followed her down the narrow, dimly lit hallway.
"It feels like it's been forever since we last hung out like this."
"Spending time in the other world doesn't qualify as hanging out?" Naoto said with a hint of a small smile.
"You're joking right? Training with everyone feels more like work than anything else." Rise spun around. "And besides, it's not like I can do this when we're there."
Rise kissed her on the lips, softly at first. They both went through a lot today and she wasn't about to rush the moment with Naoto. Ever so slowly she deepened the kiss. Naoto could feel her pulse racing, her breath hitching with the slightest touch.
"Today really had me thinking about a lot of things." Rise said as she leaned back against the wall.
"I-Is that so?"
"Yeah...and I was wondering if we could finally, you know..." Rise's voice fell into a faint whisper.
Naoto quirked an eyebrow, slow to follow Rise's insinuations.
Rise took Naoto's hand with hers. She guided her underneath her skirt, the pad of her fingertips brushing gently across her cold bare skin.
Naoto stayed her hand and pressed her body against Rise. They lingered there together in the hallway, felt each others breaths intersect.
"We don't have to do this right now. I know we've both had a rough day..." Naoto said softly.
Rise gently rested her head to Naoto's shoulder. "I hate to admit it, but maybe you're right."
"Today could've went wrong in so many ways. Despite believing that we made the right choice I feel like we haven't." Naoto dropped her hand away from Rise and pressed it up against the wall. "What happened to Nanako today frightened me so much that it nearly rendered me incapable of performing my duties properly. If it had been you in her place or if even the possibility of losing you existed—"
Rise set a finger to Naoto's lips.
"I'm sure Nanako will make a full recovery. Naoto you have to believe in the decision we made as a team, that it was the right one."
Naoto nodded slowly. Rise was right. They would find out the answers to their questions soon enough.
"I'm sorry," Naoto apologized.
"Don't be."
They continued walking up the stairs and into Rise's bedroom. She turned on the lights and took off her school jacket then hung it behind the door. It had been a long day for the both of them and Rise was eager to make herself as comfortable as possible quickly. Naoto looked away politely and discarded her jacket to the side. From a distance she could still see the heavy fog from the window. It seemed that it wouldn't let up for a while. Rise placed her hand on the detective's shoulder. She seemed to share the same concern.
Together they crawled into bed and Rise turned off the lights. They held each other close that night, but while the starlet fell asleep in her arms Naoto couldn't help but feel that this case would finally come to its end soon.
AN: I have returned from a very long hiatus to finish what I started! It has taken quite a long time and I apologize for the inconvenience. This is a very dear story to me and I thank you to everyone who has taken their time and patience with every chapter. Although this is a very short addition I'm still planning how to tie it all up for the ending!