The Idol and the Prince
Part IV
07/31
"Yo! Let's go!" Yosuke charged head first into the fray as he summoned his Persona. "Susano-O!" A hurricane of sharp gusts whirled through the clearing, cutting and slicing.
Rise watched the fight through Himiko's visor, scanning the shadows that appeared. "Sempai! Be careful, these ones are immune to-"
ZAP!
"GAHH!"
Rise rolled her eyes at Kanji's strangled scream as he was hit with a taste of his own medicine. "It's immune to electricity, you know…?" Rise yelled into her mic, her lips drawn into a thin line.
"Koraaaaa!" Kanji summoned his gargantuan persona and yet again, he was hit with the rebound off the magical mirror.
"Kanji-kun! Listen to me! It's. Immune. Do I have to spell it out for you?? Sempai! Tell him to stop!" Rise stomped her feet, frowning as the group of boys continued to ignore her advice.
"Kanji! Give it another shot!" Kuma encouraged him from behind, smiling widely under that ridiculous bear suit. By this time, the gangster's shirt was already in tatters.
"Kuma, don't! Kanji's health is dangerously low!"
"Yosh! Take-Mikazuchi!" Kanji swung his arms enthusiastically as he summoned the beast again. There was a crackle of static in the air as the shot reflected right back at him. The blow sent the young man flying backwards onto the floor. His shades were knocked off, his head lolling to the side.
Kuma, Yosuke and Souji stared at their unconscious teammate, a look of shock on all three faces.
"What's the point in having a support member if you don't listen to her?!" Rise continued to scream over the mic, hoping she wouldn't pop a blood vessel any time soon. Everyone seemed to drive her up the wall today.
Behind the redhead, Chie stretched her arms, leaning against the wall, Yukiko sitting beside her."Oi, Rise-chan, just calm down. They're guys ya know, so they get like this sometimes."
Rise growled as she continued to watch the all male team explore the game-like maze. Kanji was half dead and the rest of them were running out of SP. "You guys better heal Kanji-kun!"
They kept on running through the dark corridors, or in Kuma and Kanji's cases, skipping and stumbling.
"Look sensei! It's another shadow!" Kuma jumped up and down, pointing at the dark wriggling mass at the end of the hall.
"Alright! Let's beat that thing to a pulp!" Again, Yosuke took the lead, twirling his knives excitedly.
Kanji limped after them. "S-Sempai...If you want to save SP, I don't mind, but at the very least you should give me some antibiotic gel. I think this giant gash is starting to look kinda yellow..."
Ignoring Rise and Kanji, the testosterone driven team headed into battle once again.
"Mou! I've had it with those boys!" Rise released Himiko and sat down on the floor next to Chie.
"That's why you gotta relax, Rise-chan! They'll be fine. They always are, so don't worry so much." Chie smiled at the downtrodden girl. "At least we always listen to you!"
Yukiko rubbed her eyes as she yawned. "Chie's right, Rise-chan..."
The redhead's bottom lip quivered and she could feel the tears well up. "Sempai! You guys are just too nice!" She sniffled, wiping away a stray tear.
"Don't..." Yukiko stopped mid-sentence, yawning. "Mention it..." She rested her head against Chie's shoulder, rubbing her eyes again.
"Umm...Yukiko-sempai, are you alright? You seem really tired." A look of concern overcame Rise. She watched as Yukiko dozed off against Chie. The brunette gathered the sleeping girl closer, shifting into a more comfortable position.
"Yukiko's just tired. She had...nightmares all night yesterday." Chie coughed into her hand, turned her head towards Yukiko. It might have been Rise's imagination, but it seemed like Chie was trying to avoid her eyes.
"Oh, so you slept over at Yukiko sempai's again?" Rise started giggling, her tone filled with childish wonderment.
"I-It's not what you think! I-I was just helping Y-Yukiko pick out a new mattress!" Chie lashed out at Rise, but a heavy blush stained her cheeks. All the while, she kept a steady arm wrapped around Yukiko's waist.
"Ne, Chie-sempai...how did you help Yukiko-sempai choose her mattress?" Rise sidled up to Chie, eager to hear her explanation.
Chie tensed, her expression changing from embarrassed to horrified. She really shouldn't have brought up the bed. Rise was no innocent high school girl. Surely, she was the devil incarnate.
"W-well, f-first, you have to test out the firmness of the mattress, t-the size, a-and then, you have to make sure it's not one of the spring mattresses. Yukiko's old mattress was a metal spring one and she could barely sleep at night...tossing and turning. So we tested it out last night a-and she still had nightmares, so w-we have to get a new one."
Rise smirked, but coughed into her hand to hide her expression. She feigned innocence as she continued her line of questioning. "Oh, so you sleep with Yukiko-sempai all the time?"
Chie swallowed hard, beads of sweat gathering on her forehead. "O-oh, no no...I-I only sleep with Yukiko when s-she...t-talks in her sleep!" She put her hands up in defence, pushing Rise away.
"Oh? What does Yukiko sempai say in her slee-"
"Ahhn..." It was a breathy moan.
The two girls stopped.
"Chie...don't touch me there...I'm sensitive..." Yukiko snuggled closer to Chie, her arms wrapped around the sporty girl's waist. She was still fast asleep.
"Y-Yukiko!" Chie burned a bright red, her mouth hung open with horror. She looked back at Rise, who was giving her an 'I-knew-it' smile. "A-a misunderstanding!" Chie screamed, her face as red as red can be.
"Ohohoho! You and Yukiko-sempai were doing naughty things!" Rise grinned mischievously as she gained invaluable blackmail material on one Satonaka Chie.
"S-so were you! Y-You had Naoto-kun all alone in your room! You were basically on top of him when we interrupted!" Chie's look of horror turned into an "Ah ha!" of triumph as she laid out the facts for Rise.
Instead of the embarrassment Chie expected from the ex-idol, she was greeted with a giant grin.
"So, Chie-sempai...you don't deny that you and Yukiko-sempai were doing bad things...?" Rise raised her eyebrows, smiling oh so innocently. She had finally cornered her.
Chie's mouth opened and closed like a fish on land. "I-I..." She was at a loss for words. Just leave it up to Satonaka Chie and her big mouth to ruin everything. Now she was trapped.
"Don't worry, Chie sempai! I'll help keep your secret!" Rise winked as she put a finger to her lips.
"Aghh..." The spunky brunette slumped against the wall, burying her face in her hands as she despaired.
"There, there...I won't blackmail you...too much." Rise smiled harmlessly, eliciting a groan of frustration from Chie.
Kujikawa Rise was certainly not a force to be taken lightly.
Meanwhile, in front of Marukyu Tofu, a depressed young man stood watching the doorway. With his messy blue hair blowing in the wind, he wondered how he was going to face Rise again after that.
She probably knew...
Despite everything, Naoto still had to get his hat back. After days of going hatless, he just didn't feel like a detective without it.
As night fell in the small town of Inaba, the streets grew awfully quiet. After the murders started last spring, no one really felt like wandering around at night. In spite of the danger, three unarmed girls meandered down the road, talking animatedly with each other.
"Ahh...the air's so crisp and clean. I just love these cool summer nights." Chie had both hands atop her head, taking in deep breaths as she made her way down the path.
"But...Chie, don't you think it's still a little bit dangerous walking around at night like this...?" Yukiko's eyes darted around as she quickened her step, coming up next to Chie.
"Don't worry, Yukiko. I'll protect you. I'm your Prince Charming after all." The brunette winked, smiling at her companion.
Yukiko blushed, mouthing something to Chie.
"Aww...sempai! You guys are such a cute couple." Rise giggled as she skipped happily behind the two.
"Rise-chan, if you speak a word of this to anyone, your fate will be worse than Yosuke's the time he messed up my DVD..." Chie clenched her fists, her blood boiling just thinking about the incident.
"You wouldn't be so mean, would you, Chie-sempai?" Rise smiled innocently, working up her puppy dog face.
"Hahaha...you two..." Yukiko snickered, the light atmosphere overcoming the dark apprehension. Even though they had Mitsuo trapped in the TV world, Inaba had lost its reputation as a peaceful town.
The streetlights flickered eerily, the shopping district completely deserted. The sky was pitch black now and stars dotted the heavens. Investigation days usually ended quite early, but today, they went a little overtime. Junes was almost closed by the time they left the other world.
"Is it just me, or did it get a lot colder all of a sudden...?" Rise rubbed her bare arms, feeling the goosebumps rise on her skin.
"Y-you're right, Rise-chan." Yukiko stood closer to Chie, slipping her hand through the taller girl's. "It's gotten kind chilly..."
Chie looked around sceptically, feeling a chill run down her spine. These two were really dampening the mood. "C-come on, you guys...it's just your imagination." She laughed nervously, inching closer to Yukiko.
Suddenly, the streetlights dimmed, buzzing loudly before the light disappeared all together.
"C-Chie..." Yukiko grabbed Chie's arm.
"Ahaha...don't worry, Yukiko, I'm here to..." Chie peered into the darkness, a figure coming into view under the awning of a streetlight. "protect you..." her voice grew quiet and the group stopped walking.
The faint moonlight threw shadows against the walls, and they stretched and twisted. They surrounded the girls on all sides. The figure in front grew larger with each step, towering over them menacingly.
Rise hid behind Chie, rummaging through her purse for a canister of pepper spray. She whispered. "O-okay...on the count of three, y-you guys jump him. I-I'll blind him with pepper spray."
"S-sure, no problem..." Chie nodded, taking an offensive stance.
Yukiko shifted nervously, balling her hands up into fists.
The shadowy figure approached them slowly. His gait was quick and confident, taking large strides. Even under the cover of night, the three girls could make out the person to be very slim. If they used the element of surprise, they could overwhelm their attacker with ease.
"Okay...on my count..." Rise could feel the cold sweat bead on her forehead as she listened to the footsteps echo on the asphalt.
"1..." The steps quickened.
"2..." The figure reached out a hand.
"3!"
Without notice, the lights flickered on again and the entire street was flooded with light.
Naoto blinked, wide eyed. "R-Rise-san..."
Three pairs of eyes were glued onto Naoto's slender frame. The boy was as surprised as they were. The three girls were poised to attack, frozen in their positions. Chie was in a martial arts stance, Yukiko had her fan out and Rise held her can of pepper spray in an outstretched hand.
They all breathed a sigh of relief.
"N-N-Naoto-kun, what are you doing here so late at night?" Rise laughed nervously, fumbling as she stuffed the canister back into her purse.
"I was...in the neighbourhood." Naoto ran a hand through his hair casually, peering into the darkness that surrounded them.
"Naoto-kun...it's almost midnight..." Yukiko was still as white as a sheet, her nails digging into her palms.
Chie smiled uneasily as she relaxed.
"Well, I could say the same for you three. Aren't you afraid of walking around at this time of day? After all, you never know what kind of people are waiting in the shadows." Naoto fidgeted, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
"Like you, Naoto-kun?" Chie inquired, a completely honest expression on her face.
"Uh, well... I'm an officer of the law." Naoto looked around furtively, his hands clenching and unclenching in his pockets.
"Are you alright? You seem uneasy." Rise stepped forward, peering in Naoto's clouded blue eyes.
Naoto turned his eyes downward, seemingly ashamed. "Rise-san, this seems as good an opportunity as any other, so would you mind returning my hat, please?"
"Eh? Your hat?" Rise seemed taken aback. Suddenly, a shy blush colored her cheeks as she noticed Naoto's blue hair, unaccompanied by his trademark accessory. "Oh, sure, Naoto-kun." Rise swore in her mind. She really did like that hat very much. Just yesterday, she posed for a number of pictures in that hat...
Seeing as Rise was preoccupied with her night-time visitor, Chie and Yukiko decided to make their exit. "Okay, then, Rise-chan. We'll see you tomorrow. Bye, Naoto-kun." Chie waved a goodbye as she and Yukiko made their way down the street, turning into an alley. Their running footsteps disappeared into the night.
"Bye." Rise waved weakly.
"Rise-san?" Naoto looked impatient, tapping his foot on the asphalt.
"Oh, sorry, Naoto-kun. Let's get going." She started walking, but after a few steps, she noticed that Naoto wasn't following her.
"Rise-san...where are you going?"
Rise looked back to see Naoto in the exact same spot she left him. "Home, of course, where else?" She was puzzled by that question.
"We're right in front of your house, Rise-san..." Naoto raised an eyebrow mockingly.
The redhead looked back to see the sign, "Marukyu Tofu" shrouded in the darkness.
"Oh." She felt embarrassed once again, Naoto's mature charm making her seem so childish.
Naoto chuckled softly. "You should be a comedian."
Rise huffed, her face red. "Whatever...Let's just get your stupid hat, Naoto-kun." She grabbed Naoto's hand impatiently, pulling him into her house.
Naoto tensed at her touch, but he allowed her just this once to have her way. His lips were turned up in a wry smile.
As Rise opened the door and locked it behind her, they made their way up the stairs and to her room. On Rise's bed, Naoto's hat sat atop one of her stuffed animals. Naoto smiled to himself, marvelling over Rise's juvenile mannerisms. She strode over quickly, picking up the hat.
Rise bit her lower lip as she fidgeted with the hat in her hands. She glanced at her desk. "Naoto-kun, would you take a picture with me? Just this once?" Rise pleaded, her camera already in hand. She pulled the blue cap over her head, striking a pose.
He chuckled at her antics. "Haha...sorry, Rise-san. I'm afraid I don't turn out well in pictures...so if I can have my hat back..." He stretched out a hand, feeling his head aching already.
Despite Naoto's protests, Rise poised the camera. "Say cheese!"
"Ahh! Rise!" Naoto ducked and dodged, twisting and turning as Rise chased him with the camera.
"C'mon! Just one! You look so cute!" Rise clicked the button feverishly, desperate to get shots of a Naoto-kun without his hat on. The detective dashed around madly, jumping tables and slamming into walls and doors.
After what seemed like an hour of playing cat and mouse, both Naoto and Rise were slumped against the bed, panting. They struggled to catch their breath, their faces red from the exertion. Naoto wiped the sweat from his brow, a faint smile on his lips.
"Y-you're a f-formidable adversary, K-Kujikawa Rise...." Naoto panted in between words.
"Ha! Y-You're not too b-bad y-yourself, Shirogane...F-for a detective..." Rise smirked, swatting playfully at the bluenette. She looked over pleadingly. "C-can I just have one picture?"
"U-Uh...well..." Naoto's eyes darted around.
Rise pouted, looking sadly at the young man. "Please?"
He swallowed his integrity as he sighed. "Okay, fine. Just one."
They took their places and Rise swung an arm around his shoulders, bringing them closer together as she held the camera at arm's length.
"Say Cheese!" Rise smiled at the camera with such familiarity, only something a seasoned idol would have.
Naoto tried his best to smile widely, but it felt forced and awkward to him.
Rise pressed the button and the camera whirred.
"Aww! Naoto-kun, you're so photogenic!" Rise fawned over the shot.
"That doesn't mean much coming from an idol..." Naoto peered at the screen, blushing as he glanced at Rise's picture perfect capture.
"Let's take another!" Rise's excitement was hardly contained as she bubbled over.
Naoto slipped out of her grasp and made a beeline for the door. He grabbed hold of the door knob and turned, but to his horror, it was locked. From the inside.
"Say cheese!" Rise came up behind him, snapping away on her digital camera.
Naoto panicked, not knowing whether he wanted to start this chase again.
A/N: Guh...I've lost my voice and I have a terrible cold. thanks to this, I've been able to stay home and update so quickly! :D I don't know if this is a blessing or a curse, but nevertheless, it's working out.
Don't worry, there's more action coming up in the later chapters. I promise.
I hope you enjoyed this! Please review!