The Idol and the Prince
Part V
08/12
Naoto sat on the edge of the docks, his legs dangling above the flowing waters. He stared into the murky blue, his eyes clouded over with pensiveness. His thoughts were lost in the swirl of water and he sighed heavily.
"Kujikawa Rise…" Naoto stared out at the river blankly as he said her name. He hadn't seen her for nearly two weeks. The last time they met was when he waited outside her house all day in order to get his hat back. Reflexively, his hands went up to his head, mindfully adjusting his cap. He was rather fond of it and he cringed, thinking back to the measures he had to take in order to have his way.
Sighing again, Naoto found a name escaping his lips. "Rise…" He trailed off, his brows furrowing with concentration. He glanced at the forgotten notebook in his hand. The page was dated just last week, notes jotted down in his elegant scrawl.
August 05
10:07 –Junes food court, seen with S. Souji and co.
10:50 – target lost (electronics department)
19:30 – exists Junes with A. Yukiko, S. Chie.
(Appearances seem tired, lethargic actions)
For the umpteenth time, Naoto scanned over the entry, wracking his brain for a plausible explanation. It was the first of many observations, the first day he decided to follow Rise and her friends. Also, it was the first of many inconsistencies. The time frame was choppy, nearly eight hours lost before the group resurfaced. He had secured all exits and had confirmed that they hadn't left Junes for the entire day. A group of six teenagers wasn't supposed to be hard to keep track of, but they disappeared without a trace once they turned into the electronics department.
Nothing seemed to make sense. The physical evidence was baffling, but the logic that followed was even stranger. Could a group of teens really spend their entire day inside a department store? Were country kids that deprived…?
He thought about it again, analysing the facts, but nothing made sense. With this, he couldn't possibly write up a suspicions report. After all, teenagers disappearing into department stores for long periods of time didn't seem like solid evidence for the case.
Naoto grabbed his hat, scrunching it up in his hands in frustration. Things just didn't add up. There was no logical explanation, no conclusion to draw from the evidence. Were they up to no good or were they just…
Bzzt
He sighed. "What now…?" Naoto fished his mobile out of his pocket, flipping it open. It was Rise.
Sry I've been so busy these past weeks, but I'm finally free!
Why don't we study?
You did promise me~
-Rise
Naoto grinned at the message, typing in a reply as he stood, adjusting his hat. Her message came at a perfect time. He had a lot of questions to ask her. It was strange, but he felt as if he was getting closer to Rise, closer to catching a break in the case.
An hour later, Naoto found himself seated on Rise's bed. Books were scattered about, papers haphazardly covered the floor. It either looked like she was studying really hard, or that someone had just ransacked her bedroom.
"Naoto-kun, sorry to keep you waiting!" Rise re-entered the room, a couple of drinks in hand. The ice clinked as she put them down on the low sitting table beside her bed. She took a seat after, flipping through the pages in her textbook. She had a grave expression on and Naoto could tell that she really was serious about studying.
"It's no problem." Naoto stood as he walked over, taking a seat beside Rise on the floor. He shifted, crossing his legs to get into a more comfortable position.
"So, Naoto-kun, I don't get this part. How do you prove that this is equal to this?" Rise pointed at the page, her brows furrowed in confusion. She bit her lip, thinking about the problem intensely.
"Well, first you have to make sure that both sides are simplified. Like this…" Naoto leaned in close, his face just inches away from the idol's. Rise tensed as he came closer. As he reached for the pencil in her hand, Rise could feel a soft touch brush against her arm.
The girl jumped at this and a small sound of surprise escaped her lips.
"Rise-san, are you alright?" Naoto retracted his hand, moving away from the redhead. He looked at her carefully, confused at the blush that spread across her cheeks so easily.
"I-I'm fine, I'm fine." She nodded her head vigorously, a sheepish smile on her face.
The detective gave her a sceptic look, but he continued on nevertheless. He leaned in again, pushing pen to paper as he started to explain the question. "In order to find what the left side…"
Rise's mind drifted off as Naoto's gentle voice droned on. She stole a sidelong glance at him, staring intently into his boyish face, observing the sharp angle of his jaw, his impeccably perfect skin, his unusually long lashes. Having taken a closer look, Rise realized that Naoto's face was so…feminine. Without his scowl or his pursed lips, he really was…with lack of a better word, beautiful.
She leaned in closer to follow the steps as he worked down the sheet of paper. Blushing, she noticed that he was incredibly warm. With her body so close to his, she could practically feel the warmth radiate off him. On a whim, she craned her neck closer, the scent of detergent and faint cologne filling her senses.
Suddenly, Naoto turned, startling the redhead. "Do you understand what I'm doing so far?" Apparently, he hadn't noticed her preoccupation, because he hadn't spared her a single glance after he started the problem.
However, Rise's cheeks were flushed a bright red, her heart thudding in her chest. He had almost caught her staring at him, admiring him… It was a chilling feeling, but it sent her heart rate skyrocketing.
"Rise-san?" He looked concerned as he saw her condition. "Are you sure you're fine? You look a little flushed." Naoto reached out a hand, but Rise stood abruptly.
"H-Haha…sorry, It's just a little bit hot in here." She laughed nervously. "Mind if I turn up the air conditioning?"
"Go ahead." Naoto put down the pencil as he watched Rise make her way to the cooling unit by her bed. She climbed onto the mattress and fiddled with the dial. It clicked a couple of times as she turned it, the whirring of the machine getting louder. Cold air filled the room and Rise lounged in front of the vent, letting out a sigh of relief.
Seconds later, she sat back down at the table with Naoto, fully determined to pay attention this time. "So, where were we?" She smiled, scanning over the page filled with Naoto's writing.
The boy continued on, his mouth moving faster than his brain could form sentences. He knew the material like the back of his hand and his pencil flew over the paper, moving with his reflexes. "Then, when you get to this part, you have to square-"
Naoto stopped as a sudden grinding noise filled the room. He turned; the source of the noise coming from the air conditioning machine. "Uh…Rise-san, is that normal?"
Rise stuttered as she looked at Naoto and then at the appliance. "I-I don't think so…"
The grinding slowed and the machine groaned, making a guttural noise. Then, the whirring stopped all together and the room fell silent.
"I guess it's…broken." Rise blinked, confused. "Looks like I broke it, actually…"
"Is that okay? Maybe I should take a look at it?" Naoto motioned to rise, but Rise stretched an arm out, stopping the young man.
"It's okay. We should just keep going. It shouldn't get that hot in here." Rise smiled assuredly, turning her attention back to the horrid summer assignments.
Naoto obediently complied, getting back into work mode as he picked up the pencil once again. "Now, here, this one's a little bit different…"
They worked through question after question, the pile of 'not done' diminishing quite quickly. However, as the seconds ticked past, Naoto was starting to feel more and more uncomfortable. At first, it was just a prickling heat at the base of his neck, so he loosened his tie, and undid the top two buttons on his shirt. He pulled at his collar uncomfortably, knocking his hat onto the floor. Glancing over, Naoto noticed that Rise was busily fanning herself with a stack of homework. She gulped down her iced tea, the ice cubes, long melted.
Regardless, Naoto tried to hide his discomfort as he shifted on the warm hardwood floor. He cleared his throat, motioning for the redhead to follow along. Rise struggled to comply, her concentration fading fast. They were almost done. If only they could finish these last few pages.
With every minute that passed, Naoto could feel the sweat roll down the side of his face. With the humidity in the room, his hair was bound to be a mess. For the third time in the past ten minutes, he reached for his glass again. He drained the last of the cold liquid, licking his lips. Turning back to the jumble of words in front of him, he grasped the pencil in his sweaty hand, grimacing at the feeling.
"Ah, mou! I can't stand it anymore!" Rise stood suddenly, raising her arms into the air as she pulled her shirt over her head. She fought with the stubborn piece of clothing, wrestling with the t-shirt. The tank top that Rise wore under was starting to ride up precariously.
All the while, Naoto stared, wide eyed. Currently, his eyes were transfixed on the creamy expanse of Rise's taut stomach. Her skin was like porcelain, flawless. The more the girl struggled, the higher her shirt lifted, exposing her pink and lacy brassiere. As he stared, he noticed that Rise had an amazing figure. His eyes worked downward from her endowed chest, following the outline of her slim waist. Her shorts hung low on her full hips, the tell tale lace poking out from the waist of her pants. He continued, drinking in the sight of her long and slender legs.
The detective didn't mean to stare, but something just drew his attention to watch as the idol unknowingly exposed more than she wished to. His cheeks began to color furiously, the blood rushing to his head.
"That's so much better!" Rise sighed relief as she tossed the article of clothing off to the side. She slumped against her bed, throwing her head back to rest on the mattress. She wiped away the sweat on her brow with one hand, the other plucking the fabric of her shirt up and down, up and down…up…and down.
Naoto blinked, clueless. He couldn't tear his eyes away, the speed of his heart leaving him breathless. Softly, he cursed white clothing. As the idol fanned herself, the flimsy piece of attire hugged her figure, accentuating her curves. He could see everything, especially those pert, perfectly round…
"Ne, Naoto-kun…" Rise said his name breathlessly as she turned her head towards him, her eyes lidded. Those gold orbs seemingly smouldered.
Naoto hadn't noticed before, but they were sitting terribly close. Her face was inches away, her pink and supple lips parted with a sigh as he stared. They looked so inviting as they trembled slightly with her slow breaths, her chest heaving up and down. For a split second, Naoto wished that he could just ravage her then and there.
Subconsciously, he leaned forward, his breathing shallow, his eyes shot with desire.
She spoke.
"Maybe we should go somewhere else. We're not really getting any studying done at this rate…"
Naoto snapped back up as Rise's eyes slowly fluttered open. For a second, he stared at those long lashes, at those pools of honey that looked up at him in confusion.
Naoto cleared his throat as he snapped out of his reverie. He quickly piled her books into his arms as he stood. "I-I'll be waiting for you downstairs." With that, he turned and left, leaving Rise slightly dumfounded.
"Naoto?" She stared at the doorway where the detective rushed out, her mind still trying to register what had happened. With a start, she rose, rifling through her closet as she yelled down. "I-I'll be there in a minute! Let me grab a change of clothes!"
The bluenette dashed out of the tofu shop, a hand clutched to his chest. It seemed like his heart was going to jump out, thudding so hard against his ribcage. He could still feel the clouded feelings in his mind, an inkling pricked at his consciousness. Never had he felt this way around another girl, much less a guy.
The sensation was strange. Not unpleasant…but uncomfortable. He took deep breaths, trying to control his speeding pulse.
"Naoto-kun!"
Naoto could feel a pressure in his chest again as his heartbeat thundered erratically. He turned around to come face to face with the source of his distress.
"So, where are we going to go?" Rise smiled as she asked inquisitively, her hands clasped behind her back.
The boy stared into those golden eyes that seemed to radiate with warmth. Her smile was dazzling, innocent all the while. The way she brushed back a lock of hair made his breath hitch in his throat. Really, Kujikawa Rise could not be a normal girl to make him feel this way.
"Naoto-kun?" Rise furrowed her brows as stared into Naoto's blank stare.
It had to be the heat. There was no way that Shirogane Naoto could possibly be having these thoughts. It just didn't make sense. He inhaled deeply, the fresh air filling his lungs. The air was stale in that room. Maybe that could make people do strange things…
He shook his head, rattling his thoughts. He took yet another deep breath, willing the distraction to go away. "Let's…go to the riverbank. I know a quiet place where we can study." Naoto regained his composure for now, smiling slightly as he led the way.
Rise trailed behind him, still thinking about the sudden stall in Naoto's actions just now. Was the heat really getting to him? She looked again, observing Naoto as he walked. He had a serious expression on his face as always. Nothing seemed to be out of place. Thrusting this thought to the back of her mind, she jogged up to Naoto as they walked down the road, Samegawa riverbank just on the other end of this dusty path.
Naoto was silent the whole way as they made their way to the river. He waded through the tall grass that bordered the stream. There was a picnic area in the distance, a roof over the table. Rise skipped over excitedly, her purse flailing on her arm.
"Uwa! It's so pretty here! How did you know about this place, Naoto-kun?" Rise glanced around, a look of amazement on her face. She helped Naoto set her things down, taking a seat on the wooden bench.
The detective smiled, his nervousness gone. "I come here often to think about cases I'm working on. I really love the fresh air and the solitude." He took off his hat, smoothing back his hair as he stood there in the breeze.
"Ne…I really want to thank you for doing this." Rise turned her face to the side, blushing slightly. Her voice was shy and sincere, Naoto thunderstruck at the expression.
"I-It's nothing." He pulled his hat down lower, obscuring his face in the shadow of the rim.
"Really! It's all because Naoto-kun was such a good teacher!" Rise gave him a heart-warming smile as she giggled to herself.
Naoto could feel his heart skip a beat as she smiled at him. Again, it was that pressure in his chest that made him feel so…uncomfortable. "Y-You must be thirsty, Rise-san. Let me go get you a drink!" With that, he bolted off towards the vending machines in the distance, clutching his hat to his head as he sprinted the stretch.
Rise giggled again, amazed at how she could make the young man redden with embarrassment. Such boys nowadays were a rare find. Such purity…innocence… Naoto-kun was nothing like those ego-inflated macho types. Nothing like the loud mouthed Yosuke, the strong silent – too silent- Souji or the gangster teddy bear Kanji. Naoto was mature and serious, but considerate all the while. Not to mention good looking. Mulling over these points, Rise thought to herself about the summer festival. Maybe instead of going as a group, she could…
"Here, Rise-san." Naoto returned, setting a carton of cold milk tea in front of Rise. The girl was jolted out of her trance. "You said you liked this before."
"Naoto-kun! I can't believe you remembered!" The girl smiled, poking her straw through the carton.
He was nicer than all her sempai put together.
Naoto sat down beside her, shaking his head. "Again, I said I-It's nothing..." He scowled slightly, his brows furrowed as his cheeks colored. "You deserve a reward after all, for working so hard." He breathed a sigh of relief as he slumped against the table; his cheeks flush against his can of iced coffee.
Rise giggled, sipping her milk tea. She stole a sidelong glance at Naoto, who had his head on the table, his eyes closed. As she ran her eyes over his gentle features, she couldn't help but think that he was so her type.
Finally, she had made her decision.
As if he could feel her gaze linger on him, Naoto sat up. "So, would you like to continue studying, Rise-san?" He looked over at the flushed Rise, who seemed to be in deep contemplation.
"Rise-san…?"
She coughed lightly into her hand. "U-um, if it's alright with you, could we stop here for the day?" Rise stared up at Naoto, pleading with her eyes.
"That's fine. Let's continue this another time." He relaxed again; the earlier tension and seriousness were gone. Naoto took in another deep breath, the fresh air clearing his mind.
"Ne, Naoto…?" Rise swung her legs back and forth, shuffling them on the grass nervously as she fidgeted with the hem of her shirt.
Naoto peeked an eye open, glancing at Rise. "Hm?"
"I was wondering if…you weren't busy on the 20th." Rise had a shy smile on her lips, her voice becoming a lot sweeter than usual.
"I…don't think so. What do you have in mind?" Naoto turned to face her, his curiosity piqued.
"If you're not busy then, would you mind going to the summer festival with me?"
Naoto's heart throbbed; a barrage of emotions wracked his body. He could barely register the question. Kujikawa Rise, Risette, was asking him out. It came as a shock to the detective, but an even stronger emotion overcame him as he realized something. His feelings had to be wrong. His mind was clear, but still, he couldn't explain the sense of excitement that filled him. He wanted to accept her offer.
He wanted to take Rise to the festival.
He wanted to spend more time with her.
A/N: Sorry about the long filler chapter. More action to come...in later chapters... Please stay tuned!
I hope you enjoyed it and please review!