The Idol and the Prince
Part VI
08/20
Naoto stood at the Tori gates, shifting his feet nervously. There were so many people around him filling into the shrine. Men, women and children alike were laughing and smiling. The air was static with all the excitement.
The young man could do nothing but stare as he waited impatiently. What was so interesting about the festival anyway? It was an event made for children. The activities were always the same, the food ridiculously expensive, and you were forced to walk a crowded street to get to the stalls in the first place. What a stupid social affair.
Naoto glowered, raising his head up to the night sky. He glared at the stars, trying to keep his attention on them, but to no avail. No matter how strong his willpower, his eyes would always wander back down to the sea of people, scanning, searching for one in particular.
Something terribly stupid had been on his mind all this time. Something so stupid, so naïve, so childish. Something that was…
Incredibly enticing.
Leaning against the shrine entrance, Naoto let out a long sigh. He flipped open his phone for the umpteenth time that night, checking the clock.
It was the day of the festival and Rise…was late.
Naoto stuffed his hands in his pocket, a grimace staining his features. Why was Rise late when she was the one who asked him out in the first place? It was a waste of his time, his effort. He could just leave now and say that there was an emergency at the precinct, but something in him forced his feet to stay rooted to the ground.
Smiling weakly, Naoto realized that his impatience wasn't due to the fact that he had been waiting for nearly an hour, but the fact that he wanted to see Rise.
"I'm such an idiot…"
The warm lantern lights glowed, strung along in the courtyard of the shrine. The festival was in full swing. The smells of food sizzled in the air, takoyaki, yakisoba and other heavenly aromas wafted towards Naoto.
For a second, he thought of grabbing a nice fresh off the grill platter of yakitori…or maybe some okonomiyaki. His mouth was watering now, his stomach growling in protest. He hadn't eaten for the whole day.
However, as Naoto began to think about it, he knew he couldn't abandon his post. What if Rise showed up while he was stuffing his face? It wouldn't be a very pleasant impression…
"H-hey!"
The detective turned, recognizing the voice.
"Oh, Tatsumi-san." It was Tatsumi Kanji and his bleached white hair dressed in his ragged t-shirt. Looming over the smaller boy, Kanji scratched his head sheepishly, offering an awkward smile.
"S-so. A-are you here with someone?" The big lug was blushing now, his head turned to avoid Naoto's gaze.
"Yes. I'm meeting up with a friend." Naoto cocked an eyebrow, wondering why Kanji was acting so strangely.
"O-oh! That's good. You haven't been in town for too long, so it's good you've made some friends…" Kanji smiled widely, laughing nervously.
"Well, it's been nice talking to you, Tatsumi-san. I-"
"Kanji! Just call me Kanji!" The gangster took hold of Naoto's hands, covering them with his own.
Naoto froze, his eye twitching madly. Oh no. This scene felt so familiar, but at the same time, it was so very wrong. Especially with the bystanders starting to whisper and giggle.
Steeling up his courage, Kanji seemed to get redder in the face as he stuttered. "W-would you like…well, if you're n-not busy…sometime…Maybe g-go…"
"Naoto-kun!"
Both heads turned at the voice, Naoto, letting out a sigh of relief as a certain redhead came to the rescue. The idol walked quickly in her wooden sandals, the tight yukata restricting her movement. Wrenching his hands out of Kanji's monstrous ones, Naoto escaped his grasp and rushed towards Rise. She waved enthusiastically at the detective while Naoto smiled and waved back.
Meeting Naoto halfway, Rise was panting, out of breath.
"Hah…hah…N-Naoto-kun. I'm so sorry I'm late. It took longer than I expected to put this thing on…a-and it's not very easy to run in as you just saw…" In one hand, she held a small purse, while the other was clutched firmly onto Naoto's arm, keeping her balance.
"I-It's fine, Rise-san. I didn't wait that long anyway. It's really good to see you." He had completely forgotten about being angry. It was more than just a wave of relief that washed over him when he saw her. It had only been ten days since they last met, but he missed her.
Still panting slightly, the girl looked up, sticking her tongue out at Naoto. "Missed you too, Naoto-kun, but you're such a liar! I know you've been waiting for a while. You should be mad at me! Ask me to make it up to you!" Rise giggled, swatting playfully at the boy.
"I-I uhh…" Naoto didn't know why, but he could feel his heart hammering in his chest, threatening to jump out. Rise's laughter pealed out so clearly, her adorable pigtails bobbed as she talked…And that yukata… "Y-You look very nice today Rise-san."
"W-what kind of punishment is that…? It's a little off topic, but thank you." Rise shied away as a light pink coloured her cheeks. She moved away from Naoto as she modeled her yukata, spinning around a couple of times. "Do you really like it? I spent hours thinking about it before I finally picked this one."
Pensively, Naoto stared. Rise really was set out to be a star. The deep red yukata hugged her curves graciously, accentuating her hourglass figure, her slim waist and her shapely breasts. Moreover, Naoto's eyes were drawn to how tightly the yellow obi was tied. Not only did he wonder if it was painful, but also why Rise had to torture him with such feminine traits. His collar was getting a little tighter already.
"I think you look stunning, Rise-san." Naoto offered a sincere smile, although the voices in his head were a tad more lecherous. Even though he wanted to grow up to be a strong detective, the hormones felt out of place.
"Oh, Naoto-kun! You're too sweet!" Rise beamed.
"W-well then, shall we get going soon?" He cleared his throat, gathering his cool composure.
Nodding enthusiastically, Rise hooked her arm through Naoto's, pressing herself close against the detective. "I need a little bit of help here. I'm not very used to walking in a yukata." Rise smiled sheepishly, hoping her explanation would work.
Naoto seemed uneasy about it, but Rise's warmth and the sweet scent of her perfume was intoxicating, lulling the boy into a trance. Her body just felt so perfect against his, so…soft, and petite... Suddenly, Naoto shut his thoughts out, his face growing a little red.
He remained silent for a while, trying to erase the images from his mind.
Meanwhile, as the couple walked off, Kanji stood there, his eyes wide at the exchange that he had just witnessed. Were they really dating? He stared after them quizzically as they walked past without saying a word to him. However, gangster was satisfied enough with his night. He had gotten to hold Naoto's hand after all.
"Let's play this game!" Rise waved Naoto over hurriedly as she pointed to a booth with a pyramid of milk bottles set up and three rifles sitting on the counter.
"Would you like to play, miss?" The man cracked a toothy grin at Rise, his eyes crinkling with his smile.
"Yes, please!"
"It's 200 yen for 5 shots and 300 yen for 7 shots. Which would you like, miss?"
"5, please!"
Just as Rise was about to hand over the money, Naoto rushed over, his wallet open.
"Don't worry Rise-san. Let me get that for you." Naoto smiled courteously, wanting to be in character for his role as the male counterpart on this date.
"If you say so, Naoto-kun." Rise giggled as she took hold of the toy rifle, holding it awkwardly in her arms. She bit her lip in concentration, her hands shaking as she took aim.
Pop!
The cork flew out of the gun and hit the tarp behind the targets. Rise reloaded the gun and settled down again.
Pop!
This time, it hit the counter.
Determined to show Naoto how good she really was, Rise rolled up the sleeves of her yukata, peering through the scope as she steadied her hands.
Pop!
It zinged off the cash register, past the ducking vendor, ricocheted off the counter and finally, landed on the floor with a plop. Staring at the cork piece, Rise pouted.
Just as she was about to try again, she heard a chuckle behind her. She whipped around to see Naoto trying hard to stifle his chuckles, his hand clamped on top of his mouth. He coughed, masking his laughter, but Rise flashed him an icy glare.
"Naoto-kun! You're not supposed to laugh at me!" She crossed her arms, stomping her foot.
"I'm so sorry, Rise-san, but you just looked so serious playing the game. I couldn't help myself." He chuckled, the laughter lighting up his blue eyes.
"Mou…" Rise pouted, turning away from the detective. She thought Naoto-kun would have a little more sensitivity, but in the end, he was like all the other boys.
Suddenly, something clicked in Naoto's mind. He had seen something like this on TV once before… He knew it was a bad idea, but it would be nice to help Rise out, right? Not to mention the fact that Naoto anted to just simply get closer to her. It was a strange sensation that had been growing ever since the evening had started.
"Here. Let me show you how to do it."
Rise muttered under her breath. "Great…" Now, the macho guy would come in, take the gun from her and tell her that this was a man's job, not a woman's.
"H-hey! What?" Rise gave a startled cry as Naoto snaked his arms around her, picking up the rifle as set Rise's hands in the correct position. Slowly, he guided her dainty fingers towards the trigger, taking aim.
"I-It's all about having steady hands, you know?" Naoto laughed nervously, trying to lighten the tension, leaning forward as he rested his chin on Rise's shoulder to get a better view of the target.
"Ready…? 1…2…3…" The girl shuddered involuntarily, the sound of Naoto's velvet tenor soothing her senses. She could feel his breath play on the nape of her neck as he whispered softly in her ear.
He squeezed gently, pushing Rise's finger against the trigger.
Pop.
His hands…They were so soft, much softer than hers.
And again. Pop.
The center two bottles of the pyramid base were knocked off and the whole stack came tumbling down.
"See, Rise-san? You're a good shot." To Naoto's surprise, Rise stayed silent, averting his gaze as she stood off to the side.
"Here you go, you two! You get the grand prize." The games operator winked at Naoto, handing him a giant stuffed panda. "It'll make a nice gift for your girlfriend there."
Trying to ignore the shopkeeper, Naoto suppressed his blush, walking over to Rise. "Rise-san, don't you want your prize?"
The redhead was blushing hard now, her face hot with embarrassment. "I-I…It was you who won it, Naoto-kun…" Her heart was still beating erratically, the blood pounding in her ears.
"Well…in that case, I want to give it to you. Think of it as a present." Naoto said as he held it out.
"T-thank you." Hugging the panda close to her, Rise shyly tugged on Naoto's sleeve as they made their way to the next stall.
Soon enough, the awkward atmosphere lifted and Rise was back to her bubbly self. The two walked the entire festival and it was only after 3 goldfish, 2 plates of takoyaki and three cell phone straps later that Rise started to slow down…or not.
"Where would you like to go next?"
"How about we get some candy apples?" Rise pointed to a stall on the other side of the pathway. "C'mon!" She grabbed hold of Naoto's hand, dragging him along.
"H-hey!" He struggled to keep hold of his hat, the bag of goldfish and the giant panda as they ran to the stall, children laughing at the sight and mothers giving disapproving stares.
"Two, please!" Rise yelled to the vendor as she held up two fingers quite cutely.
"Wait! Umm…Could you make that just one?" Naoto rummaged in his pocket as he pulled out his wallet, fishing for a few coins.
"Are you sure, Naoto-kun? They're really good." Rise looked over, pouting.
"It's fine. I don't really like sweets, Rise-san." Smiling apologetically, Naoto handed the man the money, giving the candied treat over to the redhead.
"Shall we sit down somewhere?"
Rise nodded and Naoto led her over to the benches near the offertory box. This part of the festival grounds was almost deserted, shrouded in semi-darkness. The lone lamp flickered on and off, the glow of the festival meters away.
They were alone at last.
Setting the spoils of the night down on the bench beside them, Naoto took a seat, beckoning for Rise to do the same. Sitting down, Rise let out a sigh of relief.
"Ahhh…These sandals are so uncomfortable…My feet are aching already. I don't know how I'm going to walk down all those stairs later…" She set down her sweet treat and stretched out her legs. She massaged the sole of her foot as she let out a small groan.
Chuckling softly, Naoto couldn't believe how absolutely cute Rise could be even when she was complaining about something.
"Is something funny, Naoto-kun?!" Rise puffed her cheeks out in feigned anger, her arms crossed against her chest.
"Well, if you're so tired, I could carry you home." He teased playfully; his air of seriousness was gone.
"Aw Naoto-kun…I might really take you up on that offer, but I think you have your hands full already!" Rise giggled, pointing to the stuff that sat on the bench beside them.
Naoto laughed along with the redhead. "I guess you're right, Rise-san, but if worst comes to worst, I could always call your precious Seta Souji-sempai." He gave her a knowing smile, watching as Rise's cheeks turned red.
"H-how did you hear about that?!" She leaned forward, the alarm in her voice climbing as she continued. "I-I…r-rumours! That's all they were…After all, I…" Rise trailed off as she concentrated her gaze on her sandals, shuffling them around absent-mindedly.
Naoto held a gentle smile on his lips, watched the blush slowly fade from Rise's pale cheeks. "I'm sorry, that was a horrible joke…How about I call you a taxi instead then?"
Rise scoffed, recovering from the bout of embarrassment. "Hah! A taxi? One that'd be willing to go up the stairs to the shrine…? No matter how rich and famous I was, I don't think a taxi driver would do that!" She giggled, holding up a hand to stifle her laughs.
"Hmm…if a taxi's no good, how about I call my chauffeur? He's got a helicopter."
"You've got to be kidding me! A helicopter? Where do you come up with these things?" Rise was doubled over with laughter, her candy apple sitting beside her on the bench, forgotten.
"Are normal people not supposed to have helicopters…?" Naoto looked puzzled, his blue eyes wide with a childish innocence Rise had never seen before.
"Um, well…it's not really a household item…" Rise paused for a moment. "Wait. Don't tell me you were serious this time?" She stared, waiting for a reply.
"It's a lot more convenient then getting caught in traffic…"
"…" Rise just stared with her mouth open, gaping. "A-are you loaded?"
"To put it simply, yes… Haven't you ever been up to the Shirogane estate? It's the only house with western architecture in Inaba." Naoto stated it very matter-of-factly, almost surprised that Rise had never heard of it.
"Now that you mention it…is it that old house north of Samegawa River? The one with the dark blue door?" Thinking hard, Rise finally remembered a creepy looking house, the one all those local ghost stories were centered around.
Naoto nodded.
"That is…wow. No wonder you're so indifferent. Rich people are too good with the poor people, hm?" Rise's tone dripped with sarcasm, her lips turned up into a smirk.
"Hmm…maybe you're right."For a moment, Naoto stayed silent, a reminiscent smile on his lips. "But…I'm here with you now, aren't I, Rise-san?"
"Hey! I find that offensive! Have you forgotten? I am Risette after all. I still get grouped in with the rich people too! I still have my own manager, my own private villa…" Rise made a face at Naoto, sticking out her tongue at the detective.
He chuckled, amused with her antics. "Haha, that's very mature of you, isn't it?"
"Of course it is." The redhead turned away with a huff, pouting.
Naoto was still laughing quietly to himself, but after a while, he calmed down, taking on a more serious tone. "But, honestly, Rise-san. Even if you were poor, I'd hate to be without you. You're the first real friend I've ever made, you know?"
Staring in awestruck silence, Rise gaped.
"It's true, so I really wanted to thank you for these past few months. It's been a lot of fun." Naoto rested against the bench, craning his neck to look up at the stars.
Rise looked up too, admiring the brightly shining stars above. "Ne, Naoto…You're not the one who should be thanking me. It was fun for me too. And I hope…" Rise started to trail off as she caught herself before she said those embarrassing words.
"What was that, Rise-san? I'm afraid I can't hear you." Naoto moved closer to her, straining his ears to catch what Rise said.
"I said…I hope…that we'll have many more days to spend together." Her cheeks were bright red now, her ears uncomfortably hot and Naoto's face was dangerously close to hers.
"It's a promise then." With a smile, Naoto extended his hand. Albeit confused, Rise shook the boy's hand warmly, again amazed by the softness of his skin.
Hands still intertwined, a silence enveloped the two. Rise inched closer to Naoto, their knees touching.
"Rise…?"
"Naoto-kun…I-I…I have something to tell you." The idol leaned in closer, her gaze wandering off to the side, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
Instinctively, Naoto leaned forward as well, his mind completely blank as he concentrated on Rise. Tension hung in the air, suffocating. His heart ached as every second passed, the blood drumming through his veins.
"I-I think I'm in love with you…"
At that moment in time, Naoto realized what he had been experiencing all this time. It was far deeper than friendship or admiration. It was love.
Suddenly, the two were rudely interrupted by a loud crackle in the air, as an explosion of coloured lights lit up the night sky. They shot up and scattered in all different directions, sparks falling in waves towards the ground. The light show continued, the burst of bright colors were vibrant against the dark backdrop. The festival grounds were fully illuminated.
He could see her smouldering eyes unwavering, serious. It wasn't a joke like Naoto had hoped. Speechless, his mouth opened and closed like a fish on land. He tried to think of a nice way to say it, to sugar-coat it, to lie, to think of something, but…
"I-I'm sorry. I c-can't."
His voice didn't seem like his own, the words hadn't even been processed through his mind. It was instinctive, the acceptable answer. Naoto knew he couldn't say anything else, because any other response would not be appropriate. It wouldn't even be possible.
He was a sham, a liar.
"No, no…I should apologize. I can't believe I said it…" Rise shook her head, smiling sheepishly. "What was I thinking anyway?" She twirled a lock of hair around her finger nervously, turning away from Naoto. "It was stupid. I'm sorry. Just pretend I never said anything, okay?" She stood abruptly, walking away from the bench.
Naoto could hear the tears in Rise's voice, the shaking, and the cracking of her gentle soprano. It was breaking his heart. More rockets whistled into the air, filling the area with loud noises.
"Wait! Rise, please. Listen to me first." He closed the distance between them in two long strides, laying a hand on her shoulder, urging her to turn around to face him.
Reluctantly, Rise complied. She hastily wiped the tears off with the sleeves of her yukata. She couldn't meet Naoto's eyes, sniffling as she continued to sob. "I-I'm sorry. I-I don't know why I'm crying."
"Rise…believe me when I say this. I value you more than anything. I don't know why, but all I can think about is you…" Naoto took a deep breath, trying to compose his thoughts. "But I-we can't. It's better if you didn't get involved with me. It will only hurt you in the end." He reached for her hand, squeezing gently. "Please…"
"Naoto-kun…"
"I'll be leaving after this murder case has been solved, so please forget about me after that." He wanted to forget too. She was taking him over, changing him, making him fall irrevocably deeper in love with her.
If anything, Naoto was scared. Of his feelings and of her reactions when she finds out. Not 'if', but 'when'. It was only a matter of time if they continued on like this.
"No!" Rise shook her head. "How can you ask me to do that? How do you know? You haven't even tried, Naoto-kun." She flung her arms around him, burying her face in the crook of his neck. Naoto stiffened for a moment, but returned the embrace, rubbing her back soothingly.
He rested his chin on the crown of her head, a bitter smile on his lips. "I told you, Rise…It's…impossible."
"Will you tell me why at least…?" Her words were muffled into the fabric of Naoto's shirt.
"I'm sorry. I can't do that either…"
"T-then…" Rise detached herself from the boy for a minute, looking up with watery eyes. "Can you do one thing for me?" Her honey golden eyes sparkled in the light, pleading with him.
Naoto nodded.
The fireworks were starting to fade away, darkness shrouding the two once again.
Her voice. Rise's voice was trembling, but her words held their conviction. "If you give me a kiss, I'll give up on you."
The sensible part of him told him that he shouldn't, but his body was far more honest. Naoto leaned towards Rise, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. He held her close for a moment, brushing his lips against her ear, a low whisper escaping his throat. "If that's all it'll take, Rise." He cupped her cheek gently with his hand.
The redhead snaked her arms around his neck, pulling them closer as the distance between them disappeared. Their lips touched and Naoto lost all of his senses. Rise's lips were just so soft, her tears so sweet.
He closed his eyes and wished that this moment would never end.
A/N: I know I haven't been updating too often, but school's been hard. And I just recently tried to get over some witer's block =P however, by the quality of this chapter, I hope you won't think I'm on crack or anything. I'm just out of practice is all. Well, it's a longer chapter than usual to make up for the time I wasted.
Well, thanks to all those who are supporting me and still reading this. I hope you all enjoyed this and please review.