The Idol and the Prince
Part VIII
09/09
"Hehe…ne, Rise-chan, you're practically famous now for your cooking." Yousuke nudged the idol as he chuckled to himself.
"I-I find that offensive!" Rise pouted, latching onto the more stoic Seta Souji beside her. The idol turned on the waterworks, putting on her best face for her most favourite sempai since he always took her side… "Souji-sempai! You won't be a jerk like Yousuke-sempai...right?"
"Hey, hey! I'm not being mean. Just telling the truth!" He grinned widely, still laughing. "You know, they're still talking about how you 'tried to kill' Naoto with your cooking."
Burying her face in Souji's sleeve, Rise let out a muffled cry. "I know! Don't you think I feel bad enough…?"
"Well, you don't have to feel that bad Rise-chan. You're actually doing him a favour since he did miss that super boring lecture at Gekko-kou-gecko….whatever high. I bet he's having a better time at the hospital." He sniggered.
"Naoto-kun got discharged the day before the trip…so I expected him to come…but I didn't see him yesterday at Gekkoukan." Rise stared Yousuke down, wondering why he was acting so immature.
"Hey, don't worry. I'm sure that even if he was feeling better, he wouldn't come on the trip anyway. He's so stuck up after all. Thinks he's smarter than everyone else just because he's a detective…Stupid guy's probably got some mental issues." He scoffed, crossing his arms as he wandered the spacious lobby. Naoto wasn't his favourite person. Especially not after that little incident with him trying to take advantage of Rise and all. He grimaced at the thought.
"Yousuke-sempai...could you please stop talking about Naoto-kun that way?" Rise furrowed her brows, giving her sempai a disgusted look.
He upturned his hands in a carefree way, sighing. "Why do you care? It's not like-"
"Just stop it, okay? I don't know what's wrong with you today, but I don't think you have the right to say such things." The idol fumed, her fists clenched at her sides.
"I..." Yousuke stiffened up at her tone, catching his tongue. "Sorry…I guess I went overboard..." he trailed off, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he sulked off, making his way to the couches in the front reception.
Rise glared daggers at Yousuke's retreating figure, her blood pressure climbing off the charts. "I'm gonna try and find Yukiko-sempai and Chie-sempai, okay?" Rise finally let go of Souji, giving him a small wave before dashing off to the elevators.
Souji waited until Rise left, making his way over to Yousuke who was throwing a hissy fit by the waiting area.
"Agh, mou…." Yousuke grabbed tufts of his hair, growling in frustration. "I was hoping to have some fun tonight! But Rise's just gotta be so sensitive about everything and those other guys were supposed to be here twenty minutes ago!" He threw his hands up in exasperation, settling back down as he shook his head, disappointed. "I hope tonight won't end up a disaster…"
"Huh?" The brunette cocked an eybrow at Souji's disapproving sigh. "W-what do you mean I should have been nicer?"
The silver haired boy shook his head, ashamed of Yousuke's actions.
"You know, it's not my fault Rise's completely obsessed with Naoto! She's practically stalking him the way she follows him around…spending night after night looking up his number too…"
"…"
"Hey! I-It's not like I'm jealous or anything!"
"..."
Rise let out a sigh of relief as she finally had some space to herself. The elevator was suffocating and kinda creepy, but it was better than being in the hotel lobby. Yousuke was getting on her nerves way too much these days…Why couldn't he be a little quieter like Souji-sempai?
Watching as the numbers continued to climb on the lighted display, Rise pouted. This school trip was supposed to be more fun, but it hadn't turned out at all like she had expected. Especially since Naoto-kun wasn't here…
"I'm so sorry, Naoto-kun…It's all my fault you ended up in the hospital..." She could feel the tears prick at the corner of her eyes and suddenly, she was feeling a tad emotional. The idol really wanted to apologize, but Naoto had been registered in a private room that didn't allow visitors.
Ding
The elevator doors slid open and Rise stepped out into the hallway. Sighing, she hung her head as she walked, feeling her enthusiasm fade. Sudenly, she froze as she heard hushed voices coming from the end of the hall. Peering down the corridor, Rise could make out a tall figure with…bleached white hair?
Without a doubt, it was Kanji. With his sleeveless shirts and gangster style, anyone could pick him out in a lineup. However, there was another person beside him. A shorter figure, slender…and that hat... Rise gasped, bringing her hands up to cover her mouth. It was Naoto and his trademark detective hat. He should have been back in Inaba, resting up, but what was he doing here in Port Island, talking to Kanji? The idol couldn't explain it, but a sudden surge of jealousy erupted in her and she had an inkling that Kanji was trying to put the moves on Naoto.
She sidled against the wall, trying to make herself as inconspicuous as possible while moving closer to the two boys. They spoke in hushed tones and the green eyed monster reared its ugly head in the girl. Suddenly, their conversation stopped and they both turned towards her direction. And stared straight at her.
"Rise-san?" Naoto was surprised to see her to say the least.
"H-hi there, you two…" Rise laughed nervously, disappointed that her brilliant plan had failed.
"Y-yo…" Kanji was beet red, averting Rise's gaze as his eyes stayed glued to the ground. He shuffled his feet awkwardly, looking completely harmless at the moment.
"What are you doing here?" The detective looked rather miffed, his tone of voice was different from how Rise remembered it. His blue eyes were unreadable, his expression stone cold.
Rise shrunk back, feeling a chill run up her spine. Was it too late to apologize? He still must have been angry about the food poisoning...
"W-well, I was just going to get Yukiko-sempai and Chie-sempai from their room…" She smiled innocently, wringing her hands behind her back.
"This is the ninth floor, you know…? Where the boys' rooms are?" Naoto raised his eyebrows sceptically, looking at Rise as if she were the culprit in some kind of crime. Which…he might have viewed her as, since she did incapacitate him for a week.
"Oh. Ahaha…My bad! Umm….I'll see you sometime later then." She turned to Kanji, who raised his head embarrassedly. "You better get down to the lobby, Kanji-kun. Yousuke-sempai's getting tired of waiting!" Waving, she dashed down the hallway, jamming the down button furiously with her finger.
The doors suddenly slid open with a chime and the idol hurried inside. However, her cheeks turned bright red as she stepped into the elevator. Much to her dismay, a young couple were heatedly engaged in something they should have saved for their room. Rise hurried to escape her nightmare, but the door glided shut right in front of her.
"Shi…" She bit her lip, trying to ignore the sounds of the oblivious lovers behind her. She cringed at each breathless moan, at each rustle of clothing. After what seemed like an enternity, the elevator finally arrived on the eleventh floor and Rise ran out, her face ghost white. "Why…why do I keep walking into these weird situations…?"
Walking along the side of the hall, she counted the numbers until she came to 1032, the room that Chie and Yukiko shared. It was just a stroke of luck, but her upperclassmen had the room to themselves unlike all the other people on this trip. The two other girls who were supposed to room with them couldn't make the trip for some reason.
Pounding on the entrance, Rise pressed her ear against the wooden door, listening for signs of life in the room. Not much to her surprise, she caught wind of awfully loud noises. She wondered if everyone else on this floor was deaf or something…
"Sempai!" Rise knocked louder, sighing out of exasperation. Whipping out her phone, she dialled Yukiko's number, hearing the ringing from the other side of the door. It just kept ringing and ringing…and ringing…and finally…
"H-hello...?"
Letting out a huff of anger, Rise yelled into the receiver. "Yukiko-sempai, you better get out here right this minute! Or those pictures are going to go public on my blog. I'm seriously gonna do it." The idol tapped her foot impatiently, frowning.
Suddenly, the line went dead and she could hear frantic footsteps appraoching the door. The door swung open and Yukiko stood there, her hair completely dishevelled, a white towel clutched to her bare front. "R-Rise-chan, just give us ten minutes, okay? W-we'll be right down."
The idol hesitated for a moment, but gave in to the girl's wishes. "Fine." The redhead sighed again, turning around as she skulked back to the elevator. Almost immediately, the door slammed shut and there was no doubt that what Yukiko was doing in that room was what love hotels were built for.
Getting on the elevator for the third time now, Rise's mood circled the drain. The metal doors swung open and she stepped in, coming face to face with the boy who was the cause of all her mixed emotions.
"Naoto-kun…"
"Rise-san." He smiled at her warmly, completely different from the Naoto she had encountered just minutes ago.
"Umm...I-I thought you were angry at me…" Rise was wide mouthed as the elevator started to move.
"Angry? Why?" The detective looked more than just a little confused.
"Because…when you were with Kanji, you seemed...annoyed at me?" She took a step closer to him, her eyes full of anxiety and confusion.
"I'm so sorry, Rise-san. I didn't mean for it to come out like that. I was…on edge. Tatsumi-san was talking to me about some strange things. I was little confused about…" He trailed off.
"Oh…so this has nothing to do with the fact that I fed you food that passed as toxic waste?" She twirled a lock of her hair around her finger, her eyes darting around nervously as she averted Naoto's gaze.
"No, no! Your cooking was…it was good. Please don't worry about that." He smiled genuinely at her, trying to cheer the girl up.
"You're such a liar, Naoto-kun!" She pushed him playfully, giggling at his words. "You can tell me the truth, you know? I won't get mad."
"Your cooking isn't bad, just needs some improvement. You're an amateur after all, right?." Again, he smiled that smile that made Kujikawa Rise swoon and lose her senses.
"You're being too nice to me, Naoto-kun!" Rise stepped even closer to the detective, poking him square on the nose as she let out a laugh.
Naoto filled the elevator with his laughter too, feeling unbelievably at ease now. Placing his hand on Rise's head, he ruffled her hair slightly, chuckling. "You know, I'm not as nice as you think I am."
"Aw c'mon, cut the act! I know you well enough by now!" The idol batted his hands away, an wide grin stretched across her lips.
Suddenly, the elevator came to a jolting stop, jostling the two inside. Losing her balance, Rise tumbled forward, crashing into Naoto who held out his hands to catch her.
"Oof!" He braced the impact, getting sandwiched between the wall and a flustered Rise. They were locked in a half embrace and neither of them motioned to move away.
The redhead became terribly quiet, her cheeks flaring as she clutched Naoto's sleeves.
"R-rise..?"
Her voice dropped just below a whisper. "Naoto-kun…I…"
The elevator dinged and Rise snapped out of her daze, letting go of Naoto. "S-sorry 'bout that! I-I've gotta go now. I-I'll see you later!" Without so much as a backwards glance, Rise rushed out, dying of embarrassment.
Rooted to the spot, Naoto's heart was still pounding hard in his chest, his breath coming in short gasps. The strength in his legs had been completely sapped and he slid to the ground against the wall.
"You know me well enough by now, huh…?"
The door slid shut and he was left alone in the elevator.
"Okay! Now that our party's all here, where are we headed, Rise-chan?" Yousuke flashed the idol a thumbs-up, smiling insanely.
"I was thinking that we go to a popular nightclub. It's at the mall." Rise smiled, having completely forgotten how Yousuke had acted earlier. She led the way as the group made their way down the dark street, her mind filled with nothing more than the feel of Naoto's arms around her.
"A-a nightclub??" Yukiko's mouth was wide open, clutching Chie's arm tightly. "We don't have those kinds of places in Inaba, so I wonder if it'll be interesting." The black haired beauty laughed cheerfully, excited about these new escapades.
"You know, they don't have love hotels either back home…" Chie had a pleasant smile on her face. She leaned in close, whispering in Yukiko's ear as the girl giggled uncontrollably.
"Aww man…those two sure are close. If they weren't so pretty, I'm sure we'd be able to sweep them off their feet, hm?" Yousuke whispered to Souji, trying to keep his voice down, but Rise caught every word. She sighed, hoping Yousuke wasn't going to pollute Souji with such appalling guy talk.
"Ne, Chie-chan!" Teddie came up behind Chie, grabbing her arm playfully as he pounced on the girl. "When are we going to go on that date you promised me?"
"Huh…? Date? Since when…" The brunette wracked her brain and suddenly it all came back to her. "Oh yeah…I promised you that we'd go out sometime."
"Yeah! That's why I worked so hard to get here from Inaba!" The blonde boy pouted, gripping Chie's hand as he looked up with his sparkling blue eyes.
"H-Hey! How come I've never heard of this?" Trying to hide her jealousy, Yukiko grabbed Chie's other arm, holding the girl possessively.
"Is it okay with Yuki-chan and Rise-chan too?" Teddie looked expectantly at the two other girls.
"N-No!" Yukiko was shaking with anger. Her Chie-chan going on a date with this stuffed animal? It was unheard of.
"C-calm down, Yukiko…I'm sure it's not what you think." Chie laughed nervously, trying to stop Yukiko's from mauling Teddie. The Japanese beauty was not one to let her anger get the best of her, but recently, she was strangely overprotective...and aggressive and…many other things.
"Sounds like a good idea! Let's all go out together sometime." Rise flashed her brightest smile at the blonde and he jumped up and down like a little boy.
"Wheee!"
"Gosh…Teddie gets all the girls…What about us good looking guys, huh, Kanji? Souji?" Yousuke sighed, wondering how he could lose to a guy who wore a bear suit most of the time.
"Uhh…I guess I don't really mind…" Kanji scratched his chin, not at all focused on Yousuke's voice. He looked preoccupied, his thoughts centered on a certain detective.
Rise noticed Kanji's awkward silence and couldn't help but feel uneasy. She just wouldn't forgive herself if Kanji did anything to Naoto. After all, if Risette lost Naoto to that a guy that sewed and probably cooked better than her...it would be a terrible blow to her confidence.
The air was thick with the smell of alcohol and smoke. On stage, the band blasted their music through the speakers, the dance floor packed with sweaty bodies jammed in tightly together.
"Whoa…! T-This is a nightclub? I've never seen anything like it…" Kanji stared at the people in the room, amazed at the incredibly electrifying but suffocating atmosphere.
"Whoo! I'm totally ready for this!" Chie pumped her fist in the air, a sudden excitement overcoming her.
"H-hey, that's a bar over there, right? Could we get drinks?" Yukiko was having trouble keeping the enthusiasm down in her voice, shaking Chie as she pointed to the crowd of people standing around a small counter.
The group buzzed with excitement, talking excitedly as they decided what to do from here on out. Suddenly, a voice broke into their overlapping coversations.
"Is it permitted for high school students such as yourselves to be here?" His tone was as indifferent as always, coming off as slightly arrogant and mocking. The group turned towards the spiralling stairs, but all seven of them were in for a shock as they spotted a familiar figure coming down the steps.
"What! Look who's talking! You were here before we were!" Yousuke gave the blue haired boy a hostile look, scoffing. "I thought you were still in the hospital too…"
"How very generous of you to worry about me, Hanamura-san." Naoto matched Yousuke's tone, wondering what he had done to receive such a cold reception.
Rise nudged Yousuke in the ribs, flashing him a cold glare. "Ow!"
"The clientele seems above-board, so I don't expect there will be any problems." With that, Naoto turned towards the entrance and started to make his way out.
However, Rise grabbed him before he could get any further, keeping a tight hold on his arm. "Y-You're leaving already?" The idol tried to keep the desperation down in her voice, but no matter how good her acting was, she wasn't able to hide her feelings.
"Why don't you join us?" Yukiko piped in behind Rise, giving the detective a wide smile.
Taken aback, Naoto's eyes were wide open. "Are you asking me to stay?"
"Mh hm. We didn't get to chat last time." Again, with that hostess hospitality, the Amagi Inn heir made Naoto feel less victimized by the somewhat jealous Yousuke.
"Last time…" Naoto thought back, wondering…Suddenly, his cheeks flared with embarrassment. It couldn't have been…the time where they found him and Rise in a very compromising position...could it…? "I-I had some matters to attend to that day!"
"But you're free now, right?" Rise laced her fingers through Naoto's giving his hand a light squeeze. "I'm really eager to talk to you again." She hit him with her best smile, making the butterflies in the detective's stomach flutter like they had seizures.
"So how about it?" It was Yukiko again, sounding genuinely interested in having Naoto's company. "I've always been curious how someone my age could become a detective."
"Hmm. Very well, if you insist." He tipped his hat down a little lower, trying to make the blush on his cheeks disappear.
"Huh? What's up? You look a little red." Yousuke chuckled as he spotted Naoto's reaction to Rise's sudden hand holding.
"T-That's not true!" Naoto huffed, his face turning even redder at the comment.
Rise giggled at the effects of Yousuke's teasing. "Just wait here, you guys. I'll go and reserve the area upstairs for us." She skipped off, her mood noticeably improved from the last hour.
"Wow. I feel so v.i.p." Chie sat down on the velvet couch beside Yukiko, looking around the deserted loft. It was a lot more comfortable than the dance floor below, the air much clearer. Chie drummed her fingers along with the muffled music that droned on downstairs. "This is really nice and all, but are you sure this is okay? Isn't it expensive?"
"Yeah…we're the only ones here…and we've got drinks too." Yousuke suddenly looked guilty, hoping Rise didn't put any money into this. The table was full of exotic looking drinks and small side dishes.
"No worries. The owner of this place owes me for a gig that got cancelled because of a power outage. So they're willing to put this one on the house." Rise gave the group a reassuring smile as she took a sip of her colourful drink.
"If that's the case, I'm gonna order the entire menu!" Teddie cackled, laughing like Yukiko during one of her laughing fits.
"Yo…you sound even weirder today…" Kanji cringed, shaking his head.
"Kanji…Kanji… I Kanj-ecture that something's up! Hehehehe! That's a good one!" Teddie rolled over laughing, downing another one of those beverages on the low table.
"Pfttt! T-That's so funny! Hahahahaha! Kanj-ecture!" Yukiko slapped her knee, guffawing in the very Yukiko way that everyone was used to, but something was still off…
"Hey…she's loosern' usual too…" Kanji eyed Yukiko carefully, hoping that his suspicions weren't anywhere near the mark.
Chie shook her head, sighing. "How many of these things did you just drink, Yukiko?"
"W-wait a minute…are these alcoholic?" Yousuke took a sip for himself, wrinkling his nose at the taste. He sighed. "I can't believe you guys are already wasted."
"H-Hey!" Rise poked Yousuke hard on his arm, swaying a bit back and forth. "F-for your information, I told them to give us soft drinks. They're non-alcoholic!" The idol was looking a little disoriented, her cheeks a rosy hue. Suddenly, she fell backwards, landing on Naoto who was sitting to her right.
"R-Rise-san, are you all right?" Naoto squirmed as Rise snuggled up against his chest. That was a potential danger zone, so the detective was trying his best to push Rise away. However, she clawed at him, feeling him up in the process.
"I told them! I really did, Naoto-kun! Don't you believe me?" She flailed around drunkenly, latching her arms around his neck as she hung off the young boy.
"I-I believe you!" The detective caved in without another word, but the idol refused to let go.
Whispering quite desperately, Naoto tried to get Rise to stop touching him in weird places. "Ne, R-Rise-san…Please let go…I'll let you…wear my hat later if you let go now." Mentally, he slapped himself, wondering where on earth that suggestion even came from. Now that he thought about it…he took a couple swigs of the liquor too. Maybe he was a lightweight just like the rest of them?
To his surprise, Rise suddenly perked up. "Okay! Whatever you say Naoto-kuuun." She ran a finger across his jaw line, making the detective cringe. "Only if you promise. We'll take pictures too, kay?" She blew him a kiss and sat up properly again.
Yousuke felt a tinge of jealousy well up within him as he witnessed the exchange between the idol and the prince. He was sitting next to Rise too, so why did she have to be all over that poor excuse for a guy…? He was so feminine, totally didn't fit Risette's image. Yousuke read her profile blog and she liked tall guys, not midgets like Naoto. The detective was barely taller than her! He growled in frustration.
Suddenly, Rise sprung up, her half empty glass in hand. "King's Gaaaaaaame!"
Everyone there stopped what they were doing and stared at Rise like she had grown two heads. Naoto sighed, hoping that he wasn't going to get involved in something stupid tonight. Oh no, scratch that. He already did.
"In situations like these, adults play the king's game!" Rise raised her glass to the ceiling, swaying dangerously on her feet. Then, suddenly, she took on a more sombre tone, her lips drawn in a frown. "Seriously…what's their problem? They make me act like a ditz and then say I'm a kid…It's so obvious that those cast parties get a lot wilder after I go home!"
The idol was on the verge of tears and Naoto reached out a hand, trying to calm the girl. "Rise…why don't you sit-"
She clenched her fists and flailed her arms around as she stomped her foot angrily. The redhead pointed an accusing finger at the ceiling, shouting at the top of her lungs. "Morooons! I'm gonna play the king's game now and no one's gonna stop me!" She cackled like a mad witch, spilling the contents of her glass every which way.
Wiping a drop of Rise's drink off his face, Yousuke sighed. "Yet another side of Rise exposed…I wonder if she knows what she's saying…"
Rise gave Yousuke a dirty glare and turned back to Kanji and barked orders at the poor boy. She still had to get revenge on him somehow for making Naoto act all weird. "Kanji! Get the chopsticks ready!"
"Wha-? Why me? Yousu-" Kanji started, but recoiled as Rise started pointing fingers at him, her voice getting louder.
"The King's word is law! Chop-chop or off goes your head!!" Rise made a slicing action as she stared at Kanji with some unknown fury burning in her eyes.
"Ahh…so she's an angry drunk, huh?" Yousuke gave Souji a look, shaking his head in disappointment.
Rise was frantically coloring and writing numbers on the chopsticks Kanji so obediently fetched for her, chuckling evily to herself.
"S-so…what's this King's Game again?" Chie asked innocently, hoping she wasn't the only one out of the loop here.
"I know! I know!" Yukiko jumped up and down in her seat, her cheeks flushed a bright red. "Okay…one chopstick makes you the King if you draw it, and the others have numbers on 'em… The King picks a number and tells them what to do, but who has which number is a secret until the King gives the orders!" Yukiko ended her explanation as she tumbled over laughing, leaning on Chie as sniggered uncontrollably.
"That's exactly right!" Rise beamed as she held the chopsticks in her hand.
Chie looked at Yukiko incredulously, learning something about her girlfriend she never would have expected. "Y-Yukiko!? Where'd you learn this stuff!?" Suddenly blushing, Chie wondered if that was where Yukiko learned all those…techniques from…
Thrusting her hand out into the middle of the table, Rise commanded everyone to do her bidding. "C'mon, everyone draw!"
Everyone seemed a little suspicious of this game except for the three people whose bravery was strengthened considerably by the liquid courage. Yukiko sniggered as she peeked at her number, Rise smiled lopsidedly and Teddie jumped up and showed everyone his chopstick.
"Teddie's is red! Red! Is Teddie the King!?" He bounced up and down excitedly, looking eagerly at everyone around him.
"Ugh…Why him of all people…? We're already doomed form the get-go…" Yousuke groaned, burying his face in his hands.
"Ahem!" The blonde cleared his throat, speaking in very King-like manner. "I, the King command thee to smooch the King without delay!"
"Smooch!?" Everyone stared at Teddie, their eyes wide.
He struck a pose, throwing his stick down onto the table dramatically. "C'mon! Give me a pretty girl! Number 6!"
"What!" Naoto stood up abruptly, his face beet red as he stared at the number he held in his shaking hands.
"I-I meant number 5!" Teddie quickly changed his option.
"H-Hey! No take-backs!" Yousuke's cheeks were flushed a light pink, shaking his fist at the bear.
Teddie sighed, putting a hand over his heart. "A bear's chastity…Naoto-kun, I may not know you very well, but let's get along starting now!" The blonde motioned to move closer, but Naoto dashed around the table, standing beside Souji who had the end seat on the couch.
"D-Don't you dare come near me!" Naoto reached for the pistol at the side of his waist, resting his hand on it as he popped the safety switch.
As Teddie chased Naoto around, Rise sobered up slightly, pouting her lips and feeling jealous of that skirt chasing bear. Kanji, as well, was becoming very green eyed, wishing to have the privilege of tasting the Detective Prince himself.
"Hey, you! Come 'ere!" Teddie leapt at Naoto, his lips puckered.
"Ahhh!" Naoto closed his eyes, dodging the flying projectile coming at him.
"Naotooo!" Kanji came out of nowhere, pushing Naoto out of Teddie's warpath. The big gangster was tackled to the ground, "Ow! Hey, not me! Ngh! H-Heeeelp!"
"Okay! That's the end of round one and two contestants are already out of the game!" Ignoring Kanji's screams, Rise continued on with the event, collecting and redistributing the chopsticks again.
Chie bit her lip as she drew one, peeking at the number '7' scrawled on the end of her chopstick. Little did she know, Yukiko snuck a glance at Chie's number, cackling to herself as she unveiled the red end of the chopstick to everyone. Yukiko stood up, looking very sobered up, but burst into laughter once she started talking. "Haha…Looks like I'm King, right? Ahaha!"
Sitting on the end, Yousuke grumbled to himself, hoping Yukiko was going to be a better King than Teddie. The odds weren't very good, since she was doubled over with laughter right now…
"Okay! The King decrees that number '7' will let me hug them." Yukiko smiled innocently.
Naoto sighed, relieved that the girl's request was normal enough for him. On the other hand, Rise booed, cheering for some more 'hardcore' stuff.
"So, who's number seven?" Yousuke asked, losing interest in the game where the hot girls were destined not fall into his hands.
"I-I'm number seven." Chie raised her hand timidly, a bad feeling creeping up on her. She motioned to stand, but Yukiko roughly pushed her back down.
"Just stay seated." Yukiko gave Chie a small wink and the petite brunette swallowed. Hard. Moving deliberately slowly, Yukiko smoothed out her skirt as she took a seat on Chie's lap, winding her hands around the other girl's neck as she gave her a tight hug.
Yousuke's eyes popped out of their sockets, shocked at the daring move Amagi Yukiko made. "Y-Yukiko-san!?"
"How else would you hug someone who's sitting down? Teehee." Yukiko looked at Yousuke, that same innocent smile on her lips as she explained her reasoning.
"I-I was going to stand up you know!?" Chie turned an even brighter shade of red as Yukiko started trailing her lips across her collarbone. Her voice squeaked an octave higher as she protested. "Y-Yukiko!? H-Hasn't it been long enough!?? C-Could you let me-"
Yukiko silenced Chie effectively as she pressed a kiss to her prince's lips. The three boys in the room sat there with their mouths agape, staring as Yukiko began to straddle Chie properly, kissing the girl senseless.
A fountain of blood spurted from Yousuke's nose and he ran to the bathroom with something more than just his nosebleed to take care of. The ones left sitting stock still on the couch were Seta Souji and Shirogane Naoto.
As Souji crossed his legs awkwardly, Naoto tore his virgin eyes away from the sight, trying to fill his mind with something else, something pure and innocent. All of a sudden, he glimpsed pink and his head snapped back towards the two girls on the couch. Stuttering, he tugged Rise's sleeve, his face bright red. "R-R-Rise! D-Did Amagi-sempai just take off her top!??"
"Okay! Now, we're moving onto the third and final round!" Rise completely ignored Naoto, clapping her hands together for applause. "After this decisive round of the King's Game, the winner will be chosen!"
"T-There can be a winner…?" Naoto smiled weakly, hoping the night would end soon. He loosened a couple of buttons on his shirt, downing yet another one of those sweet tasting drinks. It was getting quite hot in here and Naoto hoped it wasn't just him.
Drawing his chopstick for the third and hopefully final time of his life, Naoto drew a '2'. "S-so who's the King this time?"
As silently as ever, Souji raised his hand, showing the red mark on his chopstick. After a very long time, Naoto heard the stone cold voice of Seta Souji for the first time. And the words he spoke made the detective stop in his tracks. "Number one has to kiss me."
Naoto cringed. If he was number two, then Rise had to be number one… It was a feeling he couldn't quite put his finger on, but his stomach did summersaults, his heart jumped into his throat. "Rise-san…" The emotion surged through him, making him feel light headed.
"Ne, sempai…I'm kinda dizzy, so would you come over here instead…?" Rise slurred drunkenly, motioning for Souji to come over to their side. Obediently, the boy agreed, getting up and making his way over.
With every step Souji took, Naoto could feel his breath hitch in his throat. Rise…was going to kiss him?
Souji sat on Rise's left, leaning forward as he cupped her cheeks gently, closing his eyes…
"Stop!" Naoto lunged forward from behind Rise, socking Seta Souji right in the face. The older boy fell backwards onto the couch, clutching his bleeding nose.
Naoto stood, his eyes glazed over, his fists still shaking with anger. Turning, he ran down the stairs, his dignity in shambles. He could hear Rise calling after him, but he just continued on and out the front doors. Taking in a deep breath, Naoto brushed his hair back, feeling the AC wash over his flushed cheeks. It was quiet out here in the deserted mall, but his silent reprieve was short as a voice called out to him.
"N-Naoto!" The doors opened and Rise stumbled out. Nearly losing her balance, her foot caught on the edge of the door and she was sent sprawling forward.
Luckily, Naoto dashed forward, catching Rise in his arms before she met the asphalt below. The two stood there in silence, just like earlier tonight, but emotions were running high, the tension slowly rising.
"L-Looks like you're always coming to my rescue, Naoto-kun…" Rise straightened up, snaking her arms around Naoto's waist as she hugged him close to her.
Shakily, he reciprocated the action, resting his hands on her lower back. "I…It's nothing." Taking a slow breath, he continued. "It's what anyone would've done…"
"Punching Souji-sempai in the face too…? Is that what anyone would do?" Naoto could feel her lips quirk up into a smirk through the sleeve of his shirt, relieved that she wasn't angry. Rise seemed to have sobered up miraculously, leaving just the smell of alcohol lingering on her lips. "Why did you do it…?"
"I just…It was-" He suddenly stopped, furrowing his brows in frustration. "I don't know."
Rise patted Naoto's back soothingly, hugging Naoto tighter as she shivered slightly at the drastic change in temperature. "I know there's something bothering you…but you don't have to keep it all to yourself. You can always tell me." She hesitated for a minute before she added. "A-After all, that's what friends are for, right?"
"We're...friends...?" Naoto's hold on Rise slacked, his arms dropping slightly.
"Of course we're friends..." Rise tensed up, feeling the shift in the atmosphere, in Naoto's mood.
"I-I can't do this anymore." Naoto pushed Rise away gently, holding the girl at arm's length. "I...I can't be around you anymore." He had to put a stop to this, to stop this torture.
"W-what do you mean?" Rise laughed nervously, hoping she wasn't hearing what she thought she was hearing. "Y-You're not serious, are you?"
"I'm sorry, Rise." He stood there, his head turned to the side. Rise had never seen him with a more solemn expression on his face.
"H-Have I done something wrong? Something to make you angry?" Rise stagerred forward, clutching the fabric of Naoto's shirt frantically, panic arising in her eyes.
"You've done nothing wrong. I'm the one who has problems." His voice trembled slightly.
"I-I'm not who you think I am."
"It doesn't matter to me. No matter what, you'll always be the same Naoto-kun to me..." Rise looked up at the boy, tears welling up in her eyes. There was only sincerity in her tone, her eyes, her entire being. That was why she was so naive, so trusting.
"You just don't understand." Naoto shook his head, a broken smile on his lips.
"Then tell me...so I can understand what you're going through..." Rise leaned forward, fistfuls of Naoto's shirt balled up in her hands. "You know...I really can't give up on you. No matter what you are, my feelings toward you will always be the same."
"You don't know what you're talking about." The blue haired boy laughed weakly, humourlessly as he struggled to break away from Rise's hold, but she held on, giving him a look that spoke of nothing but the truth. He hung his head in shame, wondering how he could be so selfish to decieve such a sincere girl.
But he knew.
When she found out, she would be angry, ashamed that he had tricked her into this. It wasn't intentional, but he couldn't tell her now. Her feelings would change. She would hate him. That's why he had to keep this secret with him, break their ties, move away from Inaba forever. He would-
"Naoto-kun..." Rise placed her hand on Naoto's cheek, titlting his head up to look at her. Without warning, she pressed her lips against his, a sweet sensation overcoming the detective's senses.
If this was any other time, he would have been able to stop, but now, his emotions were running rampant, his control lost. He kissed her back with equally fervent want, tangling his hands in her hair as he longed to be closer. Naoto had always heard of various things from movies, read different experiences from books, but nothing could describe the feeling that surged through him now. He couldn't contain himself as he parted Rise's lips further, slipping his tongue into her mouth as he ravaged her thouroughly. Naoto could feel her body tense against his, pushing him back as she fought for control.
Finally parting after what seemed like forever, they stood there, wrapped in each other's arms, struggling to catch their breath.
Resting his chin on Rise's shoulder, Naoto brushed his lips against her ear gently, whispering softly so that she was the only one who could hear him.
"I...really didn't want to fall in love with you, Rise."
A/N: I kept my promise this time! End of July =] This chapter's pretty long.....longest I've ever written in one sitting.... Some if the dialogue was taken from the game. And let's just say they really were drinking alcohol for argument's sake. Sorry about the minimal proofreading. Some OOC-ness due to lack of attention on my part and the ending's kinda rushed, but I hope you all enjoyed it regardless.
Please review!