The Idol and the Prince
Part XXI
12/04
"Oh geez…you've gotta be kidding me! These things are so ridiculous. I can't believe that we're selling them now…" Yousuke shook his head in disbelief as he picked up the bulky gas mask. He made a face as he threw it back into the pile, grimacing at state of the stock room. It looked more like Junes was preparing for the apocalypse more than selling commodities.
"Well, I guess your dad's got the right idea. Demand and supply, right?" Kanji arched an eyebrow as he watched Yousuke go through Junes' layaway room. "Find anything interesting though? We're gonna be going up against that bastard cop, so maybe you've got some bulletproof vests or something there?"
The platinum blond was mostly joking as he rummaged through the shelves, wondering why the department store had so many extra boxes and boxes of teeth whitener and grape juice.
"Hah! You wish...I don't know why we're not going to Daidara's instead. Junes apparently only has these stupid things…taking advantage of everyone's paranoia." Yousuke seemed to have given up as he sighed, making a beeline for the door. "C'mon. Let's get outta here. I'm sure the others are waiting for us."
"Yeah…it's kinda unnerving though…how Inaba's totally lost it over this fog." Kanji fixed a lingering gaze on the pile of gas masks before following Yousuke out.
The two boys made their way out of the back storeroom, heading towards the lobby where a group of people loitered around. A short-haired brunette noticed them first, gesturing for them to hurry over.
"Took you guys long enough!" Chie furrowed her brows, crossing her arms with impatience.
"Well, sor-ry. It's not like I had enough on my conscience going in there with the intention of stealing from my own family…" Yousuke scoffed, rolling his eyes.
"Hey, we didn't tell you not to pay for whatever you gathered. We're heroes here, not delinquents." Chie fixed a cold glare on Yousuke, annoyed that he even thought of such a thing.
"Whatever. It's the end of the world for everyone else, so I'm sure they won't notice a few things missing." Yousuke shoved his hands in his pockets as he walked towards the elevators, not in the mood for Chie's malicious remarks. Kanji, Yukiko, and Souji looked on in silence, wondering how the two brunettes always got off on the wrong foot.
"Hanamura, you-" Chie was prepared to let out her frustrations on the boy, but a hand stopped her. She looked back, meeting Yukiko's eyes as the black haired girl shook her head.
"Chie, just let it go. Let's just regroup and figure everything out." Yukiko pleaded with the brunette, with her big sympathetic eyes. "C'mon. At least we picked up some useful things."
Chie sighed and nodded without another word, letting Yukiko hook her arm through hers. "Yeah, let's go."
The group followed Yousuke's sullen exit, filling into the elevator that had just touched down on the ground floor.
"I can't help but feel that we're missing something…" Naoto poured out the contents of her bag on the large table in the food court, making a mental note of the supplies they had spent the last hour gathering. They couldn't go in unprepared. What she had here was more than any of them had room for, but it was better to be safe than sorry. It was the last fight after all.
Standing from her seat beside the detective, Rise made her way over behind Naoto. She rested her chin on Naoto's shoulder, snaking her arms around the girl as she leaned into her. The food court was next to deserted, but even if it were busy, the idol didn't care who was watching.
"You're the most thorough person I know. You've got your Macca leaves, your antibiotic gels, some random things I don't really know the name of…" Rise pointed off-handedly with a manicured nail, feeling a bit distracted from their task. The redhead glanced backwards briefly, the flash of a camera catching her attention.
Naoto chuckled, turning her head slightly as she looked up at the redhead. "Good eye, Rise. I'm sure you're right. I just can't help but feel on edge about this whole thing. Adachi of all people…I don't know else what to expect."
Rise tightened her hold on the detective, pressing her cheek against Naoto's. "Don't worry. We're going to be okay. He's nothing compared to what we've handled before."
"Again, you're right." Naoto smiled, reveling in the warmth and comfort of Rise's arms.
Leaning further over, Rise was face to face with Naoto, a slightly mischievous smile on her lips. "You know I'm always right."
The detective adjusted her position slightly, meaning to reply with a kiss, but didn't get that far before a voice greeted them.
"I hope we're not intruding on anything, you lovebirds."
Rise and Naoto jumped apart abruptly, somewhat embarrassed to be caught in such an intimate moment.
Chie walked up to them with a toothy grin, waggling her eyebrows like she had any right to chastise them for such a public display of affection.
Rolling her eyes, Rise shot Chie a look that screamed unamused.
Leaving Naoto and sauntering over to the group of new arrivals, the redhead crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow at Kanji and Yousuke, who were the only ones with empty arms. "I see you two have been especially busy, hm?"
Kanji looked away, sheepishly scratching his head. "We tried, but nothing really seemed like it would be helpful…"
"Right. So, why don't we catch each other up and get on with the mission? I dread going back to that eerie bedroom, but I guess it's just the place for that creep, Adachi…" Rise walked back over to Naoto, taking a seat beside the detective and her pile of medical supplies.
The rest followed suit, arranging themselves around the table. Yukiko and Chie dumped their finds on the table as well, adding to the checklists they had to go through.
A suddenly serious tone fell over the group, similar to the atmosphere they experienced when going after Namatame. Things had always been about life and death, but now, with the fate of the world in their hands, it was stifling to know that even more was at stake.
12/08
The fog was thick in the streets and even though they were so close to finding Adachi and putting an end to it all, the air was even more stagnant than before.
The roads were empty, only a few people dotting the sidewalk. They were all clad in gas masks, skirting around the shadows like a war was imminent. Even the stores were deserted, most people lacking the nerve to go out in the rumoured poisonous fog.
In the grocery section of Junes, Naoto strolled leisurely through the empty aisles, peering out behind blue rimmed glasses. The detective was in a sort of stupor, the reality of the impending apocalypse weighing heavily on her. Regardless of the situation, they all still needed to rest, to kill time, and to eat. Absently mindedly, Naoto looked through her choices for tonight's dinner, shuffling through the refrigerated section's pre-packaged lunchboxes. She had been eating these for the past few days, eager to try a new set each day. Eyeing the chicken katsu set, the detective wondered if Rise would want to join her for an impromptu dinner. She knew that the idol's favorite bento set was usually sold out on most days, so this was an upside to the disaster.
Whipping out her cell phone, Naoto dialed a number she knew by heart. After two rings, Rise's bubbly voice flittered over the line.
"Hey, Rise. I don't mean to impose, but do you want to have dinner with me tonight?" There was a pause as the detective grinned at the redhead's overly enthusiastic yes. It wasn't like she had expected anything less than that.
"Alright. I'll meet you at your place in ten minutes?"
Naoto laughed at Rise's replies, glad that some things weren't affected by the fog. "Don't be expecting too much."
"I'll see you soon. Bye."
Hanging up, Naoto couldn't wipe the grin off her face, overwhelmed by how the idol could make any situation better. Looking back at the packaged bento, the detective put two chicken katsu sets into her basket. They weren't on sale, but Naoto wanted to do something special before they faced the final boss tomorrow. It wasn't going to be their last meal though. After all, they were going to succeed. They were going to capture Adachi and bring him to justice. On another note, store-bought bentos were a pretty dismal last meal if Naoto had a say in it.
Pausing for a few minutes, the detective sighed, shaking her head at how morbid she feeling. Without another thought, Naoto headed towards the cash register, eager to see Rise and the expression on her face at the surprise she had for her.
With a sort of desperation and impatience to see the redhead, Naoto hurried out of the department store after paying, almost running down the street towards Maru-Q Tofu. With her blue glasses on, the air was clear as day, the setting sun visible without the fog. Naoto didn't care who could have seen her through the fog, or how ridiculous she looked, running like a madwoman. She needed to escape being alone, growing more and more fervent to see Rise.
Slowing her jog into a walk, the detective struggled to catch her breath. As she approached the heart of the shopping district, Naoto spied the redhead lounging about on the store's front steps. Just seeing the girl calmed her nerves.
"Rise!" Naoto called out as she approached the redhead.
Rise turned towards the sound of her name, spotting the detective through her own pair of special glasses. Standing from her seated position, Rise met Naoto half-way, enveloping the other girl in a hug.
"Hey, Naoto…You don't know how glad I was to get your call earlier."
Naoto could hear the melodic lilt in Rise's voice, betraying how clearly she wanted to be alone and not in the middle of the street right now.
The detective tightened her hold on the other girl, feeling strangely emotional. She knew it had to do with the events that had unfolded over the past few days, along with the impending end of Inaba and the world as they knew it.
Rise pulled away slightly from Naoto, alarmed at the anxiety she felt as they embraced. The redhead's mood shifted from playful to concerned. The detective looked away, trying to hide the crestfallen look on her face. She gestured to the door.
"Let's head inside." Naoto held up the shopping bag. "I bought some fresh buns for your grandma and I think you'll like the surprise I got for you." A gentle smile worked its way on the detective's face as she said this.
"You're such a sweetheart! Let's head in. It's getting dark outside anyway." Looping her arm through Naoto's, Rise led the way in through the deserted storefront. After Naoto gave Rise's grandmother her offering and a quick greeting, the two were headed up the stairs to Rise's room.
Sitting down cross-legged at either end of Rise's coffee table, the two girls threw their glasses aside and quickly unloaded the contents of Naoto's bag, suddenly famished. The idol's eyes widened at the sight of strawberry milk and the still warm chicken katsu box set.
"Naoto! This is a dream come true! You don't know how long it's been since I've had one of these. Ever since then, I've been wanting to buy it, but they're always sold out!" Rise squealed as she leaned over and wrapped her arms around the detective.
Naoto chuckled, glad that she was right about her prediction. Sometimes, it was nice to know that Rise was simple to please, no matter how complicated she seemed to be. "I'm glad you're happy." The detective returned her gesture at this, sidling up to Rise as she leaned into the redhead's arms.
Rise's exuberant smile held out for a while, but there was a strange atmosphere in the room, a sullen seriousness. Naoto wasn't usually so affectionate. It wasn't like Rise didn't like the attention, but she knew why the detective was so clingy tonight. In a few seconds, even the idol felt her smile dampening as she acknowledged the melancholic mood in the room.
"Everything's going to be fine. After tomorrow, we'll just go back to our normal everyday lives and we won't have to go around screaming 'Persona' like idiots anymore." Rise smirked as she rested her arms on Naoto's shoulders.
"I know." Managing a somewhat normal smile, Naoto pulled Rise in for a quick kiss that lingered slightly. Smiling a bit more naturally this time, the detective held the redhead closely. "But part of me might miss running around like an idiot and playing hero, you know?"
"I know the feeling all too well." Rise laughed, leaving the melancholy behind as she turned towards their dinner. She cracked open her wooden chopsticks and tore the top off the bento. Naoto did the same, but sat there holding her chopsticks, her mind far away. The redhead dug into her food, barely noticing that the detective hadn't moved an inch.
"Hey, Rise…I…"
"Hm?" Rise looked up after her first bite, savoring the store-made chicken katsu that was just so different from how her grandma usually made it. "What's wrong?"
There was hesitation in the air as the detective pushed her food around in the lunchbox. She looked up apprehensively, meeting Rise's inquisitive gold eyes for just a moment.
"It's..not just all our adventures that I'll miss…I'm going to miss you too." Naoto held her chopsticks limply in her right hand, looking away, ashamed that she had brought this up. She had tried to keep it to herself, but she needed to know. She needed Rise to know that she wouldn't be angry if she decided to take the job.
"What…what are you talking about, Naoto?" There was a sense of dread in Rise's voice, not wanting to go down this line of questioning again.
"I just want you to know that whatever you want, I'll support that decision. I want you to live life for yoursel , Rise. You should take the movie deal if you want. We'll only be a few hours apart by train." Naoto's tone was neutral, devoid of any bitterness, any anger. There was just acceptance, acceptance that all that Naoto wanted was for Rise to be happy.
Rise felt relieved that the detective was so different from all the other times they had talked about her work. It wasn't like the idol hadn't considered going back to Tokyo, but there were so many things she had to think about…There was Naoto, her friends, her grandma…It was a big decision and the redhead wasn't sure that she was in the right state of mind to decide anything at the moment.
Taking a breath, Rise turned to Naoto with a rather guilty expression on her face. She needed to be honest, to finally tell Naoto what had been on her mind all this time.
"I-I…I'm still thinking about it. Inoue-san wants an answer by Christmas, so I'll let him know then." Rise sighed as she said this, feeling somewhat lighter at the admission.
"I see. Well, as I said, I can always visit you in Tokyo, Rise. And vice versa, you can always come back and visit your grandma and everyone here.." Naoto put the topic to rest with that, feeling a bit foolish at the implicit promise she had just made. The detective filled the silence with action as she started in on her own portion of dinner.
For the both of them, it seemed like they had reached a silent understanding, that they were playing a game with far too much risk to have any regrets, to leave anything unsaid.
A/N: Almost...done D;
Minimal proofreading...just churning this out like...yeah