Author's notes: Hello everyone, thank you for reading and reviewing it means the world to me.

P.S. how about that Persona 5 trailer huh? Incredible.

Chapter Three: Detecting Talent

Yosuke sighed as he sat alone in the regular spot the investigation team would meet up. He was waiting for Naoto, cringing at the terrible repetitive music from Junes. With that thought in mind, he decided it better to block it out with his own music. Thank goodness for convenient headphones.

He leant back in his chair and cranked the volume a little, he always felt weird being sat alone at the place he worked on days off, like anyone could ask him for his help at any moment. As he started to get comfortable he felt a tap on his shoulder, it was Naoto. Yosuke removed his headphones as she took a seat next to him, placing a folder down on the table in front of him.

"Hey Naoto-kun." he smiled, taking out his phone to turn his music off completely. Naoto smiled back.

"It would seem you're more comfortable using 'kun', you should stick to it." She replied. It slowly dawned on Yosuke the mistake he made, he face palmed.

"Ah shit, sorry." Yosuke laughed, "I'm just to used to seeing you as a dude I guess." Naoto kept smiling.

"Well I'm still getting used to being addressed as a female so I'm actually grateful, everyone else seems to have adjusted to the change rather quickly." Yosuke chuckled a little. As he opened his mouth to continue the conversation, Naoto cut him off.

"Still, we're not here to discuss that." She opened the folder so Yosuke could peruse the information that laid before him. "This man, Kumotta Sukai, he went missing 4 days ago, and his wife says that after returning from work Kumotta-san showered and left of his own accord with no indication of where he was going or why he was leaving."

Yosuke took out a picture of Kumotta that was in the file. Having watched a lot of detective type shows on TV he figured there might be some kind of indication about what criminal activities Kumotta might be involved in, but there wasn't anything off about him. He just looked like a normal everyday guy. Naoto smiled to herself, knowing what Yosuke was trying to look for.

"Okay." Yosuke finalised, turning to Naoto to ask a question. "Well what was his job?"

"No idea," She replied simply, "but I believe it holds no bearing on the case."

"Well, what makes you so sure 'ace'?" Yosuke chirped in a joking tone. Naoto ignored him, and answered the question.

"His wife didn't mention what he did, if it was work of importance to warrant such action as a kidnapping or for him to work late she would have mentioned such a thing at the time."

Yosuke raised both eyebrows in shock; he was surprised a joke got such a well thought out answer. He remained silent as he expected Naoto to continue, but she just sat there expectantly. Was she waiting for Yosuke to ask another question? He cleared his throat, starting to become a little nervous.

"Well." He paused for thought, starting to take things more seriously.

"If it wasn't for work then it must have been for something personal, but wouldn't his wife know about something like that?" He looked at Naoto, like a student would a teacher for approval. She gave a slight nod, like she was pushing him to continue.

"Soooo...maybe an affair?" He muttered, with almost zero confidence behind what he said, he felt exhausted already. Naoto gave him a faint smile to let him know it was a good thought before continuing.

"Kumotta-san's wife was very adamant to me that there was very little possibility of another woman considering they had only recently married, while that in itself isn't enough to rule out the possibility, we gain very little at this point by pursuing it."

"Unless." Yosuke interjected, "he's with his mistress now."

"True." Naoto agreed, smiling as she did. She'd started to find it rather fun to be discussing a case with another person after being so used to working alone.

"But do you think a cheating man would leave without an excuse?"

"Well, I mean... probably not." Yosuke muttered, slightly annoyed that his theory had been trounced. Naoto laughed before returning to debriefing Yosuke, informing him of Kumotta's hospitalized mother, and how she's the reason Naoto believes that Kumotta hasn't left Okina City.

"Okay." Yosuke smiled, convinced he figured it out. "We have a photo so we know what he looks like, I say we just go stake out the entrance of the hospital. Easy."

Naoto looked down in an unsuccessful attempt to stifle laughter, Yosuke couldn't help but join in, he found this side of her he'd never seen before funny.

"Okay 'little miss Sherlock'." Yosuke joked as her laughter died down. "What's your plan of attack?" Naoto took a moment to compose herself.

"No, your plan was good, it just goes to show that you're actually rather impulsive. You thought of the best idea you could but forgot about other engagements such as school, your job and the case in Inaba. A full time detective could do a stake out but we are not afforded that luxury."

Yosuke nodded in agreement before Naoto continued.

"As such, I believe our 'plan of attack'." She smiled as she said it. "Should be to ask Kumotta-san's mother where she believes her son may be located."

She collected Kumotta's file from the table as she stood and gave Yosuke a smile to let him know to follow her, and the two headed out of Junes to where Naoto had a car waiting for them. Once they both climbed in and Naoto had instructed the driver where to take them, she turned to Yosuke.

"Now." She started, her tone had become more professional then when in Junes. Yosuke figured it was because the driver was there with them.

"The drive there will take a little while so consider this your first assignment in your training as an investigator." Yosuke nodded, he figured while joking around was fun he should show that he was taking this seriously too.

"During the journey I want you to think about why asking Kumotta-san's mother where he might be is our current best course of action, once we reach the hospital I will require an answer from you. Are we clear?"

"Well... y-yeah." Yosuke stuttered, to him the situation had suddenly turned into a test. "But do you want AN answer or THE answer?"

Naoto smiled before she turned away from him to look out the window leaving Yosuke with nothing but time to think.