A/N OMG I UPDATED THIS STORY! WHAT THE TOTAL CRAP MAN, I'M ACTUALLY PLANNING TO FINISH THIS? Kidding aside, I'm not dead, don't worry. I was busy babysitting all summer and then school happened. It's gonna be a super busy semester for me, so I really wanted to get this done before I started getting TESTS (Dun, dun, duuuuunnnnn). I also edited the first chapter for spelling and grammar errors that I found.

I also wrote another story that I published earlier today. It's a one-shot that I kinda came up with when I couldn't sleep one night. I mentioned this in the update of the first chapter of this story. Check it out if you want, but be warned, SHSLAwesome is not responsible for any cases of excessive crying and breaking of feels. These are common medical conditions and the treatment is covered under the health care plan of the League of Souji/Yu and Naoto Fanfiction Writers. If you do not belong to this group, I don't quite know what to tell you. :P

Disclaimer: I do not own Persona or Death Note. If I owned Persona, none of the games would have ever been finished. If I owned Death Note, L would have still been alive.


POV Narrator

Did I do something wrong? Was I moving too fast?

A constant stream of questions raced through Yu's mind at the speed of sound. He was in the process of recovering from the shock of being rejected. Even after two days, Yu was still reeling from the shock of being rejected by the girl he loved. She ran away after his confession, and Yu was left staring back as she left him at the shrine. To make matters worse, she wouldn't talk to him or even look at him since the incident.

Is she still mad that I protected her? I thought she was in danger! Would she rather I had just been an ass and left her there to fend for herself?! Why is she so damn stubborn?!

His thoughts became more furious and aggravated the more he thought about what had happened at the shrine. They were attacked by the man who gave Yu the first card. How was he to know that the knife was just a radio? Of course, Yu was only venting his anger at the suspicious man and Naoto. In truth, he was mad at himself.

How could I have been so stupid? 'Because I love you'? I should have known that she would react that way! She'd already told me that she didn't like when people told her they loved her without knowing a thing about her! And what do I know about her really? I'm just as bad as those admirers…Maybe if I'd just said because I care about her…Love is too strong a word…

His thoughts became more hopeless as he shifted his blame and anger towards himself. He started to wonder if Naoto would ever forgive him. He would be okay with just being friends as long as she would talk to him again.


POV Yosuke

The next day, Rise and I met up at Souzai Daigaku to confirm the situation and commence Operation Matchmakers and Miracles.

Okay, that name sucks…

I'll come up with a better one later. Right now we gotta focus on making a plan. I need a good strategy if I'm gonna snap my partner out of it. Oh, and, uh…Naoto, too.

"If we're gonna help Senpai and Naoto, we have to talk to them and figure out what happened." Rise voice rang out, pulling me out of my thoughts. "They're probably still at home right now, so we should be able to talk to them if we go to their houses."

"Yeah, that's probably our best bet. Alright, I'll go talk to Yu and you'll go see Naoto. We'll meet up at Junes later." I sighed and added under my breath, "Let's hope this works out."

"It'll be fine, Yosuke-senpai. All we have to do is find out what happened and come up with a way to fix it. It'll be easy!"

We'll see. Somehow I feel like this won't be as easy as she thinks…


POV Narrator

With a few short parting words, Yosuke and Rise split up and headed to their friends' houses.

...

Yu was currently sitting on the sofa watching Phoenix Rangers Featherman R with Nanako. He was in a noticeably glum mood, and Nanako could tell that it wasn't 'unimportant'. She went over to sit next to him.

"Big Bro? What's wrong? You seem really sad lately. No one ever comes to visit anymore. Did you get in a fight with your friends?" Nanako was clearly worried. She didn't like to see her cousin, who had become like a brother to her, upset. He looks lonely, she thought.

He gave her a wry smile and said, "No, it's not that, Nanako. I didn't get in a fight with them. You don't have to worry, everything's fine." Yu knew that his little cousin wasn't convinced.

"You're lying. Something is wrong, I can tell. You look sad and lonely." To say Yu was shocked to get scolded by a 7-year-old was an understatement. Then again, Nanako was mature for her age. He let out a long sigh before confirming the girl's suspicions.

"Yeah, you're right. Something is wrong. I accidently did something that upset one of my friends. I was only trying to help. I didn't realize it would upset her. And when I tried to explain to her, it came out in a way that upset her even more." He didn't know why he was telling all of this to Nanako, but it made him feel better to get it off his chest.

"You should apologize to her." Yu smiled at her innocent suggestion. If only it were that easy, Nanako.

"Which friend is it? Was it the nice girl who helped me find you at the summer festival?"

"Yeah, it was Naoto. Why do you ask?"

"You should make up with her. I like her. She's nice. And really pretty, too." This made Yu smile again. She really is amazing. But she won't even talk to me. I probably completely ruined our friendship.

Nanako went back to watching the show, happy that she was able to help her big brother.

Meanwhile, Naoto was sitting in the kitchen of the Shirogane Estate, drinking coffee and reading the newspaper, hoping that would help her forget what happened. Her grandfather looked on, worried for his clearly distraught granddaughter. Whenever he asked if she wanted to talk about it, she would decline, stating she was perfectly fine and had a lot on her mind. She must have known he wouldn't fall for a lie like that. He was a detective after all, and he taught Naoto everything she knew about being a detective.

"Naoto, if there is something bothering you, you shouldn't hide it. Just tell me what's wrong. I'm sure we can figure it out if we work together-"

"I'm fine, Grampa." The young detective bit back, never once looking up from her newspaper.

The older Shirogane sighed. "If you don't want to talk to me, then how about talking to one of those friends of yours. They sound like a good group of kids, especially that Narukami boy who you speak so highly of."

At the sound of his name, Naoto's breath caught in her throat. She knew her grandfather would have noticed that and excused herself before running off to her room, hoping to avoid any further questioning.

Dammit, I almost forgot about him. Why does fate hate me so much?!


POV Yosuke

I arrived at the front door of the Dojima Residence, wondering if I could really help Yu solve whatever problem he was having. I know when it comes to cheering him up, the only person better is Nanako-chan, but I'm really starting to doubt myself. I rang the doorbell and waited for someone to answer. I was caught completely by surprise when Yu answered the door. He looked totally out of it. His hair was tangled and messy. He was still in his pajamas and he had dark circles under his eyes like he hadn't slept in days. He was slouched over, with his hands in his pockets. If it weren't for the hair, I may have mistaken him for L from Death Note.

"Hey what's up man? You look like shit!" That came out a lot meaner than I meant it to.

"Thanks." Did that fly over his head or something? "Did you need something?"

"Yeah, I need to know what's been up with you lately. You're seriously starting to worry me partner. What's up?"

"It's nothing Yosuke. Don't worry about-"

"I will worry about it!" I didn't mean for that to come out so forceful, but Yu's being a stubborn idiot right now and I don't know any other way to snap him out of it. He looked surprised for a minute, but then he sighed and started to tell me everything.

"So, wait, why did Naoto get mad at you again?"

"I told you that already, she said something like 'I can't imagine becoming a woman, only to have a man protect me' or something like that."

"And why the hell did you think it was a good idea to say 'I love you'. I mean seriously this is Naoto we're talking about! Even I know that's not a good idea!"

"Yeah, I figured that out after she ran away. But you're right I should have noticed that sooner."

"So why don't you just apologize and make up with her?"

"That's the same thing Nanako said. You don't think I've tried? She won't talk to me, she won't answer the phone, and I don't have the courage to go to her house and speak to her directly."

"Alright, look. Me and Rise are trying to look into this. She should be talking to Naoto now, so when we meet up in a little bit I'll tell her what happened. You can count on me, Partner!" I stopped and thought for a minute. "But seriously, I can't believe you're into Naoto of all people!"

He punched me in the arm and said, "Shut up."

Same old Yu. Time to meet up with Rise.


POV Rise

I walked to the address that Naoto-kun gave me a couple weeks ago when I went over to study. I still couldn't believe just how amazing the Shirogane estate was. It wasn't too big, but not that small either. It looked like one of those houses that become historical landmarks. To be honest, it was kinda intimidating. But I was on a mission, and I knew I had to see it through no matter what.

When I rang the doorbell, Naoto-kun's grandfather's secretary, who I learned was named Yakushiji, answered the door. I asked if Naoto-kun was in and he lead me to her room, saying it was unlikely that she would come downstairs to meet me. I knocked on the door and entered. Naoto-kun looked terrible. She looked totally drained. It almost reminded me of myself when I first came to Inaba. She must have been having trouble sleeping or something because there was so much on her mind.

"Hey, Naoto-kun. Are you okay?"

She turned slowly and looked at me. "Y-…No, I'm not fine. I'm not fine at all." She tilted her head down and tried to blink away tears.

"Is this about Senpai?"

She looked at me with wide eyes and gasped, "H-How did you find out about that."

"Rumors. But what happened? You can tell me. I'm a good listener."

"Very well, Rise-san. It started a few weeks ago, after school…"

She went on to talk about the Phantom Thief and the tools of a detective that she made when she was a kid and finished with the incident at the shrine and Senpai's confession.

"Naoto-kun, don't you think you're overreacting just a little bit? I mean he was just trying to protect you."

"Yes, but that doesn't excuse the fact that he tried to involve me in some callow love affair!"

"But what if he really was telling the truth? What if Senpai really does love you?"

"Trust me, he doesn't. Not truly. Even if he loves me now, eventually I'll get left behind again…"

"Yeah, but what if he doesn't?"

"He will!"

"You don't know that for sure! Are you just gonna live the rest of your life alone because you don't even want to take a chance? Are you going to be alone forever because you're afraid of having your heart broken?"

"…"

"You don't know unless you actually try. Who knows, he may even be your soul mate!"

"But of all the girls in Inaba – no, rather, in the world – why would he choose me?"

"Maybe you should ask him yourself?"

"Hah…you're absolutely right. Thank you, Rise-san."

"That's what friends are for, right!" She laughed and nodded. Naoto-kun has a really nice laugh. And a cute smile, too. I think I'm starting to see why Senpai likes her.

I left the Shirogane Estate and went to go meet Yosuke-senpai at Junes.


POV Narrator

After Rise left, Naoto picked up her phone, hesitating only a moment before texting Yu.

'MEET AT THE HILL AT 3:30'

Naoto's heartbeat sped up as she sent the text. "I hope this goes well."

Yu arrived at the hill at 3:20, giving him time to plan what he wanted to say and guaranteeing that his didn't arrive late. He didn't want to make Naoto any more upset than she already was.

"S-Senpai?" a small voice said. He recognized the voice immediately.

"Naoto!" He ran over to her and held her in a loose embrace. "I'm sorry Naoto. I didn't mean to upset you. I should have just kept my mouth shut. If it makes you more comfortable I'm fine with just being friends if it means you'll talk to me again…" his voice died out and he released her from his embrace, placing his hands lightly on her shoulders and looking down as if in shame.

"You don't have to apologize. I overreacted. I should be the one apologizing to you, Senpai. I just left you there, without even responding. I got angry when you were just trying to make sure I was safe. I truly am selfish. Forgive me…"

"I think we can both share the blame. I'll forgive you if you'll forgive me."

"Of course I forgive you, Senpai. To be honest, I missed talking to you…" Naoto looked down at her feet before asking the one thing she absolutely needed to know. "Senpai, why me? Of all the people you could have chosen, why did you choose me?"

Yu sat down on a bench and motioned for Naoto to join him. "Back in my last school, I had a group of friends. Well, not friends exactly, more like acquaintances or a clique of some kind. We were nothing alike, really. I don't even know why I hung out with them. Well anyway, the guys seemed to like talking about girls and whatever girl they went out with most recently. I always thought that was stupid and I never had a girlfriend. Plenty of admirers, but no girlfriend. One of the guys in the group said one day, 'Yo, Narukami, what's your type, man?' I thought about it briefly and then replied, 'I like a girl who's independent. I'd rather have a girl who would stand as my equal than one who is submissive. I also want her to be my intellectual equal as well. I don't wanna have to explain everything I say. One who is kind an honest, and who I feel I can trust with anything. A girl who is strong enough to acknowledge there faults and admit to them, rather than just believing they are always right. Someone who can always make me smile. Finally, someone who I would want to protect, and who would protect me in return.' They thought I was weird, since most of them liked attractive, submissive girls."

"And you don't?" Naoto questioned, curious as to where this was headed.

"If I liked the cute girl in a short skirt cliché, I wouldn't even have noticed you. But I'm not shallow, so I don't pay attention to appearance."

"So…you don't think I'm attractive, then."

Noticing that was a statement and not a question, Yu replied, "I don't think you're 'cute' Naoto. I think you're beautiful, inside and out. Most people thought my preferences were too specific, that I'd never find anyone like that. But they were wrong, because you're right here. That's why I chose you. Because you're perfect in every way. You're wonderful just the way you are, and I would never want to change anything about you."

He hesitated trying to see her reaction. Her eyes were glazed over and she was desperately blinking back tears. He tilted her head to look up at him and his silver eyes met her deep blue ones. With an unsurpassable amount of confidence Yu looked straight into Naoto's eyes and said, "Naoto, I love you, and I always will."

Tears began flowing down her face and she almost instinctively threw herself into his arms. They held each other in a warm embrace for what felt like hours, before Naoto broke the embrace to look the silver-haired boy in the eyes. Using all the courage she could muster, she finally gave him an answer.

"S-Senpai… I-I love you, too."

A/N Okay, so I was going to add one more section to this chapter to finish it off, but I felt like that was a good place to end. SO there shall be a short epilogue chapter making this a three chapter story as opposed to the two chapters it was supposed to be. Man but let me tell you once the inspiration came it just kept on coming.

I had to add so much fluffiness to the last part. The cute fluffy bunnies that are hopping around me told me so. So you got something that was fluffy, adorable, and cliche to a cliche degree (no that's not a typo that's actually what I put, cliche to a cliche degree).

Do you like my reference to DEATH NOTE?! I just got introduced to DEATH NOTE and I honestly with I had found DEATH NOTE sooner. And to clear it up, I was not bagging on L from DEATH NOTE. To be honest, L is actually my favourite character from DEATH NOTE. I also noticed how much the protagonist's night clothes look like L's clothes. Also, the reason I am putting DEATH NOTE in all caps is to enunciate the sheer awesomeness that is DEATH NOTE. Okay, I'll stop caps locking DEATH NOTE now.

...

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DEATH NOTE! okay I'm done now.

I'm going to work on the epilogue tonight while the inspiration is still flowing through my veins. And I will make an honest attempt to get it out before next week.

Thanks for reading and feel free to LIKE COMMENT FAVOURITE FOLLOW LOVE COMMENT FAVORITE TNEMMOC REVIEW and as always thanks so much for reading and sticking with me. Arigatou Gozaimasu!