A/N: Story so far: Rise kept up her own subtle brand of matchmaking, while Kanji and Naoto almost had a real conversation (until she decided she missed being a jerk.)
In this part: Kanji doesn't talk about sewing club, Naoto joins the team, and Rise explains the most crucial part of female friendship.
(A delay on this one... apologies, the next part should be speedier. Many thanks to Rayless Night for game dialogue details when Souji turns down Naoto's request to join the team.)
October 6th 2011
By noon, Kanji still hadn't figured out what the hell was up with Naoto - despite spending most of the morning mathematics class thinking about it, to the point where Nakayama-sensei had kept him late afterward to lecture him on the importance of paying attention (which soon turned into a long rant about how her husband never did). Next had been Composition, where he'd genuinely tried to listen. Looked at the textbook and everything. However, Kanji had never been great at talking himself out of a temper - or doing much of anything while in one, besides breaking heads and yelling a bunch - and all his good intentions still hadn't made grammar any easier to understand. They hadn't helped with Naoto either.
There was one thing that would cheer him up for certain: sewing club. Put together some gloves. Knit a hat, if it came to it. Problem was, after three months back at school Kanji still hadn't worked up the guts to walk through the door of the Home Economics room. The closest he could get was standing in the corridor outside, staring through the classroom window while two second years tried and failed to sew together a tote bag. Busy swallowing the urge to slam through the door before the idiots jammed the sewing machine, he didn't register the person who'd walked up beside him until they spoke, voice clear and clipped. "Kanji-kun."
He looked down. Naoto stood next to him, her shoulders squared and back straight. The image sent him flashing back to their first meeting, and the way she hadn't bat an eye at talking with a punk who could've taken her down with one swing.
Kanji glared back at the window - then quickly dropped his gaze to the floor before Naoto could ask what he was looking at.
"Seta-san has requested your attendance at a meeting after school," she told him. "At Junes, of course."
"Right. Thanks." Then, because some part of him didn't see the point in acting like an asshole just because she had, he quickly added, "You, uh, gonna show too?"
He chanced a glance up and to the side, just in time to catch Naoto's swift nod. "Yes." She paused. "I hope to see you there."
Then she turned and strode back down the corridor. By the time Kanji had realized the obvious - that they'd be meeting so she could officially join the team - she'd already disappeared up the stairs.
Never one to break a streak, Kanji spent the last class of the day thinking about dumb detectives instead of learning about volcanoes. Fortunately, the teacher was too distracted by a bout of message-passing at the back of the room to notice him frowning at the wall. Unfortunately, he still got kept behind for ten minutes to collect the other kids' assignments while Yamada-sensei ragged on him for forgetting to bring his own.
Rise was decent enough to wait for him outside the school gates - but not enough to stop herself from yapping about nothing in particular the whole way to Junes. With a skill refined by every pointless class he'd ever sat through, Kanji automatically tuned her out.
Soon as he'd seen Naoto at lunch, he'd decided to act just the same way she had that morning. He'd quickly reconsidered. First, that stuff just didn't come naturally. If Kanji was pissed at somebody, they soon knew it - either because he was yelling the reason at them, or because he'd smacked them through a wall.
Second, the idea had seemed kind of unnecessary. Fine, Naoto hadn't been nice, but she'd said more than two words. Big change from the morning.
Said she hoped she'd see him, too.
Which was just a polite, throwaway comment. No point getting caught up in it. Kanji straightened, pushed Naoto's words out of his head, and congratulated himself on his greatest achievement of the day: avoiding explaining why he was staring through the window of the Home Economics classroom. Shit, that would've been awkward. Scratch that, impossible; no way would Naoto understand.
...Then again, maybe she would. Okay, a girl who behaved like a guy and a guy who just happened to like stuff people thought was girly, they weren't the same thing. But kind of close, right?
"Kanji-kun, are you listening?"
Not that he acted like a chick. No way. One hundred percent pure man.
"Right. Of course not. You never do."
Guys could like kittens and cute things and sewing - and if they wanted to keep that to themselves, that was cool too. Man's choice.
"Fine! Walk to Junes by yourself next time!"
When Kanji turned his head, Rise was glaring up at him with a look that could freeze lava. Crap, he'd drifted out too long.
"You're so mean," she muttered, arms folded, "I wait for you outside school forever and then you don't even listen to me talk."
"'Course I listen!" Kanji lied.
"Really? So what'd I say about Ichigo-senpai and Ohtani-senpai?"
He blinked. "Uh..."
"Nothing, that's what. I knew you weren't paying attention!" Rise let out a huff of annoyance. "I was gonna tell you I'd figured out what was up with Naoto-kun - but I don't think I'll bother."
Typical Rise, especially when she was pissed off. Kanji grit his teeth and glared at the sidewalk for a full five seconds before finally giving in. "Alright, fine. What is it?"
She smirked. "I'll tell you later."
"C'mon! Why can't y'just say now?"
Rise stuck out her tongue. "Because you're a big meanie," she chirped, then shrugged. "Anyway, it's nothing major. At least, I don't think so."
She probably had it wrong anyway. Rise had a scary knack for knowing everything that was going on with everyone, sometimes before they did - but she wasn't that close to Naoto. Kanji had never even seen them talk, not properly. Not the way he and Naoto had. That thing with the books counted as a real conversation, right?
By the time they arrived at the food court, everyone else was already there - including Naoto, who was wedged between Teddie and Yukiko at the table. She was leaning forward with her hands on her knees, cap tugged down almost far enough to cover her eyes. At least, Kanji thought - and wanted to kick himself for it - she wasn't sitting next to Souji.
"Hey guys!" Rise waved at them all; as usual, lingering on Senpai for just a little too long. "Sorry we're late. Kanji-kun was getting yelled at by Yamada-sensei."
Chie raised her eyebrows. "Again? Isn't that the second time this week?"
"Don't matter," he snapped, stealing a quick glance at Naoto - like she didn't think he was dumb already - and hoping Souj would let the issue slide. He'd already pulled Kanji aside for an Important Talk about working hard in class, back in June; it'd lasted almost an hour and left Kanji wishing he'd just kept skipping school.
Fortunately, Senpai didn't seem to notice. Unfortunately, all his attention was on Naoto. "So," he said, gaze fixed on her, "do you remember what happened before you were taken?"
This had to be for the team's benefit, right? He'd already have asked her all this already during his visits. But Naoto nodded all the same, then took a deep breath. "First, I heard the doorbell ring - but when I opened the front door, I saw no-one there. Just as alarm bells sounded in my mind, someone grabbed me roughly from behind and covered my mouth with a rag."
Something was different, Kanji thought. Not just her attitude, though that'd done a one-eighty since the morning.
"To keep you quiet?" Yukiko asked, brow furrowed.
"Primarily to incapacitate me. I believe it had been soaked in chloroform. Immediately afterward, I was put into a sack and most likely carried on the culprit's shoulder."
Rise's eyes widened. "Wow, how could you remember all that? I don't remember anything that happened to me."
"Well, I wasn't completely unconscious. I'd been expecting a trick along those lines, so I was somewhat prepared," Naoto pointed out, a little more smugly than Kanji would've liked. "And of course, I was desperate to gather as much information as I could."
The voice. That was the change. Clearer, clipped, way deeper - and exactly the same as the first time they'd met.
Teddie grinned and tapped a paw against her back. "No wonder you're an ace detective!"
Though Naoto visibly flinched, Kanji swore he saw her smirk. She seemed in her element; like she'd forgotten everything they talked about, all that stuff about how she'd worried them for nothing. "Dammit, don't encourage her," he muttered, shaking his head.
Naoto snapped toward him, eyes narrowed. "I did what was necessary to further the investigation."
They'd been over this already. No point rehashing old ground. Though his fists balled at his sides on reflex, Kanji kept his voice steady. "It still ain't something to be proud of, alright? You are too damn calm 'bout all this."
"There was never any reason to--"
"What did you notice about the kidnapper?" Senpai asked, cutting Naoto off and the argument with it. He caught Kanji's eye for a moment, then leaned back in his chair.
"Due to their position, I was unable to see their face," Naoto explained. "However, judging by their actions and body type, I would say they're definitely male. I heard no conversations or voices, so I believe our culprit is acting alone."
Yosuke frowned, drumming his fingers against the table. "Huh… seems like a lot of work for one man."
Kanji had been thinking pretty much the same thing. Had one guy seriously been able to overpower him? The chemicals would've knocked him out, but... "How the hell did he carry me in a sack?"
Rise poked him in the side. "He probably just rolled you across the floor, Kanji-kun."
"Hey, we've got forklift trucks in the stockroom downstairs," Yosuke added with a smirk.
"Then the kidnapper must work at Junes!" exclaimed Teddie. "I wonder who it is?"
Chie leaned back in her chair and gave Kanji a wide grin. "I wanna know how he even fit you in the sack to start with!"
"He'd need a big one, wouldn't he?" giggled Yukiko, edging closer to another full-on fit.
As the conversation collapsed into dumb jokes, him being the butt of most of them, Kanji realized Naoto hadn't chimed in. Instead, she was staring intently at her can of soda, both hands still on her knees.
Souji, meanwhile, was kneading his knuckles against his forehead so hard he'd probably leave dents. "Guys. We're getting off-topic."
Yosuke's expression immediately turned serious. "Yeah. Sorry, partner." He leaned over the table, resting his elbows on the surface. "Okay, Naoto. What happened after you were in the sack?"
Naoto glanced up. "Ah... well, I'm afraid things get murky. I felt a single impact, which I assume is when I was thrown inside the TV." Her forehead creased slightly. "But the time from kidnapping to that point seemed too short... it was a matter of minutes."
"So you were immediately thrown inside the TV after being kidnapped..." Chie's eyes widened. "Oh! Could there have been a TV on the side of the road?"
Somewhere to his right, Kanji heard Yosuke quietly groan.
"That's… not very likely," Souji muttered, knuckles back at his forehead.
"Yeah. But, Naoto, are you saying the killer just came right up to the door and rang the bell? That's crazy." Yosuke looked at Yukiko, then glanced between Rise and Kanji in turn. "Do you guys remember what happened to you?"
Rise shook her head. "Nope."
"I'm sorry," Yukiko said. "I know I was called out to the garden, but everything after that's a blur."
Kanji couldn't remember much beyond the first knock at the door. After that, it was all his Shadow and that stupid bathhouse. "I got nothing."
"Which makes sense," Naoto said. "Such a bizarre experience, with mental and physical fatigue on top of it... it's only natural to be confused."
"You weren't," Rise pointed out, with a mild pout.
"Because I was prepared. Going by the surrounding evidence for your disappearances, they and my own were near identical."
"So y'think the same guy's responsible for all of them?" Made sense, even though Kanji still couldn't figure out how one guy had done it all alone.
Leaning further forward in her chair, Naoto gave a quick nod. "Exactly."
"Which means Mitsuo Kubo wasn't the real killer at all." Souji's hands were both on the table, his fingers twined together. "The police got it wrong."
"Indeed. I believe Kubo's only victim was Mr. Morooka. Simply a copycat killing that mimicked the true culprit's method, or what Kubo knew of it."
Yosuke ran a hand through his hair, then let out a deep sigh. "No wonder King Moron's death broke the pattern in so many ways."
"The question remains, though," added Naoto, "as to how Kubo learned of the television world."
Again, Chie jolted into life; almost out of her chair, too. "Wait, that's it! That's what was bothering me!" She glanced quickly between Naoto and Souji. "Mitsuo, he could enter the TV, right? So why didn't he kill King Moron that way?"
Naoto shrugged. "I believe that even though he could enter the other world, he simply didn't understand it as well as the true culprit. The autopsies for the first two corpses left no clues at all to the cause of death, much less any connection to the television."
"So Kubo didn't know that jumpin' in would get him killed?" Kanji asked, pointedly not mentioning that Naoto sure as hell had.
"Possibly. I believe we also now have an explanation for the bizarre condition of the corpses. The police had assumed the culprit was making a statement in hanging his victims on foggy days - but it may simply be because the victims died on the other side."
"I'd wondered how the killer managed to get the bodies up there without being seen." Souji leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping his chin. "This sounds much simpler."
Naoto nodded. "Occam's Razor. But all this is speculation."
"Yeah, but Kubo could probably tell us. At least, what he knows about the television." Chin propped on one hand, Yosuke grinned again. "Any chance you can get us a police interview?"
Her gaze dropped to her lap. "...Unfortunately, I've been taken off the investigation."
Figured. Back when she'd disappeared, none of the cops the team had spoken with had said anything good about her; most of them hadn't even managed indifference. Kanji still hadn't told Naoto what they'd said and he probably never would - but there was no way she wouldn't have already noticed, right?
Rise sighed, twirling a stray curl of hair around her fingers. "The police wouldn't believe us anyway, not when they still don't want to admit it wasn't Mitsuo. Once you've said something on TV, it's not easy admitting you were wrong."
"I believe the primary cause of my dismissal was because I raised that possiblity to them. The police won't readily concede that they made false charges, particularly if the accused is a juvenile. The overwhelming sentiment within the police force is to end this case with his arrest."
"I remember that policeman saying the same thing," Yukiko said, then turned to Chie. "Back in the shopping district, Chie, you remember."
"Yeah... but would they seriously do that? If it's possible there's another killer?"
Naoto nodded again, this time more grimly. "Obtaining a rapid conviction is paramount."
"Those dickheads... I had a feeling that'd be the case," Kanji hissed. Cops were all the same; always wanted the easy road out. "Not that I trusted 'em in the first place."
As he spoke, Naoto's expression shifted to something Kanji couldn't place. Uncertain, maybe, or at least uncomfortable.
"But, uh, Naoto..." Yosuke had jumped back in, though the grin had vanished. "If you were that calm when it happened to you, couldn't you have, you know...?"
Naoto stared at him blankly. The rest of the team followed suit.
"I'm not saying you should've caught the guy... but isn't it kinda sad for an ace detective to go down that easily...?"
She shifted in her seat, tried to begin a sentence - she did a lot of that, Kanji had noticed - then stopped again, gaze planted back on the table surface. Even standing a meter away, he still saw her draw a deep breath. "To... to tell you the truth, I was really scared." She hesitated. "I-I'm sorry."
It was kind of fitting, Kanji would reflect later down the road, that the first time he ever heard Naoto Shirogane apologize was for not brawling with a serial killer.
The rational part of his mind pointed out that Yosuke never got kidnapped, so he couldn't be totally blamed for being an asshole - and hey, he'd actually made Naoto apologize for something. Meanwhile, the Take-Mikazuchi part insisted that Hanamura needed his stupid face punched right this instant.
All the other parts just felt terrible. Shit, of course she'd been scared. Who wouldn't have?
But she'd gotten herself in that situation. She'd been trying to get kidnapped. Which, in the end, was as brave a decision as it was stupid. Kanji grit his teeth and looked away, ignoring the loud yelp as Chie elbowed Yosuke in the ribs.
"It can't be helped. None of us could resist the culprit either." Yukiko leaned over and laid a hand on Naoto's shoulder - sparking a second flinch - then shot Yosuke a pointed glance. "Don't forget, Naoto-kun's younger than us, and she's a girl."
Kanji swore he saw Naoto wince.
Yosuke paused, eyebrows raised. "Huh, good point. I keep forgetting when I see her talking like this." He tipped his head and smirked. "Hey, Naoto?"
Naoto lifted her head. "...What is it?"
"You got balls, for a girl."
Damn right she does, Kanji almost added - until he noticed Souji's knuckles move back to his forehead and Naoto's cheeks turn slightly pink.
Her fingers gripped the brim of her cap. "R-regardless, I have no doubt that the culprit will continue with his attacks. We can only watch and wait for him to make the next move." The blush faded as she spoke, and her voice turned firm. "But this is no longer a mere assignment for me. I want to know the truth of why we were targeted."
Then she pulled her cap up and looked at each of the group in turn - including Kanji, and he liked to think she looked a little longer - before stopping on Souji-senpai. "Please," she asked, "allow me to join your effort."
Souji didn't answer.
Kanji blinked.
Shit, Senpai wouldn't say no, would he? He never had before. Naoto had proven Kubo wasn't the killer and put herself in harm's way to do it, no matter how stupid the choice had been. Sure, she'd been a pain in the ass - hell, still was - but Kanji had chased his four senpai through the shopping district and been given a second chance. There was no way Souji wouldn't do the same for Naoto.
But he still hadn't answered, and now everyone else at the table was staring at him too - except for Naoto, who kept her gaze fixed on the empty space between him and Chie. Seeing her shoulders stiffen and her expression turn blank, Kanji was hit with the urge to say something, do something; even yell Souji down, if he had to. Instead he watched her lean forward slightly, hands gripping the edge of the table, and look Souji in the eye.
"It... was very rude of me, to, to put pressure on you every time we met, and for that I ask for your forgiveness." Her pitch wavered, like her voice was pulled too tight. "If you allow me to cooperate with you all, I--I vow not to be a burden."
"You ain't gonna be," Kanji snapped, eyes back on Souji.
Rise hopped forward beside him. "C'mon, Senpai, let her join! She's a good detective!"
"Uh... partner..." Yosuke began, sounding higher-pitched and unsettled - though maybe Chie had just elbowed him again.
"Senpai, you gotta--" Fists unclenched, Kanji forced his hands to his sides and tried again. "You're gonna let her help us, right?"
"You have to!" Rise insisted. "I wanna see what's going on between her and Kanji-kun."
Kanji glanced wildly from Souji - who'd raised an eyebrow - to Rise - who was smirking - to Naoto - who just looked lost.
"Th-there's nothin'!" he choked out. "There ain't nothing goin' on!"
Shit, double negative. Had to start listening in Composition, Kanji reminded himself, as he tried to fight off the heat rushing to his face. Had to have some serious words with Rise, too.
Souji sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "What I was going to ask is whether Naoto would be staying in Inaba, since she's technically off the case."
"Oh. Yes. I will," Naoto managed, still a little unsteadily.
"Senpai, I totally didn't-- I mean, I didn't think you wouldn't let Naoto-kun join, no way!" Rise's voice was nearly a squeal. "It was all Kanji-kun!"
"What? You were fussing too!"
"Be nice if someone listened for once," he heard Souji mutter. When Kanji looked up, he'd started kneading his temples.
"So you're staying at Yasogami High, Naoto-kun?" Yukiko asked.
Naoto gave a firm nod. "My grampa has requested that I continue to attend classes," she explained. "It has been several years since I was in formal education."
"Lucky." Chie let out a quiet sigh, tapping two fingers against her soda can. "No exams, no need to study."
Yosuke snorted. "Like you ever do."
"Oh, that's rich! Who failed two of his classes last semester, huh?"
"Yeah, and you flunked three!"
Though Kanji had never heard him raise his voice, Souji had a knack for shutting arguments down. He'd had practice; things could get fraught on long runs through the TV world. Unfortunately, his skill didn't cover the kind of casual bickering Chie and Yosuke kept up as daily conversation.
(Rise had this theory she'd shared once. Something about the two of them fighting being like little boys picking up insects and throwing them at little girls. Kanji, who still couldn't imagine why anyone would want to start throwing bugs around, hadn't really understood.)
Souji shot them a quick glare. "Give it a break, you two," he warned - then stood up and leaned across the table to shake Naoto's hand. "Good to have you aboard, Naoto-kun."
At that, Naoto actually smiled.
Wasn't much of a smile, granted. Like she was trying not to but it just broke through. She choked it back a moment later - but she couldn't hide the change in her voice. "Thank you very much. I'll do my best."
Naoto-the-girl was still a new concept, but Kanji figured he was dealing pretty well. He'd even quit blaming himself for being fooled, instead switching to blaming Naoto instead. Wasn't like anybody else had figured out she wasn't a guy, right?
Listening to her now, Kanji couldn't understand how he'd ever missed it.
Teddie hadn't said much so far, but now he stepped forward and nudged a paw against Naoto's hat. Hand instantly back on the brim, she swung round to meet him. "Excuse me? Do you need something?"
"No. I have something." He beamed, round chest puffed out even more than usual. "Since I'm the King of the Geniuses, I knew it would work out this way!"
As usual, Yosuke's quarrel with Chie had quickly run out of steam. "Like the rest of us didn't," he muttered, and rolled his eyes.
"Ta-da! Nao-chan's glasses!" Teddie twirled the glasses in one paw, though Kanji couldn't tell where he'd pulled them from and wasn't sure he wanted to know. "Yosuke's just jealous because they're nicer than his." He leaned closer to Naoto, voice a stage-whisper. "I wasn't very good at making them back then. They came out really stupid-looking."
Fingering his shirt pocket, Yosuke shot Teddie a glare. "Shut up, my glasses look great."
Naoto had leaned back from Teddie as far as he'd leaned towards her, but she still took the glasses. "Ah... thank you."
"What's wrong, Nao-chan?" His brows angled with worry. "Don't you like them?"
"No, they're fine. I, I'm very grateful." Pulling herself upright in her seat, Naoto then turned to face him. "The others told me about you, Teddie. I can sympathize with your drive to find yourself. If I may help in any way, let me know."
Teddie grinned again. "Wow, what a nice girl! You should give lessons to Yosuke."
Kanji blinked. "...In being a nice girl?"
"Just the nice part," Teddie chirped. "You too, Kanji. If you learn well and you're bear-y good, I might even let you pet my fur."
Once. He'd asked that once - and it wasn't like anyone would blame him, right? Cats were furry too, and people liked to pet them. Nothing wrong with that. Hell, the fox was always cool with it.
But sometimes, even when you were totally, one-hundred-percent right, denial was the only way to go. "Shut up, idiot!"
"Don't deny your desperation!" Teddie shook his head, wagging a paw in place of a finger. "You did ask, remember?"
Rise sighed, arms folded. "Wow, Kanji-kun, that's really creepy."
"...I think we're done." Souji placed both palms on the table and pushed himself upright. "I promised to hang out with Nanako this evening." He looked at each of the team in turn. "Remember, our culprit's still out there. Stay alert, okay? Don't do anything reckless."
Senpai looked beat. Had done since they pulled Naoto out. Maybe because he had to juggle school and the case, maybe because they were back where they started, maybe because he was just tired of being the boss; Kanji wasn't close enough to him to know. He'd definitely been acting off today.
Gradually, everyone filtered away toward the food court gate. Chie was chatting with Yukiko, Yosuke was batting at Teddie as the bear tried to grab his arm, and Rise was making a move for Senpai - until he beckoned to Naoto and took her aside.
Probably talking about the case, Kanji told himself.
It came and went in a flash, so quick he might've missed it for blinking - but as she watched them step closer together, Rise looked severely rattled.
When she turned to him a moment later, the smile was back. "So, Kanji-kun, what now?"
His mind preoccupied - mostly with trying to learn to lip-read on the spot - Kanji didn't follow. "Uh?"
"Naoto's gonna be around all the time." If she'd been taller, Rise might've blocked his view of Souji-senpai standing way too close to Naoto. Instead, she hopped on the spot twice before resorting to poking him in the ribs. "Are you gonna fess up?"
Kanji paused.
No. He wasn't.
The crush hadn't gone away. Spending more time around Naoto might cure it, but Kanji doubted that. If your mind had been spinning on the same person for months and they could still knock the breath out of you with one look - and if you already knew they could be an asshole sometimes yet found a dozen stupid ways to push that aside - seeing them more often wouldn't fix it. Total opposite.
But whatever he had going on, whatever he felt or thought, he didn't have a name for it - and without that, there was nothing to tell. And Naoto had caused him too many problems he still hadn't figured out, most of which had nothing to do with her being a guy or a girl. Kanji had spent hours since her rescue turning that part over in his head and reached two conclusions: that he didn't want to think about it, and that it might not even matter.
He wasn't sure what did. The fact that she'd lied and the way she'd treated him, they both hurt, but what else was tangled up in there?
Who the hell knows, Kanji thought bitterly. This wasn't stuff he was capable of handling.
"I can't," he said quietly, watching Souji finally move away from Naoto and toward the gate. "Don't you say anything either, yeah?"
"C'mon, like I ever would." Rise shook her head. "This one's down to you, Kanji-kun. You know that."
Kanji nodded absently. Naoto still hadn't left; instead, she was leaning against the low wall that surrounded the food court.
"You're not even gonna ask her, are you?"
He frowned. "Ask what?"
Rise let out a low, frustrated sigh - then turned toward Naoto and waved. "Hey, Naoto-kun, wait up!" she called, before bounding over to the wall and shoving Kanji forward on her way.
Naoto gave a brief, stiff nod. "Rise-san. Kanji-kun."
"You were kinda down at school," Rise said, mouth curved in her usual, easy smile. "Something up?"
"No," Naoto quickly answered, looking away. "I'm glad to join your group."
"Us too," Kanji blurted out - glad he'd at least remembered the 'us'.
"It's tough being away for a while, huh?" Rise said lightly, not making it sound like a question. "Things always change when you get back."
Naoto stared at her. "I--well, yes. They do."
"Hey, wanna walk with us? You catch the bus home down by the gas station, right?"
"Um... I have to--"
Around Rise, hesitation was fatal. Her arm quickly latched onto Naoto's, locking them together. "Great! Kanji-kun's lousy company, never talks."
Soon as Rise grabbed her, Naoto's expression leapt from uncomfortable to flustered. "I-I doubt that I'll be--"
Rise stopped just before the gate; Kanji doubted it had much to do with Naoto's flailing. "Ooh, I gotta go use the restroom." She grinned at Naoto. "Want to come with?"
Naoto, who'd been trying to tug her arm back, instantly froze. "Why would I--"
"Girls do that," Rise pointed out, face deadly serious - then winked. "I'm kidding, Naoto-kun."
"I-I don't see why it would be neces--"
Rise clapped her hands together, releasing Naoto's arm in the process. "Never mind, new plan! You wait here with Kanji-kun. Don't leave without me, okay?"
Great. Another setup. Kanji began a response that was really just kind of a growl - but Rise was already at the entrance to the store, and still running. With a quick wave, she disappeared inside.
Naoto opened her mouth, closed it - then turned to Kanji, looking slightly helpless.
"She's like that all the time," he offered.
Jaw set tight, Naoto shook her head. "I couldn't even finish a sentence."
"Yeah." He hesitated, biting his lip. Naoto, meanwhile, just kept staring at the door.
An uncomfortable silence fell.
Dammit, he could do this. Conversations weren't that hard. Just come up with something nice, right?
Kanji swallowed. "Hey... you, uh, you remembered a lot about getting kidnapped. Gotta give you some kudos for that. You explained stuff really good. "
"Really well." Naoto still wasn't looking at him. "Not 'really good'. And I'm a detective. I was prepared."
Maybe he should screw up his grammar more often; it filled the awkward gaps in conversation. Kanji shook his head. "But you were scared, you said so."
For a moment, Naoto looked like she was about to object - and fiercely - but then she stopped, and let out a deep breath. "Yes. I did, and, and I was. A moment of weakness - but there's no point in denying it."
"You got guts, man," Kanji said - then added, just in case she'd forgotten, "but it was still a dumb thing to do, 'course."
"Everyone has made that quite clear," she muttered, tugging at her cap.
"Senpai, he's… y'know, he'd never have banned you from joining." Kanji didn't mention that he'd have kicked Souji's ass if he had, leader or not.
"I know. He informed me of his conditions this morning. Once I agreed to abide by them, he said my assistance would be welcomed."
"Oh. Right." He winced. Dammit, he'd totally jumped the gun. "Sorry. You just--you, you looked worried, y'know?"
Naoto hesitated. One hand moved to grab her opposite shoulder. "My concern was that perhaps someone on the team had... objected to my presence." She turned her head, eyes finally meeting his. "That Seta-san might have changed his mind accordingly."
"No way! Who'd--there ain't anyone who'd do that, Naoto, that'd be nuts."
"Ah." Her gaze shifted again, settling on a point somewhere near his left elbow. "Well, they wouldn't be at fault."
"Yeah they would," Kanji insisted, with as much force as he could manage without thumping his fist on something. "And, and don't listen to Rise, okay? Gets all these weird ideas." Wasn't like Naoto would've taken it seriously anyway, right? Not from dumb Kanji-kun. Kid hadn't even looked embarrassed.
Naoto nodded. "I expect so." Then she straightened, hands clasped behind her back, and looked up at him. "Well, Kanji-kun, I'm looking forward to working with you."
"Uh…" Say something, Tatsumi! "Uh…yeah. Me too. T-to working with you, I mean. Not with me. So, yeah!"
"Good." A small, almost-smile playing over her lips, Naoto held out her hand. Kanji grabbed it - a little harder than he intended, and he swore she winced, but he managed a firm handshake. Decently manly, without yanking her off the ground. She looked a little impressed, maybe; he liked to think so.
He gestured towards the nearest table. "Rise. She's gonna be a while. You, uh, you wanna sit down again?"
Naoto paused - then looked up at him, and nodded a second time. "Certainly."
Rise really had taken forever. Kanji couldn't understand what the hell girls did in bathrooms that took so long, besides the obvious, or why they'd want to hang out in places that never looked clean. Hungry and bored, he'd gone inside the store and picked up some animal crackers. To his surprise - and in a way that was kind of awkward but kind of nice - Naoto had followed.
When Rise finally had showed, the three of them had walked the short distance back to the district. Kanji had considered offering to walk Naoto to the bus-stop, but figured she might take it the wrong way (though he had made sure to watch her go, until she'd moved too far away for him to see.)
When he walked through the door of the textiles shop, Ma was already closing up. "My, Kanji-chan, you look cheerful."
Quickly forcing a scowl, Kanji dumped his Junes bag on the counter and grabbed the broom. "I ain't!"
"Of course not," Ma agreed. "You were out late again, dear. Were you spending time with friends?"
"Not your business," he muttered. The broom smacked into the counter on the next sweep. "Just had stuff to do."
"Oh, sorry, dear. I just saw you walking up here with Kujikawa-chan and that nice detective boy." She hummed thoughtfully, while Kanji made a mental note to explain to her that 'nice detective boy' only covered two out of three. "You know, after I saw him on that television show, I remembered I'd met him before. He dropped by back in May asking to see you. Twice."
"Twice?" Yukiko-senpai had said Naoto had helped find him. Made sense she would've come by once after he disappeared, since they'd already hung out together and she'd been working on the case. But why the second time?
"The first time, he left very quickly," Ma continued. "Amagi-chan showed up with some friends... I think that boy from Junes was with them. I'm surprised her mother hasn't complained about that friendship," she added, eyebrows raised.
Kanji shrugged. "Ain't Hanamura's fault his dad runs the place."
"No, of course not. Quite a pleasant young man, really." Ma waved a hand toward the bag on the counter. "And if it hadn't been Junes, another store would have moved in. Times change."
Ma had never had a big problem with Junes. Said it was convenient, especially for feeding a son who could eat his own weight each day. She didn't like the clothes, but Kanji didn't see how anybody ever could.
Unfortunately, most of Inaba did. The textiles shop still did a good trade, but...
He paused mid-sweep. "Do... d'you think our shop'll still be here ten years from now?"
"Oh, I'm almost certain," she said lightly, then smiled. "If nothing else, the inn will still be in business and Amagi-san... well, she isn't terribly fond of Junes. They don't really cater to tradition. Her daughter will be your best customer, Kanji-chan."
"Right. S'good." Kanji stared at the floor. Damn footprints. "Uh, so... what about the second time? That, that Naoto showed up. The detective kid."
"Hmm? Oh, yes, he came back the following day." Ma gave him one of her looks, the ones that always made Kanji feel like he'd screwed up. "I remember you hadn't come home the night before. I told him this had happened in the past, but he still seemed quite concerned."
Kanji's stomach flipped. Must've eaten too many crackers on the way home. He'd been trying to explain the penguin thing to Naoto, but Rise had kept interrupting.
"He never did explain why he wanted to see you, though," Ma said, brow furrowed. "You weren't in trouble again, were you?"
"No way! Ma, I told you, the cops just got it in for me. Not Naoto, those other guys," he quickly added.
"I know, dear. Brawling with biker gangs does tend to cause some upset." She nodded toward the broom. "Be careful not to wear holes in the floor, Kanji-chan. You've swept that spot five times now."
Kanji grunted. "Just makin' sure," he mumbled.