A/N: Longer between updates than I'd like, but it beats 15 months...working on cutting it down. Not sure if this chapter turned out well. Next part is a Naoto interlude.
Story so far: Inaba's least eligible bachelorettes fumbled their way through the 'Miss' Yasogami contest, and Rise still somehow managed to make Kanji's life even worse.
In this part: Naoto's not much of a brawler, Kanji finally gets a clue, and Yosuke is Teddie's biggest fan.
October 30th, 2011
Souji leaned on his staff, idly twirling a plait. "Well, that was interesting."
"I think you mean horrifying," Yosuke corrected with a derisive snort. "Or hideous, or atrocious, or - gimme a sec, I'll go ask Naoto-kun for more adjectives."
Given the look on her face at the end of Teddie's victory speech, Kanji suspected most of Naoto's current vocabulary would be unrepeatable even by his standards. He was personally torn between handing the bear a medal and hurling him in the nearest television, because while Naoto in a swimsuit was way more than he'd expected to see, it risked being way too much. Kanji hadn't known it was possible for something to be too awesome, or someone, especially if that someone was-
The thought was cut off by a streak of yellow and blue flying across the auditorium and flinging itself round Souji's waist. "Sensei! Wasn't Teddie-chan pretty?"
"Of course you were," Souji agreed, using his free arm to smack a spluttering Yosuke in the shoulder.
"Aren't you gonna ditch that outfit?" Daisuke asked Teddie, eyes wide. He, Kou and Yosuke had fallen over each other racing to the changing room after the contest; miniskirts and meringue dresses just weren't made for running in. Kanji had beaten them there walking. Souji, for some reason, hadn't bothered to change at all.
Teddie tipped his head. "Maybe. Can I keep my hair like this?"
"It's a nice look, but save it for special occasions." A blonde girl walked up beside them - one of the second-years, Kanji thought - and shot Souji a quick smile which immediately shifted into a smirk at Daisuke and Kou. "Both lost the bet, huh?"
"Yeah, and it's all your fault." Kou jabbed a thumb toward his chest. "I would've made an awesome girl if I'd had the right help."
"Funny, I worked on this little doll and he turned out just fine."
Kanji glanced at Teddie, who was still clinging to Souji's dress. "Thought Naoto was helpin' you?"
Teddie nodded toward the girl. "Ai-chan did most of it. Nao-chan drew stuff on my face." His forehead creased in thought. "Oh, but she also gave me-"
"C'mon, Sparkles," Ai cut in, ushering Teddie away. "We need to get that makeup off before it clogs your pores. Bye, Souji."
As Teddie and Ai wandered off, hand-in-hand, Kanji frowned at Souji. "You said you were gonna yell at him."
Guilt flickered over Souji's face. "...I, uh, reconsidered."
"Translation!" crowed Yosuke, still tugging the ribbons out of his hair. "Souji finally remembered he's a guy and that girls in swimsuits are awesome."
"...It's not like that."
Gaze distant and dreamy, Yosuke ignored him. "I'm telling you, Ted's a genius."
'Genius' didn't quite fit. Kanji couldn't think of a word that did, only that lately it might also apply to Rise.
"One with seriously weird taste in clothes, though." Yosuke grimaced. "What was he going for, the maid look?"
"Yours weren't no better," Kanji pointed out. Seriously, red plaid.
"Hey, at least I didn't look like I'd wandered out of the red light district!"
Souji poked him with the staff. "No, but you were the only one wearing a short skirt."
"Dude, that's low." Yosuke frowned, wounded. "You seriously think I chose that getup?"
"I picked mine."
"How? You were with Yukiko, and she-"
"-wanted to put me in a pink yukata and make me hold a parasol," Souji finished. "We reached a compromise."
Kanji had spent the conversation staring at Senpai's outfit; he'd definitely seen it before. "You look like someone. Late-night movie I saw. Girl was swinging a sword around trying to kill these killer bat kinda-"
"Chiroptera," Souji blurted, then quickly looked away. "I, uh, saw the film. Once. Years ago."
Yosuke raised an eyebrow. "Huh. Anything to do with those vampire books I found under your - ow!"
"C'mon, Souji-senpai, don't break your props!" Rise ducked into the center of the group and pulled the wooden staff back from Yosuke's ribs. "You need them for your photos!"
Souji nodded. "Good point. Want to do them now?"
"I gotta borrow Kanji-kun first." She swiveled toward Kanji, who glowered back down at her. "You've got a few minutes to help Risette, right? It's about Naoto-kun," she added, voice sing-song.
After her two stunts today, Kanji had every intention of telling Rise to go get bent, or at least bother Senpai instead. But dammit, Naoto was involved. What if it was important?
Scratch that. Everything involving Naoto was important. "Fine - but I'm only doing this to keep you off my back, yeah?"
Smirking, Rise grabbed his sleeve and tugged him toward the auditorium door - or at least, he let her do it.
"I'm still pissed," he muttered as he followed her out into the corridor. "You've been actin' up all morning."
"Gonna have to get used to it some day, Kanji-kun. And you get to help out Naoto-kun, so I know you're gonna be interested."
Help? Was Naoto in trouble? And if she was, why wasn't Rise more freaked out? "...You better not be screwing with me, Rise."
As they rounded the corner, Rise flashed him a brilliant smile, then pointed down the hall.
A few meters ahead, Chie was standing outside the guys' bathroom, hands on hips and a frown on her face. "It's not like I wanna do this either, Naoto-kun! It's the principle of the thing!"
Rise nudged him in the arm. "Go in there and drag Naoto-kun out, okay? Chie-senpai's been yelling at her through the door for the past five minutes and she's totally ignoring us."
Kanji couldn't blame her. Chie was now midway through a string of idle threats, broken only when three third-year boys shoved past her and into the bathroom. She glared at them, then at the closing door - and then, for some reason, at Kanji.
Seriously? This didn't seem like helping Naoto at all.
"I'm telling you, we've got to stick together on this," Chie insisted, while Yukiko squeezed her shoulder consolingly. "We're supposed to be a team, and Kashiwagi and Ohtani - you saw it, they're gonna - ugh!"
Rise waved her hand toward Kanji. "It's okay, Chie-senpai, I brought Kanji-kun! Gotta go now, Souji-senpai promised to keep his dress on until I took photos. Later!" she called out, already darting back down the corridor.
"..Hey, hold on." Chie's brow furrowed with confusion. "I thought she was gonna ask him to help us." She turned to Kanji. "Well, whatever, it's pretty simple. You just need to make Naoto-kun get out here."
Kanji frowned at the bathroom door, wondering how anyone could ever persuade Naoto to do anything she didn't want. "Can't one'a you guys get her?"
Chie frowned at him. Yukiko gave a polite cough.
"It's the boys' bathroom, Kanji-kun," she said quietly.
"Yeah, but-"
"You and Naoto-kun get along now, right?" Chie waved a hand toward the door, as if to emphasize that all this was now Kanji's responsibility. "C'mon, the pageant's starting soon!"
At any another time and in any another situation, Kanji would've just stormed off. But this was Naoto, who he couldn't just abandon and who he still really wanted to be in the damn pageant, even if he shouldn't. Hell, he'd spent the morning pressed up against Yosuke Hanamura in a shower cubicle and gone squishy over a cross-dressing Teddie. He deserved some sort of reassurance, and the sort he needed - one that would cover both the past six months and the doubts he'd been swallowing long before - would be hard to come by. The pageant was his best shot.
Problem was, Naoto really didn't want to take part.
Yukiko's hand landed gently on his forearm. "I'm sure you can talk Naoto-kun round, Kanji-kun. We'd be very grateful."
That one comment settled it. He'd risk Chie's nerve-wracked wrath, but an unhappy Yukiko was a deal-breaker - especially if Ma ever found out. With a shake of his head and a grunt he figured might pass for agreement, Kanji pushed open the bathroom door.
This was gonna end badly. He'd say something stupid, Naoto would get all prickly, and then everyone would be mad at him for messing up. The best solution he'd thought of so far was telling her to stay right where she was; she'd probably be out like a shot. Or he could just go get Souji, like Rise should've done begin with. Instead he was stuck trying to talk Naoto out of a funk while Rise whirled Senpai through a photo shoot - which, thinking about it, was probably exactly the outcome she'd-
"-and I don't see why this is an issue."
It was Naoto's voice, low and tight. Standing in the passage between the door and the main bathroom, Kanji almost didn't catch it. The one that followed - and that he didn't recognize - was louder. "Because you ain't allowed in here."
"I used this restroom for most of the semest-"
"Only 'cause you were lying." Same voice again, and others were murmuring underneath. "Thought we were stupid, right?"
Kanji took a step forward on instinct, but caught himself before the second.
Maybe it wasn't how it sounded. He'd been here before, or at least somewhere close to it, and he was sick of Naoto yelling at him.
"I have no quarrel with any of you," Naoto was saying. "Please step aside."
"C'mon, Shirogane! You wanna be a guy, then you've gotta fight like one."
Kanji stormed round the corner before he had chance to think.
He could barely see Naoto for the bunch of third-years crowded around her at the far end of the bathroom. No idea who most of them were, save for the guy in the middle. Kanji might not have remembered the voice, but he knew the face. One of the punks who always kicked up a racket outside Aiya late at night. Sonoda or something. Wasn't like it mattered.
Kanji stepped forward, hands already balled into tight fists. "You got a problem, asshole?"
Naoto darted a glance toward him, then gestured impatiently toward the door. "Kanji-kun, there's no need to-"
"What, you here to save little Shirogane-kun? Figures." Sonoda's mouth curled into a sneer. "Queers stick together."
Two strides across the bathroom and one good punch would've settled it - but in the instant it took to reach her side, Naoto had moved between Kanji and Sonoda. She stared up at him, eyes narrowed dangerously. "Kanji, you aren't helping."
"You heard your boyfriend, 'Kanji-kun'," Sonoda jeered. "You seriously think I'm scared of someone who just went up on stage in a dress?"
At that, the cronies all started sniggering. Kanji clenched his jaw, tried and failed to unclench his fists - spineless bastards, at least Sonoda had the guts to speak up - then felt a hand latch onto his forearm.
Naoto shot him another warning glare, then looked up at Sonoda. "Leave him alone. He's done nothing to you."
"Bet he's done plenty to you, the queer."
"You appear to be preoccupied with that word." Her tone was one Kanji hadn't heard since the summer; all superiority and crisp contempt. "Some sort of complex, perhaps?"
She hadn't finished the last word before Sonoda had jerked her forward by her shirt collar and pinned her against the wall. He hadn't finished pulling back his fist before Kanji grabbed his arm and wrenched it at the elbow, harder than he might've intended and not nearly as hard as he'd have liked.
Sonoda yelped and tried to twist with the motion, bringing them face-to-face - or rather, one face tilted up to meet the other.
Kanji scowled down at him. "You want me to beat the shit outta you?"
There were murmurs around them, a few shuffled feet, but none of Sonoda's so-called friends stepped in.
Naoto did. "Kanji, let him go!"
"But he-"
"I said, let him go." Her hand was back on his arm, clutching the sleeve of his shirt. "Now."
Later that night, Kanji would mentally kick himself for backing down so easily - but right then, he let his grip go slack.
As Sonoda yanked his arm away with a visible wince, Naoto squared her shoulders and pointed to his chest. "You. Leave. Unless you would prefer a visit to the Inaba police station?"
Glaring back at her, breathing hard, Sonoda hesitated - just try it, Kanji thought - then, after a moment, turned away.
Naoto gave a curt nod, followed by a sharp, backhanded motion toward the other four boys. "The same applies to the rest of you."
Nobody answered. They shuffled and fidgeted instead, nervous glances skimming over her and Kanji and never quite settling on Sonoda. Eventually, one of them - to Kanji's mind, the closest thing to a real man in a bad bunch - stepped forward, placed a hand on Sonoda's shoulder, and nodded toward the exit.
The group filed out into the corridor without a word or even a glance back - except for Sonoda. The brief sneer he shot at Kanji shifted into a longer glare at Naoto, and when he opened his mouth as if to speak, Kanji had to fight the urge to shove a fist straight in. Fortunately for Sonoda, his one friend pulled him round the corner into the passageway, and whatever retort he wanted to make never made it past his lips. Instead the only sound was a closing door, leaving Kanji and Naoto standing opposite each other in awkward silence.
Kanji had expected her to yell at him. If the alternative was this - her glaring at the floor and biting her lip, him still clenching his fists to hold himself in place - then he really wished she would. But the silence just stretched out longer and tighter, and when he found himself contemplating punching a mirror just to break the tension, he finally caved. "You alright?"
"There was no need for-" Naoto snapped, like he'd flipped a switch, then stopped just as suddenly. When she spoke again, her voice was level and cool. "I had the situation perfectly in hand. You are already on academic probation, an incident like this could-"
"But he tried t'-"
"The idiot simply pushed me. Your reaction was unnecessary."
The only thing that hadn't been necessary was Naoto's smart mouth. It was going to get her in serious trouble. Hell, it already had - which was equally bad news for Kanji, because it meant he'd have to trail around after her for the rest of his life beating down people she'd pissed off and hoping she wouldn't notice. He stared at the mirror, running a hand through his hair. "Look, coming in here...people, they know about you now."
"A fact of which I am quite aware. I made a snap decision, correctly predicting Chie-senpai and Yukiko-senpai wouldn't follow." It would've been smug even for Naoto, if she hadn't quietly added, "I didn't anticipate them sending you."
"Good thing they did."
Naoto had moved to stand against the opposite the wall, her back ramrod straight. "That was not my first encounter with Sonoda. His behavior is irrelevant." In the mirror, Kanji watched her fold her arms tightly over her chest. "Particularly right now."
Even if he'd wanted to stay mad at her - and honestly, he sort of did - something in her expression caught Kanji. Couldn't say what it was, exactly - but given the situation, it wasn't difficult to work out.
He sighed. "That bad, huh?"
Naoto gave him a questioning look.
"The contest," he continued, turning away from the mirror to face her. "S'why you're hiding in here."
"I'm not hiding." The words were quick, crisp, and totally unconvincing. Reflex, Kanji figured. Like jerking your hand away from a fire.
"Quit pretending, alright?" Then, a little softer - because she really did look like she was going to yell at him now, or worse - "Nobody'd blame you."
"I wasn't-" she began, then stopped with a tiny shake of her head.
"C'mon. I already had to talk one guy out of a bathroom today and you're way tougher than Hanamura."
Naoto managed something close to a half-smile, but didn't answer. She still wouldn't look Kanji in the eye.
"You don't hafta be in it," he said, his own gaze shifting to one of the stall doors. "Told you that already." I just want you to be.
Like she'd care what he wanted. Kanji hated feeling so sorry for himself - so his crush dropped out of a beauty pageant, big deal - but he'd built this up into way more than he ever should. His final answer. Worse, he hadn't let the idea go, even after Naoto had said outright she didn't want to take part. Honestly, he'd tried, but every time he tried to push the thought away it twisted and tangled into something else: the feeling that Naoto had screwed him up for months by lying and needed to fix it. She owed him, right?
...Except she didn't, because he hadn't told her any of that crap and because it'd been stuck in his head long before she ever set foot in Inaba. Kanji had the sudden suspicion that he'd been missing the point - and that his Big Question wouldn't and couldn't be solved by somebody who still hadn't found the answer to their own.
Naoto hadn't spoken. When he glanced up, she was looking toward the door. "I don't wish to disappoint anyone," she finally muttered, her fingers curling absently around her left cuff. "Or to contradict Seta-senpai."
Kanji frowned. "He said you couldn't drop out?"
"Of course not! Senpai would never-" Naoto stopped short and tipped up her chin, brave and defiant. The overall effect would've inspired another one of Kanji's soft and gooey moments, if he hadn't suddenly felt so sick. "He isn't like that."
"Right, right." 'Course Senpai wasn't. Wouldn't try to push Naoto into anything. Wouldn't be wishing he could, either. "Heard you guys were gettin' along. Hangin' out."
"Seta-senpai is assisting me with a personal matter. A minor one." Her eyes had fixed on a floor tile a step or so to Kanji's left. "Nothing significant."
Kanji wanted to ask exactly what would be, because 'personal' was dangerously close to 'none of your business', and that sounded pretty damn significant to him. He knew better than to actually do it. "Naoto...at least come outside, yeah?" he tried. "Contest won't be that bad. Ours was alright."
Naoto stared at him.
"Okay, it sucked. But s'over now and nobody's gonna laugh at you like they did us."
"Neither Rise nor I were laughing. But this - it - it's different for you." She pressed her palm to her forehead, eyes closed. "And this additional section! What was Teddie thinking?"
Kanji was pretty certain he knew the answer to that, but opted to stay quiet.
"He can't declare such a change unilaterally," Naoto continued, rapid and firm. "It will have to go to a vote, I'm absolutely not - this is ridiculous, Kanji, we have a murder case to pursue and we're wasting time on a pointless spectacle!"
Same conversation they'd had back on top of the hill, and she hadn't liked his answer then. Kanji hesitated, watching her pace back and forth in front of the mirror and wondering if he should just keep his mouth shut. By her third lap, he figured that wasn't going to work. "Hey...what's wrong?"
Naoto stopped dead, glanced up at him for a half-second, then turned and leaned forward against the bathroom counter.
"I-I thought I could - the contest, it didn't seem so bad before." Both her hands were gripping the counter's edge. "But this - there's no way, I don't care how much Chie-senpai threatens me or what Seta-senpai says or what you -" The sentence ended with a sharp shake of her head.
"Rise'll be up there with you," Kanji offered. "She don't mind."
Naoto's glare could have withered a cactus. "Of course she doesn't. Her sole complaint has been that she hadn't known to bring her own swimsuit."
"...Yeah, s'true. But it ain't all bad, y'know?"
"You don't -" she began, but again immediately stopped. The anger in her voice now sounded closer to frustration. "My situation is different to both yours and Rise-chan's."
Deep down, Kanji knew that already. Knew he didn't fully understand it, too.
But he still wanted to see Naoto up there. Boy, girl, Kanji just liked looking at her, even if he rarely had the guts to do it and even though she'd probably shoot him if she ever realized he was trying. And who'd fault him? Hell, even Souji had admitted he was enjoying the contest, no matter how indirectly.
Souji also would've figured out what to do about Naoto. But Kanji wasn't Souji, and he suspected he was just making things worse. Besides, the pageant was gonna happen whether Naoto turned up or not.
He nodded toward the door. "I-I can tell the others, if you like. That you're not gonna show."
At this, Naoto looked uncertain - which wasn't Naoto at all. A long pause stretched out before she finally straightened and turned toward the door. "No," she said firmly. "No, I'm being childish. I will go."
"Okay. I mean, if y'want." Kanji couldn't match her conviction. On one level, this was what he wanted; on another, he knew he probably shouldn't; and on another still, he wished he could just jump in the TV, smash a bunch of Shadows and forget the whole thing.
Naoto had a knack for making his head hurt.
"I will go," she repeated. "But…thank you for the offer. And while I cannot and will not condone your entirely unnecessary behavior toward Sonoda, I...appreciated the assistance." With that, she turned and walked toward the bathroom door.
On impulse, Kanji reached out a hand. "H-Hey, wait a sec."
Naoto stopped at the corner of the corridor and glanced back over her shoulder.
There was something he was supposed to say - something that would help Naoto feel better, show that he got it, at least bits and pieces. Something that would prove he wanted to get the rest of it and might even manage to do so, if she'd just open up a little.
Souji would've known. Kanji wasn't Souji.
He dropped his hand to his side. "Good luck, yeah?"
Naoto looked at him for a long moment, then gave a slight nod. "Thank you, Kanji-kun."
Fifteen minutes later, Kanji was standing in the Yasogami High auditorium and trying very hard to pretend he was super-cool about this whole thing (just a pageant, just a few girls he knew, just Naoto Shirogane potentially in a swimsuit and holy crap, who was he kidding.)
Somewhere to his left, Souji was grumbling. "Look, the lights are still up, we could go grab lunch. I made beef stew. More or less."
Yosuke started talking too, something about a good spot in the audience compensating for his inner pain, but Kanji wasn't really paying attention. Couldn't afford to miss anything. Even though the stage was still empty. Even though Naoto might not show up, despite what she'd said back in the boys' restroom - or because of what she hadn't.
It might've made him sick with jealousy, but Kanji still half-wished Rise had sent Souji to help Naoto instead. Souji got people. Kanji didn't and he'd learned to live with that, at least until Naoto had showed up. Now he needed a translator, or an instruction manual, or something that would tell him how she worked, because he was quickly getting tired of trying to figure it out. Dammit, he just wanted to be friends.
...Fine, so that was a lie. But hell, it was Naoto. Kanji knew he was blameless, just like he knew that 'friends' was all he could hope for.
"I didn't think you'd be so into this, Kanji-kun."
It took a couple of seconds for him to react, and one more for him to realize Naoki was standing at his side. "Oh. Hey."
Naoki nodded toward the front of the auditorium. "Looking forward to the contest?"
Outright denial wouldn't work. Playing it cool was hopeless too, but Kanji gave it a shot. "Uh, yeah. Wh-who wouldn't be?"
"Yeah. It's pretty exciting."
Naoki didn't say anything else after that. The silence wasn't really awkward, just unexpected. Kanji, unsure how to break it, let his attention drift back to the stage.
"So. Is - is it for all the girls? Or just one?"
Kanji froze. "Whaddya mean?"
"Just - you know. Kujikawa, she's always talking." Naoki sighed and rolled his eyes. "At me, anyway." He hesitated. "And Seta-senpai said something too."
"Rise says a lot of stuff." Senpai didn't. Kanji wasn't sure why he ever would.
"Shirogane. The one who, uh, used to be a boy. Kinda." Naoki looked up at him, then back at the stage. "That's who, right?"
Kanji swallowed. "...Rise tell you that?"
"Not really. I asked her if you, you know. Liked anyone. She said yeah, but she wouldn't say who, and Seta-senpai wouldn't either. But after that - well, Shirogane's the only one you look different around." Naoki nudged Kanji with his elbow, offering him a small smile. "You've always been bad at hiding stuff."
It was the truth. Part of Kanji cringed at the thought that he was so damn obvious - that all it took was someone paying a little attention, even if the one person he wanted to never did - but the rest felt a weird sense of relief. Even with all the other stuff she pulled, Rise didn't spill secrets. More importantly, neither did Senpai.
"M-maybe. I dunno." Kanji tried for a casual shrug, but the muscles in his shoulders felt too taut. "Been goin' on a while. Not like anything'll happen."
"She'll figure it out. She's a detective, right?"
"Yeah." And a terrible one when it came to Kanji, who still didn't understand how somebody with two dozen successful cases under their belt hadn't noticed a crush that had to be visible from space.
Maybe it was for the best. Rejection hurt, and rejection from Naoto would be ten times worse.
...But shouldn't he just get it over and done with, if it was gonna happen anyway?
The thought was going nowhere good. Kanji was happy to let it slide as the lights finally dimmed and the announcer walked on to the stage.
"Welcome back, everyone, to the Culture Festival main event! It's time for the highlight of the day - the real Miss Yasogami Pageant!" The announcer paused until the heavy burst of applause had faded. "Our first contestant is from the second-year Class 2 - Ms. Hanako Ohtani!"
Being the first one out was tough - something Kanji knew from bitter experience - but Ohtani didn't seem fazed. She marched right up to the microphone, and to Kanji's surprise, a few cheers rose from the audience. Okay, so Yosuke was making gagging noises, but they were quickly cut off by what sounded a lot like Souji's elbow smacking into his ribs.
"Hi, I'm Hanako Ohtani. And remember, the first is always the best," she added with a smirk, while Kanji's mind automatically replaced 'the first' with 'whichever number Naoto is'. Ohtani didn't stand a chance. Still, he couldn't help but respect anyone who just barreled on through no matter what other people thought, even if they were kind of awful sometimes (and, according to Chie, snored loud enough to drown out cargo trucks rolling down a highway.)
"Good for you! Can you tell us a bit about yourself?"
"I'm into old movies. Historicals, stuff like that, where they're all dressed up. I also like fashion and shopping."
"And eating," Yosuke muttered. Souji elbowed him again.
"Thank you, Hanako! Now, our next contestant is -" The announcer paused and stared at the clipboard in his hand. "Uh...I thought the contest was only for stu-"
"Hello there, boys!" Kashiwagi trilled. She sashayed across the stage, heels clicking against wood with each step, and leaned down to the microphone. Down and forward.
"Dude, that's just wrong," Yosuke hissed.
Kashiwagi's lessons had taken on legendary status in Yasogami High - not only because she was way too interested in the sort of human biology that involved her male students, but also because the neckline of her blouse plunged deeper with each passing year. Today smashed all previous records. Kanji, by nature a charitable guy, told himself that all those missing buttons had just fallen off somewhere and she hadn't noticed.
"I hope you'll do the right thing and vote for the only real woman here," Kashiwagi purred, tilting even further forward with a smile that made Kanji think of piranhas. "Especially those of you looking to make up for your mid-terms."
Yosuke paled. "...They, uh, don't record individual votes, right?"
The announcer waved nervously toward the end of the stage. "Ah…w-well! Thank you, Kashiwagi-sensei! Uh, next - w-we have Ms. Chie Satonaka, also of the second-year Class 2! Hurry on out, Chie!"
Honestly, Kanji hadn't known what to expect from the pageant. Dresses, he'd guessed. Glitzy stuff. But Ohtani had just worn a pink blouse and grey skirt - and Chie didn't look that different either. Sportswear, like the stuff that he'd seen her in outside of school and heard Hanamura tease her for never branching out from. Wouldn't hurt if she did; Kanji could think of a few designs that would really hang well on her.
Even so, she definitely looked good. She also looked pretty spooked, and her walk to the microphone was almost a jog, but she still managed a bright smile. Cheers rose up from the audience - and on the far side of the auditorium, Kanji saw Kou trying to climb on top of Daisuke to get a better look.
Yosuke, however, hadn't said a word. Kanji, who'd finally worked out what Rise had meant about little boys and girls throwing bugs at each other, figured he might know why.
Up on stage, Chie grabbed the mike stand with both hands. "Hi, I'm Chie Satonaka!"
"Chie, tell us a bit about yourself!"
"Um, well, I'm kinda shy and reserved. I like-" Chie stopped short, hesitated, then smiled again. "I, uh, like long walks on the beach, and my favorite food is...pudding!"
"Inaba's two hours from the ocean," Yosuke pointed out, back to his usual self.
Souji shrugged. "There's always the Samegawa."
"Whatever. It's not pudding I end up buying her at Junes!"
"Thank you very much, Chie! Up next, yet another contestant from Class 2, Ms. Yukiko Amagi!"
Though the cheers were just as loud, Yukiko's entrance was somehow a lot quieter. She crossed the stage in short, quick steps and paused in front of the microphone, hands clasped behind her back.
Her, Kanji had been a little curious about. Yukiko had been a familiar face throughout his childhood, but either they'd been at school or she'd been visiting the shop on inn business. Always in some kind of uniform. Dumb as it was, he'd only recently gotten used to the idea that an off-duty Yukiko existed. One with pretty good taste, too; those tall black boots definitely suited her.
"H-hello, my name is Yukiko Amagi." Yukiko paused and glanced toward Chie, looking just a little lost - then straightened her back. "My-my family runs the Amagi Inn, so if you ever find yourself in the area, please give us a visit. Our hot springs are open to the public year-round, so whenever you're in the mood to enjoy them, please drop by."
Souji chuckled and shook his head. "I knew it. Always a professional."
"I signed her up for the contest, not the inn," Yosuke grumbled.
Speech over, Yukiko stepped in line next to Chie - who'd noticed the icy glare Kashiwagi was giving her friend and was returning it in kind. When Ohtani noticed that, she shot Chie a look that could melt diamond. Yukiko apparently hadn't noticed anything at all.
"That might count as free advertising, but it'll do nicely!" The announcer swept his arm toward the opposite side of the stage. "Next up, a very familiar face from the first-year Class 2, Ms. Rise Kujikawa!"
The moment Rise appeared, the atmosphere shifted. The audience, or at least the male contingent, broke out into whooping and clapping, and she had to wait at the mike for a few seconds for the cheers to die down. Never mind the stage lamps; her smile could have lit up the whole auditorium.
Kanji had known she'd handle this just fine. After coaxing Naoto out of hiding, he'd arrived back at the auditorium to find Rise still taking photos of Souji and jabbering excitedly about how she hoped he'd vote for her in the contest. Never actually asked outright, of course, and Souji hadn't ever answered.
Rise pulled the handheld mike from its stand, then stepped closer to the front of the stage. "Hi-hi!" she trilled, waving at the audience. "My name's Rise Kujikawa!"
Damn, she was cute. Kanji hadn't really looked at her that way before, seeing as she spent most of her time trying to ruin his life, but now he could understand the wild applause. The tailor in him wasn't keen on the outfit - Rise's taste in colors verged on garish - but it didn't matter. Girl could've stuck with her store apron and gotten the same thrilled reception. You either had it or you didn't, Kanji decided, and immediately thought of Souji.
"I haven't been in town very long," Rise continued, as Kashiwagi and Ohtani both glared holes in her back, "but it's a great place and I'm one hundred percent thrilled to be here!"
To his left, Kanji heard a soft, impressed sound from Souji.
Yosuke practically giggled. "Dude, she is so cute!"
"So sorry I'm not working as an idol right now - but Risette's gonna do her best today, so I hope you'll all cheer for me!"
Which was exactly what the audience did. Kanji could see how Rise had worked entire stadiums.
For the first time that day, the announcer's smile looked genuine. "The real Risette, ladies and gentlemen, in the flesh! Thank you very much!"
As he watched Rise skip into line, Kanji's brow furrowed. Five contestants and still no Naoto. She hadn't dropped out, had she? She couldn't have, there was an extra space on stage for her and everything. Maybe she was standing in the stage wings, though he couldn't see her there either, even when he leaned forward and -
A hand tugged at his shirt. "Kanji-kun, pull back a little," Naoki hissed. "You're gonna fall over the row in front!"
Kanji looked down and met the gaze of two wide-eyed first-year boys. "Uh. Sorry."
As he straightened up and muttered a quiet thanks to Naoki, he almost missed Rise making a quick hand motion, directed somewhere off-stage. It looked like a thumbs-up.
"Last but not least - the mysterious transfer student of the first-year Class 1, Ms. Naoto Shirogane!"
Kanji's stomach did a spectacular flip halfway up his chest.
Naoto had stuck with it, just like she'd said. Which meant that this moment, right here, was when he'd know for sure. Right?
A fist tapped against his bicep. "Hey, here she comes!" Yosuke whispered.
"Shh! Pipe down!"
Up on stage, Naoto marched to the microphone, stiff and quick - like she'd had to psyche herself up to do it but didn't want anyone else to realize. Kanji half-expected her to run away. Her gaze darted around the audience, before settling firmly on the back wall of the auditorium.
Once again, the audience broke out cheering - but this time, Kanji could hear more than a few female voices in the mix. Even knowing what they did, the girls were still into Naoto. So were some of the guys, which should've made him feel better - but the difference, he reminded himself, was that he'd liked her before, back when she'd been someone else.
Hadn't she?
"I-I'm Naoto Shirogane." Naoto didn't sound certain about that last part, but Kanji didn't particularly care.
The outfit wasn't a dress, or a suit, or anything he hadn't seen her wear before. He remembered both the shirt (the collar was slightly lower than her others) and the blue and green plaid pants (she had a blue and grey pair, too, which suited her a little better). The single change was that she'd taken off her cap, and he'd seen her without it before. In the end, Naoto looked like herself - and Kanji wasn't sure why he'd expected anything different.
"It's...hard to believe I'm up on stage at a pageant like this." Naoto ran a hand down the back of her head, smoothing down her hair, then clasped it against her hip. Something in the motion reminded Kanji of their first meeting, and how badly he'd freaked out over this short, skinny guy who hadn't even been asking him out on a date.
"A big departure for the Detective Prince, huh? How does it feel?"
"It's...um, beyond my wildest imaginings. I-I really don't know what to say," Naoto stammered, glancing around the audience again. Kanji hoped she hadn't caught him staring. "C-Can I step back now?"
"Of course, Miss Naoto - and thank you!"
Kanji knew he'd go home that night and still ask himself the same damn questions as always - but right now, it didn't matter. Right now, and for the first time in months, it wasn't about choosing girls or boys - because maybe it didn't need to be.
Truth was, Naoto hadn't been someone else before. Naoto had just been Naoto. Same person who had Kanji hanging on each word and took up half the space in his head, to the point where he almost hated it. Same person who'd pissed him off more times than he could count and still left him wanting more. The only thing that had changed was how he saw them - or rather, himself.
Shit, he'd had enough people judging him. He'd spent way too much time judging himself. And then he'd painted everything in black and white, just to make it harder.
It wasn't an epic realization, and it wouldn't answer all his doubts - but Kanji felt like he might be a step closer to figuring himself out.
Unfortunately, what he felt for Naoto was as messy and confusing as ever. Watching her on stage was only intensifying that. There had to be a word for it, one that summed up what she did to him, girl or guy - but none of the words Kanji had come up with worked, because none of them were enough. Even when he put a bunch of them together, the tangle inside him still tumbled over the edge.
Maybe there was some magic combination. Maybe he'd get round to asking Naoto some time. Right then, watching her try to gradually edge behind Rise, Kanji settled for the closest sound he had.
Yosuke poked his shoulder again. "Did you just say 'whoa'? Seriously? Tatsumi, you've gotta do bet-"
Kanji smacked him in the ribs before Souji had chance.
"And with that, all six uniquely beautiful contestants are on stage!" The announcer gestured toward Teddie, who'd appeared at the left side of the stage. "Now let's have our special judge, Mr. Teddie, ask them some questions!"
Souji winced. "Oh, no."
Teddie coughed emphatically. "Good afternoon! I am Teddie-chan, the honorary judge of this pageant." He swept a hand toward the line of girls, his hair tossing back with the motion. "Please keep in mind that if you anger me, you will be at a disadvantage!"
"Do you know that guy?" Naoki asked. Kanji mumbled something non-committal.
"First question!" With a twirl and a shower of sparkles, Teddie pointed a finger straight at Chie. "Ms. Chie, do you have a boyfriend?"
Chie blinked. "What? That's none-"
"Second! Ms. Yukiko, have you ever smooched anyone before?"
"Teddie! Stop it!"
"Third! Ms. Naoto, where are you ticklish?"
"I-I beg your pardon?" Naoto choked, while Kanji vowed to beat Teddie to a pulp if he ever tried to find out.
"And fourth! Can I stay at your house next time, Rise-chan?"
Rise wrinkled her nose. "C'mon, what kind of question is that?"
"A-anyways," the announcer cut in, "I have a surprise announcement for you all! Following Mr. Teddie's earlier suggestion, as a last minute addition to the program and for the first time ever, this year's pageant will feature a swimsuit competition! All you guys out there, give him a big hand!"
It was hard to tell, but Kanji swore Yosuke was clapping louder than anyone else.
"This. Is. Awesome," he said, grinning.
Thing was, Kanji had to agree.
The pageant hadn't done what he'd expected. He hadn't found a firm label for himself, or cleared up all his questions - but he knew now that Naoto wasn't the answer to his doubts, or the easy way out, or anything else except Naoto. Some things, Kanji thought, suddenly seemed a lot clearer.
He slapped his hand over Yosuke's shoulder. "Yeah, man. You're totally right."
Souji shook his head, but it looked half-hearted. He tipped his thumb toward Teddie, who was still badgering the girls with questions as they filed off-stage. "From now on, Yosuke, you're locking him up whenever you leave home."
"Like you mean that," Yosuke shot back, and smirked.