A/N: Thanks to all who left feedback on the last chapter. Glad you felt it worked. (Of course, many thanks to all of you who leave feedback, full stop - I really appreciate the encouragement.)
Story so far: After two beauty contests and a very unusual play, the team spent a long, bucket-filled night at the ryokan.
In this part: Kanji asks for a totally-not-a-date, the team asks for some guidance, and Dojima asks for the truth.
November 4th, 2011
Over the four days since the festival, Kanji had noticed a pattern emerging. A really annoying one.
The school bell would ring at the end of the day. He'd shove his textbooks and scrawled notes into his bag, occasionally needing to wake up first. Then he'd stride past the other pupils, open the classroom door, step out into the corridor - and not see Naoto waiting just beyond the shoe lockers.
She always stood there. Kanji suspected she was investigating exactly who kept shoving envelopes in her locker, one of several reasons he hadn't yet added one himself. The first day she hadn't shown, he'd assumed she'd walked home with Rise - which was fine. His next, unhappier guess - that she'd gone off with Souji - definitely wasn't. Fortunately, he'd been wrong on both counts, since Senpai had been found quietly chatting with Rise by the school gate each afternoon (except for today, when he'd been trying to coax her away from the first floor fire alarm instead).
So, Naoto wasn't with them. She wasn't on the roof, or in the practice building, or even in the gym. Never around at breaks, either. And he hadn't seen her in town yesterday while school had been out. Maybe searching for her was a little weird - but if you had something you wanted to ask someone, you went and found them, right?
Except sometimes they didn't want to be found, no matter how hard you looked. Kanji, a man of limited patience, had finally given up for the day and started walking home instead.
He sighed and kicked his foot against the ground, scattering tiny pebbles across the footpath. Felt kind of petty - but it wasn't like anyone was around to see. Whether due to the cold or to the fact he'd spent an extra half-hour scouring the school for a stupid pint-size detective, the route home above the Samegawa banks was pretty much empty, and the few kids walking back the same way were keeping their distance. Reputations stuck. Maybe Naoto thought the same thing. Maybe that was why she was avoiding- -
No, wait. She'd been bolting out of school, sure, but it was damn arrogant to think he had anything to do with that.
A sudden breeze whipped past and he ducked his chin to his chest to beat the chill. Probably needed to put on his school jacket instead of leaving it draped over his shoulders. He stopped at the side of the path and shrugged off the jacket - but as he was slipping his arms into the sleeves, he glanced down at the riverbank. Someone was standing at the edge of the grey water; a someone who was small, dressed in a Yasogami High boy's uniform, and wearing a dark blue cap.
The riverbank? Why the hell had Naoto come here? Wasn't near to her apartment, or the police station, or anything at all except a damn river. The winds could get brutal along the water, too. Definitely not a place you'd want to hang around on a cold day. Maybe something was wrong?
The steps leading down to the river were nearby and Kanji walked to them in long, swift strides. Unfortunately he wasn't built for stealth, and he'd only reached the third step down when Naoto noticed him. Her eyes widened, then narrowed again - and he had the sudden feeling he was the very last person she wanted to see.
"Kanji-kun." Her voice was utterly flat.
Kanji nodded to her as he jogged down the remaining steps. "Yo, Naoto."
"Are you -" Another gust of wind lashed by and she quickly grabbed the brim of her cap. "Are you following me?"
"No way!" he blurted. "Why'd you think - I mean, I was lookin' for you, sure. Not following. You ran outta school too damn quick for that."
"I had matters to tend to."
His eyebrows rose. "In the Samegawa?"
Naoto shot him a quick glare then aimed it at the river instead. "I am attempting to ruminate over the case," she said, crisp and terse. "Distractions make that difficult."
…Forget this. No point asking someone a question when they'd just called you a 'distraction'. He'd have to try another time, Kanji decided, some day when Naoto wasn't being thorny and skulking around a cold and windy riverbank. "Fine," he grumbled, already turning to leave. "Go wild ruminating."
He was almost back at the top of the steps when Naoto called out. "Kanji-kun, wait."
Kanji immediately froze - but forced himself not to look back.
"I apologize," she said from behind him. It was hard to be certain - after all, it was Naoto - but she sounded sincere. "My temperament is not- -I'm simply frustrated at our progress in apprehending the culprit." She paused. "Or lack thereof."
The wind would have drowned it out, but the pause had been long enough for a sigh. And she'd been bringing this up ever since they yanked her out of that underground base - but by this point, Kanji could sympathize.
"Something'll happen soon," he said, trying to sound confident. It had to. The Midnight Channel never stayed silent for long.
"Perhaps," Naoto answered glumly. When he finally turned around, she was gazing at the base of the steps, one hand holding down her cap.
The wind swept over the river again, rushing along the footpath. Kanji grit his teeth and shoved his hands deep in his pockets. Down by the water, Naoto looked like she was trying to shrink into her jacket.
"Hey, you cold?" he asked.
"No," Naoto shot back. After a beat, she shook her head, shoulders slumping slightly. "…A little. It helps me think."
Kanji was fairly certain that if he stood out in the cold as long as she had, his brain would freeze. Maybe super smart people worked differently. Or maybe they didn't, and Naoto was currently being not very smart at all.
"Should go home. I am," he told her - then, on a burst of courage, kept going. "We, uh, walk the same way. So w-we could do it together. Walking. S'getting late, anyway."
Naoto looked at her wristwatch. "It's half-past four."
"W-well, it'll get late soon!" Kanji squared his shoulders and tried not to shout. "Now, you comin' or what?"
He expected her to challenge him again - why hadn't he quit babbling sooner? - but instead, she climbed the steps up to the footpath and started walking.
Something was off, though. Naoto seemed…awkward. Even more than usual. They walked side-by-side in silence, occasionally huddling down against the wind and, in Kanji's case, trying not to curse when it practically blew right through his thin shirt. Eventually, the strongest gusts died down, and he figured now might be a good time to ask his question - or at least to find out what was bothering her so much.
He looked down at her, though all he could see was the top of her cap. "You've been rushing off after class all week."
A long pause. "Yes."
It seemed like something else should follow that, maybe even an explanation - but Naoto stayed quiet. Time for the direct approach. "Why?"
Naoto tilted her head up at him, then away. "I - there were…certain events recently that -" she began, but stopped short. A few beats later, she spoke again, her voice steady and low. "My reasons are of no import."
Kanji hadn't known Naoto long at all. Even so, he'd still learned enough to suspect that if she said something so often, she'd wind up believing it - and that maybe she knew that. If he pushed her now, he'd get the same answer over and over and have her convinced of it too.
"Thought maybe you were with Rise," he said instead. He paused. "Or Souji-senpai."
Naoto said nothing.
He'd been prepared for defensiveness, confusion, plain indifference, whatever. He didn't know what to do with silence, because you couldn't do anything. Maybe Naoto knew that, too. And it was a difficult silence, the sort that got stretched out further and further, far too taut, until somebody finally broke - but this time, to his surprise, it was her.
"You said you were looking for me. For what purpose?"
Dammit.
Kanji, who'd really been hoping she wouldn't ask and had no clue what to do now she had, plumped for denial. "I - uh - s'nothing, really…"
"Very well," Naoto responded, before he had time to finish speaking. And that was probably a good thing, he could write off this attempt and try again later when- -
No, screw that. Time to man up. He stopped walking, Naoto halting a few steps further on. "Hang on and listen," he told her.
She turned to stare up at him, frowning in confusion.
Kanji swallowed and hoped for sensible sentences. "I-I - do you-" He stopped, rubbed the back of his neck, and took a deep breath. "I'm going to Aiya. Right now. If-if you wanna tag along, then…"
He trailed off. No response. All he could hear was the whistling wind, the rustling leaves, the sound of their footsteps against concrete, and eventually, Naoto's very quiet, "Oh."
Oh? What the hell did oh mean?
Wasn't like this was a date or anything - not like Naoto had asked him on back in May, except she hadn't really, he'd just read her all wrong (in more ways than one) and maybe she was doing the same thing right now and- -
Starting to panic, Kanji backpedalled. "I-I mean, y'don't have to, I'm just asking!"
Naoto blinked twice then made a crisp gesture in what he took to be a completely random direction, mostly because it pointed straight into the river. "No, I-I jus ought to-"
"Hey, Kanji-kun!"
Kanji swore under his breath.
The voice belonged to Naoki, who was jogging down the path toward them and waving as he ran. Much as his timing sucked, it wasn't surprising to see him. Even before everything with Saki, he'd usually come down to the river when he wanted to wriggle out of chores around the liquor shop. Of course, Konishi-san had quickly figured his son out and Kanji had spent many afternoons during elementary school trying to help Naoki find new hiding places along the banks. Right now, he would've settled for one of his own.
Naoki reached them in seconds, smiling and only slightly out of breath. "Hi, Kanji-kun. Shirogane," he added, with a quick bow of his head that Naoto returned.
"Yo." Kanji nodded toward the direction Naoki had run from. "Needed to get away from the shop?"
Naoki shrugged, lips tight, and fiddled with the buttons on his school jacket. "Yeah. You know." Then the smile returned, and he tapped his fist against Kanji's forearm. "I still owe you a trip to Aiya, remember? Wanna go there now?"
That was right; last time Kanji had asked, Naoki'd blown him off in favour of Souji. Still feeling kind of petulant, he hadn't yet followed up. "Well, yeah, but-"
"But?"
He looked down at Naoto, still standing opposite him and looking like she might be having a very discreet panic attack. "I, uh-j-just asked Naoto that."
Naoki folded his arms against his chest. His gaze had drifted down to the river. "Oh…I see. I don't want to-"
"N-no, it's fine," Naoto cut in. She straightened, both hands clasped behind her back. "I should be leaving and-"
"But I interrupted you guys, I don't-"
"I assure you, it's absolutely-"
"Stop it, both of you," Kanji snapped, not in the mood to deal with two dorks trying to out-polite each other. "All three of us can go, right?"
Glancing between him and Naoto, Naoki hesitated - then shrugged. "Okay, sure."
Naoto gave a tight nod. It looked a little defeated. "Very well."
Naoki stared through Aiya's open door, watching the rain sheeting outside. "Wow. I think I preferred the gales."
"I was remiss in not checking the forecast," Naoto quietly admitted, then glanced up at Kanji. "This may well last until midnight."
The storm had kicked in shortly after they'd placed their orders. Getting home would suck, but it beat the weather earlier hands down; wind couldn't offer them a new lead in the case. Kanji nodded back, one hand gripping the edge of the door frame. "Yeah. We should head out and - -"
"You gonna leave that open all night, Kanji-chan?"
He glared over his shoulder at Otsuka, who waved back then pointed at the door - sparking a scowl from Kanji in return. Didn't matter how awesome the guy's food was, that Kanji-chan crap had gotten old years ago. "Don't call me that! And quit whining, we're goin'!" He stepped under the shop awning, and nodded toward the street. "C'mon, let's go. Otsuka's being an ass."
The last one through the door, Naoki closed it behind him. "Nobody brought an umbrella?" he asked, shivering slightly and gazing at the leaden sky.
Naoto shook her head. "As I said. Remiss."
"Left mine at home," Kanji added.
Naoki sighed. "I guess we'll just run home and dry off," he said, then tapped Kanji's forearm. "Take care, Kanji-kun. Nice to see you, Shirogane." With that he ran off, his figure soon becoming a blur in the heavy rain.
"I'll be going now too," said Naoto. "Don't forget to watch the-"
"I got an umbrella at the shop," Kanji interrupted. "A spare."
"Thank you, but that won't be necessary."
Maybe not. It was, however, necessary that Kanji not be a grade-A jerk - which involved not letting Naoto get drenched. "You ain't gonna run home in the rain, alright?" He swept his arm toward the north end of the district. "C'mon, the shop's not far."
Naturally, it took two more attempts to persuade her, and they sprinted to the shop in less time than Kanji had spent convincing her to do it. Still, they were both soaked on arrival. He initially fumbled for his keys, figuring Ma would've closed up early due to the weather - but when he tried pushing open the door, she was kneeling in her usual spot at the back of the shop.
"Don't drip all over the floor, Kanji-chan, I've only just…" She trailed off, peering around him. "Hmm? Who's this?"
He glanced back at Naoto, standing under the awning outside while wringing out her waterlogged hat. "Uh, sorry, Ma. We're just here t'get-"
"Oh, I remember! The young man who kept asking after you. Naoto-kun, isn't it?"
Naoto quickly put on her cap, then stepped inside the shop and gave a short bow. "I apologize for the disturbance. Kanji-kun has offered to loan me an umbrella."
She didn't mention the 'young man' part. Kanji kept quiet.
"Ah, he's a good boy, really. Let me fetch it, Kanji-chan, you'll ruin the mats otherwise." Ma slowly rose to her feet, and disappeared through the door to the back rooms of the shop.
Kanji turned to Naoto. "I-I'd show you round...but you been here before." He hesitated. "I, uh, never said thanks."
"For what?"
"Helping the others find me. Ted used the stuff you told 'em to figure out where I was."
She looked away. "I simply provided what information I could," she said, quick and quiet.
"But you didn't have to." He fixed his gaze on a rack of woollen scarves, willing himself not to blush. "So, thanks for doing it."
"Here we are." Ma had reappeared in the doorway, holding a clear plastic umbrella. As she handed it to Naoto, she shook her head. "My, you look drenched! Did you have to come far in the storm?"
"Actually, we were only at Aiya," Naoto explained.
"Were you now?" Ma shot Kanji a look - one that said he'd be getting a lecture about meal times and spoiled appetites as soon as Naoto left. "Well, you're welcome to stay here till you dry off."
"Thank you for the offer, but I should leave promptly. I would prefer to be home before dark." Naoto bowed her head again. "It was a pleasure to meet you again, Tatsumi-san."
Ma smiled gently. "Such a well-mannered boy!" she cooed. "I do hope you'll rub off on Kanji-chan."
No way could he ever sound like Naoto - at least not without swallowing a few dictionaries - but it wasn't worth getting riled up over. Ma was just being Ma. Kanji grunted half-heartedly and followed Naoto back outside.
The rain was still sheeting, and by now it had formed large puddles along the side of the road. "Shame this didn't start up earlier," he said, chuckling. "Coulda ordered Aiya's rainy day special."
"The Mega Beef Bowl," Naoto said, then - since he must've looked as surprised as he felt - added, "Chie-senpai mentioned it. It didn't sound healthy."
Figured Naoto wouldn't have ordered it for herself. Chie, meanwhile, already had an bet going with Kanji on who'd conquer the bowl first. "If anyone can handle it, she can," he said with a grin. "Don't forget to watch tonight, yeah?"
"Of course not." Naoto's brow furrowed. "Though I remain unconvinced I will actually see anything."
"We saw you. Saw Rise too, and the senpai saw me. Dunno how it works, but it does."
"...I hope so." Naoto opened her umbrella, and had already stepped into the street before Kanji spoke again.
"Hey, Naoto."
She glanced over her shoulder. "Hmm?"
"T-thanks. For coming to eat with me - and Naoki," he quickly added.
"Ah. Well, thank you for inviting me," Naoto managed, a little stiffly, and followed it with a swift tip of her cap. "Goodnight, Kanji-kun."
Kanji nodded back, turning to the door as Naoto left. Though he'd meant to head inside the shop, he couldn't help glancing behind him to watch her go - weaving her way around the puddles and soon vanishing into the pouring rain.
November 5th, 2011
Chie squirmed on the bench opposite him and drummed her fingers against the table - just like she'd been doing since arriving at the food court. "So, you saw it too," she asked, without making it sound like a question.
Kanji nodded. "Not much of it, though." He'd stared at the screen so long he swore he could still see flashes of static now, but the faint outline of a person had never sharpened. The image been even hazier than both Naoto's and Rise's appearances.
"Same here. But it was definitely a person," Chie said, finally dropping the finger-drumming in favour of tapping her foot against one of the table's legs. It matched the rhythm of the rain against the shelter roof. "Souji didn't call about meeting here, but I thought, y'know. The usual routine."
Which was the problem. A month ago, they'd had a closed case. Now, they had more waiting around, more trips inside the television - and more chances that they might screw up. "Shouldn't be a routine. We gotta stop this asshole."
"We will! That's the one good thing about this - we go inside the television, kick the crap outta Shadows, and get super strong for the time when we take the bad guy down." She wagged a playful finger at him. "C'mon, don't deny you feel it too!"
Her grin must've been catching; Kanji could feel the corners of his mouth curl up into a small smile. "Y'gotta point. Shame we have to sit out in the cold to do it."
She rolled her eyes - a response he suspected she'd picked up from Yosuke. "It's not that cold. Or at least I don't feel it," she insisted. "Besides, the rain was way worse last night." Kanji was about to point out that the rain wasn't actually the problem, but her gaze had already shifted over his left shoulder, at the sliding doors that led back inside Junes. "Hey, there's Yosuke and Teddie. I bet the others'll be here in no time."
Kanji twisted to look behind him. Yosuke had been waylaid by an unhappy customer as soon as he walked outside, but Teddie was still moving around the tables toward the picnic bench - or, more precisely, shuffling. Guy looked like he could barely keep upright; Kanji half-expected him to pitch over one of the plastic chairs. When he finally reached them, all he managed in greeting was a limp wave. "...Hi, Chie-chan and Kanji-chan."
Chie studied him closely. "Jeez, Teddie. You look beat!"
Dishevelled and slightly soggy clothes, shuffling gait, bruised-looking eyes. Kanji tipped his head. "You remind me of this movie I saw. Had zombies in it."
"Teddie's too tired to be a movie star," Ted whined, collapsing down onto the bench and flopping against Kanji's right shoulder. "Chie-chan, they made me work all night."
Her eyes widened in concern. "Seriously?"
"Don't go feeling sorry for him." Yosuke, who must've escaped the customer, leaned over and lightly cuffed Teddie's right arm. "Serves you right for crashing on the beds in housewares again!"
Kanji frowned down at Ted - but given the little guy had his face pressed into Kanji's biceps, he probably couldn't tell. "So y'missed the channel?"
"Junes has lots of televisions, Kanji-chan," he said, muffled. "And the people working in electronics are bear-y easy to dodge."
Yosuke slipped onto the bench beside Chie, still glaring at Teddie. "Unlike the staff in housewares. Dude, I wrangled you this job, you've gotta be more-"
"Later, Hanamura," Chie interrupted, pointing at the doors. "Everyone's here now. You can whine at Teddie later."
Over his shoulder, Kanji watched Souji, Yukiko, Rise and Naoto walk out of the store and weave quickly through the tables toward the shelter. After brief greetings and a quick reshuffling of positions - in other words, Teddie trying to arrange all the girls around him before ending up between Kanji and Souji - the entire team was seated.
Souji was the first to speak, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the table. "So. Everyone watched last night, right?"
Everyone nodded.
"I'd heard of the channel, but never believed it." Naoto shook her head, almost wincing. "To think a master of deduction and evidence would strain her eyes over an urban legend like this...yet, I definitely saw someone."
Yosuke smirked at her. "I guess masters of deduction can get it wrong too," he teased, earning a dark glare from Naoto. "But yeah, I saw someone as well, and I have no idea who."
Souji nodded. "Same. Could anyone tell who it was?"
"From a fuzzy picture like that?" Kanji scoffed. "No way." It'd been hard enough to see the person, let alone recognize them.
"Well, has anyone become famous around here lately?" Yukiko asked - surprising Kanji. He'd figured her and Rise were busy having some sort of competition, given they'd both been gazing at Souji since they arrived.
"There was that politician who visited to quell the rumours about the fog." Naoto had given up glowering at Yosuke and was now frowning at the table instead. "But the chances of him being the next victim are slim. He returned to the city immediately after his inquiry."
"I don't think it was him either," Teddie said, then stretched and let out a yawn. "…But from what I saw…wasn't the person on the screen pretty small?"
Chie arched her eyebrows in doubt. "The image was way too fuzzy to make out any details like that, Teddie. It was probably just your imagination."
Smile perfectly innocent, Souji nudged him in the arm. "Maybe you dreamt it. I hear Junes stocks wonderful beds in housewares."
"Not funny, Sensei. Last night was the worst ever!" Teddie wailed, flinging himself against Kanji's shoulder again - then quickly added, "Except for the ryokan."
Memory cast back to a dark and agonizing time, Kanji reflexively covered his groin. Yosuke and Souji just grimaced.
"Let's change the subject," muttered the latter. "Did you sense anyone in the television world?"
"Nope. No-one's come so far." Teddie nodded to Rise, who was sitting at the far end of the opposite bench. "Rise-chan could try too, but I should be able to tell."
Rise quit staring at Souji just long enough to respond. "I think Teddie's right. We might have to wait another night."
"Guess so. Think this rain'll keep up?" Souji asked.
Everyone turned to Rise. "Weather forecast says it'll last through tomorrow, Senpai," she said.
"I still think memorizing the entire forecast is really weird," said Chie, with a quick shake of her head.
"Only a little," Souji said, smiling at Rise. She beamed right back, cheeks flushed pink. "But we know what to do. Don't forget to check the channel again tonight."
The rest of the day passed quickly. After leaving Junes, Kanji headed straight back to the textiles shop; Ma hadn't been feeling well that morning, so he'd promised to take over after lunch and handle the afternoon delivery. Customer service wasn't one of his strong points - something Ma gently pointed out when he told her to go rest - but the heavy rain was keeping most people indoors anyway. It made for slow business. To keep from getting bored, he figured he'd make the best of it and clean the place up. By six o'clock, he'd swept the floors, wiped the insides of the windows, catalogued their spools of thread, and rotated their display of winter scarves and hats. The delivery van didn't arrive until after seven, a different guy than usual driving. He kept apologizing for being so late, the rain was terrible and hadn't the weather in town been strange for the past few months?
Kanji nodded in agreement (yeah, all the rain and fog was totally weird), thanked him for the delivery, and tried to keep the last roll of cotton dry as he carried it indoors.
Organizing the new stock had always been his job, and he'd hoped it'd kill some more time - but by the time he finished up it was still only ten o'clock. Now slightly frustrated, and wishing the Midnight Channel was the Early Evening Channel instead, Kanji decided to reorganize all the displays in the shop. Showcase their new stock, get samples of the best fabrics, freak his mother out when she came downstairs the next morning, that kind of thing.
The first time his phone rang was around eleven-thirty. Since he was carrying a majorly bulky box of yarn, he ignored it. Probably just someone reminding him to check the Channel - or maybe just Rise, who liked to call and bug him whenever she got bored.
But seconds after the ring-tone cut out, the phone rang a second time.
Something wasn't right.
He set the box down by the shop counter and fished his phone out of his back pocket. Yosuke's ID was flashing on the screen.
Didn't make sense. Hanamura and him had only ever exchanged texts - if 'exchanging' meant Hanamura implying certain things about Kanji's preferences and Kanji hammering out a stream of obscenities in response. The single time he could remember the guy actually calling him was when Souji had left his cell at home and wanted to round everyone up at Junes. There had to be something going on.
Stomach already sinking, Kanji flipped open the phone. "Yo, s'up?"
"Dude, are you at the shop?" Yosuke sounded breathless, and under his voice Kanji could hear two sets of rapid footsteps. "Souji's at the police station and- -"
"The station?" Kanji cut in. "The hell's goin' on?" In recent years, he'd basically had a season pass to the cop shop - but Souji was different. Souji didn't get in trouble, didn't have anything to prove, and above all wasn't him.
"I dunno, his uncle took him there - but it doesn't matter, we've gotta go help him!"
"Then I'm goin' too. You'll pass our shop on the- -"
"I know, that's why I called. Ted and me are on our way now. Be outside, okay?"
"Yeah. I'll be there," Kanji said, then hung up.
Quietly as he could, he dashed upstairs to grab his jacket and umbrella. It didn't seem like he'd woken Ma. Good thing, too; whatever reason he had for rushing to the police station at midnight, she wouldn't like it. Two minutes later, he was waiting outside the shop, watching the rain still pouring out in the street and dripping from the awning above him - but another ten minutes passed before Yosuke and Teddie finally appeared at the south end of the street. They jogged toward the shop, Yosuke dodging the puddles and Teddie splashing straight through.
Ted arrived first, damp despite the umbrella clutched in his hand. "Come on, Kanji-chan. Sensei's in trouble!"
"So let's go!" Kanji shot back, opening his own umbrella and breaking into a jog. Honestly, Souji was probably fine - but by now, nothing seemed right. Take-Mikazuchi, usually pretty quiet outside the television, had started kicking around inside his skull; a wordless stream of jarring noises and sensations that Kanji couldn't decode. Somehow, it felt like a warning.
The trip to the police station hadn't taken long. Not that it really mattered; Souji wasn't going anywhere. Kanji had been turning things over in his head since leaving the shop, and he still couldn't think of one good reason why Dojima would drag his own nephew in for questioning. Then again, cops didn't need good reasons. They had enough bullshit ones.
"So…what do we do?" Yosuke asked. "Just bust in there and grab him?"
Kanji stared up at the station - the one building in Inaba still brightly lit so late at night - and shrugged. "Best idea we got."
"Then let's go get Sensei!" Teddie closed his umbrella then scurried up the station steps, trying to dodge the rain. It was falling more heavily now; fat droplets that bounced off the road, and pounded against his own umbrella so loudly that Kanji almost missed his phone ringing for the third time that night.
He pulled it from his pocket, not bothering to check the caller ID. "Yeah, s'up?"
"Did you watch the channel?"
Naoto calling him was a surprise. Might've been a pleasant one, if he hadn't been waiting outside a police station - and if her voice hadn't sounded so wrong. "No…there's stuff going down, and-"
"The figure we saw - it was Nanako-chan!"
Kanji sucked a breath through his teeth.
Nanako was the one? How the hell had they missed that? "Holy shit. We gotta get to her house and-"
"No, I'm there right now, but I'm too late - the kidnapper's already taken her."
He briefly considered bitching Naoto out for trying to tackle the culprit alone - but deep down, he knew he'd have done the same thing. He'd gotten Topsicles for Nanako, walked around the Junes grocery with her and Souji, even shown her a couple of the glove puppets he'd made. He knew her. So did the rest of the team.
So why hadn't they recognized her sooner?
"But - it ain't- -" Kanji paused, struggling to wrench his thoughts into actual words. "I-I mean, Nanako-chan wasn't even on TV!"
At the top of the steps, Yosuke whipped around. "Nanako-chan what? What's going on?"
"No, she wasn't. I'll explain later. Chie-senpai, Yukiko-senpai and Rise-chan already know, they're on their way and I'm trying to get hold of everyone else, but Souji-senpai isn't here either, I don't understand where he-".
"I know," Kanji cut in, if only to force Naoto to take a breath. "He's stuck at the cop shop."
"What?Why is he-"
"I'm there now with Yosuke and Ted. We're gonna get him out." Kanji climbed the station steps, soon reaching a severely rattled Yosuke. "You ain't far away - so call up everyone else and meet us here, yeah?"
"…Yes. We'll be there as soon as possible. Don't do anything rash."
Yosuke made a grab for the phone. "Dude, is that Naoto? Lemme talk to her!" Before Kanji could react, he snatched the cell and pressed it to his ear. "Hey, this is Yosuke. What were you saying about Nanako-chan?"
As he closed his umbrella, Kanji peered through the fogged glass of the station doors. A couple of cops were milling around inside, and another was half-asleep at the reception desk. No need for a full staff at night; nothing ever happened in Inaba. At least, it never used to.
"Oh, crap! Are you sure?" Yosuke ran a hand through his hair, sweeping away droplets of water. "Did you look everywhere? Check the bedrooms, maybe she's- -"
Teddie had been standing in silence, both palms pressed flat against the glass. When he spoke, his voice was the quietest Kanji had ever heard. "Is something wrong with Nana-chan? Why's Nao-chan calling about her?"
Kanji gripped his shoulder. "Don't worry, Ted. We'll figure it out. C'mon, Senpai's waiting for us."
One good thing about repeatedly being pulled in by the cops: by the third or fourth time, you had the layout of the station down cold. All they needed to do was find out which room Souji was in. Kanji pushed open the doors, strode to the reception desk, and smacked both hands against the wooden surface.
Startled, the dozing cop almost fell out of his chair. "Hey-! What're you-"
"Seta. Dojima's nephew," Kanji growled, leaning even further forward. "First or second interview room?"
The element of surprise paid off. So did the height advantage. "S-second," the cop stammered, "b-but-"
No point waiting for the rest. Kanji stormed past him, Teddie following close behind and Yosuke - still talking to Naoto - bringing up the rear. He led them down the long, cramped corridor to the back of the station, finally stopping outside a plain wooden door labelled "Interview Room 2".
Teddie knelt down on the tiles beside the door and tried to squint through the keyhole. "I can see Sensei! And his uncle's there too!"
"Dojima-san needs to know what you found," Yosuke was saying to Naoto. "Stay on the line, alright?" He turned to Kanji, lowering the phone from his ear. "Souji's in there?"
"Looks like."
Yosuke's jaw tightened. "Then what're we waiting for?" he snapped, then shoved the door open and barged into the interview room.
Dojima, standing just inside, swung round in surprise. "The hell're you-"
"Nanako-chan's missing!" Yosuke thrust Kanji's phone toward him. "Naoto's on the line, she'll explain!"
Dojima blinked at him for a moment - then grabbed the phone. "Shirogane?" he snapped. "You there? What the hell's going on?"
Kanji wasn't sure which was worse - the look on his face as Naoto explained what'd happened, or the look on Souji's. Senpai not only didn't look surprised to see them, he didn't even move. He stayed slouched in his chair, staring at the wooden surface of the table.
"Hey," Adachi piped up, nervously. "I think you guys should head outside now and-"
Suddenly, Dojima shoved the phone back into Yosuke's hand. He pulled out his own, punched a few keys, then held it to his ear. Standing close by, Kanji could hear the faint, slightly robotic voice of a phone company recording.
"Nanako isn't answering, is she?" Souji asked quietly.
Dojima stared at the phone in his hand, ashen-faced. "Is this true? Has she-"
"Uncle, this didn't need to happen, we could have- -"
With a sharp shake of his head, Dojima tried the intercom on the desk instead. "Traffic, anyone there?"
"Traffic Division, Ohta speaking."
"There's been a kidnapping. Get your men on it immediately!" He continued barking orders, something about checkpoints that Kanji didn't quite catch. He was too busy watching Souji.
He swallowed. "Senpai, you okay?"
"It was that letter," Souji said, without looking up. "That was why Uncle - I'm such an idiot, I should've been- -"
"Dammit, there's no time for this right now!" Dojima struck his fist hard against the table, scattering a short pile of papers. Souji didn't flinch.
"Um, a-alright," stammered Ohta. "I'll try contacting each of the departments..."
Didn't sound like he meant it. Didn't convince Dojima, either. Cursing under his breath, he lifted his hand from the intercom. Kanji watched it curl into a fist. "Idiots."
"Dojima-san, wait. Even if you think this is connected to the case, we can't-" Adachi had been trying to block the door, but Dojima pushed him aside. "Hey, hang on, where are you-"
"I'm gonna go look for my daughter!" Dojima snapped - then stormed out into the corridor.
"But you don't have any leads on who –" Adachi lunged forward as if to follow, but stopped short of the door. "Oh, man...what am I supposed to do now?"
"Let Souji go," Yosuke instantly answered. "Then we can go look for her too. Please, Adachi-san!"
"But I- -"
"You heard." They didn't have time for this crap. Fists clenched at his sides, Kanji tipped his head to Souji. "We're leaving, an' he's coming with us."
"Look, I can't just- -"
Once again Adachi was cut off - this time by Chie barrelling through the open door, the other girls in tow. "Guys! We just saw Souji's uncle barging past, is he going after Nanako-chan? Should we follow him?"
Adachi raised his palms. "Whoa, hey! If I let all you guys in here, then I'm really in trouble! And we don't even know- -"
"Quit your bitching! The hell are we still sitting here for when Senpai's family's in danger?" He'd tried to keep it together, but something in this idiot's attitude made Kanji see red - and he lunged forward on instinct, one hand snaring around Adachi's collar. "You gonna own up if something happens? Huh?"
"Kanji-kun!"
It was Naoto's voice, loud and firm. Once again, Kanji instantly let go.
Damn, she had him whipped. And she should've gotten it, he thought, staring at the far side of the room while Adachi readjusted his suit jacket. She wanted to go help Nanako too, she'd run off to the damn house by herself to do it. So why waste time now?
"If we run out blindly," she continued, softer now, "we will have no idea to begin. We should review the facts before taking action."
Typical detective crap. The worst part was, she was totally right - but Kanji kept his gaze fixed on the wall all the same.
"What facts?" Chie protested, behind him. "We don't know anything about this guy."
"We know that the front door at Nanako-chan's house was open. I examined it, and found no trace that entry had been forced."
Yosuke whistled. "Oh, man. The culprit didn't break in at all - Nanako-chan just opened the door!"
"But remember what she said at the hot springs?" Naoto said, though Kanji wasn't sure what she meant. "'I always do what my dad tells me, like not opening the door for strangers'."
"So maybe the culprit's someone Nana-chan knows," offered Teddie. "Any ideas, Sensei?"
When Kanji looked back, Souji was rifling through the papers on the table. "No. The only adults she knows are our neighbours and her teachers - plus Uncle Dojima and Adachi-san, of course."
Adachi-san was currently being an asshole. He kept trying to usher Souji away from the table. More worried about the damn papers than Nanako, Kanji thought, and grit his teeth. "Hey, those are Dojima-san's, you shouldn't-"
"Let's change perspectives," Naoto interrupted. "Each victim was taken at a different location, yet was thrown into a TV almost immediately after being kidnapped. Therefore, the culprit must be taking a large-screen television with him as he goes."
Yukiko's forehead creased in thought. "But then he'd need a big vehicle, not just a car."
"Indeed. I'd expect someone to notice that, especially since most of the victims vanished during the day."
"So it's someone Nanako-chan knows, who has a van, or a truck...but it's a truck that can't be seen?" Perched on the edge of the table, Rise pulled a face. "That doesn't make sense!"
"Maybe they just didn't notice it," Chie said, with a small shrug. "But what sort of vehicle would blend in like that?"
"A delivery truck." Souji was staring at a sheet of paper on the table, one finger pressed over a line near the bottom. "These papers cover Yamano's murder. There's a deliveryman mentioned right here." He looked up. "And I order from the shopping channel pretty often."
Naoto's eyes widened. "Of course...if Nanako-chan regularly receives your packages, the person delivering them wouldn't be a stranger at all!"
Kanji's memories of his kidnapping were almost non-existent - but, if he concentrated hard, one stuck out. "I remember now! There was a delivery to the shop, the day I was taken!"
"The deliveryman...?" Adachi jerked away from the table, fumbling for his phone. "Dojima-san put this stuff together, I've gotta go tell him about this!"
Jerk just wanted to kiss up to his boss. Kanji glared after him as he ran out of the door - then looked back at Naoto, who'd moved next to Souji at the table.
"After resigning from his last job," she said, reading from the sheet of paper, "he took up the family delivery business...and before that he was...a council secretary! Taro Namatame!
Souji nodded grimly. "The enka singer's husband. And his address isn't far from here."
Adachi walked back in the room, slipping his phone into his jacket pocket with his shoulders slumped. He looked up, met the gaze of the entire team - and his expression turned startled. "Uh..."
"Adachi-san," Souji said, barely louder than a murmur.
Hesitating, Adachi glanced across each of the team in turn. "If there's been a break in the case," he said, carefully, "then I'd better hurry to the scene. I'll just have to hope that nothing happens here while I'm gone." He turned back to the door. "I didn't see anything."
Seconds passed, his footsteps echoing down the corridor, before Yosuke finally spoke up. "Guys, let's get to Namatame's place! Dojima-san's probably on his way there now."
"Damn straight!" Kanji punched his fist into his hand. "We're gonna go rescue Nanako-chan!"
And he wanted to believe it, wanted the others to believe it too - but when they all nodded in unison, Souji was the only one who didn't look convinced.
Travel by foot was the only option. Since neither Yukiko nor Rise had the stamina for distance running, the team fell into two groups: the girls and Teddie in the rear, the guys and Naoto taking point. They'd made it as far as the old gas station and were heading toward the Furaibo bridge when Kanji noticed something curling through the air, on the other side of the river.
It was hard to tell against the night sky, but it looked like- "Hey, is that smoke?"
"You're right...but why would- -" Naoto gasped. "An accident?"
Souji had turned pale. "Quick, over the bridge!" he ordered. He broke into a sprint, Naoto and Yosuke following at a speed Kanji couldn't quite match. By the time he could see the two wrecked vehicles - an SUV resting on its side and a truck smashed into a brick wall - Souji was already kneeling beside his uncle at the edge of the road.
No wonder they'd crashed. The rain had only just eased off as the team had left the police station, and driving on the slippery roads would've been difficult enough even at normal speeds. Kanji glanced back at the river; Dojima had been damn lucky not to run off the bridge.
He was a mess as it was. He'd made it out of the SUV - crawled through smashed windscreen, it looked like - but blood kept streaming from his forehead. Souji had pressed his scarf against the wound with one hand and was gripping Dojima's with the other. Adachi, crouched on the other side, was trying to prevent his boss from sitting up.
Naoto stepped away. "I'll call an ambulance," she said, and pulled out her cell.
Yosuke turned to Adachi. "Did you see what happened? Or where Namatame went?"
"I got here after the crash," he answered, shaking his head. "I should radio for backup. We gotta find him!"
Like that'd be any help. The cops had been hopeless throughout the entire case. Wanting to make himself more useful, Kanji stalked over to Namatame's truck, lifted the fabric flap at the back and peered inside. Even in the dim light from the street lamps, he could still see the outline of a flat-screen television, almost as large as the one they'd been jumping in at Junes.
"Whoa." Yosuke had walked up beside the truck. "He really was carrying a TV around."
Adachi shot to his feet. "Hey, keep away from there! We need to preserve the scene!"
"Then allow me," offered Naoto, level and smooth. "If it rains again while we wait, any evidence will be lost regardless."
Adachi opened his mouth, as if to protest - but stopped when Dojima aimed a weak smack at his shin and muttered something Kanji couldn't hear. Whatever it was, Adachi wasn't happy.
"Dojima-san says it's okay," he said, almost wincing. "...Go ahead, I guess."
Naoto responded with a quick nod. Using her arms for support, she pushed herself up onto the truck and climbed through the open flap. A faint glow lit up the interior seconds later; looking closely, it seemed to come from her wristwatch.
She stared at the television for a moment, before reaching out a hand. Her fingers slipped through the screen. "...Our theory was correct."
Kanji leaned forward and poked his head through the flap. Voices had started up behind him, loud and overlapping - the girls must've finally showed - but he kept his attention focused on the TV. "Y'don't think that asshole actually..."
"Jumped in? It's possible. He would have been desperate." Naoto turned toward the truck's windshield. "Hold on...I think there's something on the floor up front."
As she climbed through the gap between the seats, Yosuke cursed under his breath. "This is bad. If Namatame took Nanako-chan inside the TV..."
"But why would he do that?" Rise leaned around Kanji's left shoulder, trying to see inside the truck. "He has to know how dangerous it is, he's been throwing people in there!"
Kanji shrugged. "Probably didn't care. The guy's nuts."
Moments later, Naoto climbed back through the front seats, now holding a small spiral-bound notebook. "I found this by the passenger seat. A diary." She sat on the edge of the truck and began flipping through the book, stopping a few pages in. "'I learned the existence of a new world. Thus, I must save people.'"
Kanji frowned. The new world had to be the TV, but... "Save? The hell's he mean by that?"
"I'm not sure..." Naoto answered, still flicking through the notebook - then drew a sharp breath. "This page...it's a list of the victims' home addresses! Mayumi Yamano, Saki Konishi...Yukiko Amagi, Kanji Tatsumi, Rise Kujikawa...even the victims who survived and were never released to the public are here."
"Wow." Radio still in hand, Adachi shook his head. "I guess that settles it."
Naoto looked up from the book, stared at him - but didn't say anything.
Yosuke did - angrily. "Dammit! He used the same trick on all everyone...pretending he was making a delivery, then throwing them in! Namatame's the killer!"
"The last date is today's," Naoto said, her concentration back on the diary. "'I can't believe such a small child appeared on it. I must save this child, no matter what.'" She closed the notebook and held it tight in her hands. "And if 'save' means taking them to this 'new world'..."
"...Then Namatame and Nanako are inside the television." Souji was now standing behind Rise, expression perfectly, carefully blank.
"We need to go rescue her!" Chie gripped the edge of the truck next to Naoto, as if to climb inside. "C'mon, let's use this TV and- -"
Darting forward, Teddie tugged at her track jacket. "Wait! We don't know where we'll enter through this one! What if we end up somewhere dangerous?"
So what? They could handle it. They'd beaten everything that world had thrown at them - why would it make a difference where they started out? "That don't matter!" Kanji told him. "We've gotta- -"
"Stop it, Kanji-kun!" The glare Rise shot him was more desperate than angry. "If we fail, who's going to save Nanako-chan?"
He opened his mouth, ready to object - until a hand landed on his shoulder. Fingers gripping tight, Souji looked him in the eye. "Not yet, Kanji. It doesn't seem like it's going to be foggy tomorrow. We go in then, same way as usual - and we find Nanako." He looked back at Dojima. "I promised."
Sirens were already sounding across the bridge. If they jumped in now, they might not all make it before the ambulance showed - and hell, maybe Souji was right. Kanji gulped, and faltered. "...Okay, Senpai."
November 6th, 2011
Yosuke leaned back in the plastic chair and stretched his legs out into the stark white corridor. "I am so glad we don't have school tomorrow."
Kanji was staring out the window opposite Dojima's room, hands braced against the sill. "Which is why we shoulda gone in tonight," he muttered. The rain had started up again, running in crooked rivulets down the glass pane, blurring his view of the hospital courtyard.
"Dude, there's no way. I totally get how you feel, but-"
"No, you don't. If y'did, you'd wanna go in too."
Behind him, Yosuke let out a deep sigh. "Look, we can't. Like Souji said, Nanako-chan will be okay in the TV for-"
"How the hell would you know?" Kanji swung round, swiping his fist through empty air. "I know what it's like in there, you never had to do it!"
Yosuke opened and closed his mouth, twice - but before he could answer, Yukiko leapt in. "I did. But we can't go in tonight, Kanji-kun. We're exhausted, we'll make mistakes." She walked closer, until she stood beside him at the sill. "Remember, we were all fine inside there as long as the fog didn't start over here."
Like he didn't know that. Tiredness had been gnawing at his bones since they left the station - but it was just wrong, going home and sleeping, leaving Nanako in there with that murdering bastard. "S'different. She's a little kid."
"...I know." Yukiko's gaze shifted to the window. She looked like she might start crying, and he had the immediate urge to apologize. "But please...just trust Souji-kun. We all have to."
Souji had almost gotten it wrong with Naoto. For a moment, Kanji had the strange, sickening impression that he actually had, and didn't that mean it could happen all over- -
He swallowed hard. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right."
Yukiko gently squeezed his arm. When she walked back to the empty seat between Chie and Rise, he considered sitting down too - but the plastic chairs were the same type they had all over the damn building. Hard and uncomfortable, as if everything wasn't already awful enough; as if people weren't already here for bad reasons.
Fricking hospitals.
"I'm sorry, Kanji-chan."
He glanced sideways. Teddie was next to him, looking at the floor and playing with the collar of his still-damp shirt. "Huh?"
"I-I wanted to go get Nanako-chan too - but it wasn't safe." He lifted his head - and if Yukiko had seemed close to tears, he looked closer. "If we all jumped in somewhere different then maybe I couldn't get us out again, and- -"
Shit, this was stupid. Damn bear had been trying his best. Kanji sighed, straightened, and clapped a hand against Teddie's back. "S'alright. I get it."
Yosuke was hunched forward now, elbows resting on his knees. He nodded to the empty chair beside him. "It's not your fault, Ted. Sit down for a bit, okay?"
Teddie obliged, and the team fell back into silence. Even the girls weren't talking. Kanji fixed his gaze on the windowsill, listening to the nurses walking between rooms and the doors opening and closing in distant corridors. It seemed like hours before he finally heard one open right behind him, and turned to see Naoto step through.
Yosuke twisted in his seat. "Hey, is Dojima-san-"
"Souji-senpai is with him."
"Okay. Cool." The cord of Yosuke's headphones was tangled tight around his fingers. "Guess we'll wait."
Naoto responded with a slight nod. She walked away from the chairs, halting a short way down the corridor. Out the corner of his eye, Kanji watched her stare at the tiled floor, hands shoved deep in her pockets.
He'd worked up the guts to ask her to Aiya, even if he totally, one hundred percent hadn't intended it as a date (and even though Naoki had gatecrashed). And if he could manage that, he could talk to her now. Kanji ran a hand through his hair, took a deep breath, then ambled over to stand opposite her.
"You alright?" he asked in a low voice.
Naoto didn't answer the question. Looking at her, she didn't need to. "I didn't anticipate this. I wasted so much time."
They all had. Kanji wasn't sure they'd had any choice. "Did what we could."
"And it was insufficient. I let Souji-senpai down."
He frowned down at her, trying to gauge her expression - or lack of one. "C'mon, man. Start throwing blame around an' we all deserve it."
Her response was sharp and immediate. "No. Our situations are entirely different."
"Why?"
Naoto was quiet for a long moment. "Because you're all amateurs," she said at last. "This isn't your job."
Amateurs who saved your ass, Kanji almost shot back, but held his tongue. Wouldn't help. Problem was, he didn't know what would. Naoto had already drawn away from him, pressing her back against the wall - and, lost for any other option, he did the same. They stood silent, on opposite sides of the corridor, and waited for Souji.