The second time they played a game, it was a board game. It was on clearance at Junes and Yosuke thought it'd be fun to bring during a get together with the team.
Everyone asked questions- where their pieces were, how much money they got for landing on this space, how much they could steal, and how much property they were allowed to own. Everyone asked except Naoto.
"You're pretty good at this, huh?" comments Chie. Beat me to the punch, Yosuke muses- he was thinking just the same thing. Though he was sure everyone was thinking the same thing, because within her latest two turns, Naoto had used her power to steal everyone's property, essentially dominating the game.
"My grandfather plays games like these with me, whenever he has time to. Which is quite often, mind you." she tosses the dice, rolls two spaces, and acquires a card that sends Yosuke, the only jail-free person left, to in-game prison.
"You're cheating!" he exclaims with a wail. It's just a playing chip that went to jail, he knows he isn't actually convicted- but something about being wrangled into jail with the rest of his friend's playing chips hurts his pride a little.
"It's called skill, Yosuke-senpai," Naoto says. Skill my ass, he thinks. This girl's a natural.
Yosuke rolls the die, miserable that he cannot progress anywhere for the turn. He spends his time staring at Naoto, who doesn't notice despite the intensity of his gaze.
When she finally does look, she's saying, "Your turn, Yosuke-senpai."
Is that a smirk he saw on the Detective Prince's lips? Surely he was imagining it.
He grumbles and rolls again.
• • •
Chie, Yukiko, and Rise are first to go home. Souji, Yosuke, and Kanji stay back, determined to win back their pride. Naoto destroys them.
"We're leaving now. Thank you Yosuke," Souji says, brushing his jacket down. Kanji follows, bundled up in his coat.
"Comin', Naoto?"
Naoto nods and keeps her eyes on the board.
"Just wait a minute, would you?" Yosuke says, crossing fingers with one hand and rolling die with the other. The result lands him onto a property where Naoto forces him to pay $100. With a sob, he hands her the crumpled remainder of his pseudo currency.
"And thus you have reached bankruptcy. That's game over."
"Arrgh!"
"Like I said- this is a game of skill. But you put up a good fight, senpai."
"I wanna rematch!" he pipes immediately. Naoto blinks, and side-glances to the group waiting at the door.
"...Gah, you're right, you should go. But I'll get you next time, Detective Prince. I swear on it, I'll outsmart you one day."
Naoto smiles.
"I'll look forward to it, Yosuke-senpai."
A/N: Everyone- thank you so much for your feedback, I'm happy to know people are reading and enjoying this! Let me know if there are any themes/games you'd like me to cover, I love all interactions between these two. I hope there's more content for their relationship in the future, as they are such interesting and well-written characters. Here's to hoping Dancing All Night provides some for us!