10/6/2011

Everyone was gathered at the Junes Food court to discuss the murder case with Naoto. It started with her recounting the events of her kidnapping. "First, I heard the doorbell ring. When I answered the door, there was no one there. Just as alarm bells sounded in my mind, someone grabbed me roughly from behind and covered my mouth with something. Immediately afterward, I was put into like something like a sack and most likely carried on the culprit's shoulder."

Rise looked very impressed. "Wow, how could you remember all that?"

"The culprit seems to have used a chemical to incapacitate me, but luckily I wasn't completely unconscious. I had been expecting a trick along those lines, so I was somewhat prepared." She paused before adding, "And of course, I was desperate to gather as much information as I could."

Teddie said, "No wonder you're an ace detective!" He was in his bear costume, but his voice carried a sense of awe.

Kanji crossed his arms, and both he and Erin gave Naoto a disapproving look. The younger one said, "That ain't something to be proud of."

Erin nodded. "You're too calm about this whole thing. You could've died!"

Naoto shrugged it off and continued. "Judging by his actions and body type, I believe the culprit is a man. I heard no conversations or voices, so I believe he is acting alone. It's after that that things get murky… I felt a single impact, which I assume is when I was thrown inside the TV…But the time from the kidnapping to that time was too short. It was a matter of minutes!"

Suzaku sat back, impressed. How she was able to deduce all this inside a burlap sack after inhaling a knock-out chemical, was rather amazing. She then began to make all the connections it had taken everyone else months to figure out. All the kidnappings were by the same culprit, and it wasn't Mitsuo because he lacked understanding of the other world. "Our investigation would be much easier if we could question Kubo in person, however, I've been taken off the investigation."

Rise understood fully. "Once you say something in TV, it's hard to admit you were wrong."

"Indeed. I believe the main reason for my dismissal was because I raised that possibility to them." The discussion went on, until Yosuke asked what some of them were wondering.

"But uh, Naoto… If you were that calm when it happened to you, couldn't you have, you know…I'm not saying you should've caught him, but isn't it kinda sad for an ace detective to go down so easily…?"

The bluenette looked at her feet. "Um… To tell you the truth, I was really scared…I-I'm sorry."

Yukiko jumped to her defense. "None of us could resist the culprit either. Don't forget, Naoto-kun is younger than us and she's a girl." This earned a withering glare from Suzaku. She wasn't any younger than Kanji or Rise, and they had just finished that her gender didn't matter to them.

Yosuke smiled to her though. "Right… I kind of forget that when I see her talking like this… Y'know Naoto?"

"W-What is it?"

"You got balls for a girl."

After that, he tuned out the rest of the meeting, until Naoto decided to join the team. And Teddie cried, "Since I'm the King of the Geniuses, I knew it would work out this way! Ta-dah, Nao-chan's glasses!" He pulled a pair of Teddie-Glasses out of his costume for her. After a little bit more talking, everyone left and went home for the day.

10/7/2011

Rise poked her new classmate, having scribbled a note. "Psst! Naoto-kun!"

Naoto sighed, before glancing back. "What is it, Rise-chan?" Rise handed her the note to Naoto, who opened the folded paper. She quickly scanned the paper, a pink tinge rising to her cheeks.

Naoto,

Can you please meet me on the roof after school? I'd love to spend some time with you. Alone.

Erin.

Naoto folded it up and slipped it into her pocket, still blushing. "Rise-chan, where did you get this?"

Rise gave an innocent smile. "Oh, Rin-senpai gave it to me~" She leaned forward. "What does it say?"

"N-nothing!" Naoto said, facing forward to focus on the lesson. Rise smirked as she got ready to take the next step in her plan.

As the last bell rang, Naoto ran outside as Rise happily skipped to Suzaku's locker. As he walked over to it, She beamed. "Oh Senpai~! Funny running into you here!"

He gave her a confused look. "Rise-chan? This is my locker. Furthermore, what are you doing here?"

Her smile faltered. "Sheesh, you're awfully touchy! I just wanted to give you this!" She handed him a letter. "Yukiko-senpai gave it to me."

Suzaku took the letter, intent on reading it later. "Huh, I'm actually supposed to go shopping with her today. Thank you Rise-chan." He said, heading off.

"Sure! Tell me how it goes!" She called to him as he left to meet her. As soon as Suzaku was gone, she skipped off to the roof. She left the door closed mostly but cracked it open so she could see and hear Naoto and Erin.