A/N: Hey it's been to long but here I am again. Thanks to defog2000 for betaing this chapter. Hope you like it.
Disclaimer: I do not own persona 4 and never will.
Naoto's Secret chapter 5
"Risette?" Naoto questioned out loud on her phone on why Yu-Kun would want to ask her about the famous teen idol.
"Yeah I heard she's staying here in Inaba. I was wondering if you know anything about that." The sliverette asked.
"Hmm... I usually don't listen to her music, but I have heard of her retiring. I believe her grandma owns the tofu shop in the shopping district." She said she slowly recalled about it during her investigation. Rise Kujikawa is very popular among the teens and young folks so she easily heard people gossiping about the star. She wondered what Yu-kun was thinking? Was he going to try and find her? The very thought made her skin crawl.
Wait is this jealousy? She thought. It can't be...moving on! She shook her head in denial before turning her focus to the task at hand.
"Um, Yu-kun… Why do you want to know about Risette in the first place?" She asked him. Part of her was very curious as to what her new found boyfriend was thinking in his mind. That had to be some local reason behind it… right?
Sensing her distress in her voice through the phone, he said. "Oh don't worry, Naoto. I asked that for Yosuke. You know he's a really huge fan of her." That wasn't technically a lie, Yosuke is a big fan.
Unknowingly, the detective felt a small sense of relief within her. …At least it is not that reason… Wait what I am thinking? After trying to regain her posture, a question suddenly popped out in her head.
"…Why ask me though? There are plenty of other people he could have asked to find information." She asked curiously.
"It's simple. I just wanted to hear your beautiful voice! There is no other person in the world whose voice I want to hear other than you…" Yu exclaimed as he explained his odd yet meaningful reason.
"That's…" She was glad they were speaking over the phone because that way he couldn't see her blushing face. Once again our teasing romantic protagonist left Naoto speechless and completely let her guard down.
"And Naoto-kun… You just call me Yu. No need for formalities." He grinned joyful as he waited for a reply. It about time she should be calling me that… He thought.
"Uh… Oh. Alright, you can call me Naoto then…" This time, a small smile was formed on her lips with her face heating up. This is the first time I… did this. She thought happily.
"Hey, Naoto. You should meet my friends sometime. I know you're busy with the murder case and all but anytime your free you're welcome to." Yu offered, remembering her grandpa had mentioned that she did not have any friends to speak to. He knew his friends will welcome her with open arms. (Although they'll still think she's a guy.)
"O-oh but I don't really want to intrude on your friends Yu." She was never good with people, she was still getting used to Yu but she think she was much better being around him.
"You wouldn't be intruding at all, they won't mind at all. Sometimes my little cousin Nanako hangs with us too. She'll love you! She's into that anime detective love line and would probably ask you about being a good detective." he smiled and reassured her girlfriend that everything will be alright.
"…I suppose maybe just this once couldn't hurt." Naoto sighed as she finally gave in. She knew that Yu would keep on trying until she said yes.
"Great, I'll text or call to see if your available. We usually hang at Junes or the table at Samegawa flood plain."
"Alright, but I got to go now. Work related business." Naoto told him.
"Okay, bye Naoto." They both said their farewells before hanging up the call.
With Yu and the gang at Junes
"Yo, Senpai!" Kanji greeted at their usual table at Junes. Next to him was Chie, across from her was Yosuke and Yukkiko was next to him. In all in unison, they all greeted their leader.
"I got some info on Rise Kujikawa." Yu told the investigation team right away.
"That's good to hear, because the rest of us didn't have any luck." Yukiko stated.
"Yeah, all they talked about was her music or how great she was." Chie added and sighed in annoyance.
"Talk about crazy fans out there." Yosuke joined in.
"But, aren't you one of those crazy fans?" Yu teased him as he nudged his shoulder.
"Um… That's beside the point." The brunette defended.
"…Anyways, what's the scoop Senpai?" Kanji wondered.
"She's retiring-" Suddenly, the leader of the team was interrupted by a load voice.
"Noooooo! She can't be retiring! Please tell me that isn't true partner." Yu just gave firm nod to confirm that it is true. "That completely blows." he complained. The sliverette decided to ignore the rest of Yosuke's rant and continued speaking.
"I also learned she's staying at her grandma's tofu shop in the shopping district." Yu supplied them.
"Really? We could warn her. This is our chance to prevent a kidnapping from happening in the first place." Yukiko spoke her thoughts to the group.
"Easier said than done… I mean she is an idol after all." Chie said. "Now who should go talk to her? Yu-kun should be one, since he's are leader."
"Me! Me! Definitely me! While we're at it we could tell her not to quit." Yosuke stood up and jumped around while waving his hands in the air like a little kid.
"Hey! Settle down Senpai!" Kanji yelled at him and tried to force him back to his seat.
"B-But I can't help it!" He whined as he resisted Kanji's attempt to control.
"If you can't help it, maybe you should stay here then and someone else will go." Chie said.
"Wait no! I-I'll be good." He quickly said. Yu chuckled at his antics.
"Fine then, Yu-kun and you and should someone else go too?" Chie pondered.
Yukiko then snorted and started laughing uncontrollably. "Chie… Heh… You said Yu and you…Ha, ha, ha." She held her stomach while she laughed.
"How about me? I'll be going their anyways since the textile shop and stuff." Kanji suggested.
"Then it's settled." Yu confirmed. They all then departed to the shopping district after saying goodbye to the girls. They were now in front of the tofu shop. There was a big crowd in the front of the shop. There was not a single doubt that they were there for Rise Kujikawa. But soon enough the crowd sounded disappointed and scattered away.
"S-She's not here?" Yosuke also sounded crestfallen.
"We don't know that yet. Let's check inside at least." Yu tried to cheer up his friend a little.
"Yeah! That's our Senpai!" Kanji phrased their leader.
"Thanks guys." He said back to them.
"Don't mention it Yosuke." He didn't mind it at all. They were inside the tofu shop. It was almost completely empty besides one person behind the counter. He wasn't sure who that person was. Maybe it was Rise's grandma? Sometimes looks can be deceiving. He should know that better than anyone since he had silver hair. He remembered a few times people mistaking him for an old man. "Since we're here might as well order some tofu. Excuse me can I get some of these?" he ordered pointing at the kind he wanted. The lady behind the counter turned around and proceeded with the order. Yosuke however was gaping like a fish. "Yosuke?" What was wrong?
"D-Do you know who that is! T-that's her. Risette!" He whispered loudly although the girl on the counter heard him anyways.
"Yeah I am. But please try not to make a scene. That crowd took forever to make them leave." She sighed in annoyance as she recalled about the mess.
Before even Yosuke could ask her not to retire, Yu immediately spoke up first. "We came here to warn you that you might be kidnapped. They have been kidnapping people who appear on the midnight channel." He began telling her.
"Ugh. I scene that. I don't know who that was but that wasn't me." She said sourly.
"We just wanted to warn ya…" Kanji said.
"Uh, thanks…" She handed them the tofu. They left the shop. They pretty much had to drag a complaining Yosuke out.
"Hey we warned her but we should keep an eye on her just in case. We might catch the killer in the act." Yu stated. They could find the killer and put an end to the killings.
"I agree on that partner." Yosuke said. Kanji also agreed. "We'll call the girls and tell them what's going on.
"I appreciate that."
The next day
Nothing out of the ordinary happened yet. The five of them were eating popsicles. Then a familiar face appeared. It was that bumbling detective Adachi. "Hey what are the odds that I'd run into you guys here." They spoke a bit about the case until Chie spotted someone suspicious in front of the tofu shop. "Who's that?" They all looked where she pointed. There was a guy with a camera.
"Hey you!" Adachi yelled and started chasing after the guy. The rest of them were in tow. We ended up tackling the poor weak guy down and Adachi happily arrested the suspect.
Was that really the killer? It seemed to just too easily. Yu thought. Just a few minutes later, an old woman came out of the tofu shop and asked us if we had seen her granddaughter anywhere. We told her we haven't. We knew she was going to be kidnapped but we still managed to fail.
"We'll go inside the TV and rescue her, we won't let her die!" The leader told the team to reassure that it is not over.
Later with Naoto
"Naoto!" her grandpa called out.
"What is it grandpa?" she asked worriedly.
"There's been another disappearance. …What's her name? Oh yeah, that famous teen idol: Rise Kujikawa." He recalled.
"What!" she was missing? Wait... Yu asked about her yesterday. She thought silently. Now she was kidnapped? For her that was way too much of a coincidence. Whether she liked it or not he was somehow connected the Inaba murder case. Was he just around her to gather information? Well to can play at that game, she was going to keep an eye on him and his gang. She was going to find out what it was. They went to Junes a lot, she'll start there.
The next couple of days she observed them. They looked like they were having meetings of some sort in the Junes food court. Then they went into the electronics department. Next however defies all logic yet she witnessed it with her own two eyes. They all disappeared inside the TV.
A/N: There you go. I do not know when the next chapter will be. Until next time.