I'm finally back! I am so sorry about the long hiatus! It's my senior year of high school and schoolwork, college applications, work and so forth have been such a pain in the ass. But with the holidays coming up, I should be able to put some more time into writing! Sorry if they're a little shorter than usual, but it still feels great to be writing again! Thank you so much for your patience!

-Purple

The shrill ring of the doorbell made its way into my kitchen, sending a faint shiver through my core. I knew that I was safe to some extent, especially in the broad daylight while my grandfather and his secretary were home, but the sound still made me somewhat cautious whenever I heard it. Dressed in only a light shirt and pants, my hair slightly unkempt on a Sunday morning, I lumbered to the door in my tired state and slid it open.

"Good morning, Naoto-kun," I heard as soon as I opened the door.

After rubbing my eyes, I looked up in surprise to see none other than Chie-san standing at my front door. Her presence was so unexpected that I stuttered with my greeting. "G-good morning, Senpai…"

"You free?" she asked, "I was walking my dog earlier and thought I might stop by to check up on you. ...Oh, I dropped my dog back off at home first, though…" She scratched the back of her head. "I didn't know if you liked dogs or not."

"I'm fine with dogs," I assured her, "I've had to deal with them a few times in my line of work. My grandfather used to have one, as well."

"Oh," Chie said, "Well, maybe I can introduce you to mine sometime!"

"Maybe so," I yawned, "But… If you don't mind me asking… How did you know where I live?"

"Yukiko told me," Chie replied, "She and Rise walked you home, remember?" She grinned.

"Ah, yes, I see…"

"So… You wanna hang out?" Chie asked.

"Um…" I scratched the back of my neck. I didn't know what spending time with her would entail, though I didn't want to turn her down. I still wasn't sure how to react to people actually wanting to be around me. Seeing as I had had little experience with friends growing up, I didn't exactly know how.

"If you don't want to go out today, maybe we could hang out here at your house," Chie suggested. "I promise I won't break anything… I learned my lesson last time at Yosuke's."

Alarm bells sounded in my mind, and I stepped back immediately, in a rush to answer. "We can go into town! Th-that'd be great!" I began to feel beads of sweat appear on my brow. Of course I feared for the well-being of my house if she was as energetic as I assumed, but this wasn't the main reason I was concerned. My foremost worry was about actually having a friend visit my house. I didn't remember the last time a friend visited, if one had ever even visited at all in my childhood. I didn't know what I would do to entertain them, let alone what would happen when my grandfather met them. Furthermore, I had no idea what to expect from Chie-san or my grandfather's reaction to her, given her… Unique personality.

"Oh, alright, then!" Chie responded.

"I'll go change into some more suitable clothes, in that case," I said, nervously turning and running toward the stairs. Halfway through the kitchen, I stopped in my tracks. iNo,/i I thought, iI shouldn't just leave her there at the door… Maybe I should at least make an attempt…/i I turned around and faced her. "On second thought… I assume you've been walking for quite some time already… Why don't you come in?"

"Seriously?" Chie squealed, "Awesome!" She practically leapt through the door in excitement, kicking her shoes into the corner in the process. She then followed me into the kitchen after shutting the door, and I lead her into the parlor, wondering whether or not I had made the right choice at that moment.

"Woah," Chie gawked as she looked around the room, dumbstruck with awe. "It's exactly as I imagined it, Naoto-kun. Haha, everything's all fancy and sophisticated, just like the lair of a hard-boiled detective in mystery movies."

"Indeed," I replied with a grin, "My grandfather is very partial to the traditional detective lifestyle."

"Must run in the family, then," Chie winked at me.

"Yes, well," I fidgeted, "I tend to follow my family's traditions."

"Naoto-kun, is someone here?" I heard my grandfather say as he exited his study and walked down the hallway toward the parlor.

My heart skipped a beat, but I quickly calmed myself down enough to face him when he walked in. Yakushiji followed behind him, holding a folder full of papers. "Oh, G-Grampa, Yakushiji-san," I stuttered, "This is… One of the friends I have told you about. She has come to visit-"

Chie bowed instantly to him, as if bowing to an honorable sensei. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Shirogane-sama. My name is Chie Satonaka."

My grandfather looked in almost bewilderment at Chie-san. He bowed to her and retained his formal aura, but I could sense an overwhelming feeling of joy within him. "Detective Shirogane, Senior," he said, "I am extremely pleased to meet your acquaintance, Satonaka-san."

Yakushiji bowed as well, seeming to be almost as happy as my grandfather. "I am Yakushiji, secretary of the Shirogane estate. I am pleased to meet you as well. It is not often that Naoto-sama has guests."

I awkwardly ran my fingers through the back of my hair. Things seemed to be going well, however, I still didn't know what to expect.

"I'm sure Naoto-kun has told you by now," my grandfather said to Chie, "But we just moved to Inaba a few months ago. Please, make yourself at home, by all means."

"Thank you very much, sir," Chie smiled.

"You are very welcome," Grampa said, "But in all honesty, I believe that it is I who should be thankful to you. I think Naoto-kun could use a few nice friends."

My face reddened in a hot blush. "Grampa…" I mumbled under my breath.

My grandfather chuckled quietly. "Well, then, I'll leave the two of you to yourselves." With small bows, he and Yakushiji retreated to my grandfather's study.

I was grateful for a quick moment, until I realized that now Chie-san and I were alone together. I broke out in a sweat. "U-uh…" I stammered, fiddling with the collar of my shirt, "So, what shall we do?"

Chie looked curiously around the room, rocking between her toes and the balls of her feet. "Well," she said sweetly, "Why don't you show me around? This is a really nice place you've got here."

"O-oh," I stuttered, clearing my throat, "Of course! R-right this way, then."

I awkwardly showed Chie around the parlor, the kitchen and the downstairs hallway, including the downstairs bathroom and my grandfather's study, before bringing her upstairs to show her my grandfather's room, the guest room, the upstairs bathroom and, across the hall, my own room. With the amount of restlessness boiling inside her, I was surprised yet relieved that she refrained from breaking a single object. Still, I thought to myself with a sort of tightness in my chest, her visit had only just begun. I frantically ran my fingers through my navy blue hair when I realized this fact.

"Oooooh," Chie-san cooed at the sight of my room, "This is your room!? This could practically be a detective's office!"

"It is, in a way…" I chirped shyly, with a small hint of pride. "J-just don't touch anything, please…"

She was already in my room looking and prodding at everything before I could finish my sentence. I began to wonder if I was speaking too quietly.

"You have so many books," she gaped in awe at the bookshelves lining the wall behind my desk, which were filled to the brim with all sorts of delightful books, old and new, sweetly thin and deliciously fat, Japanese and English, translated and in their original text. Diverse as they were, most of them surrounded a single topic: Detective fiction, or in some cases, nonfiction. Every now and then I would enjoy a delectable science fiction or a series of vignettes or essays, but for the most part, detective fiction constructed the bulk of my literary inventory. This small library of mine was my pride, and if there was anything I was relatively satisfied with, it was this collection of books.

"Yes," I said with a proud grin, "All of which I have read at least once."

Chie-san's jaw dropped open, and she turned to stare at me in disbelief. "No way," she squealed, "You can't have read all of these!"

"A lot of them, even twice or more," I added with a smirk.

"And I find it so hard just to read one," Chie whined, looking back up at my enormous collection as if it were an unconquerable mountain. "Jeez, you must have a lot of time on your hands!"

I began to nod, and then I analyzed the true meaning of those words. "Yes," I replied with a frown, "Well, when I'm not busy with school and work, of course. But sadly, that has been the case since I was a child."

Chie turned around and looked at me with sympathy. "Oh… I didn't mean it in that way, Naoto-kun… I'm sorry..."

I grinned, shaking away the foolish feelings. "No, believe me, it isn't your fault. It isn't like I don't enjoy reading; books have always benefitted me more than social interaction." I wondered if I truly thought that, or if I was just making excuses. I sat down on my bed, wishing that the conversation would end.

Chie approached me and sat next to me, still jubilant in behavior. A few awkward moments passed before she spoke up again. "I think it's really amazing that you read so much."

I looked at her in confusion. "You do?"

"Yeah," she smiled, "Like I said, I can barely read one. Well, except for awesome action novels about kung fu warriors. That kind of stuff gets me pumped!" She quickly pulled her hands in close to her, clenching them into fists. I nearly flinched, but I grinned at her enthusiasm. She glanced at my smile, and I could tell that she was trying her best to break the ice. "But kung fu books don't even compare to kung fu movies! The thrill! The passion! The sweat and the adrenaline and the evildoers bowing at the awesome power of the protagonist! Awww yeah! Nothing beats it!"

I chuckled to myself, but quickly covered my mouth. She must have seen my reaction, because after a quick glance at me, she grinned in satisfaction. "Yeah," she continued, "Kung fu runs through my veins like pure adrenaline! I've got posters of some of my favorite action flicks all over my room, and I've even got my own punching bag!" She looked around my room, and then frowned. "Maybe that's what you need."

A red flag went up in my mind. "A-a punching bag!?"

"No, silly," Chie corrected me, "Posters!"

"...Posters?" I repeated.

"Yeah," she said, "Not of kung fu movies, but maybe of some other things. Like… Well, what kind of movies do you like?"

I pondered her question in my head. What movies did I like? ...When was the last time I even saw a movie? "I don't normally watch films in general," I replied, still thinking to myself, "But… I suppose that my favorite genre may be similar to my taste in books. Yeah… A good detective flick or murder mystery film might strike my fancy."

"Wow," Chie said with a frown, "You don't even watch movies?"

I began to feel alienated, and I tensed up, gripping the sheets of my bed. "They've never particularly interested me…"

"Well, then," Chie said, standing up, "I propose that we should have a movie night!"

"M-movie night?" My face grew hot.

"Yeah! You, me, and maybe a few of the others. We should watch a movie together!"

"Well," I said, "I suppose I could try to fit it into my schedule…"

"Aw, c'mon, Naoto-kun!" I looked up at her, and she was staring intently at me with her copper eyes, smiling encouragingly. "Forget about work and responsibilities for one night. Join us! Take a load off and just relax."

Her invitation felt slightly imposing to me, but part of me was eager to try it out. I nodded my head hesitantly in response to her request. "Okay, then… I agree that we should try it out at some point."

Chie pumped her fist in excitement. "Sweet! It'll be like an official initiation! I promise, Naoto-kun, you will not be disappointed!"

I began to wonder if I had made the smartest decision. Nonetheless, I welcomed the idea as a means of relaxation around my new friends. We eagerly discussed our plans for a much longer time than necessary.

Once Chie began to calm down, we were both sprawled out on my bed. Despite my requests, Chie-san had propped her feet up on the wall beside my bed. We weren't talking very much, which I felt uncomfortable about at first, but after a while, I had begun to wonder if friendship didn't necessarily require talking. There was something simply about her being there that was just as reassuring. For a few minutes, we did nothing but stare at the ceiling, appreciating each other's presence. I felt almost as if I could fall asleep, until one sound stirred me awake. Amidst the silence, Chie's stomach let out a loud growl which made me bolt upward.

She chuckled as if it were hilarious. I simply stared at her, not knowing exactly how to react. "Sorry 'bout that," she said cheerfully.

"Are you hungry…?" I asked awkwardly, feeling a lump grow in my throat as my face began to redden.

"Yeah," Chie said as she sat up as well, "But I'm always hungry." She patted her stomach jokingly. I wondered how someone could be this outgoing. If it had been me, I would have surely died of embarrassment. "What about you?"

Now that I thought of it, I hadn't had anything to eat that morning. My own stomach had been growling quietly, although it was not loud enough to be heard. "I guess I'm a bit hungry as well."

"What do you say we head down to Aiya and get something to eat?" Chie asked with the passion of a ravenous tiger.

Normally I would have been too shy to eat in front of others (with only one other person, of course… In a group I usually felt fine with it), but for some reason, I felt I was beginning to open up to Chie. Plus, my mouth began to water at the thought of food. "Sure," I nodded, "I suppose I could go for some ramen at the moment."