The Mice Will Play

Adachi was surprised he wasn't met with a punch to the face the following day. He walked into the station waiting to be pounced on by the ever-protective Dojima; however, that moment didn't come. Dojima was tired as ever and smelling like an ashtray. When he saw the younger detective arriving late, he barked at him to get coffee and turned back to his work.

Adachi gawked at him in stupefied silence.

Yua hadn't talked? He thought she would have blabbed to her uncle first thing about how he had smacked her hand away. Adachi was almost relieved to go get the coffee and continue his day as usual.

The newfound safety gave Adachi time to think about the curious case of Dojima's niece. He had pondered it the night before, but nothing really came of it other than the fact that he was sure that she was involved in investigating the murders. She was friends with the victims after their rescue and prodded him for information about the case on a biweekly basis. He would have to be stupid to think it wasn't all connected.

Yet, while he understood that she was involved, he wasn't sure what to do about it. He begrudgingly accepted that it would be tough to get rid of Yua. Even if he managed to sneak up on her and throw her in without revealing his identity, she would just be rescued by player two. Adachi also had to consider that, if he did succeed, he was murdering his partner's niece, and he wasn't ready for all of the boohooing and righteous anger that would surely follow. Whatever the outcome of pushing her in, her disappearance would probably bring more suspicion on anyone who had contact with her. So, murdering her, at least, with his typical method, was not an option.

Since he couldn't do anything about it and she was so insistent on finding out about what he was "hiding," Adachi decided that it would be best to keep away.

Over the next couple of weeks, his theory about her interference gained more and more ground. Everything started to fall into place once Rise Kujikawa disappeared. Yua and her ploy became too obvious and involved a few more people than he previously believed. When she was skulking around before Kujikawa's disappearance, she did so with her group of friends: Tatsumi and Amagi included. The Junes boy seemed to be the talker of the group, though she was always next to him when they were chatting with suspects. What first appeared to be a group of star-struck teens to Dojima revealed a much greater truth to Adachi: they knew about the Midnight Channel and the mysterious prophesy it told. It was the only way he could explain their concern for her safety before Kujikawa disappeared.

While Adachi tried to avoid Yua as much as possible, it was inevitable that they'd cross paths while her group of friends blundered through their inquiries. He'd try to keep his visible presence to a minimum outside of what his work dictated, and the detective constantly surveyed Yua for hints of her suspicion. He found a new, bizarre behavior dominating the young woman: Yua no longer stared him in the eyes. Whenever the detective was around, her eyes would focus on another speaker or fixate on his tie or bangs. He tried to shake the thought, but it was strange since he had gotten used to her unfettered eye contact. He decided to wave it off until he understood the group more.

The only thing that confused Adachi was the "how" and "why" aspects of their group. He couldn't understand how the hell these kids were getting the others out or who they were contacting. (For a while, he really couldn't fathom that this was his player two. It seemed a bit anti-climactic, and he hoped there was something more to it.) It must have been difficult to pull someone out and required a lot of information; otherwise, Kujikawa wouldn't be gone more than a day or two. Was it some kind of séance thing or ritual? For weeks, he could only guess.

Every time he overheard them, there was mention of an "investigation." So, if they were going to investigate him, he might as well do it back. Mostly, that surveillance involved listening in on their conversations. That was easy enough; they talked publicly, and some of her friends had no volume control. He could sit around a corner and listen to all the general shenanigans they got up to. Only Yua was quiet, saying her word just above a whisper. It made it hard to hear, and every time they had a lynchpin or conclusion, they'd turn to Yua for a direction. One time, he heard the green one say, "Good thinking, that's why you're the leader after all."

"Leader," so Yua was in charge. Even though it was a little disappointing to realize that she was the one behind it all, this only made his fascination more intense. Eventually, he was following her. It was usually for a block or two, but he made sure to keep out of sight while recording what this girl did with her spare time, which was a lot. One day, she was fishing. Another day, she was praying at the shrine. Another, she was visiting grannies and working a part-time job. He couldn't make sense of it. Perhaps it all had some secret meaning.

Still, he wasn't piecing together everything. He usually stumbled upon them when he overheard their conversations, and even then, it was "emotions" this and mopey that and other hormonal teenage bullshit. Yet, the most peculiar thing of all was that Yua and her friends would meet at Junes and talk for a couple of minutes before entering the store. Then, they'd come out hours later, looking exhausted yet holding nothing to show for the spent time or money. Adachi decided that this was the place where they did their rescue op, but he needed to be sure.

So, one day, in early July, he decided to follow them in. He trailed behind her posse, making sure to take cover behind shelves and isles if they turned around. Then, they headed into the electronics department, and he concealed himself behind a rack of DVDs

"All clear," came a hushed whisper.

"One more time," another said.

"Let's go!"

There was the sound of scuffling and then perfect silence. Adachi peered around the corner out of curiosity, and his eyes widened. The final appearance of a TV ripple dissipated into nothing. He blinked, and a smile spread across his face—so, he wasn't so far off after all. Those kids were using the TVs to pull people out. But, they went willingly into that deathtrap? If they hadn't been murdered by whatever was in there, it seemed that they had a better understanding of the world inside the television. They knew things he didn't. That would be an issue, but he couldn't help but grin.

Adachi had pinned down player two and their methods—so early in the game too!

He left the store and went home. Just as he suspected, a call came in later that evening asking him to come in because Rise Kujikawa had magically reappeared.

He had the "how" now he needed the "why." If he found that out, he could dissuade them from looking into it further. Whatever form that took, he knew it wouldn't be easy for him. They just rendered his first method completely useless, so he'd have to use some other way. He needed to know more, starting with their leader.

Adachi found himself standing outside the Dojima household one evening after work. Dojima wouldn't be home that night. He was stuck working late at the station. It was the perfect opportunity for what Adachi had planned. There was no way in hell he was about to follow them into the TV. Going into the television meant that he could end up dead on the wires. The option to follow would have to remain a last resort until he could figure out how to do it himself.

For now, Adachi decided to take a more indirect approach. Yua had kept the slapping incident quiet; there must have been some reason for it. He decided to use that for his leverage. A simple apology should do the trick. He'd tell her how sorry he felt and put on a sappy little show for her. She would have to forgive him, and then he'd be in her good graces. That was all he needed to get into her head.

Adachi rang the doorbell and smiled pleasantly as Yua opened the door. The smell of good food wafted out from the house, reminding Adachi that it had been too long since he last ate. He fought a frown. Another frozen dinner would have to cut it tonight.

"Adachi-san?" The girl's voice cut through his hungry thoughts. "My uncle isn't here right now if you're looking for him."

"Yeah. I know…" Now that he was looking right at her, he wasn't sure how to go about all this. He couldn't get a read on her. What she was thinking was anyone's guess, and as far as he was concerned, he was just lucky she hadn't already slammed the door in his face. Any other woman might have. No matter how weird she was, Yua wasn't an exception to the rule. She was probably itching to get him out of her hair; she still wouldn't look him in the eye. Adachi led with an easy excuse. "Actually, he wanted me to stop by to let you know that he wouldn't be home tonight."

"That's strange." Yua tilted her head to the side. "He just called a little while ago to tell us not to wait on him for dinner."

"Right," Of course he did. Adachi coughed. "Well, you know how it is. He's been working so hard. He probably forgot he asked me to drop by and ended up calling you on his own."

"That makes sense," Yua nodded. "Thank you anyway. It's really kind of you to do that for him."

"Don't mention it. It's all part of the job." Adachi waved it off, and the conversation stalled. The two stood in the doorway; Yua fidgeted with a stitch in her sleeve. Adachi figured now was as good a time as any. "Actually, Yua, I wanted to talk to you about—" Adachi's stomach growled loudly. He paused and nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry, I haven't eaten yet."

"Would you like to join us for dinner? Nanako and I were just about to eat. There's plenty to go around." Yua opened the door wider to invite him in.

"Really? You don't mind?"

"Think of it as a thank you for helping my uncle," At least she had the decency to show gratitude where it was due, unlike his boss. Adachi stepped into the doorway and followed Yua inside.

Adachi watched her back curiously as Yua led him into the house. He was surprised to find that their last conversation hadn't made her wary of letting him in. Her lack of eye contact had to mean something; maybe the incident had made her more suspicious than Adachi thought. The smell of dinner hit him, and he dismissed the idea for the moment. He just wanted a plate of whatever smelled that good.

"Anyway, it's always nice to have company," Yua continued. "Please, make yourself at home."

"Well then, don't mind If I do," Adachi shrugged off his jacket, which Yua offered to take, and went to take a seat in the living room. Nanako was already sitting at the kotatsu table watching television. She looked up at him in surprise. He chuckled when she shied away from him. Eventually, her attention went back to the TV, and Adachi settled himself comfortably on a cushion at the table.

Adachi watched as Yua returned to the kitchen and retrieved another bowl from the cabinet. The way she talked to him the other day made it seem like she knew something about him. If she was good at manipulating people, it wouldn't be beneath her to tease him with that information under the guise of personal concern. Then again, Yua might not know anything. He was constantly pulled between two potential versions of Yua: one genuinely threatening and intelligent version and another that just seemed plain stupid and naïve to him. Which one was real? That was the first thing he needed to clear up before pressing forward.

Yua interrupted his thoughts by setting a bowl of curry down in front of him, and the three said their thanks before eating. The meal passed with a steady stream of polite conversation. He had to keep himself from rolling his eyes as Yua brought up that dumb cat again. It had taken what seemed like forever for his scratches to heal, and now he still wasn't rid of that little menace. The girl rattled off something about getting it a collar or something like that. He nodded and pretended to care. At least Yua seemed to be pleased with the conversation as they drifted from one mundane topic to the other. Still, it was strange that she wouldn't meet his eye. She was clearly tense. Part of him wondered if she was afraid of him because of the incident; he kept himself from smirking at the thought.

At least someone in the house knew how to keep polite eye contact. Nanako kept looking at him with her big eyes. She was a cute little girl; he'd have to be blind to ignore that. She was a kid but well beyond her years when it came to understanding things. He figured it came from her mother's death; the kid had to grow up fast and deal with her hard-ass of a father. She was too aware of everyone's emotions, which made him worried to some extent. Could she tell that he was putting on a façade?

"Hey, Nanako-chan," he beamed at her. "You got to play with Atsuki too, right?"

"Yeah!" Her eyes lit up. "She even slept with me one night. She was so fluffy! Big sis said that Atsuki'll be able to walk the streets again when she gets older! So maybe I can see her again."

"That's great!"

No. Nanako was still a child after all. It gave him some relief. He didn't know what he would do if she was able to see through his happy little mask. He wouldn't push her in the TV; he wasn't a monster. Why would he even think about that? He had to shake his head; he was getting too antsy. He couldn't be rash.

Adachi caught Yua looking at him out of the corner of his eye, but the moment he turned to face her, she stared right into the food. It was starting to piss him off.

Adachi took his time enjoying the food. There was no point spoiling delicious, free food with business that could wait until later. He also wanted to avoid raising too many questions around Nanako. She was a good kid, but he didn't want her bringing up anything to Dojima later.

As the meal came to an end, the room fell into a comfortable silence, and it was only a matter of time before Nanako started to sway in her seat.

"Big sis?" The little girl spoke, eyelids drooping.

"Yeah, Nanako?"

"I'm getting sleepy." She yawned and got up from the table. "I think I'm going to go to bed. Do you want help with the dishes?"

"No, it's alright, I'll get them. You can go to bed." Adachi and Yua watched quietly as Nanako retreated to her room for the night.

Finally, they were alone. This was the moment Adachi had been waiting for. It was time to get to work. Adachi spoke as Yua stood and began gathering the dishes for washing.

"You know, Yua, there was another reason I wanted to come over tonight." He watched for her reaction out of the corner of his eye. "I've been thinking a lot about what you said to me the other day, about how I'm hiding something."

"You have?" Yua stopped but didn't look back at him.

"Yeah," He shrugged. "I've never really thought about it much before, but I—I think you're right. I just can't figure out what I would be hiding, even though I haven't been feeling my best lately."

Yua turned off the faucet with a look of concern. She seemed to be waiting on him like she was expecting a confession. He decided to give it to her.

"I'm sorry I hit your arm," Adachi gave his best remorseful expression.

"It's alright; I was being impolite. I'm told that I can be a bit blunt and nosey sometimes."

At least she realized it.

"But that doesn't mean it was okay," he shook his head. "When you started saying those things, I just didn't know what to do. I was really confused."

Yua was quiet.

"I'm sorry," Adachi repeated, hoping to prompt her, something to break the godawful silence that reared its head when he relied on her to carry a conversation outside of cats. He looked away apologetically, and the next thing he knew, she was sitting next to him at the table. He was surprised to find her staring at him again. Her eyes remained solely on him—unblinking. Creepy. Paradoxically, he wished that she would gaze at anything else.

"It's really no problem," She insisted. "It didn't even hurt." She held up her bare, unbruised wrist as if it were proof. "I overstepped a boundary, and I'm sorry. You're normally so calm and gentle, and I pushed you. I've helped other people talk things out, so I thought it would be the same then. . ." She paused and took a breath. "Honestly, I was just teasing you. It wasn't fair to make you feel so uncomfortable. So, I'm sorry."

Adachi was taken aback by the honesty in her eyes and the sincerity in her voice. It was just too polite and absurd to be fake. All of it was genuine concern.

Calm?

Gentle?

Geez, he really did have her fooled.

He finally felt at ease, "Well, we both have something to apologize for then."

"I guess so." She topped it off with, "And I'm sorry I haven't talked to you since. I thought I'd made you mad and… I was just worried about you."

"Worried? For what?"

"You work overtime a lot; my uncle is a bit rough." A bit rough, sure, if you looked at it with rose-tinted glasses. "And I noticed that you don't have many friends." Blunt. "I moved here just a bit ago, so I know what it's like."

Adachi almost rolled his eyes. She'd made friends in under a week just by nature of existing.

"I guess I just know how lonely it is when you don't have someone to talk to in a small town like this," Her expression softened. "So, I think, well, I thought maybe we could be friends."

Adachi blinked. Friends? She would pull something like that. Once again, he resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"Friends?"

"Only if you want, of course."

There was nothing Adachi would like less. Being friends with this girl would only be a pain in the neck for him, but maybe, just maybe, he could use this to his advantage. He didn't want her digging around in his personal life anymore than she already had, but this so-called friendship could be his key to having all his questions answered. He would just have to play along with her idiotic notions for a while, that was all. It was best to move this along quickly.

"Well, this is awkward," Adachi rubbed the back of his neck in a show of bashfulness. "I thought we already were friends."

"Oh, I see." Yua's eyes sparkled, and a smile finally replaced her blank stares. "Then, I guess, now we can become even better friends."

"How do you suppose we do that? We don't exactly run in the same circles, you know."

"Easy. Do you have your phone on you?"

"Yeah, why?" Adachi fished his phone from his pocket. He protested when Yua unexpectedly pulled the device from his hand, flipped it open, and began pressing buttons. "Hey, what are you doing?"

"Here, now you have my number." Yua handed the phone back. She chuckled a little at his bewildered expression. "Call any time you want to talk or need a friend. I'm sure we can figure out a way to hang out. I'm here for you, okay?"

Was this girl stupid or something, handing out her phone number and offering help to just anyone? For an unpleasant moment, he felt like another stray cat she was picking up off the street. For now, she seemed to have answered his question; he decided to err on the side of Yua actually being a fool. All of this really brought into question her perceived intelligence. At the rate things were going, this would be an easy win.

Adachi smiled. He had gotten exactly what he came for. This poor, stupid, clueless bitch had just given him access to her anytime, anywhere. It was perfect.

He held his phone tightly in his grasp. Now he would always be able to stay one step ahead of them. Having established that, he decided he had enough of this sob fest and looked at his watch, "Oh, it's getting pretty late. I won't burden you any longer." He pushed back in his chair to get up.

"No, it's fine, I—"

"Really, I should get going." Adachi waved her off. "I've got work in the morning, and you've probably got school." He retrieved his jacket as he made his way to the door.

"Right," The girl seemed to quiet at his departure. She followed him to the door and let him out, "Get home safely, and remember, you have my number if you ever want to talk."

"I will. Thank you, Narukami." He smiled as sincerely as possible.

She visibly perked up at the words, "Any time."

He waved goodbye as he turned to go. The whole thing had really been so simple. Now he was confident that their confrontation the other day had been innocent concern on her part, however badly misdirected, and she had also given him access to her just like that. This would definitely be easier than he had thought. A part of him felt disappointed by the revelation. What kind of game would this be without a challenge?

Then again, messing with their group and leader could prove to be the outlet he needed to stave off his boredom.

"Hey!" He turned around at the unexpected shout. Yua waved to him, still standing at the door. "Let me know when you get home, so I know you're okay."

His initial suspicions were correct. This girl was going to be a pain in the ass.

Yua watched Adachi's form disappear down the street.

I am thou…

The familiar words began their speech. A small smile crept over her features as she retreated into the house to clean up the kitchen. Everything that happened had been so unexpected, but she couldn't imagine the night going any better.

Yua had gotten through to him, and the fact that Adachi even considered what she said to him after they had parted ways that day was big. It meant he wanted to change, and now he had let her in. Adachi's confession and apology must have been a difficult step for him to take all on his own. He really was a good guy, and she would do her best to help him.

She finished cleaning the kitchen and wandered up to her room. It was getting late, but she still hadn't heard from Adachi. She picked up a book and began reading. It was hard to focus with her mind playing over the night's events. She found herself reading and rereading the same page; her thoughts drifted. As she reread the same paragraph for the fourth time, she remembered how nice it had been to see him smile.

Her phone jingled. She flipped it open, and a message from an unknown number blinked on the screen.

Got home.

Yua let out a small sigh; she hadn't realized how nervous she had been until that moment. It had taken him a while to respond. She was just glad he remembered and replied. She quickly saved the contact under A-san.

Great!

See you around.

Yua grinned.

Goodnight! (*^▽^*)