Green-eyed Monster

The rain tapping on the windowsill and the clock ticking in the corner were the only sounds that penetrated Tohru's room. His hand traced the words as he read through the exam study book. A power outage at his cram school forced it to close for the day, so he spent his time at home studying. Usually, he would have his headphones on listening to music when he studied, but the sound of the rain put him at ease.

After an hour of study, Tohru leaned back from the desk and took a momentary breather. He glanced to the window showcasing the raindrops parading down the glass pane. Temptation sunk in. He thought about goofing off or watching TV, but he figured it was better to study for his upcoming midterm. Studying was better than exiting his room and finding an empty house anyway. Sometimes he'd pretend that someone was outside. He'd turn the TV on, let it run on some nonsense, and periodically call out of his room, "I'm trying to study; can you turn it down?" Then, with the remote, he'd lower the volume.

It was to get back at them, to mock their absence and prove he could work alone just as well—or, at least, that's what he told himself. It was hard to play house with one person. He didn't feel like jabbing at them today—midterms were just too important. He had to get into a good high school; then, maybe he could get out of there.

Clunk.

Tohru snapped up from a drowsy spell and looked to the door of his room. He heard the front door open and the sound of shuffling and settled back. His mother was home from her errands—a little earlier than he expected, not that he kept track of her. He heard the flutter of her raincoat and the clank of her umbrella sliding into the metal umbrella stand. Tohru decided to ignore her and get back to work. She'd probably come to his room in an hour or two to announce dinner.

"This way," his mother's voice carried through the thin walls between his room and the rest of the apartment. For a moment, he thought she had brought one of her chatty friends home with her and reconsidered putting on his headphones. "Stop it. Wait until we get back into the room."

"Can't help it. You said your kid might be back, so let's get to it."

Tohru was now sitting at attention. That was a man's voice and not one that he recognized. He got to his feet, wondering if his mother wanted to introduce them, but then, their shadows passed his door.

"He's at his cram school. He's a good boy. He won't be back for a while. We can spend as much time as we need."

"Sure. Sure."

After they passed by, Tohru pressed his ear to the door. He still couldn't make out if he knew the voice. Maybe the maintenance man for their building or a cousin who came to town? It had to be, right?

Tohru trailed along the wall, following the sounds of his mother's whispered voice. Then, he realized something: they were heading to the bedroom. A hole formed in his stomach. The answer was as obvious as a neon sign, but he didn't know what to do. He could only hear shuffling and murmuring. The worst feeling that curled his stomach was hope, some childish want for a misunderstanding. He was a maintenance man! He was going to fix their heater! That's what he was there for. That's why she was bringing him in!

A moan drifted through the walls.

Adachi's face blossomed into a red inferno. He tore away from the wall and returned to his desk as the noise continued. Something slammed up against the wall, and Tohru found an escape. He slapped on his earphones and turned up the volume to a deafening level. He'd rather be deaf than listen to that. He turned to his homework again, facing away from the wall. He didn't dare take them off for the longest time, but he couldn't even focus on his homework after a while. Nothing could keep his mind from what was happening in the other room. He wanted to leave but didn't trust himself to be quiet enough with the rickety floors and squeaky front door. Would they even hear him? Even if he did leave, where would he go? What would he do? When would he come back? They were doing it right in his parents' bedroom. Tohru knew his parents sometimes fought, but he never considered this a possibility. What would he tell dad? What would he tell his barely-home, alcoholic, feckless father?

The more he thought about it, the more his heart twisted in anger.

This whole situation was so stupid.

Tohru turned back to his work. He didn't care. He didn't care! If his dad was so dumb that he couldn't figure it out… His father was a stupid drunk anyway! And his mother was a whore. But it happened all the time, right? The kids at his schools had some parents with shitty marriages—it was normal. He didn't care. He shouldn't care.

It was getting harder to see his paper, and he had to clean his glasses multiple times.

"Stupid roof," he muttered, imagining a crack in the pipe above him leaking water droplets on his page. The leak made it impossible to focus and the tip of his nose wet. No matter how he belittled it, he couldn't focus on what was happening on the other side of the wall without wanting to vomit. Did she just hate his father so much? Did she hate Tohru? Why did it hurt so much?

Tohru eventually pressed his face into his arms. He thought about filling up a bucket with ice water and dumping it on them. Beating them with a stick seemed much more satisfying. That's what you did with animals, and they were acting like animals. Tohru stewed in bitter anguish until he felt like he had run an emotional marathon.

Eventually, he didn't have the energy to stay conscious.

Then, he had a dream. He was pulled onto his back; his head found rest against something warm; and the earphones were removed, leaving some ringing in his ears. A hand stroked his hair. He muttered something as he moved towards the warmth and the inviting hand. The gentle movements stirred him from his sleep. His eyes fluttered momentarily, then shot open. His mother's serene, pleasant eyes stared into his.

Tohru's stomach turned. Where had that mouth been? What had she touched with those perfect nails? The thought of it made him never want to see her again.

"How was school today?"

Tohru mustered as much strength as he could to keep eye contact, "Fine."

He swallowed dryly. Her hand stopped. That pleasant smile faded a little more with each tick of the clock.

"I saw your shoes in the front. You got home early, didn't you," Her hands went through his hair, pulling the strands tight.

Tohru didn't answer. Her manicured nailed raked the top of his head. His heart thundered wildly, and he was acutely aware that the angle of his head left his neck open and vulnerable. Tohru didn't know whether to look away or stare into her eyes, but he knew it didn't matter.

"You don't need to talk about anything you saw or heard, do you."

Tohru shook his head slowly.

Her hand stopped, fingers wrapping around his hair. Then she started to pull. The pressure was gradual: never quite painful, but the possibility was only a short yank away.

"Say it," Her voice was cold, her eyes distant.

"I—I won't," he murmured.

"Won't what?"

"I won't say anything."

Tohru felt like he couldn't breathe. The pressure in his scalp drove his panicked thoughts along worse-case scenarios.

"You're goddamn pathetic," she grumbled.

She released his hair, and his head dropped to the ground. His mother rose and headed towards the door. Hesitating for only a moment, she held her hand over the wastebasket next to his door and dusted her hands. Little strands of pulled hair drifted downward. Then, she slid the door open and paused before leaving.

"What do you want for dinner?" Cheery, pleasant, her voice was a saccharine delight to the ear.

Tohru felt like there was a dagger in his chest that twisted and twisted until he felt like he was going to disappear. He curled away from her, bringing his hand up to shield himself, and grabbed the spot on his head that was a few strands thinner.

"I'll make your favorite then," she waited for a response before pressing on, "It should be ready in a bit. Alright? I'll call you when it's ready."

Tohru pulled his knees up to his chest. He couldn't let her see him cry.

The door closed behind her, and a final sound drifted from behind the walls, "I love you, Tohru."

Adachi woke in a sweat. He sat up, feeling his heart racing. He threw his blanket off and stumbled through the dark and into the bathroom. The faucet spurted ice-cold water, and he rubbed it into his heated skin. The cooling water washed the sweat and stress down the drain. He turned off the faucet, toweled away the water, and caught a glimpse of his tired eyes.

Before it faded into his subconscious, Adachi reflected on the dream that brought him so much misery.

The affair shouldn't have been a shock. His parents' relationship was as solid as wet toilet paper. Most people cheated, even in stronger relationships, just a byproduct of animal instinct vs. human laws. But, the affairs, and there were multiple ones, he was sure, affected him when he was a child. He didn't let his mother touch his hair anymore, so he cut it himself with uneven results. He found himself leaving the house, barely touching the food she made for him, and finding other ways to avoid his mother.

For years, that scene haunted him because, for the first time in her life, his mother showed her true colors. She was a true thespian, a pinnacle of motherhood, the envy of other housewives. No one else knew that she was a sadistic, cheating whore—even her lovers didn't know her as well as Tohru had at that moment. He thought she would have threatened him or hurt him or sabotaged his work, or even poisoned his food, but she never did. She never had to; he had built her up in his mind as some all-seeing witch who lived such a perfect façade that no one would believe him even if he put the truth right in front of them.

However, like with all monsters, Tohru became less afraid of her as he grew up. Around his later high school years, he started to see her more accurately. She was a pathetic woman clinging to some youth and future that was stolen from her by a mundane marriage and the consequence of aging. Menopause hit her early like a train, and he saw her pathetically cling to some part of her youth with even heavier makeup and drink.

Then, on nights that his father would stay late or was on a business trip, that true self bubbled up with the fizz in her glass.

"You're a bastard, you know. That means you're cursed."

"I can't wait for you to go to college. I can actually use your room for something."

"You think I'm ugly, don't you? How cruel! Don't think about your mother like that!"

"Don't look at me like that! You're thinking about it! You're insulting me in your head! Stop it!"

Pathetic.

Once he finally moved out, Adachi realized she had no power over him; she never did, and he cursed himself for believing her threats all those years ago. If she cheated, she would be the one at fault and wouldn't get custody. She was weak and would never jeopardize her freedom living off his father's paycheck. She was too old, too ugly to hook another man. Her hands were shaking even as she threatened him that night. If he just took a picture or showed his father her call log on the home phone, he would have been set—given her some necessary consequences. He held all the cards and was too blind to see it.

Adachi sighed and exited the bathroom feeling more conflicted than when he entered. But now, Adachi had to wonder again why his dreams were becoming more vivid with each passing day and why they dragged up such memories. What was the cause? Why did his mind feel like conjuring ancient history? Then it hit him.

Yua had a lot of male friends.

These "friends" weren't just acquaintances; they got to hang out, eat together, and share their little "secret." It was a prime opportunity for an unsuspecting affair.

But Yua wouldn't—just like Yamano wouldn't? He had never thought that she would stoop to someone like Namatame. Why would Yua be any different with Hanamura or Tatsumi? They were so head over heels that she could assemble a harem with little effort. Adachi couldn't assume innocence. She held so many secrets from him already; she wouldn't mind having a few more. He couldn't allow that to happen.

"Alright," Rise stood on her side of the table, "The first official meeting of the Seeking Unknown Boyfriend Investigation team, or the SUB-Investigation team, has come to order."

"Hear, hear!" Yosuke pumped his fist in the air.

The two members of the newly minted SUB-investigation team had planned their meeting carefully. They knew they couldn't use the usual base without attracting the rest of their friends, so they made their new headquarters the table right outside Souzai Daigaku. In addition to the change in venue, they decided to be organized, or at least more organized than the official Investigation Team. There were sheets of paper on the table, graphs, and notes from their inquiries. Yosuke even took minutes as their meeting went on.

Self-appointed head-co-leader of the SUB-investigation team, Rise, said, "First order of business, assessing potential secret boyfriends from the known pool of suspects. So~, is it anyone on the Main Investigation Team?"

There was a half-second pause.

"No," they said simultaneously.

"Co-leader Yosuke, recite the evidence of such a claim."

"Ma'am!" He brought up a piece of paper with some scribblings. "Suspicions were raised when Yua mentioned that she was excited to see what Kanji's bathing suit looked like at the beach. However, after watching Yua cower at the sight of Kanji's—um—Kanji-ness during the beach time wardrobe malfunction, it was determined not to be him. There's no way it's Ted because he'd be blabbing about it. And… well, it's not me… so… I can indeed say that it is no one on the team. We have effectively eliminated the Investigation Team from our list of suspects. And narrowed it down to… just about any high school guy in town…"

"Good job!" Rise announced. "Now, we must figure out who Yua's dating by any means necessary!"

"Any means—on second thought, no. There are some things I won't do."

"Alright, most means!"

There was a pause. Yosuke wrote down the last couple of ideas in the notepad, and Rise noisily slurped on her nearly finished drink.

"Hey, idea guy, have you figured out our plan of action?" Rise asked after a minute or two.

"No, not yet—hey, we're supposed to figure it out together."

"Yeah, but you're the one who's supposed to be used to this brainstorming stuff. You have seniority, senpai!"

"Ok, well, we can't ask around school; that would alert the gossip grapevine and bring unwanted attention to Yua. Then, she'd find out we've been sneaking around looking for her boyfriend. Can't exactly ask the adults either; they're just as unreliable, honestly. If the housewife network gets ahold of this, everyone will know."

"Good point… We could always just do some old fashion spying," Rise said and made her hands into spy glasses.

"That's not going to work, and it's not as fun or effective as it sounds," Yosuke whined. "And… I'm not sure how to go about it without invading her privacy and breaking into her room," he added as Rise opened her mouth, "which is not happening."

"Guard dog. But you're right."

"Did you get any more out of your conversations with Yua?"

"Noooooooo," Rise whined. "She said she'd tell me about him, but it's like pulling teeth. All I know is that he is tall, has hair, eyes, a mouth, and a nose. And when I ask what he's like, she's just like: friendly, nice, good-natured, well-dressed, pleasant. Oh, I also learned that he has 'a job' at 'a place' 'in Japan.'"

"So… like literally anyone."

"Literally anyone!"

They sat there in silence.

"Okay, now what?" Rise asked.

"Is the investigation already at a standstill?" Yosuke whined.

"It can't be! What did you guys do when you came to a lull in the case?"

"Well, we'd brainstorm."

"That didn't work."

"And then…" Yosuke's voice drifted off; he perked up and waved in the distance. "We wait for a development!"

Nanako skipped down the shopping center street. Now that Dad was home more often and she had proven to be a 'big girl,' Nanako could go on short trips to Junes. She knew it was a special occasion and decided to dress up for it with a cute bucket hat and her favorite pair of shoes. She was focused. Single-minded. Two-item grocery list in one hand and boundless determination in the other. Nothing could stop her!

"Hey, Nanako! Over here!" She looked over to see her big sis' friends approaching her.

"Yosuke! Risette! Hi!" The young girl sprinted over to the two teenagers.

"What are you doing out here by yourself?" Rise asked. "Are you going shopping? You look all dressed up for something special!"

Nanako spun around to show off her outfit, "Yep! I'm going to shop at Junes!"

"That's great! You're our number one customer!" Yosuke smiled.

"It's so weird how you swap so easily into store clerk mode," Rise muttered.

"Same as you, I'm always game for a fan," he turned back to Nanako and tapped his chin. "Say Nanako-chan, before you go, we have a bit of a problem. Could you help us with it?"

"Problem? I can help out!"

"So, Yua has been disappearing a bit over the summer. We think she might be meeting up with someone… special. Do you have any idea where she goes?"

Nanako tilted her head to the side. So, they had seen the same thing? She remembered a few days ago when she saw Yua don her own disguise and trail off to Adachi-san's apartment. That must have been what they wanted. She almost told them joyously that Yua was going to see her dad's partner in the evening. But something stopped her: her dedication to the law. Nanako still didn't know what Yua did when she met with Adachi, so the case was still open. Loveline wouldn't give up such information to her friends; she was a good detective.

"That's confidential until the investigation has concluded," Nanako struck a pose like Loveline did when she made a profound statement.

Rise's face fell, "Leave it to the detective's kid to know the lingo. Could you just tell us this one time? Pretty please? Just for me! I won't tell."

"I would compromise the case's integrity by letting information leak to the public," The little girl struck another pose.

"Listen to all those big words that shouldn't be in a kid's vocab," Yosuke sighed. "Anyway, Nanako-chan, if you tell us, I'll give you this," he reached into his wallet and pulled out a card.

Nanako gasped, "A Junes gift card!"

"That's right! But only if you tell us who Yua is meeting."

Rise grimaced, "We're bribing little girls now?"

"Not little a girl, an officer of the law," Yosuke winked at Nanako.

"That's worse, y'know."

Nanako screwed up her face and scrutinized the gift card. This information was essential to her investigation, but that card looked so nice. She couldn't betray the ethics, but that card had at least 2000¥. She bit her lip. A good detective would avoid such temptations (Loveline had been able to do so countless times), but a little girl just wanted some extra money for a nice dinner.

"I'll tell you, but in code," She gestured for Yosuke to lean in and whispered into his ear, "She's been over to the detective's apartment a lot."

Nanako pulled back and held out her cupped hands for the gift card.

"That wasn't really a code… Wait! What do you mean by detective?" Yosuke asked and shared a glance with Rise.

"That's all I can tell you," Nanako shook her hands again. "I would have to turn in my badge otherwise."

Yosuke screwed up his face in thought, "Detective? Like a real one? Or…"

Rise gasped and grinned, "Oh, that makes so much more sense."

"What?"

"It's Naoto-kun!"

"Naoto?" Yosuke shot up, forgetting the little girl and the promised prize. "But he's so short—I mean, yeah, he's cool and all, but we've barely talked to him."

"I'm just happy Yua has good tastes."

"'Good tastes!' What's that supposed to mean?" He waved his hands and, in effect, the card around, making Nanako's head bob as she kept unblinking eye contact with her reward.

Rise shot him a look, "I'm not explaining. I'm just happy for Yua. Mission accomplished: I'm going home now. The investigation into Yua's love life is closed! The SUB investigation team is dissolved." With that decree, she started down the street.

"Hey, wait!" He stepped forward only to find a slight yet harsh tug holding him back. "Oh! Here you go, Nanako!" He held out the card, which was promptly snatched. "Hey, Risette. If this thing is over, can we still hang out before I go to work? I could buy you a celebration lunch!"

Nanako's distraction from the card faded as she shoved it into her front pocket.

It finally ran through the girl's head what they had been saying: "Who's Naoto?"

But they were already gone.

Adachi didn't like the swine swill that the Konishi liquor store sold, but some days they were desperate and gave extreme discounts on all of their products, making them more affordable than Junes. So, he was actually browsing the wares during his after-work visit, though he did sneak a few peeks at Saki's tantalizing photo.

Saki's father was nice enough but kept an eye on the detective. Surely, he didn't think Adachi was stealing, but Adachi drifted to the back of the store and away from the ever-present gaze.

As Adachi searched the wares for something half-decent, the door opened, and a high school kid walked in.

"Late again?" the old man grumbled as the boy entered the store.

The boy started, "Sorry, I was just looking around for—"

"Stop worrying; it's a cat. It'll show up when it shows up."

Adachi paid more attention to the ramblings between the two. The detective remembered the last time the boy had come in late: he said he was talking to Yua. She really just talked to random boys like that. He looked younger than her. Why would she bother talking to him?

Suddenly, the front door rattled and was pushed open. Adachi glanced over and then ducked behind the shelf as he saw who came in.

"See, I told you," The old man groused.

"There you are, back for dinner, Atsuki?" The cat went and rubbed up against the boy's leg and purred.

Adachi was taken aback. Yua just gave her favorite cat to a random kid? She trusted this little turd? He expected Hanamura or one of her female classmates to take care of her cat. Why this random kid?

Adachi took a second look at the kid. No, this boy wasn't random. His eyes were like hers—like his sister's, devoid of light, weighted by an overbearing father and the inconsolable sadness of youth. The Konishi kid smiled as he went into the back, followed by the cat.

So, Yua gave Saki's little brother her cat… but why? Adachi decided to investigate. The kid returned from the backroom with a broom and started sweeping in the store's corner.

Adachi shuffled closer and thought about a conversation starter, "Tha was a cute cat."

The kid glanced up and looked around to ensure that Adachi was talking to him, "Oh, uh, yeah…" the kid shied away and tried to return to work.

"How'd you get her?" Awkward question. He almost cursed himself for letting his morbid curiosity spearhead his words, but the kid was polite enough to reply.

"Oh, a friend decided to give her to me. She thought it would give me something to look after; apparently, she's a good luck charm. Atsuki really doesn't need that much care, though. She usually sneaks out and only comes back for dinner and the night. It worries me because she's so young and doesn't really understand cars, but I'm always happy when she remembers that this is her home. I really—"

"That's nice," he wasn't going to play polite too long. The kid would probably talk for hours about the cat—people often did for some reason. "The person who gave it to you must be a good friend."

"Yeah, I guess Yua is."

"You hang out with Yua a lot?" He decided to hide his less than subtle approach under a tease. "And addressing her without an honorific. Seems like someone has a crush."

"Oh," the kid shrugged. "No, that's not it. We're just friends. We catch a bite down at Aiya's every now and then, but we're just friends."

Liar.

"Sure, it's nothing," Adachi teased further. "It's just—I'm looking out for you, making sure you're doing fine after everything that's happened."

The boy seemed unimpressed by Adachi's attempt at sympathy. Brat. It had to be genetic at this point, "Yeah, well, thanks, and all, but I'm alright. I'll be alright. But there's really nothing going on. It's like talking with my sister." Something seemed to strike the kid after he said the words. He shook his head and went back to mopping. "Umm, so thanks for your concern, but I've got to get back to work."

"No problem," Adachi made sure to replicate a pitiful expression as he saw a mixture of emotions cross the kid's face. "You're just dealing with things. I understand."

Adachi had no idea what the kid was getting out of this relationship—some kind of sister thing. Sounded gross. Eh, whatever floated this kid's boat. Still, whatever Yua was giving this kid seemed to be enough to have him absolutely infatuated, enough for him to take care of the hell-spawn. Yua really shouldn't have time to play therapist. She was too kind for her own good.

Adachi thought about working on the other end of the problem by telling the kid to back away from her. He could start a rumor about Yua… no. If he told the kid something bad about Yua, that might circulate around the school. Then when they traced it to the source, it would lead back to him. Now he'd have to try a different route. If he took her time, that would help cut off these little suitors. But maybe he needed to do something else—

The door chimed.

"Delivery."

Adachi shifted his shoulders away from the door but watched through the reflection in one of the glass refrigerators as the delivery man entered the store carrying more boxes than he could handle. The man crossed over to the desk, set down his load, and started a conversation with Saki's father. Adachi stole a glance over his shoulder. Namatame was looking worse for wear—more tired and thin than the man the police had interrogated all those months ago. The detective couldn't believe this guy nailed an opera singer and Ms. Yamano and drew Saki's attention. It had to be a plot in a comedy.

"Hey, Atsuki," Namatame muttered as the cat sauntered up to him and rubbed her head into his leg.

Of course, he charmed the goddamn cat too.

As much as he wanted to deck the bastard, Adachi needed no contact with this man. The unwitting accomplice didn't need to meet the puppet master. There was always a chance that Namatame could recognize his voice.

"Hey—gotta head out," Adachi whispered and grabbed some money out of his pocket and shoved it into the boy's hands. "Your dad looks busy. Just give this to him and keep the change."

"Al-alright, but—" the door chimed, and the detective was gone. Naoki sighed and looked at the money, "This doesn't cover… whatever."

Adachi put distance between himself and the store. He sighed and felt his fist grip the handles on the beer. The dream, the brat, now Namatame—his day was just getting worse and worse, and it seemed to have a theme. Adachi felt life return to that twisted feeling. Maybe Yua was unaware of her social magnetism, and maybe she wasn't. He needed to set things straight with her.

Then, as if to add a fourth misery, he looked down the street and set his jaw, "Speak of the devil."

"Sensei Yua and I on a date, hooyah!" Teddie squealed like a little kid as he tried to worm his hand into hers for the seventh time.

"Teddie, this is not a date," Yua reiterated and sighed as that did nothing to stifle the blonde boy's energy. Teddie's shift was over, and Yosuke wanted him out of his hair for a while. A favor was called in, and she eventually convinced the blonde boy to accompany her to buy some tofu from Rise's grandmother. "I know you're excited, but let's keep our voices down."

"Oh, like this," he whispered loudly. "Yua, this is really fun. Now we can whisper our secrets to each other like secret agents. I'll go first. Yosuke has a book of pretty nurses under his—"

"Let's play the quiet game and see who can stay quiet the longest, alright?"

"You're on, sensei," he said and took a deep breath.

Yua didn't like using the tactics she learned while working with the kids at the daycare center, but sometimes, Teddie was such a child that he fell right for it. Though maybe she should explain to him that being quiet didn't mean holding his breath. (Strangely, holding his breath didn't seem to affect him even minutes later). She liked talking with Teddie, but even her patience was tested when he went on for 20 minutes without a break. The silence was welcome and allowed her to focus on the cool breeze in the summer sun.

"Oh, hey, Yua!"

That focus was broken when she saw someone walking down the street. She jumped when she saw Adachi walking toward her and sporting a cute, goofy grin.

"OH! To—Adachi-san! What are you doing here?" Yua rubbed her neck.

"Hey, sensei, I won the contest!"

"Just got off work!" She saw him shift beer in his hand. "Patrolling the town, y'know. So, what are you doing here?"

When his attention turned to her, there was warmth in her stomach. The secret felt like a tiny bond that was constant. It was like an inside joke; it made her feel so special to him.

"I'm just hanging out with Teddie. We're headed to—"

"I'm finally scoring with a lady, Adachy-baby," Teddie announced. Yua's face flashed with fear.

"S-scoring?!" An alarmed expression crossed Adachi's face, and he looked to Yua for confirmation.

"Oh yeah!" Teddie's eyes sparkled.

"Like a date?" His expression dropped.

"Oh yeah!"

"He can't speak Japanese very well," Yua said quickly.

Teddie pouted as Yua reached into her schoolbag, "Yes, I can. It's pretty easy. You just put sounds together like this and then—"

"Teddie," She shoved a wad of cash into his hand. "Buy whatever you want."

Teddie's eyes lit up like the sun. He sprinted from her side and went down the street and inside the treat shop. Yua's face flushed, and she glanced up at him.

"So… you let other guys score with you?" Adachi tried to smirk, but it never appeared entirely.

"No-no," she grimaced. "Teddie is just… he's Teddie. I don't think he understands what that means. He's a foreigner. French, I think."

"It seemed clear to me. You're on a date?" His expression twitched, and Yua's heart dropped when she noticed the darkness return to his eyes.

"Again, he's not—I'm just showing him around. He just has the wrong word to describe it. I promise that's it."

There was a pause. Embarrassment burned her cheeks.

"Oh, alright, I believe you, don't worry," he straightened and touched the back of his neck. "Well, I mean… ah, forget it."

"What?"

He looked around to make sure that there was no one in earshot; then, he gestured for her to step a little bit away from the storefront and into the shadow of an alley: "Well, I can't take you out like this, and now this Teddie guy comes in and gets his chance. And, it just makes me feel, well…" he rubbed his neck. "You hang around a lot of guys."

"Is that a problem?"

"Well, it's working in on my territory, y'know. I see you hanging out with this foreign guy who calls you his date. Your phone charm was made by that Tatsumi guy you hang out with. I pass that store every day, so I know it's his. And then there's the Hanamura kid who keeps looking at you funny and calls you his 'partner.' I think he likes you a lot. And then you hang out together, and you're at the beach with them, wearing . . . I mean, I don't know what happens when you guys hang out alone. I think you might give them the wrong idea about liking them. I think one of them might try to make a move."

Yua was taken aback. She never thought she'd see the detective jealous of her friendships. She was about to rebuttal when she remembered some things. A few things might have given them the wrong idea—a touch or a compliment or two. She invited Yosuke into her room once, but that was just to ask him to appraise her Neofeatherman collection. The most that happened between them was that Yosuke asked whether girls kept "those kinds of magazines" under their beds. Maybe that's what he was talking about?

"I think I understand," Yua nodded to Adachi's surprise. "It gets a little tense sometimes. But, I don't let anything happen, promise. I'm clear with my signals. I usually laugh off anything that happens—not that anything serious happens. It's just the dynamics that come with girl and guy friends."

"If you want to be clear, then don't meet with them alone."

Yua frowned. That didn't seem right to her. Adachi's expression was strained, and he looked tired. Maybe he just wasn't thinking straight. She wanted to provide her reasoning, but she realized something. Adachi couldn't call her his girlfriend. Even though she understood why that must be causing some strain on Adachi. He was just concerned about her getting in an awkward situation that wouldn't happen if they knew she had a boyfriend. She doubted that her friends would put her in an awkward position, but if Adachi was going to worry, she might as well put him at ease.

"I get it," She nodded. "It's not fair that I get to hang out with my friends in a way that you and I can't, especially if you can't call me your own. Ok, I won't meet with them alone."

"Well, thanks," He grinned from ear to ear. "Don't need anyone trying to steal you from under my nose."

"Don't worry about that. You're the only one I've ever felt about like this."

"Oh," he muttered before his face turned bright pink. "Gosh. Now you're making me feel bad about worrying."

"Sensei! Sensei! She let me buy a whole lot of them!" Teddie came out of the store with an armful of treats. The two of them shuffled away from the alleyway.

"Oh, that's great, Teddie," she smiled despite mourning her wallet. (Was this how Yosuke felt?) "Do you want some, Adachi-san?"

"Free food?" Adachi grinned. "Can't say no to that." He caught a glimpse of his girlfriend's stare. "Ok, it's not 'free,' so thank you, Yua. It really puts my mind at ease."

Yua's heart fluttered again as Adachi took one of the treats and genuinely smiled while trying to unwrap it with his other hand full of beer. It occurred to her that it would be much harder to max out her social links with the guys, but she figured there was a way to do it. They could have deep emotional conversations with a group… right? She doubted it a little. But a tiny spark returned to Adachi's eyes, and that was enough for her.

The trio headed down the road. While Teddie was busy eating the treat in front of them, Yua snuck her hand into Adachi's and walked that way until the next person came into sight.