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“That was more fun than I thought it’d be!” Rise bounded ahead of the rest, filled with the desire to move after sitting down for the last two hours. Teddie quickly joined her, though he was just eager to prance around no matter the situation.
“I’m just glad we get to spend Golden Week watching action instead of living it for once.”
“Don’t jinx it, Yosuke! We never catch any breaks.” Chie got dangerously ready to hit him but was quickly held back by Yukiko.
“Hey! I can’t be the only one thinking it.”
Rise was having the time of her life with her friends, and was excited that the entire team was able to come today, even Souji. They had decided to watch a new superhero movie in Okina before heading back to Inaba and ending their day at Aiya’s. Rise was even more excited at the fact that she was able to cuddle up against Naoto for the movie and steal her jacket because she “didn’t know” the theater would be so cold. She was still wearing the jacket out of the building, too. A simple, navy bomber jacket which was a good representation of Naoto’s new, relaxed style.
Turning towards the group, Rise looked at her newly established girlfriend. Other than the jacket, she was wearing a black t-shirt and jeans. Even after growing her hair out (it was a bit past her chin and pulled back into a little ponytail) and no longer binding her chest, Naoto still exuded the cool, masculine energy she had the day they met almost two years ago. Currently, she was locked in a conversation with Souji and Kanji about the costuming for the movie and what went into it. Naoto and Souji talking about how accurate they were to the comics and Kanji talking about the craftsmanship. The three of them trailed a little behind the rest on the walk back to their bikes.
Unable to stop herself, Rise ran up to Naoto and grabbed her by the arm. “It was so romantic when the hero saved his girlfriend when the bad guy took her. I’m sure you’d do the same and even more, Naoto-kun. Or should I save you? ”
That managed to turn the detective bright red. Naoto was very shy when it came to displays of affection and having attention on her, despite being the more affectionate partner when alone. None of them believed she was the cuddly one until Naoto fell asleep at a gathering after working for a week straight and had to be pried off of Rise so she could use the bathroom, only to immediately cling on to a new victim (Chie).
“Uh. I-I-well, yeah, I would. Definitely.” She was so cute when Rise teased her.
“How chivalrous of you, Naoto-kun!” Yosuke made sure to drag out the line.
“S-senpai! Please don’t—”
“Aw, come on Nao-chan, save me too!” Teddie grabbed onto her other arm and steam practically came out of her ears.
“Well, I mean… I could…” Naoto was interrupted by the sound of a cell phone ringing. Her phone, to be more precise. Saved by the bell.
Shrugging Teddie off (but letting Rise stay on), Naoto took her phone out to check who was calling. “Sorry,, but I need to take this. I’ll still follow. I’ll just keep a few paces away.”
Rise sulked but let go of her girlfriend, who then walked a couple feet away and answered, “Hello? Yakushiji?”
“She’s still so easy to tease.” Yosuke chuckled.
“So are you.” Souji proceeded to grab his arm in a similar manner, making his boyfriend turn a similar color as Naoto did.
Yukiko, Chie, Rise, and Teddie immediately went in on the two, poking fun at them. Kanji just walked alongside them and laughed. Yet again, Teddie grabbed Yosuke’s arm and hung off of it. “Save me Yosuke!”
Teddie made the decision to lift up his legs and dangle from Yosuke’s arm. Yosuke proceeded to lose his balance and tip over which caused the three of them to crash onto the ground.
“Not funny, bear!” Yosuke tried his best to seem actually mad but joined in on the group’s laughter soon.
Everyone got back to walking once Souji, Yosuke, and Teddie had gotten up. There was a lull, but not an uncomfortable one, as they strolled.
“Hey Chie-senpai, when do you start your police training?” Rise, however, got bored.
“Not for another month. I figured that I’d take some time to chill before getting into the workforce and hang on to what’s left of life before adulthood.”
“I get that. Now that we have to start really deciding what we want to do in the future, I feel like I’m gonna need awhile to decompress, even if I know the ins and outs of idoling.”
“God, it’s so weird to feel grown up. I don’t feel any different than I did before graduation. Why am I now suddenly qualified to be an adult?”
“It’s weird for us too, Senpai. I can’t stand school without you guys there. I can only bug so many other classrooms.”
They had reached where the bikes were parked and started unhooking them. No one could say anything before Naoto rejoined the group. It was immediately clear that the phone call was not a happy one. Rise could not make out the kind of expression she was making or what she was feeling. She hesitated before speaking.
“Apologies, but I won’t be able to make it to Aiya’s with you all. I’ll drop you off, though.” She turned to Rise. Rise had insisted on riding to Okina with Naoto instead of her own bike because it “feels romantic and coupley.”
“What happened? Did you get called to help with a case?” She shook her head and looked down.
“No. It’s nothing like that. It’s…” It was not common for her to be at a loss for words.
“Is everything okay, Naoto? Are you okay?” Yukiko sounded worried.
She sighed.
“Well…That was Yakushiji, the family secretary. He called me to inform me that my-that my grandfather passed away earlier today.” She did not look up at them and focused on her bike.
Everyone stopped.
It took awhile for anyone to say anything. Souji broke the silence.
“Naoto, I’m so sorry. That’s terrible.”
“It’s fine” She cut herself off because it wasn’t fine, “Thank you, Senpai. I apologize if this throws off the mood.”
“No, don’t apologize! It’s alright. How are you?”
“...I’ll…be alright. Thank you.”
They rode back to Inaba in tense, uncomfortable silence. Rise clung tight to Naoto and hoped it provided any sort of comfort to her. She was stiff as a bone.
It was dark out by the time they got to Aiya’s. No one said anything as they parked their bikes.
“Naoto, are you sure you’re gonna be alright? I can always come with if you need someone”
“I’ll be okay, Rise. It’s not like I haven’t been through this before—multiple times as well. I think I’m more shocked than anything. I appreciate the offer.”
That line somehow made the rest feel even worse. Everyone offered quiet condolences before going inside. Rise stayed out.
Before Naoto could get back on her bike, Rise wrapped her in a tight embrace.
“I am so sorry. I know you said that you’re okay, but once you’re not please call me and I will be there.
Naoto didn’t say anything, but hugged her back.
“I love you.”
“...I love you too.” The arms around her got tighter and Rise let her hold on.
The expression on Naoto’s face when they broke apart tore at her heart. There were no tears but she looked weighed down by grief.
Rise kissed her on the cheek and made her way into Aiya’s, taking one last glance at her girlfriend, who offered a small smile and turned away.
Somehow, the mood in Aiya was worse than the one outside. The entire Investigation Team stopped talking and turned to Rise with concern. She shook her head and sat down next to Yukiko, who broke the silence.
“This isn’t going to be pretty. I think Naoto-kun tried to be strong for us. I just wish she knew she didn’t have to do that with us.”
“It’s hard to break habits like that. Considering she grew up having to push her feelings down, it seems like it’ll take a bit before she can open up to us. Hell, it took an entire year for her to tell us about her siblings dying. Even then, she was forced to. That being said, I’m surprised she didn’t even cry. And she cried when we thought Nanako-chan died.”
It was no secret that Naoto was a private person, even to her closest friends who’d seen the physical manifestation of her true self. It took a lot of effort for her to share parts of herself. Last year, when saying their goodbyes to the Shadow Operatives after the P-1 Grand Prix and Minazuki incidents, they learned that not only did Naoto have an older brother and sister who were twins, they were both friends with the group and Wildcards like Souji. And they both died sealing Nyx away three years prior. Naoto hadn’t known they were Persona users until then either. Elizabeth could tell she was related to them and acknowledged her. This resulted in an argument between Naoto and the Shadow Ops about withholding this information from her. The Investigation Team could only watch in stunned silence as she chewed them out.
“To be fair, Yosuke, when Nanako died, it took me a while to cry.”
“Yeah. When I lost my Dad, I don’t think I cried for over a month about it and I couldn’t talk without wanting to shout. If I…lost my Mom right now, it would probably be the same.”
“I feel bad for her. I haven’t gone through that big of a loss so I can’t even imagine what she’s going through,” Chie wrung her hands together, “And to know she’s gone through this more than once already? Damn.”
“Can we do anything for her?” Teddie was distressed, “I want to help Nao-chan.”
“I think we just need to give her some space and be available for her, as much as I hate it.”
They ate in relative silence, making slight small talk. They could not stop worrying for their friend. Rise could barely eat, her appetite was gone.
The Team left Aiya ready for the day to be over.
“Hey, isn’t that Naoto’s bike?” Chie asked.
“Oh shit.” Kanji said what everyone was thinking.
Sure enough, the blue scooter was parked alongside everyone else’s. Right where it was when Rise said bye.
Rise immediately took her phone out to call Naoto. She didn’t pick up.
“She’s not answering her phone. This isn’t good.” She had to calm herself down.
“Should we split up and look for her? We can cover some serious ground if we do.”
“Yeah. I can check her apartment. Yosuke and Teddie can look at Junes, Chie and Yukiko can check the residential area, Kanji can search the shrine, and Rise can check Samegawa. If any of us finds her, message the others.”
“Right!” They all said in unison before taking off.
While heading to Samegawa, Rise worried for her girlfriend. Naoto always tried too hard to be strong and keep her cool. She was scared that something like this could put the walls they had broken back up. Most of all she was sad. Sad that someone she loved so much would be hurting so hard.
Reaching a sprint, she selfishly wanted to be the one to find her.
Rise saw Naoto as soon as she arrived at the flood plain. She could recognize that blue hair from miles away. She was sitting in the grass and facing the river with her knees pulled up to her chest and her arms around them. The idol stood there for a moment, observing. She wasn’t exactly sure how to approach.
“Naoto!” She called out. The sleuth heard her and looked over. Rise felt her stomach sink at her face. Even from this distance, she could see that she was trying to hold her tears back and failing. Quickly shooting a message to Souji, she jogged over to Naoto and kneeled in front of her.
Rise took a breath. “You left your bike and didn’t answer your phone. We got worried. Are you alright?”
“I…I’m sorry, Rise. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“You don’t have to apologize, we just care about you. Why don’t you tell me how you ended up here.”
She saw her tense.
“I…” Naoto thought about her words and looked down.
“I didn’t want to go home. If I went home, I would have to start planning the fun-funeral. I don’t want it to be real. I saw my bike and knew if I took it that I would go home. And Yakushiji and the planners kept calling me. So I turned my phone off. I want to spend a bit more time not being the only Shirogane left.”
Rise let her continue.
“It’s just me left. I’m the end of the line. My parents. My brother and sister. My grandmother and my…grandfather. All of them are gone. My entire family is gone. I am the only one. I-what do I do, Rise? I can’t have this be real. I need them.” Her breath hitched at that last sentence driving a stake into her heart. Naoto started shaking, tears starting to flow faster.
“Oh, Naoto.” Rise placed a hand on her knee, hoping it would provide some sort of comfort.
“Y-Yakushiji said that he overworked himself. I could tell he was taking on too much the last time I saw him. I offered to take some work from him and he said no. He said I needed to focus on school. I don’t need school, I need him.”
She broke off into quiet sobs and Rise felt like crying too.
Naoto looked up at her girlfriend, tears streaming down her face.
“I could have done something. I should have done something. Why didn’t I do anything? Why Rise? Why didn’t I? I can be stubborn. I should have just said no. School doesn’t matter. Nothing does. He would have been mad but he would have been here. ”
Oh god. This was really bad. Naoto was her own biggest critic. It was easy for her to think bad about herself and blame herself for things outside of her control. Her breathing started to pick up and she seemed close to hyperventilating.
Rise knew she had to say something. She took Naoto’s face in her hands and looked into her eyes.
“Naoto! You need to listen to me and breathe. There is nothing you could have done. These things happen. I know that it’s sad but you can’t blame yourself like this. I love you. We all do. You are not alone .”
Her eyes went wide and she pulled back, trying to shake her head. Distantly, Rise could hear some of their friends find them and start to make their way over, stopping once they saw the intimate moment. They respected the couple and kept a distance.
“N-no. I-I can’t do this. I can’t do this without him. I can’t! How could he do this to us? To me? He knew he was all I had left. Why wouldn’t he let me help him?”
Naoto was actually hyperventilating now. Her face was pale. If she kept going like this, she would pass out. She wasn’t really crying much anymore so much as sitting there wide-eyed and struggling to breathe. Rise panicked. She wrapped her arms around the shorter girl and held her as tight as she could hoping to coax out a proper breath.
This action seemed to work. Naoto went stiff at first, body adjusting to the hug. She removed her arms from around her legs and lightly reciprocated the hug. This action let Rise shuffle forward into the space between her legs and deepen the hug.
“I’ve got you, Naoto. Just cry, it’s okay. I’m here for you” She placed a kiss in the detective’s hair.
Naoto froze, processing her words. Rise wondered if she said the wrong thing before the floodgates opened.
Naoto’s arms tightened around her to the point it almost hurt. She buried her face in the idol’s shoulder and started crying in earnest. The wails were muffled but still heartbreakingly loud. Hands clawed at Rise’s back, trying to pull her closer than physically possible. Rise couldn’t help but cry as well, feeling the body in front of her wracking with sobs. She let the moment happen and rubbed Naoto’s back as well.
They stayed like that for a while. Eventually, Naoto slumped forward, too exhausted to do much else. Rise thought she’d fallen asleep before she felt her shift and say with a strained voice.
“Thank you. I love you.”
She lifted her head up and looked at Rise. Naoto’s face was red and she had tear stains on her cheeks, but she was as beautiful as ever. She couldn’t help but kiss her before giving her another hug.
Breaking the hug, Naoto was tackled to the ground by a crying Teddie.
“I’m so sorry, Nao-chan! We love you!”
She looked up at the rest of her team that finally approached the two. Chie and Yukiko had clearly also cried while Souji, Yosuke, and Kanji gave her sad smiles.
Pushing the bear off of her and sitting up, she addressed her friends.
“I apologize for worrying you all.”
“Don’t give us that shit. We’re your friends. If we didn’t worry, we wouldn’t be very good ones.”
“Y-yes. Thank you.”
Rise stood up and held her hand out to Naoto to help her up. Once the sleuth was standing, her knees buckled and she had to be caught by her girlfriend.
“Woah! Are you able to walk?”
“I…don’t think so.”
“Here. Let’s try this.”
Rise took Naoto’s arm with one hand and wrapped it around her shoulder. Her other hand went around her waist.
“I’ll take you home.”
“Do you need any help? We can always—”
“I’ve got her, Senpai. Don’t worry about it. Right, Naoto?”
She just nodded and they could tell how tired she was.
“Alright then, we’ll see you later. Goodnight, you two.”
After saying goodbye, the couple went to Naoto’s apartment. It was a bit of a workout for Rise. Naoto may have been the smallest member of their team, but she packed a decent amount of muscle. By the time they got to the door, she was almost unconscious. Rise lucked out that she still had Naoto’s jacket on because the keys were in the pocket.
Once the door was locked and Rise had managed to get both of their shoes off, she guided them towards Naoto’s room before being caught in a tight hug. Well, as tight of a hug that someone half asleep can give.
“Are you alright?” She asked.
“Yes. I just,” she thought for a moment, “can you stay tonight?”
“Absolutely.”
She deposited Naoto into her bed and climbed in after her, not bothering with pajamas and pulled the covers over both of them. Naoto curled into her side like usual and Rise wrapped her arms around her.
“When I have to start planning for all of this, can you come with me? I apologize. I know you’re busy and I understand if you can’t. I just—”
“Hey,” She cut her off, “I will be by your side. I promise. I’d drop everything and go to you if you even implied you needed it.”
Naoto burrowed deeper into Rise but did not say anything. It took a moment for Rise to realize she had fallen asleep.
She let her own eyes close and drifted off.
They could think about this in the morning.