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“Ha ha! You fell right into my trap!”
“I knew it.”
“What? You were my enemy all along?”
“I knew it!”
Bang! Bang!
“And now he’s dead, just as I predicted half an hour ago.”
“You know, Naoto, yellin’ at the tv ain’t never changed the movie before.”
Grinning broadly, Kanji grabbed another handful of chocolate covered popcorn as the credits began to roll. The timestamp in the corner of the television read one seventeen a.m.
“It was so obvious that he was walking into a trap!” Naoto insisted. “If he’d been paying any attention at all to the clues that were right in front of him, he’d have seen it.”
“Yeah, well, not everyone can be as smart as you.” Kanji leaned around to kiss the tip of her nose as he reached over to grab the remote and mute the movie. They were snuggled together in a nest of pillows in Kanji’s room, popcorn at the ready, detective films and romantic comedies stacked by the DVD player. “You up for another one?”
Stifling a yawn, Naoto shrugged. “If you want to,” she said noncommittally, though she seemed drop-dead tired.
Kanji flopped down on his back, closing his eyes. “Nah. It’s late, an’ we got a big day tomorrow.” He felt Naoto lay down beside him. “Hard to believe we’re really done with high school.”
“Compared with our first year, the past two have seemed to fly by,” Naoto mused. “But then, exams are nothing next to fighting demons and murderers.”
Kanji snorted, glancing over at her. “I dunno, man, speak for yourself. I’d go up against a horde a’shadows with nothin’ but a folding chair before ever takin’ another math test.”
“Maybe so, but you passed all your classes, and you’re graduating tomorrow with me and Rise-san.” Naoto gave a small smile. “I knew you could do it. I’m proud of you.”
Flushing, Kanji waved his hand dismissively. “H-hey, you’re getting’ all sappy outta nowhere. Gonna embarrass me.” A lopsided grin softened his features. “Thanks, though. An’ it’s no surprise you’re at the head a’the class. You’re really somethin’ else.”
Her own face changing shades to match his, Naoto ducked her head to hide. With a chuckle, Kanji ruffled her hair. “Seriously though, this is it. No more teachers tellin’ us what to do, no more homework, no more camping trips. No more school tyin’ us down. Crazy, don’tcha think?”
Naoto, for one, had never considered herself ‘tied down’ anywhere, not when her work demanded she always be ready to go at a moment’s notice. The plan had never been to attend high school, much less complete it. But the case and all it entailed had changed things, and now she found herself not ready to say good-bye to Inaba. With graduating, however, came the expectation of moving on. She really was an adult now, one with a job to do and a world to prove herself to. Nothing was stopping her from taking on cases full-time. She had always had the power to leave, but the choice was more imminent than ever, and it was terrifying. Some childish part of her had wished that high school would never end, so she would always have an excuse to stay.
Had Kanji expected a response to his question, Naoto was saved from having to provide one by the sound of his mother calling from down the hall. “Kanji-chan! Your laundry is done!”
“Coming!” he yelled back, sitting up. To Naoto, he added, “I got Ma to run some blankets through the dryer to get ‘em all warm an’ toasty. Just lemme run get ‘em real quick.”
“I can do it,” Naoto volunteered.
Kanji frowned. “What? I ain’t makin’ you do my laundry.”
Already on her feet, Naoto insisted, “It’s no problem. I’ll be right back.”
Before Kanji could protest any further, she was gone. A few minutes later, she returned, waddling through the door with as much dignity as she could while wrapped from head to toe in the biggest quilt the Tatsumis owned.
“So that’s what you’re up to,” Kanji laughed. “Tryin’ to hog it all for yourself?”
Climbing to his feet, he met Naoto in the doorway and scooped her up into his arms, blanket and all, and deposited her on his bed. She opened her arms to allow him into the cocoon, and he wrapped his around her waist, kissing her as he laid back, gently pulling her down with him. In no hurry, Naoto eventually broke away, scooting back to lay her head on Kanji’s chest, his heart beating a gentle rhythm in her ear. He reached for the quilt when she was settled, pulling it up to cover them both.
“Comfy?”
Naoto blinked sleepily at Kanji, nodding. His smile sent warmth shooting up her cheeks, the kind that made her want to bury her face in his shirt and smile back in a manner most unbecoming of a hardboiled detective. Instead, she locked eyes with him, a resolute glare in her own, determined not to be the first one asleep. Kanji, despite not realizing he was in a competition, fought dirty: the soothing rise and fall of his chest; the hand at her waist, thumb tracing tiny circles at the small of her back; and the warmth she swore he perpetually radiated all lulled her into a peaceful state she was powerless to resist. Yawning again, her eyelids fluttered closed, the world around her dimming as she slipped off into sleep…
“Naoto? Naoto, you awake?”
I am now, she wanted to say, but that would accomplish nothing. Besides, she felt like she’d drift back off at any moment anyway. Taking her silence as a no, Kanji pressed a kiss to her forehead before adjusting the blanket.
“This is good,” he murmured, free hand settling at the nape of her neck, playing absently with her hair. “This is…perfect.” He paused, and Naoto could feel his heart beat just a little faster. “We could do this every night, you know. Maybe not right away, but when we got the money, we could get an apartment together. Maybe a house someday. We could – we could get married, even, if you don’t think it’s a ‘pointless tradition’ or whatever.” He gave a short, nervous chuckle. “I know, I sound crazy, right? Talkin’ about gettin’ married and livin’ together an’ all that. We’re practically still kids. But you’re the best thing that ever happened to me. Ever since you walked into my life outta nowhere an’ called me weird, I knew you were special. I can’t imagine ever not bein’ with you.”
It was strange, Naoto thought, that Kanji talked as if her staying in Inaba was a given. People left. They always did. There was no guarantee she’d be here in the morning, much less long enough to go through with any of his plans. Sighing, he held her tighter.
“I know you got your work though. Now that we’re outta school, the whole world’s open to you. I get it if you don’t wanna be stuck here, with me. Inaba’s not as exciting as the big cities out there, and I’m…” He trailed off. The strongest, gentlest, most loving person I’ve ever had the fortune of meeting, Naoto filled in for him. “I dunno. Maybe it’s selfish, but I don’t want you to go. I wanna spend the rest of my life with you. I wanna fall asleep next to you every night and wake up next to you every morning. You’re gonna grow into an even more incredible person, an’ I wanna be the guy that gets to be there to see. I know you got a ton of reasons to leave, but…maybe you got some to stay, too. You don’t have to go.” So quiet she almost couldn’t hear, Kanji whispered, “Please don’t leave.”
People always left. As long as Naoto could remember, she’d been left behind, again and again, and nothing she did ever changed that. Being alone was inevitable.
But she didn’t want to be alone, not ever again. Now, for the first time in her life, the choice was hers. People left, but she didn’t have to.
“Good night, Naoto.” Kanji let out a long, tired sigh. “I love you.”
And that was the moment everything fell into place.
Of course I’ll stay, Kanji-kun.
Even a detective needed somewhere to call home. Here in Inaba, Naoto had found one. She had always had her reason to stay; it had never been school. She wanted to be with the people she loved. They’d work out the rest together.
Beneath her, Kanji’s breathing was gradually settling into sleep’s rhythm. The quilt was warm and soft, and he was warmer and softer. His shirt bunched up in her fingers, she curled up closer, a soft hum of contentment escaping her lips. This was, Naoto had to agree, quite perfect. Tomorrow she’d promise him it didn’t have to end.
All you had to do was ask.