“One moment folks, our star will be right back!”
Kanji looked from where he was seated as the curtain lifted, Rise stepping into the space backstage. The idol had been kind enough to bring him and Naoto along with her to her latest show, even letting the two juniors get backstage passes so they could avoid the crowd. Kanji and Naoto were very thankful, as neither was the biggest fan of the groups that showed up to these events.
“How’d I do guys?” Rise asked, Kanji looking up from the gloves he was working on and Naoto putting her book to the side. “It’s been a minute since I performed to this big of an audience!”
“You’re doing very well Rise-san,” Naoto responded, her voice as professional as ever. The idol then looked to the other second-year, Kanji’s seemingly in the clouds as he was just looking at the two, though his attention was definitely most on Naoto.
“Oh Kaaanji! Earth to Kaaaanji! So, how’d I do?” she asked again. Kanji quickly swiveled his head to see her, a mischievous smile on the idol’s face.
“O-Oh, uh…g-good, ya did good out there Rise,” he stammered. Rise giggled as she made her way past them. Kanji just rubbed the back of his neck, his cheeks flushed as he peaked at the person at his side.
Rise wasn’t an idiot. She knew why Kanji hadn’t answered right away, and she didn’t exactly mind. She knew how much the other boy liked Naoto, and from the time they’d spent together she felt Naoto felt similarly. However, it was just so damn frustrating.
‘If they like each other, why not just talk to one another!’ she felt like screaming, but she had to calm down. Not everyone could be as forward with their affections as she had been with Yu-senpai. ‘There’s gotta be something I…can…ohoho.’
“Hey Naoto, can you do me a favor?” she called from the other end of the room. She was going through a rack of clothes, seeing what could be changed before she needed to go back on stage. The shorter girl was at her side a moment later. “I think I left my new coat in the storage room I need, can you and Kanji go see if it’s there?”
“Why not just me?” she asked. Rise panicked for a moment, thinking her idea had been shot before it could even get off the ground.
“Uh, b-because it’s kinda heavy! A-And it might be really high up! He’s good at that stuff, y’know!” she squeaked out. Naoto didn’t look offended, which was good, but she did seem suspicious of Rise.
“Well alright then,” Naoto accepted, seeming to draw her own conclusion. “Kanji-kun, can you help me?”
“Y-Yeah, sure thing,” he said, following the young detective to the nearby storage room. Rise saw them round the corner before quickly sneaking behind them.
“Yo Rise, where’s the-“ Kanji got out before he felt something push him forward, stumbling over Naoto as the door quickly shut and he heard something click behind him. “H-Hey! The hell?!”
“Sorry guys, but it’s for your own good! I gotta get back out there, so I’ll see you in a bit!” Rise yelled from the other end, a smug smile on her face as she skipped away to the stage again.
“Ugh, w-what was…” a voice spoke up. Kanji looked down from where he was angled against the wall, seeing a familiar head of blue hair looking up at him. “K-Kanji-kun? What happened?”
“R-Rise locked us in, says she’ll be back,” he manages to answer. He could feel his face heating up as the realization of his situation finally hit. He was here, in a small room, stuck inside with the girl he’d been crushing on for nearly a year. “O-Oh, sh*t, sorry!” he said, backing away before quickly hitting another wall. The storage closet was very small, with little room for the two to make space between them.
“Kanji-kun, are you alright!?” Naoto quickly called to him, hearing the loud bang of his head hitting the wall. The boy rubbed his head absently, trying to think of anything other than the small space he and Naoto were currently in. “Here, let me-oh!”
Kanji quickly held his arms out, catching Naoto as she fell forward. The detective looked back, seeing what looked like an extra set of lights that had fallen onto the floor.
“Woah, N-Naoto, ya alright?” he asked. She simply nodded before quickly picking herself back up, a blush spreading in her face thankfully invisible to him due to the darkness of the closet.
“I-I am fine Kanji-kun. Do y-you see a light switch anywhere around?” she asked. Kanji looked around, seeming to not notice her stuttering, and began to feel around for the switchs. He felt something sticking out from the wall, his fingers wrapping around it. “I think I got it!”
He pulled on the small object, only for something to fall down and hit him on his head…hard. He grunted as he healed down, clutching his head as the object clattered to the ground.
“Kanji-kun!” Naoto called. She healed down right next to him, trying to see around him. However, all Kanji did was try and move her away.
“It’s fine Naoto, I’m fine. D-Don’t worry,” he tried to reassure. However, the detective didn’t let up, grabbing his hand as he tried to get her off of him. “Naoto! I said I’m fine!”
“Why are you always like this!?” she finally let out. Kanji looked at her, the girl flustered yet frustrated. “I’m only trying to help you and you keep fighting it. We’re not going anywhere, so why won’t you let me help?”
“I don’t want ya thinkin less of me, ok! It’s j-just a little bump is all, I’m fine.” Kanji retorted, hoping his own flustered face wasn’t apparent to her. She was very close to him, her hand still in his as his large fingers encased hers.
“Why would you be worried about that!? We’re friends Kanji, so you don’t have to worry. I-“
“It’s ‘cause I like you dammit!” he yelled. The closet seemed even quieter now, all movement for the teens ceasing as they just looked at one another. “I-I-I mean, w-what I meant was…uh…”
“Y-You…like me?” Naoto finally let out. Kanji looked at her, her deep blue eyes staring at his own gray ones. He didn’t think he’d ever see the day, much less like this. He tried to avoid her gaze, looking around the room, as if he was trying to find a way out. “Kanji-kun.”
At that, he looked at her again, worry now present heavily on her face. “I…I don’t know w-what to say…h-how long?” she asked. Kanji just looked at her, her body shaking as if she was afraid of what she might let out. Kanji let out a sigh and looked at her. If this was where he would die, then he would face it!
“F-For a while…p-p-probably since we met, actually,” he let slip. He gulped in anticipation as he watched her. Her shoulders tensed as she just looked at him.
Naoto was speechless, not having a clue how to respond. She’d liked the boy for a while now, but she had no clue how to respond to those feelings. Yu-senpai hadn’t been much help in the department since his situation was much different, Rise just teased her, and she refused to ask the others for fear of Kanji learning.
“B-But…back then…I-I was,” she trailed off. She saw the boy nod slowly, looking at her again.
“Y-Yeah. I didn’t know what to think, ya know? Messed me up for a while there.” He looked at her, the dread she was feeling before by hurting him had returned, something he took notice of. “N-Not that it’s your fault! It ain't! I just…it got me thinking. I got to thinking that…m-maybe it didn’t matter to me. When we beat your shadow, I felt relieved but…then we started hangin’ out. A-And I dunno, but I started thinkin…maybe it didn’t matter if ya were a boy or a girl. You were you, and…a-and I liked you”
Now Naoto was speechless again. She’d spent so long disguising her gender, all but denying any romantic feelings as ‘kids stuff’ that she was too busy for, and yet…he’d apparently always liked her. Even before her friends had learned of her sex, his mannerisms never changed.
“S-So that’s why you were always so…nervous around me,” she realized aloud.
“Y-Yeah. Look if ya hate me for this, I get it, but…I figured that if we’re stuck here, then I might as well spill,” he admitted. Naoto was inwardly appalled at his insinuation.
‘Hate him!? B-But…how can I hate him!?’ He’d always been so kind to her and the others that she didn’t even notice if he liked her that way. If anything she thought he hated her for the longest time, what with him always getting nervous around her or running away. To know now that he liked her, that…that made everything make a lot more sense.
“I…I l-like you too, Kanji-kun,” she finally admitted. Kanji looked back at her, eyes wide in shock and delight. He felt like his heart would explode from what she’d just said. ‘K-Kanji-kun? I…I’m sorry, I”
Kanji suddenly grasped her shoulders and brought her forward, his lips clumsily meeting hers as her eyes shot open. It didn’t last, the detective gently closing her eyes as she accepted the strangely un-Kanji forwardness of his actions. They pulled away suddenly, Kanji breathing heavily as he backed away, acting like an animal being hunted.
“S-sh*t, Naoto, I-I’m so sorry! T-That was uncalled for! I-”
“Kiss me again.” she whispered. If not for the small space and silence that was constantly being generated. Kanji blinked, then again. Did he hear her right?
“W-What? Y-You’re not…mad?”
“N-No, I…I-I-I don’t know. It was…j-just kiss me again Kanji!” she all but yelled. He slowly scooted next to her, the two standing up as they just looked at each other. He still couldn’t believe this was happening. He leaned down as she looked up at him, the two closing their eyes again as their lips met.
Neither knew exactly what to say, if anything. Both of them were just stunned that it had actually happened. Naoto reached her arms up and wrapped them around his neck, Kanji’s hands carefully ghosting over her so he didn’t offend her. She let one hand go and moved his to her back, Kanji getting the memo and hugging her closer to him. She felt her feet lift off the ground as they got closer, Kanji holding her so their faces could meet better. The seconds felt like hours to the two, until the door finally opened.
“Hey guys, sorry about that. I thought-oh!” Rise exclaimed. Kanji and Naoto, faces still pressing against one another, just looked at Rise like deer in headlights. Kanji quickly let go of the girl and the two made space, faces beet red. Rise looked between the two with a smug smile. “Oh, I see, you guys want some alone time then.”
“R-Rise! Uh, w-we were-”
“Rise-san,” Naoto said darkly. The idol looked at the shorter girl, feeling a chill run down her spine. “You have five seconds.”
“Oh would you look at the time I think that’s my manager calling Igottagobyeguyssohappyforyou!” she called as she ran down the hall away from Naoto. The detective smirked before breaking out into a laugh. Kanji felt his heart flutter all over again as he heard her giggle at the display. She calmed down before looking at him again, suddenly very well aware of how they’d been caught.
“S-So, uh…you wanna…catch a movie or somethin? I-I hear they got a new one over at Okina,” Kanji offered. Naoto smiled as she looked at him, grasping his hand and pulling him down to her level. The detective kissed him on the cheek before hurrying away.
“That sounds wonderful Kanji,” she said. He noticed the way she smiled at him and felt his own lips curve up. He quickly followed behind her, adamant to make sure she didn’t go after Rise again.
At least, that’s what he told himself as his hand found hers again.
