The Idol and the Prince

Part I

07/23

"Shirogane…Naoto, huh?" Rise stared at the boy who stood at the front of the classroom. He was cool, composed and had great silky blue hair. Before now, she had never paid attention to the so called "Detective Prince". Their prior encounters were far too rushed, but now that she looked more closely, Naoto-kun was pretty short…

"Shirogane-kun, your seat will be next to Kujikawa over here."

Rise snapped out of her daze, sitting bolt upright as Naoto made his way down the aisles, taking a seat right beside her.

He stared at her coldly for a minute, before he sighed and stretched out a hand. "It's…nice to meet you, Kujikawa-san. I hope we get along this year."

The redhead blushed as she took the boy's hand. "S-same here…"

Whispers and snickers erupted around the classroom as the students witnessed this exchange. Surely, rumors of the Detective Prince and Risette were sure to be floating around next day.

"Now, now. Settle down, class. Since all the excitement is over, let's get back to math. I'm sure you all love triangles, right?" The teacher turned back to the board, getting on with his lesson.

A collective groan echoed through the classroom and all those prying eyes turned to the front. Rise let out a small sigh of relief, but her heart was still pounding in her chest. She could still feel Naoto's touch, warm on her hand. Naoto's skin was so soft…his hand so small, uncharacteristic of a guy.

The redhead glanced at the blunette again, catching a glimpse of his perfectly chiseled face, his serious expression. Rise coughed into her hand to hide her chuckle. Despite how cold Naoto might seem, he was pretty cute.

She just hoped that she wouldn't fall in love with Naoto-kun, because Souji-sempai was the only man for her. She snickered at the thought. If only she could get the stoic Souji to let her have a little alone time with him.

Rise spent the remainder of class doodling in the margins of her notebook, Seta Souji's name scrawled conspicuously all over her masterpieces. Unbeknownst to the idol, Naoto was analyzing her every move, labeling her 'childish' from the get go.

Being childish was one thing Naoto hated about people.

The lunch bell rang and a flock of students gathered around Naoto's desk, questions flying every which way. Rise winced as she pushed her way out of the crowd. Standing well away from the mob, the redhead crossed her arms, pouting slightly. Sure, she wanted to get out of the spotlight, but this kind of treatment wasn't right. "Mou…some Detective Prince is going to come and steal my fame…"

"My apologies about that, Kujikawa-san, but it's not like I asked for this type of popularity."

"Ah!" Rise turned, coming face to face with Naoto. She glanced at the mob, still fighting over the empty seat. "S-since when did you?" She blushed, embarrassed that he had heard her mumblings.

"Never mind that, but I have some important matters to attend to, so if you'll excuse me." He sauntered off, adjusting his hat.

Again, Rise sighed, annoyed at herself for being so inarticulate, so stupid. Without another thought, she shoved her embarrassment to the side, grabbing her bento as she made her way to the roof. She needed some alone time to think for herself.

She made her way up the double flights of stairs, her curls bouncing along with her every step. Opening the door, she could feel the warm air on her face, caressing the nape of her neck. "Ahh…what nice weather today…"

"Kujikawa-san?"

Rise paled. It was that voice again, that sweet tenor voice. "Eh…N-Naoto-kun?" Naoto was leaning against the railing, a hand held the hat on his head, the winds picking up. The way he stood was tensed, guarded almost.

He sighed deeply. "Are you…following me, Kujikawa-san?" Annoyance shone in his bright blue eyes, an air of weariness about him.

"Of course not! I was just coming up here to eat lunch like I always do." Rise huffed, appalled that Naoto would accuse her of following him. "I'm not one of those rabid fans, you know. I understand how it feels to be stalked incessantly…" She pouted slightly. Despite her outward behaviour, inside, her heart hammered in her chest. She couldn't believe she was talking to him.

"Ah, my apologies again, Kujikawa-san." He smiled wryly, turning back to the scenery below, leaning over the railing.

Rise blushed. She had caught a glimpse of that handsome smile and she swooned, her knees losing their strength. How could she have ever accused him of taking his detective work as a game? She could feel the kindness in that fleeting smile. She knew he was a good person. "N-Naoto-kun, I should be the one apologizing."

Naoto was truly shocked as he turned towards Rise, surprise written on his face. "What are you saying Kuji-"

"Rise. Just call me Rise." The redhead smiled back, sending Naoto reeling with shock.

A small tinge of pink colored Naoto's cheeks. "Then, Rise-san. What are you apologizing for?"

"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for demeaning your work without knowing your intentions at all. I know that it's not a game to you." Rise peered into those sapphire orbs, wanting her words to get through.

Naoto jerked his head to the side, Rise's gaze piercing him through and through. "It's nothing. It was I who provoked you in the first place. I should take the blame."

"No!" Rise closed the distance between them in two quick strides. She boldly clasped Naoto's hands in hers, forcing the boy to look at her. "I'm trying to say that I'm sorry. That we got off on the wrong foot. Just accept my apology, please?" Rise pouted, looking helpless as she glanced up into that boyish face.

"Err…Kujikawa-sa-" Rise fixed Naoto with a glare. "I mean, Rise-san…I accept your apology, so will you let go of me now?" Naoto's face was stained a bright red, the famous Kujikawa Rise was pressed up right against the poor boy.

"Oh!" Rise jumped back, mentally reprimanding herself for being so forward. However, she couldn't help herself. Whenever Naoto was around, her thoughts were all backwards. "Sorry about that!"

Then, an awkward silence descended upon them, the wind whistling softly.

"Say, Naoto, would you like to have lunch with me?" Rise smiled warmly, that pop idol charm coming back to her. She seemed to sparkle as she said this, her confidence soaring.

"I don't have a lunch though…" Naoto looked a bit embarrassed at this, avoiding Rise's gaze.

Without another word, Rise took hold of Naoto's hand, leading him over to sit down. "It's okay. Just share with me! My grandmother packed too much for me to eat anyway."

The redhead spread out her bento on the ledge, offering Naoto a fork as she took up her chopsticks. "Here, eat up!"

He hesitated for a minute, his eyes scanned over the delicious looking lunchbox. "You're…a nice person, Rise-san." Naoto looked down at his feet, fidgeting with the hem of his blazer.

"Aw, come on, don't be shy! How about we be friends from now on?" Rise wavered a bit at the end, the blood pounding loudly in her ears. She was so close. Just a little more… If they started out as friends, who knows what they could end up as?

"So, what do you say, Naoto-kun?"

Naoto blushed, the gears in his mind turning furiously. "I…"

"Yes, Naoto-kun?" Rise could barely hold in her excitement.

"I have to go." Naoto abruptly rose, placing the fork back down on Rise's beautiful spread. "I'm sorry, Kujikawa-san, but I have some important matters to attend to." With that, Naoto strode off, disappearing into the school.

Rise sat there, shocked, her bottom lip quivering slightly. "Ah, mou…maybe I came on too strong…"

Descending the stairs to the school, Naoto pinched the bridge of his nose, thoughts swirling wildly in his mind. "Friends…what a useless thing. I have to concentrate on the case. I don't need distractions at a time like this…" Still mumbling to himself, Naoto stormed down the stairs.

For some reason, he just couldn't get that annoying Kujikawa Rise out of his head.

A/N: I've taken a shining to P4's Rise x Naoto. Naoto's just so adorable for a reverse trap. :D This is my first P4 piece, so please be lenient.

Encouragement, criticism/other are welcome!

Hope you enjoyed it and please review!