-EARLY MORNING-

"Shirogane-kun." Inspector Dojima had called on the young detective early in the morning. Naoto had had to drag herself away from Rise and looked a bit bedraggled as she walked her bike up to the crime scene tape. "Let her through," he spoke to the officer who stood guard, he stepped aside to let her pass.

"Dojima-san." She bowed her head as she walked up. "You have need of me?"

"We found another one."

Dojima led Naoto down a back alley in the shopping district and to a dumpster where a human foot lay exposed out of a plastic bag. It was lying in front of the dumpster where it seemed to have been pulled from and several investigators were looking over the scene. From the structure and size of the foot Naoto reasoned that it was a girl. "The owner of this restaurant found her this morning. She's from Yasogami."

As they approached Naoto could see more of the body, the black and white Yasogami uniform became apparent but she didn't recognize the face. "We're running some information on her now."

Naoto noticed they had her possessions sorted in a pile nearby. On a hunch she searched through them, donning a glove she found nearby, and found what she was looking for. Dojima stood over her shoulder as she held up a laminated card. "Risette Fan Club. Yasogami branch."

"Is that important?"

Naoto fingered the card in her hand. She had a feeling that all of this was connected to Rise and what she had seen the previous night. Thoughts of Rise brought up memories of kissing her the previous night, a blush slowly crept up her face. She shook these memories off, returning to the manner at hand. "The last victim was a member as well. I think the killer may be targeting members of this club."

Dojima took the card from her hand and examined it. "What do you think his end game is?"

"I couldn't say." A direct attack on Rise, maybe. If it comes to that he'll have to get through me.

Dojima seemed satisfied, he even offered something of a smile to Naoto. "Good work, Shirogane. Keep investigating things at the school while we try to turn up any leads."

Naoto bowed her head and turned back to her bike. The ride home was short, her thoughts full of Rise. She showered and dressed quickly, leaving her house at the same time she did everyday. The walk to school was brisk, a light breeze cooling the autumn air and sending a shiver down her spine when it blew too hard. The leaves were changing colors and she admired the view around her. It caught her off guard when an arm snaked around hers.

"Hey." Rise clung to her arm in a very affectionate manner, her lips grazed Naoto's cheek. "Where did you get off to so early?"

Naoto blushed, she found she blushed easily when dealing with Rise. "Dojima-san called me. He needed my help with his investigation." Naoto wanted to keep the gorier details from Rise along with her fears that she was the intended target.

"A real police investigation? That's impressive." Rise still clung to her arm as they neared the school. Naoto grew increasingly more nervous as the building came into view. She looked around but no one seemed to notice them, a few eyes turned towards them but none seemed overly concerned with what they saw. "What's wrong? You seem nervous." Naoto couldn't see the grin on Rise's face.

"I...just...I need to get to class early. To study."

She felt like she covered that well but Rise could see right through her. "Okay, I'll see you at lunch." She leaned in and have Naoto a quick kiss on this cheek. "Bye." Rise hopped away almost giddily leaving Naoto standing in place with a deep blush.

-LUNCHTIME-

Classes went by in a blur and before she knew it Naoto found herself walking down the hallway looking for Rise. Instead she found another girl trying to find her. "Naoto-kun." She turned and saw Kanami walking towards her with a smile on her face. "Naoto-kun, I have something for you. Ta-daa." She produced a laminated card from her pocket that was similar to one she had seen on the last two victims.

Naoto took it and turned it over. It bore a picture of her, though she had no memory of having that picture taken, said in bold lettering, Risette Fan Club, Yasogami Chapter, and said her name just beneath it in embossed lettering. She wondered just how much it had cost to make, Junes would have charged a large fee for the lettering alone. As she looked at the card she was reminded of the two she had seen so far, both of them near a dead chapter member."Thank you, Kanami-san."

Kanami blushed deeply and clasped her hands behind her back, she turned her head away trying to hide her nervousness. "It's my duty as chapter vice-president."

"Kanami-chan."

A shout came from nearby and Kanami snapped to attention. Several girls were calling and waving to her and she turned to Naoto. "Sorry, I've got to go. I just wanted to make sure you got your card. Bye."

Kanami walked quickly to where her friends were and Naoto started to turn around when Rise snaked an arm around hers and fell in beside her. "So, what did you bring for lunch? Ooh, what's that?" Naoto face grew flush when she noticed what Rise had seen. She still had the laminated card in her hand.

Using her quick reflexes and training she palmed the card and shoved it deep into the pocket of her jacket. "Nothing important."

"Liar." Rise's smile was cat-like, almost predatory. Like she knows what it is and is just playing games with me. "What did you bring us to eat?"

The change of subject was quick and sudden and Naoto felt whiplash. "Me?"

"Yeah, you. I'm starving. What do ya got?"

"Well..." The answer was nothing. Naoto had been planning on buying an instant lunch from the vending machines.

"Nothing, huh? Well it's a good thing one of us thought ahead. Ta-daa." Rise pulled a bento out from behind her back and held it out to Naoto. "I made it this morning before I left." She leaned in close to whisper in her ear, "I made it just for you."

Naoto remembered the jibes the girls recieved for their cooking and felt a bead of sweat start to form on her brow. She opened it slowly, carefully, as if she could will it to be edible. Fortunately when she did open it everything was in it's place and the meal didn't look half bad. Rise hooked her arm around hers again and Naoto could hear some hushed talk about them.

Isn't that Naoto-kun with Rise-chan?

Man, I'm jealous.

Aren't they both girls, though?

Naoto decided that they were going to eat lunch on the roof. She stepped out onto the roof and took a deep breath of the cool, autumn air that was quickly dropping in temperature in preparation for the coming winter. "Finally," she heard from behind her, "we're alone." Naoto felt herself being spun around before lips met hers in a somewhat awkward kiss. Naoto closed her eyes then remembered where they were and pulled away. "I knew it. You thought it was weird, didn't you?"

The look on Rise's face was one of hurt and Naoto's heart was ready to burst. "It's not like that. It's just that...we're at school and someone could be watching."

"Will you stay with me again, tonight?"

Her tone was almost pleading and Naoto couldn't imagine refusing whatever request was spoken in that voice. "Yes." Naoto reached out her hand and placed it on Rise's waist. "If you want me to."

"Of course."

Naoto sat down and opened the bento box. She took a bite and was satisfied that she wouldn't die. She felt Rise sit down next to her and tensed slightly as she leaned in close to take a piece of food. She lingered purposefully with a knowing smile before taking a bite and leaning back. Naoto exhaled slowly. She didn't know how Rise was able to trigger so much feeling within her but something about her reached deeply into Naoto and tugged at her heart. Naoto didn't know if what she felt for Rise was love or just friendship but she saw no problem in exploring those feelings.

-AFTER SCHOOL-

Naoto stood outside the school waiting for Rise when a familiar voice hailed her from behind. "Naoto-kun." It was Kanami. "Did you hear?" Naoto shook her head but had a feeling that she knew what was going to be said. "We lost another member of the fan club. Yukariko didn't show up today, and she never misses a meeting. I think something's wrong."

"What can you tell me about Yukariko?"

Kanami began to describe Yukariko in great detail; her sheepish personality yet outspoken love for Risette, how she regularly attended and spoke in every club meeting, how she would often walk home from school and about how Kanami had visited her house and met her parents, who seemed like nice people. Nothing in what Kanami said tossed a red flag in Naoto's mind yet someone had killed her and a motive was not forthcoming.

"She had finally gotten up the courage to talk to Risette, too."

This stood out in Naoto's mind. "What was that?"

"Going to school with her, most of us dream of becoming best friends with Rise but most of us can't bring ourselves to talk to her, except for the shadow member of course." Again with this 'Shadow Member'. I need to expose this person and remove them as a suspect. "I get way too nervous to talk to her. She had finally gotten up the nerve to talk to Rise and now she dissapears."

Something seemed odd to her about that. "What about Okaji Renji? Had he spoken to Rise?"

Kanami held a finger to her head as if it would renew her memory. "I think... Yeah, come to think of it he had just gotten up the nerve to talk to her before he disappeared too." Kanami gasped. "You don't think..."

"Just be quiet about it. Word can't spread that talking to Rise can get you killed. It would be a disaster."

"Naoto."

Naoto spun around when she heard Rise's voice, Kanami stood behind Naoto and tried to hide behind her. "R-rise...?"

"Who's this?" Rise asked as she approached and noticed Kanami standing behind her.

"I-I..."

Naoto turned to face Kanami with a wink. "You should hurry or you'll miss your bus."

"Right."

Kanami ran away towards the bus station nearby and Naoto turned back to face Rise who looked angry, her hands on her hips. "Who was that? Your girlfriend?"

Naoto's eyes widened. She had no idea how to respond. "No-no s-sh-she's just a..."

Rise snickered and Naoto felt confused. "I'm just teasing." Rise hooked her arm around Naoto's. "You're still staying over, right?"

"Of course."

"Good, because I want you to have dinner with me and grandma tonight."

"Oh..."

-DINNERTIME-

Naoto had changed into her best outfit, a pair of black slacks and a black jacket with her favorite blue hat, and was waiting at the door to Marukyu Tofu. She cleared her throat of the lump that had started to form there and knocked on the door. It wasn't long before Rise opened the door, wearing a green dress that Naoto thought looked great on her, and threw her arms around Naoto and pulled her into a hug. "Hey. You look great."

"So do you."

She did. Rise had let her long hair down and it fell in waves down her slim, seductively bare shoulders and almost to her waist, her dress was slim and showed off her figure and she wore a bit of makeup, light mascara and lipstick in a color that brought out her eyes. Naoto thought she was beautiful but couldn't say so.

Rise led her into the house and to the dining room where it seemed a veritable feast had been laid out for them. On the other side of the table, Rise's grandmother smiled to see her again. "Ah, Naoto-kun. Rise told me we were having a guest but I didn't know it was you. Sit down, there's plenty to go around."

Naoto sat down and Rise sat down next to her. She dug in, tasting every dish on the table and finding them to be delicious. "Are all these dishes made with tofu from your shop?" She asked the grandmother who seemed delighted to answer.

"They are. Quite surprising, right?"

"I couldn't even taste it in most of them."

Rise's grandmother was happy to talk about tofu and Naoto continued to eat while listening intently. She felt something brush against her hand and cut a glance to the girl sitting next to her. Rise was watching her with a beaming smile on her face, she had taken Naoto's hand under the table and held it tightly. Naoto smiled too and a feeling of love suffused her like an inner light that threatened to burst from her.

When dinner was done, Naoto and Rise cleared the table and cleaned the dishes standing side by side. "She adores you, you know."

"Who?"

"Granny. She says you're a good person and a great influence on me. She can see that you make me happy." Rise turned her head to look at Naoto. "You make me happy, Naoto."

Naoto was overcome with emotion. Rise's eyes glistened as they looked at her and she wanted to lose herself in them. Rise drew closer until they nearly touched. Her pulse thundered in her ears, their faces just inches from each other. Naoto closed the distance and pulled her into a kiss, one more passionate than their previous kisses. She let herself go, put all of her feelings for Rise into that kiss and was happy when that feeling was returned. Naoto saw something in Rise, then, that she had never seen before. Desire.

They finished the dishes quickly and afterwards Rise led Naoto up to her bedroom. The intense feelings she had been feeling for Rise were building inside of her as Rise closed the door behind them and joined her sitting on the bed. Naoto sat still, her shoulders slumped and her eyes down as if preparing herself for something. "Naoto..?"

Naoto focused on her breathing. In and out, in and out, in and out. Her emotions were threatening to burst from her and she didn't want that, didn't know how Rise would react. She felt a gentle touch on the arm and looked over to see Rise smiling at her. The touch, gentle but firm, and Rise's easy smile let her know that it was okay to let it go, that she would be there for her no matter what.

"Naoto..."

Naoto kissed Rise, another kiss full of passion. Rise lay down on the bed, pulling Naoto with her to lay atop her. Their kissing became more needy, more intense and Naoto found herself being pulled deeper and deeper into Rise. Her breathing became heavy and her chest swelled with every inhale, she could feel Rise's chest rising against her own as well. She couldn't hear anything but the beat of her heart or Rise's, she couldn't tell them apart anymore.

She didn't know how much time passed before they stopped. She rolled off of Rise and lay on the bed beside her. Rise lay next to her with her arm around Naoto's waist and her head laying on Naoto's shoulder. Naoto had her eyes closed and she felt lighter than air, like her and Rise were alone in the world.

"Good night, my love."

Love!?

-Author's Note-

I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update this story but I've been in somewhat of a funk lately and have been at a loss for inspiration. Hopefully I have gotten passed my block and can continue this story. Thanks for reading.