"Ah Nanako-chan, is that you?" the detective kneeled downwards, holding her hand out.
"Naoto-san!?" She grabbed onto her hand ,pulling herself upwards.
Naoto stood up. "You've grown a lot ever since the last time I saw you, when was it, a tutorial?"
Nanako brushed the dust off her pants. "Yeah, that was a while back huh? What're you doing here?"
"Ah, funny you should as such a question." Naoto sighed. "I'm on the hunt for Yukiko. After what happened at the inn, I still don't understand why she would do such a thing, it's not like her to do so. That's why I'm here to look for her, I want to question her. I still don't forgive her."
"I see." Nanako remembered the gruesome incident.
"Anyways Nana-chan what brings you around such a hazardous place?" Naoto looked over, changing the subject.
"O-oh right! My dad sent me here as medical relief, he said it'll count as a part of my training hours." Nanako answered automatically. "I don't know how, but as long as I'm one step closer to becoming a detective, that's all."
The young adult glanced at the distant. " Seems like you have a lot in front of you, might I tag along? I may be able to find more about Yukiko's whereabouts."
" I don't mind!" she nodded her head. "Actually, it'd be ten times better than me having to walk alone, I don't know my way around Osaka, I'm supposed to meet up with the rest of the medical team."
"Oh so is that where you're headed." Naoto said, already leading the way. "I was just talking to them a moment ago. "
"Really, man your such a life safer Nao-chan!" Nanako caught up with her, looking up ahead at the crowd that huddled close to each other as they aided the wounded.
"Oh Detective Prince, your back already?" the man chuckled, putting his hand over a woman who seemed an inch smaller than himself.
Naoto scratched her cheek with her index finger. "Well it seems that a former friend of mine came here on behalf of Ryotaro Dojima."
Nanako forgot her fear of socializing with people, she was often shy only because she hoped not to place her foot the wrong way. She then waved her hand. "I'm Nanako Dojima."
"Oh so your Dojima's kid huh?" the man bent over. "Hey Kaede, you remember Ryotaro right?"
She leaned over as well, patting Nanako's head. "Lil' Ryo? This is his kid? If it weren't for him, we wouldn't of gotten married."
"Did my Dad really do that?" she questioned.
"Yep, we were pretty close. My wife and I here were quote-on-quote 'trouble-makers' back in high school." The man said, standing straight. " But he was our little guy who kept our secret. He's not the best liar but he was a really good decoy. He could cry easily or pick up other problems and report them to the teachers."
"We all made a time capsule together after 9th grade and dug it up on our last year." Kaede looked back, checking on the workers. "When we dug it up, we found out that each one of our papers said that we should get married. Of course we didn't write it, it was obvious Ryo wrote it, his handwriting was recognizable."
Her spouse then sighed. "I wonder what happened to the originals anyway. Welp, let's get to work then, all you need to do is give the right treatment to the kiddos who are injured, it's probably just bandaging them up and stuff."
Nanako went her way to start tending the wounded. "Roger that."
Naoto sat down beside her, scribbling in her small notebook. She analyzed the area, walking back and forth, asking citizens questions and sitting back down.
"Naoto-san, you sure seem to be persistent on finding Yukiko huh?" Nanako's real question was why she was so persistent when she should've let go of the case. With the huge wound Yukiko was left with, there was probably no way she could've been living unless she got healed. But that was all up to Yukiko herself.
"As an old friend I still want to know her reasons. She wouldn't let these lives be thrown away like that, I just-"
Naoto's anger gradually grew from within her, but realized her sorrow that overwhelmed her often. Before she could continue, Nanako interrupted her.
"It's okay Nao-san. I may only know how it feels on the surface but, you don't need to worry." She tighten the bandage on an unconscious female's leg. "You see, there's this thing that has been going on called the 'Midnight Session'. The world needs to be balanced with the T.V World or else this world will be consumed. I don't know anything that much, heck, I can't even fight. I'm not even sure if I can pull this off safely like I promised dad. I ask Big Bro for help all the time and yet, I still doubt myself."
The teenager then looked up at the detective. " Naoto-san, let's both do our very best to overcome these challenges. If I ever find Yukiko, or finish with this Midnight whatever, I'll work by your side to help you find Yukiko. That's why I want to become a detective!"
"Nana-chan..."she couldn't help but to face the floor. A child telling her to toughen up? This was a bit embarrassing but she felt like it was just what she needed. "Thank you, let us work together."
The sun finally set on the horizon as Nanako and Naoto walked over to the area where the couple monitored.
"Nice work kiddo, it was a great help to be honest." Tetsu patted her back playfully.
"Hey why don't you stay over at our place tonight?" Kaede suggested. "The trip back will be tiring and its best if you just rest, you join us too Detective Prince."
"That'd be very nice of you but are you sure?" Nanako asked.
"Definitely sure, I'm making stew today to warm the hearts of our workers here." Kaede turned her head, gazing over the surface of heads.. "Come and join us, it'll be fun."
The detective turned her head, looking over at her fellow friend. Simultaneously, the two of them nodded
"I'll just inform my dad then." she smiled taking out her phone.
-/////-
7:45am.
Minako waved goodbye as Dojima drove away with his daughter to the train station, closing the door in front of her.
"So they left huh? And they didn't even say bye to me?" Adachi walked up from behind, giving Minako a small scare.
Jolting, she locked the door and turned around. "Adachi-san, I thought, well we all thought, you were asleep on the couch."
"I was." he plainly said. "Until I woke up."
Minako stared at the man dumbfounded for a moment, then turn her gaze away.
Adachi let out a tired laugh. "Man, you're easy to scare. Anyways, there's no point in going back to sleep now, let's do something."
Minako headed to the kitchen with only one obvious idea. "Anything specific you want for breakfast?"
"Cook up something you like. I want to ask you some questions." Adachi sat back on the couch, slouching.
"Questions?" the female slowly pulled out a pan and placed it on the stove.
"I'm not sure if I entirely trust you gingerhead" He gestured his hand. "Well, it's not that. Just give me a little bio about yourself."
Turning the knob slightly to the left, Minako thought for a while. "A little bio? Well, I used to be apart of a group called the S.E.E.S. Well, it wasn't just me, it was run by a strong woman named Mitsu-"
Her head started to burst once again. She instantly crouched onto her knees and haled onto her head. That same exact feeling was rushing to her head, the endless amount of pain she felt was overwhelming her. The thunderclap immensely intensified as she tried to remember what her past was, who she was talking about, who she was and what defined her as Minako Arisato.
Adachi walked over to the suffering female, kneeling downwards to reach for her shoulder.
"Hey you stupid shit, snap out of it." he 'advised her wisely'. He then perked coser, trying to listen to what she was mumbling. But the last thing she whispered was a name.
"Theo...dore..." tears rolled down her cheeks as she closed her eyes tightly. She then opened her eyes once again,empty. "What...?"
"You feelin' better?" Adachi made a confused face, not knowing what to do at this point.
Minako turned her head around a couple of times. "Yeah, my head just exploded again, what were we talking about again?"
Again? As an ex-detective, Adachi took this information into consideration. She must've done the same thing a while back. That just ment he couldn't answer that one question he had.
"Nothing important, just planning." he slouched back on the couch as if nothing happened. "Since Nanako isn't here, and Dojima's gonna go straight to work were left alone again."
"I see." Minak finally stood up, staggering just a bit, and continued to prepare breakfast. " Adachi-san, don't you have a room to sleep in?"
"Yeah, but I don't need it." He pointed at the room under the staircase. "Dojima got people to innovate there for me yet I don't even use it."
The brunette stuttered a bit. "Is it okay if I take it?"
Adachi didn't mind one bit, but there must've been a reason. "Don't you have our own room?"
Minako jerked upwards, her face flushed red. "Well...every night or so that room becomes the Velvet Room and i'm sorta s-scared. And I don't wanna sleep in front of an old man and I don't even know how it does that but-!" she made more excuses to cover up her fears.
"Yeah yeah whatever. Take it, it's yours." he stretched his back. "Tonight I'm talking to that Goldilocks. Obviously, that room can't turn ito the velvet room so how did it this time. And about our persona. And aren't you some Savior of Second Chances?"
There were many questions yet to be answered, and asked. Adachi let go of them and sighed. "But for now lets pass by time somehow, got any ideas?"
"Not really, maybe because it's too early to think." Minako admitted, feeling a bit drowsy. "I don't even know what I tried to remember a few moments ago, I really hope I don't have short term memory loss."
The young adult panicked internally, but it was obvious to an ex-detective like Adachi. He sighed, walked away and came back with something in his hands.
"Here, have this." He handed her what seemed to be an old FujiFilm camera. "You said something about making new memories back at Junes right? Your memory sucks anyways."
"But isn't this an important camera of yours?" she hadn't grabbed it yet, just incase he wanted it back.
Adachi pulled out a different camera, a much smaller one with the words Canon written in metallic silver. "I've got a better one, better quality, it's a powershot something."
"Oh! Your vlogs will come look better now won't they?" she happily smiled, grabbing a hold of the camera.
"Yep." he said, pointing at the old camera. "Why don't I take you around Inaba, it may be a small town but there are some places worth taking pictures of."
The two of them sat around the table with their bowls of food in front of them. In unison, they clapped their hands together and chanted the traditional Japanese phrase.
"Itadakimasu!"
-/////-
With every minute passing by, Mianko took pictures of every other thing she saw, including Adachi, who was vlogging the scenery. The both of them enjoyed their time, for it wasn't too hot or cold that day. The children of Inaba were running freely, the students were either studying under trees or biking with friends to places like Junes but since the day was coming to an end, the two settled for an Izakaya not to far away from home.
Entering the pub, Adachi looked over at Minako. "Your not one to drink are ya? Don't worry I only drink with Dojima."
" Hm you don't either?" the adult sat down on the stool, ordering a small plate of chicken yakitori.
"Nah, as a detective, I don't want my mind to be clouded while investigating. I never really found alcohol that good tasting anyways."
" Didn't you say you wanted to prove yourself worthy to Dojima again?" Minako brought up the topic from the past.
He took a glass cup and started to fiddle with it. "Yeah sure, but it's gonna take a while, ti be honest I don't even know if I've started."
There wasn't another word to be spoken in between them. Adachi took a sip from the cup and put it down, Minako then looked over at him.
"I think you've started."
"Eh?" he sneered a bit, having a confused face.
"With this Midnight Session going on, I believe Dojima-san has full faith in you, so that you can keep Nana-chan safe, that's the biggest thing you could ever do to him"
Adachi let out a small laugh. "Protect the kid huh? Sounds like him. Why am I even talking to you about this?"
"Sometimes, you need to talk things through to know what your intentions are. Sometimes, you just need a minute to spare to realize what's really going on. I believe in a hectic world like this, there's always a few minutes of interval that everyone needs."
"Wise words coming from you huh?" Adachi looked over at the clock that hung on the wall. "It's been a minute. Let's stop talking and go home."
He then felt a vibration in his back pocket. The man picked up his phone and check the notification.
"It seems like the kid won't be back for today."