The path to the truth: Male Reader X Naoto

Naoto learns the truth

05/29

It's Sunday, all I can do for right now is wait for Kanji's recovery. Yikes I better make my report to Naoto before I forget.

I headed to the police station, where Cal and Adachi were chatting it up.

"Geez it's about time you got here. Naoto's been wanting to talk to you and Cal for a while now. Doesn't help that he has no way to reach you other than through Dojima. Usually neither of them are here at the same time though." Adachi said.

"Is Naoto in his office right now?" I asked.

"No he stepped out for a bit, he should be back soon." Adachi said.

The three of us stood there in awkward silence.

"So, one's a rat for the Yakuza and the other was wrongfully convicted for assault, quite the pair you two make huh? I noticed that you're both from the same city, did you know each other before coming here?" He asked.

"Only by name." Cal said.

"Same here." I said.

Naoto came through the door.

"Oh good you're here. I just stopped by your house to see if you were home." She said. "Come into my office, I need to talk with both of you."

All three of us stepped into her office. She locked the door behind us.

"Look if this is about me skipping classes the other day, that was a one time thing. There was a misunderstanding with another student and I ended up getting dragged to Okina in the-" I started.

"I don't care about that, well, okay I do, but that's not why I brought both of you here." She said. "I told you before that as long as you didn't get in my way I didn't care if you helped with the case in you're own way, I can overlook that. But I can't overlook withholding Evidence. You both know things pertaining to the case that I don't."

"You have no idea." Cal said with a chuckle. "You wouldn't believe us though."

"Humour me." She said.

"Okay. There's an entire extra dimensional world inside the TV that someone has been throwing people into. When someone gets thrown in, the world in question creates a, special place that reflects a person's inner feelings and repressed emotions. My friends and I have been investigating that place using supernatural powers called Persona..." I said

I continued to explain everything we knew about the Midnight Channel while Cal sat there baffled. Naoto just sat there, nodded, and took notes.

"And you say you can jump between parallel universes using these "Link Portals", and also hide in between tight spaces and teeter between universes?" She asked.

I made a copy of myself, then squeezed under a chair, then moved back. Cal is just, speechless.

"Interesting. Can I see this, Midnight Channel?" She asked.

"It's not, exactly safe for normal people, but, it should be fine if we're only there for a few minutes. We'll have to go to Junes, that's the most convenient place to enter." I said.

"Lead the way." She said.

The three of us went to the Junes Electronics Department, I made sure no one was looking, then the three of us entered the TV.

"Teddie, you there?" I asked.

"Sensei? Oh, it's the scary one!" He said. "Where's everyone else?"

"Just us today, have you seen enough Naoto?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm satisfied." She said.

We headed back to Naoto's office. She sat down in her chair and sighed.

"So are you just not going to mention the fact that he sat on you for an hour straight?" Cal asked.

"No no, nope not, dammit why!?" I asked him.

Naoto had a very confused look on her face, I might be in trouble.

"Cal I'm going to need you to step out. I'm done with you for today." She said.

"See you." Cal said before leaving.

Naoto locked the door behind him. Then turned to face me, her face was beat red either from anger or embarrassment. I think it's anger.

"I swear to god I am not a pervert. I had to hide because I had "another me" on the other side of town covering for me so I could keep an eye on Cal. I had no idea whether or not you had met with them at that point, and couldn't risk hiding in the bathroom because I originally thought it was the Kirijo Group doing an inspection on Cal's house." I said as she slowly walked towards me. She gave me a stare.

"I, I can't do this with you anymore." She said, before looking away. "You're, comprising, my job. I'll talk to Dojima and see if we can put Adachi on as your Probation Officer."

Wait, she's not mad, that is a look of embarrassment on her face.

"Oh, OH. Oh man, I, shit I am so sorry I-" I began.

"It's not your fault, entirely. Our time together, may, have caused me to develop feelings for you, and, that would be compromising to my whole career." She said.

"I see, well, I guess I'll see you around then. You have my word that I'll keep your secret." I said.

Before I headed out the door, I stopped to say one more thing.

"Just so you know, I've developed feelings for you too, but, like I said, I respect your decision." I said, before leaving.

I headed home for the evening. Dojima was home and reading the newspaper, while Nanako was watching her Quiz Show on TV.

"You alright?" Dojima asked.

"Yeah, I'm okay." I said.

"You want to talk about it?" He asked.

I shook my head.

"Not tonight, I'm going to bed." I said before heading upstairs for the night.