Summer Dreams

Tangled Web

Saturday, 8/5/12, Shirogane Residence, Morning...

*Knock knock knock*

Naoto opened one eye like a castle drawbridge, almost feeling the weight of her eyelid as it struggled to maintain its temporary victory. The stupor of sleep had yet to fully wear off, so the detective found herself with serious doubts as to whether or not the noise she heard was real or the lingering echo of a distant dream. Maybe a wait-and-see approach would prove most eff -

*Knock knock knock*

Real. It was a mild groan that came out next, the annoyed grunt of an under-rested teenager who felt it was far too early for such loud noises. A slow and arduous turn of her head could confirm that seeing the glowing red digits of 8:30 A.M. on her bedside clock did little to disprove her theory. Normally the 2nd year was very punctual waking up, even if she often slept far past a normal time for someone her age, but she had hoped that summer vacation would be the one time where she could be a little more lax. As usual, life wasn't so interested in what she wanted.

The sleepy indigo-haired girl rolled off her bed, ignoring creaky and stiff joints as she stumbled to her feet. Giving herself a minor inspection, she was at least pleased to see that she had managed to dress for bed; the detective had a bad habit of working past the point of exhaustion, which caused her to nod off in her regular clothes far more often than she'd like.

Her pajamas consisted of a dark blue, long sleeved, collared silk shirt, with three buttons and a chest pocket decorating the front, and a pair of matching silk shorts that hung just below her knees. It wasn't really her style, but it was incredibly comfortable and, more importantly, a gift from her Grandfather. She grabbed for the black robe hanging off one of the myriad hooks up near the door and slowly began -

*Bang bang bang*

Okay, that was enough!

"Yakushiji-san, please! This noise is excessive and unnecessary!" Naoto hissed, clamping one eye shut as she reeled from the sounds of something banging on the wooden door. What had gotten into Yakushiji, she wondered. Was there some emergency? Naoto forgot about tying the robe and just reached for the door handle. "If you would please just wait a moment, I can - !"

The 2nd year had thrown open her door, expecting the stern and bespectacled face of her Grandfather's assistant. That wasn't exactly what stood in front of her, and she couldn't contain the audible gasp that escaped her throat. The loud visitor picked up the slack from Naoto's mouth-agape silence.

" Snnrkt ...so, 2 things: number one, I am in love with those PJ's! I am all about this sleepy detective look. Secondly, I've been standing here un-hugged for, like, forever, and it's really bugging me, honestly!"

Rise. Rise. Sure enough, the recently reinstated idol was standing there, in the flesh. With her black, long sleeved crop top, cut-off denim shorts and beautifully styled and combed hair running long down her back, Rise looked like she'd just stepped off the stage of a film and into real life. Naoto was torn between a veritable multiverse of feelings: overwhelming joy, anger at her being gone so long, sadness that she probably wouldn't stay, anxiety at what to say about what had been going on, and a nagging sleepiness that wondered if she was still somehow dreaming. The maelstrom of thoughts paralyzed her, which made Rise laugh as she closed the gap between them.

"Don't worry," she snickered again, slowly placing her arms around the smaller girl, "I'll forgive you. This time!"

After a few seconds of standing there stunned, Naoto hurriedly reached her arm around Rise's lower back, leaning into her bigger friend as the redhead began to gently rub her back. Her face heated up, naturally; it was expected that Rise was always going to hug her, but Naoto still couldn't shake the embarrassment she felt whenever the idol embraced her so... lovingly . Obviously Rise only meant to convey her affection, but the pint-sized detective still had some hang-ups about physical contact, even with her best friend.