deductune:
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āSounds like what I would expect.ā It comes as no surprise, really. If heās already so carefree and goofy when at work ( in quite a serious profession, at that ) then naturally he would be so when away from the work desk. Naoto doesnāt really get it, how he can be like that. Sheās come to know that not everything has to be so serious, sure, but should everything be soā¦silly? Perhaps thereās more to him than what meets the eye.Ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Thereās seriousness in her eyes when Souji says he worries and she glances up at him. Is it really that bad?Ā āI like to think I have a good grasp on myself, senpai. But⦠Well. Should it ever come down to it, can I count on you to let me know when Iām doing too much?ā She sighs harshly, hating to sound so dependent. Hating to need help, but if things get too wound up as they did before, she doesnāt need to go out being reckless again. It happens, despite her typical calm and cool demeanor. She wants something, she makes sure she gets it. And although her reckless stunt wielded her helpful results and a Persona, she could have so easily would up dead.Ā āI can at the very least promise you that I wonāt be running off to allow myself capture once again, of course.ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā She distracts herself from the darker topic for a bit, grabbing the last bit of what they need for their little cooking session thatās to come. To think, theyāve held such a conversation while grocery shopping. Itās one of the most mundane things to do, and yet Souji makes even that interesting. Come to think of it, sheās actually getting hungry seeing all this stuff in the shopping cart. The sooner they start cooking, the better!
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā The deep topics again? Sheās no stranger to them, and certainly doesnāt shy away.Ā āYouāre correct, though. There is such a thing as growing up too fast and I believe thatās been a case with myself. I think that children that lose a parent, especially both, are more prone to it. Nanako-chan at least has you around the house, though. I think perhaps that might stunt the quicker paced growth spurt.ā But, this is more about herself, isnāt it? Nanako isnāt here to express that concern to ā Naoto is.Ā āI havenāt really gotten a chance to have friends my age until now, really. Iāmā¦inept at making friends or finding common ground with my peers. But you and the others, senpai⦠I feel as though it all happened so naturally, once we got to know each other.ā Perhaps she just went about it all wrong these years.Ā āDonāt act irresponsible, hm?ā she asks with a grin.Ā āWell, I am spending time with you right now instead of Yosuke-senpai. I think thatās a step in the right direction.āĀ
āOf course. If I think youāre working yourself too hard, Iāll tell you. Maybe thatās why I asked you out of everyone else to come home and help me make dinner. And, well, sort of stay and relax a bit while you can. Everyone has their duties and all that, but you seem to work the most out of all of us when it comes to the case, so it should be a good breather for you.ā
Once they had actually gathered everything they needed, he was also finding it difficult to stop thinking about what it would all be turned into. He hadnāt really eaten much since lunch time in school, and he could feel his stomach starting to growl because of it. That in mind, he made sure to get to the cash as quick as he could so they could have everything rung up and paid for before grabbing a couple bags in each hand and just praying he didnāt forget anything when they could finally start to leave.
āIāll make sure Nanako doesnāt grow up faster than she needs to. I know there are kids who normally have to stay home alone because of having busy parents, so they adapt more and learn to clean and cook earlier than some other kids who have things done for them by their parents, especially if one stays at home quite often.ā Which, on a personal level, he could relate, since his own parents were rather busy individuals in the city and he had to learn things that Nanako did at her age when he was that age as well, and it explained why he was such a good cook.
ā...was that supposed to insult Yosuke? Youāre lucky he isnāt here to hear something like that, Naoto. But donāt worry. Iām not going to tell him. Besides, I already took a dug at the other girls earlier about their cooking, so now weāre even.ā
He chuckled as his feet started to pace a little as he walked now, gripping the bags at his sides as he watched the ground as he moved. He was wondering if Dojima would even be back tonight or not, and was always more concerned about how Nanako was going to react if he didnāt. He hated seeing her disappointed. As much as he could do to make her happy in place of her father, there were some things he couldnāt replace.
āIām sure Nanako will be happy to see you, like I said. I just want to make sure she doesnāt stop smiling any time soon. I donāt like seeing her so upset when Dojima-san makes promises and then canāt keep them. Ah...sorry, I was sort of thinking more to myself about that just now.ā












