《Neo Advance》 Who is in Your Heart Now Tohru can¡¯t feel anything but grateful towards Mitsuki Kirigaya - even if he supposes this could technically be blackmail. The other boy has been nothing but fair towards him, ever since he uncovered Tohru as Jabberwocky. It¡¯s a fair choice. Give up killing and become Edogawa¡¯s assistant¡­ or jail. Of course - the answer for Tohru was obvious - even if the other option wasn¡¯t jail, yet a million yen, he still would¡¯ve chosen to become Edogawa¡¯s assistant over anything. It¡¯s still like a dream to him¡­ to be working and collaborating with someone who he could only call his idol. ...Even now, as he carries Mitsuki¡¯s bags into the fast food restaurant, he¡¯s thrilled to spend time with the one who moved his heart so. ¡°Mmn, you hungry, Tamashiro-kun?¡± Mitsuki tilts his head at Tohru quizzically. ¡°Only a little.¡± Truth be told, Tohru is starving, but he wouldn¡¯t want to burden Mitsuki with things like that. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll get us some food.¡± An unnaturally long pause as Mitsuki scrutinizes him through his glasses. ¡°...Do you want a vanilla or chocolate milkshake?¡± ¡°Chocolate would be nice¡­ but¡­!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I figured you¡¯d like.¡± Mitsuki steps up to order the food, and Tohru interjects softly. ¡°But you don¡¯t have to pay -...!¡± ¡°Nonsense. I¡¯m the one who brought you here, so I¡¯ll pay.¡± ¡°...But¡­¡± Mitsuki gives him a look so stern that it shuts him up. The two wait for their food in relative silence, Mitsuki watching the television in the restaurant intently. It¡¯s playing the news, though Tohru doesn¡¯t fully pay attention, keeping an eye and an ear out for their meal. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s news about Dolly¡­!¡± Mitsuki mumbles putting a hand to his face as if to quell the redness already coming to his cheeks. ¡°Dolly¡­¡± Tohru echoes. He knows by now that Mitsuki has an impressive crush on the other detective, and will jump at any new information given. So even when their order is called, and Mitsuki is still intently glued to the television, enamored with the depictions on screen, Tohru goes to pick it up. ¡°Kirigaya-san¡­¡± He gently taps Mitsuki¡¯s shoulder to grab his attention. ¡°We can grab a table near a television set.¡± ¡°Mm- oh, sounds like a good idea.¡± Mitsuki nods, and the two set off in search of a table, finding one directly under a speaker in the ceiling, with good view of the television set. What a perfect steal, Tohru thinks. As Tohru lays out the food on the table, giving Mitsuki his fries and a fork, and setting aside his own fries¡­ he notices there¡¯s just one milkshake, no other drinks¡­ yet two straws. ¡°Um¡­ did they forget our¡­ other drink?¡± He asks, trying to pry Mitsuki¡¯s attention away from the news momentarily. ¡°...Ah, they did.¡± ¡°I can¡­ go and talk to them¡­?¡± Mitsuki is already reading the receipt, and shakes his head. ¡°They didn¡¯t charge us for it, so there¡¯s no use. There¡¯s two straws, right? So we can share the milkshake. I ordered a chocolate milkshake as well.¡± Tohru feels his face heat up as the blood pounding in his eardrums drones out the sound of Mitsuki¡¯s voice.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°...That¡¯s fine with you, right?¡± Tohru almost doesn¡¯t hear him. ¡°Ye- yeah! Yes, it¡¯s fine- !¡± Sharing a milkshake with Mitsuki¡­ there are two straws, but this is something lovers do on dates, is the only thing Tohru can think. His heart must be racing faster than a bullet train right now. Mitsuki shakes his head. ¡°You know, if you¡¯re feeling ill we can go home.¡± ¡°...Feeling...ill?¡± Tohru isn¡¯t sure if he follows. ¡°Your face is red. Do you feel warm¡­? You could have a fever.¡± Ah. Tohru considers for a moment that Mitsuki might be doing this on purpose to tease him, but pushes it out of his head, putting a hand on his hot cheek as if that will suppress the blushing. ¡°No, no. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°...Maybe you should have a sip of the milkshake then¡­?¡± Mitsuki tilts his head ever-so-innocently, and Tohru is so sure that he¡¯s being teased now. But he¡¯s adamant not to make a fool of himself in front of Mitsuki, and so he grabs a straw, defiantly jamming it on the table and peeling it of its wrapper. He takes a sip, trying to suck up the thick ice cream, all the while avoiding eye contact with Mitsuki, who he can tell is subtly amused by this. Tohru wipes his mouth when he¡¯s done, still not looking the other in the eyes. ¡°Thanks, I think that did it.¡± He¡¯s just embarrassed now. Mitsuki chuckles. ¡°It looks good. I think I¡¯ll have some now.¡± He reaches over to gently grab the shake from Tohru¡¯s side of the table - and brings it to his lips without even changing the straw. Now, Tohru isn¡¯t by any means weak-hearted, but he does feel like fainting when he sees. That¡¯s an indirect kiss¡­! Mitsuki is definitely doing this on purpose - Tohru supposes that the detective is more cruel than he first let on. Mitsuki sighs. ¡°It is good. Thank you for sharing, Tamashiro-kun.¡± ¡°I-it¡¯s, it¡¯s not a problem, after all- you paid.¡± ¡°Mmmn, I guess so.¡± Tohru still can¡¯t stop thinking about that indirect kiss. He knows deep within his mind he won¡¯t be over it for the next week or so. ¡°Ah¡­ Tamashiro-kun¡­? I¡¯ve been meaning to ask you this, but...¡± Tohru quirks an eyebrow, finally bringing his eyes to meet Mitsuki¡¯s. ¡°Yes¡­?¡± ¡°Do you have a favorite¡­?¡± ¡°...Favorite¡­?¡± He¡¯s going to need more prompting than that. ¡°Detective.¡± Mitsuki closes his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t just say Edogawa because I¡¯m here. You can¡¯t butter me up that easily.¡± He smiles, though it¡¯s a small smile. ¡°You know my favorite detectives. Dolly, Nemesis Jones¡­¡± Mitsuki sighs as he trails off. ¡°Or since you¡¯re a serial killer, should I be asking who your favorite serial killers are¡­?¡± His eyes narrow. ¡°That¡¯s rude¡­¡± Tohru mumbles. ¡°I don¡¯t like serial killers.¡± ¡°Oh, right. Just because you kill people, I shouldn¡¯t¡¯ve assumed¡­¡± Mitsuki rolls his eyes. ¡°...It¡¯s not like that. I wanted to be a detective you know.¡± ¡°...¡± Mitsuki pauses. ¡°You did?¡± ¡°...Yeah. I did.¡± Tohru doesn¡¯t continue on, and there¡¯s a heavy silence that hangs in the air between them, before he sighs and finally speaks again. ¡°...I went to eat lunch on the roof one day because I wanted to study for a chemistry test.¡± He pauses, sucking air in through his teeth. ¡°I thought I¡¯d be alone up there, but there was already someone else. A girl from one of my classes.¡± ¡°...Was she going to¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Tohru shakes his head. ¡°She told me about the awful things her dad did. I told her I¡¯d help her out if she¡­ didn¡¯t. She already knew that no matter who she told, it wouldn¡¯t make a difference, so I figured¡­ I¡¯d apprehend him.¡± ¡°Yourself¡­?¡± Tohru nods. ¡°I dunno. I was kind of young and stupid.¡± ¡°You¡¯re pretty young and stupid right now.¡± Mitsuki says, but it¡¯s rather endearing. ¡°I ended up killing him. It wasn¡¯t on purpose, but¡­ that girl¡­ her life changed so drastically. She was happy - she thanked me, good things happened for that family after he died, and I figured¡­ if I can make a change like that in someone¡¯s life¡­ why shouldn¡¯t I?¡± Mitsuki closes his eyes, tapping his finger on the linoleum table. ¡°Even so¡­ you should¡¯ve gotten help.¡± ¡°...I know.¡± Tohru shrugs his shoulders. ¡°I should¡¯ve.¡± ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s in the past now.¡± Mitsuki smiles. ¡°What matters now is that you¡¯re helping me, alright?¡± ¡°...I guess.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m glad to have your help. You¡¯re a very good assistant, you know¡­ Tohru-kun.¡± Tohru knows his face is extremely red at this point, but god - he doesn¡¯t even care. ¡°...Thanks. I work for the best.¡± The Bolder Thing to Do It is nearly 3:00 AM when Carter is awoken to the sound of frantic and terrified screaming. It¡¯s a horrible thing to hear, especially in a situation like this. And because he is so sure that someone is being painfully and brutally murdered - he runs without thinking - his body moving on instinct, though he had just been deep in his own sleep mere moments ago. The screaming is coming from Aria¡¯s room. It¡¯s horrified and pained - but it hasn¡¯t stopped. In his sleepy state, Carter wonders just how much longer she can scream for. He pounds on her door, but there is no answer. She just screams endlessly, as if trapped in...some¡­ sort of¡­ And then it hits him. Aria isn¡¯t being murdered. ...Does this happen often? He would¡¯ve never pegged her the type. She¡¯s always so carefree and spirited¡­ not to mention¡­ annoying. But what is there for Carter to do¡­? There is nothing for Carter to do. He can¡¯t get into her room, and could he even wake her from something like this? So he slumps down in front of her door, back pressed against it, and waits it out. He wonders if no one else can hear her screaming. Or if anyone even cares to check to what could be an inevitable death. He supposes it¡¯s because their rooms are on the end¡­ almost isolated from the rest of them. The screaming stops within ten minutes, but Carter doesn¡¯t move. Rather, he can¡¯t. His limbs are so heavy with the oppressing feeling left in the air, that he stays there until the sun starts to shine in through the windows - back still pressed against Aria¡¯s door in a sleepless, paralyzed state.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. He isn¡¯t sure what he thinks of during that time. It¡¯s all a delirious blur. He can hear Aria stirring in her room, hears her as she rolls over on the bed, hears her as she wakes from the spell that had ahold of her. Without thinking, he knocks. Aria¡¯s voice is muffled, but she makes a noise of surprise - probably because it¡¯s so early, and cautiously he hears her footsteps approaching the door. ¡°...Carter? The hell are you doing up so early?¡± She seems more confused than irritated. Carter¡¯s able to see past her into her room now, and the place is trashed. Pillows laying about, the covers in a heap¡­ even the mattress is slightly askew. ¡°...You were screaming last night.¡± He¡¯s too tired to be anything but blunt. Aria¡¯s face changes ever-so-slightly and she laughs. ¡°And you came to check on me. Aww, you big sap.¡± ¡°Do you get them often?¡± Aria freezes slightly, eyes softening from exhaustion. ¡°...Wanna come in? Promise I won¡¯t kill you.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Carter¡¯s too tired to tell her not to make those kinds of jokes. Aria¡¯s room is reminiscent of a hotel room. Not even a nice hotel room - a motel you might find down South. Aren¡¯t their rooms customized to their specificities? Why isn¡¯t Aria¡¯s more suited to¡­ well. Storm chasing? Aria plops down onto the center of the bed, sitting cross-legged. She doesn¡¯t say anything for a while. Carter stands awkwardly in the entrance of the room, unsure of what to say. ¡°...Mmmmmhhh, this is soooo annoying.¡± Aria groans, shaking her head violently. ¡°Bwuh, I¡¯ll just be blunt ¡®cuz that¡¯s the best way to express something, I guess.¡± She¡¯s quiet for a moment, but soon speaks again. ¡°I can¡¯t remember ¡®em in the morning, but I get night terrors a lot.¡± ¡°...Even before¡­. this?¡± ¡°...I watched my dad die.¡± Carter supposes she¡¯s saying things so plainly because she¡¯s trying to be blunt, but when has Aria ever had any tact¡­? ¡°I get night terrors from that.¡± She pauses. ¡°That¡¯s really it.¡± ¡°...I¡¯m sorry.¡± Carter decides, somewhat grateful she doesn¡¯t push on. ¡°You don¡¯t need to be.¡± She continues on. ¡°Dunno if this is me being sentimental because of the situation we¡¯re in, or ¡®cuz of the fact you caught me just as I¡¯m waking up, but¡­¡± Aria sighs. ¡°Thanks for checking in on me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no problem.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not used to talking about this stuff, so I¡¯d prefer if¡­ this was kept between us, alright?¡± ¡°Right.¡± Nothing more is said, because nothing more needs to be said. The two stare at different unfocused points in the distance before people start to stir. Carter takes his leave, with one more glance to Aria, who looks deep in thought.