So as I watched the Nanako episode of the Persona 4 anime something occurred to me.

Warnings:  Post game, Kanji and Naoto cuteness, Nanako cuteness, detective cuteness

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They all keep their promise to Nanako and spend time with her when senpai leaves.

They don’t mean to go in shifts of sorts, not really, but the group of friends end up creating a schedule of who spends time with Nanako and on what days.  Teddie takes up most of the time – of course – but no one minds.  This means that Yosuke is over Dojima’s house more times than he thought possible, but it keeps the bear happy which, in turn, keeps Nanako happy.

Chie and Yukiko tend to go together.  Even during the Amagi Inn busy season Yukiko makes sure to spend at least one night with Nanako.  Sometimes this means that Nanako gets to spend the night at the Inn – not that Nanako objects, she still loves looking up at the night sky at the hot springs and attempt to count all of the stars.  Rise tends to tag along on these outings, too, always enjoying a trip to the hot springs and racing Nanako to the end of the warm pool.

Kanji and Naoto go together.  Not just because they’re dating, but because Naoto insists that she would have nothing to talk about with a child.  She’s no good with children, she tells Kanji, but Kanji knows for a fact that isn’t true.  When they get together Nanako always takes a shine to her, almost as much as she does with Teddie.

“It’s because she’s a detective, like Loveline,” Nanako tells him one day.

“Oh?  She is?”

Naoto is in the doorway on her phone, talking to someone about some case or whatever that will surely go over his head.  

“Yeah!”  Nanako says, “She even helped me be a detective.”

“Huh?  When was this?”

“Last summer.  I was trying to solve a case with Big Bro and got sad, but then she told me to keep going.  She even said what Loveline says to cheer me up.”

“Did she now,” and Kanji chuckles, watching as Naoto walks back over to sit with them.

“Sorry about that,” she says, “Did I miss anything important?”

Nanako shakes her head, “Not really.  We were just talking about Loveline.”

“Loveline?”

“Yeah.  Apparently, you know her real well,” Kanji says, smirking at Naoto.

“W-what are you talking about?”

“Remember, last summer?  You talked to me at the festiva-”

“A-ah!  Um… I…” Naoto blushes, fidgeting a little, “I… guess I forgot about that…”

“You did?”  Nanako blinks up at her, “It’s not like a detective to forget.”

“She’s right,” Kanji adds, “Detectives always remember important stuff.”

Naoto frowns at Kanji, “So what are you suggesting?”

“I’m suggesting that you know all about Loveline.”

“I was just trying to cheer Nanako up!”

“But you knew the speech,” Nanako says, smiling, “You said it perfectly and everything!  It was really cool!”

“Y-yeah… I guess I did…”

“Can we play detectives again sometime?  You can be Loveline if you want.”

“Uh… t-that… I think you make a better Loveline, Nanako.”

“But I wanna be a detective like you,” she says, smiling brightly.

“I…” Naoto finds herself smiling too, “… we… can figure something out.”

“Yay!”

Kanji smiles at Naoto, kissing her on her cheek, “So any other animated detectives you know about?”

Naoto frowns at him for a moment before she smiles at Nanako, “Kanji can be Loveline.”

“What?!”

“Really?!”  Nanako turns her smile onto Kanji, “That would be fun!”

“I agree,” Naoto says, grinning at Kanji, “You would make the perfect Loveline.”

“… If someone you know is doing something fishy… then solve the case with the power of magic,” he mutters, trying not to smile too much when both girls start giggling.

“I think it’s investigation time,” Naoto says in between her giggles.

“I’m the Magical Detective, Loveline!”  Nanako cries out, all three of them smiling brightly at each other.

“Well then,” Kanji says, “I guess that means we’re on the case.”