Shuichi's caught your interest.

Shuichi Saihara... The young man sparked your interest. He surprised you. Generally, you only like surprises from capable rivals, and Shuichi definitely hasn't proven himself to be that. Not yet. You have nothing to lose from hearing him out, however, especially now that you've given him a too-long and too-friendly handshake.

On that note, you decide to lay some more groundwork. You give Shuichi a nod of agreement and release his hand, but before you let him take you where he wants, you shoulder past him and grab Kaede's. You give her your same dazzling smile, encouraging her to look at your pearly whites and ignore the way you're practically massaging her knuckles with your thumbs. It's a gesture that says "charming" and "over-enthusiastic," plus some other things that are spoken less loudly. Holding her dainty hands in yours, you can't help but imagine them dancing over piano keys.

Or doing other things for your amusement... But, you find it better not to put the cart before the horse.

Looking into her purple eyes, you see her struggling to keep her eyes on your face and not look at your hand. You can tell she's feeling like she's winning something by managing it, full of casual confidence. Good. You introduce yourself quickly, knowing that although this suggestion is powerful, you can never count on the hold to remain unbroken for long. "Tomo Tominaga, charmed," you speak to her in quick, breathless whispers, as though starstruck. "I've already heard some of your playing, you're a natural. I find that we always learn something about ourselves through music, don't you? And whatever someone learned about themselves, if it started from the pursuit of music... You'd respect that, wouldn't you, Kaede?"

The young woman looks understandably overwhelmed, but she nods. Your funny words together with your funny handshake are finally starting to wear on her a bit, and she gives a small chuckle while freeing her hand. Still, she nodded, which is all you needed to see. "Of course. You have very deep thoughts about the impact of music, Tomo!"

You only give her a nod and a smile in reply, ending the conversation, then turn around, throwing your arm around Shuichi's shoulder. "Let's take that walk now," you tell him, allowing him to lead your footsteps despite your pushy gesture. "Be right back, Kaede. Think about what I said, would you?"

You're a bit surprised that he leads you all the way from the music room to the rooftop, looking this way and that all the while. You aren't sure what he's looking for, but it could be as simple as making sure nobody is seeing him walking with a strange man's arm casually thrown around him. Finally, when the two of you have made it to the rooftop and he's determined nobody is here either, the young man shrugs off your arm. He doesn't look annoyed, necessarily. More like he has some business to discuss.

Shuichi clears his throat. At the same time, though, you see him tug his newsboy cap down a bit by the bill, a gesture that makes him look less reliable and more guarded. "Tomo. If possible... I want you to stay away from Kaede."

It's a very strange request, in many ways. Obviously, it reveals he doesn't trust you and that he wants to protect his piano teacher. There's much more it reveals than that, however. The way Shuichi says "if possible" clearly tips his hand and shows that he doesn't have confidence he can enforce that request. There's not really any intensity in his gaze, either. You understand that he's not intending to threaten you as any arm of the law: he's simply making this as a request, from one student to another.

You smile at Shuichi, then chuckle. You clap him on the shoulder again. He's not tall for his age and gender. You're able to look down on him a bit. "I don't think I'll be able to do that," you tell Shuichi. You throw your arm around his thin shoulders again, guiding him to the fence of the roof, continuing to subtly massage him all the while. "You know I'm interested in her. Shuichi, we're both men here, so let me tell you my ideal woman. A pale beauty with long fingers, a slender frame, long eyelashes, a passion for mastering the piano, and total confidence when she plays... If I found a woman like that, I'd never be able to let her go. Do you understand?" You cast your eyes down on him, meeting his and making sure he knows you're looking for an answer.

The detective slowly nods, catching your obvious meaning. "Well, Kaede's just my friend. It isn't like you need my blessing to speak to her. It's just..." The young man does gulp now, and when he tugs his cap down, you get the feeling he is casting his eyes around the rooftop. "I know about the organization behind you. I know you're dangerous. That's fine; I'm not trying to arrest you or anything. If I tried to arrest every dangerous person in this University, I'd be at it all year, if I was lucky enough to stay alive! It's just, it would mean a lot to me if I could protect Kaede from getting mixed up in any of that. That's all. You and I don't know each other, so I thought it'd be good to start off like that. Speaking frankly."

You continue to subtly massage Shuichi's shoulder, but you're having to fight to avoid breaking out in a laugh. The nerve! This guy! Are you supposed to be impressed he knows about the organization, if the way he uses that information is to enact a non-plan like this?

Shuichi knows you're dangerous, but he has no idea how. He knows he wants to protect the girl he likes, so he's trying to without a plan. He has all the ferocity of a kitten put up for adoption, but he's still chosen to bark like a dog.

You don't dislike it. It's cute, in a way. Shuichi isn't any kind of a rival to you, but he clearly would try to become one, if it meant he could protect his friends. That, in its way, is a kind of rebellious fire that's not unattractive.

As you turn Shuichi to face you, you now clap a hand on each of his shoulders. Still subtly patting like you're trying to get lint off his jacket, you tell the detective you have no interest in bringing any harm to Kaede. "However, I do have an interest in the woman herself, and the instrument she plays. I can't honor your request. Instead, Shuichi... why don't we learn the piano together? I think that's reasonable. That way, you can keep an eye on me, too, if you don't trust me. Of course, I'm already an intermediate pianist myself, so maybe you can learn a thing or two from me, while we're at it. Maybe I can fill in some gaps where Kaede can't."

Shuichi seems all-too-willing to accept this compromise. Now that you're able to look into his pleased grey eyes, you're aware of the trembling and sweating he'd been working to conceal before. Without asking him, you know he saw this ending in a shootout or some other action scene. "I look forward to working with you, then, Tomo," he tells you, apparently interpreting your offer as the start of some genuine friendship or partnership. His smile is just like a naïve kid's.

"The same to you, Shuichi. I'll give you the first tip for free." Playfully, you swipe your arm up, catching his hat off of his head. You see his funny little hair antennae spring up as if reacting to his shock. "Playing the piano is all about confidence in yourself, no matter your gender. I'm sure that's how Kaede manages to play so well, don't you think?" You twirl Shuichi's cap on your finger, watching it with your eyes so he'll watch it too. "I want you to study Kaede and think about how she plays. You might learn all kinds of things that can help your own performance."

You can tell Shuichi's feeling more **** without his cap, looking antsy to get it back. You start to hand it to him, then yank it back at the last second. "Think about what I said. Ah, there's one other thing... While you're still taking lessons, you should call Kaede and I 'Master.' Once you've excelled, you can knock it off. A little extra motivation for you. Deal?"

Shuichi swipes the cap back, blushing a bit and looking moody. You've been teasing a bit too much. "I'll play along with you, if you're offering to help, but calling Kaede 'Master' now would be weird."

"Fair enough. Just me, then," you tell him with a roguish wink and a grin.