Disclaimer: Not mine
Notes: Takes place pre-Tetsu
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None of them were what Hoji considered Deka.Deka was him-- cool-headed, competent, always with a plan. Jasmine was reclusive, Sen spoke only when he had some bizarre theory to offer, and Umeko was a brat with a bottomless stomach. And Ban… Ban was punishment for some crime Hoji had committed in a previous life.
But once Hoji was forced to get past his initial disdain for his teammates (if only so they could solve the case)… he realized they were as skilled as he was, just in different areas. Jasmine ESPer talents were invaluable, as strange as Sen's theories they were right, and Umeko had nerve to match her appetite. And underneath Ban's bluster and childishness, he had something most Deka lacked-- what Hoji had lacked until he'd met him.
Faith that no matter what, justice would win in the end.
Hoji had thought he'd have to pick up their slack. But in the end, they'd made him a real Deka, and for that he was grateful to them.
"Ban! Give me back my chocolate!"
"Forget it! It's mine now!"
Even if there were still days when he wondered what he'd ever seen in them.
