Many people have something weighing on their shoulders due to past traumas or recent events, some scars fade as the years pass by, but some stay there as a reminder of the pain we've been through, sometimes we still feel such pain as though it's there to haunt us with horrible memories of these past experiences, but if shown the way then we can forget the pain and feel something entirely different.

Yet another day was coming to an end in the Future Foundation's Headquarters, Kyoko Kirigiri also known as the Ultimate Detective was finishing packing her stuff to head out to her dorm, as she made her way down the hallway all she wanted to do once she arrived was lay down on her bed and sleep. "Hey Kirigiri hould up!" Appearently that would have to wait.

Kyoko turned around see Yasuhiro the Ultimate Clairvoyant running up to her, he heaved his breaths as though he had ran a marathon. "What is it Hagakure?"

He held up one finger meaning he needed a minute to catch his breath. "I need to ask you a favor..." He then holds out a folder with some papers inside it. "I need to deliver these reports to Naegi, but I also have some very VERY important stuff to take care of, I wanted to ask Hina to do it but I ran around the entire building looking for her and couldn't find her, not to mention when I asked Byakuya he turned me down and said ''I'm not your errand boy so stop being a slacker and get yourself back to work"." He said with a poor imitation of the Ultimate Affluent Progeny before waterfalls of tears started running down his eyes. "Please Kirigiri you're my last hope." He finished by kneeling in front of her and holding out the folder.

Kyoko could just stare at her co-workoer before she gave an annoyed sigh and took the folder from his hands. "Fine I'll make sure Naegi gets this, but just this once, remember you can't have others doing your job all the time."

Still with the waterfalls coming out of his eyes Yasuhiro smiled as he put both hands and his forehead on the floor. "Thank you oh great Kyoko Kirigiri! I am forever in your debt!" Krigiri couldn't finish rolling her eyes before Yasuhiro ran away faster than a bullet train.

Kirigiri took a detour on her way to her dorm room to head towards Makoto's, upon arriving she could hear a faint sound of music coming from the inside, she lightly knocks on the door but gets no answer, she knocks once again and calls out his name but still now answer. "I'm coming inside." She warns before turning the door knob and entering the room to find the one known as the Ultimate Lucky Student or the Ultimate Hope sleeping on top of his covers with a radio on top of a night stand near his bed playing a calming song.

From the situation Kyoko could tell Makoto had developed a habit of turning on some music while he worked to help keep him concentrated or just till he fell asleep and leave the radio playing the songs until he woke up the following day before turning it off.

Kirigiri walked to his desk and placed the folder in the center before writting a note telling him about it. She walked near his bed as she saw he was still wearing the white shirt and black pants from his Future Foundation uniform and looked at his peaceful sleeping face before another song began in the radio.

Yeah
I know sometimes things may not make sense to you right now.

Kyoko decided to turn off the radio to spare Makoto of having to turn it off the next day.

But hey, what daddy always tell you?

This phrase from the song caught her attention now stopping her hand just inches away from the on/off switch.

Straighten up little soldier
Stiffen up that upper lip
What you crying about?
You got me

Now this would sound interesting, Kyoko decide to leave it on and listen to what this song is about.

(Eminem Mockingbird)

Hailie, I know you miss your mom, and I know you miss your dad
When I'm gone but I'm trying to give you the life that I never had
I can see you're sad, even when you smile, even when you laugh
I can see it in your eyes, deep inside you want to cry
'Cause you're scared, I ain't there?
Daddy's with you in your prayers
No more crying, wipe them tears
Daddy's here, no more nightmares
We gon' pull together through it, we gon' do it
Lainie Uncle's crazy, ain't he?
Yeah, but he loves you girl and you better know it
We're all we got in this world
When it spins, when it swirls
When it whirls, when it twirls
Two little beautiful girls
Lookin' puzzled, in a daze
I know it's confusing you
Daddy's always on the move, mamma's always on the news
I try to keep you sheltered from it but somehow it seems
The harder that I try to do that, the more it backfires on me
All the things growing up as daddy, that he had to see
Daddy don't want you to see but you see just as much as he did
We did not plan it to be this way, your mother and me
But things have got so bad between us
I don't see us ever being together ever again
Like we used to be when we was teenagers
But then of course everything always happens for a reason
I guess it was never meant to be
But it's just something we have no control over and that's what destiny is
But no more worries, rest your head and go to sleep
Maybe one day we'll wake up and this will all just be a dream

Now hush little baby, don't you cry
Everything's gonna be alright
Stiffen that upper lip up, little lady, I told ya
Daddy's here to hold ya through the night
I know mommy's not here right now and we don't know why
We feel how we feel inside
It may seem a little crazy, pretty baby
But I promise mama's gon' be alright

Kyoko didn't know why, but this music kind of remimded her of her father, she wondered if her father felt just like the singer is describing himself right now, Kyoko felt a pang of sadness and guilt inside her along with them, came the memories of her father.

(Ha)
It's funny
I remember back one year when daddy had no money
Mommy wrapped the Christmas presents up
And stuck 'em under the tree and said some of 'em were from me
'Cause daddy couldn't buy 'em
I'll never forget that Christmas I sat up the whole night crying
'Cause daddy felt like a bum, see daddy had a job
But his job was to keep the food on the table for you and mom
And at the time every house that we lived in
Either kept getting broken into and robbed
Or shot up on the block and your mom was saving money for you in a jar
Tryna start a piggy bank for you so you could go to college
Almost had a thousand dollars 'til someone broke in and stole it
And I know it hurt so bad it broke your mamma's heart
And it seemed like everything was just startin' to fall apart
Mom and dad was arguin' a lot so momma moved back
On the Chalmers in the flat one bedroom apartment
And dad moved back to the other side of 8 Mile on Novara
And that's when daddy went to California with his CD and met Dr. Dre
And flew you and momma out to see me
But daddy had to work, you and momma had to leave me
Then you started seeing daddy on the T.V. and momma didn't like it
And you and Lainnie were too young to understand it
Papa was a rollin' stone, momma developed a habit
And it all happened too fast for either one of us to grab it
I'm just sorry you were there and had to witness it first hand
'Cause all I ever wanted to do was just make you proud
Now I'm sitting in this empty house, just reminiscing
Lookin' at your baby pictures, it just trips me out
To see how much you both have grown, it's almost like you're sisters now
Wow, I guess you pretty much are and daddy's still here
Lainnie I'm talkin' to you too, daddy's still here
I like the sound of that, yeah
It's got a ring to it don't it?
Shh, mama's only gone for the moment

Now Kyoko felt as though the last words where whispered in her ears, she removed her gloves and stared at the scars in her hands, feeling the burning pain going through her hands once again, her eyes stinged as she felt tears build up in her eyes and felt as though the ghost of her own father was singin her this song.

Now hush little baby, don't you cry
Everything's gonna be alright
Stiffen that upper lip up, little lady, I told ya
Daddy's here to hold ya through the night
I know mommy's not here right now and we don't know why
We feel how we feel inside
It may seem a little crazy, pretty baby
But I promise mama's gon' be alright

And if you ask me to
Daddy's gonna buy you a mockingbird
I'mma give you the world
I'mma buy a diamond ring for you
I'mma sing for you
I'll do anything for you to see you smile
And if that mockingbird don't sing and that ring don't shine
I'mma break that birdie's neck
I'll go back to the jeweler who sold it to ya
And make him eat every carat don't fuck with dad (ha ha)

Although the last verse was supposed to be funny, she knew it had another meaning, as though if something ever hurt her or didn't make her happy then her father would do something about it, Kyoko's tears were flowing freely down her pale cheecks now as she held herself, she had been alone for quite awhile, even with the company of her new friends from Hope's Peak Academy, she still felt... Empty...

She tryed to contain her sobs but the feeling she dreaded the most, the pain that flowed through her hands once was back and she hated it, she just wanted it to go away until a hand touched her shoulder.

"Are you okay Kirigiri?" Kyoko jumped startled thanks to the familiar voice, she turned around to see she had sat down at the edge of Makoto's bed and he was awake with a worried look on his face.

Kyoko immediately stood up and wiped the tears off of her eyes before putting one of her gloves on, but before she was able to put the other one she couldn't find it only to see it in Makoto's hands.

Makoto turned off the radio cutting it off before the next song could even begin before turning his full attention to Kyoko, she had her back turned to him but he did see her eyes were red and the fresh tears running down her pale face. "Is something wrong Kirigiri?" Makoto asked still concerned.

"It's nothing... Can I have my glove back?" She answered not daring to turn around just stretching her arm back holding out her hand for Makoto expecting the requested item.

Makoto got off his bed and was about to hand it back to her but he was still a little hesitant, he saw her crying for the first time in his life and considering how Kyoko acted most of the time this was really a surprise, Makoto needed some answers and he wanted them now. "Kirgiri, can you tell me what's wrong?" Makoto asked his friend.

"It's nothing, I just want my glove back." Was her answer, but Makoto wasn't gonna buy that. he knew something was wrong.

"Listen Kirigiri as a friend I worry a lot about you and I've never seen you cry, ever since we first met you always were calm and collected, so I want to know if there is something wrong so that I can see if I can help you out and I'm not handing this back until you've answered my question." Makoto said more demandingly now.

A moment of silence passed as Makoto kept his gaze at Kirigiri with a serious face until she finally turned to look him in the eye. "I was just remembering things from my past..." She answered and held her hand out again, but Makoto simply crossed his arms wanting more information, Kyoko knew that look in his eyes, it was the same look he gave the culprits in the class trials whenever he caught them lying and finishing retelling the events of the murders, Kirigiri sighed.

"That song brought back memories from when I spent time with my father, way before... This happened..." She showed Makoto her only uncovered hand. "I know my father still loved me and he never forgot about me. I'll also never forget the good times we spent, but everytime I look at these hands, seeing how they are now, also reminds me of the pain I went through in the past. It's something that I can't stand..." Her voice started to crack at this point. "Everytime I remeber that I feel nothing but that pain, it makes me wish it was gone because... Because..."

Kyoko couldn't finish, her eyes shut tight tears nearly escaping them, slight sobs could be heard. Makoto knew that it wouldn't take a genius to know that this is a memory which she's scared of, he wanted to help but how to make someone forget about the memory of a pain so intense that could leave such a scar as the one in her hands. He got an idea, he didn't know if it was gonna work, but it was worth a shot.

Makoto walked to his bed and picked up his pillow before walking back to Kyoko, she opened her eyes and looked at him confused. "Kirigiri, I'm sure this is not very pleasing to you but, can you remove your other glove and give it to me?" Kyoko was still confused at his request, she looked at her gloved hand and hesitated a little, she didn't know what Naegi was planning but having one hand uncovered with her scars free for the world to see was disturbing enough.

Another moment of silence passe as Kyoko kept looking from her remaining gloved hand and Makoto until she finally decided to trust him and slowly removed her last glove and gave it to Makoto feeling the cold air on both her hands now. "Now then tell me. do you feel the pain in your hands right now?" Makoto asked.

Kyoko looked at her scarred hands, the memory of such pain flowing through them right now. "Yes..." She answered.

"Then hold this." Makoto held out his pillow to her.

Still a little confused she did as she was asked, now holding Makoto's pillow she looked at it. "How does it feel?" Makoto asked, Kyoko knew he was asking about the pillow. "It feels, soft and a little warm." She answered. "Naegi I don't see the point of this..."

Makoto's face now became a sad one. "Well I thought, if you felt pain in your hands whenever you looked at them, then maybe you could forget the pain by feeling something else in your hands." He scratched the back of his head as he talked. "But maybe it wasn't such a good idea after all." he took the pillow from her hands and put it back in it's place.

"Actually..." Makoto heard her say before turning to her, she had one of her uncovered hands on her chin, something she usually did while thinking. "I might want to keep trying it." She finished looking at him.

Makoto looked around trying to find something else in his room before finding a small plushie his sister sent him from Towa city, sitting on top of his desk near the folder, he picked it up and gave it to Kyoko. "How does this feel?"

Kyoko felt around the small dog plushie. "It's soft, not as warm but it's fluffy." Makoto wanted to find something else but there wasn't much in his room, he kept trying to find something for Kyoko before feeling his own hand be grabbed by hers.

Having a girl holding his hand made Makoto blush a little but he knew it was something that could help. "S-so how does it feel?" He stuttered a bit still being surprised that Kyoko was now holding his hand.

"It's..." Kyoko didn't say anything, instead she kept running both hands around Makoto's, not having her gloves around gave her a full feeling of Makoto's without having anything in between, she moved her finger from his palm, to his wrist to a little bit to his forearm before stopping.

Makoto stood still letting Kirigiri feel his skin before she looked at him, he was already pink in the cheeks thanks to her holding his hand but her next move really got him red. She moved both of her hands and cupped Naegi's face with them. their gaze fixed on each other, Makoto was enjoying her touch, he could feel her scarred skin touching against his face, but it didn't disturb him. "Do you still feel that pain?" Makoto asked.

Kirigiri stood there silently holding his face before she looked down. "No..." Naegi grew a smile glad to see his idea worked, he removed one of her hands from his face and handed her gloves back. "Now whenever you think you're gonna feel that again just-"

Makoto forgot about her other hand cupping his cheek which pulled him closer and her lips made contact with his. Makoto froze the at that moment, it felt as though time itself had stopped just to witness that very moment. Slowly their lips came apart and Kirigiri was avoiding eye contact while Naegi was wide eyed at her action.

"Naegi... Thank you." She mumbled before turning around and leaving, closing the door behind her.

Makoto stood there still frozen after the kiss, ever since he had joined Future Foundation he was prepared to face any kind of surprises but this one he just wasn't expecting, he couldn't help but to stand there awestruck before walking back to his bed and sitting on it's edge, his brain still trying to process what just happened.

Kyoko stood outside leaning against the door to Naegi's room, she put a hand to her lips still feeling the kiss, she didn't know what happened, throughout the moment she was holding his face she acted on instinct as though she had abandoned any logical thought at that exact moment. Even though it was a little unexpected, she liked it and was smilling about it.

Meanwhile with our Clairvoyant.

A mocking bird sang in it's cage as Yasuhiro wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Phew, Good thing I remembered to feed you today eh." After that Yasuhiro started singing some out of tune and very badly sounding notes as the mocking bird sang along with him in a more graceful manner.