"It won't all come back at once. At first it will fade in and out. Like a dream."

That was how the memory restoration process had been described to the survivors of Class 78. The six were committed to returning themselves to their proper mental states as soon as possible. Even so, the flood of information was difficult to bear at first. Though eventually it settled into a state of peace.

At least it had for the others. Kyoko Kirigiri made herself scarce shortly after her memories had fully been restored. She knew that with her memories being more thoroughly wiped there would be a lot to take in, but one fact was sticking out like a sore thumb.

She had been dating Makoto Naegi.

It's not that this information was unwelcome. Naegi had proven helpful time and again, but dating? It wasn't something she could see herself doing.

But she could. She did. Trips to the movies. Quiet evenings at cafes. Even during their sheltered life at Hope's Peak, their relationship blossomed.

And the more she thought about it, the more it seemed so at-odds with her perceived notion of self.

"Maybe you should let him down easy."

That voice was all-too familiar. Kirigiri looked around the room for the source before she realized that this was a memory. A memory from her early days at Hope's Peak Academy.

"What would you suggest?" she said back.

The now-late Sayaka Maizono was offering counsel to her. Maizono had noted Naegi's crush on Kirigiri, and felt it appropriate to let the detective know.

"Well," the idol began, "when I've had to turn a guy down, I've tried to start by letting them know what I like about them."

"Seems counter-productive," Kirigiri retorted.

"No, no, no. I mean, like, do the 'You're great, but...', that sort of thing. But, you know, more specific than that. You still want to be his friend after, don't you?"

The world of teenage drama was almost like a foreign language to her, though Kirigiri wholeheartedly agreed with the last part of that sentiment.

"I should begin by listing his positive qualities."

Maizono nodded. "Now you're getting it! So..."

"You want me to start?" Kirigiri asked.

"You're the one who has to say it," Maizono reminded her, "but I'll give you an easy one: He's nice."

"And water is wet," Kirigiri deadpanned. "Though I see your point." She paused to think of further such qualities. "He's proven to be quite clever. More so than you might originally expect."

"I'd cut that last part out, but yeah," Maizono agreed.

"He's always willing to put himself on the line."

Maizono began to grin. "Go on..."

"He's one of the few people I trust without question," Kirigiri added. "No offense."

"None taken," Maizono assured. "Keep going."

"What else do you want me to say?" Kirigiri asked. "That I feel more confident around him? That I think he's one of the bravest people I know? That he has a smile that lights up a room and..."

Kirigiri stopped.

Maizono smiled ear to ear.

A moment went by before the detective spoke again. "Apparently you're also more clever than you let on.

"You like him," was the only reply.

A faint blush found its way to Kirigiri's face. "I suppose I do."

The blush persisted even into the present day, as Kirigiri reconciled this memory with her current situation. None of her previous statements about Naegi were no longer true.

"Kirigiri?"

This new voice was all too real. Kirigiri turned to see the person who had whipped up a maelstrom of confusion in her heart.

"Can we talk?" Naegi asked.

Kirigiri pondered this before deciding, "We probably should."

"So..." the brunette began. "We were... dating?"

"It would seem that way."

Naegi gulped. The boy was clearly nervous as one could be. To him, this was far more nerve-wracking than staring down Enoshima.

"I-I just want to say..." he began, "I don't want you to feel pressured."

Kirigiri raised an eyebrow.

"I mean, I like you. Even before we got our memories back, I really liked you."

The confession hardly came as a shock, but all the same Kirigiri chose not to respond.

"So... I'd like it if we could be together again. But I don't want you to feel like you have to just because we used to be together."

So that was it. Naegi's caring nature shone through yet again, even in impossibly strange situations.

Kirigiri smirked. "I'd like that, too."

Naegi's eyes went wide. "R-really?"

"I've had feelings of my own for some time now," Kirigiri explained. "All the restoration process has really done is allow me to better understand them."

"So, you'd be willing to go out with me? Again, anyway?" Naegi asked.

He was doing it again. Lighting up the room with a smile. And suddenly it just made sense.

"For a given value of 'go out' given the circumstances, but, yes."

It would be cruel to toss such a relationship aside after all. It was the kind of thing dreams were made of.