A/N: So here's the first interlude that I mentioned earlier. There's going to be an interlude between each of the five arcs to tie them together. Interlude One is going to serve as abridge between Trust Arc and Bonding Arc, for example. Please read and review, and enjoy!

The Ultimate Detective and The Ultimate Hope Gaiden: How I Met Your Mother (And How I Met Your Father)

Interlude One: Established Trust! Begin Bonding!

Present Day

"Alright, Kiki…Are you ready to hear the story about how your mother started to bond with the rest of our class?"

Nodding emphatically Kiki answered "Yeah! I wanna hear how you and Mommy obtained max friendship levels!"

Chuckling, Kyoko teased "You've been hanging out with Auntie Komaru too much…maybe we need to put some restrictions on video games…"

Pouting, Kiki whined "Nooo faiiirrrr!"

Laughing, Makoto ruffled his daughter's hair, assuring her "Your mother's just teasing you, Kiki. As long as you two are doing things other than playing video games when she babysits, we won't put restrictions." Seeing his daughter cheer up, Makoto continued "Now then, where was I? Oh yes; your mother had gotten the all clear from Mikan to go back to her own dorm that evening. I had expected that she would have taken it easy after that whole ordeal. However, she had other ideas…"

XXX

April 21, 2014

"You're going back already?"

The two of them were sitting together; Kyoko was drinking her morning coffee and Makoto was in the middle of taking a bite out of his omelet when Kyoko informed him of her plans to return to Detective work immediately.

"Quite. You heard my grandfather the other day; I have a backlog of cases I need to work on, and the longer I put them off, the higher my workload will stack."

"E…even so…Kyoko, you just got out of the infirmary last night! Even if your grandfather tells you to, you don't have to risk your health for your job. If you're not at 100 percent, then please, take this day to relax. Or if you feel like you really have to be up and productive, then class is likely to be less strenuous."

Sighing, Kyoko admitted "Makoto…your concern for my health is…appreciated…but I'm going back to work and that's that."

"But…"

Makoto's objection was interrupted by Leon and Hifumi, who had run up excitedly to the Ultimate Lucky Student.

"Yo, Makoto! We're still doing a video game tournament in your room tonight after class, right? I've gotta go well in Guitar Hero, or Sayaka will never go out with me!"

"Mr. Naegi, please inform Mr. Kuwata that we will be engaging in another round of Super Smash Bros. I need win a team melee with Miss Ludenberg so she will appreciate my devotion to serving her, regardless of her lack of 2D."

"Uh yeah, it's tonight after class, but guys, now's really not a good time. Kyoko and I were…"

"Just finished." Kyoko removed the coffee cup from her lips before standing up, turning around before dismissing "Good-bye, Makoto."

As Kyoko walked away, Leon and Hifumi resumed their bombardment of questions, despite the fact that Makoto wasn't really listening, his gaze and thoughts focused on the Detective who was slipping further and further out of sight.

Kyoko…

XXX

"Alright, class dismissed everybody!"

As Koichi's voice rang through the classroom, most of the class filed out, Makoto being the last to do so as usual. Gathering his e-Handbook into his grip, he walked out the door to trek back to the dining hall for dinner.

"Hey, Makoto!"

He looked up and to the side to see Sayaka giving him a concerned smile.

"Are you doing okay? You looked like you weren't really focusing on the lesson. And don't think I didn't see where your eyes were flickering to."

Throughout class today, Makoto's eyes looked absent, unable to focus on Koichi or the board as he lectured. Instead, his eyes flickered between his notes and the empty desk that Kyoko would have occupied had she come to class.

"Oh…s…sorry, Sayaka. It's just Kyoko. I…I really thought she had changed…after that ordeal last weekend."

Once Makoto had left the infirmary the other day, he had been immediately bombarded by his other classmates, led by Sayaka, demanding to know why they hadn't seen hide nor hair of him all weekend. He ended up giving them a cliffnotes version of what happened, excluding the revelation of Kyoko's scars, as he felt after their talk that it was a private matter that the others didn't need to know about. The others had responded with varying degrees of shock and praise for the Ultimate Lucky Student, Makoto more than a little embarrassed at the attention.

"Oh my god! Makoto, are you okay?"

"For a teacher to aid in the murder of another student…such conduct is unacceptable in a school environment!"

"Holy shit, man! You're more of a man than I thought!"

"Oh wow! Naegi-kun, you've earned the gold medal in bravery! I'm gonna have to train a lot more if I'm gonna get it too!"

"Wow…that was pretty cool, Naegi-kun."

"Well Muku, I guess he's not as much of an herbivore man as I thought."

"You're not…Ma…Master…but…you were still…cool, I gu…guess…"

"Hmph. Not bad for a commoner, I suppose. However, if she had chosen me to be her partner, I would have deciphered the culprit and subdued him myself."

"Dude! Have you considered trying out for my old baseball team? 'Cuz you might have some talent with that kind of strength!"

"Wow, Naegi-kun! You're amazing. Maybe…could you…help me get…n…never mind, I'm sorry."

"Mr. Naegi, I've underestimated you. Have you perhaps gained possession of the Triforce of Courage?"

"Well…to make it out alive, to rescue Kirigiri, and to unmask the culprit…you're certainly living up to your title as the Ultimate Lucky Student. I wonder…is your luck superior to mine?"

"It's not luck; it was destiny! I totally predicted it in my morning fortune on Friday!"

Sighing, Sayaka looked around briefly to make sure nobody was around, before she embraced him in a hug, holding him close.

"Sa…Sayaka?" Makoto stammered, blushing at the close contact.

Releasing him from their hug, Sayaka explained comfortingly "Makoto…you've made a lot of progress with Kirigiri-san, more than I would have thought possible. But maybe she still needs to go at her own pace. You've already proven that she can change, given how you two are on a first-name basis now. Just give her time, alright? She'll come around, I just know it!"

"…Weren't you saying less than two weeks ago that she was a lost cause?" Makoto deadpanned.

Smiling sheepishly, Sayaka admitted "Hey, my intuition may be accurate, but it can be wrong sometimes. All I can do is trust in it, and right now it's telling me that Kirigiri-san will come around in her own time, so I'm trusting it now."

Chuckling, Makoto conceded "Alright, Sayaka; I'll trust you. Come on; what do you say we grab some dinner before the video game tournament?"

Giggling, Sayaka replied "Okay! In fact, I'll cook; I'll even use my specialty!"

"Your…specialty?"

Seeing Makoto's curious expression, she answered "Yep; it's chili oil!"

"The condiment?"

Seeing Makoto's baffled expression, Sayaka giggled "Just kidding! Now let's go; I'll still cook, so don't worry about a thing!"

…Yep, that's Sayaka alright; always a tease… Makoto deadpanned before smiling, the two best friends walking back to the dining hall together.

XXX

Present Day

"But why, Mommy? Why didn't you listen to Daddy?"

Looking into her daughter's eyes and feeling the slightest tinge of shame for her past self, Kyoko struggled to overcome the lump in her throat as she explained "Kiki…please understand…although your father had indeed changed me for the better…I still had some…stubborn traits…that I needed to unlearn. My…dedication to my detective work was one of them."

It was then that Makoto interjected, explaining "Remember, Kiki, your great grandfather had taught her from a young age that detective work came before all else…it was one of many disagreements I had with him when he was still alive. So…getting her to unlearn that…took time…and two weeks, as influential as they were…wasn't nearly enough time to unlearn those habits."

"No, but they did have an impact. And I did change some of my habits that day, remember?"

His eyes widening in understanding, Makoto realized "Oh yeah! Honey, why don't you explain?" Makoto urged after seeing Kiki's curious gaze.

Nodding, Kyoko continued "Now let's see…I was in the office, working on paperwork for my cases…"

XXX

April 21, 2014

Unbeknownst to her new friend, Kyoko had made some adjustments. When she came into the office, she made clear to the Chief that she would not physically investigate crime scenes for the next week; only do paperwork, review case files, and interrogate suspects under armed guard. With her demands granted given her brief hospitalization and her immediate return to work, Kyoko now sat at her desk, completing paperwork with an efficiency that was mind-boggling, even to her colleagues.

"Hey, Kirigiri-chan!" Her gaze shifted to the officer next to her, her eyes asking "What?" as the officer continued "I know the chief told your grandfather you had a backlog, but I'm sure he didn't mean you had to go this fast."

Shifting her gaze back to her stack of paperwork, Kyoko explained "I'd like to get through this backlog as quickly as possible…besides, I have another engagement tonight that I'd rather not miss if I can help it…"

"Ooh…going to a party maybe…or perhaps you found yourself a nice boyfriend and are going on a date? I must say, I'm surprised! You've never mentioned anything outside of your detective work…"

Without missing a beat, Kyoko interrupted "Rather than speculate about my private life, perhaps it might be better for you to focus on your own backlog."

Holding up their hands in surrender, the officer acquiesced "Alright, alright…"

With that, the two continued their work, Kyoko's pen moving at a breakneck pace as she went through her stack in a flurry.

XXX

Kyoko stood, frozen with nervousness for the first time as she stood in front of the plain brown door with a silver nameplate that bore the name "Naegi" in katakana.

There's no point just standing here; whatever happens, happens… Taking a deep breath, Kyoko resolved "Well, here goes nothing…" before pressing her gloved finger to the doorbell.

It was a few seconds before she heard the door open, some unintelligible chatter filling her ears before it revealed a surprised Makoto, staring at the Ultimate Detective.

"Oh, Kyou…Kyoko! Is there something I can help you with?" Makoto stammered as he stepped out into the hall, closing the door behind him for privacy.

Nodding, Kyoko answered him "I've finished my backlog this afternoon, and I remember from breakfast that you were holding another video game tournament tonight."

His eyebrows raised in surprise, Makoto asked "You…remembered that? I'm just surprised…you hadn't shown any instance in video games before."

Nodding, Kyoko allowed a blush of embarrassment to darken her cheeks as she admitted "I know I refused the last two times you asked me, so I'll understand if the offer's no longer on the table…but if it is…I'd like to give it a try, Makoto…"

Seeing his look of surprise morph into a soft, yet wide smile, Kyoko felt a rush of relief as he invited "O…of course! Come in, come in! You're always welcome, Kyoko!"

As Makoto opened the door and walked back inside, Kyoko followed him in, observing the huddled, yet segmented crowd that had formed around Makoto's television.

"You came just in time" Makoto explained. "We had just started up Super Smash Bros. Melee, and were in the process of setting up a tournament when you came."

Nodding in understanding, Kyoko asked "What kind of game is it? I…" Kyoko blushed in embarrassment as she admitted "I've…never actually played a video game before…so I'll need some assistance to learn the ropes…"

His eyes lighting up in understanding , Makoto answered "Of course! We can take a few minutes to teach you how to play. Now, let's see…Hifumi's played the most video games out of all of us…"

Makoto sweatdropped as he saw Celeste slap Hifumi for making a lewd suggestion, turning back to Kyoko with a sheepish smile.

"Maybe Hifumi's not the best person to socialize with right off the bat…" Seeing Kyoko's inquisitive expression, Makoto explained "Remember when Hanamura-senpai tried to hit on Sayaka after the entrance ceremony?" Seeing Kyoko nod, Makoto explained "Hifumi's kind of like him, only toned down a little…"

Seeing her nod in understanding, Makoto looked around, musing "Now let's see…who to teach you…Celeste and Ogami-san would get too competitive…Fujisaki-san knows something about video games, but is kind of timid…Ikusaba-san is kind of quiet…Enoshima-san can be more taunting than helpful…ah, I know!" Waving his hand over, he called out "Sayaka! Hina! Can you tow come over here for a moment?"

A curious look in their shared eyes, the two women shrugged and stood up, walking around the crowd as they approached Makoto, their curious expressions turning to confused ones as they registered who was standing next to Makoto.

"Kirigiri-chan? What are you doing here?"

"Yeah, Kirigiri-san. I thought you didn't like to play video games."

Makoto quickly explained "She decided to come by and give it a try. But she's never played a video game before." Seeing their incredulous looks, Makoto asked as he scratched his cheek "So I was wondering…could the two of you maybe…show her the ropes?"

Their befuddled expressions turning to wide gins, the each moved behind the Ultimate Detective, looping elbows with her and answering before she could object to the gesture.

"Sure, Makoto! We'd be happy to show her how to play!"

"Just you wait, Kirigiri-chan! We'll make you into a master, and then we'll be the best of friends! It'll be like the Three Musketeers!"

Taken off guard at their gestures of camaraderie, Kyoko felt overwhelmed and removed her arms from their elbows, offering "Let's…take this one step at a time. Now…how do I play?"

As the two brought Kyoko to sit next to them, Makoto announced to the confused crowd "Hey, everyone! Kyoko's gonna join us, but she's never played before, so before we start, Sayaka and Hina are gonna take a few minutes to teach her how to play."

With a few groans of disappointment at the delay, the other students soon went back to their individual chats, with Sayaka and Hina sitting on either side of Kyoko. Makoto handed the Detective a blue controller, smiling as she gripped the handles before stepping back, supervising as Sayaka and Hina began instructing her.

"Okay, Kirigiri-san. First, you have to pick a character. Why don't you go with Mario? He's a pretty well-rounded character, so he should be perfect for beginners. Just move your Control Stick over his icon and press A, then Start."

Nodding, Kyoko followed Sayaka's suggestions, choosing her character and waiting for the training stage to load.

Once the game had loaded, Hina explained "Alright, Kirigiri-chan. Use the Control Stick to move Mario, and use the A button for standard attacks. You can combine pressing the Control Stick in different directions with the standard attack to create different Smash Attacks. Don't worry about the name, just know they're more powerful attacks."

"Press the X or Y button to jump; it doesn't matter which one. Pressing the B button makes Mario use his Special Attack. Each character has their own, and can be combined with the Control Stick to create different Special Attacks. You can hold down the L or R button to shield against attacks, and you can combine it with the Control Stick to roll or evade attacks. Finally, you can use the Z button combined with the Control Stick to grapple and throw an adjacent player."

Following after Sayaka, Hina finished "The goal of the game is to launch your opponent outside of the stage."

Nodding, Kyoko observed "You two seem to know a good deal about video games. I'm kind of surprised; I would have assumed your careers wouldn't have left you with much time for these kinds of things."

Nodding in understanding, Sayaka explained "I live alone with my Dad, and he works a lot, so I passed some of the time I was home alone playing the occasional video game. I'm not a particularly skilled gamer, but I can hold my own in a casual setting."

Nodding, Hina contributed "Same here. I had to babysit my baby brother Yuta a lot, and whenever we were all tired from our sports routines, we would relax playing one of his favorite video games."

Nodding as she got used to the controls, Kyoko continued to experiment, Makoto smiling at her progress, both with the game and with bonding with Sayaka and Hina.

A few minutes had passed before Kyoko set down the controller, announcing "Alright; I think I've got the gist of it. Shall we start?"

With Makoto nodding in confirmation everyone else sans Byakuya raced to the television, eager to pick out their fighters as Makoto set up the tournament.

As Makoto sat down next to Kyoko, he asked "So, who are you gonna pick, Kyoko?"

"Hmm…" Kyoko scanned the characters before settling on one.

"Oh, Samus; she's a classic! Why'd you choose her, if you don't mind me asking?"

"…Her visor seems like she could make a good investigator. And her arm cannon implies that she can pick off opponents from afar rather than make a risky, head-on assault."

…Of course she'd pick someone she can connect with… Makoto sweatdropped before he encouraged "Well, good luck, Kyoko."

Turning to face him, Kyoko gave him a small smile as she answered "Likewise…" before the first bracket came up, Kyoko, Leon, Toko, and Hiro getting ready to Melee.

XXX

The whole room sat aghast as they turned to the surprise winner of their tournament: Kyoko Kirigiri. She had been a quick study, quickly learning Samus's moveset and utilizing it to its fullest effect, taking advantage of the chaos of a 4-player match to pick off her opponents from afar in order to accumulate points, utilizing her Screw Attack to ward off anybody who got close.

Eventually it had come down to her and Makoto, who had put up a valiant fight as Ness, but ultimately couldn't match Kyoko.

"Wow, Kyoko…you're…good at this. Are you sure you've never played a video game before?"

Nodding her head, Kyoko offered "Maybe I'm just a quick study."

Her performance was even able to impress Byakuya; for the first time in over two weeks, he walked over and demanded "Naegi-kun, hand me that black controller over there."

His eyebrows raised in surprise, Makoto pointed out "But Togami-kun, you've only ever been interested in watching."

Glaring at the Ultimate Lucky Student, Byakuya answered "Kirigiri's leap from novice to tournament winner has intrigued me, so I'd like to test out her skills against my own. Now hand me the controller, commoner."

Sighing, Makoto obediently handed him the controller before sitting down next to Sayaka, watching as the two combatants fiddled with the options.

"We'll do a five-stock Melee."

Unfamiliar with the terminology, Kyoko turned to Makoto, her eyes asking for a clarification.

"He's saying that the game will be set up so that the player who gets knocked off of the stage five times loses."

Nodding in understanding, Kyoko moved her cursor to select Samus again, while Byakuya moved to select Marth.

As Byakuya selected the Final Destination stage, he taunted "Do try and make this interesting, Kirigiri."

XXX

"Okay, good night everyone. See you tomorrow in class!"

Everyone filed out, bidding Makoto goodnight on their way back to the dorms. Byakuya was the last to leave, his mouth agape from the close defeat Kyoko had handed him.

"How…this can't…how could she…"

Patting Byakuya on the shoulder in comfort, Makoto watched as the Ultimate Affluent Progeny sulked back to his room and out of sight.

It was then that Kyoko walked out of Makoto's dorm, the smirk from handing Byakuya's ass to him still on her face.

"So…did you have fun, Kyoko?"

Turning to face Makoto, her smirk softened to a small smile as she admitted "Yes…I didn't expect it…but this was…quite fun. I can't remember the last time I had…fun." Seeing Makoto's questioning stare, she explained "For years, all of my activities doubled as Detective training. From Cluedo to Shogi, everything was meant to bolster my skills as a Detective. It's been years since I did something just for fun."

Nodding in understanding, Makoto prodded "And how did you get along with Sayaka and Hina? They seemed to have been good teachers for you."

After a moment of silence, Kyoko nodded, affirming "They were nice enough. I know I was…standoffish during the first week, so I'm glad that we had a chance to start over. I'm not certain how much we actually bonded…but at least my prior behavior hasn't prevented us from being on speaking terms."

Smiling, Makoto commented "I'm glad to hear that. You should consider reaching out to them if you want to spend some girl time with somebody. I know I'm friendly, but I am a guy after all, and there are probably some things you can't really talk with me about. As far as girls go, those two are probably the warmest and friendliest in our class."

Nodding, Kyoko replied "I'll…consider your counsel."

Smiling, Makoto nodded, accepting that answer.

Sensing the conversation had reached its natural conclusion, Kyoko turned around, finishing "Well, I'm going to head to bed. Good night, Makoto."

Nodding, Makoto replied "Okay. Good night, Kyoko." as he watched her go to the adjacent door, opening and closing it behind her.

Well, that went well… Smiling at his progress, Makoto went inside to gather his pajamas and take a shower.

XXX

Present Day

"Wow, Mommy! That must have been a big adjustment for you."

Nodding, Kyoko admitted "It was, Kiki. I was fortunate that your father was so friendly, and that I got to bond with Sayaka and Auntie Hina for a little bit. Still, we had a bit of a ways to go before I could truly call them my friends. At that point, your father was the only one I could consider my friend. Thankfully, he was there to help me make more friends."

"Wow, Daddy! You were super awesome!"

Makoto blushed in embarrassment as he refuted "It was…wasn't a big deal, Kiki…"

"But it was." Kyoko refuted "You gave me something that my own grandfather never did; friends. And later on, you gave me your heart, and that's a priceless treasure I will always value."

"Kyoko…"

The two stared at each other, giving bashful, blushing smiles until Kyoko broke their gaze, looking to Kiki as she changed the subject "Alright, kiddo. It's time for bed. Tomorrow, we'll tell you the story of how your father helped me to bond with our other classmates."

"YAY!" Kiki cheered before nestling into her pillow, closing her eyes as her parents tucked her in and kissed her good night.

Smiling at their now slumbering daughter, the two parents quietly crept out and retired to their room.