A/N: Well, here's the first chapter of the second arc of HIMYM: Bonding Arc! This arc will primarily focus on Kyoko getting to know each of her classmates, and will stretch until the beginning of Class 78's summer vacation. 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)
Bonding Arc
Chapter One: Kyoko Comes to Class! Please Help Me Study, Makoto!
Present Day
"Alright, Kiki." Makoto asked as his daughter nestled between him and Kyoko "Ready to hear the story of how your mother bonded with me and our other classmates?"
Nodding, Kiki asked excitedly "Will there be romance?"
Chuckling at Kiki's enthusiasm, Makoto replied "Not yet, Kiki. Your mother and I were still getting to know each other. But we did end up building a strong friendship, and established the foundation that would lead to our mutual attraction to each other."
"You know how Mommy always tells you that you have to eat your vegetables before you can have dessert?" Seeing her daughter's nod, Kyoko continued "It's the same thing here; we have to tell you the story of how we became friends before we can tell you how we fell in love. Do you understand, Kiki?"
Nodding, Kiki replied "Okay, Mommy; I think I get it."
Satisfied, Kyoko turned to her husband and asked "Makoto, would you do the honors?"
Smiling, Makoto obliged, beginning "So this part of our story starts the next day. I had just walked into class when I saw…"
XXX
April 22, 2014
"Oh, Kyou…Kyoko! You came to class?"
Makoto stared in surprise at the Ultimate Detective, dressed in her school uniform and her e-Handbook out on her desk. She looked up at him and smirked, amused by his surprised expression.
"Are you surprised?"
"Um…" Makoto scratched his cheek nervously as he clarified "Ano…it's just…you almost never come to class…other than our first day, you only came once when work at the office was slow. Is detective work slow again?"
Shaking her head, Kyoko answered "No, it's just…I've decided to make an effort to be a better student, so I'll be coming to class more regularly from now on."
Kyoko…does this mean you…
Seeing his beaming smile, she quickly interjected "Don't misunderstand. We may be friends, but this isn't out of some newfound desire to bond. I have professional reasons for changing my habits." Seeing Makoto's disappointed, yet curious expression, Kyoko explained "The Akafuku case showed me that there are real perils to not attending class. Had I attended regularly, I could have picked up on the clues about Shutaro that you were able to. Then I could have prevented him from spying on us and Jutaro wouldn't have been able to ambush us. So I've decided that attending class will allow me to prevent future ambushes by any untrustworthy staff."
…Of course she'd put her detective career as her motivation for attending class… Makoto sweatdropped as he took his seat, opening his notebook app as the other students filed in.
"Alright, settle down, everyone!" Koichi walked up to the teacher's desk as everyone took their seats, his eyebrows raising in surprise as his eyes settled on Kyoko, remarking "Ah, Kyoko. Nice of you to join us for class. Well, shall we get started? Tuesday is Math Day, so turn to Chapter Three of your Algebra Textbooks. Today, we'll be reviewing Polynomials and Factoring from last week."
Polynomials and Factoring…what's that? Kyoko wondered as Koichi grabbed a remote and activated the projector.
"Now then…who wants to take a crack at the equation on the slide?" Koichi asked as he gestured to the text projected on the board.
27x^2 – 18x + 3 = 81p^2 -90p + 25? What the hell does that even mean?
Kyoko's eyes squinted in confusion as she found herself befuddled by the question on the board. It wasn't long though before Makoto raised his hand and tried "Um…you should be able to factor it down to x(3x -2) = 9p^2 – 10p + (22/9)."
Looking incredulously at Makoto, Kyoko wondered How were you able to make sense of that?
Nodding at the Ultimate Lucky Student, Koichi replied "Very good, Makoto." Turning to Taka, he then asked "Taka, you're the study guru among us. Did you come up with a different answer?"
Shaking his head, Taka answered "Negative; Professor Makoto is correct, as usual!"
As usual? You mean Makoto's…good at this?!
Nodding, Koichi replied "Very good, Taka. Yes, Makoto is correct, though you don't need to address him as Professor while we're in class. Now then, Makoto, if x were to have a given value of 3, what would the value of p be?"
Makoto closed his eyes, mulling over the calculations in his head before answering "The value of p should be either a positive or a negative 2.92."
Nodding, Koichi asked "Taka, is he correct?"
Nodding, Taka answered "There's room for error depending on how he rounded, but it appears to be close enough to be accurate."
Kyoko's eyes bulged out of her head, wondering with amazement and admiration How did he solve all of that in his head?
Nodding in acceptance, Koichi answered "Yes, very good, Makoto." Turning to Kyoko, he playfully scolded "Oh, and Kyoko, try to refrain from having your eyes bulging out of your sockets and have them focus on the board instead."
Junko, Leon, Mondo, Toko, Hifumi, and Hiro all laughed at the admonishment, Kyoko barely holding back a blush of embarrassment. Sayaka, Byakuya, Hina, Sakura, and Celeste didn't laugh, but couldn't hold back smiles of amusement. Mukuro's neutral expression was unchanged, while only Chihiro, Taka, and Makoto frowned in concern for the Ultimate Detective.
"Alright, kids; settle down." Once the others had stopped laughing, Koichi took out a stack of papers, pencils, and calculators from under the desk and started passing them out, instructing "Now, power down your Handbooks and put them under your desk. We're having a quiz on what we just reviewed. You have until the end of class to finish them, so don't feel like you have to rush. You may leave after you finish your test; just bring it up to my desk and place it face-down."
With a clap of his hands, the class immediately picked up their pencils and started working on the Algebra test. Kyoko stared at the equations on her paper as though it were Latin, feeling a sense of dread and anxiety envelop her.
…I picked the wrong day to come back to class…
XXX
April 25, 2014
"Kyoko, can you stay for a minute, please?"
Kyoko froze in her tracks, about to head out the door with Makoto when Koichi called her back. Seeing Makoto looking at her in concern, Kyoko nodded to assure him that it was probably nothing. A worried frown still on his face, Makoto nonetheless nodded and left to go grab lunch. Sighing, Kyoko turned back around and approached Koichi's desk.
"Is there something you needed, Kizakura-sensei?"
Nodding, Koichi looked at her with a rare serious expression as he informed her "Kyoko, you're struggling in class."
Before she could interject, Koichi passed her Algebra quiz back to her, the paper completely blank except for a big, fat, red zero at the top, reminding the Detective of just how woefully unprepared she was coming to class.
"Plus…" Koichi then passed to her their surprise World History test they were given on Wednesday. Kyoko had some knowledge of history, due to Fuhito using it as a way to teach her the motivations of criminals. However, although she was able to attempt to answer the questions on this test, it was still littered with red ink from various corrections Koichi had made.
Thirty-Nine?
"And lastly…" Koichi sighed as he passed to her Thursday's Physics quiz.
Since Kyoko was a Detective and logic was one of her core skills, this one was the easiest for her. However, while there was less red ink on this one than the other two tests, her ignorance of some recent concepts had hampered her performance, leaving her stumped on a lot of the problems.
Fifty-Five?
The old Kyoko, the one who gladly skipped class to do Detective work, wouldn't have let these test results phase her at all. However, because she had promised that she would take being a high school student more seriously, she allowed these low marks to plant a sliver of shame in her mind.
Seeing her slightly disappointed expression, Koichi gave a comforting smile as he reassured her "Hey, don't get all depressed about this; it's only a couple of tests. You're a smart cookie, so I'm guessing you're only struggling because this is the first time you've been to class in a while, right?"
Kyoko glared at his affectionate remark, but Koichi paid it no mind, leaving the Ultimate Detective to only nod.
"Thought so. It wouldn't be fair to let these grades stand when you were totally unprepared for the material, so although I don't normally do this, I'll let you take a makeup test on Sunday." Smiling wryly, Koichi finished "Besides, I'm sure we both want the Headmaster to see you succeed rather than fail."
Kyoko still had no interest in seeing her father smile at her; she meant it when she told Makoto that she had no desire to bond with him at present. But she couldn't deny that deep down, the thought of Jin looking at her with disappointment in his gaze did not sit well with her.
If only to prove that I am his superior, that I don't need him to be my father…I can't let him see me fail! Nodding, Kyoko conceded "That would be acceptable."
Nodding with a smile, Koichi ushered her out "Good, that's everything. Go find a study buddy or whatever and study hard. Goodbye, Kyoko."
Sighing, Kyoko walked back to her dorm, closing the door behind her and sitting on her bed, fidgeting with her braid as she realized "I can't learn what I need alone. As much as it pains me to admit it, I need the help of one of my classmates. As far as people who would help me, I can only rely on…"
XXX
Present Day
"You struggled in school, Mommy?"
Nodding to her daughter, Kyoko explained "That's why I don't want you skipping school, Kiki. Pushing class to the side to focus on Detective work ended up hurting me in the long run. I don't want you to make my mistakes."
Nodding, Kiki answered "Okay, Mommy. So, who did you get to help you study for your test?"
"Well, it was…"
XXX
April 25, 2014
*Knock, Knock*
The door opened to reveal a surprised Makoto Naegi on the other side, the Ultimate Lucky Student asking "Kyoko? Is everything alright?"
Nodding, Kyoko forced the words over the lump in her throat as she admitted to him "I'm…in need…of your…assistance, Makoto."
"Oh…is it another case? I'm happy to…"
Shaking her head, Kyoko explained "It has nothing to do with Detective work this time. I…" Looking from one side to the other to make sure nobody else was in the vicinity, she continued "I didn't do well on this week's tests. Kizakura-sensei is giving me a makeup test on Sunday, but I'm not…confident in my ability to get caught up on my own."
Nodding in comprehension, Makoto asked "And you decided to come to me because…"
"…I saw you in class; you answered each question with accuracy. You clearly know what you're doing, plus…" Kyoko blushed as she admitted "…You're the only one in our class right now that I can trust with this, Makoto."
Feeling honored that Kyoko held him in such high trust, Makoto awkwardly explained "Oh…but I'm not that smart, really! I always got B's and C's before I got here. The only reason I've been so good at answering questions is…"
"Is what?"
Seeing the determined, yet pleading look in her violet eyes, Makoto relaxed, smiling as he offered "Why don't you join us tomorrow? We have a study session planned anyway, so it'll be the perfect opportunity to get caught up."
Us? Who's us?
Seeing the hesitation in her eyes, Makoto soothed "I know that you're still learning to trust, and I'm truly honored that you trust me so much, but I'm not superhuman. I can't help with everything. Our class has skills that I don't. I'm not a bad student, but I couldn't get as good as I am if I didn't study with him. I'm sure he'd be happy to teach you too! So please Kyoko, will you trust me, and try to trust our classmate?"
Taking a deep breath, Kyoko took the plunge and accepted "Okay, Makoto, I'll trust you. When are we meeting up to study?"
XXX
April 26, 2014
*Knock, Knock*
The door opened to reveal Taka on the other side of the door, greeting "Professor Makoto!" Makoto squirmed in place, still uncomfortable with the title while Taka turned to his new guest, his brow furrowing in confusion as he asked "And Kirigiri-san?"
So Taka is who Makoto was studying with?
Seeing the confused look on Taka's face, Makoto explained "Kyoko needs to get caught up on what we learned in class over the past couple of weeks, so I thought she could join us for our study day."
His eyes lighting up in understanding and excitement, Taka grinned, opening his door and exclaiming "So Kirigiri-san has decided to dedicate herself fully to being a student? Haha! Of course, the more the merrier! I'd be happy to assist her on her educational crusade!" Opening the door fully, Taka welcomed, "Come in, both of you! Let's hit the books right away!"
Seeing Kyoko give him a weirded out look as Taka went to assemble his textbooks, Makoto whispered in her ear "Yeah, Taka's kind of a study freak. He used to spend every second of his free time studying before we met."
Nodding, Kyoko whispered "Well he certainly seems to be a genius at being a student."
"Yeah, but don't tell him that." Makoto cautioned "He hates the word genius."
"Makoto! Kirigiri-san! Stop wasting your time just standing in the doorway and get in here!"
Curious about Makoto's revelation, but not enough to pry, Kyoko nodded and they walked in, sitting on the floor surrounded in a circle of Taka's textbooks.
As they got out their Handbooks and activated their notebook apps, Taka asked "So, Kirigiri-san, since this is your first time joining us, is there a specific subject you wanted to strengthen your aptitude in?"
Pondering for a moment, Kyoko answered "…Algebra. I need a refresher with Algebra."
Nodding, Taka's expression became serious, declaring "Right; Algebra it is! Let's start at the beginning, shall we?"
XXX
"Your turn, Makoto. What country first established zero as a numerical concept?"
"It was…India, wasn't it?"
"Correct! Good job, Makoto!"
The three of them had spent all day after breakfast studying various subjects from math to science to history. It took some translation from Makoto, but at last she was starting to feel like she understood the material and could confidently apply it in the field.
…Or on a test, as the case may be…
Taka looked at his wristwatch, his eyes bulging as he remarked "Oh, look at the time! It's almost seven! We've been studying for a while, so why don't we call it a day for now and have dinner? I need to make sure I have enough time to shower and study games and TV shows!"
Seeing Kyoko's questioning stare, Makoto leaned over and whispered "I told him one time that playing video games and watching TV gave people something to talk about with others, and he took it as needing to study them."
"Ah…" Kyoko nodded her head, accepting Makoto's answer as the three of them stood up, Taka and Makoto dusting off their pants while Kyoko dusted off her skirt.
"Thank you for permitting me to join you and Makoto in your study session, Ishimaru-kun…"
Shaking his head, Taka interrupted "Please, call me Taka! We're not just classmates anymore; we're friends and partners in our educational crusade, Kyoko!"
Unsure of how to continue, Kyoko looked towards Makoto, who only smile and nodded, before turning back to address Taka, replying "Right, Taka."
Clapping her on the back, Taka cheered "Haha, great! Come now, let's nourish our bodies with a rewarding feast before we part ways! To the dining hall!"
Taka marched towards the door, throwing it open before walking to the dining hall. Makoto and Kyoko sweatdropped before sighing, following him with way less gusto.
XXX
"So…how did you like studying with Taka?"
Makoto wondered out loud, the three parting ways after dinner, with Taka going back to his room and Makoto escorting Kyoko back to her room.
"He's certainly…enthusiastic…but I did learn a lot while I was with you two. And I feel more confident about my chances of passing tomorrow's makeup test."
"Then…" Makoto started to ask hopefully.
Kyoko allowed a small smile as she admitted "I'm not sure if can handle that kind of enthusiasm on a regular basis…but I think I can at least trust him enough to come to for help with schoolwork should I need it. Thank you, Makoto, for convincing me to trust Taka."
Nodding, Makoto replied "You're welcome, Kyoko." As Kyoko turned around and twisted her doorknob, Makoto cheered "You've got this, Kyoko! I believe in you!"
Frozen in place for a split second at his passion, Kyoko turned to face him with a small smile, simply replying "Good night, Makoto" before closing the door behind her, leaving Makoto to walk back to his room.
XXX
April 28, 2014
The test went off without a hitch; Kyoko walked off to her test immediately after having breakfast. With Koichi administering it, Kyoko swiftly completed the exam, turning the paper in before leaving to focus on Detective work for the rest of the day.
It was now Monday and the 78th Class was now sitting at their desks for their literature class, Kyoko secretly nervous about the results despite telling Makoto at breakfast that day that she felt confident in her performance.
"Alright, class, settle down. It's time to start our next chapter. Please activate the novel in your e-Handbooks and turn to page…oh, Headmaster!"
All eyes turned to the entrance to see Headmaster Kirigiri walk up to Kyoko's desk, where he wordlessly handed her a sheet of paper with a proud, beaming smile on his face.
Her brow furrowed in confusion, she looked down at the paper in her hands, only for her eyes to widen as she realized This is the makeup test I took! Let's see…NINETY-ONE?!
She looked back up to see Jin nodding, his proud, beaming smile still plastered onto his face. Barely managing to hold back her own proud emotions for having achieved her goal, she merely gave him a nod before he walked back out of the classroom.
Seeing Makoto glance curiously at her, Kyoko flashed the paper in his direction long enough for him to see the number at the top. Grinning, the Ultimate Lucky Student gave her a thumbs up, which Kyoko returned with a small, momentary smile before settling back into her neutral expression.
As the other students began gossiping about what the Headmaster wanted with Kyoko, Koichi whistled, telling the class "Alright, settle down! I know the Headmaster coming can get a little exciting, but he's not here now, so it's time to turn to page 103 of our book. Toko, could you please read for us…"
As Toko began to read from the page in her e-Handbook, Kyoko glanced at Makoto and Taka before focusing back on her test.
I couldn't have done this without Taka…and he seems harmless…so maybe…I can call him a friend, too. Makoto…thank you for helping me to trust Taka. I couldn't have done this without the both of you helping me.
Smiling, Kyoko turned to the page in her Handbook, following along as each student read from the novel.
XXX
Present Day
"YAY! MOMMY PASSED!"
Chuckling, Makoto ruffled Kiki's hair, confirming "That's right Kiki! Mommy passed her test."
"Taka must have been really smart, huh?"
Smiling wistfully at the memory of the Ultimate Moral Compass, Kyoko agreed "Yes, he was. Looking back…other than your father, Taka's dedication to schoolwork was exactly what I needed to adapt back into the life of a high school student."
"Just…don't be as serious as he was, Kiki." Makoto advised "Make sure you leave some time to have fun, too, okay?"
"Okay, Daddy."
Smiling, Makoto replied "Good, now it's time for you to go to bed."
Makoto and Kyoko proceeded to tuck Kiki in, taking turns kissing her nose before they soothed "Good night, Kiki. We love you."
Kiki yawned before nuzzling her pillow, falling asleep before her parents quietly exited her room to go to sleep themselves.
