A/N: So here's Chapter Two of Bonding Arc. This chapter is part of an ask submitted to my Tumblr's ask box by one of my regular reviewers on AO3 and Tumblr. 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 Two: A Day at the Dojo! Sakura Finds a Sparring Partner!
Present Day
"So, first you became friends with Taka after he helped you study. Who did you bond with next, Mommy?"
"Well, it was later that week. Koichi had decided to change Wednesday's class into a Physical Education class. We were all outside when he had us…"
XXX
April 30, 2014
*Snap*
Hina's camera clicked as she snapped the photo; since she had sprained her ankle on a jog with Sakura the other day, she was excused from the track exercise that her other classmates had to partake in, much to her dismay. So, she resigned herself to taking another class photo instead, cheering her friends on in the process.
"Makoto, hurry up! You're barely ahead of Hifumi! Come on, Leon; you're a professional baseball player; running track should be no problem! Great work, Sayaka; you'd be in the lead if Sakura wasn't in your group!"
Makoto panted, struggling to keep pace as he was barely ahead of Hifumi, despite having a much leaner form.
Glancing back at the Ultimate Baseball Star, Sayaka teased with a sing-song voice "Better kick it up a notch, Leon, or you'll never catch up!" As Leon panted while trying and failing to increase his speed, Sayaka glanced at Makoto, winking as she teased "Hurry up, Makoto! Class 78's resident hero should be able to handle this no problem!"
Makoto didn't even have the energy to blush, obviously fatigued from running laps; the teenage boy was barely able to admire the grace of Sayaka's running, her legs pumping as her feet hit the ground while her butt bounced with each stride. Sakura on the other hand was running a full lap ahead of them, her eyes blazing with the red blaze of determination, her breath and muscles not even showing a hint of fatigue.
Kyoko meanwhile, sat on the ground next to Hiro, her arms rested over her knees as she had a front row seat to Makoto's athletic performance, a slight frown of disappointment present on her face.
At last Koichi blew the whistle, all five participants skidding to a stop as he announced "Alright, take ten everyone, then we'll head up to the dojo!"
As Koichi walked away, Makoto walked sluggishly back over to Kyoko, Sayaka supporting him with one hand on his back as she handed him a handkerchief. Smiling gratefully, Makoto took it, blushing slightly as Sayaka smiled at him. Once they reached Kyoko, Makoto was able to stop taking deep breaths, his lungs finally back to normal.
As Makoto opened his mouth, Kyoko shook her head and remarked "How is it that a boy who carried me out of a burning building by himself suddenly struggles with running laps?"
…Wow, she really doesn't hold back… Makoto chuckled nervously, scratching his cheek as he answered "Guess the adrenaline rush just wasn't there. Life-or-death circumstances not taken into consideration, I'm really at the bottom rung of masculinity…"
"Nonsense, Makoto!" Sayaka refuted, her eyes hardened as she defended "At least you tried; Ikusaba-san and Celeste didn't even take part! Plus you ran ahead of Hifumi, so you're not at the bottom!"
"Th…thanks, Sayaka. Still, there are people in our class who are way better than me! I mean…not everyone can run like that and make it look graceful…like you did…"
Makoto blushed while Kyoko rolled her eyes; Sayaka meanwhile cooed "Aww, that's so sweet of you, Makoto."
Makoto smiled bashfully at Sayaka's reply, while Kyoko looked at the exchange with concern for Makoto. Before she could voice her thoughts, Hina approached the small group that had gathered under the trees, hopping on one foot to keep the weight off her sprained ankle, a smile on her face as sha carried her camera in one hand.
"Alright, gather 'round everybody! Let's check out this photo I took of us!"
The rest of the class gathered around her, Kyoko standing up and following Makoto and Sayaka as Hina fiddled with the options, at last getting the picture up on the mini screen as the others leaned in closer to get a good look.
Makoto frowned as he looked at how much the photo screamed "I'm in pain!", deadpanning I don't think this picture is very flattering of me…at least Sayaka looks good…
While Makoto had the sense not to verbalize his thoughts, Leon had no such restraint, complaining "Aw man; this one's almost as bad as the photo from my days on my old baseball team! How am I gonna woo the ladies if they see this?!"
Sayaka giggled at Leon's whining while Hina refuted "Come on, it doesn't look that bad. Wait…aw, Enoshima-chan, your head is turned away! We can't even see your face in this one!"
Raising her hand, Chihiro interjected "It's my f…fault, Hina. We were in a conversation and we didn't see the camera in time." Looking down in shame, she started to sniffle "I…I'm sorry…"
Frowning, Hina hopped over and clapped Chihiro on the back, encouraging "Aww, cheer up, Fujisaki-chan. It's just a photo, no big deal! No need to cry over spilt milk, I say!"
Nodding, Makoto thought as he felt cheered up as well Yeah, it's just a photo. She's right; no use getting upset over it. Besides… Makoto glanced at Sayaka and Kyoko as he finished The important thing is that I made this class memory with my closest friends!
As Chihiro started to smile, Koichi came back, announcing "Alright, kids; break's over! Time to hit the dojo."
As Sakura lifted Hina onto her shoulder to carry her there, the others started walking back in a group to the main building, Makoto flanked by Sayaka and Kyoko on either side.
XXX
"Agh! Oof!"
Makoto fell on his rear, nursing his rear as Kyoko approached him, towering over the Ultimate Lucky Student.
Once Koichi had escorted the class to the dojo, he ordered them to change into their white karate uniforms and split into rotating pairs to spar. Celeste and Mondo refused, leaving the other fourteen students to split up.
"A prim and proper lady such as Celestia Ludenberg should not have to dirty her hands in physical confrontations."
"Yo, Teach! I gotta say no! There's a chance I might get paired with a girl, and I can't hit a girl! I'd ruin my honor…my mum would kill me!"
Makoto had gotten the chance to spar with everyone else, being bested by everyone except Hifumi and Chihiro. Makoto was able to outlast Hifumi due to the Fanfic Creator's horrendous physical health, while Chihiro started to cry at the thought of hitting another student, leaving Makoto to take pity on him and offer a mutual surrender. From that point on, Chihiro explained the situation to Koichi and was allowed to sit out.
And at last the final rotation ended, Makoto being swiftly taken down by the Ultimate Detective, who stood over him and shook her head in disappointment.
"We've got to work on your physical capabilities, Makoto."
Gingerly standing up, Makoto replied "I told you, Kyoko, I'm on the bottom rung of masculinity. Plus, you're kind of a master martial artist. It kind of makes sense that you'd beat me in record time."
Master…I'm not really a master…not anymore…
Kyoko flashed back to her duel with Jutaro, reminding herself that she could not exactly call herself a master these days.
Amongst my peers, I can certainly hold my own…Kyoko reflected; the Detective was able to defeat all of her sparring partners except for Sakura and Mukuro, who were able to fight her to a draw until Koichi blew the rotation whistle.
But I can no longer say I'm prepared for a life-or-death duel after the Akafuku case. I need to practice against a human opponent. Makoto… Glancing at the Ultimate Lucky Student and remembering his pitiful performance, she realized …No, he's not going to cut it this time. Owada-kun won't even spar with women, so he's out. Taka's a decent opponent, but only because he studied the theory and was able to apply it. Against a more experienced opponent, he's no match.
Kyoko reflected back to her spar with him; after some minor resistance, she was able to overwhelm his offenses and take him down.
My best bets are Ikusaba-san and Ogami-san. Ikusaba-san…
Kyoko felt a chill of dread travel down her spine, barely suppressing a shiver as she recalled how she followed her sister like a trained puppy.
No…I can't explain it, but my intuition is telling me to stay away from Ikusaba-san and Enoshima-san. That just leaves Ogami-san. There's just one problem…
For all her time spent in Makoto's company, she had yet to develop any friendships on her own terms. All of her interactions with her other classmates since the Akafuku case were started by Makoto, and even she could admit to feeling a little intimidated by the Ultimate Martial Artist's stature and similarly serious personality.
I suppose I could ask Hina's help…she is Sakura's best friend, and she and Sayaka did help me during game night…no; I still don't know her that well. I can't go asking her for help…not yet at least…
"Hey, Kyoko? Is everything…okay?"
Looking at Makoto's suddenly concerned expression, she was about to speak when Koichi called out "Alright, everybody; class is over. Get changed back into your uniforms and you're dismissed!"
As the others began to walk back to the locker rooms, Makoto and Kyoko stood alone in the dojo. Kyoko gave him a small smile and came to a decision.
"I'm fine, Makoto. I am in need of your assistance once more however…"
XXX
Present Day
"Wow, you really weren't good at sports in high school, huh Daddy?"
Chuckling, Makoto shook his head and confirmed "No Kiki, I wasn't I was not the most…physically adept when your mother and I met. But later on, she did help me to become stronger."
Makoto looked at his wife appreciatively, making her smile back before she commented "Your father may not have been as strong as me or Mondo or Sakura, but he always came through when it mattered."
As the two parents leaned close to nuzzle each other's noses, Kiki asked impatiently "So did you ask Sakura to train you? And did Daddy help?"
Nodding, Makoto continued "You see, after dinner that evening, we…"
XXX
April 30, 2014
*Ding, Dong*
Makoto and Kyoko waited for a few seconds before the door slowly swung open, a sweaty Sakura standing in the entrance.
"Makoto…and Kirigiri-chan? Was there something you needed?"
Nodding, Makoto took the lead, answering "Kyoko wanted to ask you something. Could we come in and talk? She kinda wanted it to be between us…"
Staring into Kyoko's purple eyes with her own, Sakura seemed to be searching into her soul, as if to ascertain her intentions. Kyoko resisted the urge to squirm under Sakura's intimidating gaze before the Ultimate Martial Artist nodded, turning around and gesturing for them to come inside. Makoto followed her with Kyoko in tow, closing the door behind her as Sakura sat on her bed.
"So, Kirigiri-chan, what did you wish to ask me?"
Glancing to Makoto, who nodded in reassurance, Kyoko forced out "Are you still looking for a sparring partner?"
Her eyebrows raised in surprise, Sakura nodded, answering "Yes. Hina's been a good partner for general exercise, but she draws the line at martial sparring. Are you volunteering?" Seeing Kyoko nod, Sakura asked "And what has driven you to offer yourself as my sparring partner?"
Taking a deep breath, Kyoko asked "Ogami-san, how much do you know about the incident that landed me in the infirmary earlier this month?"
"…Merely what Makoto told us. All he said was that you were investigating a case when the culprit ambushed you, then were incapacitated when the burning house started to collapse on you. From there, Makoto rescued you and brought you back to Hope's Peak to recover. He didn't give us any details, just the general events."
…So he didn't tell them about my hands…At least I can trust him with a secret… Kyoko glanced appreciatively at Makoto before elaborating "While Makoto was escaping, I fought with the culprit in a duel to buy Makoto time and to subdue them. During my duel, I found myself initially overwhelmed. I've trained for years in a variety of martial arts under my grandfather's tutelage, but this case taught me that I've become rusty from not having to had to use my combat training against a human opponent in a long time. If my skills hadn't degraded, then I could have subdued them more quickly and perhaps prevented them from starting the fire in the first place."
"Kyoko…" Are you…blaming yourself…for what happened?
Kyoko bowed respectfully and pleaded "I need your help, Ogami-san. Permit me to train with you, so I can build up my skills again. Help me to get stronger, so I can protect myself in my line of work."
"Kyoko…"
Sakura closed her eyes, smiling as she accepted "If that is what you wish, then I would be happy to help you become stronger. Besides…if our brief spar during class is any indicator, you would certainly be a worthy training partner."
Kyoko looked back up at Sakura; her expression hadn't changed, but her eyes shone with appreciation.
Becoming serious again, Sakura informed her "Meet me at the dojo at 9 A.M. on Saturday. We'll have our first session then every week. Is that amenable?"
Nodding, Kyoko answered "Thank you, Ogami-san."
Nodding, Sakura asked "Was there anything else you needed?"
Seeing Makoto and Kyoko shake their heads, she answered "If that's the case, I need to prepare for my evening shower." Getting up and opening the door for them, she bid them "Farewell, Makoto, Kirigiri-chan."
"Thank you" Makoto and Kyoko answered as the door closed behind them.
As they walked back to their own rooms, Makoto asked "So…that went well, I think."
Nodding, Kyoko answered "Yes…she's much more sociable than I thought she'd be."
Smiling, Makoto agreed "Yeah, I know she looks intimidating; she's even acknowledged as much in private. But she really is a nice person when you get to know her." Becoming serious, Makoto changed the subject, asking "But Kyoko…you don't need to hold yourself responsible for what happened with Jutaro."
Shaking her head, Kyoko refuted "I came ill-prepared for the encounter. Jutaro got the drop on me because I got rusty and complacent…and I can't condone that."
"Kyoko…none of us would have expected him to light the building on fire. He caught us both off guard, and besides, you did beat him." Seeing Kyoko about to argue, Makoto interrupted "If you really want to get stronger, I won't stop you; I'll support you as your friend. Just…don't beat yourself up too much about this, okay?" Smiling at her with his warm smile, Makoto declared "I still think Kyoko Kirigiri is an amazing Detective the way she is!"
Kyoko barely restrained the blush that threatened to dust across her cheeks, caught off guard again by one of Makoto's compliments.
Turing around to face her door before her emotions could have an opportunity to betray her, she bid him "Good night, Makoto."
Nodding, Makoto replied "Yeah, good night" before the door closed in front of him, leaving the Ultimate Lucky Student to walk back to his room to shower and sleep for the evening.
XXX
May 3, 2014
"Alright, is everyone ready?"
Hina's voice rang out in the dojo as Sakura and Kyoko stood a few feet apart, both of them having removed their shoes. Makoto sat against the leftmost wall, squished between Sayaka and Leon, with their other classmates surrounding them.
After Sakura and Kyoko made their plans, Hina had by chance invited her to go shopping on the same day. Sakura politely declined, telling her of he rplans to spar with Kyoko. Surprised and getting hyper excited, possibly from the sugar rush caused by the plate of donuts she had eaten for breakfast, Hina then told her other classmates, who for various reasons agreed to watch the previously private match.
…I was hoping for my first training session to be a little more private…Kyoko deadpanned as she tried to refocus her attention on her opponent.
Sakura smiled wryly as she spoke "I apologize for the crowd; I had no idea that this would get such a huge turnout."
Shrugging, Kyoko acquiesced "I suppose it couldn't be helped, Ogami-san…"
"Sakura." Kyoko's eyebrows raised in confusion as Sakura explained "We're about to step into the proverbial ring as two combatants, fighting with all their heart and soul. In my profession, two people cannot get closer than that, so formalities are of no use. So please, call me by my first name. I shall of course extend the same courtesy to you, Kyoko."
Reluctantly, Kyoko nodded, replying "…Very well, Sakura. So, how should we train…given this…crowd?"
"…How about…a 5-point boundary match? First person to be knocked outside of the white line behind them five times loses. With exception to lethal blows, any style is permitted. Does that sound fair to you?"
Nodding, Kyoko replied "That sounds acceptable."
Seeing both combatants nod and take their initial stances, Hina announced "Okay! Five point boundary match it is! I will act as referee; on my mark! Three, two, one, FIGHT!"
As Sakura and Kyoko rushed back at each other, Makoto watched, still squeezed between his two friends. As he was about to cheer Kyoko on, he felt something plop into his lap.
"Hey dude, can you hold the popcorn for us? I brought some for me and Sayaka to share!"
Finally giving Leon a soft smile, Sayaka thanked him "Why thank you, Leon. You've become quite the gentleman."
Grinning, Leon reached in with Sayaka to grab a fistful of popcorn from the container that had been plopped onto Makoto's lap. Makoto sighed before smiling softly at Leon's antics, refocusing his attention on the match as he held the container securely in his lap.
Ganbatte, Kyoko!
XXX
"You're quite the miracle worker, aren't you Makoto?"
The match had since ended, Sakura the natural winner, but not before Kyoko had scored a couple of points in the process. Sakura and Kyoko had walked to a distant corner of the dojo to wipe the sweat off their bodies while most of the others had left, leaving Makoto and Sayaka alone.
"I don't really see how I'm a miracle worker, Sayaka…"
Shaking her head, the Ultimate Pop Sensation explained excitedly "You took Kirigiri-chan, who was in our class's top three biggest loners, and in the span of two weeks, befriended her and got her to come out of her shell. And now she's Sakura's sparring partner? I just know you had a hand in that!"
Chuckling nervously, Makoto downplayed "Well, I might have helped them to talk to each other, but it was Kyoko's idea…"
"Even if it was her idea, I doubt she would have even thought to ask without you! You're really amazing, Makoto!"
Sayaka smiled sweetly, causing Makoto to blush as he smiled bashfully back at her.
"Well, I have to go call my idol group. See you later, Makoto!"
Sayaka skipped off, Makoto waving off in the distance as she slipped out of view.
"Shall we go as well?"
Makoto turned to see Kyoko standing by his side, once again dressed in her boots, her body no longer dripping with sweat.
"Sure, but where's Sakura?"
"She wanted to do some final drills by herself before heading out."
Nodding in acceptance, Makoto started walking, Kyoko matching his pace step for step.
"So…how did you like training with Sakura?"
"…It was…challenging. But I believe that keeping up these weekly practices will prove to be fruitful. I can already feel some improvement since my duel with Jutaro."
"That's good. And…how do you feel about Sakura? Do you think she could be your friend as well?"
Holding her chin in her grip in a thinking pose, Kyoko concluded "It's a little too early to tell. Before, I would have avoided any opportunities for friendship and kept things strictly professional. I still don't know if she and I have anything in common, besides. That being said…she seems to be an honorable and approachable person…so I can't rule out the possibility."
Smiling, Makoto replied "Well, that's still better than nothing. Just go at your own pace, Kyoko."
Nodding, Kyoko reflected "Still, I doubt I'll get as close to anyone as you and Sayaka are."
Blushing Makoto replied "Oh, well…she's just been really nice to me, that's all. But you've been nice in your own way too, Kyoko." Seeing the doubtful look in her eyes, Makoto continued "I know life hasn't been…as easy for you as it has been for me…but just the fact that you're trying to trust our other classmates…it really shows that you can get close to people…if you let them."
"And that's the question, isn't it? How much can I afford to lower my guard in front of others? That's…a question I don't even know the answer to right now."
"Well…like I said, just go at your own pace. You don't have to rush friendships; just be open to spending time with our classmates and I'm sure the close friendships will come in time."
Nodding, Kyoko acquiesced "I suppose…I can consent to that."
Smiling, Makoto changed the subject, offering "Well, why don't you say we go get lunch at the dining hall? I'm kind of hungry."
Feeling her own stomach rumble, Kyoko nodded in agreement, and with that the two friends continued to walk down the stairs to the dining hall.
XXX
Present Day
"So even with having bonded with Taka and Sakura, you still doubted whether you could get close to people, Mommy?"
Nodding, Kyoko explained "Your father had done a lot to help me to lower my walls, Kiki. But it would still take a while before I could leave myself completely vulnerable. And as your father would learn, his perspective carried risks of its own. Ones he would learn about the hard way."
"What does she mean, Daddy?"
Smiling ruefully, Makoto kissed his daughter's forehead and promised "Tomorrow, Kiki. It's past your bedtime."
"…Stupid cliffhangers…" Kiki pouted cutely before nestling into her pillow, letting her parents tuck her in before kissing her good night.
XXX
"So how are you going to explain it to Kiki? The moment when…"
Smiling nostalgically, Makoto replied simply "The truth. I'll tell her exactly what happened, and we'll tell her that it wasn't easy, but at least I had you to help me through it. In any case, let's get to sleep. We can work out the specifics of tomorrow's story in the morning."
Smiling, she leaned to cradle her husband's face in her palms, lightly pecking his lips as she cooed "Good night, Makoto. I love you."
Smiling, Makoto leaned in to return her kiss, whispering huskily "Good night, Kyoko. I love you too."
With that, the Naegis snuggled against each other, soothing each other into slumber.
