A.N: And here's the tenth and final chapter of this side story, nearly a month after Chapter One! I really hope you'll like this finale and how it is linked to the events of AOH. And before I forget, this chapter takes place during Chapter Seven of AOH, after Makoto and Sayaka talked things out in the game room. Enjoy!
Chapter Ten: Crush
Kyoko sat alone at a table in the Hope's Peak Library, case file in hand. When it came to cases, this one could be considered old. It was actually the oldest case Kyoko still worked on that had not been solved yet: the infamous Genocide Jack case.
When you knew the details, it could surprisingly be called straightforward, actually. A serial murderer with an established modus operandi and tens of crime scenes to find evidence. However, the issue was that no clues pointing to the culprit had ever been found. And since, for some reason, the fiend had stopped killing a few months ago, the case was being filed away. Of course, as the Ultimate Detective, Kyoko had investigated this case a bit and tried to keep an active eye on it from time to time.
All victims were stabbed using pairs of sharp and custom-made scissors… The crime scenes are also extremely peculiar: the victims were hung up using scissors akin to the murder weapons; the word "Bloodlust" was written on the wall in the victim's blood. All victims were also male, the meaning of which is still unclear. Lastly, it is believed that the culprit could suffer from a split personality who would murder the victims.
The detective repeated these details to herself to refamiliarize herself with the case and, after only a few minutes of skimming through the file, it was like she had never stopped investigating it.
Well, most of these details are confidential, and since I was one of the few people being privy to it, I suppose this makes sense. Kyoko read the names of the victims and stopped once she read one in particular.
Takeshi Yoshida? Is it possible that…? The face of her homeroom teacher, Yuki Yoshida, flashed through the girl's mind. Well, it'll be worth taking a look at, even if 'Yoshida' is a pretty common last name. And considering Ms. Yoshida's age, it would have to be her boyfriend, and they would need to be married for it to match, and I think I already caught her on her phone talking to her boyfriend… Most likely unrelated, then.
For the sake of being sure, Kyoko decided to read through Jack's M.O. again to be sure she remembered all the details of the case. Obviously, she didn't expect to make a breakthrough into the case without actually being on the field, but it was info worth remembering.
So, from the beginning… All victims were stabbed using pairs of sharp and custom-made scissors… The crime scenes are also extremely peculiar: the victims were hung up using scissors akin to the murder weapons; the word "Bloodlust" was written on the wall in the victim's blood. "Do you love him, Miss Detective?"
…
…
What the hell…?
A voice rang through Kyoko's head very suddenly, preventing her from reading her file. She shook her head and tried to continue anyway, but the voice got louder and louder until she could no longer ignore it.
"Do you love him, Miss Detective?" … You can't let go of that question, can you, Kyoko? The lavender-haired girl wondered, fiddling with her hair. Ever since Ms. Gekkogahara asked you that, it's the only thing that's really been on your mind. I told her yesterday that I didn't love Makoto… or at least, not romantically…
She put that thought on pause and closed the file for a moment.
But is that the truth? Do I consider Makoto to only be a friend? Is it possible that he grew so much on me that I became attracted to him?
Kyoko took out her organizer from her inside pocket, as well as a pen. The notes about her classmates had since long been filed in her desk, but she thought some additional content couldn't hurt. Instead of simply writing the lucky student's name at the top of a new page - like she usually would - Kyoko instead wrote in her best handwriting 'Feelings for Makoto?'.
Let's see… if I'm going to think about this, then I'd better do it meticulously. Speculation and unproven thoughts will only get me so far. Deciding to treat this like a case, Kyoko began to ask herself many questions to which she'd need the answers to reach a conclusion.
First off… I need to find clues as to what being romantically attracted to someone means. Now with a course of action in mind, Kyoko began writing. Of course, since she was inexperienced, the detective clung to an example. And, either by pure coincidence or by fate, the only person she knew to be in love among her friends… was Makoto!
Not that I can really go and ask him for help! She deadpanned and listed a few things that made Makoto's attraction to Sayaka evident to her. Of course, the way he smiled at her came to mind first. The Ultimate Lucky Student was a smiling person, but Kyoko quickly realized the pop star received his most beaming smiles. A second thing she had noted was that Makoto blushed quite often in Sayaka's presence, or when she was brought up in a chat. The few times I teased him about it, he reddened in a second… And he didn't seem to be able to do anything against it, either.
The detective giggled as she thought of Makoto's blushing cheeks and how cute he was. She didn't tease him really often, but when she did, the reaction was instant: this, for Kyoko, was a sign that he loved Sayaka. And thus, she simply wrote "blushes and smiles" and skipped a line. Drawing an arrow to add further commentary, Kyoko asked herself another question: Do I act like this around him?
It was a straightforward question, but not an easy one to answer. On the one hand, the detective doubted her lips were even able to smile as widely as the Ultimate Lucky Student could… but on the other, she was aware that Makoto Naegi was the person who had made her smile the most in her life since Yui. These were only rarely beaming smiles, but the girl knew how exceptional it was for her to smile in front of someone.
This, obviously, was a positive sign. Makoto was making her change, and even a noob in romance like Kyoko knew this was a sign of attraction. The Luckster's influence had convinced her to try and become a better person, something that, once again, only Yui had managed to do.
Breaking the mold Grandfather raised me up in… that's no small feat. Kyoko realized, slowly coming to a realization. I'm still not an entirely different person, and I'm not sure I want to be, but I firmly believe that what changed in me changed for the better. And while interacting with this class as a whole helped, the main factor was clearly Makoto's presence in my life…
With one answer to her numerous questions, Kyoko felt it right to move on. Coming back to the example of Makoto's attraction towards Sayaka, the third main point of their relationship together was their closeness. The lucky student and the pop sensation were arguably the closest students of Class 78th (even if the trio of Mondo, Taka, and Chihiro came in a really close second), and it showed.
From what I've seen, they spend a lot of time together, which is when they probably formed that bond. Kyoko thought, ever analytical. She wrote her conclusions. Chatting and playing games appear to be their most frequent activities together. Good to know.
Again, the purple-eyed girl skipped a line and tried to draw parallels between Makoto's love for Sayaka and her potential feelings for the lucky student. Well, it didn't take the mind of an Ultimate Detective to realize that she didn't spend as much time with Makoto as Sayaka did, but she took note of it anyway. If Kyoko wanted to be fair with herself, this was honestly her fault. She knew Makoto quite well by now, and she knew he would love to hang out with her more if she asked. The thing was, her work prevented her from doing so.
It wasn't healthy, but the detective blamed herself for it. Makoto means a lot to me, but I can't put my detective work to the side, either… That would attract Grandfather's attention, and who knows what he'd think if he caught wind of me getting closer to a boy… Indeed, relationships at such a young age were frowned upon in the Kirigiri family. Among the Kirigiri detectives, the only point of a relationship was to produce an heir, and Kyoko was very much aware of that.
Needless to say, she had not befriended Makoto in the hopes of giving birth to an heir with him. This troubled her.
After the harm my father has caused to the family, I can't afford to deviate from the creed. She mused, thinking deeply, and as always, rationally. But I doubt Makoto gives a damn about detectives, to be honest. At most, he'd be curious, but that wouldn't be enough for Grandfather.
Fuhito Kirigiri's word and opinion meant a lot to the young Ultimate Detective. The man had raised her almost on his own, and she had the utmost respect for him. Though that didn't mean she was naïve: Kyoko knew precisely why her grandfather was the way he was. Pride and ego had dictated his conduct, something which Kyoko personally disliked.
Grandfather wanted to prove to himself that he could be better than the Headmaster at raising me. She told herself, willingly letting herself getting sidetracked. Not that it must have been difficult… A sigh came with that thought. And while he'll never say it to my face, he's afraid. Afraid that I will make the same mistakes my father did. In the end, he might not trust me as much as he would like me to believe…
This, however, proved a point for the Ultimate Detective. It proved something she deemed more important than anything else.
Makoto trusted her.
He was most likely the only one.
Sure, he tended to trust people blindly, but that wasn't working so badly for him, was it? Kyoko had learned to know that after a few months of interacting with the boy: Makoto Naegi wasn't the type to distrust people. It felt liberating for her to finally be trusted by someone again. Once again, Yui Samidare had been the last person to trust her, and it had been so long ago, she felt like it had never happened.
But it did happen. And that's why it flatters me to be trusted by someone again. You trusted me… though you had no tangible reason to, frankly. Whether I want it or not, I am a secretive girl who doesn't talk much about herself and with trust issues.
Kyoko knew she had her flaws, especially if not trusting people blindly was a flaw. But nonetheless, the lucky student had decided to place a part of his trust in her. The detective knew it wasn't a mistake - she was no betrayer - but at the end of the day, Makoto had no reason to trust her.
And the fact that he chose to do so warms my heart.
With her mind at peace, Kyoko smiled and closed her organizer. She had come to a conclusion, and it satisfied her more than enough.
I wouldn't have believed the person who would have told me I'd be wondering if I was feeling romantic attraction for a boy when the year began… Regardless of whether the detective actually felt something for Makoto, a fact was undeniable: just thinking about it proved that Kyoko had changed. That Makoto had made her change.
She had come a long way, from purposely being alone to managing to befriend a couple of her classmates, the Ultimate Lucky Student, first and foremost. In a way, it almost made sense she would eventually be asking herself these questions. And if someone was worthy of Kyoko's feelings, the Ultimate Detective felt like it was Makoto.
He's always so hopeful that he managed to get *me* onboard… Kyoko thought, smiling as she closed her eyes and relaxed for a few seconds. Even when there seems to be something wrong, he's so unselfish and tries to hide it for the sake of others. It makes me wonder why he wasn't as cheery as usual, actually…
The girl had to admit, this piqued her interest. The lucky student was the type to rarely seem down. He had visibly tried to hide it in front of Kyoko, but her Ultimate Detective quickly noticed something was wrong. Her investigation the day prior had been on her mind, so she had not thought about it more, but now it interested her.
The only thing I'm aware of that could make Makoto sad… would be regarding Sayaka. The lavender-haired detective realized and took some time to connect the dots. W-Wait, don't tell me… N-No way…
A frown appeared on her face as the realization hit her. Indeed, there was only one reason the students of Class 78th knew that could weigh down on their favorite Ultimate Lucky Student, and that was…
D-Did he… Did he get rejected by Sayaka…?
Honestly, it was the only thing she could come up with. She didn't like making assumptions without evidence to prove them, but it was the hypothesis that made the most sense. Admittedly, the detective had not seen Sayaka this week (so neither yesterday nor today), but it seemed like a plausible guess.
An educated guess perhaps, but most likely the truth. And in this case, the girl had no idea what she was supposed to make of it. On the one hand, she was almost heartbroken for the boy: he was so obviously crushing on the blue-haired pop idol, and he deserved her love. On the other hand, however, selfish thoughts went through Kyoko's mind. One's misfortune could very well be another's luck.
I am a horrible person for thinking like this. Kyoko thought and considered clapping some sense into herself. Whatever my feelings for Makoto are, he's my best friend, and I shouldn't wish him bad luck to further my own selfish needs. There's still room for me to improve as a friend, I suppose…
And one thing I can do to show Makoto how much I care for him is to suggest spending some time with him. He asked me yesterday, and I refused more harshly that I wanted because of this imbecile Headmaster… Time to set things right. He deserves it, he really does.
Satisfied with her plans for the afternoon, Kyoko went back to her case file. She reread it a couple of times with a smile on her lips as the occasional thought of the Luckster flashed through her mind.
All victims were stabbed using pairs of sharp and custom-made scissors… The crime scenes are also extremely peculiar: the victims were hung up using scissors akin to the murder weapons; the word "Bloodlust" was written on the wall in the victim's blood. All victims were also male, the meaning of which is still unclear. Lastly, it is believed that the culprit could suffer from a split personality who would murder the victims.
Kyoko looked up, adopting her thinking pose. Her hand was on her chin, and her eyes were facing towards the entrance to the library. It couldn't be said she was focusing on that, though, and it made her vision blurry. To be honest, she realized there was something worthy of her attention when a brown-haired antenna began to swing back and forth in the background.
M-Makoto! What the hell is he doing here?! For once, panic settled in the Ultimate Detective's mind as her friend she had spent so long thinking about had just shown up! I-I intended to plan my chat with him, not to have him walk on me while I was here!
Opting to feign ignorance for now, in case she could leave him clueless (which she knew, with Makoto, was definitely possible), Kyoko stared back at her book. Pretending not to have seen him, she reread a few lines of her file, trying to seem as natural as possible.
If he sees me and he sees that I'm panicking, he'll ask me why… And I can't really tell him, "Oh, Makoto, I was just thinking about you and about my feelings for you. Would you like to go out with me so I can repay the kindness you showed me?" …can I now?
Well… if I wasn't such a coward, that's what I would tell him… but I'm too shy. And he might not need to hear that now if he really had to go through what I think.
In the corner of one of her purple eyes, the Ultimate Detective noticed her beloved classmate approaching her with his usual smile on his lips. Kyoko's heart began to beat even faster as he covered some more steps. She made sure to focus on her file.
All victims were stabbed using pairs of sharp and custom-made scissors… The crime scenes are also extremely peculiar: the victims were hung up using scissors akin to the murder weapons; the word "Bloodlust" was written on the wall…
"Hi, Kyoko!"
AAAAAAH! By a miracle, she managed not to show any surprise (though she was clearly surprised) at the Luckster's cheery and unexpected greeting.
Looking up and smiling genuinely at the boy, Kyoko greeted back, "Oh, good afternoon, Makoto." before adding, "It's pretty rare to see you here."
And of course, you come at the only time I actually didn't want to see you! Curse my luck; I live by preparation, and I haven't prepared anything to tell him! Do I just offer him to go out like that? I mean… being straightforward has its advantages… The girl thought but made sure to keep her focus solely on Makoto.
"W-Well…" he scratched his head in embarrassment, making Kyoko's smile widen. "Y-Yeah… I was just coming from the game room and thought I'd look around the school a bit."
Okay… Gotta buy me some time right now! "I see." was the only thing she said, knowing Makoto would leave it at that for the moment. Honestly, if he tried to add anything, it would most likely make the situation awkward, and Kyoko capitalized on that.
He turned to the nearby bookshelf, but the Ultimate Detective noticed him trying to get a glance of her "book's" cover. Had it been anyone else, Kyoko would have needed to silence them to keep her involvement in the investigation secret, but not for Makoto. Of course not.
She admittedly wondered what conclusions he would draw once he read the name of the case file, but she didn't have time to dwell on that for too long. No, she needed to come up with a way to ask her best friend if he wanted to spend some time with her.
Well, let's hope I don't make this awkward… Kyoko thought and closed her file before standing up.
"Makoto?"
The boy quickly turned around from the manga bookshelf he had visibly just found.
"Y-Yeah?"
"Um… T-The offer you made me yesterday, does… does it still stand?" she shyly asked and cursed herself for stuttering when she usually never did. How am I feeling so much pressure right now?!
Makoto looked at her with a cute smile, which made Kyoko's heart skip a beat. The lavender-haired girl knew just how different she must have been looking right about then, but there wasn't much she could do about it.
"Hm… which offer, Kyoko?" Makoto wondered, and from what Kyoko could tell, he was genuinely clueless - as usual. Though it made her glad that he wasn't just messing with her and how embarrassed she was.
"You o-offered me to hang out with you yesterday," she replied and noticed Makoto's eyes lit up as he understood what she was referring to. She continued with an explanation for her quick departure the day prior, "I was busy, but… if the offer still stands, I'd like to spend some time with you, even for a short moment." Or a longer one, if you don't mind… I'd love that…
Makoto shook her head in amusement at first, which made the detective confused. Had she sounded ridiculous? She honestly wasn't sure, but it was possible. Either way, a second later, Makoto gave her a warm smile that effectively warmed her heart, as well as a vigorous nod of agreement.
"Of course! I'd love to!" he simply said, and it was enough to break a few chains on Kyoko's heart. She felt so happy at this moment, she would have hugged him if she wasn't so shy.
Makoto… She had to hold back a few tears, which made her eyes glisten beautifully of a bright and lovely violet color. "T-Thank you, Makoto…" Thank you so much… "Hm… I need to file this book back at my dorm… do you want to come with me?"
"Yeah, sure! Right behind you!"
She began to crave his presence, and just knowing that he, the smiling and caring Makoto Naegi, was with her made her feel better. This… was the Luckster's true talent. Being someone who made people better. It had worked for Kyoko and for their classmates, and the Ultimate Detective was sure it would be the case for many more people.
Yui… Wherever you are, I hope you'd be proud of how much I've changed. We were separated, but I have found the person I need once again. And he was the one who made me change so much. Since day one, he's been the one to push me in the right direction. You were my inspiration back then, Yui, and I am glad to tell you I have found someone new to be my inspiration.
She pondered taking the Ultimate Lucky Student's hand but ultimately decided against it. Things had changed; she had changed, but some things were better when taken slow. Kyoko knew she had all the time in the world now.
She caught a glimpse of Makoto's hazel eyes. There was so much hope in his eyes it seemed to be overflowing. There apparently wasn't a world in which this perfectly average high school student wasn't spreading hope among those who needed it. Kyoko had needed it, and she could never regret the choices she had made.
I think I can hide it from myself no longer… Makoto Naegi, somehow… Even after everything I have gone through… I've fallen in love with someone… and that someone is you.
The End.
A.N: I hope you liked this concluding chapter! Giving Kyoko some proper development in this timeline before she gets more of the spotlight after Chapter Nine was something I had in mind, but I have to thank WiiFan2009 for sending me an ask and a few suggestions that made this story possible. I particularly hope you enjoyed this story, and once again: thank you. I'd also like to thank everyone who read this story and gave support, whether this was through a fav and/or a follow, or a review. It does wonders for my motivation, trust me. I'll be having a couple more side stories to AOH before Naegiri Week in early December, and then we'll get to the main line sequel!
Until then, and for the final time on this side story, please leave a review! ^^
Stay safe, everyone.
Love, Moiloru.