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

Despair Arc

Chapter Nine: Kyoko's First Father's Day?!

Present Day

"So what happened next, Daddy?"

"Well, it was nearly three weeks later that Father's Day was upon us. Your Mother and I had just gotten dressed and were talking when…"

XXX

June 20, 2015

"So Kyoko, what's on your agenda for the next couple of days?" Makoto asked as he tied his shoes.

Rolling her eyes at Makoto's attempt at small talk, she pointed out as she buckled her boots "Makoto, we're trapped in this school while the world waits for the Tragedy to run its course so it can recover. Without any classes to attend, we don't have an agenda for the foreseeable future."

Scratching his cheek nervously, Makoto admitted "Err…maybe…but still tomorrow's a very special day!"

Kyoko looked to her boyfriend with a confused expression on her face as she asked "What do you mean? It's June 21st tomorrow; that's not exactly a special occasion to my memory."

Oh, right…I guess living with her Grandfather for the last decade, she wouldn't have been in a position to celebrate it… "…Kyoko…tomorrow's Father's Day."

"…Father's Day…?"

Makoto nodded "Yeah; it's not an official holiday recognized by the government or anything like that, but it's a day where people celebrate their Dads and spend time with them and let them know how much they appreciate them…"

"Makoto." Makoto clammed up as Kyoko shook her head, telling him "In case you've forgotten, my relationship with my Father is rather strained. We're in a better place than we were at a year ago; I won't deny that. But our interactions are still awkward, and I can't say that we have a Father-Daughter relationship yet, so I see no reason to…"

"No, that's wrong!"

Kyoko trailed off, her eyes widening in shock as she heard Makoto's unusually hard tone, a determined glare in his eyes that he normally reserved for people like Shutaro Fukuka. To say the sight was unsettling was an understatement.

"I know things had been strained after he took you off that case, but before that, you had been getting closer for months! He proved as much when he came to your birthday party and brought you that present from him and your Mom!"

He's right, we had been gradually reconnecting before then…

"And now, he's doing everything he can to be the Father he wanted to be! He agreed to let you move in with me because he knew it was what you wanted more than anything! And when we had trouble adapting to living together, he stepped in without being asked and helped us to compromise because he didn't want to see his daughter upset."

He did…he did do those things…Kyoko admitted to herself, reflecting on how grateful she had been for his assistance.

"Plus, when I had my night terror and you pleaded with him to help me get through it, he agreed without complaint, even though it was so early in the morning. He was a Father to both of us when we needed one, Kyoko! And don't forget, when you originally planned not to participate in the talent show, he helped you to come up with an act because he didn't want his daughter to feel left out. And we both saw the proud smile on his face as he watched you talk about your Detective work! That's the smile only a Father could have!"

He's right…I didn't want to admit it…but ever since I was accepted into this school, my Father has been trying his best to be a parent to me. But…even so, am I ready for this…? Am I ready…to love him…as a Father? Am I ready to be family in the ways that really matter?

Clenching his fist, Makoto told her as he bowed his head "…You don't know how lucky you are, Kyoko! The rest of us can't celebrate today with our Dads. My Dad might very well be dead right now, and even if he's alive and well, I can't celebrate with him because we're trapped in here! But…your Dad is still with us, here in the school! You have an opportunity that the rest of us don't…you get to spend Father's Day with your Dad! You can't pass this up, Kyoko!"

Makoto's right; I've been petty, holding onto a grudge for over ten years when my Father has tried to make amends and start fresh. If he had been like that for the past ten years, I'd still see him as family, so why should I hesitate now? It's time to bury the hatchet and take that step I've been too afraid to take…

Kyoko reached for his hand, threading their fingers and replying as he looked up at her "Alright…I'll talk to him tomorrow morning before breakfast about spending Father's Day together. Just…" Kyoko looked at him shyly as she asked "…Can you be there with me when we talk? I just…I don't want to lose my resolve and chicken out by regressing into my old habits."

Makoto smiled, leaning to kiss her cheek before accepting "Of course I will." Seeing Kyoko beam at him, Makoto stood up, tugging her into a standing position as he offered "For today though, how about we grab breakfast, and then I can help you brainstorm some things to do with your Dad tomorrow."

Kyoko nodded "That sounds nice…lead the way…" before she felt Makoto gently tug her out of their room and into the dining hall to start the day.

XXX

Present Day

"YAY! You finally decided to see Grandpa Jin as your Daddy again?!"

Kyoko nodded, blushing in embarrassment at how petty and stubborn her teenage self was as she confirmed "Yes…it was something I should have done a long time ago."

Makoto smiled reassuringly at his wife and told her "Hey, don't worry about it, honey. The important thing was you made amends."

"Daddy's right, Mommy!" Kyoko smiled appreciatively at her daughter and nodded before Kiki asked "So what happened on Father's Day, Mommy?"

"Well, after we got dressed, your Father and I went straight to his residence on the second floor of the dorms. We knocked on his door and, after he gave us the okay, we went in and…"

XXX

June 21, 2015

Jin looked up in surprise as he saw his daughter, the girl unusually anxious as Makoto followed her, closing the door behind him.

"Oh, Kyoko, Makoto…what can I help you with?"

After turning to her boyfriend, who nodded reassuringly, Kyoko took a deep breath before approaching her Father with a slight tremble in her gait.

"F…Father…" She stuttered, clearly forcing herself to go through with this. "H…Happy Fa…Father's D…Day…"

Jin's eyebrow raised is surprise, his lips forming a small smile as he replied "Thank you, Kyoko. I'm a little surprised you remembered; your Grandfather was never the type to put stock in those kinds of holidays."

"…You're right; he wasn't…" Kyoko glanced to Makoto and smiled, explaining "Makoto explained to me the significance of this particular holiday. And…" Kyoko bit her lip, hesitating before she finally forced out "For Father's Day…I think it's time we…finally buried the hatchet." Seeing her Father's shocked stare, she finished "I think it's time we reconnected…and became a family again. I…"

Kyoko trailed off as Jin laid a hand on her shoulder, her Father smiling happily at her as he told her "Just you saying that…is a greater Father's Day gift than I could have ever hoped for…"

"Father…"

As Kyoko grew silent, Jin shifted his gaze to the Ultimate Lucky Student behind her, the boy now fiddling with his ahoge as Jin deduced "I take it you had something to do with this, Makoto?"

"Oh, ano…Kyoko just said she wanted some emotional support so she didn't change her mind, so I just…accompanied her is all…"

Beaming at his future son-in-law, Jin bowed and told him "Thank you…for giving me my daughter back!"

Makoto blushed, not used to being bowed to as he scratched his cheek and replied "Oh…it was nothing sir, really…"

Jin stood up straight from his bow, then turned to his still awkward daughter as he suggested "Come on; I'll cook breakfast for the two of us in the Dining Hall. Then we can talk about what to do for Father's Day."

Kyoko nodded as Makoto smiled at them and told them "I'll uh…hang out with Sayaka and Leon today so you can celebrate in private. I'll see you later, Kyoko!"

"Y…yeah..see you later, Makoto…" she uttered before he waved and jogged out the door, leaving the two Kirigiris alone. Turning to her Father, she forced out "Come on…shall we…have breakfast together?"

XXX

"Hope you like them!" Jin announced as he placed Kyoko's plate in front of her, a tower of chocolate chip pancakes standing on top of the ceramic as the delicious aroma made its way into her nose, making Kyoko want to sigh in pleasure.

"…It smells good…" Kyoko admitted, making Jin smile. "Well, bottoms up…" she remarked as shecut a small triangle off the top pancake with her fork, gingerly inserting it into her mouth. Her eyes widened as the sweet chocolate taste and fluffy texture overtook her taste buds, unable to keep the smile off her face as she remarked "This is good!"

Jin smiled, pleased that she liked the breakfast he cooked for her as he poured syrup onto his pancakes and replied "I'm glad. You were a little young to remember, but your Mother used to make these all the time."

"She did…?" Kyoko asked as she chewed on another pancake bite.

Jin nodded as he passed her the syrup bottle "Indeed. Every chance you got, you would beg for her to make chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast, and more often than not, she would cave and you would eat until you got a bellyache."

"I see…" Kyoko remarked, a brief flash of her five-year-old self gorging into a stack of pancakes next to her parents flashed through her mind as she poured a waterfall of syrup on her pancake tower. "So this is Mom's recipe specifically? Would you be…willing to teach it to me?"

Jin smiled and informed her "Well it's not exactly a family recipe; you could find it in any Betty Crocker cookbook. I think the reason it tasted so good…was because your Mom poured her love for you as a parent into each and every one of those pancakes. She was always a better cook than I was, but hopefully these are as good as the ones your Mom made all those years ago."

Made with a parent's love…is that why Mrs. Naegi's cooking always tasted so good? Filing away the thought to consider later, she continued to dig into her pancakes, her Father joining her as they ate in a comfortable silence.

As they finished their pancakes Jin asked "So…what do you want to do, Kyoko?"

Kyoko closed her eyes and thought back to Makoto's advice from last night.

"Try to suggest things you like doing to start. If he really wants to be your Dad, he'll be interested in whatever you like."

Opening her eyes, she suggested "Well…there's an Othello board in the game room. Makoto's not really good at Othello, but maybe…"

Jin nodded, standing up and agreeing "Alright then…let's go play some Othello."

XXX

Present Day

"So the reason I like pancakes so much is because you liked them so much when you were a kid, Mommy?"

"Well, your Father likes them too, so I'd say that you inherited your taste for pancakes from both of us." Kyoko smirked as she remarked "Besides, we both know that between the three of us, your Father is the glutton in the family."

Makoto pouted as Kyoko and Kiki giggled before the youngest Naegi asked "So how did your Othello game go?"

"Well, it was a short walk to the Game Room, which luckily was empty, so we had it to ourselves for the time being. Your Grandpa Jin had just dug out the Othello board and we both sat down when…"

XXX

June 21, 2015

"So…you know how to play Othello?"

Jin nodded, smiling wistfully as he placed the board in front of them, emptying the coin-shaped pieces on the side as he explained "Believe it or not, we used to play this game all the time when you were five. You would pout every time you lost, which against me was roughly half of the time. You fared better against your Mom, though she would always laugh off her losses and praise how smart her Baby Kyoko was."

Kyoko blushed, memories of her five-year-old self pouting as Hibiki and Jin laughed at how cute she looked.

"So, do you want to go first, or should I?"

Pondering the strategic advantages of turn order for a moment before remembering Hana's words about just having fun during a game, Kyoko shrugged and answered "You can go first; it is Father's Day after all."

Jin nodded gratefully before placing his first black tile on the board, flipping over the adjacent white tile before gesturing to Kyoko and allowing her to take her turn.

XXX

"Well…" Kyoko looked down at the game state, Jin the clear winner of that particular round as she admitted "I guess you can still beat me half the time."

They had played a total of four rounds, Jin winning the first one while Kyoko had won the next two in close games. Jin however had staged a comeback on the fourth round, winning in a landslide.

"Perhaps, but at least you've moved on from pouting when you lose." Kyoko blushed in embarrassment, making Jin chuckle as he assured her "I'm just teasing, Kyoko. I had a lot of fun playing with you."

"…The feeling is mutual…" Kyoko admitted, surprised by how much fun she had playing Othello with her Father.

"So, what do you want to do now?"

"Hmm…well, the Library has a few Sherlock Holmes books; would you…like to read one and…discuss one of the mysteries together?"

XXX

Present Day

"Wow! Can you teach me how to play, Mommy?"

Kyoko smiled and ruffled her daughter's hair, answering fondly "I'd love to play with you, Kiki…just don't pout if you don't win right off the bat…"

Kiki pouted, making her parents laugh before Makoto assured her "Don't worry, Kiki; you'll have an easy time beating me, so you and Mommy can team up against me while you learn the rules."

Kiki pouted for a minute longer, then eased into a slight smile and nodded in acceptance before changing the subject "So what were you doing while Mommy was with Grandpa Jin?"

"Well, like I said, I was hanging out with Sayaka and Leon while your Mother was away. After we had breakfast, I invited them into our room to play video games and…"

XXX

June 21, 2015

"You sure this is okay, dude?" Leon asked as he followed Sayaka inside Makoto's room.

Sayaka nodded, agreeing "I mean…this is Kyoko's room too, so…"

Makoto waved off their concerns and assured them "It's fine, guys! Kyoko's spending Father's Day with her Dad, so as long as we don't make a mess, playing a few video games won't hurt. Now, let's start with some Super Smash Bros!"

Assured that they now had permission to be there, Leon cheered "Dibs on Ness!"

"You'll never beat my Sing and Rest Combo Attack with Jigglypuff, Leon!"

Makoto sweatdropped as he closed the door, chuckling at their banter as he dug out the Gamecube and controllers.

I hope you two are having fun, Kyoko!

XXX

Present Day

"Was it really okay for Daddy to do that, Mommy?" Kiki asked "I mean…you guys did fight over the Gamecube before…"

Kyoko smiled at her daughter and assured her "It was alright, Kiki. It was as much his room as it was mine, and I had mellowed out by then about out living space, so as long as he cleaned up the controllers and wires, it was ifne for him to play with friends while I was away."

Kyoko nodded at her husband, who nodded gratefully before Kiki sighed That's good. So how did reading with Grandpa Jin go?"

"Well, we picked out a classic Sherlock Holmes story called The Boscombe Valley Mystery. We sat in the library at one of the tables and we took turns reading pages. When we were done reading the story…"

XXX

June 21, 2015

"Hmph! This story makes a mockery of my profession."

"Oh? How so?" Jin asked, amused by his daughter's declaration.

"Well to start, the authorities arrested James McCarthy with only a suspicious remark as evidence. They didn't even try to look for other suspects. Not that Holmes's deductions were any more sensical; they were just as circumstantial, and by no means solid evidence of the culprit's identity."

"Perhaps, though these stories were written in the 1800's; it's likely that circumstantial evidence was far more persuasive to a court back then than it is today."

Kyoko nodded, conceding Jin's point before continuing "That's not all; even with a lack of hard evidence, the culprit just confessed when he could have just bluffed his way to freedom. And Holmes just decides to let him go without turning him in."

"Well, not that I'm defending the culprit, but from the way things sounded in the story, he seemed not that far from death itself. Maybe Holmes took pity on him and decided that he'd end up paying for his crimes in the afterlife sooner than a court could convict him anyway."

Kyoko huffed, grumbling "If it were me, I would have promptly turned him in; that's my duty as a Detective. We're agents of justice, not charities."

Jin nodded, proud of his daughter's strong sense of professional ethics as he asked "Maybe so…but did you have fun reading this?"

"…" Kyoko sighed, then smiled as she nodded "…Yes…I did…this was…enjoyable, Father."

Jin's eyes sparked as he replied "I'm glad to hear that, Kyoko…would you like to read another one, then?"

Kyoko nodded "Yes…but can we read an Ellery Queen book this time? You know…" Kyoko fiddled with her braid as she finished "…for old times' sake?"

Jin grinned as memories of a younger Kyoko sitting on his lap as he read Ellery Queen stories to her flashed through his mind.

He picked up the book and nodded "Of course, Kyoko…now let's see…Ellery Queen, Ellery Queen…"

Kyoko watched as Jin walked over to the bookshelf, sifting through its contents as he searched for the novel that contained such fond memories for them.

XXX

It was several hours and many chapters later that they had decided to call it a day. Jin offered to escort her back to her and Makoto's room. Despite the knowledge that she was perfectly capable of walking back on her own, she didn't object and instead walked side-by-side with her Father down the stairs and through the halls.

"Well, here we are…" Jin smiled at her and, after a moment of hesitation, brought her in for a surprise hug, surprising the young Detective.

"Thank you, Kyoko…reconnecting with you, spending the day together, and being a family again…it's the best Father's Day present I could have ever asked for."

"Fa…Father…" Feeling the paternal warmth radiating from his embrace, Kyoko at last felt her long-lasting grudge melt away, allowing the smallest of smiles form on her lips as she returned his hug, replying in a hushed tone "…I had fun today…Dad…I'm sorry I didn't forgive you sooner…"

Jin smiled at his daughter, the two Kirigiris enjoying the moment as they completed their reconnection, their family truly together again for the first time in over a decade. At last, Jin and Kyoko released each other, a beaming smile on his face as he bid her farewell.

"Alright, I'll…leave you to your boyfriend. Have a good evening, Kyoko…I love you…"

As Jin turned around and started walking away, Kyoko murmured "…You too, Dad."

Jin gapsed before lcosing his eyes, a single joyful tear trickling down his cheek as he continued to walk down the hall and up the stairs. Once he was out of sight, Kyoko turned around and opened the door, walking into her room. Her eyebrows raised in surprise at the sight of Makoto, Sayaka, and Leon gathered around the TV, playing a round of Super Smash Bros. Melee together.

"AND THE WINNER IS…MARIO!"

"Yes!" Makoto cheered as he processed that he won their last match.

"Aw nuts! How did you beat my Jigglypuff strategy?!" Sayaka huffed as she threw her controller on the ground.

"Or Ness's baseball bat and magic?! Seriously dude, I'm supposed to rule when it comes to baseball!"

"I would venture it comes down to Makoto's experience with this game…"

Makoto, Sayaka, and Leon's eyes widened as they immediately turned to face Kyoko, the Ultimate Detective standing over them with a smirk on her face.

Makoto sweated nervously as he stammered "Oh, Ky…Kyoko…we were jus tplaying a few games…since you were with your Dad and all…"

Kyoko giggled and assured him "It's fine, Makoto; you're allowed to have friends over when I'm not in the room…and as long as the Gamecube is already set up, I wouldn't mind playing a round or two."

Makoto nodded "…Alright, but no Samus!"

As Leon plugged in a fourth controller and handed it to Kyoko as she sat down next to her boyfriend, Sayaka turned to Makoto with a confused expression as she asked "Umm…why isn't she allowed to play as Samus?"

"Because she's too good as Samus! She'd kick our butts, hands down!"

Kyoko rolled her eyes and agreed "Fine, you big baby. I'll just kick your butts as Fox instead."

"Oh, you're on!" Sayaka cheered as she and Leon went with their previous characters again.

Makoto picked out Young Link and Kyoko picked out Fox as agreed. Afte rpickign a random stage the four instantly became engrossed in their match, thumbs waggling Control Sticks and mashing buttons faster than they eye could detect.

"So…" Makoto asked "How did things go with your Dad…?"

Kyoko smiled, leaning her head on his shoulder as she informed him "…We had fun…thank you for suggesting that we reconnect, Makoto. You've made my family whole again…"

Makoto blushed as he tried to deny "Oh…it was no problem, Kyoko. I'm just glad you had a good Father's Day with…" Makoto's eyes widened as Young Link fell off the platform, the boy's stare hardening as he accused "Hey! You're trying to make me flustered so I';ll be easier to beat, aren't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Makoto. You asked me a question, and I gave you an honest answer."

"I can see you smirking, Kiri! So don't lie to me like that!"

"Please, Makoto; I don't need to fluster you to beat you. You want to prove me wrong? Then get your head in the game!"

"Oh, you're ON, Kiri!"

As Makoto redoubled his efforts, Kyoko snuck a glance at her boyfriend, her own cheeks heating up as she thought I really wasn't lying, Makoto. You reconnected my family and gave me my Father back. I can never repay you for that. Thank you for convincing me to spend Father's Day with my Dad, Makoto…I love you…

XXX

Present Day

"I'm so glad you got to spend Father's Day with Grandpa Jin!"

Kyoko nodded, agreeing "Me too, Kiki. I missed a lot of Father's Days with my Dad. I don't want you to miss out on that; that's why I've always been so insistent on you and your Father spending the day together every year."

Kiki nodded "Yeah, and I love every single Father's Day with Daddy!"

"Aww, thanks, Kiki!" Makoto looked at the clock as he told her "Anyway, it's past your bedtime, Kiki."

"Aww…" Kiki moaned before wiggling under the blankets, watching as her parents tucked her in.

She felt them kiss both of her cheeks before cooing "Good night, Kiki. Sweet dreams."

*Yawn* "…Sweet dreams…" Kiki mumbled before sleep finally took her, her gentle snores reverberating in the room.

Makoto and Kyoko smiled lovingly at their daughter before tiptoeing outside, Makoto closing the door behind them as they retired to their room.