A/N: Alright, I'm not officially off my posting hiatus, but I got an art commission back for this story and I decided to post this single oneshot. This fic takes place after "Welcome Back, Vice-Headmistress Naegi". Please read and review, and enjoy!
The Ultimate Detective and The Ultimate Hope Gaiden: A Naegiri & Momoharu Double Date!
The front car doors swung open as a young man with slick purple hair and a young woman with long black hair tied into a ponytail stepped out and closed them before they started to walk towards a nearby building.
"Wow, our first double date! This is so exciting, isn't it, Maki Roll?"
"Yes...I suppose it is..." Maki admitted as she reflected I can barely believe that I have friends other than Kaito at all, let alone another couple to go on a date with. And my employers no less! Maki shook the thought from her head as she muttered "Let's just go find this Chez Harmony place and wait for the Naegis there. And please, try and behave yourself."
"Hey, shut up, Maki Roll! I'll have you know that I'm a perfect gentleman!"
Maki rolled her eyes as Kaito followed her to the restaurant entrance until they saw Makoto and Kyoko standing in front.
"Yo, Makoto! Kyoko!" Kaito called as he waved over at the waiting couple.
Makoto and Kyoko smiled as he waved them over, causing an extra spring in Maki and Kaito's step as they approached each other.
"Kaito, it's good to see you!" Makoto greeted as they shook hands while Maki and Kyoko nodded at each other with small smiles on their faces.
"It's a pleasure to see you as well, Maki." The former detective greeted before she suggested "So, shall we go inside? I believe it's almost time for our reservation."
Maki wordlessly nodded as she and Kaito followed Makoto and Kyoko inside the restaurant, the two couples holding hands as their double date officially began.
XXX
"Welcome to Chez Harmony. Do you have a reservation?"
Kyoko nodded and replied "Yes, we're the Naegi party."
The maitre'd quickly glanced down at the paper on their podium before he returned his gaze to the four customers and replied "Ah yes, Tojo. Would you and your daughter come here please and show them to their table?"
Their eyes widened in surprise as they saw what appeared to be a mother and a young daughter in matching maid outfits approach them before the elder of them greeted "Good evening. My name is Tojo, and this is my daughter Kirumi."
The sage-haired girl bowed and greeted "Please let us know how we may be of service."
Tojo smiled proudly at her daughter before she turned back to the party with a serious expression that reminded Kyoko far too much of her standard expression before she met Makoto.
"Right this way, if you please." Tojo and Kirumi walked off, a hesitant Makoto, Kyoko, Maki, and Kaito following behind them as the elder waitress explained "At Chez Harmony, we serve only the most exquisite cuisine. If you are even the least bit unsatisfied, be sure to let us know so we can be sure to serve with the utmost quality. We also have a pianist and dance floor, so please feel free to take advantage of the dance floor to your heart's content."
"If there's a specific song you wish to dance to, please let Akamatsu know." Kirumi added as the group approached the nearby table.
As the party of four sat down, Kirumi handed them their menus as Tojo told them "Feel free to examine our selection of fine wines and sakes as you decide what to eat tonight. We'll be back in a few minutes once you've made your selection. Come along, Kirumi."
"Yes Mother." Kirumi bowed to the party as she told them "We hope you enjoy your time here at Chez Harmony" before she turned around to follow her mother.
"Well...that was...interesting..." Makoto stated as they all sat down, the Headmaster next to Kaito and Maki next to Kyoko.
Kyoko nodded as she agreed "Indeed, I don't think I've ever seen someone working in an establishment as young as four."
"Still, she seemed mature for her age" Maki pointed out. "Besides, it seems like she's just following her Mother's directions, so I don't know if I'd call it labor."
"Ah, who cares about that? Come on, let's decide on what we want to eat and drink before they get back! Besides, the sooner we eat, the sooner we can check out the dance floor!"
Maki rolled her eyes while Makoto and Kyoko chuckled at Kaito's enthusiasm as they picked up their menus and started scanning the contents.
XXX
The two couples ate their meals at a relaxed pace as they enjoyed the light conversation they shared.
"You know, Kaito, you remind me of one of my old high school friends with how relaxed and fun to be around you are."
"Oh, really?" Kaito asked before Makoto nodded with a slightly sad smile.
"Yeah, his name was Leon...he...died during the Tragedy."
Kyoko and Maki frowned in concern before Makoto smiled to assure them that he was okay.
"Anyway, before he died, he was my best guy friend; we hung out the most and talked about everything together. He even helped me and Kyoko get together and gave me advice whenever I was unsure about myself."
Kyoko gave a nostalgic smile as she nodded and concurred "Indeed, he was a bit lazy at times, but he was a good friend when we needed one."
"Well, I'm honored to be compared to be such a close friend of yours!" Kaito grinned before he commented "By the way, Kyoko...I couldn't help but notice that you and Maki Roll are a lot alike. You even went for the same ponytail!"
Kyoko and Maki blushed in embarrassment as Makoto's eyes flashed when he realized "Hey, that's right. They do have a lot in common; even their former careers are pretty similar."
Kyoko and Maki shook aside their embarrassment as they looked at Makoto, curious as to how their careers were similar.
"I mean...". Makoto scratched his cheek nervously as he pointed out "It's true that assassins and detectives are two completely different careers, but they both require working from the shadows. I mean, Kyoko's family was so good at it, they weren't even well-known amongst detectives! And Maki kept her assassin secret so well, Kyoko had to stalk her in order to find out the truth."
Kyoko and Maki blushed yet again as their respective loves s grinned proudly at them.
"So, Makoto, have you ever given Kyoko a nickname?" Kaito asked curiously.
"Well...". Makoto cradled his chin in contemplation as he answered "It's not something I use often, but there was a brief instance during our first couple weeks of school together when I called her Kiri. But soon after, she gave me permission to use her first name, so Kiri kinda fell to the wayside."
Kaito nodded before he took his last bite and swallowed it down with his last sip of water.
He then stood up and exclaimed "Alright, let's go to the dance floor!"
Before Maki could protest at his abruptness, Kaito excitedly dragged her by the wrist and led his blushing girlfriend away. Makoto and Kyoko sweatdropped before they smiled at each other and laced fingers. They then followed their newfound friends over to the dance floor.
XXX
"Ano...Akamatsu-san, right?" Maki asked as she and the others approached the blond pianist.
"Yes, and welcome to Chez Harmony. I hope you enjoy our dance floor, and please let me know if there's a particular song you'd like me to play as you dance."
"Oh! How about Clair De Lune by Debussy?"
"Um...Kaede...maybe it's not exactly polite to interrupt customers like that..."
The others all turned to see two four-year-olds, a blond girl who was the spitting image of the pianist, and a hesitant, shy boy with blue hair and an ahoge.
"Shuichi's right, Kaede. You can't just interject with your favorite song." Akamatsu gently scolded.
"Geez! I was just offering a suggestion, Mom!" Kaede pouted, which caused the others to smile in amusement at the young girl.
"Forgive my daughter Kaede; she means well, and she does have good taste in music. She's actually taking piano lessons, and though she's still just learning the basics, she's a quick study." Akamatsu smiled proudly as Kaede blushed in embarrassment before the pianist gestured to Shuichi and introduced "This is her friend Shuichi Saihara. His uncle is a detective, and he asked me to babysit him after he got called on a case, so I brought them to work with me so I could keep an eye on them."
"H...Hi...nice to meet you..." Shuichi greeted shyly as the others smiled softly at the boy.
"So, Maki Roll...any idea what song you want to dance to?"
"Well..." Maki contemplated "I'm not really knowledgeable in music, so if nobody has any objections, I'm fine with Kaede's suggestion."
"Awesome! I'm down with that!" Kaito agreed.
"Sure, why not? It sounds like fun." Makoto nodded.
"Indeed...so, shall we go?" Kyoko assented.
"Oh yay!" Kaede exclaimed as Akamatsu rolled her eyes. "You'll love Clair De Lune! It's a soothing song that calms your heart! It's perfect for a slow dance! Come on, Shuichi, let's dance too!"
"Um...are you sure? I'll probably just...hey, Kaede!"
The others giggled as they watched Kaede enthusiastically drag a stumbling Shuichi onto the dance floor. As Akamatsu began to play a slow, soothing song, the party of four split up into pairs as they danced in slow waltzes. The two couples smiled at each other as Debussy's musical notes made them feel at peace with each other.
"Geez, Shuichi! You should really dance more confidently! You need to believe in yourself more!"
"But, Kaede...what if I step on your feet? I don't want to hurt you, Kaede."
"Geez, I'm not made of glass!"
The two couples smiled in amusement at Kaede and Shuichi's argument before Kyoko muttered to her husband "Reminds me of someone else I knew."
Makoto chuckled as the memories of his less confident days flooded his mind before he shook them away and continued to dance with his wife.
Best double date ever! The two couples thought as they continued to dance while Akamatsu played Kaede's favorite song.
XXX
Makoto, Kyoko, Maki, and Kaito sat around the dinner table as they sipped their wines. After the dance ended, they bade the Tojos, Akamatsus, and Shuichi farewell before they left. After Kaito suggested that they hang out at the Naegi mansion for a while, after a brief glare from Maki the party of four agreed and drove back to Makoto and Kyoko's house.
"It's a little strange…being here when I'm not babysitting your daughter." Maki noted after she drained her glass.
"Indeed, I'm glad her grandparents were able to let her sleep over. She seemed especially excited to sleep in her father's old bedroom."
Makoto chuckled in slight embarrassment before he continued to sip his own beverage.
"You know…" He began as he placed his empty goblet down. "If the Tragedy had never happened and you guys had joined the 79th Class as planned, I think we would have been good friends."
As Maki and Kaito smiled at the compliment, Kyoko concurred "Indeed, though we would have also had to put up with Miu Iruma."
Makoto and Kyoko shuddered at the thought before they shook away their disgust in the face of Maki and Kaito's confused stares.
"It's nothing, don't worry about it." Kyoko assured them before the confused expressions evaporated in favor of a comfortable silence.
"Hey, it's a beautiful night outside." Kaito pointed out before he suggested "Why don't we go outside and train?"
"Idiot, don't tell me training is your idea of how to end a date." Maki scolded.
Before Kaito could argue, Kyoko interjected "Actually, that's not a bad idea. Truthfully…ever since my memory loss, I'd been meaning to ask about doing it. It helped Kiki after all, and…" Kyoko blushed in embarrassment as she admitted "That episode showed me that I still need to get stronger too. So…if you don't mind…"
"Kyoko…" Makoto muttered as he stared sympathetically at his wife.
"I see…" Maki sighed and relented "If that's how you feel…I suppose it wouldn't be the worst way to end a date."
"Alright! Don't worry Kyoko, I'll help you face your weaknesses and get stronger, or my name isn't Kaito Momota, Luminary of the Stars! Let's go to the backyard!"
XXX
"Please tell me you didn't put my daughter through this." Kyoko told Kaito as she and Maki continued their pushups while Makoto and Kaito struggled.
"Thankfully, he's not that much of an idiot." Maki assured her. "He knows better than to put a four-year-old through this kind of training, so he simply helped her with positive mental reinforcement instead."
"I see…" Kyoko breathed out a sigh of relief before she pondered "Still…how are pushups supposed to help me with my weaknesses?"
"You'd be surprised." Maki told her before she explained "Well, it's not so much the exercise itself that helps, it's doing it with someone you trust and letting your walls down around them. As you relax around each other, you help each other become stronger. Though it helps to have some physical aptitude before attempting this training."
As the two women finished their pushups, they glanced at Makoto and Kaito, who had totally collapsed on top of each other as they gasped for breath. Kyoko and Maki sweatdropped before they shook their heads in amusement.
"We've really gotta get you back in shape, Makoto. All your Future Foundation training seems to have evaporated."
Makoto nodded as he wheezed "S…sorry, Kyoko…"
"If anyone's sorry, it should be Kaito. If you didn't just slack off all the time, you'd be able to handle your training by now."
"Alright, I get it, just shut up Maki Roll!" Kaito wheezed as Makoto finally rolled off of him and laid down next to him as the group of four looked at the stars above them.
"They're really beautiful, aren't they? This is my favorite part of training; looking up at the stars and thinking about what's out there." Kaito grinned and clenched his fist as he vowed "Someday, I'm gonna make it out into space. I may not have gotten to be the Ultimate Astronaut, but I'm still gonna make it there. I swear it, on my name as Kaito Momota, Luminary of the Stars!"
The other three smiled at Kaito's enthusiasm before they went back to stargazing, a comfortable silence passing through them again.
"…Maki?"
"Hm?"
"Would you like to spar for a bit? I used to spar with two close friends of mine before the Tragedy. Truthfully, you…remind me of one of them. Besides, my criticism of Makoto also applies to me. I haven't practiced my combat training in years, and if I ever need to protect my husband and daughter…I want to be ready for anything."
"I see…" Maki nodded as she agreed "Alright, I suppose I can spar with you. I'm not a master at hand-to-hand combat. My assassin training was meant for quick kills, not prolonged fights, but I can still hold my own if I need to."
"Thank you, Maki. Shall we?"
As Maki nodded and they stepped a few feet away, Makoto and Kaito sat up, curious as to how a spar between the two women would turn out.
"My money's on Kyoko, no offense to Maki." Makoto told the aspiring astronaut.
"Nah, sorry dude, but Maki Roll's gonna clean house! In fact, I'll bet…"
"Don't even think about betting money on us, idiot. Do you want to die?" Maki warned her boyfriend with an icy glare of death.
"Indeed; don't even think about it, Makoto." Kyoko warned her husband. "I don't want to encourage Kiki to take part in gambling when she's older."
The two boys grumbled and sighed in disappointment as they watched Kyoko and Maki get into position. The atmosphere became tense, like a duel scene in an American western movie as the two boys waited for the first punch to be thrown.
XXX
In the end, neither landed a solid blow against the other. Maki ended up matching Kyoko blow for blow, instantly covering any openings her lack of recent experience left open. Kyoko meanwhile stumbled at first, her martial arts skills out of practice from a lack of combat since her Future Foundation days. However, her instincts built from years of training with her Grandfather Uzuchi quickly returned like riding a bicycle, which made her a force to be reckoned with.
"Time out!" They wheezed before they sat down on the grass and panted for breath.
"Well…guess I'm in better shape than I thought…" Maki realized.
"Indeed, you're…quite good, Maki." Kyoko complimented. "I can count on one hand the number of people who could tie with me…and you're the only one who's alive to tell the tale."
Suddenly curious, Maki guessed "Were they part of your class? The ones that didn't survive the Tragedy?" Maki saw the saddened darkness in Kyoko's eyes and backpedaled "If it's painful to remember, you don't have to…"
"No, it's okay. It was a long time ago, and I don't mind talking about it, so…it's okay."
Kyoko felt a gentle squeeze around her hand and turned her head to see a smiling Makoto sitting next to her with his fingers laced with her own. Kyoko smiled lovingly and pecked his cheek, which caused him to blush before Kyoko took a deep breath and began.
"The first was named Sakura Ogami, the Ultimate Martial Artist. She was peerless in battle, and her heart and soul were as great as her strength. When I struggled with my feelings for my husband, she was my confidant and advisor. More than once, she gave me advice that saved my relationship. And when the Killing Game began, Junko blackmailed her into betraying us, only for her to strengthen her resolve and betray Junko in turn. And when her status as a spy was revealed and threatened to break apart our fragile unity, she took her own life so that we could unite against Junko."
"Wow…she really was strong…" Maki breathed in awe, feeling slightly jealous of the honor and righteousness that Kyoko's mere description of Sakura exuded.
"Yes…she was. There was only one person stronger than her, and that was her boyfriend. Thankfully he survived the Tragedy, and now works at Hope's Peak as a martial arts instructor."
"So was he also on your list of people who tied with you?"
Kyoko shook her head and explained "No, the other person to tie with me was one of the Ultimate Despair herself, Junko Enoshima's twin sister, Mukuro Ikusaba the Ultimate Soldier. She was peerless in every known weapon used in war, and she belonged to a group of mercenaries called Fenrir. During her time in their company, she didn't suffer a single scar or injury."
Maki's eyes widened in shock as she recalled the countless scars and injuries she suffered during the early days of her assassin training.
"Impressive. I…don't think I could have won against her, even in my prime."
Kyoko nodded and confirmed "Indeed; our only spars resulted in stalemates, and we never had a serious fight, so I can't say I would have won if Mukuro and I had an actual duel." In retrospect, perhaps it was a blessing in disguise we were incapacitated as painlessly as we were… Kyoko thought before she shook the thought away.
"So…this Mukuro…she was your friend, right? Then why did she betray you?" Maki asked curiously.
"Well…" Kyoko corrected "I may have misspoken. We had an unspoken alliance in our school days, but we weren't the best of friends. In fact, although we weren't aware of it at the time…we were actually romantic rivals for Makoto's affections."
Makoto blushed before Kyoko continued her story.
"In any case, regardless of her affections for Makoto, her loyalties to Junko were still stronger. That loyalty is what led her to help Junko's plot to plunge the world into despair. And though I hate to admit it…her betrayal truly hurt. That's why I…" Kyoko blushed in embarrassment as she finished "…why I stalked you during your first week of employment. You…reminded me of her in several ways, and I was afraid you would hurt my daughter like Mukuro did my father."
"Kyoko…" Kaito breathed, finally understanding the breath of the conflict that he had stumbled upon that fateful night.
Kyoko shook her head and smiled as she replied "But now I know better; I know you two wouldn't dare hurt Kiki. I consider you two to be good friends, and I'm ashamed that I jumped to conclusions like that." Kyoko bowed her head and finished "I hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive me."
"Kyoko…" Makoto and Maki breathed as they stared sympathetically at the ashamed ex-detective.
"Huh?" Kyoko exclaimed at the sensation of a clap to her back.
She looked up to see Kaito kneeling in front of her, smiling as he assured her "Hey, don't worry about it. I'll fully admit Maki can be scary sometimes…" Maki refrained from glaring this time as Kaito continued "…so I understand why you were hesitant to trust her. I'm glad that you did though. Because you trusted us, we made our first friends in a long time, and we're grateful for that. Right, Maki Roll?"
"The…Kaito's right." Maki smiled as she assured Kyoko "As much as I can't believe it sometimes…we have friends again, all because you decided to trust us…trust me. And we're forever grateful for that."
"Maki…" Kyoko smiled as she stood up and thanked "Thank you both…for your friendship…and for joining us on this double date. I…really appreciate it. In fact, why don't you stay over tonight? It's the least I can do to repay you, and we've got spare rooms."
Before Maki could politely object, Makoto assured her "Kyoko's right; we've got plenty of space and food. Why don't you stay over?"
"Yeah! Please, Maki Roll?"
"…You just want the free food and comfier bed…" Maki sighed and relented "Okay, I suppose one night would be okay."
"YEAH!" Makoto and Kaito cheered as Kyoko and Maki rolled their eyes at their enthusiasm.
"Come on Kaito, I'll show you to the guest room." Makoto offered as Kaito followed him inside.
"Well…shall we go?" Kyoko offered.
Maki nodded as the two women walked side by side, offering an occasional smile as they followed their respective partners into the house.
Best double date ever! All four participants thought as they prepared themselves to wind down for the evening, looking forward to spending the night in a comfy bed wrapped in the arms of their respective lover.