A/N: This oneshot takes place after "Gonta's Cooking Lesson!" Please read, review, and enjoy!

The Ultimate Detective and The Ultimate Hope Gaiden: End-of-Year Sleepovers!

"I can't remember the last time we had a slumber party!" Tsumugi exclaimed as she sat with her legs crossed in her Sailor Moon nightgown.

Kiki nodded, sitting in a similar posture in her nightgown. "Yeah, this was a great way to end the year." She playfully glanced at Kirumi, who had come in a black gown with a grey spider web design. "I'm just glad it could be just the three of us, instead of inviting all the girls in our class."

Kirumi sighed in regret. "It was not my intention to cause you discomfort, Naegi-chan-"

Kiki giggled, shaking her head. "I know, I'm just teasing Tojo-chan. Still, it's nice to have just the three of us at this sleepover before the year ends."

"Indeed." Kirumi nodded before she turned towards the cosplay. "So Shirogane-chan, have you found your true calling yet?"

"Oh, yeah, that's right!" Kiki realized. "You said that doing plays wasn't you wanted to do, even though you were super good at it. Have you come up with any ideas for what you want to do after you graduate?"

"Oh, I don't have any concrete ideas yet…" Tsumugi admitted with a sigh. "I mean, I've been bouncing a few ideas off of Amami-kun, but all we've done is brainstorm a few vague ideas. We still haven't really committed to anything."

"Amami-kun?" Kirumi asked curious, her brow furrowing in confusion before Kiki nodded.

"He's her penpal she met the summer before middle school, though I've never actually met him myself."

"I see…it is strange that we've never met someone that you seem to be rather close to." Kirumi noted.

"Oh, well, he lives far away and he's rather busy, so he doesn't come to this area of Japan all that often."

"Well, when he does, you've gotta introduce us!" Kiki exclaimed excitedly. "Any friend of yours is a friend of mine, so I can't wait to meet him."

"I must admit, I'm somewhat curious as well." Kirumi admitted.

"Oh, well…I'll see if I can get him to come by before we graduate." Tsumugi then grinned at her childhood friend, gently elbowing her. "So, Kiki, how are things with you and Saihara-kun?"

Kiki sighed and softly glared at her friend, emphasizing "We are still only friends, Tsumugi."

"What about your detective work?" Kirumi inquired. "You said that you were interning at his uncle's detective office, right?"

Her face exuding relief at the change of subject, Kiki smiled. "Well, it's been going good so far. I get to talk to people, hear about their problems, comfort them, and I also do a lot of research and paperwork. The paperwork can get kind of dull, admittedly, but it's nice."

"Oh, that's great!" Tsumugi exclaimed. "Do you think you'll move on to other detective work later, or are you content to stay in your current class?"

"Well…you know how I go home to visit my parents on the weekends?" As Tsumugi nodded, Kiki explained "Well, when I Was having dinner one night, Mom said that Shuichi's uncle was really pleased with my progress, and because of that, she said she's willing to let me try the kind of case that Shuichi and I investigated before."

"Oh, so you'd be doing something more dangerous? Like, a robbery or a murder?"

Kiki nodded. "Probably. To be honest, I'm still really nervous about the idea. I came this close to being horribly disfigured the last time…but I think I've learned enough caution and restraint to be able to try it again."

Kirumi nodded understandingly. "Well, whatever happens, know that we both wish you good luck."

"Thank you, both of you…" Kiki smiled gratefully before she asked "Say, Tojo-chan, how are Gonta's lessons going?"

Kirumi smiled proudly as she complimented "Gokuhara-kun continues to exceed my expectations. While speaking in the first-person seems to be out of reach, he seems to pick up everything else I try to teach him with ease. He's made remarkable progress in his goal to become a gentleman, though personally I think he already has the heart of one."

"Oh, he does?" Tsumugi smirked and asked teasingly "Does that mean your hearts beat as one? Like Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask?"

Kirumi's cheeks flushed the faintest shad of pink before Kiki glared at her. "Tsumugi, lay off."

"Aw, but I was just playing-"

"No buts, Shirogane. I've heard you tease me plenty about Shuichi ever since we enrolled here. Whether Gonta and Tojo-chan are romantically involved is their business. Wakatta?"

Tsumugi sighed and mumbled "Okay, sorry you two."

Kiki's lips tugged into a small smile before she replied "Apology accepted. Come on, let's watch an anime together."

"Oh, great idea! I'll go grab one from your shelf!"

Kiki and Kirumi watched as Tsumugi scrambled to the heterochromatic girl's shelf and filed through the DVDs. Once she picked one out, she held it triumphantly like a new item in a Zelda game. She then ran over to the DVD player and put the disc inside before she went back to sit with her friends.

"It's too bad Gonta couldn't be part of this." Tsumugi lamented. "Though I guess it would defeat the purpose of a girls' night."

Kiki nodded in agreement. "I heard that he and Shuichi are having a boys' sleepover, so it should be good."

"Is that so? I wonder how theirs is going. Do you think they remembered to bring enough refreshments?"

"I'm sure they're fine, Tojo-chan." Kiki rolled her eyes. "Come on, the movie's about to start!"


"Wow, you sure brought a lot of snacks, Saihara-kun." Gonta stared in awe, dressed in his bug-themed pajamas.

Shuichi smiled at the array of snack bowls he had brought with him. "Ah, well a good detective comes prepared, so I thought it'd be wise to bring a variety of foods. That way, we'd be sure that there'd be something we liked to eat."

"Wow, Gonta's impressed. You really are a professional detective, huh Shuichi?"

"Ah, no, I'm still in training." Shuichi chuckled. "Though I was impressed by your project in the greenhouse earlier this year. You'd make a great entomologist."

"Oh, thank you, but Tojo-chan helped Gonta out a lot. Gonta couldn't have done it without her."

Shuichi noted the faint flush on Gonta's cheeks but held his tongue. Kami knows Kiki and I get teased about being in a nonexistent relationship all the time… "Still, you shouldn't sell your own talents short, Gokuhara-kun. You're really knowledgeable about bugs." Even if I sound like a hypocrite for saying that. Everyone says that I have talent and potential as a detective…but I just can't see it. I couldn't even protect Kiki during our first case together. How can I call myself a professional detective if I couldn't even…

"Ano…Saihara-kun?"

"Huh?" Shaken out of his thoughts, Shuichi looked up at Gonta's concerned frown. "What is it, Gokuhara-kun?"

"…You looked kind of…sad just now. Is something wrong, Saihara-kun?"

"Ah, sorry, Gokuhara-kun. I was just…lost in thought."

"Lost about what…? Maybe…talking about it might help?"

Shuichi sighed, caving as he reluctantly began "Well…you know how Kiki and I have been working together at my uncle's office after school, right?" As Gonta nodded, Shuichi explained "Well, my uncle's been talking with Vice-Headmistress Naegi, and…she thinks that by the summer, we'll be ready to…take on another case like the first one we did together."

"Oh really? That's good, right? You and Kiki are ready to solve more difficult cases!"

"…Are we ready, though?" Shuichi averted his eyes as he wondered "…Are we ready…? Last time, Kiki was nearly disfigured. If it wasn't for our supervising detective, we'd have been in a lot of trouble. As the more experienced of the two, I should have been prepared for the possibility, but I was caught off guard too. I'm still not sure if I can protect her if things go awry, and if I can't be confident that I can protect my partner, can I really say that we're ready?"

Shuichi bit his lip, clenching his fists in frustration as Kiki's terrified face flashed in his mind. His morbid thoughts vanished however when he felt a large, comforting hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Gonta biting his lip in hesitation.

"Gonta…understands how you feel. Gonta…wanted to protect Kiki too, but Gonta…couldn't. So many times, Gonta couldn't protect Kiki."

"…Ah, that's right." Shuichi realized. "You were a captive during the Akki incident, ne?"

Gonta nodded. "Yeah, Kiki had to rescue Gonta, when Gonta should have been the one to protect Kiki. And after…that case…Gonta tried to cheer Kiki up, but Kiki wouldn't let Gonta in. Gonta felt useless; Gonta couldn't protect his best friend, so what use was Gonta's strength?"

"Gokuhara-kun…"

Gonta's lips tugged into a smile. "But then you did the impossible; you brought Kiki's spirit back. You helped Kiki heal. At that moment, Gonta understood why he wasn't right for Kiki. Gonta couldn't comfort Kiki when she needed it, but you could."

Shuichi's cheeks flushed pink as he stammered "W-Wait a second! Kiki and I aren't-"

"So, Gonta thinks you are ready. Besides, you've been training together for months, so surely you two are ready! Just trust each other and Gonta knows that you'll solve whatever case comes your way!"

Shuichi blinked in surprise before his lips tugged into the slightest of smiles. "Thank you. I don't know if I'm ready, but I'll try my hardest."

Gonta nodded before he stood up. "You know what you need? A bug movie! Bug movies fill Gonta with fighting spirit, so if you watch one, you'll be filled with fight too!"

How does that even work…? Shuichi sweatdropped before he chuckled "Alright, what do you have in mind?"