A/N: This oneshot is the result of a commission ordered by Devaputramara. It contains Gaiden characters, but is not canon to my Gaiden series. Please read, review, and enjoy!

Reading with Mokubo!

Kyoko sighed as she sat at the desk in her study, scanning the page of the case file in front of her. The grizzly and traumatic details of the murder case didn't faze the experienced detective, though she'd be lying if she said it was wanted how to spend her afternoon once she got home from her day job.

I told the police department, I. AM. RETIRED! I'm not a detective anymore, I'm a school administrator running the most prestigious high school in Japan with my husband. Kyoko vented in her mind as she turned the page. …But, the new chief doesn't seem to take no for an answer, no matter how much I tell him otherwise…shikata wa nai.

Kyoko sighed as she began to scan the next page, lamenting the things she'd rather be doing at that moment.

What I wouldn't give to be cooking with my husband, or playing games with Kiki, or reading a book with Moku…

*Knock Knock!*

"Hm?" Kyoko wondered as she looked up from her case file to see the door to her study opening.

The slow, hesitant movement of the door caused it to creak as she saw her eldest son shyly peeked his head in.

"Ano…Okaa-san…?"

Speak of the devil… Kyoko giggled to herself as she smiled at the lavender-haired boy looking hesitantly at his mother. "Mokubo, don't be shy, come in."

As the boy closed the door behind him and walked up to her, she asked "What can I do for you, Moku?"

"Ano…" The boy hesitantly held a book in front of him before he asked "Okaa-san…could you help me with my reading assignment?"

Kyoko frowned as she sighed "Moku, I'd love more than anything to read with you and help you with your homework. But I have this extra assignment myself and I have no idea when I'll be done with it."

Mokubo's face momentarily fell before he asked "Do you need help with your homework, Okaa-san?"

Kyoko giggled as she ruffled his hair and tried to dissuade him "Moku, that's really sweet, but this has a lot of big words, and the pictures can get really scary sometimes. I don't want to frighten or frustrate you by having you read this with me."

Moku bit his lip before he hesitantly asked "But…you always help us with our homework, Okaa-san. Even if it's scary, shouldn't we help you too when we can?"

Faced with her son's pleading eyes, Kyoko caved and sighed "Very well, but if this gets too much for you, just let me know and we'll stop, okay?"

Mokubo smiled softly and nodded, causing Kyoko to smile at her son's joy.

It's not like I wanted to avoid reading with him anyway… Kyoko thought as she pulled out a sticky note and stuck it on the current page before closing the file. "Come on, climb up on my lap and we'll read together, okay?"

Dropping his book, Mokubo walked up to his mom and climbed into her lap, aided by her gentle grip around him as she pulled him into her lap. Once he was sitting down, Mokubo turned in her lap and let his legs dangle over knees while Kyoko wrapped her arms around his waist for support.

"Now, let's begin, shall we?" Kyoko asked as she opened the front cover and pointed to the sheet of paper stapled on the inside. "You see that paper there?" As Mokubo nodded, Kyoko explained "That's the case summary; it sums up the info we know about the case when it first opens."

"And…what kind of case is this?"

"…It's a murder case."

"Mur…der…?" Mokubo asked curiously.

Kyoko nodded and tried to explain "Imagine if someone intentionally did something that caused Hogo to die. That would be called a murder."

Mokubo instinctively shuddered and whined, wrapping his arms around himself as he imagined the thought of their beloved family dog no longer with them.

Kyoko smiled sympathetically and reached up to stroke his hair, assuring him "Don't worry, Hogo's not going anywhere. I'm merely using him as an example, okay?"

Mokubo took a deep breath and apologized "Sumimasen, Okaa-san."

Kyoko smiled lovingly and assured him "It's okay. Are you sure you want to continue? This will likely only get more distressing."

"…No, I'm fine, really." Mokubo replied. "I can do it, Okaa-san."

"If you say so…" Kyoko sighed before she pointed to the top line. "Alright so here's the victim's name. Can you read it, Moku?"

Mokubo nodded and squinted his eyes as he read "Marina…Manami."

Kyoko smiled and complimented "That's good, you read fast for an eight-year-old." Mokubo smiled softly at the compliment before she pointed and asked "Alright, can you read these lines here?"

Mokubo nodded before continuing "Age: 21. Height: 160 cm. Weight: 54 kilograms. Time of death: 23:32." Mokubo frowned and wondered "What was she doing out so late? Even Kiki's bedtime is no later than 21:00."

"That's a good question, Moku." Kyoko replied with a slightly proud smile. "When someone's an adult, they can choose their own curfew, but it is curious that she was out and about at such a late hour. The answer to that will probably give us a valuable clue to the culprit's identity."

Mokubo nodded before continuing to read "Cause of death, single stab wound to the heart."

Mokubo sighed and looked at his mother, wondering "Why…why would anyone do something like that?"

Kyoko sighed and admitted "I can't answer that, not without reading all the evidence. I've seen dozens of people just like her in my lifetime, and each one was murdered for a different reason, Moku. Could have been a bad breakup, she could have had some money that someone else wanted from her, or something else entirely."

"…That sounds sad." Mokubo admitted. "And you used to investigate this stuff as a job?"

"Somebody has to if the victim is going to have justice." Kyoko replied before agreeing "But yeah, it takes a toll on your happiness. That's why I didn't want any of you to have to live the life I did. But…" Kyoko sighed "…Your sister inherited her father's stubbornness, and she's decided this is the life she wants to live. All I can do now is offer my guidance so she doesn't make the mistakes I did…"

Mokobo followed his mother's eyes to the burns on her hands and asked "…Like your scars?"

Kyoko nodded and explained "I got these scars when I was a novice detective due to my inexperience. It took your father a long time to help me move on from the pain I endured. If I can keep your sister from being scarred, whether physically or emotionally, then I'll do it in a heartbeat."

Mokubo rested his hands on top of his mother's before he smiled softly up at her and assured her "It'll be okay. I believe in Onee-chan."

Kyoko smiled and giggled "Yes, we all believe in your older sister. I know she'll be a great detective one day, as long as she keeps a level head. You know how excited she can get sometimes."

Mother and son giggled before Kyoko suggested "Come on, let's read the rest of this case file together."

Mokubo nodded eagerly and looked down as Kyoko turned the page, directing her son's line of sight to the first line as he began to read.

"There!" Kyoko sighed as she placed her pen down and closed the case file. "You did well, Moku." She complimented with a proud smile. "Your reading comprehension is very impressive for someone your age, and this material isn't exactly something most people take an interest in reading."

Mokubo nodded, admitting as he toyed with his ahoge "Yeah…I could stand to avoid some of the…messy details."

The boy kept his face from turning green with nausea, a skill obviously inherited from the Kirigiri side of the family.

"But I liked reading with you, and learning what Kiki wants to do for a living was…interesting."

Kyoko nodded and agreed "It is interesting to those who wish to pursue it, but hopefully I won't need to read another case file anytime soon."

As Kyoko began to stand up, Mokubo leapt off her lap, stumbling a bit as he tried to regain his balance, inheriting his father's sense of clumsiness. As he regained his center of balance, Kyoko walked over to the fallen book and knelt down to pick it up.

With a smile, she offered "Come on, why don't we do your homework together now? With your proficiency, we should be done just before your father finishes cooking dinner."

Mokubo grinned as he ran up to his mother, hugging her leg and making her giggle. She ruffled his hair before he let go and began to follow her, the mother and son having grown closer from the unorthodox activity.