A/N: This oneshot takes place soon after Leaving Jabberwock Island. Please read and review, and enjoy!
The Ultimate Detective and The Ultimate Hope Gaiden: Hope's Peak Academy's Chief Engineer, Kazuichi Soda!
"Kazuichi Soda…" Makoto addressed the pink-haired Mechanic who sat across from him, Kyoko standing by the Headmaster's side as he reviewed his resume. "Let me ask you, why do you want to work at Hope's Peak Academy."
Kazuichi scratched his cheek nervously as he explained "Well…I'm looking for a job as some kind of a mechanic, and I figured since you guys were nice enough to pardon us…that maybe you'd be open to letting me work as a mechanic at Hope's Peak Academy…?" Makoto and Kyoko sweatdropped before Kyoko sighed, leading Kazuichi to demand indignantly "What? I'm being honest here! Am I seriously supposed to just make up any lie it takes?!"
Makoto shook his head and denied "No, that's not what we're saying at all, Kazuichi. And we appreciate your…blunt honesty…" Makoto narrowed his eyes, staring seriously at the applicant across from him as he explained "However, my school is not a charity. I advocated for pardoning you and your classmates because you were victims and I genuinely felt that you deserved to be free for your roles in stopping the Final Killing Game."
Makoto glanced at his fiancée for a split second, smiling before returning his gaze back to Kazuichi.
"However, I take the matter of hiring new employees seriously. If I'm going to hire you as my employee, I need to know that you've earned the privilege. So…why should I hire you as a Mechanic? And please, don't rely on your Ultimate Mechanic title as a crutch. The talent system is abolished, so as much as Nagito Komaeda might think otherwise, Ultimate talents hold no weight in my administration."
Kazuichi gulped, thinking …You're kinda scary when you wanna be, Naegi… "Well…I guess...I've always been good at tinkering with machines. It's all I've ever been good at, to be honest. I've mostly worked with vehicles, but I've worked with regular machines too."
Makoto nodded "I see…and what kinds of machines have you made?"
Kazuichi grinned and spoke with passion "Oh, lots of things! Like I said, mostly vehicles like cars, RCs, baby carriages…"
Baby carriages…? Makoto and Kyoko wondered as they glanced at each other, shuddering at the thought of how Kazuichi would modify a baby carriage.
"…oh, but I've also worked with alarm clocks, and one time I attached an engine to this machine that drew white boundary lines on soccer fields!"
"I see…" Makoto smiled and replied "Well Kazuichi, you certainly have the technical knowhow to be an engineer at Hope's Peak Academy, but there's still one thing I need to clear up before I decide whether or not to hire you…"
Makoto frowned as he explained "As you know, I saw more or less what happened in the Neo World Program, including your pursuit of one Sonia Nevermind, and how you dragged Hajime along to crash the girls' beach party. I won't tolerate such antics in my administration, so I need to know that you won't go harassing your female colleagues…" Makoto's eyes narrowed as he finished in a dead serious tone "Especially my sister."
Angered, Kazuichi exclaimed "Well you should have started with that! And I'm not Teruteru, ya know!"
"…The truth, Kazuichi. Just answer my question: Will you harass your female colleagues if I agree to hire you?"
Kazuichi and Makoto glared at each other, a tense silence pervading the room until Kazuichi sighed, breaking off the stare as his shoulders slumped.
"I know I…probably wasn't a role model when it came to expressing my affections for Miss…no, for Sonia. I'm no Hanamura, but I know I've got a ways to go in that respect." Makoto's eyes softened as Kazuichi's hardened, the Mechanic vowing "But I promise, I won't repeat my behavior with the other teachers at Hope's Peak Academy! I'll be completely professional, I promise!"
Makoto smiled, glancing to his subordinate and asking "Vice-Headmistress Kirigiri, what do you think?"
Kyoko nodded "He doesn't seem to be lying; I think at least a trial period can't hurt."
Makoto nodded, returning his gaze to the nervous Kazuichi and deciding "Alright Kazuichi, here's what I'm prepared to offer you. I'll give you a one month trial, during which Vice-Headmistress Kirigiri will shadow you sporadically. We'll pay you a fair stipend, and once the trial is complete, we'll negotiate permanent employment. Does that sound fair?"
Kazuichi's eyes shone, happy tears pooling within as he nodded, pumping his fists into the air and exclaiming "SCORE! You won't regret this Headmaster Naegi! I'll be the best mechanic you've ever met!" He stood up, bowing politely before turning around and calling over his shoulder as he ran out the door "Well, I'll see ya!"
"Your shift starts on Monday at nine!" Makoto called out before Kazuichi disappeared. Sighing, Makoto leaned back in his chair, commenting "Well, he's got a month to prove himself. I think I have a good feeling about this."
Kyoko smiled, nodding "Well, your intuition hasn't been wrong yet when it comes to this school, so until it does, I'll continue to trust it."
Makoto nodded, requesting "Just…don't go too hard on him during his trial, alright? Hajime told me he's a pretty okay guy, girl problems notwithstanding."
"I'll keep a note of that." Kyoko answered. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a disciplinary meeting in my office, so I'll leave you to your work, Headmaster."
"Okay, see you, Kyoko." Makoto called back, earning a loving smile before she disappeared into her office. Makoto closed his eyes, reflecting "Well, my senpai is now my employee…that's certainly a twist I didn't see coming…but I'm going to believe in him, just like I did before the Final Killing Game."
