The Ultimate Detective and The Ultimate Hope Gaiden: A Momoharu Weekend!

Chapter Two: The Final Day!

"Kiki…wake up, Kiki…"

Kiki yawned, her eyes fluttering open as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Once her vision came back into focus, she smiled at Maki and Kaito.

"Good Morning, Miss Maki. Good Morning, Mister Kaito."

Kaito beamed and greeted "Good Morning, Kiki! So, what do you want for breakfast?"

"Pancakes! Chocolate Chip Pancakes!"

Kaito ruffled up Kiki's hair and told her "I'll see what I can scrounge up. I'll call you two once breakfast is ready."

Nodding, Kiki turned to Maki and asked "Miss Maki? Can you help me with my hair? Mommy usually helps me put my braid together, and I can't do it by myself yet."

Maki nodded and agreed "First, let's both get dressed, then we can go to the bathroom and I can see what I can do about your braid."

Kaito grinned and offered "Alright, I'll give you girls some privacy while I go cook."

"Bye, Mister Kaito!" Kiki called as Maki pulled down the zipper on her pajamas, helping the young girl out as Kaito closed the door behind him.

XXX

Makoto tied his shoelaces, now dressed in his formal Headmaster uniform as Kyoko finished tying her braid. They both sat on the bed, an uncomfortable silence passing between them as they dreaded having to return to the Minister's house for final discussions on Hope's Peak funding in the upcoming budget.

*Growl*

Makoto blushed as he grabbed his stomach, leaving Kyoko to smile softly at her husband's hunger.

Standing up and dusting off her skirt, she suggested "Come on; we can grab some breakfast before we go."

Makoto nodded, gasping has Kyoko threaded their fingers and squeezed his hand. Makoto looked up at her, the Vice-Headmistress smiling reassuringly at him to cheer him up. Forcing a smile, Makoto stood up and let her lead him out of their hotel room, grabbing their luggage as they prepared to check out.

XXX

Kiki hiccupped, patting her slightly bloated belly through her pink T-shirt, her purple skirt feeling a bit snugger against her abdomen. Though she had learned to refrain from eating enough to give her a bellyache, she had still inherited her Father's ravenous appetite.

"Delicious! Thanks, Mister Kaito!"

Kaito grinned, his mouth full of his own pancakes as he replied "No problem, Kiki!"

Maki shot him a look of disapproval and told him "Don't talk with your mouth full. I'm not bailing you out if Kiki picks up your bad table manners."

Kaito smiled sheepishly before swallowing his food and washing the pancake mush down with some water.

"So Kiki, what do you want to do today? Oh, I know! We can slide down the stairs together; I used to do that all the time as a kid, so it'd be tons of fun!"

Before Maki could scold her boyfriend, Kiki stared at him and informed him "Mommy and Daddy say never to go upstairs."

Grinning, Kaito tried to persuade her, "Hey, come on, nothing bad's gonna happen; now while you're with Kaito Momota, Luminary of the Stars! Besides…what your Mother doesn't know, won't hurt us!"

Kiki vigorously shook her head and denied "Mommy and I never keep secrets from each other!"

Maki nodded "Besides, if Kiki hit her head, Mrs. Naegi would skin you alive, Space Boy."

In an attempt to defuse the argument before it could get heated, Kiki suggested "Ano…there's a playground not too far from here; it's right across from the restaurant where Daddy and I met you, Miss Maki. And it has a slide and swings and everything!"

Maki nodded and agreed "That could work; we can grab lunch there when we're done. What do you think, Kaito?"

Kaito gave Maki a thumbs up and agreed "Great idea, Maki Roll! Alright, let's grab our shoes and head out!"

"YAY!"

XXX

*Ding Dong*

The door opened, revealing the Naegis on the other side, forced smiles on their faces as they looked at the Hagiudas. Ignorant to their inner dread, Koichi welcomed them in boisterously, his wife standing by the door and bowing respectfully.

"Ah, Headmaster Naegi, welcome back! Come in, you and your wife must be hungry!"

Makoto held up his hand and informed him "Actually…we already had breakfast before we came in."

Not one to be deterred, Koichi suggested "Some tea, then? I always find a good spot of herbal tea helps to clear the mind before a policy meeting." Seeing Makoto reluctantly nod, Koichi asked "Kazuko, be a dear and put on the tea kettle for our guests." After Kazuko bowed and left, Koichi urged "Come, Headmaster and Mrs. Naegi, let's get settled in the living room."

…Just grin and bear it, just grin and bear it… Makoto and Kyoko thought to themselves as they followed Koichi to his living room, silently praying for the strength to put up with the Minister's unintentionally sexist attitude.

XXX

Kiki hiccupped, patting her once more bloated belly as she finished her cheeseburger and fries, the three of them eating at the same restaurant where she and Makoto had met Maki.

"Delicious! Thanks for taking us out, Miss Maki, Mister Kaito!"

Maki smiled softly while Kaito beamed, asking "So, Kiki, what do you want to order for dessert?"

Maki glared at him and reminded him "Kaito, her stomach's already full. There's no more room for…"

"There's always room for dessert!"

Maki facepalmed at Kiki's insistence, muttering "Idiots…" as Kiki and Kaito browsed through the dessert menu.

"Ooh!" Kiki pointed to a picture of a chocolate mousse cake and suggested "That cake looks delicious!"

Grinning, Kaito mused "Cake, huh? You know Kiki, Maki Roll makes a pretty mean chocolate cake!"

Her eyes sparkling, Kiki asked "Really? Is that true, Miss Maki?"

Blushing in embarrassment, Maki coughed into her fist and replied "Well…I'm okay, but…"

"Ah, Maki Roll's just being modest, Kiki. Her chocolate cake is just to die for." Smiling slyly, he suggested "I bet if you ask real nicely, she'll bake it for you back at the house."

Maki glared at her boyfriend, only to falter as Kiki practically bounced in her seat, her belly jiggling under her shirt as she begged "Pretty please with a cherry on top, Miss Maki? I REALLY wanna try your cake!"

Sighing, Maki caved "…Alright, but we need to pay for our food first and pick up the supplies at the grocery store."

"YAY!" Kiki and Kaito cheered as the waiter came by to check on them, Maki telling him of their plans to pay and leave without dessert.

XXX

"Alright, are you two ready?"

Kaito and Kiki saluted at Maki, the young couple wearing simple white aprons they dug out of the kitchen. Kiki however had to go without since her parents never got one that could fit a five-year-old.

"Alright, so step one…Space Boy! Set the oven to bake at 350 degrees."

"On it, Maki Roll!" Kaito grinned as he started fiddling with the knobs.

Turning to the young Naegi, Maki said "Kiki! You're going to be my sous-chef. That means you're going to help me cook this by getting me the ingredients I need." Seeing Kiki nod seriously, Maki continued "First, I need you to get me the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. You got that?"

Kiki saluted and agreed "Right away, Miss Maki!" before running out into the dining room and dragging a chair into the kitchen.

While Kaito and Kiki went to work, Maki sifted through the cupboards until she found a small silver bowl and a multicolored bowl. She set them aside, then looked around until she found a whisk.

"Got 'em, Miss Maki!"

Maki turned around, smiling in amusement as Kiki struggled to carry the various ingredients in her arms. Taking pity on her, and wanting to keep the Naegi's kitchen as clean as possible, she took the ingredients from Kiki and placed them on the counter.

As she sifted through the drawers for the appropriate measuring cups, Maki thanked "Thank you, Kiki. Now, go and get me the milk, vegetable oil, vanilla, and eggs. One at a time this time, alright?"

Kiki nodded, then ran back to the chair as Maki put the ingredients in the silver bowl. As Kiki handed her the other ingredients one-by-one, Maki measured and poured them into the multicolored bowl. As she was about to pour the contents of the multicolored bowl into the silver mixing bowl, she noticed Kaito and Kiki looking over her respective shoulders.

"Wow, that stuff's gonna be what makes chocolate cake?"

Kaito nodded and replied "Sure is, Kiki! In fact…" Kaito grinned slyly as he dug his hand into the bowl with all the dry ingredients and threw some at Kiki, teasing "Why don't you have a taste!"

"WAAH!"

"KAITO!" Maki admonished as Kiki was hit in the face with a handful of powdery mixture. "We don't need your playful antics right now, you idiot! Now, go and…"

"Mister Kaito…" Maki and Kaito turned to see Kiki sporting her Mother's Kirigiri glare as the five-year-old continued in a low voice "…You do realize this means war, right?"

Seeing Kiki dig her hand into the wet ingredients bowl, Maki warned "Kiki Naegi, get your hand out of the bowl…no…"

Maki's warning was interrupted as Kiki flung a scoop of mixture over Maki's head, nailing Kaito right between the eyes.

"Oh, you're on, little girl!" Kaito accepted as they both dug their hands into the respective bowls.

Maki glared and warned them "Kiki Naegi, Kaito Momota, stop this, right now, or…"

"FOOD FIGHT!" Kiki and Kaito roared as they started flinging the contents of their respective bowls at each other, forcing Maki to dive away to avoid getting hit, though not before getting hit by random splatter on her clothes.

"…When this is over, you two are in so much trouble…"

XXX

Eventually, Kaito and Kiki ran out of mixture in their bowls, bringing their food fight to a premature end. Sighing with relief, Maki stood up, dusting off her skirt as Kaito and Kiki smiled sheepishly at the now irate babysitter. Maki pinched the bridge of her nose, taking in the splatter that covered not only Kiki and Kaito, but the kitchen too.

"You two take a shower; you're all dirty. I'll make the cake while you're gone, since it seems I can't trust you two together in the kitchen. The cake should be in the oven by the time you're done. Then, once you're out and dressed, both of you are going to clean up this mess you made."

"Aww…" Kaito and Kiki grumbled before Kiki pointed at Kaito.

"He started it…"

Kiki trailed off as Maki glared at her and hissed "I don't care who started it, you two both took part in it. You made the mess, you clean it up. So, first shower, then clean."

Kiki and Kito sighed and surrendered "Yes, Miss Maki…"

Kaito then moved to pick Kiki up, supporting her with one arm around her back as he smiled and told her "Come on, Kiki; we can at least have some fun on the way to the tub…"

Kiki giggled as Kaito spidered his fingers on Kiki's soles and scratched under her toes, leaving Maki to sweatdrop as the two disappeared from sight and out of earshot. Shaking her head, Maki then went to work, digging out the ingredients again so she could assemble the cake.

XXX

"All finished, Miss Maki!" Kiki called as Maki sighed in relief, having just finished applying the frosting to the top of the cake.

Looking around the kitchen, Maki smiled and remarked "Not bad, you two. Alright, now go put the cleaning supplies back where you found them and I'll bring the cake to the table so we can try some of it."

"YAY!" Kiki cheered as she took the spray bottle in her hand and ran off, Kaito close behind her with the mop and towels.

XXX

"Mmm…oishiiii!" Kiki moaned, rubbing her once again full tummy as she leaned back in her chair. "You were right, Mister Kaito; Miss Maki makes the best cakes!"

Kaito grinned and said proudly "I told you so! Oh, Maki Roll, looks like you got a little frosting on your cheek." As Maki reached for her napkin, Kaito told her "Here, I'll get it for you…" and kissed Maki's cheek, making her blush as he subtly used his obscured tongue to swipe off the frosting from her cheek, making her blush and giggle from the slightly ticklish sensation.

Kiki giggled at the scene, making Maki and Kaito turn curiously to her as he released his girlfriend's cheek with a slight *pop*.

"It's nothing, just…Daddy sometimes does that to Mommy and she reacts the same way you do, Miss Maki!" As the two continued to blush, a light bulb went off in Kiki's head as she asked "Miss Maki, can we save the last bit of cake for Mommy and Daddy?"

Maki nodded and replied "Of course we can, Kiki." Getting up, she offered "I'll get an index card and a pen. Kiki, would you like to leave a note for your Mom and Dad so you know it's for them?"

Nodding vigorously, Kiki turned to Kaito and asked "Mister Kaito, can you help me to write it? I'm still learning to write kana."

Nodding, Kaito smiled and replied "Of course, Kiki."

Nodding, Maki walked off and out of sight as Kiki and Kaito waited patiently for her to return.

XXX

Makoto and Koichi sat on a couch next to each other, conversing with each other about educational programs and budgetary policy. Kyoko and Kazuko sat on the couch opposite from them, tea in hand as Kazuko quietly gushed about all the friends her children were making. Kyoko did her best to tune Kazuko out, focusing her ear on her husband's conversation.

"Ano…Naegi-chan, what are you doing?"

"…I'm trying to follow along with Makoto's conversation with the Minister so I can take mental notes and jump in if necessary."

Kazuko's eyes bulged in shock as she whispered "…That stuff doesn't bore you? You're actually able to keep up with it?"

Kyoko nodded and replied in a whisper "Of course, otherwise I couldn't do my job as Vice-Headmistress." Seeing Kazuko's shocked expression, Kyoko guessed "You…didn't know I was part of Hope's Peak Administration?"

Kazuko hung her head shamefully and admitted "…Koichi just said that Headmaster Naegi was coming with his wife this weekend so that he could discuss funding with him. I just assumed that he liked to bring you along with him." Grasping her cup a little more tightly, Kazuko admitted "Koichi…has his views about the responsibilities of women, and I was raised in a like-minded household, so I…never questioned it…"

Kyoko stared sympathetically at Kazuko, finally understanding that she had never known any other lifestyle other than the conservative view of women as housewives and child bearers.

Koichi noticed his wife's conflicted expression and broke off his conversation with Makoto, noting "Kazuko dear, you don't look so well. Why don't you take Mrs. Naegi with you and…"

*Clang*

"That's it!"

Everyone else jumped in their seats as Makoto slammed his cup onto the coffee table, standing up and glaring at the Minister with his wife's famous Kirigiri glare, making everyone except for Kyoko shiver.

"Head…Headmaster Naegi…what's the matter, boy? Did I…"

Scowling, Makoto interrupted "Minister Koichi Hagiuda, ever since we've arrived at your home, you've treated Kyoko with unimaginable disrespect. For one, this is the first time you've referred to her as Mrs. Naegi; every other time, you've simply referred to her as my wife, like she's not even here. Furthermore, you've deliberately excluded her from all policy discussions since yesterday, having Kazuko drag her along to do menial household chores with her. She's the Vice-Headmistress of Hope's Peak Academy, and deserves as much of a voice in these negotiations as I do."

Gaping, Koichi stammer "I thou…thought that was just a figurehead position you created so that you two could spend your days together at work."

Makoto stared at him incredulously and exclaimed "Are…you…kidding? The only reason I've succeeded at running this school is because Kyoko was there to guide me and show me the ropes. She could easily run the school without me if she wanted to. She's the reason I'm still alive, why we have a world to live in today, and I won't tolerate you dismissing her as some 1950's American housewife!"

"B…but…you said the other day that your…sorry, Vice-Headmistress Naegi…hated to be apart from your daughter Kiki. So I thought that…"

Seeing where the Minister was going with this, Makoto nodded "…It's true, Kyoko does prioritize Kiki above her job, and chose to stay home the first couple of years to spend time with her and raise her. But once Kiki was old enough, she came back to her job while my parents spent time with her."

As Koichi tried to process this, Kazuko finally interjected "Koichi, darling…maybe we never considered any other lifestyle than our own. I love raising our children together, but…until today, I never knew there was another way to live."

Makoto nodded and continued "Koichi, you said the other day that you valued a partner who could effectively raise your children. Well, I value my children's upbringing too, but more than that, I also value their respect. I've kept quiet about Kyoko's feelings to not rock the boat and keep Hope's Peak's funding. But I realized last night…that if I let your sexist attitude towards my wife slide, Kiki would never look me in the eye ever again."

Makoto's glare hardened as he admitted "I've never once considered ever separating from Kyoko, but after this weekend, I'm seriously considering a divorce for the sole reason that you'd have to refer to her by her name and title instead of dismissing her as my wife."

"Ma…Makoto…" Kyoko blushed, strangely not feeling at all hurt by Makoto's threat. I don't think I've ever heard a threat of divorce sound so romantic…

"Darling…" Kazuko uttered "It's my fault too…I never took an interest in your work; maybe if I had, we could have changed our perspective before they arrived, and the Naegis wouldn't feel so insulted."

Taking a deep breath, Koichi closed his eyes, taking in all the information Makoto and Kazuko had just told him. Eventually, he opened his eyes, looking apologetically at Kyoko.

"…Vice-Headmistress Naegi…Makoto is right, I excluded you unfairly from our policy discussions because of the perspective on gender roles I was raised with. The world has clearly progressed, and I have failed to adjust my own perspective with it." Minister Hagiuda bowed his head as he apologized "Forgive me for inadvertently insulting you. I would be honored…to have your perspective on these policy discussions. I…trust you've been…following along?"

Nodding, Kyoko confirmed "As a matter of fact…"

XXX

After giving Kiki a bath (along with an extra dosage of tickles courtesy of Kaito), the self-proclaimed Luminary of the Stars suggested they relax by watching the night sky outside until Kiki fell asleep. With Kiki and Maki in agreement, the three of them laid on their backs, Kiki in between Maki and Kaito as Kaito started talking about the different constellations.

"And that's the big…"

"Look, Kiki!" Maki interrupted, pointing to the tail of a comet and exclaiming "A shooting star!"

Kiki looked to Maki curiously and remarked "You like shooting stars, Miss Maki? I thought that would be Mister Kaito's thing."

Maki blushed, flashing back to how she used to look at the night sky after her long days of assassin training and wish for a better life whenever she saw a shooting star.

"It's nothing…anyways, you should make a wish."

Closing her eyes, Kiki thought I wish…I wish that Mommy and Daddy were here to see this with us…

"There you are, Pumpkin!"

Kiki gasped, standing up and turning around as Makoto stood in the backyard, holding two plates of chocolate cake while Kyoko stood by his side, grinning at her daughter as she held her arms open.

"MOMMY! DADDY!" Kiki squealed as she ran up to them in her footie pajamas, Kyoko bending down and squeezing her daughter tightly against her, picking her up as she stood up. "My wish came true! My wish came true!"

Kyoko giggled, ruffling her daughter's hair as she asked "You wished for us to come home, Kiki?"

Nodding, Kiki exclaimed "Yeah! We just saw a shooting star and I wished that you and Daddy could come home and enjoy watching the stars with us." Looking over to her Father, Kiki guessed "So you found the cake that we made?"

Nodding, Kyoko pulled out the note and read "Dear Mommy and Daddy, We all made Miss Maki's delicious cake for you! Mister Kaito started a food fight, but we cleaned it up while the cake was cooking. Love, Kiki!" Looking to her blushing daughter, Kyoko told her "…We'll talk about the food fight later. In the meantime, sure, we'll watch the stars together with you."

"YAY!"

Makoto and Kyoko walked next to Maki and Kaito, sitting down with Kiki in their laps as Makoto handed Kyoko back her piece of cake. As Makoto and Kyoko proceeded to leisurely eat their cake, Kaito continued talking about the different planets. Once they were done, Makoto and Kyoko laid back against the grass, embracing their daughter as she laid on their bellies, Makoto occasionally chiming in as Kaito talked about a different planet. It wasn't long until Kiki's eyes drooped shut, secure in her parents' grasp as exhaustion finally took her.