A/N: Well, here's the next entry in my Danganronpa Gaiden series, taking place soon after the Naegi trio move into their new mansion. Please read and review, and enjoy!
The Ultimate Detective and The Ultimate Hope Gaiden: The Naegi Mansion Complete!
Kyoko walked in the door to their mansion, surveying the dull grey color scheme of the hallway as Makoto trailed behind her, several cans of paint dangling from his hands that they bought on a trip to Home Depot.
Before long, they arrived in the lobby, where Hana and Shingi were taking turns playing peek-a-boo with Kiki, the ten-month-old girl giggling and clapping with each repetition of the game. The young couple finally stopped, Makoto dropping the cans of paint unceremoniously as he heavily panted, trying to catch his breath.
The combined sounds distracted Kiki, her purple ahoge turning with her head as she grinned, crawling towards her parents with vigor.
"Mama! Dada!"
Once she had gotten over to them, Makoto reached down to hoist his daughter so that she was at eye level, cooing "Hey, Kiki! Are you being a good girl for Baa-chan and Jii-chan?"
Smiling at seeing her daughter vigorously nod, Kyoko turned to her in-laws and addressed "Thanks again for agreeing to babysit while we work on repainting the first floor."
Grinning at her daughter-in-law, Hana assured her "Don't worry about it, Kyoko." Turning her gaze towards her granddaughter, she cooed "Anything to get to see our precious granddaughter!"
Nodding, Kyoko replied "Well, it's definitely gonna take us a while to repaint this entire floor, so you'll get plenty of quality time over the next few weeks. Thanks again for the redecorating tips by the way."
"Anytime, Kyoko. You know we're happy to help out when you and Makoto need it!"
Kyoko nodded in gratitude to Shingi's reply. After Makoto and finished unpacking all of their things, Kyoko had gone to Hana for advice about how to repaint her home into a cozy and welcoming home. She wanted to be sure her daughter grew up in a home that she felt happy in, and drawing on her memories of feeling happy and at home in the Naegi house, she felt that the Naegi matriarch was the best person to come to for advice on that front.
"So…" Makoto interrupted, looking to his wife as he asked "What should we try to get done today?"
"Hmm…I was thinking we could try repainting the dining room. Maybe a pale-yellow color would be best for that room."
Nodding, Makoto eased Kiki into Hana's grasp before he grabbed the yellow and white paint cans. He leaned down to kiss his daughter's forehead before heading down the hallway and out of sight. Strolling up to her daughter, Kyoko cradled Kiki's head in her palms before kissing the tip of her nose.
"You continue to be good for your grandparents, alright Kiki?"
"Yes, Mama!"
Smiling softly, Kyoko cooed "That's my girl. I love you Kiki."
Kiki watched as her mother hurried down the hallway and out of view, powerwalking to catch up to Makoto.
XXX
"Alright, so you want to take the left wall and I'll take the right?"
"That sounds amenable."
Having reached an accord, the husband and wife got to work, each grabbing a paintbrush and a coat of paint. Makoto was coating the left wall in yellow, while Kyoko was doing the same on the opposite wall in white. A comfortable silence passed between them, each alternating between painting while standing or kneeling and using a stepladder to reach the upper areas of the walls.
"Hey, it's coming along nicely! I'm definitely getting a much more pleasant vibe from this room than I did when we first came here to meet your grandfather."
Smiling, Kyoko replied "I'm glad. Grandfather let his occupation bleed into his personal life, so he believed his home should reflect his personality. That's why he used dark colors; to intimidate anyone who might enter his home." Her eyes turning downcast, she confessed "It certainly felt that way for me as a young girl."
"…You felt…intimidated?"
Nodding, Kyoko elaborated as they continued painting "When my parents were still alive and we visited my grandfather, even though I loved seeing him, the dark color scheme always made me feel uneasy. And when I moved in after my mother died and my father abandoned me, I never felt happy coming home. Even in my own room, I never felt like I could let my guard down, because I couldn't redecorate it as I pleased."
"Kyoko…"
Smiling with nostalgia, Kyoko confessed "Truthfully, when you invited me over during the Christmas holidays, I felt a warmth and welcoming that was largely unfamiliar to me. I felt at peace in your home, Makoto, like I could be myself. I envied that, and I envied you for being able to come home to that feeling every day when I couldn't. The cold and lonely environment I grew up in may have helped to shape my logical and deductive capabilities as a Detective, but looking back, I would have gladly chosen your welcoming, loving family over being the Ultimate Detective in a heartbeat."
"Kyoko…I really did that much for you back then?"
Nodding, Kyoko finished with resolve in her voice "And that's what I want for Kiki too. I want her to feel welcome in her own home. I want her to know that no matter what trials and tribulations the day has handed her, that she can still feel safe and loved when she walks through these doors."
I want that too!
Makoto merely beamed widely, all the more motivated to finish their task and make Kyoko's dream a reality. Another comfortable silence as they continued their task, eventually meeting at the middle of the final wall.
"Alright, we're finally done! Let's go…whoa!"
Makoto's penchant for bad luck chose that moment to rear its ugly head; the stepladder completely tipped over, causing Makoto to fall to the ground, and his can of remaining yellow paint to fall right on top of Kyoko's head.
Groaning, Makoto slowly stood up, his eyes widening as he saw Kyoko's head dripping with yellow, panicking "Kyoko! Are you okay? I'm so sorry, I…"
Makoto's apology was soon cut off when Kyoko took the paint can off her head to reveal a mischievous grin, scaring her husband.
"Naegi-kun…you know this means war, right?"
Waving his hands in front of him, Makoto tried to explain "No, no, Kyoko! It was just an accident! You know what my bad luck is like, ri…"
Makoto was soon cut off again as Kyoko tipped her white paint can and threw its containers right on her husband, covering the front of his shirt and jeans in white. Recognizing that their little game had eventually begun, Makoto slowly grinned, taking a battle stance and readying his paintbrush in front of him.
"Oh, you're ON!"
The Naegi couple soon found themselves in a play sword fight, each covered in jabs of white and yellow, giggling and laughing the entire time.
"Hah! Point for me!"
"I'll get you for that!"
After a while, they soon fell down, lying next to each other, gasping for breath as they found themselves exhausted by their game. They found themselves laughing uncontrollably, filled with mirth at their little contest.
"Well, I'll probably never be able to wear these clothes again in public, but I'd say it was worth it."
"Me too, and the dining room looks great. Thanks for your help today, Makoto."
Makoto smiled as he threaded their fingers together helping her to sit up. Their peaceful silence was soon interrupted by a cry from down the hall.
"Kiki! Get back here!"
The toddler herself appeared in the room right after that, crawling on all fours through the paint, giggling as she cooed "Mama! Dada!"
Sighing, Makoto reached for his daughter, pulling her into his lap as he chided "Kiki, look at yourself. You're all covered in paint. Did you escape from Jii-chan and Baa-chan?"
As if on cue, Hana and Shingi raced into the room, panting from exhaustion.
"Sorry, Kiki crawled away while we weren't looking."
Makoto waved off Shingi's apology as he and Kyoko stood up, assuring him "It's okay, it's probably time for her bath anyway. You guys can go; we'll pick this up again tomorrow."
Her brows furrowed, Hana asked "Are you sure? We don't mind looking after her more if you guys wanted to get another room done."
Smiling, Makoto assured them "Thanks, but Kyoko and I are pretty beat. We should all get some rest and start again tomorrow afternoon."
"…Okay." Reluctantly, Hana walked over to her granddaughter, kissing her forehead as she said "Bye, Kiki!"
Kissing her cheek before the two of them left, Shingi said "Bye, Kiki!"
Sighing, Kyoko gave a small smile as she took her daughter into her arms and said "Alright, time for your tubby, young lady." Looking over herself and her husband, she amended "In fact, I'd say we could all use a tubby."
Her husband following in tow, Kyoko walked off with their daughter to the bathroom to warm up their family bath.
XXX
Makoto bid the others goodbye as they drove off, thanking them for their help. It took a month, but the entire first floor of the mansion and even its exterior were repainted. To accomplish that second feat, Kyoko had called in the survivors of the 77th Class, even Nagito, over Kazuichi's objections.
"Please! Anyone but Nagito! His bad luck will cause your house to cave in on itself! I have the scars to prove it!"
"I'm afraid, Soda, that we need all the manpower we can get to paint the entirety of this mansion. Besides, I'm counting on my husband's good luck to negate Komaeda's bad."
"You say that, but why aren't you two dressed for a paint job?"
"Because, someone has to keep Kiki entertained and make sure she doesn't get into trouble. And with Byakuya unwilling to do any kind of manual labor, that leaves us shorthanded by three. My in-laws will cover two, so having Nagito will make three."
Kazuichi grumbled, but conceded defeat, leaving the others to get to work. Nagito's bad luck had indeed struck, but not in the way Kazuichi had warned. The former Ultimate Lucky Student had accidentally knocked a white paint can on Kazuichi's head, only for the coloring to fall in exactly the spot where the Naegis wanted it painted.
Once everyone else had gone, Kyoko walked next to her husband, holding Kiki in her arms as the trio looked up at the once intimidating purple mansion. Now stripes of white, pink, and yellow adorned the house, giving it a brighter and more inviting feel.
"We did it, Kyoko! It really is our home now."
Nodding, Kyoko smiled as she looked down at the little girl in her arms, musing "It is, and just in time for Kiki's first birthday. You know what that means, right Makoto?"
Groaning, Makoto realized "We have to start planning her party now, right?" Sighing, Makoto smiled, reaching over to mess up her hair as he concluded "It'll all be worth it though, to make a memory as fond as our little girl's first birthday."
Giggling, Kiki leaned her head away and shrieked "Dada!"
Giggling at her husband and daughter's antics, Kyoko suggested "So, shall we go inside and have dinner? It's late, and I'm sure we're all hungry."
Nodding, Makoto wrapped his arm around her waist as he agreed "Let's go home."
Together they walked in, overjoyed to be taking their first steps into a home that they could truly call their own.