Within the dimly lit halls of the ultimate high school, Kyoko Kirigiri worked diligently at the desk in her dorm. It was long past curfew. Very few students were still awake, even fewer staff. The detective's room was illuminated by a single lamp at her bedside.

She narrowed her eyes in concentration as her pen filled out the details of a new case in her notebook. She always did her best work at night. Which was lucky since a lack of sleep often came with the territory of a detective. Exhaustion usually never hit her until at least three all-nighters in a row. Emphasis on usually.

The detective tried to ignore the pleasant calls of her bed as she focused on her notebook. The case wasn't going to solve itself after all. It would still be a few years before Chihiro invented an AI that could do it better than she could.

"The victim was found alive but unconscious at 4:27pm. No sign of forced entry. They could not get a good look at the attacker." She wrote in brilliantly neat handwriting.

She had conducted interviews earlier in the day with the victim's family. Though she had yet to transcribe her recordings into written word, her suspicions were already falling on the neighbors.

"The victim's family mentioned an ongoing feud with the neighbor down the hall. I should evaluate their statements and consider questions for a follow up interrogation with the neighb-"

*DING*

Her vigorous writing was interrupted by an abrupt chime from her phone, lying face down on the desk. She didn't need to look at the screen to know who it could be. There were only a few people who would contact her in general, a smaller list who would contact her on her phone and not her e-Handbook, and an even smaller list that would contact her this late at night. That only left one person.

"What is he doing up this late?" She thought curiously. Before shaking her head, she needed to focus. Pushing the thought of the text out of her mind, she continued her work.

"-follow up interrogation with the neighbor. They claimed to not be home during the event but a young boy a floor below claimed to have seen them in the manager's office only an hour before. A perfect opportunity to take the key to-"

*DING*

Another text. He was eager to talk to her. She liked that. Submitting to her curiosity, Kyoko put the pen down and picked up her phone. The name 'MAKOTO NAEGI' flashed on screen with his messages.

NAEGI - 12:11PM

do u think werewolves would enjoy playing kickball?

NAEGI – 12:15PM

what if they accidentally brought a stick to the game instead of a ball?

Kyoko couldn't stifle the small smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth. She typed out a reply, her thumbs striking the digital keys with precision. She decided to play along with his exhausted late-night thoughts.

KIRIGIRI – 12:17PM

Then you should kick the stick to show them it doesn't make for a very good ball.

Her response quickly got a "Haha" reaction from the boy. He clearly had been actively waiting for her to reply.

KIRIGIRI – 12:17PM

What are you doing up? It's late.

She watched as the three dots appeared, then disappeared, only to reappear soon after. Hesitancy, perhaps?

NAEGI – 12:18PM

lost track of time…was playing games…

She couldn't help but roll her eyes fondly. Typical Makoto, how could a boy be so observant one minute and so completely unaware of his surroundings in another?

KIRIGIRI – 12:19PM

Silly boy. Go to bed.

NAEGI – 12:19PM

I could say the same to you :p

She lightly sighed, she wished she could.

KIRIGIRI – 12:20PM

I can't, I'm working on an assault and robbery case.

NAEGI – 12:21PM

It'll still be there tomorrow! Good sleep is important!

She could already see where this was going to go. Once he set his mind to something, there wasn't much that could stop him. Deciding to ignore that he was also up well past what would be considered a reasonable hour, Kyoko drummed her fingers on her desk as she thought of a reply.

NAEGI – 12:22PM

Plus, we have class tomorrow!

Ah. He had given her an opening to argue back. She quickly typed out her response.

KIRIGIRI – 12:22PM

I wasn't planning on going. It's optional after all.

She watched patiently as the three dots appeared…and stayed for a while. He must be typing out quite a long response. "Oh no, what have I done?" She thought, she was successful at fighting back the smile this time. Interestingly, the three dots disappeared, only to reappear for a split second. He must have decided against whatever paragraph he wrote. Those suspicions were confirmed with his next message.

NAEGI – 12:24PM

You have to go! I'll miss you if you aren't there!

The detectives usual stone-faced demeanor was betrayed by the rising heat in her cheeks. Even more so when the text quickly changed before her eyes.

NAEGI – 12:24PM - EDITED

You have to go! We'll miss you if you aren't there!

She chuckled at the boy's slip-up. Surely, he realized that by changing it, he couldn't be bringing MORE attention to it? She decided to play along some more, knowing that they both knew what he really meant.

KIRIGIRI – 12:25PM

Oh? Am I really so important to our classes ability to function?

She waited for a moment to see what he would do. A few dots popped up but quickly vanished, then nothing. A few minutes went by with no response. He must be thinking hard. Kyoko placed her phone back down on her desk and looked back to her neatly made bed.

The look of the soft pillows and warm comforter making a compelling argument for sleep. It didn't help that her best friend was busy being sweet and making it hard to concentrate. She looked at her notebook, the last few pages full of neatly taken notes and diagrams of the victims' apartment. She reached forward and shut the book as she stood up from the desk for the first time in hours. Her concentration had already been broken; the case would have to wait.

The lavender haired girl walked into the bathroom. She usually had a nighttime routine before bed, but the sleepiness seemed to be catching up with her. Tonight, she merely opted to change into her pajamas and undo her braid, watching it in the mirror as it slowly unraveled.

*DING*

The ringing of the new text echoed into the bathroom as the detective finished brushing her teeth. Rinsing off the brush, she placed it in the cup next to the sink and shut the door as she left. A yawn struck her as she gingerly picked the phone off her desk. She read the text to herself as she sat on the bed.

NAEGI – 12:31PM

Of course! You're really important to the class, things won't be the same if you aren't around!

She smiled at the funny feeling in her tummy. It wasn't hard to replace "the class" with Makoto himself.

KIRIGIRI – 12:32PM

Fine, you've convinced me. I'll come to class since my presence is so integral.

NAEGI – 12:33PM

Awesome! It'll be fun, I promise!

Kyoko pulled the sheets on her bed back and slipped herself under them as she shut off her lamp. She gave a comfortable sigh as she laid back, taking off her gloves and setting them on the nightstand. Recently, she was finding the bed in her dorm was much more comfortable and welcoming than the one at her home. She stared at the ceiling for a moment. A lot had apparently changed since the start of the school year.

Six months ago, she barely went to class and certainly couldn't be convinced to, unless it was mandatory. Now, she was voluntarily giving up working on a case to go. All because an, admittedly cute, classmate asked her to. She had changed and much of it was because of Makoto.

He worked hard to gain her trust and worm his way into her affairs. He had showed her just how fun life could be, that relationships are worth something, and that life isn't all about solving the next case.

"If Grandfather knew just how different I had become, he would pull me out of this school within the hour." She thought somewhat bitterly.

She still loved her grandfather, but there was always a lingering disappointment that she couldn't share things with him. Not in the same way, nor the same extent, that Makoto shared things with his family. In fact, out of the whole class he seemed closest with his family versus the rest with their own. There wasn't a student in Class 78 who didn't know the names of his parents and sister, he mentioned them so much.

There was her own father, who Makoto would always insist she try to patch things up with. He even offered to go with her to see him, the sweetheart he is. She had still declined of course; she had no interest in talking to the headmaster any more than she had to. No, she would just stick with talking to Makoto. Or possibly Hina and Sakura if she felt it necessary.

*DING*

Her phone screen lit up, illuminating a portion of the room. She glanced over at it on her nightstand.

NAEGI – 12:40PM

what case are you working on?

Kyoko picked the phone back off her nightstand and typed out her response with a small smirk.

KIRIGIRI – 12:40PM

Was it not you who insisted I put the case down for the night?

NAEGI – 12:41PM

well…I'd be lying if I said I'm not curious. Plus, you said it was an assault and robbery case… it could be dangerous…

His concerns for her safety, though unnecessary, were quite sweet.

KIRIGIRI – 12:42PM

You don't have to worry; I promise I'll come back.

NAEGI – 12:43PM

Can I help?

She read the message a few times curiously. This was new. She had needed to reassure him of her safe return on previous cases, but this was the first time he had offered to share his brain power. He must have noticed her slow response because his next message seemed to be typed in a haste.

NAEGI – 12:44PM

It's just…that game I was playing? It's an adventure mystery series. It's about a dog and bunny that work as detectives…

This piqued her interest. Well, not the game series but the fact that Makoto was playing it. He seemed to have taken more interest in the mystery genre in the past few months, curious. Noticing this, she typed up her response.

KIRIGIRI – 12:44PM

That doesn't seem like your usual type of game.

The three dots appeared, then disappeared, then appeared, then vanished once more. A moment of silence filled the air as Kyoko waited patiently for his message. Only, it never came. Instead, the Luckster seemed to have opted for a more direct route.

INCOMING CALL FROM – Makoto Naegi

A smile graced her face as she failed to stifle the small laugh that escaped her lips. Her curiosity peaked; the detective didn't hesitate to answer the call from her best friend.

"Hey Kyoko!" His uplifting voice sounded through the phone's speakers. "How are you?"

"Hello Makoto. You know it's considered rude to call someone this late, don't you?" She said, not that she actually minded.

"Heh, I didn't know how to write down what I wanted to say!" The boy laughed, sounding like honey for her ears. "Plus, I knew you were awake still!"

"Right, this game you were playing." She spoke. "The detective dog and bunny?"

"W-Well the game doesn't really matter to be honest. I-It's just, playing it got me thinking about you…" He paused before quickly adding, "and your work…"

Kyoko decided to tease the boy a bit more by staying silent, letting yet another slip-up from him hang in the air.

"...Ya know how most mystery stories have duos?" He muttered, trying to fill the space.

"Like Sherlock and Watson?" Kyoko answered, fiddling with the hair that usually made up her braid. She had a feeling where he was going with this.

"Right! But…you always work alone!" He spoke, his tone hopeful. "You could use an assistant!"

"I see," Kyoko stopped fiddling with her hair and cradled the phone in both hands. "So you are offering your services as my assistant?"

"I-I am!" He promised. "If you would have me that is. I promise I won't get in the way!"

Kyoko sat in silence for a moment as she thought about his proposal. She might like the boy, but she didn't want to let that cloud her judgement. Sure, the idea of spending more time with him was appealing but her work was serious, it required serious consideration. She placed a finger on her cheek and looked off in her classic thinking pose.

It was true that Makoto could be plenty oblivious when it came to most things. However, he could be plenty observant when he wanted to be. Especially when it came to finding the twists in someone's words. Sometimes he could even be a bit faster than her when it came to finding a verbal contradiction.

Then there's his social skills. She wasn't afraid to admit that she wasn't the best when it came to dealing with someone in crisis or just generally getting people to open up. Makoto seemed to be born for it, she was a prime example of that. That skill could be invaluable in a case.

Then there was the question of self-defense. She had fought off attackers a fair share of times, but he had barely been in a fight in his life. He wasn't exactly the strongest either. In fact, the only person in their class smaller than him was Chirio. That didn't matter much though. As long as he stuck by her side, she would protect him.

She must have been silent for a while because the next thing she heard was Makoto's voice calling her back to the moment.

"…Kyoko-? It's okay, it was a dumb idea anyway." He mumbled, trying not to sound disappointed.

"We can try it." She said, putting on her usual emotional mask.

"Forget I said any-…Wait really?" Makoto said, shock evident in a small voice crack.

"Yes." She nodded, despite knowing he couldn't see it."We can start after class tomorrow. I have a lot to catch you up to speed on."

"Awesome!" Makoto couldn't hide his excitement. "Thanks, Kyoko! You won't be disappointed!"

"Great." She said, allowing a slight smirk to slip through. "It's a date then."

"W-Wait, what?"

"Sleep well, Makoto." She said, hanging up before he could respond. Gosh, he was just so much fun to tease sometimes. The detective placed her phone back on the nightstand and laid her head on her pillow. Speaking of teasing, if Asahina got word of this, the detective knew she would never hear the end of it.

Within the dimly lit halls of the ultimate high school, Kyoko Kirigiri gently shut her eyes as she wrapped herself in her sheets. That night, the detective fell asleep to thoughts of her bright-eyed assistant.