A/N: Here's Chapter Two of "The Hajimaru Chronicles!", taking place in the month after Chapter One. Please read, review, and enjoy!

The Ultimate Detective and The Ultimate Hope Gaiden: The Hajimaru Chronicles!

Chapter Two: Makoto & Hajime, Baking Bros!

"Mm!" Makoto hummed, the gooey chocolate mixture lighting up his taste buds. "This is really great, Hajime! You could really give Ando a run for her money."

The former Reserve Course student dipped his finger into the bowl, briefly sucking on the chocolate coated digit. His brow furrowed in skepticism before he removed it with an audible *pop* and shook his head.

"Too bland. This chocolate is just like every store-bought chocolate. Such normal confectionary is too boring to justify giving to Komaru."

Makoto sweatdropped, scratching his cheek. "Ano…you don't have to be a perfectionist about this. I certainly don't expect gourmet chocolates every year from Kyoko, and I'm pretty sure Komaru will be perfectly happy with store bought chocolate. I certainly pay you enough that you could buy a whole truckload if you wanted to." Makoto waved his hands, exclaiming, "Not that I don't want you here; you're always welcome in my house, Hajime!"

Hajime let out a chuckle, shaking his head in reassurance. "I get what you mean, Makoto, I'm not offended." As Makoto let out a sigh of relief, Hajime admitted "And I know that Komaru'd be happy with any kind of chocolate…believe me, I can see that she's happy to be in a relationship at all."

Makoto smiled in understanding as Hajime continued to carefully add ingredients to the chocolate mixture. "So then…why did you ask to bake White Day chocolates with me?"

Hajime bit his lip, his stoic expression suddenly turning uneasy. "Well…two reasons. One is just that I wanted to bake my own chocolates for Komaru. This is our first White Day together, and I wanted to make it special. Not to mention, since I was literally implanted with the Ultimate Confectioner talent, I wanted to make her chocolates that I could be proud of, something that would blow all those store-bought chocolates out of the water!"

Makoto nodded. "And the other reason…?"

"Well…if this relationship does end up being…long term…that does mean that we'll be…"

"…Brothers?" Makoto finished with a smile.

"Yeah…brothers. We've known each other as fellow survivors and victims of Junko Enoshima, and you've called upon my services as a therapist, but we haven't really been part of a…"

"Family?"

"…Are you going to make a habit of finishing my sentences?" Hajime deadpanned. "It's kind aunsettling to the Izuru side of me…"

"S-Sorry…"

Hajime shook his head, chuckling under his breath. "It's fine, I'm not offended. Anyway…" Hajime sighed, his stirring slowing to a crawl as he admitted, "…I haven't had a real family in years. My parents and I weren't even close, hence why they didn't object to my taking part in the Steering Committee's experiments."

Both survivors grimaced, reminded of the corruption within Hope's Peak Academy right under their noses. Both of them looked up to the school in their youths, and to this day, it hurt knowing that a beacon of hope was actually a garden of corruption.

"Anyway…Class 77 has been the closest thing I had to a family since. And now they're forming their own families. I hadn't thought I'd ever have that again…not since Chiaki…"

Makoto stayed silent, listening intently as his "brother" continued his confession. Hajime took a deep, shaky breath before he could speak again in earnest.

"But then…Komaru and I…we just…clicked, somehow. Now, we're together, and you and your family have welcomed me into it. It just makes me feel a little…"

"Like a tame housecat in a pride of lions?" Makoto chuckled, resting his hand on Hajime's shoulder. "It's okay to feel that way, you know. I felt that way when I first set foot in Hope's Peak, before…everything. Even now, being married to Kyoko and a parent to my children…I still wonder how I got so lucky. So if there's anyone who understands what you're feeling…it's me."

Hajime's lips tugged into an appreciative smile. "Anyways…I thought we could use this…baking session for…brotherly bonding time…" Hajime's cheeks turned pink as he realized how corny that sounded.

Makoto laughed, but Hajime know it wasn't a malicious laugh. It was a pure-hearted, reassuring laugh that eased Hajime's soul.

"Hey, I'm glad to spend any time bonding with you that you want, Hajime. We're already brothers-in-arms, so I don't see any problem with being real brothers!" Makoto scratched his cheek, admitting, "To be honest…I kind of wanted a brother when I was little. I love Komaru, don't get me wrong, but part of me did always wonder what it'd be like to have a brother."

"I see…that's interesting…" Hajime mused, admittedly surprised by the normally open book Makoto's unexpected childhood desire.

"So…" Makoto changed the subject, staring down at the bowl of chocolate. "What are you aiming for with this chocolate of yours?"

"Well…I tasted a few different brands of chocolate Komaru told me she liked, and after determining their recipes, I used those as a base to try and make an even better one for her."

"Wow!" Makoto exclaimed "You certainly put a lot of thought into this!"

Hajime grinned, boasting "Hey, I'm taking a lot of pride in this gift, so I'm gonna make sure it turns out perfect!"

Makoto chuckled, replying, "Well, compared to that, my chocolates for Kyoko are starting to sound pretty lame…"

His eyes drifted to the sweets currently baking in the oven. Hajime rolled his eyes, assuring his "brother", "I can guarantee she'll love them regardless of how good mine are, if only because they're from you."

"Yeah, she tells me that every year…" Makoto admitted. "So…anything I can do to help?"

Hajime whipped out a sheet of paper, handing it to Makoto. "I've compiled a list of ingredients that I procured beforehand. They should be in your fridge already. Would you mind bringing them out for me?"

"On it!"

As Makoto went over to his fridge and sifted through it, Hajime resumed stirring, humming as he did. It still felt awkward to call Makoto his brother, but he looked forward to the day that he could do so with pride and confidence.

"Thank you, Naegi-sensei, Hinata-sensei!"

The student bowed before walking out of their office, leaving the two therapists alone. Komaru stood up, stretching her arms and yawning.

"Alright, that was our last appointment for the day. Helping all these kids can be exhausting sometimes, but it's really rewarding, don't you think?"

Hajime nodded, smiling at his girlfriend. "Yes, your enthusiasm for helping those in need especially admirable." It's something I really like about you…

Komaru pursed her lips, eyes slightly averted in bittersweet nostalgia. "To be honest…part of that comes from my time in Towa City. Hearing Nagisa tell me and Toko about how cruel their parents were, how nobody came to help them, how they felt they had no choice but to end their lives…I didn't want any other kids to feel that way again, to become targets for another Junko Enoshima…"

Komaru gritted her teeth at how Junko had manipulated those innocent little kids into contributing to the spread of despair across the globe. She took a deep breath, stemming the rise of fury towards the deceased fashionista.

"I want to be sure that the kids we see have at least one person they can go to for help. someone who will actually take them seriously and try to put a stop to stuff like that. It's why I love this job, Hajime."

Hajime stared in awe, gaining a new appreciation for the younger Naegi. "And you've done wonders for them. I'm so proud to call you my girlfriend, Komaru."

"Hajime…" Komaru was nearly brought to tears as Hajime stood up, pulling out a white box tied with a red ribbon from underneath his chair.

"Happy White Day, Komaru."

Happy tears trickled down her cheeks as she gratefully accepted the box. For once, she took great care in untying the bow, holding the fabric in her hand while she opened the box. Her eyes glimmered at the chocolates carefully arranged within.

"I made them myself…I hope you're as proud of them as I am of you."

"Hajime…" Komaru cried before tepidly taking a chocolate out and slowly putting it in her mouth.

Her teeth slowly chewed the exterior, allowing her to savor the delectable taste. She practically moaned in delight, the fusion of flavors somehow making her feel pleasure.

"Holy…this is…amazing, Hajime! How'd you make this?!"

Hajime chuckled, shaking his head. "A guy's gotta have some secrets, Komaru."

"I don't even feel like pouting, this is so good!"

Closing the box, she briefly placed it on the nearby desk. Hajime watched as she took the ribbon and tied it around her own neck in a bow, turning it into a necklace.

"There, now I'll be able to remember this gift long after the chocolate's digested!"

Hajime couldn't help but burst into laughter. Walking up to her, he wiped her tears away before pecking her lips.

"I'm glad you like them, Komaru. I love you."

"I love you too, Hajime…and Happy White Day." She pecked his lips before taking his hand and picking the box up with the other. "Come on, let's go celebrate at home."

Chuckling, Hajime let Komaru drag him out of their office. As they sped through the halls, Hajime couldn't help but consider himself the luckiest guy in the world for being able to date a girl as wonderful as Komaru…and for having arguably the best brother in the world to bake and bond with.

Thank you, Makoto…