Contains spoilers for Danganronpa THH, Danganronpa 3, and Danganronpa Kirigiri

Marriage had never been a concept that Kyoko Kirigiri had understood. She knew that people could fall in love and want to be together forever, but why was it necessary to write their relationship into law? What was the purpose of having their love legally recognized? As long as the couple loved and trusted each other, what more was needed? What was romantic about a lawfully binding contract? If they truly loved each other, why did they need such a thing? Why did they need a contract to validate their relationship? If they were in love, they were in love. Marriage was a worthless social construct. Nothing more.

But if that were the case, why did Kyoko's stomach stir with excitement every day she saw the calendar march closer to her wedding with the love of her life, Makoto Naegi? What was it about this 'meaningless' ritual that got Kyoko shaking with anticipation? She knew that their marriage wouldn't change anything. She loved Makoto now, and she would continue to love him after. They were practically married already, so why did it matter? Why did Kyoko care so much that she would soon be able to call herself Makoto's wife? Why was she so elated to finally call Makoto her husband? Kyoko couldn't understand. It was completely illogical.

That was it, wasn't it? Not everything had to make logical sense. Some things could be ruled by emotion, and that was okay.

However, there was one detail that Kyoko had yet to figure out. One small decision she had yet to make. For most women, it was a no-brainer, but in Kyoko's case, it wasn't so simple. Before they tied the knot, Kyoko still had to make one little choice. As much as she loved Makoto…

She had no idea if she wanted to take his name or not.

In the apartment she shared with Makoto, Kyoko sat at the dining room table with a simple plate of bacon and eggs. Makoto sat across from her with the same breakfast. Kyoko aimlessly tapped her fork against the table, her gaze trailing off into space.

Makoto took notice. "Something on your mind?"

Sighing, Kyoko twirled her fork. "I still haven't decided."

Makoto pursed his lips. "I'm still not sure, either."

Kyoko growled in frustration. "Our wedding is in three days. We need to make a decision."

"It doesn't matter that much, does it?" Makoto asked. "Whatever name we take, it won't change who we are, or how we feel about each other."

"Yeah, I agree," Kyoko said. "It doesn't matter. The Kirigiri name was never even worth anything. Before Enoshima's killing game, no one knew who the Kirigiris were. We spent our entire history pointedly avoiding a public legacy, so there should be no reason for me to cling to the name." She clenched her teeth. "So why do I feel so… hesitant to let it go? It's just a stupid name. Why do I feel so attached to it?"

"I wouldn't say it's meaningless," Makoto countered. "Your family name is the name you share with the people who love you most. It's not just a 'stupid name.' It makes perfect sense that you wouldn't want to discard it." He awkwardly – and so, so cutely – scratched his cheek. "Even if they were, uh, way too, umm, traditional, I know you still love them."

She smiled. "I do love them." She shot him a serious look. "But I also love you. Really, I would be honored to call myself a Naegi, but…" She averted her gaze.

"It's complicated," Makoto finished for her.

Kyoko nodded. "It's complicated."

The soon-to-be-married couple finished their breakfast. It was almost time for work. After putting away their dishes, Kyoko signaled their escort to prepare for departure. A few minutes later, Kyoko led Makoto into their armored car, flanked by two others guarding it. She and Makoto sat in the back seat together, and the motorcade started moving.

"What about Fuhito?" Makoto asked. "Have you talked with him about it?"

"I have," Kyoko said. She gave a slight smile. "He asked me 'will it affect your work?' I said that it wouldn't, and he replied 'then it doesn't matter.'"

Makoto chuckled through his nose. "Yeah, sounds like Fuhito."

It was like him, but it was also frustrating. Kyoko's smile vanished as she let out an irritated sigh. "He didn't have much else to say. Just that it's up to us."

Makoto scratched his chin. "He really has no preference?"

"Of course not," Kyoko said. She narrowed her eyes. "What? Do you think he would demand that I keep the Kirigiri name to preserve our legacy or something?"

Makoto gave a nervous smile. "I mean, I know you said the name has no value, but it's still kind of surprising he would be so comfortable with you changing it."

Kyoko crossed her arms and looked at him sideways. "If anything, he would demand that I change my name. Impartiality is key to the Kirigiri Creed, and concealing our existence was always a vital part of that tenet." Her gaze wandered outside the car. "However, that is currently impossible because the Killing Game very publicly exposed me. If I were to follow the Kirigiri Creed, I would have to change not only my name, but my entire identity, and sever ties with everyone I know forever." Her eyes darkened. "I would have to start a whole new life over from scratch."

Makoto moved his hands behind his back and looked at her with a cute smile. "But you're not going to do that, right?"

Kyoko rolled her eyes with a smirk. "Never." She rested her hand by her chin as she smiled. "With our fame, I don't believe I could even if I tried. Too many would recognize my face, and I'm no Ultimate Imposter or variationist. Attempting to change my identity would be futile."

"That, and I wouldn't let you," Makoto said. "If you disappeared, I would search the ends of the Earth to find you."

Kyoko eyed him with a teasing look. "Oh, really? You wouldn't respect my wishes? Is it not my right to leave if I want to?"

"It's not what you want," Makoto said, "and it's not a duty you need to fulfil, either. If you ever got such a ridiculous idea in your head, I'd do whatever it takes to get it out of you."

As a rush of pink invaded her cheeks, she smiled warmly at her fiancé. "I'm sure you would." She did her best to suppress the heat in her face and collect herself. "Anyway, the point is that my grandfather wouldn't mind at all if I changed my name; I assure you. Besides, he's already accepted that I'm not continuing the family traditions. Whether I do so as a Kirigiri or a Naegi is irrelevant."

"Heh, good to know," Makoto said cheerfully, but that cheerfulness quickly deflated. "We still need to decide what we want, though."

Kyoko deflated as well. "Yeah."

The car was silent for some time.

Kyoko clicked her tongue. "Ugh, should we just flip a damn coin?"

"Come on, I know we'll figure this out," Makoto said hopefully.

Yeah, it was just like Makoto to say that. She smiled slightly. "You still have faith we can solve this mystery?"

"Of course we can!" Makoto cheered. "I know we're running out of time, but it's not too late yet! We can do this! Just like all my students who finish their reports at the last minute, we can figure out our hearts and make the right choice!"

Kyoko chuckled. "Not sure if comparing us to procrastinating children is giving me confidence."

"Well, I'm not too worried," Makoto said. "What matters is that we're together, and no matter what our names are, I know we'll be together. That's all I need."

With a smile, Makoto extended his hand towards her. Smiling back, Kyoko allowed the pale skin of her hand to touch Makoto's and gave it a tender squeeze. With her hand healed – thanks to Makoto – she was able to feel his pleasant warmth unobstructed by her glove. As her bare, smooth fingers intertwined with Makoto's, she knew he was right. A golden ring inlaid with a verdant emerald adorned her left hand, and a silver ring with a brilliant amethyst was on Makoto's. They were together, and that was all that mattered.

Their car arrived at their destination, Hope's Peak Academy Old School Building. Gently lit by the morning sun, the courtyard bustled with students chattering and going about their business. Kyoko and Makoto got out of their vehicle. As they set foot onto the campus, Kyoko held Makoto's shoulders and kissed him softly on the lips. She wasn't normally much for public displays of affection, but today felt special.

With a warm smile, she caressed his face. "Have a nice day, Headmaster."

Makoto smiled. "Same to you, Chief." He kissed her on the cheek. "Love you."

Before he could walk away, Kyoko grabbed his arm and snuck in another kiss to his cheek. "Love you more."

Makoto snorted. "Now who's the child?" He waved goodbye as he walked. "See you tonight, my love."

Kyoko waved back. "Until then, Makoto."

Makoto walked alone towards the school building. If Kyoko had gotten her way, it would have been with an entourage of bodyguards, but Makoto refused that level of protection. Convincing him to accept the motorcade escort had been difficult enough, but he drew the line at personal bodyguards within the campus. It wasn't that he was overly trusting. He just didn't want special treatment. Kyoko admired him for that, but she worried about him. Remnants of Despair were still out there. She didn't want Makoto to get hurt. All she could do was protect the school as best as she could.

As Makoto disappeared into the school, Kyoko let out a long exhale. Her thoughts turned back to her personal issues. She really needed to figure out this dilemma. Which would she choose?

Naegi or Kirigiri?

Maybe this wasn't a mystery she could solve alone. When it came to matters of the heart, partners were essential. Perhaps Kyoko needed to talk to someone else about this, someone besides Makoto. Yes, it may have been beneficial to solicit the opinions of her friends. Surely, they could help Kyoko make up her mind. They would help her figure this out. She was sure of it.

Filled with renewed confidence, Kyoko began marching to her office. As soon as she could get a break from her daily duties as Chief of Security, she was going to find her friends and get this issue sorted out.

Stay Kyoko Kirigiri, or become Kyoko Naegi?

Her friends must have known the answer.

During lunch, Kyoko managed to squeeze some time in with Aoi Asahina and Byakuya Togami. They sat together at a circle of student desks in an empty classroom. Her friends stared at her with expectant looks.

Kyoko cleared her throat. How did she explain this? "So, umm, as you know, my wedding with Makoto is in three days."

"And I'm so happy for you!" Hina exclaimed. "It's about time you two lovebirds tied the knot!" She held her blushing face as she sighed blissfully. "Ah, I'm so excited! Makoto Naegi and Kyoko Naegi! It was meant to be!"

Byakuya sighed. "Yeah, we're all over the moon for them."

Kyoko ruffled her hair. "Actually, that's what I wanted to talk about. I –"

"Yes!" Hina screamed. "Of course I'll be there! I wouldn't miss your wedding for the world! I need to see you two get married already! I can't -!"

"Would you shut up a minute?" Byakuya snapped. "She's clearly trying to tell us something."

Hina rubbed the back of her neck and laughed awkwardly. "Sorry."

Byakuya gave Kyoko a questioning look. "So, what is it?"

Kyoko pursed her lips. "I… need your help with something. Even though our wedding is so soon, I…" She blushed. "I still haven't decided… if I want to take his name or not…"

Hina's eyes widened. "What…?"

Byakuya hummed. "Yes, I can see why –"

Hina slammed her fist on the desk. "What?!"

Byakuya clicked his tongue. "Did you not hear her?"

"But, why?!" Hina asked. "Why is this a hard choice for you?! This should be the easiest choice in the history of choicedom! Of course you should take Naegi's name! Why wouldn't you?!"

"Not so fast," Byakuya interjected. "Kirigiri does not come from just any family. They're a renowned -"

"Not famous," Kyoko corrected.

"- family of exceptionally skilled and dedicated detectives. Think what you will of their methodology, but you can't deny they have a rich and laudable legacy. I'm certain that Kyoko Kirigiri is very proud to be part of that legacy. Discarding that pride isn't such an easy thing to ask of her."

Hina growled. "But…!"

Kyoko clasped her hands and stared into the desk. "That is true. I am proud to be a Kirigiri, and even if I change my name, I always will be."

"Okay, time out!" Hina gave a 'time out' signal. "What about all the horrible things your family put you through? They practically forced you to go on dangerous missions and stuff when you were a literal child! Wasn't there that time you had to burn yourself if it meant solving the case? That's so messed up! Why on Earth would you be proud of that?!"

Kyoko's brow twitched. "It's a Kirigiri's duty to put their life on the line."

"But you were just a kid!" Hina protested. "And you can't just kill yourself to catch a criminal! Your life is worth more than that! How does that creed go again? 'Detective work comes first?' No, it doesn't! Some things are more important than that!"

"Detective work is a sacred duty," Kyoko said. "It's only natural that we would value it highly, and if we die, we die proud." Her eyes lowered. "However, it is true that Makoto has made me… care about my own life more. I would still sacrifice myself if it came to it, be it for the collective good or someone I love, but there's still so much I want to do before I die."

Hina frowned. "Yeah, you proved that without a doubt." Her eyes shifted. "Though, if I had to die, I would rather die for someone I care about than the 'collective good' or whatever."

Both of those things were important to Kyoko. Protecting Makoto, and doing what was best for humanity. Either of them would have been as good a reason as any to die.

Kyoko didn't want to imagine having to choose between the two.

Not again.

Byakuya snickered. "In the end, we're all just looking after ourselves. Even if we die for someone we 'love,' we're still serving our own self-interest."

Kyoko crossed her arms and groaned. "Ugh, again with this egocentric nonsense? I thought you were past this, Togami."

Byakuya flashed a snide grin. "Hina said it. She would rather give her life to something important to her personally rather than a noble cause."

Hina cringed. "You don't have to make it sound so selfish."

Byakuya stood out of his seat and stared down at Hina imposingly. "Isn't it? Let's take that situation with Kirigiri's mother for example. Kirigiri and her grandfather were working a case overseas when they got word she was dying. Should they have gone to see her?"

Hina stood and raised her fist. "Of course they should have! She was Kyoko-chan's mother! She had to see her before it was too late!"

"I won't deny it was a tragedy," Byakuya said, "but look at it from the client's perspective. Imagine someone you loved was murdered. The police failed to catch the killer and let the case go cold, so you hire a capable private detective to take over. However, the private detective suddenly abandons you over some personal matter. How would you feel?"

"If it's what happened to Kyoko-chan, I wouldn't blame them!" Hina said. "Besides, I can always find another detective!"

"What if you can't?" Byakuya asked. "What if there's no time? Maybe the killer isn't going to stop. Maybe if the mystery isn't solved, they'll come for you next. The Kirigiris could have saved you, but they let you die so Kyoko Kirigiri could see her mother one last time."

Hina hissed. "That's…" She looked at Kyoko. "Is that true? Did lives depend on that case?"

Kyoko shrugged. "Who knows?"

Frankly, that didn't matter under the Kirigiri Creed. Their job was to uncover the truth as requested by the client, nothing more or less. Whether it saved people or not was irrelevant.

However, that was no longer a sentiment that Kyoko shared. A great detective should have been more than just a tool used by the client. A detective should have existed to help others, just like Yui had taught her.

Fire burned in Hina's eyes. "Well, even if it was a matter of life and death, your grandfather could have just had someone take you back home while he continued the case himself."

"Ah, but Kyoko Kirigiri herself was bound by the creed," Byakuya said. "It didn't matter if she was a child. She had to follow their rules. She had to learn that as a Kirigiri, she would have to make these kinds of sacrifices for the sake of the client."

"And that's why the rules suck!" Hina argued. "There's no excuse for what Fuhito did! Kyoko-chan should have been there for her mother! Because of her grandfather, Kyoko-chan barely remembers her own mother! It's horrible!"

Kyoko stared silently into the desk. It was horrible, but…

Hina shot Kyoko a pleading look. "Kyoko-chan, tell me you're not okay with this. What your grandfather did was wrong. You know that, right?"

Kyoko's hands clenched. "I do feel resentment." Her eyes met Hina's. "You're right about one thing; Grandpa could have continued the case alone and had a servant send me home. There was no need to keep me from my mother. It was completely unnecessary, and Grandpa was wrong to force it." She exhaled sharply. "However, when it comes to the core principle, I can't say there's a right or wrong answer."

Hina's face scrunched up in a confused sense of disgust. "What the heck does that mean? There is a very wrong answer here!"

"I didn't have to abandon my mother," Kyoko said, "but that's only because Grandpa was there. Had I been the only detective on the case… it wouldn't be so simple."

"Are you kidding me?!" Hina snapped. "So, like, if you were on a case overseas, and you found out Naegi was dying, you wouldn't go see him?!"

Kyoko felt herself struck with a wave of nausea. This was exactly what she had meant before. She didn't want to imagine having to make such a choice. Her duty to her client, as a detective, or her duty to Makoto, as family. Both were important, and she never wanted to betray either. But if she had to choose…

"… Makoto would want me to do the right thing," Kyoko said.

Raising her finger, Hina opened her mouth, but no words came.

It was the truth, after all.

The silence persisted for what felt like ages.

Hina sputtered. "B-but… this sucks! Why does Kyoko-chan have to suffer? Her family has caused her so much trouble! Like, they wouldn't let her have any meaningful relationships!"

Kyoko raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"

"She was forbidden from making friends! Because she wasn't allowed to get attached to anyone! And when her father got kicked out, her grandfather encouraged her to hate him!"

"Hina…"

"He's the worst! The absolute most vile, disgusting grandfather that ever existed! He never loved her! She was just a tool to continue his -!"

The classroom trembled as Kyoko slammed her hand against her desk. She stood out of her seat, glaring fiercely. Hina gasped, her eyes wide. "K-Kyoko-chan?"

Kyoko's teeth clenched tightly. "I… never said any of that! You just made all that up!"

Hina blinked. "Huh? But, I thought…"

God, where did she even begin?

"First," Kyoko said, "my father wasn't kicked out. He left, in protest of our traditions. And my grandfather did not encourage me to hate him. I was perfectly capable of that myself."

Hina gave her a skeptical look. "He left? How do you know that's not just what your grandfather told you?"

Kyoko scowled. "It's the truth."

Hina folded her arms with pursed lips. "Well, even if he did leave on his own, it was for a good reason! Those traditions are awful! No friends, no love, no emotions, no happiness, no nothing! Just detective work and nothing else! It sucks!"

Kyoko calmed herself with a breath. Uninformed arguments were easy to counter, assuming the opponent was willing to see reason.

She looked at Hina intensely. "It's true that a Kirigiri is expected to leave their emotions out of a case, but my family never intended for me to be alone. My self-imposed isolation actually caused my grandfathers a great deal of concern. They never knew what to do about it. When I told Grandpa about Yui-oneesama, he breathed a sigh of relief. He was glad that I had found a good partner that I could rely on, and a friend. He wanted that for me. Detective work comes before family, but we are allowed to have family."

Kyoko huffed. "Honestly, do you really think I would have hated my father so much if our family was that cruel?"

Hina stared at Kyoko wide-eyed. "Self-imposed? But I thought they told you that you couldn't get attached."

"No," Kyoko said. "I told myself that. It's not that we're not allowed to love anyone. We just can't let our personal feelings interfere with our work. The only reason I avoided relationships entirely is, well, the easiest way to prevent attachments from getting in the way is to not have them in the first place."

Regaining her confidence, Hina pumped her fist. "But even that's wrong! It's okay to think with your heart sometimes! That's what Naegi did for you! He knew in his heart that you wouldn't betray us, so he trusted you!"

Byakuya scoffed. "Or he was thinking with something else…"

"True," Kyoko said, to Hina of course. "There are times when it's okay to use emotion as evidence. That's what Makoto taught me. In dangerous circumstances, people need to believe in each other, or cooperation will be difficult, if not impossible."

"So you know your family is wrong!" Hina insisted. "Then why do you care about carrying their legacy?"

Kyoko narrowed her eyes. "Even if they're not perfect, my family is not some pack of inhuman beasts. They taught me to hide my emotions when appropriate. They didn't tell me to be emotionless. Even we know that we're not machines. Most of us are confident in our ability to separate our personal interests from our professional lives. I just… lost that confidence myself."

She frowned. "When Yui-oneesama died, I no longer believed I was capable of keeping my emotions in check. I thought the only way to avoid letting my feelings cloud my judgment was to not bond with others in the first place. That's the lesson Shinsen taught me, not my grandfather." She tightened her fists. "If you must blame someone, blame him, but don't rope my family into it. Ultimately, it was my choice to keep my distance. Don't underestimate my own agency. I can make my own decisions. Always could."

There was a long moment of silence as Hina stared at her in shock.

"… Kyoko-chan," Hina whispered, "do you really want to keep your name that badly?"

Kyoko shook her head. "I didn't say that. I told you. I don't know."

"Keep your name," Byakuya said. "Your pride in your family is important. Don't let Naegi take that away from you."

Kyoko and Hina both stared daggers into him.

"Makoto is important, too," Kyoko said. "Don't treat him so lightly."

Byakuya rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure. You 'love him' and all that, but what do you need to take his name for? You said you're a proud Kirigiri, didn't you? Just because you love him doesn't mean you should change who you are. You may be partners, but you're not the same. You each have your own identities, your own strengths and weaknesses. Embrace that. Stay true to yourself."

It was true that while Kyoko loved Makoto, she would never be Makoto. Indeed, Makoto possessed many strengths that Kyoko lacked. He was much better at communicating and working with others, able to inspire hope in a way Kyoko never could. He could express his feelings clearly, wearing them on his sleeve without fear, and his genuine compassion could thaw even the iciest heart. Kyoko herself was proof of that. He had saved her from the prison she had built for herself since Yui had died. Kyoko loved him for it, but her blunt and austere nature wasn't going away anytime soon. She would never have Makoto's charisma. It just wasn't who she was.

However, there were ways where Kyoko had changed.

There was a lengthy pause before Kyoko spoke again. "This may seem to contradict what I said before, but Hina does have a point. My family's traditions have caused so much pain. I have no intention of following our creed any longer. I will decide what's right and wrong for myself. I won't be a doll that refuses to act without a commission, and I will allow emotion to influence my judgment. Taking this into consideration, it doesn't really make sense for me to remain a Kirigiri, does it?"

"Yeah!" Hina said. "So what are you waiting for? Take Naegi's name and be done with it!"

Byakuya clicked his tongue. "So what if you've had a change of ideology? If you believe something's wrong with your family, you don't throw your pride away. You fix it. That's what the Togami family has done for generations. Discard the garbage, only preserve the best. Abandoning your creed doesn't mean you're abandoning your family. It means you're advancing your family to greater glory."

"Screw glory and screw Fuhito!" Hina yelled. "Some things are beyond forgiveness! Even if Fuhito didn't stop Kyoko-chan from making friends, he still groomed her into being a detective! He still taught her that her life was less important than her work! That kind of abuse cannot be -!"

"Stop it!"

Hina recoiled as Kyoko again glared at her with gritted teeth.

Kyoko's eyebrows twitched as she spoke with barely restrained fury. "My grandfather was just following tradition like any Kirigiri. He was not abusive. You weren't there; you don't know him. Stop acting like you do. I won't tolerate any more slander."

Hina trembled. "I…"

Kyoko snarled. "You insist on casting me as 'the girl abused by her grandfather,' and I will not accept that. I don't want your damn pity. When you see me working a case, I would rather you respect the skills I've worked so hard for, not lament how my abilities as a detective came to be. I take pride in what I do, so stop feeling sorry for me. I will never regret being a Kirigiri, and nothing will change that."

The room again fell into a stunned silence.

Hina frowned. "I… I'm sorry. Even if I don't agree with what he did, he is your grandfather. I was being insensitive." She bowed her head. "I'm sorry."

Kyoko sighed. "I do love him, and that is part of why I'm hesitant to discard the Kirigiri name." There was a bittersweet glimmer in her eyes. "However, there's an equally simple reason why I wish to take the Naegi name." She ran a finger through her hair. "Makoto has brought so much joy into my life. He believed in me, and he gave me the courage to believe in myself again. He was always an incredible friend, even when I tried to push him away out of fear. Because of him, I was able to feel happiness that I thought I'd never feel again." She held a hand over her chest. "He is my light. I love him, with all my heart."

Hina somberly lowered her head. "You're torn between two things that you love."

Kyoko nodded. "Essentially, yes."

Byakuya folded his arms. "If you came to us looking for an easy answer, you won't find it."

Kyoko frowned. "That does appear to be the case…"

"Hey, what about this?" Hina perked up. "What if you take both names? You could be Kyoko Naegi-Kirigiri! How about that?"

Kyoko shook her head. "No, that is stupid."

"Ehhh?!" Hina groaned dejectedly. "I see…"

Kyoko pursed her lips. Had she been too blunt? "Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude, but nevertheless, I would rather choose one name."

"I agree," Byakuya said. "If we all did that, what would our children do when they marry? Will they just keep rolling their names together like a surname Katamari? Forget that wishy-washy idea. You need to pick something."

Hina chuckled. "Katamari? I'm surprised you know about such 'commoner' things."

Kyoko smirked. "Indeed. For instance, let's say Hina and Togami have a child. Their child inherits the name Togami-Asahina. Now say that child marries a child that I have with Makoto. What would their name be? Naegi-Kirigiri-Togami-Asahina?"

Hina's face paled like she was going to be sick. "Like I would ever marry a guy like him."

Byakuya scoffed. "Agreed. Don't make us imagine something so horrifying."

Kyoko hummed teasingly. "I don't know. I think you two could have a nice enemies-to-lovers thing going on."

"No!" Hina shouted. "Just… no!"

"I think it's time we got back to work," Byakuya said. He faced Kyoko. "I, for one, will never abandon the Togami name. Even as the last Togami alive, I still have my pride, and no one can take that from me. Kirigiri, it's up to you to decide what matters to you. What message will you send to the world? You know what I would do, but it's none of my business. The choice is yours." He turned towards the exit and waved. "Either way, I hope you decide what's best"

As Byakuya left, Hina smiled. "I still think you should take Naegi's name, but Togami's right about one thing. It is your choice. I'm sure you and Naegi will be happy together no matter what your names are." She turned to leave as well. "See you, Kyoko-chan!"

Kyoko waved back. "Until next time, Hina."

Once Hina left the room, Kyoko sighed. Honestly, that whole discussion wasn't very helpful. She felt like neither Hina nor Byakuya fully understood the problem. Hina couldn't empathize with the pride Kyoko took in being a Kirigiri. She had painted the Kirigiri family in a far more villainous light than Kyoko appreciated, not that Kyoko blamed her. On the surface, it was easy to view the Kirigiri family that way, and it was true that her family wasn't perfect. It wasn't unreasonable to say that Kyoko needed to change her name to take a stand against her family's outdated traditions, and to show that she was more than what her family had raised her to be.

Byakuya, on the other hand, didn't understand what the name 'Naegi' meant to her. In Byakuya's eyes, pride was more important than anything. He couldn't understand how Kyoko would want the man she loved so dearly to share his name with her. That said, her pride did matter to her. As much as she loved Makoto, throwing away that pride wasn't so easy.

Kyoko felt no closer to solving this issue than before.

Although, one thing Byakuya had said had struck a chord within her…

What message will you send to the world?

Perhaps Kyoko needed to think bigger than herself. Whether they liked it or not, she and Makoto were highly public figures after all. Whatever choice they made, people would talk about it. They would find their own meanings in their decision. Kyoko needed to think carefully about what she wanted to tell them.

She didn't want anyone to think she hated her family.

But she didn't want them to think she was continuing their traditions, either.

Makoto was the one who had saved the world. How could she tell anyone that her pride in her family mattered more than him? She was proud to be the one Makoto loved. She would be proud to be his wife, more so than being a Kirigiri. Naegi wasn't just the name of the man she loved. It was the name of an amazing person who had filled her with hope, who had filled the world with hope. If pride was what mattered, why wouldn't she choose Naegi?

Surely, the name of the Ultimate Hope was more important than the name of a detective family.

But Kirigiri wasn't just the name of a detective dynasty. It was the name of her father, who – despite separating from her – had never stopping caring about her. If Father had truly abandoned her, Kyoko would have died in Tengan's killing game. Kyoko deeply regretted trying to sever ties with him. Her father would always be family to her.

A sharp pain wracked her heart.

Father…

Why couldn't she have realized that when he had still been alive?

Kyoko took a deep breath.

There was no point in dwelling on that.

Kirigiri was also the name of her grandfather. Like Kyoko herself, Fuhito may not have always been the most expressive person, but Kyoko knew that she wasn't just a tool to continue his legacy. Her grandfather loved her, too. Their relationship may have seemed strange to others, but they were happy. No one could ever make Kyoko hate him.

Kyoko felt love and pride in both names.

How could she choose?

Perhaps the best course of action was for her and Makoto to agree not to change either of their names. That wasn't very popular in Japan, but since both names were important, Kyoko hoped an exception could be made. That way, neither name would be devalued. Kyoko wouldn't disparage her family, but she wouldn't imply that she was more important than Makoto, either. Yes, this seemed like a sensible conclusion.

Or was she just a coward for clinging to the status quo?

Kyoko groaned. This debate wasn't over, but for now, she needed to get back to work. She still had a long day ahead of her, and not to mention her plans with Makoto for the evening. Hmm, perhaps that would be an opportunity to gather some more perspectives. Yes, Kyoko was sure they would have some interesting opinions.

Especially…