It was in the Fall where Kyoko found something irreplaceable.

At that same time, she lost it.

Now, 6 years later, she would take it back.

Kyoko received a text from Makoto the day before, asking to meet her at the garden. The wait finally came to an end. She never doubted it would - nevertheless, it seemed surreal after all this time.

The CEO went on a trip down memory lane once she stepped onto the familiar path. She was just a naïve, hopeless little girl back then. It embarrassed her just thinking of the sheer number of missteps she'd made.

The scenery was as she remembered it. The garden had degraded somewhat, but that only accentuated its archaic lustre. It was a beautiful ruin.

Kyoko looked upwards, smiling faintly at the cherry-blossoms in full bloom. The landscape made Kyoko feel like she was in a dream. That effect was greatly enhanced by the man who sat in the atrium.

He looked up as well and crossed eyes with Kyoko for the first time in what felt like an eternity.

"Hi. Been a while." Makoto waved, sporting a cheesy grin. His voice shook Kyoko slightly, pulling the woman out of her trance.

Makoto beckoned her to sit by him. Instead Kyoko chose to sit across, a small space separating the two. He didn't know if that action meant something but in hindsight, he preferred it this way. Their position made it easier for him to consider all the changes and how much more beautiful she became.

"Longer for me than it has for you. And it's strange seeing you here first." Kyoko said, sitting cross-legged.

"If I remember right, I was always the first one here." Makoto scratched his cheek.

"Really? Why was that anyway?"

"I…couldn't wait to see you?" His voice raised to a higher pitch.

"That's a good line. But I don't think it's appropriate to use on someone you've dodged for years." Kyoko smirked, and placed a gloved finger at her lips. His reactions were still amusing.

"Eh…I had a lot going on." Makoto lowered his head and covered his mouth with a fashionable green scarf.

"You'd better be happy, Makoto. You won't find many women as understanding as I am." Kyoko sighed.

"You're understanding?" He perked up "…Maybe it really has been longer for you."

"Care to elaborate?" Kyoko gave Makoto "the look".

"Joking! I see that killer glare hasn't changed." He raised his hands defensively.

"I think I've improved on it, thank you very much."

"...What have you been up to? Hina's told me a few things but I'd rather hear it from you."

Kyoko considered making him share his side of the story first…but it was probably better if she got hers out of the way. There wasn't much to tell to begin with. "I'm the director of a large organization within the criminal justice system. It's basically what I used to do; catch criminals. Only now I barely leave the office and just hand out cases or manage my subordinates. Honestly, it's all incredibly boring. I want to retire already." She whined.

Makoto swayed his head in exasperation. Kyoko said all of that as if it were the epitome of the mundane, when from his perspective, it was beyond absurd for someone of such a young age. "You miss being out in the field?"

"A little. It was dangerous, but I miss the excitement. Anything beats paperwork." Kyoko brought a hand to her forehead at the mere thought of the never-ending stacks of paper. "Then again, Hina and Koichi never keep me bored for too long."

"Who's Koichi?" Makoto tilted his head. Kyoko had spoken that name with a similar degree of fondness as the bubbly Asahina.

Just then, Kyoko's lips formed a teasing smirk "Just a man I've known for a long time. He's close enough to be considered family."

"In a…brotherly sort of way?" Makoto scrunched his face.

"No, I'm afraid."

"…"

Kyoko giggled.

"What's so funny?" Makoto pouted, childishly.

"You're still an open-book." He always wore his emotions on his sleeve, she's never met anyone easier to read. Not even Shuichi. "Koichi's like an annoying uncle. It's not remotely the kind of relationship you're thinking."

Makoto sighed. She knew what he was thinking and led him on anyway. "You're still a bully. I wonder if your employees are alright."

"Is that what you think of me? I'll have you know my workers approve of me quite a lot…or so I've heard." There was a possibility that Koichi and Hina might have been screwing with her.

Even so, Makoto beamed at the declaration. "I'm glad to hear it. Now everyone knows how great you are."

"I'll admit that it's nice to be loved." Kyoko flicked a strand of hair as she decided to take the conversation into another, fun, direction. "But if we're on the topic of who's popular, I'd say you'd edge me out, even at work. At least among the girls."

Makoto spluttered, tucking on his scarf again. "Ehehehe, I'm…not sure what you mean."

"That so? Then tell me, Makoto. What have you been up to?" She knew all about it, but that didn't mean she couldn't wring it out of him.

"I left the hospital a while back, and made some new friends. Some of them are…um, also your friends by the way."

"Yeah, weird how that worked out." Kyoko grumbled. Kyoko hated not being in the know, yet it appeared there were a number of important connections right under her nose that she'd been blind to.

"It might not have been that big of a coincidence. Did you know that I'm technically your classmate?"

"Explain."

Makoto informed Kyoko of her father's experiment, but he omitted mentioning Komaeda by name or relation.

A wasted effort, because Kyoko already knew that side of the story. It was told to her by the man himself. Still, it appeared there was something she needed to be grateful to Jin for.

"I always thought the number in our class was off. Not much good it does now though." Kyoko shrugged.

"It did great for me. I was able to get into college because of your dad's recommendation. I don't think I'd have managed otherwise."

Kyoko hadn't attended university, there was no need for it. In fact, none of the Hope's Peak talents needed post-secondary education, for their careers were already set in the stone the moment they graduated high-school. And, being perfectly honest, she was already more than intelligent enough without it. Makoto would need the education though. To her knowledge, he'd missed high-school completely and Luck wasn't exactly the most reliable talent to have.

"Is college working out for you?" She asked.

"Yeah. I met a ton of cool people and friends. Like Kaede, Tsumugi, Kaito, Rantaro…" He rambled on like a little kid conveying his first day of school experiences to his parents. Kyoko wasn't the least bit surprised at the laundry list of names and It sounded like he might just list everyone in his school, if she didn't stop him. "Kokichi's a little annoying, but-"

"That sounds great, Makoto…but please stop bragging in front of me."

"I wasn't!" Not really. He had to show that he was a little successful on his end, even if he was a bit on the normal side.

"Pardon me then. But I couldn't help but notice the names were disproportionately female. Why is that?" She said in a sing-song voice.

"…I'm adorable?" He scratched his hair.

"You are…but I wonder if there's a bigger reason?" Kyoko pulled out an all too familiar paper out of her bag and showed him a bookmarked page within.

"…Kyokoooo." He wanted to die right there.

"Say, what do you call this pose?" She teased.

Makoto covered his face in his hands, red as a cherry. "Just put it away and I'll answer anything."

She hadn't quite had her fill of fun yet, but she would give him a slight reprieve because of his earnestness.

"How did you get into the fashion industry?"

"Junko pulled some strings."

"Do you at least enjoy it?" She certainly did.

"It's great once I got over a bit of the embarrassment. My co-workers are nice, it pays the bills, it's not demanding, it-"

"Helps pick up girls?"

"Helps pick up-!" He blushed, having been caught.

"I don't know why you're trying to hide it. Like you said, your friends are my friends and…sorry, the ones you picked aren't the very best at keeping secrets."

Makoto groaned. Kyoko herself could understand his pain, having been burned by those same friends in the past.

"I was busted right from the start, huh?"

"You never had a chance." The lavender-haired girl snickered.

"I hope you don't think less of me." He mumbled.

"That implies you've done something wrong. As far as I can see, you're catching up on what you were deprived of for too long." Plus, it's not like she stayed celibate herself. "I'm happy you're enjoying yourself."

Makoto gazed at Kyoko with abject awe "You've matured a little. Before you'd have bitten my head off."

"Do you really want to push your luck with me?"

Makoto laughed. Maybe she hadn't grown too much, after all. Now, to begin what was probably going to be the biggest trial of his life.

"Kyoko…um, do you remember the promise we made?"

"Of course. I was worried you'd be the one to forget." She folded her arms.

"That's fair. So, uh, do you still have that book? I don't think we ever got to finish it."

Oh right…Hina destroyed that. "I threw it away." Kyoko lied.

"HUH!?" He…wasn't expecting that.

"It was extra baggage. What? Did you think I'd spend all my time thinking about you like some old widow?" She may have lied but Makoto couldn't seriously have thought she'd keep it after all this time…Evidently, he did, because he looked like he was going into a panic. Why?

"We don't need that book, Makoto."

"You're right. I planned on having it set the mood…but I think it's fine as is." Makoto took on a determined look.

"The mood for?" Kyoko noted once again that he was acting strangely.

Come on Makoto, you can do this. - The brown-haired boy stood awkwardly, surprising Kyoko. Then he reached for his pocket to pull out a small, square shaped box.

Is this what I think it is – Kyoko's eyes widened.

Makoto prostrated before her on one knee and flipped the box open, revealing a diamond-encrusted ring

"Kyoko…would you marry me?" Makoto proposed.

Kyoko froze at the declaration, a myriad of thoughts fluttered to the surface at once. She cleared her throat to stall for time.

After taking a deep breath, she smiled "Makoto."

The boy gulped.

"No, I'm not going to marry you." She was going to record the horrified look on his face for future reference.

"I-I screwed up." He shook like a leaf before Kyoko placed one hand on his shoulder and cupped his face with the other.

"You seem to have the wrong idea, Makoto. I hold grudges, and out of everyone in the world, you're currently the biggest target for my grudge."

"You're angry?" He said, breathlessly.

"Yes. You made a promise to me, and you broke it. I wonder if you know how I felt?"

Makoto frowned. He couldn't possibly understand how she felt, especially knowing that Kyoko had gone through something similar in the past. He was an idiot, he should have known proposing was a bad idea. He didn't have any right to-

"But like I said, I'm an understanding woman. That's why I'm going to give you chance to make it up to me."

"Eh?" A spark of hope re-entered his eyes.

"For every fall season you've missed, I'll have you do something for me. And they won't be trivial tasks, so you better be ready to work your butt off." In total, that was 6 commands he needed to obey unfailingly.

"And…after that?" He whispered

Kyoko sighed, almost bashfully "Then I'll let you marry me."

"…You're not rejecting me?" He asked

"No. More like putting it on hold for a bit." A faint blush crossed her cheeks.

"That phrasing bugs me a little…but it seems I'm a free man for a little while longer." He was sure a lot of people would be happy about that…

"You must be joking." Kyoko's smile widened, yet they didn't quite reach eyes this time. In fact, they way she looked at him was a bit…scary. The detective pinned him down to the floor. "My first order is that you go out with me. My second is that you're not allowed to break up with me."

"Huh…uh okay." That was easy, 2 down already. And a lot more sensible than jumping the gun and proposing. Why did he listen to Junko again?

"I hope you've enjoyed the playboy life, because you're mine now." She brought her face close to his, their lips brushing.

"I…can live with that."

Kyoko brought her head down so their lips fully touched. Makoto savored the taste of floral-flavored lipstick. Not wanting to be outdone, he grabbed Kyoko tightly by the waist, inserted his tongue and intertwined it with hers. His partner's eyes widened in response to the action and pulled back slowly, leaving a trail of saliva between them.

"That's going a bit far for a first kiss." Kyoko spoke first, breathless after they separated. She wondered how experienced he really was.

"I...thought it'd be a nice touch. I'm kind of disappointed it wasn't my first." Makoto blushed.

"Who was it?" Kyoko blinked slowly.

"Eh? That's...I don't kiss and tell?" Probably wasn't a good idea to say it was one of her friends.

"Okay, when was it?" Kyoko changed the question.

"A while after I woke up." Makoto said, confused at the need for the date.

"I see. That is a pity." Kyoko showed him a mysterious smile.

Unbeknownst to the duo, the spectacle was observed by a full group of people currently hiding behind the trees.

"Whoa, Kyoko totally owned him!" Junko cheered ecstatically, watching through binoculars.

"She's got Makoto wrapped around her finger. If he doesn't shape up, his future's looking grim." As per soldier mentality, Mukuro couldn't quite get over the 'strong dominates the weak' principle.

"He proposed. My hopeless brother proposed!" Komaru couldn't believe her eyes. Was she dreaming?

Yuta sighed "We should get going, before this brocon goes into shock."

"Wedding...nephews...I'm not old enough to be an aunt!"

"Why am I here again?" Byakuya was profoundly irritated.

"Come on. We're cheering Kyoko and Makoto on." Hina, the one who all but kidnapped Byakuya, latched onto his arm.

"G-Get away from him, you bimbo." Toko grabbed the other, throwing curses at the athlete.

"You let go!" Hina argued back, embarrassed by the fact that she argued over Byakuya, of all people.

"Both of you let go before I'm charged on account of double homicide." The blonde ripped himself free, albeit not without the grace of a gentleman who knew how to treat a lady. Byakuya walked away from the scene, only for the two to follow.

"Don't two-time my sister, creep!" Yuta entered the fray.

Komaru observed the comical scene and went after her boyfriend, muttering along the lines of 'pot' 'kettle' 'black'. She thought happily of Makoto and was going to cheer him on all the way. That was her duty as a loving little sister.

Sakura shook her head. "That is a battleground even I dare not tread."

"Tell me about it." Mukuro agreed, hands in pocket.

The two fighters trailed after them as well.

Sayaka giggled at the group, or to be precise, the change in dynamics of the relationships present. "Looks like we're all still growing."

She turned her eyes back to Makoto and Kyoko 'You finally did it, Makoto. Good for you.'

"We should catch up to the others, Junko." Sayaka addressed the only other person present.

The model gazed at the scene with a cold, calculating expression; all trace of the amusement shown earlier vanished like mist. Behind the elaborate antics and ditzy personality, Sayaka knew this was her true face.

"What are you thinking about? Nothing troublesome, I hope." The actress inquired.

"No. It was fun, but the game is over and my role in it. Now I'm Just reveling in my victory." Junko answered, monotone.

Sayaka lifted an eyebrow "Victory? Wait…you mentioned something about a bet once. What did you mean?"

"I'll tell ya on the way." Junko reverted to her outgoing gal persona "Let's go, Stinky Sis."

"…Mukuro already left, a while back actually."

Junko snapped her head back to the bluenette.

"She ditched me!?" Sayaka couldn't tell if Junko was actually serious. "I've had it! I'm going to beat some sense into that girl!"

"Well, Hiro warned you this would happen." Sayaka grabbed onto the model's jacket before she could run off, and probably get herself hurt. "But you're not getting off with that excuse. You will tell me about that bet."

"Ugh, fine. Nosey bitch…Where do I start?"

Junko turned back towards the lovers in the garden. Her expression once again neutral.

…Idiot.

With that, Junko followed Sayaka out of the area. The model referred to nobody present, but a man who was now nothing more than a memory.

"A bet? What are the conditions?" That was a proposition she didn't expect from the doomed man. She'd snuck in here on a whim, maybe to watch him wallow in regret. But would he actually manage to surpass expectations and entertain her to the end?

"We're betting on Makoto and Kirigiri."

"Oh?" Junko smiled. Now this sounded devious. "Go on."

"The terms of the bet are simple; If Makoto and Kirigiri can get back together or stay apart forever."

Junko couldn't hold back her laughter, not that she tried very hard. "You're the best, Nagi! Well, technically the very worst, but I love you!" But what Junko really cared about was "This is a bet right? What side are you on?"

"The latter of course." He said, succinctly, causing the model to resume her mad howling.

"H-How do you plan to start?" She wiped away a tear.

"I'll arrange for Kirigiri to leave Makoto. I'll use my death as an excuse." Was his answer. It was an absurd premise, but one Junko knew could work. Kyoko was a softie beneath her exterior.

"I will leave the rest up to chance. Personally, I doubt Makoto will ever regain the courage to face Kirigiri again and will probably lament his failure for quite a while. Serves him right." Hell, hath no fury like a woman's scorn…or man in this case.

"And I presume that I'm free to act in any way that will bring them together?"

"No. That would be too easy. You can't personally get involved. Your only role is to help Makoto stand on his own. Although, you can leave him to drown in suffering too and forget the bet altogether."

Junko was having a very good day "Aren't you taking all the good bits? Can't we switch positions? I'm a lot better at wrecking stuff than putting em back together."

"You know that's impossible; I won't be alive to play matchmaker. And besides…I'm the one with the grudge."

"Very true."

…Nagito laid there in silence, contemplating his decision. "Maybe if I was a little more honest, and circumstances were a little different. I could have competed with Kirigiri fairly."

Junko snickered, derisively, indicating he'd just said something outrageously stupid. She wouldn't explain, it was his problem if he couldn't figure out the glaring flaw in his statement.

"Will you accept the terms, Enoshima?"

"Was that a serious question? I'll do it, If only to savor your despair."

"I don't believe a corpse can feel despair."

"You'd be wrong. The shame of your loss after death is sweeter than you can imagine. You couldn't win in life and you won't win after it either. What more could I ask for than the very last laugh?"

"Is that so?" His eyes grew heavy. "Yes…I suppose it is. I've always lost…ever since that day." Nagito Komaeda, the man who claimed to have a memory inferior to that of a monkey, did not ever forget the events of his parent's passing. The horror he experienced as the hi-jacker had his parents at gunpoint. The parents who shielded him with their bodies from the blazing heat of that meteorite. The parents who he loved and in turn loved him so dearly. Nagito also remembered his dog, the remnants of his family meeting his end in a car accident. Nagito lost everything, and so, he never tried to gain anything back. If he couldn't win, then his only alternative was to have nothing to lose. He distanced himself away from pleasures, people and the like under the falsehood of his fascination with hope. He was forced to lie to himself, or else he wouldn't be able to live with himself. He wasn't wrong, and so he had no regrets.

Just as he closed his eyes, an old memory returned.

("Hey...HEY THERE!")

("Huh? I'm Makoto Naegi, your new roommate. Nice to meet you!")

( O-of course it does! You're my friend, aren't you?)

'No!'

Nagito's eyes exploded opened. His pulse followed as his heart beat faster than what should have been possible. He used whatever strength he had left to turn his head to the side. There he saw Makoto, still asleep, oblivious to the world. He looked…peaceful.

He wasn't wrong…that…was what he believed, but he lost then too. He missed out on the joys of spending the remainder of his youth with his peers; a fact that was brutally thrust onto him when Makoto, Mikan, Kirigiri, Kuzuryu, Souda and even Junko…no, even that runt Komaru. The youthful energy the younger Naegi exuded was something he greatly envied, thus he felt a secret pleasure in testing her constantly with his provocations. Each and everyone of them were as shining stars he could never hope to reach, not so long as he chained himself to the ground. And he'd created that prison with his own hands.

He'd called Makoto an idiot but wasn't he the most foolish of all? That question didn't need answering.

'But if I can use Junko and do this one thing right. Then maybe my life…wouldn't have…been totally…worthless'.

He knew there was no guarantee. Junko was fickle. She could easily dismiss his terms at any moment. However, he would bet on a positive outcome, just this once. But, even if he succeeded, that...wouldn't make him happy. That was settling for a consolation. He wanted to be in Her place instead.

He gritted his teeth.

'What was I doing all this time? '

'What did I accomplish?'

'Nothing.'

'Not a thing.'

'I don't want to die like this.'

'What did I tell Junko?'

'If I was born more honest?'

'If the circumstances were different?'

'Nonsense.'

'Where is the dignity in that?'

'No. I don't want to be someone else.'

'I want to stay as myself.'

'I want to live.'

'I want to win!'

His entire life flashed before his eyes, in that moment. A sealed memory. He appeared as a child huddled by the front door, waiting for the return for his departed mother and father.

He waited…and waited…and waited…

…

The heart monitor near the bed roared

Junko had seen the entire metamorphosis transpire. While Nagito had not said a word, Junko's analysis read it all, simply by the alterations in his facial expression. No, that was giving her too much credit; intuition played more role than her talent. In fact, what she couldn't believe what she had seen. Junko's analysis predicted he would expire within 2 days, but the equation was thrown off and changed too rapidly for her to keep up. Somehow, Nagito surpassed her expectations at the last second. Then died, leaving her with nothing. It was like the earth-shattering plot-twist to the biggest hit of the season, then having it cancelled right at the finale. What the hell!?

Junko relished despair to a considerable degree, it was a sadistic tendency since birth that she often found difficult to control. However, she was also a woman of self-restraint and was aware going too far was out of the question. For that reason, she couldn't take pleasure in what she had just seen. She might have enjoyed herself somewhat had Nagito allowed himself to die true to his nature; deceiving himself. But what she observed was too pitiful. A man who'd spent the better part of his life dreaming and lying, chose to awake to the truth at the end.

With her slender fingers, she reached for Nagito's lifeless eyes and closed the lids.

The noise of flat-lining was irritating beyond belief…but oh well, it's not like anyone here would wake up to it. But Junko knew someone would be rushing in soon. Ah, Mikan wouldn't take this well. Poor thing, Junko would console her in the morning.

Junko walked to the window, sparing Makoto a quick glance and then returning her gaze to Nagito with an expression of pity. He had only himself to blame; the options available to him may have been painfully small, however the choices that led to this end were still his own.

Then she jumped out the window. Was she suicidal? Like hell. Mukuro caught her just before she touched ground.

"Thank you." Junko said.

"…W-What?" Mukuro was bewildered. Her sister would never utter those words. "A-Are you in a good mood or did I mess up?"

"It doesn't matter. Let's go home. I've had enough of this dump." She had a letter to fabricate.

"That liar." Junko commented. "He didn't care what side he was on. He just wanted to use me to make those clods happy." Moreso Makoto, but who's keeping score?

Sayaka listened to the whole story, dumbfounded. Not knowing if she could comment on what she heard.

Grudge? Who was he fooling? "Whatever. I won in the end, and he lost. Just like I predicted." Junko said, yet she wasn't the least bit pleased. Her actions were nothing more than a tribute.

Junko considered herself a mature woman. Junko didn't mind losing; it was an essential part of playing a game and defeat brought her nearly as much joy as victory. In this case, she would have been satisfied with either hope or despair; it meant little more than a conclusive defeat or a conclusive victory. Nagito lived with despair, but gained a false hope at the last minute. Thus, he gave Junko neither and she couldn't stand it.

She couldn't approve a boring end to such an interesting person. And so, Junko honored her side of the deal, if only to make his end a little less boring for her, posthumously. Whether that end was hope or despair…it mattered little.

This was an expression of Junko Enoshima's love.

-10 years later-

Makoto Naegi, pulled into his driveway on a stormy night. As someone who grew up in a humble household, he didn't think he would ever get used the extravagant estate. And anyone who knew the man would think the same. But he had no intention of leaving, so why complain?

The weather hadn't been kind to his return from a long trip. Makoto shielded himself from the rain with an umbrella in one hand, while he tugged on a bag filled with souvenirs in the other.

Once at the door, he reached for his key and unlocked it.

After a deep breath, he spoke with a big grin "Honey, I'm home!" Anyone who knew the man would also agree that 10 years hadn't changed his lovable status as a total dork.

Kyoko Kirigiri came into view, every bit as gorgeous as on the day he married her. In respect for their families, Makoto kept his last name but was filed under the Kirigiri register.

Kyoko wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

"Glad to have you back. I hope the set wasn't too tiring."

"I'm used to it." He'd moved on from being a model and taken Sayaka's advice. Now he was a notable actor. "How about you?"

"Work is better. Crime rates are an all-time low, so I'm getting more free-time soon." Makoto knew Kyoko was speaking relatively. He could still see signs of exhaustion on her features.

"Maybe you should finally quit and become a housewife." He joked. Kyoko would never even consider it. "Then I could get you in an apron again. The less underneath, the better." He said with a perverted smile.

Kyoko replied with a smirk of her own. "I believe I got you in the naked apron first."

Makoto coughed in embarrassment, heat rising to his cheeks. "I still think you're crazy for wasting your last command on that."

"Oh, it was definitely worth it."

He proposed again right after. Perhaps it was worth it.

"Oh, where's the little guy?" Makoto beamed at the thought of his son. However, he didn't miss Kyoko's deflated expression.

"Kyoko?"

"We have a problem." She gently dragged his arm him to the living room. There, Makoto saw his son, Nagito Kirigiri, snoring gently on the sofa.

Makoto's heart skipped a beat at the sight as he smiled warmly. "What's the problem?" He asked, Kyoko as Makoto picked the boy up and held him in his arms. Nagito reflexively latched onto him.

"I came home and found him on the floor."

"Eh?" Makoto's eyes widened "Is he alright?"

"I'm sure he is. I asked Komaru to look after him and she told me Nagito was put in bed before she locked up." Kyoko looked pensive.

"Then maybe the lightning woke him, and he got scared." Makoto deduced.

"Our son doesn't scare easy." She crossed her arms and glared.

"I wonder about that." He chuckled, thinking Kyoko's expectations were a little high for a 6-year-old. "So, he missed us that much?"

"I think so. There isn't any other reason why he waited at the door."

Makoto frowned. "I don't suppose we can have one of our friends look after him whenever we we're busy."

"I wouldn't approve it. I'm not letting Nagito end up like Shuichi." Kyoko tapped her feet.

"…Shuichi's feelings would be hurt if he heard that." Leave it to Makoto to have a positive opinion of his wife's ex.

"That's the problem. I'd rather Nagito be emotionally stronger than Shuichi was." It's not like Kyoko hadn't repeatedly chastised the other detective to his face.

"Like your brother?" Makoto raised an eyebrow to convey his cynicism.

"No. Like Me." Kyoko blinked

"…Um…" Makoto failed to meet her eyes.

"If you say anything along the lines of 'that's the same thing'? You're sleeping on the couch tonight."

Makoto laughed at the empty threat, still not quite understanding why his wife and brother-in-law refused to ever admit they shared a similar nature. Or...maybe that was precisely the reason.

"You're overreacting. Nagito's just a kid, let him act like one while he's got the chance. He's got our genes, he'll turn out alright no matter what." He ignored his wife's glare. "Still, this is good timing. I'm on vacation for a while so we can figure things out in the meantime."

That's when a playful idea came to Makoto's mind. "Maybe he'd feel less lonely if he had someone to play with."

"Kai might be up for it. He'd make a good role model." Kyoko answered, dodging the innuendo.

Makoto rolled his eyes. Kai had emulated his siblings too strongly and taken on some of their best and worst traits. That boy was far too advanced for any 12-year-old; Nagito would never be able to keep up at half that age.

"I was thinking more along the lines of giving him another sibling." He smiled suggestively.

Kyoko sighed then smiled in defeat "…We're going for a girl this time."

"Great, I've always wanted a daughter!" Makoto followed Kyoko to their room.

"You say that now, but if she's anything like me then I doubt you'll be able to handle her."

"That just means I'd love her even more." The couple fell into bed, with their son tucked in the middle.

"Any ideas we've got for a name?" Makoto wrapped the bedsheet around them.

"We? You mean me, right? You already gave up your rights on Nagito." Makoto had been adamant on naming their first child after his closest friend. Secretly, Kyoko approved, though she'd never admit it. Also…Makoto won the bet they'd made years ago on that mystery novel and called it. Turns out it was the maid, go figure. "That was one of the rare cases where you showed just how stubborn you are. I can't win when you're like that."

"Really? I've always thought you gave in easily. You're usually more steadfast when you're really opposed to one of my decisions." Makoto pouted. "I've always felt like I missed out on a lot, like the two of you knowing each other. I can't even imagine you two in the same room without-"

"Driving each other insane?" Kyoko spoke for him. Makoto nodded "That's not totally off-base, we mixed like oil and water…but we tolerated each other. And he saved your life, I can't thank him enough for that; the least I could do was let you honor his memory."

"Bet I could tell you how Komaeda'd react if he heard you say that."

"He'd take a passive-aggressive stance and say I've gotten soft. All in a vain attempt at masking his own embarrassment." Kyoko felt a headache coming along just remembering what the boy was like.

"Wow…you really did know each other." Makoto smiled ruefully. Kyoko had told him everything that happened in his absence.

"You haven't forgiven yourself, have you?"

"No…I don't think so."

"Stupid." Even though she'd told him countless times that Komaeda wasn't bothered by the things he'd said. But Makoto was too kind to let go, and that was among the many traits she loved about him.

*Yawn*

The couple moved their heads downwards to see Nagito stirring awake.

"Hey there, tyke." Makoto patted his head.

"Dad?" Nagito slurred at first, then hugged Makoto tightly once he realized he wasn't in a dream.

"Heh, guess he really did miss us." Makoto returned the embrace.

"More like he missed you. Where's my love?" Kyoko frowned. The boy turned around and did the same to her. He couldn't hold them both at once despite his attempts, so they spared the poor boy and pulled him into a group embrace.

"So, why'd you sleep downstairs, champ?" Makoto asked.

"Um…"

"Were you scared?"

"…A little."

Makoto shot Kyoko a triumphant look. To which, his wife rolled her eyes.

"You shouldn't have been. You know nothing can hurt you here." Kyoko reprimanded him. Nagito looked away, ashamed.

"It's fine to be scared sometimes. Just know that we'll never let anything happen to you." Makoto interjected

"But, what if you're not here?" The boy muttered lowly, but loud enough for his parents to hear. Kyoko and Makoto shared a troubled look.

"I had a nightmare." The child continued.

"About what?" Kyoko gently caressed the boy's hair; a pale white color, lighter than her own lavender.

"I was alone. I waited for so long, but nobody ever came. It was…lonely, scary." In response to his worries, Makoto and Kyoko held him tighter.

"That was just a dream." One Kyoko would never let come true.

"We will always be there for you." Makoto wouldn't allow anyone to be left behind.

""Always.""

All's well that ends well...unless you're Komaeda. This story wasn't about him, unfortunately. My intentions with this series was to make a different kind of Naegiri story. These two developed a somewhat unhealthy dependence, but thanks to relationships with other relatives and close others, they're able to grow into functioning adults despite emotional setbacks in their childhoods.

Thanks for reading it.