Chapter Text
“You’re telling me,” Kaito slammed his hand down on the table with enough force to make Phoenix Wright proud, “that you haven’t even explored the moon yet?!”
Tsuyu Asui ribbited slightly as she responded.
“Well, kero, we’ve landed on the moon, but-”
“But nothing!” The boy screeched as he hit the table again, wood splinters shooting in all directions. Maki smiled fondly at his antics.
Tsuyu was Maki and Kaito’s ‘host’- she could tell that they needed someone sturdy, and she also wasn’t scared of Maki, so she offered. She was the only person hosting two wards, but she didn’t mind at all.
The two of them were fairly nice, and Maki was very low maintenance, preferring to do things herself instead of asking Tsuyu. Kaito was also easy to host; as long as she indulged in his dramatics, he was happy.
They’d started off well; Tsuyu knew she made the right choice when she told the two to call her ‘Tsu’, and Maki had nodded and told her to call them by their given names as well. When Tsuyu asked her if she was ok with her and Kaito speaking like that (Maki had already clearly established that the astronaut belonged to her), she’d said that she was fine with it- Tsuyu clearly had no intention to be anything more than friends. She was glad that Maki had common sense- something that had grown rarer to see during her time in Class 1-A.
“Tsuyu!” Kaito cried. He hadn’t wanted to call her Tsu, not with Maki, which the girl both respected and admired- he was clearly loyal, even though they weren’t officially together.
“Yes, kero? Is something wrong, Kaito?”
The boy had a spark of determination is his eyes that rivalled even Midoriya.
“You’re a hero, right?!”
“A hero in training, but yes.”
He began pacing, mind clearly racing. The two girls sat at the slightly splintered table and watched him with amusement.
“Heroes in training would have access to some fairly important people, yeah?”
He kept going before she could respond, making the frog girl realise that he was in his own little world.
“And important means influential. I mean, the number 1 hero works here. Well, former- gah, whatever, that other guy’s not number one anyway, I can tell- but All Might was a massive influence here so he’s clearly got some connections, so maybe I can talk to him and get him to… oh, I don’t know, like- recommend me? Refer me? Yeah, like a job- hm, but if nobody’s even thought about space travel for the last 200 years or so, then connections don’t mean anything, so I’d have to find someone that can actually give me what I’m looking for- maybe I’d have some luck speaking to the support course…”
“And he’s off,” Maki grinned, staring at him fondly as he rambled away. Tsuyu smiled a little.
“Is he trying to create space travel, kero?”
“Sure sounds like it, doesn’t it? He probably could- I mean, he’s the youngest astronaut ever, in our world at least.”
Tsuyu hummed a little to herself.
“I always say what’s on my mind, kero. Are you hiding something, Maki?”
The girl tensed and seemed ready to bolt at any moment. Or maybe she wasn’t preparing to run- what was she ready to do?
“Yes, I am.”
Tsuyu nodded.
“I had a feeling, kero. Thanks for telling me.”
The tension in Maki’s shoulders bled out slightly as she stared at the frog girl in open shock. Her red eyes were wide.
“Wha… You aren’t asking what I’m hiding?”
She shook her head.
“It’s not my business. I may be curious, but I won’t be invasive, kero.”
The girl’s eyes softened minutely in appreciation and respect.
“I’m not usually very open with people, but I’ve been encouraged to try by a few people I respect, so I’ve been trying to work on that. I still find it difficult, though. But, I think I’m-”
Maki stopped mid-sentence.
“...Where did Kaito go?”
Tsuyu turned, and sure enough, Kaito was no longer at the table with them. The door was slightly open.
“...That was definitely closed before, right?”
“Kero, I’m pretty sure it was.”
The two girls sighed and stood up to go find Kaito before he got lost. As they left, Tsuyu glanced at Maki. Her face was soft and unguarded- the first time she’d seen her like that.
The hero student felt warm inside, though her non-emotive face didn’t show it.
Shuichi’s eyes were hard as they stared down at the person before him, mischeivous purple eyes staring back. They were alone in the room now- it was just Shuichi and Kokichi. No one for Kokichi to manipulate, no one for Shuichi to hide behind. No one to stop the cyclone of truth and lies that they create when they talk.
It was just them.
That’s probably for the best, the detective thought to himself as the liar leaned on the table, getting his face as close to Shuichi’s as possible. He refused to back away though, and even leaned in a bit himself, meeting his bright purple eyes. Kokichi had that infuriating grin, the one that made his head spin when he saw it because he knew what it meant.
God, my heart is pounding, he thought as Kokichi grinned up at him, a sparkle in his eyes.
“Helloooooooooo, my dearest Shumai! How have you been?”
He sighed, preparing himself for what he knew would come next.
“That isn’t important right now,” Shuichi stated coldly, refusing to play this game. “What’s important is what you’ve been doing.”
Kokichi smiled bashfully and playfully tucked his hair behind his ear, making the detective realise he had slipped the cuffs off.
“Aw, Shumai, you’re so sweet, worrying about me before yourself! It shows how much you care about me!”
He leaned forward and gently touched Shuichi’s cheek, his small fingers trailing down his face as he whispered.
“Though, I think you far more important than myself.”
Refusing to play into his game, the blue-haired boy grabbed the thin wrist and pulled it away from his face. Kokichi glanced between his own hand and the other’s face, expression blank. They stayed that way for a second before Kokichi pouted and backed off, rocking back in his chair. He put on a sad face.
“Rejecting my advances, Shumai? How upsetting!”
His purple eyes narrowed then, and Shuichi knew he was getting serious.
“I suppose now that you’ve got your precious piano freak back, you don’t need me anymore. How disappointing- I thought you were better than that.”
Nevermind, I guess he’s not serious at all.
“Kokichi,” he said sternly, voice betraying no emotion as he stared the other down. “Where are the others?”
He pouted seeing Shuichi wouldn’t take the bait.
“Wow, you aren’t messing around. How disappointing. You know, I think I liked you better when you were forced to put up with me.”
The boy sighed, seeming disappointed, though it was always impossible to tell with Kokichi.
“Y’know, Shumai, it’s pretty nice here, don’t you think? I mean, the heroes seem to be treating you well, and the villains aren’t too bad either. It makes you wonder- are there more worlds like this? And if there are, how unlucky were we, with the one we ended up in? Though, I suppose this place has crime too, which makes sense. There are video games here too, which is kinda funny. And there are even lizard people! How nasty do you think insults get in this world? I should’ve been born here. Maybe I’d have even become a hero!”
He smiled slyly.
“But then I wouldn’t have met you, dear Shumai, and that sounds just awful, doesn’t it?”
Shuichi sighed as he stood up, and Kokichi did the same.
“You could have just told me that plainly.”
The supreme leader skipped over and happily grabbed his hand, leading him to the door and opening it with the key that was definitely in Shuichi’s pocket. The door clicked open and the liar dragged him out, grinning.
“But that wouldn’t have been nearly as fun!”
“Ugh,” he sighed, running the hand that wasn’t in Kokichi’s down face as Aizawa rushed up to them. The man glanced briefly at their linked hands and at Kokichi’s smiling face before adressing Shuichi.
“Well?”
“Kokichi will be staying with us at UA, and the others are with a villain group that contains a man with a lizard quirk and at least one member who plays video games. This villain group has also come into contact with a criminal organisation during his stay, though he didn’t tell me what kind of encounter they had.”
Shuichi glanced at Kokichi, who was looking very pleased. Aizawa was shocked.
“Did I miss anything?”
“Nope!” Kokichi grinned. “Gosh, Shumai, you’re getting so clever! One day you’ll be able to see through all my lies, neeheehee!”
“I doubt you’d ever let that happen.”
Aizawa regained his composure and called to someone, but Shuichi wasn’t paying attention.
His gaze was locked solely on Kokichi.