Work Text:
Shuichi wasn’t exactly a party guy. He liked sitting in the corner and reading books, listening to music in the comfort of his own room, and hearing the sound of rain on windows. He was bad at small talk and social expectations, and even worse at the upbeat witching hour revelry that filled teenage parties. Suit and tie event? Jeans and t-shirt event? It didn’t matter. If it was a party, Shuichi was out of his element. So, needless to say, he was kind of freaking out as he danced in the royal ballroom of the Novoselic Kingdom, surrounded by rich politicians and nobles.
“I must thank you again for all your help,” Sonia said, guiding him through the dance, “Without you, I doubt this case would’ve ever been solved.”
The entire thing was Sonia’s idea. Shuichi didn’t have much interaction with the Ultimate Princess. She was in a different class than him, and though he’d seen her in the halls once or twice the two didn’t really converse. It wasn’t that surprising. After all, they didn’t share much in common. With Korekiyo she could discuss her country’s culture. With Rantaro they could talk about his adventures across the world. But with Shuichi? There simply wasn’t much a princess and a detective could discuss.
Despite that, she’d still come to him requesting he help her find a lost item. A relatively simple case and one Shuichi happily took on. Though large cases tended to fill him with anxiety, little things like helping Gundham find some lost animals or figuring out if the donut guy at Hina’s favorite bakery was starting to skimp on frosting were both relaxing and fun. He got to help someone else with his skills, all while keeping the stakes low, which in his eyes was the best of both worlds. Sonia’s case was solved within the day and Shuichi’d felt his heart swell at her bright smile.
“Shuichi, please accept my sincerest gratitude,” she’d said, “Though I do apologize for troubling the Ultimate Detective to help me locate this.”
“Ah, it’s no trouble. I’m pretty good at things like this. I’m glad we found it. Please, feel free to ask me for anything.”
He’d meant it. He liked helping people out. There was a sense of fulfillment that came from seeing a case to fruition. To closing the book on a mystery and being done with it all. Kaito was slowly trying to get him to see the good in his role as a detective, and he’d certainly been succeeding. The more little cases Shuichi worked on, the more being a detective didn’t feel so bad.
It’s just, when he said to ask him for anything, he hadn’t expected to be given a nationwide animal trafficking case.
According to Sonia, the Kingdom of Novoselic was home to animals called Makangos. It was an important creature that held tons of cultural significance. A very common pet, tradition stated that those intending to wed were to show their Makangos to each other. So when a prominent noble lost their prized Makango before showing it to their betrothed… things fell apart. What appeared to be a single incident soon grew in size, with many nobles and socialites meeting the same fate. The pain of losing a dear pet mixed with the sorrow of failing marriages caused nationwide chaos. Even after the missing cases calmed down, still the stolen Makangos were not found, nor the culprit brought to justice.
And Sonia, the dutiful princess she was, wanted to put the case to rest so that she could lift her people’s anguish. It was a noble cause, and Shuichi certainly felt for her. So when she entrusted the case to him, well, who was he to refuse?
Going abroad to Novoselic during the break wasn’t Shuichi’s original plan, but if it was to help out a friend he’d do it. Was it also a giant national conspiracy of animal trafficking mixed with political sabotage? Yes. But thinking about it like that made Shuichi’s breath stutter and his knees weak, so he was finding some missing pets for a friend and that was that. It helped that Maki and Kaito tagged along, with Kaito as emotional support and Maki as a bodyguard. Without them, Shuichi was sure he’d have already passed out from nerves. Instead, he solved the case with minimal panic attacks and he didn’t get his head blown off when assassins came after them for getting too close to the truth.
Shuichi remembered that moment quite clearly. Bullets whizzing by as Kaito picked him up bridal style and ran to get him out of danger. Maki and, much to Shuichi’s surprise, Sonia fighting off their attackers like a terrifying tag team of ass-kicking. Oddly enough, as terrifying as the whole thing was, he couldn’t help but find it invigorating.
The Case of the Missing Makangos was a cold case in Novoselic, one that had little hope of being solved. And yet, after only a week and a half in the country, he’d managed to crack the whole thing wide open. The sense of fulfillment that came as everything fell into place was intoxicating and, for once, the danger had brought a rush of adrenaline not unlike the ones he’d get during training. It’d felt good, not anxiety-inducing, and he couldn’t tell if he had Kaito, Maki, Kokichi, or all three to blame for the change in his reactions.
Regardless, all of that was secondary. The shine in Sonia’s eyes as she realized she’d finally be able to put the case to rest was the real prize. That was what made all the terror worth it.
Still. The ball really wasn’t necessary.
“Ah, you don’t need to thank me so much,” Shuichi said, “I’m just happy I was able to solve it.”
He understood Sonia’s thought process. She’d invited the three of them to her country to solve a giant national case, and they’d managed to do just that. She wanted to thank them, while also showing off Novoselic’s hospitality. Getting shot at didn’t exactly paint a good impression of the place, and she wanted to make certain they would leave with good experiences. Not to mention that they were giving up their break to solve her case, so a little bit of fun after the detective work was over would allow them to still relax a bit.
It really was sweet, and he had to admit that the castle ballroom looked absolutely gorgeous dolled up all fancy for the party. It’s just that Shuichi really wasn’t a party person. So, what to anyone else would’ve been an amazing experience, felt more like a death sentence to him.
“You mustn’t sell yourself short,” Sonia insisted, “You are a hero to everyone in my kingdom. Without you, so many precious mangankos would have been lost forever!”
Shuichi felt his cheeks heat up at the praise, “Ah, I-I just did my job.”
“And a splendid job you did. You’ll go down in our history books, most certainly. And, should such a case ever arise again, I hope it won’t be presumptuous of me to come to you again.”
Shuichi shook his head, “If you need me, you’ll know where to find me. So long as I can bring Kaito and Maki again?”
“Of course!” Sonia agreed, “I would never separate you from your associates. From this point onward all three of you have an open invitation to the Kingdom of Novoselic. Besides, Maki’s fighting techniques were quite intriguing. Before your travel is done, I may have to ask her to give tips on how to update our royal guard and military training.”
Shuichi spared a glance over his shoulder at Maki, dancing with Kaito across the ballroom. Her dress was flowy. A cream-colored skirt that turned yellow through a gradient and a deep pink top with a flowery front bow. Her hair was loose, with fake flowers braiding along the top, and a rare warm smile had found its way onto her lips, eyes sparkling as she danced.
For a moment, it looked as if Kaito was leading, but that quickly changed when Maki pulled on his hand, taking complete control and pulling him into a faster sway. The inside of Kaito’s jacket fluttered into view as he stumbled, decked out in the purples and pinks of the cosmos, and Shuichi couldn’t help but chuckle at the fact that, even at a royal ball, Kaito still refused to put both of his arms through his coat sleeves.
“I’m sure she’ll be happy to inform you,” Shuichi said.
Sonia nodded, “I’ll ask for her hand next partner change. But before that, how is the outfit treating you? I hope the royal designers made it to your liking? You are allowed to keep it when you leave.”
Shuichi looked himself over. It really wasn’t anything special. Shuichi had anticipated having to dress up fancy before he left for the country. Back at Hope’s Peak Sonia may just be a foreign exchange student, but in Novoselic? She was royalty. And Shuichi knew better than to dress poorly around the noble family. Still, he hadn’t really brought ball-worthy fashion. Neither had Maki or Kaito.
This turned out to be a none issue when Sonia had the royal tailors custom-make the three outfits for the ball. Shuichi had honestly been too nervous to request anything, leaving all creative decisions up to the designer. The most he asked was for them to keep it relatively simple, and for it to be a suit of some kind.
Seeing as everyone in the palace knew him as “the detective” that the Princess had flown in from abroad, he supposed he shouldn’t have been surprised by the direction the designer had taken.
The three-piece suit was detective brown. The color of Sherlock Holmes and other eighteenth-century detectives from generic British mystery shows. A pristine white dress shirt under a light brown plaid vest with orange buttons. A brown tailcoat and a burnt orange bowtie. Brown trousers and dark brown dress shoes. It wouldn’t faze him in the least if the designer had planned to add a matching hat, only to be told by Kaito not to (Shuichi’d been hat free for two whole months straight, and everyone around him was doing their best to make sure it stayed that way). It was the definition of stereotypical and Shuichi couldn’t help but feel a bit self-conscious in it.
Still. It was a gift.
“It looks great,” Shuichi insisted, “Tell your designers they did a great job.”
“Wonderful! I’ll be sure to send them your praise!”
“Oh! And, uh, while you’re at that. If you could thank Ms. Aberdeen as well? It really was her info that cracked the case.”
Yes, Shuichi was certain that without that little clue nothing would’ve gotten solved. His Uncle taught him to listen to everyone’s testimonies and never overlook a piece of evidence. The young palace servant may not have seemed like much, but those who are often overlooked have a tendency to have the best info of all.
“Of course! In fact, you could thank her yourself if you want to,” Sonia said, “She should be walking around with a platter here somewhere. We’ve offered her a promotion, but it won’t kick in until a little later.”
“Really? I’ll be sure to look for her then.”
The music changed. Shifting from a piano-heavy piece to a violin one. Sonia smiled.
“I suppose this is where we part ways?” she said, dancing the two over to Kaito and Maki.
“I suppose. You were a good dance partner.”
“Yes. But I’m certain you’d much rather be dancing with either of your partners rather than me.”
Though it was obvious she meant Kaito and Maki, the way she said partners felt loaded. Like she was talking about something else entirely.
“What do you-”
Sonia tapped on Maki’s shoulder, stopping her in her tracks.
“I hope I’m not intruding,” Sonia started, “But may I have this dance?”
“You want to dance with me?” Maki deadpanned.
“Your fighting techniques were unlike any other I’d seen in Novoselic. And, considering our elementary schools have military training built into the curriculum, that is quite the compliment. I hoped you could give me some pointers.”
Maki huffed and gave a look to Kaito, “Sure. Whatever.”
“Wonderful! We can switch partners then.”
Sonia quickly let go of Shuichi to take Maki’s hand. As she did, Kaito swept in to take his hand, pulling him in and putting his other hand on his waist.
“Want to dance with me, bro?”
Shuichi chuckled, “Sure, but I don’t think you should be saying ‘bro’ in a royal palace.”
“Nonsense!” Sonia said, adjusting Maki’s hold, “If there’s one thing I’ve learned from Hope’s Peak, it’s that the freshest lingo is to be used any time. Anywhere. Fo sho!”
Maki rolled her eyes, “You clearly need to work on your slang.”
“Oh! Is that not how it’s said?”
“Not at all. But that’s beside the point. You said you wanted fighting tips?”
Shuichi watched as the two of them danced away, their voices fading off into the distance. As they did, Kaito quickly pulled him along, taking the lead in stride as they glided across the floor.
“So. How did your dance go?” Kaito asked.
“Ah. Nothing special. She just wanted to thank me for solving the case. Again.”
Kaito laughed, “You say that like it’s a bad thing. Take the credit, man! You deserve some praise.”
“I know. It just… feels strange to have everyone view me as someone special.”
“Don’t sell yourself so short! Besides, you’re my sidekick, aren’t you? All my sidekicks are as special as they come.”
Shuichi couldn’t help the blush that dusted his cheeks.
“Thanks, Kaito.”
“No problem! Though, I suppose this time, I was the sidekick, huh?”
Shuichi stumbled, “Huh? What do you mean?”
“What, you didn’t notice? To these people, you weren’t my sidekick. Maki and I were ‘the detective’s associates.’”
Shuichi blushed harder. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t notice. Even Sonia, who actually knew all three of them from school (if only vaguely), referred to Kaito and Maki that way. Everyone else? Who only knew him as the detective flown in from abroad? To them, Maki and Kaito were nothing more than accessories. His associates. His partners. It’d be flattering if it wasn’t embarrassing.
“A-Ah, I… I-I’m sorry,” Shuichi stuttered out, “That-That didn’t make you uncomfortable… did it?”
“What? Don’t be silly!” Kaito assured, “What did I tell you? Everyone is the hero of their own story. And this right here? This is your story.”
“My story?”
“Yeah! You’re a hero to practically everyone here!”
Shuichi was reminded of Sonia’s words just prior. She’d also called him a hero, hadn’t she? Someone destined to go down in the Novoselic history books. It all seemed too grand to him. Like they were talking about someone else.
“I guess?” Shuichi said, cringing at his own uncertainty, “I just solved a case.”
“Uh, yeah. Which is what you do! You did what you do best and helped a whole lot of people. That’s a hero move!”
“A hero move?” Shuichi repeated, “Well then, I suppose if I acted like a hero… then I learned from the best.”
Kaito laughed, loud and strong. Shuichi couldn’t help but glance to see if anyone was staring at them, only to have his head pushed down as Kaito ruffled his hair.
“Trying to butter me up?” Kaito joked.
“Nope!” Shuichi stated, pushing against Kaito’s hand to look him in the eyes, “I’m a detective, don’t you know? I only state the facts.”
Kaito laughed again, pulling him into a loose sway.
“That’s my sidekick! Hell,” Kaito’s voice lowered a bit, “someday you might not even need me. I bet you’ll be a great hero all on your own.”
“Huh?!” Shuichi startled, “Kaito, what are you talking about?! I never would’ve been able to do this if it wasn’t for you!”
“Oh maybe now, but just trust me. Someday you’ll wake up and you’ll graduate from super pet to full-on superhero. Then you’ll be off on your own, doing all sorts of amazing things.”
“Even then,” Shuichi insisted, “I’ll never grow out of you. I’ll never not need you in my life.”
Shuichi couldn’t tell if it was the chandelier lights from above or the reflections bouncing off the drinks the servants were carrying, but Kaito’s eyes looked shiny. Almost… glossy.
“Yeah?” he asked.
“Yeah,” Shuichi said, stone-faced, before lightening the mood, “You made me your sidekick. That means you’re stuck with me.”
Kaito laughed, breath shaky, and for a moment Shuichi almost thought he saw tears well up in his eyes.
“Such a sassy sidekick,” he said, shaking his head, “I’m starting to think you’ve been spending too much time with Kokichi.”
“What? Cause I’m sassy, annoying, and won’t go away?”
Shuichi watched Kaito nearly choke on his own spit, smiling as the glossiness in his eyes was replaced with his usual dazzling sparkles.
“And here I was joking! Now I’m starting to think there’s some truth to that statement.”
Shuichi gave a shrug, “Well chasing after criminals did feel pretty good, so what can I say?”
Kaito just shook his head and pulled him along. Tugging on his hand, Kaito spun him around and dipped him. It was cheesy and silly, but Shuichi couldn’t help but enjoy it anyway. For a second, he considered doing the same to Kaito, but he quickly determined he hadn’t trained enough to pull that off.
“By the way,” Kaito said, “You’re wrong.”
“Huh? Wrong about what?”
“You said you’re sassy, annoying, and won’t go away,” Kaito repeated, “But don’t you know? I’d never find my sidekick annoying. And I’d certainly never want you to go away.”
Shuichi smiled, “Yeah? Well, I don’t want you to go away either.”
The two stood there, swaying side to side with the music, as the world revolved around them. And as the music changed, Shuichi turned around to watch as Maki and Sonia made their way back.
“It’s your turn,” Maki said, bluntly, trading places with Kaito, “Have fun with your leader talk.”
“Leader talk?”
Sonia elaborated, “This entire ordeal has shown me that I am capable of being much more than merely a figurehead. That I can help my people out in ways others can not. As such, your way with words and general charisma has intrigued me. If I may?”
She put out her hand and Kaito happily took it.
“Why of course! Communication is one of the best skills an astronaut can have! I’ll help in any way I can!”
As the two spun off Maki rolled her eyes, “To think, a princess wants tips on charisma.”
Shuichi chuckled, “I don’t think she realizes just how much her people look up to her.”
“Yeah well, Kaito’ll knock that into her skull pretty quickly,” Maki said, quickly taking the lead in the dance.
Shuichi nodded, trying his best to match her pace.
“So,” he started, “How does it feel?”
“How does what feel?”
“To save somebody’s life.”
Maki stumbled, just barely catching herself and spinning Shuichi to disguise the fumble.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Maki, you saved my life. Without you, I definitely would’ve gotten killed by those assassins.”
“If you’re trying to thank me for that, don’t.”
“If you insist. But still. You saved me and you didn’t kill anyone. You managed to take them all out without a single casualty, all while fighting to protect someone rather than kill someone. …How did it feel?”
Maki grew silent and Shuichi felt as the grip on his shoulder tightened and she slowed their dance to a simple sway. They stood there, swaying slightly to the music, for a few minutes before she finally spoke again.
“I can’t remember the last time I fought to protect someone,” Maki admitted, “The last time I tried and succeeded.”
“And?” Shuichi pushed gently.
“…It felt amazing.”
Shuichi smiled and gave Maki a slow spin.
“Sonia did give all three of us an open invitation to Novoselic,” he said, “Perhaps after school is over, you could come here and join the royal guard. I’m sure she’d be happy for the help.”
Maki paused and then the lightest of laughs burst from her lips.
“No. I don’t think I’ll do that,” she said.
“Why not?”
She met his eyes with the warmest of smiles, “If I left, who’d save Kaito’s and your sorry asses?”
“Hey!” Kaito called from where he and Sonia were dancing, “My ass is not sorry!”
“It is not!” Sonia agreed, “As Princess of Novoselic I can assert that his ass is hella fine!”
Shuichi felt heat rise to his face as a large portion of the crowd turned to look at them.
“Nobody says ‘hella fine!’” Maki yelled, clearly flustered.
“They don’t?” Sonia asked, “God damn it. And here I thought Sun Witch Esper Ito had taught me well.”
And though plenty of eyes were on them, Shuichi couldn’t help but smile. Turning to Maki, he watched as she shook her head, marched up to Kaito, and flicked him on the forehead, a smile wide on her face. He watched as the two of them playfully bickered, as Sonia’s attention was quickly stolen by a servant asking a question, and as the music changed to a peppy waltz.
With an unfamiliar bounce in his step, he walked over to Kaito and Maki and tapped them both on the shoulder. Then, he outstretched his hands.
“Hey,” he greeted them both, “May I have this dance?”