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Kaede Akamatsu really should have seen it from the start. It had been pretty obvious to everyone else. In her defense, something else had been stealing her attention for a while.
It all started the first time she was grouped with Shuichi Saihara for a class project. Initially, this seemed simple enough to Kaede. The two had become good friends after she'd taken time to chip away at the Ultimate Detective's shy demeanor. However, the project required more time than the two usually had outside of school. Piano lessons usually took up Kaede's evenings and shadowing his detective father filled Shuichi's. This made it difficult to find a night to spend on the project.
Luckily, Kaede was able to get one of her lessons delayed until the weekend and Shuichi had promised his father that he'd read some extra files the following week. It was probably the only night they'd be able to work on it, but Kaede knew they were a force as a team. She wasn't worried.
Still, it couldn't help but bother her that she hadn't been paired with Maki Haruwaka instead. Their teacher had seemingly paired everyone at random but it would have been nice to have an excuse to spend more time with the elusive Ultimate Child Caregiver. Not that she'd been hoping for that or anything…
These thoughts preoccupied her mind as she walked Shuichi up her parent's driveway. So deep in thought, she barely noticed her neighbor and their grandson standing on their front lawn not too far away.
She didn't know them that well, given that her family had only recently moved to the neighborhood, but she knew about their grandson. Kaito Momota was her age and also went to Hope's Peak Academy. They weren't really friends, but the young man had a bit of a reputation for being…well, a lot. Akin to a bull in a china shop, he had the tendency to jump into things (i.e. activities, friend groups, conversations he was not invited to) with a vigor that had a polarizing effect on the student body. People either loved him or shied away before he could find an opening. Kaito didn't seem to mind, either way.
Kaede was fairly indifferent when it came to the self-proclaimed "Luminary of the Stars". He was nice to her whenever they saw each other, but Kaito never came off as the most reliable person to be around. They didn't have a lot of classes together either, so she mostly saw him in the neighborhood.
Sending a casual wave to both Kaito and his grandfather, she continued towards her front door knowing Shuichi was not far behind. She wondered what it would have been like to bring Maki to her house for the first time instead. It was Shuichi's first time at her house too, but she just saw him as a friend. Maki on the other hand…
"Hey Kaede!" she heard Kaito yell out, his voice echoing through the alleyways separating the surrounding homes.
Holding back a wince, she turned back to smile when she saw him already speed walking across the lawn.
"Who's this?" Kaito asked, a bright smile illuminating his face.
He was wearing a lavender sweatsuit that complimented the violet streaks in his spiky hair and goatee. His grass-stained sneakers looked more green than the white shade they'd probably been once upon a time. A long blade of grass dangled from his mouth that almost gave him the cool factor he was clearly going for. Almost. Kaede was pretty sure the grass in his lawn never grew that long, but maybe Kaito had been delaying mowing the lawn for that specific purpose. Had anyone else seen him, they'd have thought he was prepping for yard work. Kaede knew better, however. Kaito could be lazy and she often heard him getting (lovingly) scolded by his grandparents for forgetting to complete simple chores on time.
Realizing Kaito was waiting for her to respond, she turned to her group partner and cleared her throat.
"Hey Kaito. This is Shuichi Saihara, the Ultimate Detective," she explained. "He's in a few of my classes. I'm sure you've heard of him before."
"H-hi," Shuichi stammered. The young man adjusted his cap in order to look up at the taller student, his hand trembling as he did.
"Nice to meet ya!" Kaito replied, clearly unaware of how nervous he was making the detective in training. "I've heard you're pretty good at solving cases around town. That's really cool!"
"O-oh, thank you," Shuichi replied, seemingly gaining a bit of confidence. "Those cases haven't been anything to write home about, though."
"You sure about that?" Kaito asked, tilting his head slightly. "You were in the paper last week for figuring out where one of our teacher's pet cats had wandered off to. My grandparents showed it to me. That's pretty big, if you ask me."
"That was big," Kaede agreed, nodding at Shuichi. "Our teacher was pretty frantic but you handled it like a pro."
"G-guys, c'mon," Shuichi replied, blushing under his cap.
"I'm Kaito Momota, by the way. Luminary of the stars!"
"I-it's nice to meet you, Kaito," Shuichi squeaked out, still seemingly nervous around Kaito's abundant supply of energy.
"Shuichi and I have a project to work on, so he came over to complete it tonight," Kaede explained, redirecting the conversation.
"Ah, I see," Kaito replied with a nod, still looking at Shuichi. "I won't hold you guys up but I hope you stop by again, Shuichi. I'd love to spend some more time with you and see if I can't boost that confidence of yours a little bit."
He finished his sentence with a triumphantly raised fist that Kaede did her best not to roll her eyes at. Had Shuichi even asked for tips on building confidence?
Still, she couldn't help but notice how Shuichi's stone gray eyes seemed to widen as he listened to Kaito's promise. He was taking it a lot more seriously than she was, at least.
"S-sure, Kaito," he stuttered out with a swift nod. "I-I wouldn't mind that."
Kaito's smile seemed to grow wider, if possible.
Kaede raised an eyebrow as she looked back and forth between both of them. What was going on here?
"Anyway, we really have to get started," she interjected, opening her front door with one hand and pulling Shuichi inside with the other. "It was nice seeing you, Kaito!"
"You too, Kaede!" Kaito replied with a wave, as if conversations like this were just a regular occurrence in his life. "And it was nice meeting you, cutie!"
She could hear the sharp breath Shuichi took in as she closed the door in Kaito's face.
Shaking her head as she took off her shoes and removed her bookbag, she turned back to her project partner to see he was frozen in place.
"Don't mind him," she reassured. "Kaito can be a lot but he's a sweet guy. I wouldn't take anything he says too seriously."
"R-right," Shuichi replied, bringing a finger to his chin as if he were in pensive thought. His face was so red that Kaede was beginning to wonder if her house was too hot.
"You okay?" she asked.
That seemed to snap Shuichi out of whatever he'd been thinking about.
"O-oh, yeah!" he replied, turning to her with a shocked expression. "We should get to work on this project."
Kaede gave him an easy smile.
"Agreed, but let's get snacks first!" she replied, raising her fists in a 'cheer' position.
As they headed to the kitchen, she briefly wondered what that had been about. However, those thoughts were quickly engulfed with ones centered around Maki and what Kaede would have prepared for them to eat had the long-haired student been her partner instead.
She was sure Shuichi would be fine with chips and dip, though.
The second time wouldn't have happened had Kaede not heard the news from someone else.
Someone named Miu Iruma who she shared a science class with. Miu was also a bull in a china shop, just a bull that swore and laughed maniacally as they destroyed anything they could find in the restaurant.
"So I heard your detective boyfriend's been doing elicit things in the park with that space dweeb," Miu had shared while cornering her in the girl's bathroom. The mischievous grin on her face failed to hide how interested she probably was in the meeting she was referring to.
"Huh?" Kaede had replied, hoping the irritation in her voice was clear. "First of all, Shuichi isn't my boyfriend. And secondly, what are you even talking about?"
"You haven't heard?" Miu'd asked with a laugh. "He's been having secret meetings with that Kaito kid in the local park at night. How filthy is that? In a public place? I didn't know he had it in him."
When Kaede didn't bother to reply, she'd simply continued.
"I mean, I'm way out of their league but they could have at least invited me," the Ultimate Inventor had scoffed, a blush beginning to form on her cheeks. "Not that I would have showed up and participated or anything…"
Kaede had walked away pretty quickly after that, but she'd made sure to file the conversation away for later.
What were Shuichi and Kaito doing in the park of all places? From what she knew, Shuichi had detective work with his Father and Kaito was usually training at the gym in the evenings.
Had she not had other things (or people) on her mind, she might have thought back to the time she'd introduced the two of them. It had only been a week or so ago. Had they really gotten that close in such a short amount of time?
It really wasn't her business, but she sent Shuichi a quick text anyway to find out what was going on. At the very least, she'd be more aware the next time Miu bothered her.
To her surprise, the Ultimate Detective responded pretty quickly. He explained that he was training with Kaito in the park before the winter frost settled in. Their time was spent completing a mix of physical and mental training that the Ultimate Astronaut had come up with. He even made time for stargazing when they finished. Shuichi's text was a lot more expressive than what she was used to, so it was clear that the training had made somewhat of a difference already.
She couldn't help but smile to herself. If Shuichi was the neighborhood detective, Kaito was probably the neighborhood menace. Who just decides to train in the park at night? The two were opposites in so many ways and yet clearly, something had clicked.
She would have been fine leaving the two to their "training" if Shuichi hadn't mentioned that the latest addition to their training team was none other than Maki Harukawa.
Now Kaede had to see what was going on.
Luckily, her piano teacher had had to reschedule a class due to an urgent family matter. This gave her the opportunity to make a surprise visit so she could see things for herself.
The sun had started setting by the time she arrived, but it was still bright enough to spot the training trio. They were all doing a combination of sit ups and push ups on an elevated, grassy hill. Kaede walked over wearily, unsure of what she was walking into.
It wasn't lost on her, however, that Kaito was already slacking on his reps. How trite.
"Hey everyone! H-how's it going?" she said nervously once she was close enough. Inwardly, she couldn't help but wince at how her voice cracked. She sometimes hated that being around a certain someone made her like this.
"Oh, hey Kaede!" Kaito said with a bright smile. "Did you come to train with us?"
"Sort of?" Kaede tried.
"Don't you have piano lessons tonight?" Shuichi asked between heavy breaths.
"I did but-" Kaede started before noticing something else.
"You took your hat off!" she exclaimed, pointing dramatically at his teal coloured tresses.
Shuichi immediately blushed and reached up, as if to adjust the cap that was no longer there.
"Ah, I guess I did," he chuckled. Clearing his throat, he looked up at her with a look of determination before he continued.
"I needed a change," he stated, his voice filled with confidence.
"And it looks great," Kaito quickly followed up, beaming at the Ultimate Detective.
Kaede was in shock. If there had been any doubt in her mind that Kaito had changed Shuichi, it was gone now.
"They're like this all the time now," Maki added, breaking Kaede away from her train of thought. "I wish you would have joined us sooner."
Wait, Maki wanted her around? Kaede was hoping the trio couldn't hear how fast her heart was beating.
"A-ah, well," she stammered out, feeling her cheeks heat up as she did. "I usually have piano lessons after school. It's a bit of a juggling act."
She looked anywhere but at the Ultimate Child Caregiver as she spoke. That didn't seem to bother Maki though.
"I understand," Maki replied, picking up a blade of grass. "You're very talented. Your dedication is evident whenever you perform at school."
Kaede could die now. It would be okay.
"T-thank you so much!" she rushed out, bowing as she did. What was she doing?! These stupid feelings were starting to take over her movements too. Maybe she should have stayed home…
"Wow, Maki," she heard Kaito say. "You've never complimented me like that."
"What is there to compliment?" Maki asked bluntly. "You're not even in space."
"'Not even in space' yet!"
"Guys…" Shuichi tried.
"Call me when you make it there, then," Maki retorted. At this point, Kaede had straightened up to watch the back and forth.
"Maybe I will, maybe I won't."
"Really?"
"I won't have time to call civilians when I'm soaring through the universe, you know."
"I'm sure you'll find time to call Shuichi."
Kaede raised an eyebrow at that comment, even if it was from Maki. What did she mean by that?
"W-well, obviously!" Kaito stuttered, his face turning a bright red. "He's my soul bro! Of course I'd call him when I have spare time."
"Sure," Maki replied smugly, clearly happy she'd won the argument.
To Kaede's surprise, Maki turned her attention to her and patted the grass beside her.
"We're finishing up, you should come and sit."
"Oh, okay!" Kaede replied, her voice rising an octave as she spoke. She quickly took a seat before the offer could be rescinded.
Maki started asking her about homework for a class they shared and Kaede found herself studying the student's crimson eyes. Even though she was clearly engaged in a conversation of her own, she couldn't help but notice how close together Kaito and Shuichi were sitting to her right.
They were stargazing, with Kaito pointing out different constellations. Shuichi was chuckling at jokes she was sure Kaito had told him before. They almost looked like a couple.
She brushed that thought aside. No way. They were close, sure, but that close? Nah. They were probably just having a bromance or whatever those close friendships between men were called. Not that she wouldn't support them to the fullest if they were together, but really? She couldn't see it.
So, instead of pondering that thought any longer, she turned her attention back to the beautiful girl in front of her who was now plotting a way to get out of their shared math class. Kaede was a straight A student, but skipping class to spend more time with Maki was definitely something she'd consider.
Before any plans to skip class could be tested, however, the daily gossip was once again brought to Kaede by the troublesome Miu.
This time, the Ultimate Inventor was considerate enough to approach her at her locker instead of inside the girl's washroom.
"You'll never guess what I heard," Miu started in a sing-songy tone.
"I'm really not interested," Kaede replied, mimicking the same tone and continuing to organize her locker. Miu actually didn't have a bad singing voice, but she wasn't about to tell her that.
"Oh, really?" Miu scoffed. "Even if it involves those lover boys you're always fawning over?"
"Fawning over?" Kaede asked, finally turning to glare at Miu. "What are you even talking about?"
"You know, the astro nerd and the crime lover," Miu explained. "I heard you joined their little park shenanigans. Didn't think you were that kind of girl. Which one was better?"
Kaede was so over this conversation.
"Look, I have a class to get to so-" she started, slamming her locker closed and turning to walk away from her vulgar classmate.
"W-wait!" Miu called out.
Kaede looked back to see the burgeoning inventor on the verge of tears with her arms wrapped around her torso. To anyone outside of Hope's Peak Academy, this would have been cause for concern. The student body knew how Miu was, however. This was just the other side of her chaotic personality.
"Miu, please."
"J-just hear me out!" Miu pleaded.
"Fine, just keep it down!" Kaede replied, rushing towards her so that she wouldn't start to yell. She really didn't want her classmate bringing anymore attention to them then she already was.
"O-okay! Well," Miu started, sniffling slightly. "I heard the two of them got into a fight so I wanted to confirm with you since you're f-friends with them."
A fight? That didn't make sense to Kaede. It had been a few months since she'd introduced Shuichi to Kaito and they'd been inseparable ever since. Sure, she'd heard a couple of rumors about them being more than just friends but students tended to say that about any close friends they saw. Hell, she'd been hanging out with Maki recently so there was a chance someone (probably Miu) would start a rumor saying they were dating. Not that she'd mind all that much, but still…
"Are you sure you heard correctly? Why would they be fighting?"
"I don't know!" Miu exclaimed. "That's all I heard. I'm sure it was probably just a lover's quarrel but do you know anything else?"
"I haven't heard anything," Kaede answered honestly, though that might not have been fair to say.
She'd been swamped the last few weeks with mid-term exams and performances outside of school. Due to that, she hadn't been able to go to any more "training" sessions in the park nor had she been able to go for coffee with Shuichi like she usually did. She was out of the loop and clearly something had happened in the interim.
"That's disappointing," Miu admitted, regaining her obnoxious attitude. "And here I thought you'd be useful for once. Oh well, that's what those boys get for not inviting me to their little rendezvous."
"You know Maki goes to those too, right?" Kaede replied, hoping to burst the strange girl's bubble.
"Even Maki got an invite?! What does she have that I don't? It sure ain't curves!"
Kaede ended that conversation pretty quickly before heading off to her next class. Unlike last time, where her curiosity had led her to investigate further, she knew she had to interject if there was something urgent going on between her friends.
So she had no problem confronting Kaito when she saw him on her way to class.
"Hey, we need to talk," she said bluntly, stepping into his path before he could pass her.
"U-uh, do we?" Kaito stuttered uncharacteristically. He was struggling to maintain eye contact with her and it almost looked like he was embarrassed. What was up with that?
"Yes," she replied in a hushed tone. "I'm going to come to training tonight."
"R-really?"
"I haven't been able to come since that one time but my schedule is freeing up."
"We might not even have it tonight, to be honest…" he admitted.
"What? Why not?" Kaede asked, surprised to hear this. Had things gotten that bad?
"W-well," he started. Unfortunately, the late alarm rang and echoed through the hallway. It served as a reminder that both of them had other places to be at.
"I'll see you tonight, okay?" Kaede said over her shoulder as she turned to walk away.
"O-okay, see you then!" Kaito tried, though he seemed even less confident than he had before she'd seen him.
This was troubling to Kaede, but there was nothing she could do about it now. She'd get to the bottom of it later.
And that night, she did…to an extent.
It was cooler now, the winter chill creeping in ever so slightly. The cooler breeze caused the swings in the park to sway ever so slightly and the poles making up the metal jungle gym to produce a knocking noise as it rushed through their open spaces.
Still, Kaito could be found stargazing in the same grassy area she'd seen him in last time. Maki was there as well, but there was no sign of Shuichi.
That wasn't a good sign.
By the time she made her way over, the tension between her two classmates was palpable.
"You know what? You really are an idiot," Maki spat as she got up from where she was sitting.
"H-hey! You know I don't like it when you call me that," Kaito retorted, though he seemed more upset than angry at the comment.
Ignoring him, Maki dusted off her school uniform skirt and turned to walk away. Seeing Kaede approaching, she offered a nod but made no attempt to stop walking away from Kaito.
"Good luck getting through to this one," she offered as she left the park.
"I heard that!"
Realizing this was worse than she thought, Kaede took a deep breath before sitting down across from Kaito.
"What happened?" she asked plainly, feeling it was best to skip any pleasantries.
"N-nothing happened! Everything's perfect," Kaito replied, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck.
"Kaito…"
"I mean it! We're all good o-over here."
"So where is Shuichi?"
"H-he's just busy tonight," Kaito answered, still not looking directly at her.
"I don't know if I believe that," Kaede probed. "He's always busy but I know he makes time for this training with you. It means a lot to him."
That seemed to deflate Kaito a bit as he slouched over slightly and sighed.
"Kaito, this isn't like you," Kaede continued. "If it's really that bad, I want to help. You're both my friends and I don't want you to be at odds."
"Well, it's not that we're at odds, per se…" Kaito started slowly.
"We had a bit of a disagreement, I guess? Or maybe I'm just seeing him differently now."
"What do you mean?" Kaede asked, genuinely confused.
"He's…he's really amazing, you know?" Kaito admitted, finally looking at her. "At first, I didn't think he could be any more timid than he already was but he's really come into his own."
"I see the initiative he's taking with his training, his school work, his dad's cases…he's evolving right in front of me," he continued.
"When I think about it, though, what am I doing?" he asked, gesturing at the stars above them. "I'm no closer to space than when I got to the academy. It was hard enough getting in let alone making substantial progress towards achieving my goals."
"I think I might be a little jealous, if I'm being honest. I'm happy for him, don't get me wrong, but it hurts when I compare. He's thriving while I feel…stuck."
The heaviness of his confession lingered in the autumn air. Still, Kaede couldn't help but smile, knowing this wasn't something that couldn't be remedied.
"I get what you mean," she admitted.
"Really?" Kaito asked, seemingly in disbelief.
"Well, sorta. We're all going to this academy with incredible students that are pushing towards their goals. It can definitely be intimidating," Kaede replied.
"Sometimes I wonder if I'm good enough," she continued. "I'm the Ultimate Pianist but is that really as useful as the Ultimate Detective or Inventor? Are my contributions going to have as much of an impact as theirs? Is all the hard work I'm putting in worth it if they don't?"
She sighed deeply. She didn't share these feelings often, even with Shuichi, but they were honest and true. If sharing them could help Kaito, however, she was happy to speak about them.
"So I don't think you have anything to worry about. We all go through the motions in different ways. You work hard too and Shuichi is really inspired by that! I don't think you need to be in space to see how you've been motivating your peers. You're doing that right here on Earth!"
She gave Kaito a few minutes to let what she said sink in. Taking off the hoodie she'd wrapped around her waist, she laid back onto the grass and used it as a pillow.
The view of the stars was spectacular. Kaito might have been on to something after all.
"Heh, thanks Kaede," he finally said with a nod, her words clearly having the impact she wanted.
"No problem, neighbor," she replied, giving him a thumbs up. Kaito returned the gesture before looking up at the stars again.
"Is that all there was to your issue with him?" Kaede asked, not wanting to leave in case she'd missed anything.
"W-well, there was something else," Kaito admitted, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck again.
"Oh?"
"It's…well," he tried, his face starting to turn red.
"You know what? Nevermind, I'll figure it out," he concluded. Kaede blinked.
"Are you sure? I don't want to pry but if it's something serious-"
"Oh, it is!" Kaito exclaimed, raising a confident fist. "It's just something a man has to make sense of on his own, though, you know?"
She really didn't, but she nodded just the same.
"I'll leave you to it then…" she acquiesced.
Later on, when she was lying in bed at home, she wondered whether or not their entire conversation had been more of a fever dream than something that actually took place.
Her pep talk had at least done some good because Shuichi and Kaito were back on speaking terms the following week. Things weren't perfect per se, given the slightly awkward tension lingering between the two of them. Still, their training sessions had resumed and Maki had thanked her personally (she'd almost passed out from the shock) so overall, it had been a win-win.
Things took a turn one day when she was invited to sit with them during their lunch break out by the bleachers. It was an abnormally warm day for late autumn, but that was a good enough excuse for Kaito to want to sit outside. Shuichi and Maki didn't seem to mind though. Not too far from where the group of four had chosen to sit were the Academy's soccer team practicing for the upcoming season. Some of the players were pretty cute, but Kaede already had her eyes set on someone much closer.
"Didn't I tell y'all this was a good idea?" Kaito said around a mouth full of microwaved spaghetti.
"Ew, close your mouth," Maki warned, pointing her chopsticks at him. Shuichi shook his head disapprovingly.
"Kaede, are you ready for your upcoming recital?" Kaito asked, ignoring them. "I hear you've been practising quite a bit."
"Almost," Kaede admitted sheepishly. "I'm still a bit nervous, but I plan to do my best!"
It was a piano recital at a high end establishment downtown. Her piano teacher had put her name forward and before she knew it, she was getting emails about tech rehearsals and soundchecks. It wasn't anything new for the Ultimate Pianist, but the grand scale of the event came with pressures she wasn't used to. It was beginning to feel a bit overwhelming.
"You'll do great, Kaede!" Shuichi encouraged, giving her a bright smile.
"Can we come?" Maki asked stoically.
"O-oh, well sure!" Kaede replied, blushing as she spoke. "I should be able to get some tickets for you guys. That is, if you really want to come. No pressure or anything!"
"Shuichi and I will definitely be there to support you," Maki promised. "Kaito will probably come too, it's not like he's doing much of anything else anyway."
"Hey, what does that mean?!"
They all shared a laugh before continuing to eat. To Kaede, it seemed like things were finally falling back into place.
That was until a soccer ball came flying out of nowhere and hit Shuichi square in the face.
The shock sent everyone reeling, and it didn't help that the ball knocked most of their food over as it bounced off their friend's head.
"Shuichi!" Kaede heard Kaito yell before she could even respond. She turned to see a tall player she recognized as Gonta Gokuhara racing over to them with a worried look on his face.
"Gonta so sorry!" he said quickly. Kaede found herself at a loss as she turned back to see Kaito holding Shuchi and cradling his head. There were tears in the Ultimate Astronaut's eyes and he was murmuring Shuichi's name over and over again. The Ultimate Detective's eyes were closed and he was unresponsive. The hit had clearly knocked him out.
That wasn't good, Kaede realized, and she attempted to get up when Maki stopped her with her hand.
Looking over in confusion, she saw that the girl was glaring at Gonta.
"Don't just stand there," she growled. "Go get the school nurse!"
To his credit, Gonta seemed to pick up on her murderous intent quickly and jumped into action.
"R-right!" he replied, running off towards the closest school entrance.
"T-this is all my fault," Kaito sniffled, shaking his head.
"Shut up," Maki replied.
"M-Maki!" Kaede scolded, surprising even herself.
"Shuichi needs you to be strong right now," Maki continued, ignoring Kaede and glaring at Kaito.
"Y-you're right," Kaito admitted, wiping his eyes with his free hand.
Turning back to Kaede with a softened glare, Maki sighed and shook her head.
"Help me clean this up?" she asked in a kinder tone. Kaede gulped and nodded before looking down to inspect the mess that had been made.
How could one soccer ball cause so much damage?
The rest of their lunch break was a bit of a blur as Shuichi had to be brought to the nurse's office in a stretcher that only Kaito was able to accompany. Kaede was forced to head to her next class with the promise of being told when Shuichi was feeling better. Though she was sure the school would do so anyway, she called Shuichi's mom to give her a heads up. This wasn't something a parent would want to be out of the loop on.
She didn't have any classes with Maki, but she did run into the Ultimate Child Caregiver on her way to her last course of the day. To her surprise, the elusive student placed a hand on her shoulder and told her things would be okay before quickly walking away. Kaede had been stunned for a few seconds before recovering and heading towards her next class with her face on fire.
By the time her class ended (and her heart rate returned to normal), she received a text from Kaito saying that Shuichi was allowed to see visitors and that he would be leaving to grab some overnight clothes for the detective. Kaede raced over to the nurse's office as fast as she could. It was great to hear that Shuichi was slightly better after such an ordeal.
The nurse let her in pretty quickly, having seen her when Shuichi had been taken from the bleachers. Kaede thanked her quickly before heading in the direction she gestured. She'd never actually been this far in the nurse's office, so she didn't know what to expect.
Walking into the room Shuichi was in came with a bit of relief. It reminded her of a sterile hospital room with the usual vase of flowers by the bedside. The Ultimate Detective was lying down in a comfortable looking cot that had been adjusted to allow him to rest at an angle. His usual striped jacket had been removed, so he was only wearing a black shirt and his usual pants. He was awake, which Kaede was happy to see, but his face was red and he looked like he had been deep in thought before she walked in.
"Shuichi!" she exclaimed, walking to his side.
"Hey Kaede," he replied with a smile before gesturing to a foldable chair in the corner. "You can sit there, if you want. K-Kaito just left."
Kaede quickly grabbed the chair and brought it close to Shuichi's bedside.
"How are you feeling?"
"Not too bad," Shuichi answered. "Just a bit of a headache and I feel a bit dizzy when I get up. Still, I'm surprised they're letting me stay the night."
"Concussions are pretty serious," Kaede said with a shrug.
"That's true. Gonta felt really bad. I kind of wish they hadn't told him I had one."
"Gonta was here too?"
"Yeah, he stopped by not too long ago," Shuichi explained. "He brought those flowers, actually. He picked them from the school garden." He gestured to the vase of flowers she'd seen when she'd arrived.
"That was so nice of him!"
"It was, though he really didn't have to," Shuichi agreed sheepishly.
"You didn't see him after you got hit," Kaede pointed out. "He felt awful. Maki sent him off pretty quick to get help but I could tell he was shaken by it."
"Accidents happen," Shuichi stated. "I told the headmaster as much, anyway."
Kaede nodded in agreement. Noticing that Shuichi's face was still a bit red, she decided to ask her friend if she needed him to get the nurse.
"N-no! That's okay," he responded quickly. Finding herself alarmed by his response, she couldn't help but probe further.
"Are you sure? I'm no doctor but that doesn't look good. Do you think you're coming down with a cold as well?"
"I'm perfectly fine!" Shuichi shouted, quickly covering his mouth after realizing he had.
"Okay, okay," Kaede replied, raising her hands in surrender. "I'm just worried about you."
"I know, sorry," he murmured. "It's nothing medical, really. It's just that K-Kaito was here and…"
"You guys didn't get into another fight, did you?" Kaede asked with a raised eyebrow, wondering why Shuichi kept struggling to say Kaito's name.
"N-no, not at all! Quite the contrary actually…" Shuichi admitted, raising his hand to cover his mouth.
"What does that mean?" Kaede asked, her concern continuing to grow.
"N-nothing…"
This really wasn't like Shuichi, but she didn't want to probe. While she wanted to question him further, distressing him while he was recovering was a bad idea.
"Well, as long as you two are fine, I won't pry," she promised.
"We're g-great. Thanks for asking, Kaede."
She spent the next hour chatting with him until the Ultimate Detective received a text from Kaito saying he was on his way. Kaede still had piano lessons to prepare for her recital, so she excused herself before Kaito's return. She still wanted to know what was going on between the two of them, but their friendship seemed to be back on track, so she wouldn't push it.
Boys would be boys, right?
The day of the recital was chaotic, to say the least, with last minute fittings and morning interviews with local news reporters. Kaede had experience in this but this time, it felt different.
It was next level.
Her parents and piano teacher were elated that she'd been chosen and knowing that some of her classmates would be in attendance made her all the more grateful for the opportunity. Shuichi had fully recovered from his concussion (he'd also found a new friend in Gonta), and his friendship with Kaito seemed to finally be back on track. If anything, things were better than ever. The two were pretty much inseparable again and extremely comfortable being close to one another. Maki had alluded to something deeper happening between the two of them but between classes and rehearsing for her recital, Kaede hadn't really had time to ponder that thought. She didn't really believe it, anyway. The only other time she'd heard any rumour like that was from Miu who she still didn't fully trust. She hadn't had a chance to go to another "training" session, but she was sure Maki was just exaggerating when she said the two of them "couldn't keep their hands off each other". Surely, she meant Kaito had added sparring to their regiment? That had to be it.
Regardless, she had more important things to focus on at the moment.
When it was finally time, she couldn't help but feel the usual butterflies that arose whenever she had to perform for crowds. That was quickly quelled as she walked across the stage, taking in the beautiful grand piano waiting for her. She'd been told the recital had sold out, with all two thousand seats filled. None of that intimidated her as she sat down and allowed herself to lean into her favourite instrument. The songs she'd chosen for the night all started softly before erupting into dazzling melodies and rapid key changes.
She'd practiced long hours to provide a performance worthy of the stage she was sitting on and thankfully, it started off well.
Allowing herself to look out into the audience periodically, she tried searching for her friends. Her parents and teacher were in the front row, making it easy to spot them. Continuing to search, she finally locked eyes with Maki, who was sitting close to the left side of the auditorium. The intensity of the Ultimate Child Caregiver's stare felt different than it had in the past. There was so much warmth and admiration in those crimson iris staring back at her. They were breathtaking, and Kaede struggled to maintain eye contact as her cheeks began to heat up. Luckily, the wink Maki gave her a few seconds later seemed to somewhat calm her nerves. Returning her attention to the song she had to finish, she smiled to herself. Hopefully, the progress she'd been trying to make with her classmate was paying off.
She was in for one more shock before the end of the night, however.
Halfway through her final song, she looked out again to try and find Shuichi and Kaito. After her stare off with Maki, she'd kept her eyes on her music sheets and the piano keys. She couldn't afford to make a mistake, after all.
Still, she wanted her friends to know she was happy to see them. Allowing her eyes to scan the auditorium again, she found herself turning back to Maki's side of the room. She was surprised to realize Maki wasn't sitting with anyone Kaede knew. That was strange. Had Shuichi and Kaito decided not to come? She was pretty sure they'd both promised to be there.
Giving the room a final glance, she spotted them on the right side of the room, sitting together.
Now she was even more confused.
Why weren't they sitting with Maki? It would have made more sense to sit together. To add to her confusion, neither Shuichi nor Kaito seemed to be paying attention to her performance. Shuichi was looking bashfully at the ground while Kaito was scratching the back of his neck and staring up at the ceiling.
Kaede bit her lip.
Had they gotten into a fight again? Just before her recital? Maybe Maki had chosen not to sit with them to avoid the drama. Kaede could see that happening.
But how could this have happened? They'd been doing so well and she'd had high hopes that they'd finally found a rhythm that worked for both of them. Even though she considered Shuichi a close friend, there was no comparison to the bond he shared with Kaito. Even when apart, the two seemed to have the other on their mind. They were almost like a married couple, if that wasn't such a weird comparison to make.
Kaede didn't have to wait long for an answer to her questions, though. Seconds later, she watched Kaito wrap an arm around Shuichi, turn the Ultimate Detective's chin towards him, and lean down to kiss him on the lips.
Had the song not called for silence at that moment, she might have slammed down on the keys in shock. Luckily, muscle memory from her long hours of practice kicked in and allowed her fingers to glide to where they needed to be without her conscious input.
As they pulled apart, both Ultimates couldn't have looked happier.
It was like a key had unlocked a door in her mind that she had never considered opening. The past few months suddenly came rushing back to her, with every experience she'd had with the dynamic duo being shown in the correct lens. While she had been focussing on Maki, Shuichi and Kaito had clearly been focussed on one another. Her conversation with Shuichi in the nurse's office came to mind. Had he and Kaito just made up or had they agreed to be something more?
It all made sense now.
Turning back to her keys, she finished the song in style and allowed the roar of the audience to wash over her like an ocean wave.
She stood to bow and wave before exiting the stage, her performance being the farthest thing on her mind as she did.
After the additional interviews and scheduled meet and greets with several fans, she stepped away to find her friends. They'd promised to meet in a corner of the auditorium and she was pleased to see them waiting for her when she returned to the room.
When she made it to them, she noticed that Kaito's arm was still wrapped around Shuichi's shoulder. The Ultimate Detective didn't seem to mind. He was leaning into the other male's taller frame and looking up at him adoringly.
"You were amazing," Maki said as she approached them. Before she could respond, the Ultimate Child Caregiver moved forward and hugged her.
It was so fast, she almost thought she imagined it. The blush and ghost of a smile on her classmate's face seemed to confirm it had happened though.
"T-thanks," she replied, bringing a hand to her cheek. As expected, it was hot to the touch.
"Congratulations, Kaede," Shuichi added. "You were incredible and I know how hard you worked for this."
"The crowd loved you," Kaito mentioned, giving her a thumbs up. "That, to me, is the sign of a true performer. You really put on a show!"
Taking in the compliments, Kaede dipped her head and tried not to let her friends see the blush heating up her cheeks.
"Aww, thanks guys! I'm so glad you all came!"
"We wouldn't have missed it for the world," Kaito said with a nod.
"What about for space?" Maki asked cheekily, raising an eyebrow at Kaito.
"W-well, I don't know about that," Kaito stammered, scratching the back of his neck with his free arm.
"Anyway…" Shuichi interjected, shaking his head at both of them.
"I had a question, actually," Kaede started, waiting to get their attention. Once she had it, she asked the trio why they hadn't sat together.
She watched as they all looked at each other with a mix of fear (mostly on Kaito's face) and understanding.
"Do you want me to tell her?" Maki asked Kaito and Shuichi. Her tone indicated that it was the last thing she wanted to do and both guys seemed to pick up on that as they turned back to Kaede.
"Well, actually…" Kaito started.
"W-we're dating," Shuichi admitted, his voice cracking as he did.
Kaede stared at them for a moment before she keeled over in laughter. Had she been looking up, she would have seen the confusion on all of her friend's faces.
"Well, I obviously knew that," she said as she recovered, looking up to see their growing confusion. "I saw the two of you kissing during my last song!"
"You what?!" Kaito shouted, Shuichi quickly shushing him and reminding him where they were.
"You both are the worst," Maki stated, though she was smiling as she did. Turning to Kaede, she shook her head.
"That's why I couldn't sit with them. Can you imagine having to deal with all those feelings in close proximity? It's bad enough during training - sometimes I have to do my exercises on the other side of the park to catch a break."
"Plus," she continued, looking away and playing with her hair. "I didn't want to miss a moment of your performance. Y-you're really spectacular on stage."
"O-oh, I see…" Kaede replied, wondering if her face resembled a red tomato beneath the makeup she was wearing.
"Now who's getting all in the feels?" Kaito teased.
"Do you want to die?" Maki replied, switching back to her stoic self. Giggling at that, Kaede grabbed Shuichi's arm and squeezed it softly.
"I'm happy for you," she said. "Both of you."
"Thanks, Kaede," Shuichi replied, his blush more apparent than Maki's had been. "I-I wanted to tell you sooner but…"
Kaede waved him off.
"No worries, I'm glad I found out when I did. Though, it almost cost me the last song. You both owe me for that, you know?"
She was teasing, but Kaito still took it as a challenge.
"Sorry about that!" he said with an embarrassed laugh. "How about we do an extra fifty push ups in your honour?"
"That's a bad deal, Kaede," Maki warned. "Shuichi and I will end up doing them while he's slacking off. Ask for free lunch or something."
"Hey, I just got my allowance yesterday!"
"Don't spend it all on Shuichi then," Maki replied with a shrug.
"How about I pay for Kaede's lunch, then?" Shuichi offered.
"No, Kaito has to do it," Maki retorted.
"Why me?"
"School rules."
"Which rule is that?!"
Kaede smiled as she looked at her friends. She was glad she'd finally seen what everyone else had. It may have taken five hints, but she'd finally figured it out. Shuichi and Kaito made a cute couple, and she hoped to watch them grow together in the near future. It was also exciting to know that things were possibly going in the right direction with her and Maki as well. Maybe her crush would end up developing in the same way her friends' had.
Either way, she was looking forward to the journey. Just like learning a song, some things just took time.