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The moon rose lazily in the sky, shining over Hope's Peak Academy and illuminating the grand structure that had become synonymous with both hope and despair.
It was mid-August now, the remnants of Christmas lingering in the form of twinkling lights that decorated the balconies.
All was quiet and tranquil, like an ordinary autumn night, small leaves fluttering through the cold breeze outside.
All was calm. Except for one.
Kirumi Tojo, the Ultimate Maid, looked out through the window to look at the balcony, her sharp gaze focusing on the bright strands of colored lights that still hung up, clinging stubbornly to the railing, untouched since their festive display last December.
...Miu. She thought to herself with a twang of annoyance, crossing her arms and turning away to look at the inventor in question.
With a sigh, as she turned around, she found her strawberry-blonde classmate Miu Iruma sprawled on the couch, fiddling with her latest invention.
"Miu," Kirumi called, her voice calm yet commanding, steady yet with an undercurrent of slight agitation.
"Wassup, maid freak?" Miu called out in response, not looking up from her gadget.
Kirumi exhaled through her nose, but hoped that the girl was at least listening. "Was it not your turn to take down the Christmas lights?" She tilted her head, her eyes narrowing. "But still, now that it is in the middle of August, it seems they have not moved an inch. Care to explain?"
"Eh?" Miu blinked, looking up at Kirumi. The inventor seemed to process her words, before scoffing and waving her away. "Ah, don't worry 'bout them! It don't matter, anyway. It gives the place character." She shrugged, turning back down to fidget with her invention.
Kirumi sighed quietly, putting her hands on her hips as she raised a brow. "Character?" She echoed, a hint of disbelief in her voice. "It is mid-August, Miu. They should have been taken down a long while ago. We all agreed it would be your responsibility this year."
Miu lifted her head, groaning out of annoyance. "Ugh, why bother?! It’s just a bunch of dumb lights. Who even cares about that? It’s not like anyone else is complaining." She grumbled, rolling her eyes. "Plus, uhh.. It totally matches the autumn vibes. Right??"
Kirumi frowned, crossing her arms. "We need to maintain the academy’s appearance. It is important for morale.”
Suddenly, a voice piped up from the hallway. "Uh.. I can help!" Shuichi Saihara, the Ultimate Detective, stepped into view, a sheepish smile on his face (as he often had). "I'll just grab a ladder. Kaito can help too.. W–We can make a group thing out of it, yeah...?"
Kirumi pondered over the possibility of it for a moment. It would certainly be over and done with quickly if Shuichi, Kaito, and perhaps some others helped out like that.
But then again... It's unfair to make them clean up a mess when Miu should be the one cleaning instead.
...But... Miu seems adamant about not doing it.
...So...
...Yes! Aha! Kirumi knows what she must do!
Kirumi turned to Shuichi, and shook her head firmly. "No, I shall handle it myself. It is my responsibility."
"Wh–What?—"
But before Shuichi could stutter out another word, Kirumi swiftly turned around and began storming towards the balcony, sliding the glass doors open and stepping forward.
"Wh—Kirumi! W–Wait!" Shuichi stammered, hastily beginning to hurry forward as he followed her onto the balcony. "Stop, that’s dangerous..." He sighed, standing behind her as he hoped that she'd just see how crazy the idea of it was and just step back off the balcony.
"No, no, I insist." Kirumi interrupted, her determination unyielding as she looked at the ledge of the balcony, and then up at the Christmas lights hanging on the railing above. "I promise you, this easy task will be over and done with in an instant."
And then, Shuichi's eyes went as round and wide as saucers as Kirumi clamped a hand down on the ledge, heaving herself up onto the thin ledge of the balcony.
Shuichi yelped, rushing forward as he cautiously watched Kirumi from his place on the balcony. "Please, Kirumi, it's dangerous!" Shuichi exclaimed again, heavy hints of worry creeping into his voice. "You shouldn’t do this alone. What if you fall?.. C–Come on, we could all do it together instead—"
"Oh, you worry too much, Shuichi." Kirumi cut him off, smiling slightly, her endless determination and confidence in her own abilities unwavering
Before Shuichi could respond, Kirumi properly propped her feet onto the ledge, completely climbing on, balancing carefully.
Shuichi’s heart raced as he watched her, his eyes growing wider by the minute. "Be careful!" he shouted, his voice laced with anxiety. "You really shouldn’t be up there alone, it's a bad idea!"
"Shuichi, I assure you, I am fine." Kirumi replied, her tone slightly exasperated as she reached for the lights, her gloved fingers deftly untangling the colorful cords. "I have done things like this many times before, it does not faze me."
But with each lean and stretch, Shuichi felt his stomach churn. He clenched his fists, trying to suppress his rising panic. "Just… Please be careful... I don't want anything to happen to you..." He mumbled weakly, but his words got lost in the sudden breeze blowing past them.
Kirumi wobbled slightly at the wind, causing Shuichi to jolt in alarm, but she quickly regained her balance and continued with the task at hand. Shuichi breathed out a sigh of relief, shaking his head.
She's... Gonna give me a heart-attack, one day... Shuichi thought nervously to himself with a sigh.
Shuichi watched as she leaned over the ledge to reach the railing, and he winced as she did so. "K–Kirumi—" He began, but his voice cracked, causing him to flush red. He swallowed for a moment, before looking back at the maid. "You're not being careful enough..." He said, slightly louder.
Kirumi sighed, pausing in her task to glance back at him. "Shuichi, I do appreciate your concern, but I promise you, I am perfectly qualified to do this. I do not need anyone else’s help." She said, and resumed her work, her movements steady and confident.
"B... But..." Shuichi started, but it felt as if his arguments were falling on deaf ears.
"Shuichi," Kirumi said sharply, turning to face him, making him flinch and gulp anxiously. "I tell you time and time again, there is absolutely no need to fret over me."
Shuichi raised a sceptical brow, fidgeting with his hands as he looked nervously at the maid. "...Really...?"
Kirumi nodded, as she twisted her body around to fully look at him, putting up a calm smile to a reassure him. "Of course. See? I am fi—"
—Kirumi was, in fact, not fine.
At least, not anymore.
As she twisted her body to face the Detective before her, she felt something yank on her ankle, and in a split second, everything changed.
...Uh oh.
The Christmas lights wrapped around her ankle, pulling her right of balance. A sharp gasp escaped her lips, and in the next moment, she felt herself falling head-first, the ground rushing toward her at high speed.
"KIRUMI!" Shuichi screamed, his voice piercing through the air. He leaned over the edge, eyes wide in horror. Anyone who didn't see what just happened could've assumed he just witnessed a murder.
...Though, a dead body wasn't completely out of the question with how things seemed to be going.
...
...Actually, perhaps that's just a little too morbid.
In a whirlwind, Kirumi felt herself flip upside-down, her head spinning. The Christmas lights had ensnared her ankle, and in the process of falling also wrapped around her, thankfully preventing her dress from falling and saving her from the further embarrassment.
...And, it seems that the Christmas lights were both her downfall and her saviour.
Due to the lights wrapping around her body and ankle, it kept her from falling completely. The sensation was disorienting, her vision blurring as she dangled helplessly in the air.
Kirumi’s heart raced as she hung upside down, the lights tangled around her ankle, securing her in place but painfully constricting. She swayed, trying to regain her composure and focus.
Shuichi leaned over the edge of the ledge, his voice a mix of terror and urgency. "K–Kirumi?! Just... Hold on, I'll get help!!" And with that, Kirumi heard his noisy, retreating footsteps.
Kirumi's vision was a dizzy haze, but as she blinked rapidly through it, she realized she was swaying dangerously close to Maki’s window. She banged on the glass, urgency flooding her thoughts at the idea of an escape. "Maki...! I... am in dire need of your assistance!"
Inside, Maki Harukawa sat with her AirPods in, completely oblivious to Kirumi’s predicament. The music blasted loudly, drowning out any frantic cries for help. Kirumi’s heart sank.
"..."
...This is... Wonderful.
So, all Kirumi could do now was hang helplessly in the air.
...'Yay'.
Later that evening, Shuichi supported Kirumi as they walked through the hospital. It was dimly lit, the sterile scent of antiseptic filling the air.
Kirumi winced - but tried to keep it subtle - with every step they took, her ankle throbbing painfully.
She sighed, as she glanced at Shuichi. "I told you I was fine..." She mumbled, trying to maintain her usual composure an slowly failing as long seconds passed.
Shuichi shot her a glare, but concern was still etched in his features. "Y–You were dangling upside down from a balcony, Kirumi...! You could’ve seriously injured yourself, you should've been more responsible."
Kirumi bit her lip, her pride wounded. "...But, I did not injure myself, so there is no need to worry." She responded stubbornly, adamant that she was perfectly fine.
As they reached the reception desk, the receptionist looked up, her expression bored-looking. "...What?"
Shuichi raised a brow at her demeanor, but cleared his throat awkwardly. "Uhm... M–My friend is seriously hurt, she needs some help." He blurted out.
The receptionist sighed dramatically, grabbing a pen and pulling a piece of paper towards her. "Name?"
"Kirumi Tojo."
"Kirumi... Tojo..." The receptionist muttered, writing on the paper. She then lifted her head, looking at the pair again. "And how exactly has she gotten injured?"
Shuichi swiftly turned to Kirumi, raising a questioning brow as he motioned for her to tell the receptionist.
Kirumi flushed a shade of red, looking away. "...I... I fell off of our balcony whilst taking down Christmas lights."
The receptionist's eyes narrowed. "You still have your Christmas lights up? In August?"
"That's not the point!" Shuichi huffed, his eyebrows furrowing. "She needs medical attention, fast."
The receptionist sighed, shrugging. "We’re really busy tonight. You’ll have to wait." She said flatly.
Shuichi frowned, shaking his head as he began to protest. "B–But she needs immediate attention!"
"Shuichi, it is fine, I do not want to cause a fuss," Kirumi tried to interrupt, but Shuichi firmly shook his head.
"N–No, we can't wait, not when you have a sprain, or worse...!" Shuichi fretted, and turned back to the receptionist. "Her ankle, or—or foot could be broken, or something!" His voice trembled with urgency as he leaned slightly over the counter, trying to convey the seriousness of their situation. "You gotta help...!"
The receptionist merely shrugged, her attention already drifting back to her newspaper, where she seemed to be playing a game of scrabble. "I’m sorry, but you’ll have to take a seat and wait your turn."
Frustration bubbled within Shuichi, but he knew arguing would get them nowhere.
He turned back to Kirumi, who was now looking paler than before, but determined as always. He sighed.
"Come on, let’s find a place to sit." He suggested with a resigned sigh, and began to gently guide her toward a row of chairs in the corner of the waiting room.
He supported Kirumi's weight, putting an arm around her as Kirumi begrudgingly put her arm on his back.
They eventually made it to the seats in the corner, and as he helped her settle into a chair, Kirumi grimaced, trying to adjust her position to alleviate the pressure on her injured ankle.
"It is wildly unbecoming for me to be in this state. I should be taking care of others, not being the one being catered after, Shuichi." She said, her voice low and filled with frustration.
"Kirumi," Shuichi replied gently, "it’s okay to let someone take care of you sometimes. You don’t have to be the one always looking after everyone else, you know?"
She shook her head, her pride refusing to back down. "I appreciate your concern, but truly, I can handle this. I have a responsibility to uphold my duties."
Shuichi, feeling a mix of sympathy and irritation, sighed. "You might be the Ultimate Maid, but you’re also human, Kirumi. You can’t do everything alone. Please, just let me help you.."
"..."
For a moment, Kirumi was silent, her eyes focused on the floor. Then, she looked up at him, a flicker of vulnerability crossing her features, and then quickly vanishing as quickly as it had arrived.
"...I should be the one taking care of you..." Kirumi grumbled.
Shuichi chuckled light-heartedly at Kirumi's grumpy demeanor, his small laughs making her heart flutter. "Alright, Kirumi, but right now, you need to rest."
Shuichi's eyes drifted down to Kirumi's injured leg, and an idea lit up in his mind.
"Hey, just... Put your leg up on my lap. It'll probably help with pain, okay?" Shuichi suggested, turning his gaze to Kirumi's face.
Kirumi stared at Shuichi incredulously, as she shook her head stubbornly. "I absolutely will not do that. It is unbecoming of a lady, and even worse for a maid."
"So what? This is a hospital and you're wounded, it's not like anyone's gonna care. I know I sure wouldn't...!"
Kirumi's eyes narrowed. "I won't do it."
Shuichi huffed out a sigh. "Kirumi, just let me help you." He insisted, his frustration boiling over. "You're hurt, and you need to take care of yourself. I'm not gonna let you suffer just because you think it's 'unbecoming'."
With a huff of indignation, Kirumi was about to retort, but before she could say anything, Shuichi gently grabbed her legs and pulled them up, placing them over his lap. Kirumi froze.
Shuichi smiled at her, crossing his arms over her legs. "There. See? It's not so bad." He said, a hint of triumph in his voice.
Kirumi paused, not speaking for a moment, until her eyes widened in surprise. But, she quickly masked it as irritation. "You cannot just—"
"Just relax," Shuichi interrupted, his voice slow and calm as he smiled, nodding at Kirumi. "You're safe here. Let's just wait for the doctor."
Kirumi exhaled sharply through her nose, and didn't say another word, looking away.
"..."
The two fell into a strange silence, the ambient sounds of the hospital enveloping them. As the minutes turned into what felt like hours, Shuichi couldn’t help but steal glances at Kirumi. Her usual composed demeanor was slightly cracked; the pain was evident in her furrowed brow.
"Are you sure you’re okay?" He asked softly, wanting to break the silence. "I–I mean, aside from your ankle."
"I will manage," she replied, her voice firm but lacking its usual vigor. "I have had worse injuries before."
Shuichi raised an eyebrow. "Worse than dangling upside down from a balcony? I find that hard to believe." He said, huffing out a little chuckle.
Kirumi chuckled lightly with him, a sound that felt foreign to her ears. "You would be surprised. But it is not the injuries themselves that concern me, exactly..." She trailed off. She pursed her lips for a moment, before continuing on. "...It is the fact that I failed to fulfill my duties. I allowed myself to be reckless... I would like to finally apologise."
Shuichi's eyebrows knitted together in concern, as he tilted his head. "Recklessness is part of being human, Kirumi," he reassured her. "We all make mistakes."
Kirumi exhaled softly, nodding slowly. "...Right, of course." She said quietly, and they fell into silence yet again.
They sat in silence for a moment, the tension in the air gradually dissipating. Kirumi stole glances at Shuichi, who was focused on her ankle, his brows furrowing in concentration.
"...You know," Kirumi began, this time it being her to break the long silence. Shuichi turned to her with a curious look. "..You did not have to worry quite so much about me." She muttered quietly.
She did wonder why he seemed just so anxious. Of course, it would be normal for someone to react like that to such a situation, but...
...Oh, stop. She's just overthinking this.
"Yeah, but you're not invincible, Kirumi." Shuichi frowned softly. "I reacted like that, because... I care about you. And that's why you need to stop getting hurt, because there's so many people that care about you. And it hurts for... Them... To see you hurt." Shuichi's sentence got more timid and quiet, as he slowly trailed off and looked down, fidgeting with his hands.
"...I... Understand what you mean." Kirumi slowly nodded, her eyes downcast.
She then lifted her gaze, glancing at the boy in front of her. "But, you know, Shuichi..."
Hearing her, Shuichi blinked, turning his gaze up to look at the maid.
"...There are.. People who care about you, too. And.. They would also hate to see you get hurt. So you also must stay safe."
Kirumi said bravely, and her heart even raced during the moment at the idea of the words, wondering if Shuichi knew what she meant.
Shuichi merely stared at her with a slight surprised expression, until it softened giving way to a gentle smile.
"...I will, Kirumi." He said quietly, before looking away.
And so, the two of them dropped into another silence. But this one felt more comfortable than other times.
"..."
...Kirumi never would have thought that she would be spending her night stuck at a hospital with Shuichi and a sprained ankle.
...But...
...Strangely enough, she doesn't feel all that bad about it anymore.