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"...Principal? Mr. Principal, are you listening?"
Makoto snaps to attention, quickly turning his head to face his very stern-faced Vice Principal.
"Ah..." he mumbles. "I'm sorry, Kyoko. What were you saying?"
Kyoko tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "It's Ms. Kirigiri at work, Mr. Principal. I do wish you took this more seriously."
"Right! Sorry Kyo-" Makoto quickly catches himself. "Ahem. Ms. Kirigiri."
She nods to herself. "As I was saying, we've arranged a meeting with Mr. Togami and the board for this weekend. I hope you've..."
This is just about the last thing Makoto hears as his eyes wander back over to the window near his desk. Putting his office next to the garden was both the best and worst decision of his professional life. The hedges and flowers always tend to captivate him, even more so when he has a lot on his mind.
As of late, it's all too easy for one principal of Hopes Peak Academy to lose his train of thought entirely. For the past few months, all he's been able to think about is about his connection with the woman standing in front of his desk. That, and what he WANTS from their relationship.
It's true that, during the killing school life (and perhaps even before it,) there had been some open-endedness to the relationship of Makoto Naegi and Kyoko Kirigiri. Their bond had grown far deeper than it had ever been before. There was little time to think about that, though.
Indeed, over the last several years, there had been excruciatingly little time to fully process the nature of this bond. Attempting to rebuild the world from scratch was not an endeavor to multitask with.
None of this is to say there was no progress per se, just small increments. The occasional blushing, the kind words, those times where they would interlock fingers and make prolonged eye contact while talking about nothing in particular.
Nothing too crazy.
Then came the Final Killing game. By this point, Makoto had fully come to terms with his feelings. This said, knowing of these feelings and having the nerve to proclaim them are vastly different things. So different, in fact, that he'd almost missed his chance entirely at the cost of Kyoko's life. Makoto still has nightmares of the moment he truly thought he lost her.
But since then, Kyoko has recovered. She's come back in full force, and has since started assisting Makoto as the Vice Principal of Hope's Peak Academy. Having her so close to him during this time of peace has made for a lot of introspection for the poor principal.
Second chances are a luxury so rarely afforded in life, and Makoto Naegi is keenly aware of this fact. That doesn't make the concept any less scary to him. When his mind starts to wander, it does sometimes drift to the worst case scenario.
What if she doesn't view their relationship as romantic at all? It would be such a tremendous breach of trust to fall for her after how close they've gotten, he's one of so few people to have seen let alone TOUCHED her bare hands! How could he betray that trust by developing feelings for her?
And even aside from personal matters, what about their positions as Principal and VP? They need to take their jobs seriously! The last thing he wants is to jeopardize the school or their respective positions in it just because of some messy interpersonal affairs.
The concept is nauseating to say the least. Perhaps that's why Makoto has gone this long without saying anything, instead letting these feelings build for years to the point he can barely look at her without feeling a mixture of terror and joy only known to those in love.
"Mr. Principal!" Kyoko shouts, cutting through his trance once more.
Makoto jumps slightly. "Yes?!"
"I need to make sure you understand this properly."
"...I'm sorry, Kyoko," Makoto starts, standing from his desk. "I think I just need to take a short walk to clear my head."
A shine of concern flashes in Kyoko's face. "I see. Shall I accompany you?"
"That's alright. Just have a seat, I'll try not to take too long."
"...Okay." She finishes, having a seat near the room's coffee table in the center.
With that, Makoto briskly takes his leave from the room. He can feel Kyoko's eyes piercing through the back of his head as he shuts the door behind him. He does feel guilty leaving her like this, but it's for her sake too. Or so he says.
The garden being right outside his office is great for times like this, having easy access to such a serene place would help any principal reflect on their feelings for their subordinate.
It’d be a lot more serene if there wasn't a bum occupying the nearby bench.
“Oh!” Yasuhiro calls, noticing Makoto. “What’s up, Mr. Principal?!”
Makoto tries not to visibly roll his eyes. “Hiro… aren't you supposed to be teaching a class right now?”
“Don’t worry about it, I put on an instructional video for them!”
“...Okay.” Makoto grumbles, not having it in him to lecture his employee right now. He has a seat on the bench next to the bum in question.
The clairvoyant stares at the man next to him for some time, wordless. It takes a few minutes before Makoto is finally uncomfortable enough to speak.
“...Is something wrong, Hiro?”
Yasuhiro strokes his goatee. “Not wrong, just… you’ve got a weird aura around you right now…”
“Aura?” Makoto replies, tilting his head.
“Yeah! It’s the air around you, man. Something’s weird…” He trails off, visibly pondering with his hands firmly on his chin. “Ah! I know! Let me tell your fortune!”
“I think I left my wallet in my office.”
“Then it’s free of charge! C’mon, just let me read your fortune!”
Makoto Naegi is a lot of things. Too polite for his own good is, quite unfortunately, one of those things. Last time Yasuhiro read his fortune, it was foretold that a dog would eat his homework. As a teacher.
And he was right.
Given the 30% hit rate of these fortunes, Makoto isn’t eager to hear another one. But again, he just can’t bring himself to decline this offer.
“Fine.” Makoto responds through gritted teeth.
“Alright!” Yasuhiro shouts, pulling out his lucky crystal ball from his coat pocket.
The procedure is the same as all of the other fortunes; the once lucky student holding the hand of his school’s worst teacher. Yasuhiro mystically waves his hand around the crystal ball in his lap, eyes closed.
This goes on for a few brief moments before Yasuhiro finally opens his eyes.
“My friend…” He starts. “I’ve uncovered the origin of this mysterious aura…!”
Makoto’s eyes go back and forth. “...Yeah?”
“That’s right… the aura around you… is actually coming from within! Your innermost thoughts are leaking out like a thick smog… you must be thinking about something really important to you!”
Despite how accurate this fortune is, Makoto can’t help but get annoyed at how showy Yasuhiro always gets with them. That said, the words still strike a chord. It had to be today Hiro does this, he thinks.
“There… might be some truth to that.” Makoto comments, attempting to pull his hand away.
In return, Yasuhiro grips his hand tighter. “Hold on a sec, I’m getting something else!”
Having lost left hand privileges, Makoto merely resigns himself to whatever Yasuhiro is currently closing his eyes and ‘focusing his mind’s eye’ on. Though this isn’t really the mindful walk through the garden he was hoping for.
“Makoto…” Yasuhiro starts. “It’s today! Today is your day of destiny!”
“Huh…?”
“Something important is gonna happen to you today! I’m at least 30% certain of it!”
Makoto gulps. “Y-You really gotta stop telling people your hit rate for your fortunes…”
“Maybe.” Yasuhiro says, letting go of the Principal’s hand. “Still though, I’m gonna get outta here before I mess with your destiny.”
Yasuhiro briskly stands up, waves farewell to his employer, and exits just as quickly as he had entered the scene. All that’s left is one Makoto Naegi, who has been making fierce eye contact with the flowers since he was told his fortune.
“Day of destiny…” he mumbles.
What a stupid fortune, he thinks. Yasuhiro can see my thoughts? Something important is gonna happen today? He just saw me going for a walk and wanted to play a prank. A mean prank.
Makoto’s thoughts keep flowing out in a hurricane; a messy, eclectic storm of disorganized thoughts and concerns. He’s so lost in these thoughts that he can no longer focus on the world around him. Complete dissociation.
Being so far gone in his own mind makes the time seem to slip away for the man on the bench. He sits there, staring blankly at a flower while his eyes glaze over like a dead fish. He doesn't even notice the sun starting to set.
…
“Mr. Principal?” A familiar voice calls out, cutting through Makoto’s trance.
Makoto flinches upon hearing her. “Kyoko…”
He doesn't make eye contact.
“You’ve been out here for hours.” Kyoko mutters, concerned. “Is something bothering you?”
Lying is a bad habit to make and Makoto knows this. He especially can’t bring himself to lie to her. “...Yes.”
“...May I ask what it is?” She responds, gently taking a seat on the bench next to him.
“...No.” The principal responds, still not making eye contact.
“I see.”
…
“I’m sorry.” Makoto quickly mutters
Kyoko shakes her head. “There's nothing to apologize for. It must be serious for it to bother you this much, that’s all I need to know.”
“Thank you.”
The silence that follows is simultaneously comforting and brutally uncomfortable. Having Kyoko by his side inspires Makoto in ways he can’t explain, but that makes the idea of losing her so much worse.
Losing her…
How many times has he almost lost her now? What if he didn't go with her plan back when they faked Mukuro’s death? Would Alter Ego have saved her? What if she didn't survive the toxin?
What if, what if, what if…?
But… she DID survive, Makoto thinks. I didn't lose her. Every time I thought I might, she ended up right back at my side again.
“Oh…” He whispers, eyes widening.
That’s what it is. Every time he thought he lost her, she came right back to his side. Even when he almost got executed, she joined him in the garbage disposal. She’s always been there.
“I’m so stupid.”
Kyoko’s eyes dart over to him. “Did you say something, Mr. Principal?”
Even now, she’s by his side.
“Yes.” Makoto says, rising from the bench. “I did.”
He takes a moment to look at the sunset, back turned to his assistant. His mind is clear now. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.
“Kyoko?” He says, not turning around just yet.
“Yes, Mr. Principal?” She replies, rising from the bench behind him.
Makoto can't help but smirk hearing her call him that. She’s always so dedicated to her job, even when nobody's looking. I guess she’ll lecture me later for saying her first name, he thinks.
"I want you to listen to me for a moment. It’s… kind of important.”
Kyoko nods. “I’m listening.”
No turning back now.
“Kyoko…” He gently calls, turning to face her. “I… love you.”
A rare reddish hue glows on the former detective's face, eyes wide.
“To be more specific…” Makoto continues before taking another deep breath. “I’m in love with you. I have been for… a while. Having you by my side all this time has made me so happy.
So happy that, for a time, I thought I’d be content with how things are. And maybe I would be, but… this feeling in my chest just won’t go away. I still have nightmares about the Final Killing Game. About you telling me I was your hope, only to die because of me.
But those nightmares have helped me realize something. If you weren't there, at that moment, I think I might have truly fallen into despair. At the time… you were preparing me for your death, weren’t you? You were trying to give me the hope to go on without you.
One of the last things you wanted to do for me was to be by my side and give me strength, just like you always do. Just like you always have. Even during the Killing School Life, it was you pushing me forward.
No matter what it was, you were always there to give me strength. I’d even say, in some ways, you became my strength. You give me hope that allows me to become everyone else's. You complete me.
I won’t ask you to return my feelings. Instead, I’ll make an even more selfish request.
I want you to stay by my side. I want to keep borrowing your strength so that I can keep giving more of my own. I want you to be my hope so that I can be yours’ and everyone else's.
That is my love for you, Kyoko Kirigiri.”
…
The utterly shocked expression on the usually stone-faced Kyoko has yet to dissipate. It’s perhaps the first time she’s ever seemed so lost for words. She brings a hand to her face, seeming to mentally go over every word that was just spoken.
After a few moments of silence, she’s finally able to speak.
“Mr. Prin-” she stops. “…Makoto. First, it’s… unprofessional to tell me this at work.”
“Ah, right. Sorry, Kyoko.” He squeaks with a nervous smile.
“Second…”
She quickly steps forward and wraps her arms around the slightly shorter principal. Briefly taken aback, Makoto has to process the situation for an additional second before reciprocating the embrace.
“...Kyoko?”
There’s no response. They simply stand amidst the flowers, hugging each other so tightly that no one could possibly pull them apart. It takes more than a minute before Kyoko finally retreats from the embrace.
“Ahem.” She clears her throat. “Forgive me for the surprise. I… had to be certain this was real.”
“It’s real.” Makoto nods.
Kyoko smirks. “...You truly are impressive, Makoto.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” He calls, half embarrassed and half confused.
“It means thank you.” She replies. “For all of the strength you’ve given me. I’ve actually had very similar thoughts about you.
You inspire hope in others like I’ve never seen before, even me when I was at my lowest. You made me feel like I could do anything as long as I was with you. You always talk about almost giving up, but you never have.
Even when everyone else did.
You were even willing to sacrifice yourself for me. When the time came for me to do the same, I couldn't hesitate. It was you who gave me that strength, so my last decision was to return it.
I feel like I can do anything when I am by your side. If you’ll have me, I’d want nothing more than to stay there.
That is my love for you, Makoto Naegi.”
Makoto flinches. “Wait… does that mean…?”
“Hmhmhm…” she chuckles. “What could it mean, I wonder?”
Kyoko tucks her hair behind her ear, a faint blush still present on her face. It’s been some time since she last teased him like this. But Makoto knows her well enough at this point to know what she is thinking.
He stretches his hand out towards her, offering to shake.
“...A bit formal for a simple love confession, isn’t it?” Kyoko comments.
“Ehehe… I guess so.”
Kyoko gently pulls the glove off her right hand before slowly reaching out towards Makoto’s. They softly grip one another's hands and look each other in the eyes.
“I want to be by your side for as long as I live.” Makoto softly declares.
“And I, by yours.” Kyoko responds.
With this formal declaration, their pact is formed. From this point onward they will continue to be by each other's sides, but even closer than before. In some ways, even closer than a couple.
Indeed, it’s almost as though they skipped past the dating stage altogether, although they aren’t quite married.
Yet.
…
“Now then, Mr. Principal.” Kyoko says, putting her glove back on. “I have to visit Mr. Hagakure. He’s in need of a lecture.”
“...That, he is. I suppose you should see to that, Ms. Kirigiri.”
Kyoko nods. She takes a few steps away from Makoto before she stops yet again.
“One more thing.”
“Yes?” He responds.
She turns back to face him. “We should go over the details of our relationship at your apartment later.”
“Ah… sounds good.” Makoto replies.
“Make sure your room is clean.” She calls, turning back around.
“What?”
She doesn't respond, she just keeps walking away.
…
“...What?”