A.N: This is my second contribution to the DR fandom once again featuring my two cuties aka Naegiri. This story takes place before the events of Trigger Happy Havoc and contains some important spoilers for DR1. Otherwise, it is spoilers-free for DR2, the anime and V3. Slight AU (pre-despair). Enjoy!

The sixteen students of Hope's Peak Academy's 78th class were gathered for their second math class of the week. It was actually their last class of the day and they were awaiting the results from their latest test. Their teacher, a middle-aged woman, took the aforementioned tests and stood up from her chair.

"I am now going to hand you your tests from Monday.", she began, essentially stopping every chatter going on in the classroom.

Makoto began to shake a little due to his growing nervousness. He had worked very hard to get a good mark. He was no genius when it came to math but hoped that his hard work would be rewarded.

"First, Sakura.", the teacher announced.

She approached the Ultimate Martial Artist and handed her the sheet of paper.

"73. Good work, your efforts didn't go unnoticed."

Makoto knew Sakura was a pretty good student. She dominated everyone in P.E and was a little above average in the other classes. She didn't seem neither disappointed not especially satisfied.

I would love to get 73's all the time and not be satisfied… Makoto thought. His yearly average was of 71 and he needed a 70 to pass the year for sure. A 73 would likely be enough to be safe.

"Celeste.", the teacher said as she got to the Ultimate Gambler's table. "Excellent work. 86. Keep it up."

Celeste took her test and after eying it for a few seconds, put it away in her bag. That was a habit of hers, actually, not to really care about the details of her tests. She just glanced at the mark and put it away.

No surprise. Celeste is pretty good at math. The lucky student rationalized. I'm fairly certain this test didn't really matter for her year anyway.

"Leon.", the class heard the woman sigh and turned towards the Ultimate Baseball Star. "I stopped expecting anything a long time ago. 24, and I was kind."

Ouch. Makoto thought. I know Leon doesn't care much about classes and all, but still… He's lucky to be good at P.E or he'd be sure to fail the year!

In fact, the red-haired boy really didn't seem to care, seeing how he didn't even flinch when the teacher handed him his test. And while she had stopped expecting anything out of him long ago, the reverse also seemed true.

"Chihiro. Ah…", she breathed in relief. "95. Excellent work, as always."

The teacher handed the short girl her marked test and Makoto noticed she was smiling. He didn't know if it was because she was the Ultimate Programmer or if her brain just worked better than most, but Chihiro was truly gifted for math and sciences in general. And contrary to Celeste, the Luckster had noticed that Chihiro always scanned her tests thoroughly, making sure to spot any mistakes the teacher had corrected.

"Hifumi.", the boy looked up as he heard his name. The teacher approached him. "79. Good work overall, but make sure to avoid silly mistakes like the sign error in exercise three."

The Ultimate Fanfiction Writer seemed proud of his mark. Makoto had realized from day one that Hifumi, contrary to most students, couldn't count on P.E to pass the year. But he was good at English and chemistry, so Makoto had no reason to believe he wouldn't pass.

"Kyoko.", the teacher looked for the lavender-haired girl. "Excellent work. Perfect knowledge of every formula, too. 93."

"Thank you, ma'am.", the Ultimate Detective said politely as she took ahold of her test.

Kyoko is really amazing. Makoto thought as he looked at the girl in question pensively. She excels in every class and is so humble about it… I wish I could be as smart as she is! A small smile formed on the lucky student's lips as the nervousness he felt went away for a little moment. Kyoko was examining her sheet as well, her expert eyes looking for the mistakes that had cost her seven points.

"Toko.", she then announced. "71. Your hard work is finally starting to pay off. Keep it that way."

The first thing Makoto realized was the surprise on the Ultimate Writing Prodigy's face as she was handed her test. He didn't know it is was due to her low self-confidence or something else, but she didn't seem to believe the mark she had gotten.

It's true that Toko is usually not one for scientific classes. He observed mentally. After all, she is a writer, not a scientist! This good grade basically meant that the antisocial girl would pass without trouble, her perfect records in both English and literature more than compensating for her under-average to average level in science.

"Junko.", the Ultimate Fashionista raised her head in a quick motion at the mention of her name.

"Yeah, it's me!", she declared loudly even before the teacher could get to her.

"I… knew that.", the teacher sighed. "Excellent work. 88."

Junko took her test and set it on the table quickly and got back to staring out the window to the outside.

It's truly surprising how a girl as carefree about classes as Junko manages to always get very good marks. Makoto thought as he noticed the blonde-haired girl fiddling absent-mindedly with her hair. It's like she doesn't even need to work hard, like it just flows… I'd love that ability… He told himself as his legs began to shake even more as the woman distributed more and more tests.

"Mondo.", she said in a strong tone, already giving a clue as to the quality of the work the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader had done. "You seriously need to get to work. 35."

The biker just grabbed his test and shrugged. Makoto swore he heard him mutter "Yeah, whatever."

Mondo is a cool guy but he won't pass if he doesn't work at least a little… Because outside of that one time in P.E when we practiced boxing, I'm not even sure he got an above-average mark. Still, it was clear that Makoto was worrying more for the guy than the guy himself since he just took his test and put it into a ball that he tossed into the nearby bin when the teacher was not looking then went back to unpleasingly staring at the clock.

"Sayaka.", the teacher said, her voice softening as she looked for the blue-haired Ultimate Pop Sensation. "Good work. 78. Keep it up."

Contrary to her boyfriend Leon, Sayaka was a good student. She was not the best, by any means, but was certainly good enough to be sure to pass without any trouble. The singer was actually a good friend of Makoto's, so he was glad whenever she got a good grade.

"Kiyotaka."

"Yes, ma'am!"

Basically the entire class save a few students turned around to look at him and sent him a disapproving look. Even though he had been unanimously elected class representative, there was not a single soul in the class that approved of his boot-licking of the teachers.

"90. Great work.", the teacher told him and gave him is test with a smile.

"Thank you, ma'am!", Taka declared politely and even bowed his head.

Taka… Makoto sighed funnily. No wonder he is every teacher's favorite, acting like he does!

"Aoi.", the teacher announced. "You are getting there. 71. Keep up the hard work."

The Ultimate Swimming Pro smiled at the compliment and took her test. She would be put into the "carefree" category by most but this didn't mean she was not a hard-worker when it came to her weaknesses. She owned many world records in swimming thanks to her hard work, and was visibly trying to replicate this for her classes.

Hina will pass for sure, too. She's amazing at many sports and isn't under-average in any class. Makoto thought as he observed the tan-skinned swimmer. Exactly like Sakura when I think about it.

It was particularly true that the Martial Artist and the Swimmer shared many similarities that had made them best friends. They were both amazingly gifted at their own physical activity and were good enough anywhere else to make sure they would pass the year without any trouble.

"Mukuro. I see you worked hard, and it paid. 80.", she told the Ultimate Soldier who took her sheet with a thanking nod.

She seems satisfied enough. Makoto thought as he looked at the short-haired soldier. Ever since she had asked him out and he had politely declined, Mukuro seemed to be quieter and overall a little colder. The thought that he hurt her by rejecting her sometimes disturbed Makoto, but he realized that he had not done anything wrong and was simply not attracted to her, like she was to him. At first, it had flattered him that someone was attracted to him, but he couldn't just accept for this reason. His interests were elsewhere, actually. Even still, they had managed to remain friends, like the Luckster was with everyone in the class.

"Byakuya.", the teacher announced and approached an unimpressed Byakuya. "Another flawless work, congratulations. 100."

Some students looked at him in awe but he didn't even care enough to give them a glance in return. Toko was literally drooling as she eyed him intensely, and although he reacted to that, Makoto doubted this reaction was anything good for the novelist.

Another perfect mark… I'm impressed with Byakuya's level in every class. He thought to himself as the Ultimate Affluent Progeny simply crossed his arms, as passive as ever. He didn't get anything other than a 100 all year long! That must be the first time in Hope's Peak history! But poor Toko, the only attention he gives her is to either reject her or use her like his slave. Not that she seems to dislike it, but I doubt this is any good for her dignity…

"Yasuhiro.", she made her way to the Ultimate Clairvoyant who was fiddling with his crystal bowl. As she approached, he put it down and began to cross his fingers. "Well, it's not miraculous, by any means.", the teacher added. "But it's better than usual. 40."

He seems somewhat reassured. I… guess? Makoto thought as Hiro let out a long breath. Whether it was a breath of relief or of exasperation, he didn't know, but considering the marks the fortune-teller usually got, all he could be was relieved. I'd be glad for Hiro if he passed, though. He is laid-back, sure, but he has a good heart and you just can't wish him ill.

Before the teacher could call out the next name, the Ultimate Lucky Student realized that she had already delivered fifteen tests. They were a class of sixteen, meaning that only one test had not been handed. And when Makoto realized that he had not gotten his own test back yet, he tensed up quite badly.

The results of this test would most likely decide whether or not he would pass math for the year. You'd need to pass in half of the classes to pass the year, and Makoto had calculated that he would pass in English, P.E (to his surprise), chemistry, and history. On the other end, he knew he wouldn't pass in physics, Japanese, geography, literature, and biology. This meant that his results in math would condition whether or not he would pass without going to remedial classes this summer.

"And finally, Makoto.", the woman said.

Please, I just need to get in the seventies and I'll be fine! He couldn't help but shake even harder as his mind focused entirely on the teacher and the last test she held in her hand. Please, please, please, plea-

"You worked hard, that I noticed.", she told him. "However, this didn't always translate to actual good answers. It's a 52, but don't give up."

He was utterly crushed. He didn't get in the 70's like he had hoped, and he had been pretty far from it too. He took the test weakly.

"T-Thank you, m-ma'am.", he awkwardly and shyly said before letting go of the test and covering his face with his hands in disappointment.

N-No… I-I had worked so hard! How could this have happened?! Makoto wondered, small tears forming themselves behind his trembling hands. I-I actually got a worse grade than usual! I'm g-gonna fail my year now…

He breathed a long sigh and brushed the few tears on his face. He looked down at the test. He thought that if he stared at it enough, perhaps the mark would go up? But, of course, it didn't and the 52 inscribed in red pen remained for Makoto to sadden about.

"I am overall pretty satisfied with your work.", the teacher said as she sat back down at her desk. "The class average is of about 72, which is pretty good. However," she empathized on this word. "I need to say that the discrepancies between the best grades," she eyed Byakuya. "and the worst grades," she eyed Leon. "are concerning. Do not forget that we are nearing the end of the year and that the fate of some of you isn't settled quite yet."

This was a clear warning to everyone who didn't care enough about the class that she held their fate in her hand. But while this warning was mainly directed to the Ultimate Baseball Star and Ultimate Biker Gang Leader, someone else took it to heart. And it hurt them, extremely badly.

I'm going to fail because of this test, aren't I? Makoto told himself, hurting himself even more by his self-depreciation than by the actual shock of finding out his test result. I got the fourth worst grade of the class only behind Mondo, Leon and Hiro who have the worst yearly averages of the entire class…! I feel shameful… The fear of failing was plaguing him and his negative thoughts were only paused by the loud noise of the bell signaling the end of the class.

"Well, you are free to go. I advise working hard for Friday's test, the last of the year.", the middle-aged woman told the 78th class. "Have a nice day."

With that, the sixteen students stood up and began heading towards the exit. The actual level of interest of the students for the class could be immediately deduced from the goodbyes they gave the teacher on their way out. From a genuine and sympathetic "have a nice day, ma'am" from the likes of Kyoko or Taka, to a disdainful silence from Mondo, passing by a relaxed "see ya'" from Leon.

The last one to exit the classroom was Makoto and after a polite but weakly-voiced "have a nice day", he found himself in the hallway.

The long corridor of the third floor of the Academy was slowly being filled by students from many classes. As usual, all these students were eying the 78th class, the Ultimate Class, as they were called. Many were jealous but others were only fantasizing on the best class in the country, if not the entire world.

Makoto paid them no mind though, as he headed straight for the cafeteria. He was feeling completely down, more than he had in a long time and lowered his head in shame. He vaguely heard voices echoing through the halls but didn't pay any mind to them.

The only thing on the Luckster's at that moment was that test, and the consequences it would have for him and for his future at Hope's Peak Academy.

I shouldn't even be there in the first place, should I? A talentless guy like me, around all these Ultimates known throughout the country? I'm just a normal teen without much going for him, how could I even hope to compete? It was ridiculous to think that I would have the level to pass a year here. I don't deserve my place in this class, plain and simple.

As he blamed himself for his failure, Makoto found himself in front of the cafeteria door. He pushed it open and stepped inside. He could hear some more conversation, but none that he cared about.

Even those who are not going to pass in enough classes are going to pass thanks to their amazing Ultimate ability. Meanwhile, I do not have any talent, so why should they even keep me around? They might as well replace me with another talented student; it's not like there were none out there to who I stole the spot…

Almost subconsciously, he grabbed himself a tray and made his way in the waiting line. He successively took a bottle of water, a bowl of noodles and an apple before looking for a table.

Makoto noticed many students already eating and chatting together. There were still none from his class though, considering that he left quickly after the class. Good. He thought. He didn't want to talk to anyone right now, not in this state.

He had many friends in the class and apart from the antisocial Toko and the overly arrogant Byakuya, he had already eaten with everyone at least once during the year. But today, he wanted to be alone. He needed to think, and think alone.

The teen sat down at an unoccupied table and set down his tray. He poured himself a glass of water and began to eat his noodles. He couldn't even feel their taste. They felt bland. Everything felt bland.

If only I had a talent! Then I could deserve my place among everyone… The only thing I had going for me was my luck, but even this is failing me now… I must face it, I'm just not good enough for Hope's Peak Academy.

Kyoko was walking to the cafeteria alongside Hina. They had befriended each other almost immediately, the cheery nature of the Ultimate Swimming Pro reminding her that not everything revolved around crime-solving and gore incidents.

"We're throwing a pool party this afternoon, do you want to come?", she asked the Ultimate Detective.

She thought for a bit. Okay, she had made some nice friends at the Academy, but she was still far from being a socializer. A pool party, huh… Well, this could be a nice moment and I feel bad refusing an invite from Hina.

"Okay. I'll be there.", Kyoko replied. "Is everyone coming?"

"No, only the girls! Junko thought we could use some time among girls and decided to invite everyone.", Hina answered.

She didn't send me an invite, though… Kyoko sighed. The Ultimate Fashionista had been one of the only people the lavender-haired detective had never figured out nor really befriended. She had seemed out of place, like she didn't really care about anything. She was not a bad person, as far as Kyoko could tell, but attending Hope's Peak didn't seem like it meant much to her.

"I see. Well, you can tell her to count me in."

"Will do, Kyoko! See ya'!"

"See you later, Hina.", Kyoko said as she reached the doors of the cafeteria. The swimmer had told her she'd be eating with her parents and brother and couldn't have lunch with her, much to her visible chagrin. The Ultimate Detective had told her that she shouldn't worry about her and that she should always put her family first.

Thus, she stepped inside the school restaurant, which seemed to slowly but surely filling itself with students. She took one of the white and plain trays on the counter and got in line, not caring one bit about the glares she got from some students.

Kyoko Kirigiri was a mystery to anyone who didn't know her personally. It was known around the school that she was a student of the famed 78th class but few knew what her actual talent was. Many said that she was only accepted because her last name was Kirigiri, like the Academy's principal, and that she was actually talentless. As much as it could have hurt others to hear this, Kyoko didn't care. She knew her worth and the status of her relationship with her father Jin. There had definitely not been any favoritism, in her opinion.

Ignoring those who were blindly led by their jealously to make any rational judgement, Kyoko put a bottle of sparking water, a bowl of noodles and an apricot on her tray before looking for a table.

Were she lucky enough, she'd find someone she was on good terms with to have lunch with her, which basically meant Sayaka, Chihiro or Sakura. Celeste would be okay if it was her only choice, too.

Instead, she noticed Toko stalking Byakuya everywhere he went… Surely not. She thought. Her relationship with the Ultimate Affluent Progeny was… complicated, to say the least. She didn't like him; he didn't like her and they had non-verbally agreed to not interact with each other. Kyoko disliked his arrogance, and she knew he disliked her rivaling intellect. This was a win-win situation.

She then took notice of Sayaka, but she was already with Leon and Kyoko didn't feel like interrupting their couple lunch. Sayaka, contrary to one might have thought considering her celebrity, was a humble girl and the Ultimate Detective appreciated that. Her boyfriend not so much, but in his idiocy, he wasn't that bad of a person.

Kyoko walked to the back of the cafeteria and was getting the impression that she would be eating alone. She didn't mind too much, though. At least, it would be calm.

Well, that was until she noticed someone completely alone and visibly feeling down.

Why is Makoto all alone like this? She wondered as she looked at the lucky student with growing concern. Something seems to be bothering him and he looks quite down.

And there was Makoto. He was by far the boy Kyoko liked the most in the class and was the person she liked spending the time with the most, along Hina and Sakura. And at that moment, she felt sad about how weak-willed he looked.

I'll try to comfort him. She decided and stepped towards the table Makoto was eating his noodles at.

"Hello, Makoto. Are you okay?"

The Ultimate Lucky Student heard a voice calling him out, and from what he could decipher, whoever had said that was visibly concerned. He looked up from his noodles and noticed Kyoko standing next to his table, her tray in hand.

"Hey there, Kyoko…", he greeted her weakly and without any spirit.

"Can I eat with you? I noticed you were all alone.", she told him.

Her visage was as stoic as ever, but Makoto managed to see that she was genuinely worrying about him. And although he would have told everyone else off at that moment, he didn't feel like refusing his best friend her request.

"Yeah, sure. Go ahead.", he replied, mustering all the energy he had left.

The detective obliged and sat down before carefully placing her tray on the table. Meanwhile, Makoto took another bite of his noodles, not bothering hiding his misery from the girl. The scene was quite awkward at first, until Kyoko spoke up.

"So, what's wrong, Makoto?", she simply asked him and showed him a concerned face.

"Ah, um…", the question took the Luckster by surprise. He had thought the meal would be quiet since he wasn't in a mood to chat and Kyoko was not known for engaging many discussions. He was proved to be mistaken, though. "I'm fine, Kyoko.", he told her with a fake smile. "You shouldn't worry about a guy like me."

Kyoko froze in place at the words. Why did she space out all of a sudden? Makoto wondered as the long-haired girl composed herself.

"What do you mean by, 'a guy like me'?", she asked him, furrowing her brow. "What is it about you that should make me stop being concerned?"

He sighed. Makoto didn't know if she was saying this out of courtesy or if she truly wanted to know why he felt so bad right now. Either way, he didn't feel like going in lengths about his failures and although he knew that best friends were the best people to confide in, he did not want to ruin Kyoko's mood with this.

"Thank you for your concern, Kyoko, really.", he began, sounding as sympathetic as he could at the moment. "But I don't want you to feel pity over me."

He took a sip of his glass of water before quickly going back to his noodles.

"I don't want to pity you, Makoto. I just want to understand what's going on.", she said calmly and in a reassuring tone. "Whatever is on your mind, you can tell me, Makoto."

The boy looked up to see the detective's features displaying a genuine concern for him. He sighed again before replying.

"But why, Kyoko?", he answered her question with a question before continuing, the shame in his voice evident. "Why would you possibly want to understand me when you are an Ultimate with an amazing talent and I'm just a talentle-"

*SLAP*

His cheek hurt. It had happened suddenly: he was in the middle of explaining to Kyoko why she shouldn't concern herself about him when his cheek began to hurt. But whereas the pain in his cheek was manageable, the deep hurt Makoto felt in his heart was not.

She had slapped him and he was already imagining the worst scenarios as for why.

She must have realized how normal of a guy I really am and that I was just wasting her time… He thought, closing his eyes. Realized how I do not belong in a class with amazing and talented people li-

"Do not ever say something like that again!"

The words cut his train of thought short. She had raised her voice from her usual calm tone.

"You are a good person, Makoto, because you are who you are and don't try to be someone else. You can't change who you are and the fact that you are not trying to is why I consider you a friend. So-called talent doesn't matter in the slightest.", Kyoko added, her voice softening somewhat. "So I'm going to ask again: what's wrong?"

The sincerity of her words hit Makoto really hard. He knew that she disliked it when he considered himself different from his classmates but he couldn't help but feel this way, especially now. But at least, the pain soothed down a little. However, he began to tear up as he dropped his fork inside the bowl.

"I… I'm trying my best…", he muttered weakly, his sobs making it hard to understand what he was saying. "I'm trying my best to be at your level by working as hard as I can…", another pause and more tears forming. "But I can't! However much work I do, I always find myself under you!"

These last words had been spoken in a louder tone, his emotions finally unleashing after being held up ever since the fateful moment.

Kyoko listened closely and her features softened back into a friendly face. She looked at the red mark her gloved hand had left on the boy's left cheek and was relieved that it had had the effect she intended such an action to have. She didn't mean to hurt him, this couldn't be further from the truth, she just wanted to shake him a little to make him understand how wrong what he was saying about himself was.

"Makoto, Makoto, Makoto…", Kyoko muttered repetitively. "Is this about the math test?"

He nodded weakly. "I had worked so hard to get a good mark but it wasn't even enough…", he sighed hopelessly. "It wasn't enough because I'm not an Ultimate like you with amazing intellectual abilities or intelligence…"

The Ultimate Detective noticed that her anger was back once again and she actually thought of slapping Makoto again, but decided not to. She didn't want him to feel like he was some emotional punchbag. He was struggling with himself, and she decided to solve the situation rationally.

He had complimented her, and she would have been very grateful for that in any other occasion, but didn't feel like thanking him right now. But instead of letting her frustration out, she spoke up in a soft tone, a friendly one she knew it was rare for her to use.

"Do you really think what you just said?", Kyoko asked.

This question earned her another quiet nod from the Ultimate Lucky Student who blankly stared down at his feet. "I don't think I belong here, at Hope's Peak.", Makoto finally said. "At least, not with you guys. In the Reserve Course, perhaps, but not among you all."

Kyoko sighed. She felt that her friend was really not managing well, considering how different this sudden pessimism was from his usual hopeful and joyful behavior. Now, he seemed almost empty, without much will to go on.

He wasn't about to make very rational decisions, Kyoko thought and thus decided to take the situation into her own hands. After all, whatever Makoto might say, not everything was lost for him yet.

"Then there is only one thing to do: we are both going to work even harder for Friday's test.", she stated, not so much as a proposal but more as an order. "You can't give up simply because your work didn't pay. You need to work harder, so that next time it will. I'll help you for that to the best of my abilities."

These words flickered a light in Makoto's mind. He raised his head in one clear motion as soon as the Ultimate Detective had said the word 'help', like they had been a sort of trigger. His face was one of surprise, at first, before it turned into a wide smile full of hope.

"R-Really?!", he asked cheerily. "Would you really do that for me, Kyoko?!"

His regained optimism brought Kyoko a smile of her own. This was the Makoto Naegi she had befriended, the one who even if things looked grim always looked forward. He had made his place among fifteen Ultimates as a 'normal boy' and contrary to what he had been thinking just a moment ago, he didn't fare any worse than some of his classmates.

"Of course, Makoto.", the lavender-haired girl confirmed as the Luckster's features brightened even more. "You are my best friend and someone I care for deeply. I can't stand seeing you in this state. I'll do whatever I can so that you succeed and stop this self-blaming."

The nod he gave her there, contrary to the ones from before, was not a weak one, but rather an optimistic one.

Yeah, I can still do this! He thought, pumped up all again. Why was I even thinking?! As long as there is still a chance, there is still hope! I'll do it! I'll work my butt off and I'll definitely pass! Because even if I am not an Ultimate like the others, I was still chosen to be a part of Hope's Peak elite and I must show that I deserved it!

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!", Makoto said repeatedly. "Thank you so much, Kyoko!"

She didn't reply with any words but instead showed him a sympathetic smile and finally began to eat her noodles, which had grown cold with how much time she had spent reassuring her friend. And thus, they had a nice lunch, chatting about things and others, about their friends, and about themselves.

Although the stories Kyoko told Makoto were never cheery and instead, extremely gory, he liked hearing them. He had quickly understood that she had been through a lot and felt that if she needed someone to cling onto when her times as detective put her through the worst, he needed to be here for her.

When Kyoko went back to her dorm to grab her exercise books and her calculator, she was smiling like she rarely was. Studying on your free time didn't seem fun to everyone but the Ultimate Detective didn't mind if it meant getting better results when the time to pass the test came. She had been raised like this, after all, always working hard to understand things better.

But the reason she was smiling wasn't because she was about to spent multiple hours, most likely, going through her math lessons - even she was not that much of a workaholic - but because she wouldn't be doing it alone. And for someone like Kyoko Kirigiri to be looking forward to working with someone, it meant she was found of whoever that happened to be.

And she most definitely was fond of Makoto Naegi.

As she approached her room door, she took out her keys and stepped inside. And as she entered her soberly decorated dorm room, she realized she needed to do something before meeting with the Ultimate Lucky Student.

I need to tell Hina that I won't be here for the pool party. She thought and took out her student e-handbook from her bag. And while she had accepted to come in the first place, it was more out of courtesy for her friend, and she was glad to have a good excuse to miss it.

"Sorry, Hina, but I won't be able to come to the pool party. Something happened since (nothing bad, don't worry) and I'm needed elsewhere. Have fun nonetheless and please apologize to Junko for me. - Kyoko"

And what a good excuse it was.

The girl put back the device back inside her bag and went to her desk. It was flawlessly organized, her school stuff occupying half of the drawers while her case files and other detective-related affairs occupied the other half.

She grabbed three of her books from her 'scientific classes' drawer, each one pretty thick as well as her calculator. The four items combined had cost her more than 150 dollars, but she thought it was the price to pay to study properly.

After a last glance at the clock - 2:03 PM - the lavender-haired girl turned back towards the door, putting her bag back on her left shoulder. But she turned back.

There was something else she wanted to take.

I'll give this to Makoto. I'm sure he'll like it. She thought before finally heading out, making sure to lock her room before going anywhere. Well, let's get going now. I don't want to make him wait too long.

Thus, she walked towards Makoto's room in the long and imposing corridors of Hope's Peak Academy.

Where did I put it, already? Makoto wondered as he looked for the last textbook he needed from his desk. It wasn't the tidiest of desks and even if it was still acceptable enough, when you were a student of the prestigious Hope's Peak, you had a lot of stuff to file. At least, when you worked…

Among his personal stuff in the bottom-right corner of his desk and his schoolbooks and textbooks, Makoto had put two frames on his desk. The first showed a photo of his parents and of her sister, smiling. They had taken it after he had received the invitation to join the school. Because he couldn't see them as often as used to when he was in middle school, he had put it there to always have them close. The other was of the entire 78th class. They had all (well, almost all) been standing smilingly in one of the classrooms while Makoto had taken the shot. And while the people in the foreground were visibly happier to have their photo taken than the likes of Byakuya, Toko, Kyoko and Celeste in the background, the atmosphere captured by the camera was light enough for the boy to frame it.

Once he had retrieved the textbook in question, Makoto relaxed in his chair, waiting for Kyoko to arrive. And his thoughts went to the Ultimate Detective in question.

Kyoko really is a considerate person… He thought, stating something that for him, had been a given from the start. She might seem cold at first, but she is exactly like a flower: only once she opens up to you, you can see her true and beautiful self. I really am lucky to have friend like her who can always understand what I'm going through.

When he had arrived on campus, and after Hina jumped on him to introduce herself to him, Kyoko was the first person he greeted and introduced himself to. Makoto had found her stoic, but polite.

And especially cute… Her skin seems so soft and her hair looks like silk and her eyes are li-

*DRIIIIIIING*

The loud noise of the doorbell took Makoto out of his lovely thoughts and startled him a bit. Must be Kyoko. He realized and readjusted his hoodie quickly.

"Coming!", he exclaimed as he stood up and went to open the door.

As expected, the figure of the teen detective was on the other side of the doorstep, smiling slightly.

"Ah, Kyoko! Good afternoon, please, come on in!", he added, urging her to enter by removing himself from her path.

"Good afternoon, Makoto.", she greeted him back. "Thank you."

She stepped inside her friend's dorm room and Makoto immediately noticed her eyes darting around the room, scanning each and every detail. Surmising what she would think, he preferred to speak up again before she stated the obvious.

"W-Well… My room's not that tidy, as you can see…", he said and scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "I don't get visitors often and doesn't get the chance to tidy frequently."

The comment got Kyoko out of her inspective trance and she chuckled lightly before turning back towards the still-embarrassed lucky student.

"That is indeed very much like you.", she told him jokingly. "You know, one needs a tidy place in order to study properly."

He nodded. "Right. I promise I'll clean up soon!", Makoto added. "But please, have a seat. Can I bring you something to drink?"

I shouldn't make promises I know I won't follow through on… The Luckster admonished himself but kept his smiling face for his friend and guest.

"Well, I wouldn't mind a cup of tea, if you have any.", Kyoko replied gently.

"Hmm, w-well…" I don't have any tea… Damn, I should know better than to invite a refined girl like Kyoko and not have at least some tea…! "I don't have any, s-sorry… I've got water, apple juice or coffee, if you'd still like something…"

"It's fine, don't worry.", she reassured him quickly. "I could do with a glass of apple juice."

"Got it. And while I do that, make yourself at home, Kyoko."

"Thanks.", he heard her saying as he went toward the mini-fridge in the back of his room an took out a carton of apple juice. He grabbed two glasses from the etagere just above and poured some inside both.

The teen went back to his guest and put down the two glasses before sitting on the second chair he had prepared for the occasion. His desk seemed a little small for two persons to study on, but it would need to do the trick.

"There you go.", he said as the detective took one of the juice-filled glass.

"Thank you, Makoto."

They both took a sip of their drink before the Ultimate Lucky Student chuckled to himself.

"You know, it's not much of a surprise you're a tea person, Kyoko.", he told her.

She chucked back and with a smile, replied. "Well, tea always helps me keep my mind steady and it serves as a good drink to remain calm. It's particularly effective when studying."

"I see.", he nodded. "I'll need to try some, then. I'm more of a coffee person myself, but some change couldn't hurt."

"There is a nice teashop in the city center, perhaps we could go there together sometime?"

Her proposal and smile made Makoto blush slightly, something he felt quickly. "Y-Yeah, I'd love to!"

Kyoko didn't give him an answer straight away and instead grinned at him, making his cheeks flush even redder. Argh, I must be like a tomato right now! I-I hate blushing!

"I noticed the frames on your desk, Makoto.", she said, changing the topic and doing the boy a favor. "Well, first, you didn't get my best photo ever, and second, I assume this is your family?"

"Hey, it's not my fault you didn't want to smile!", Makoto told her and chuckled. "And yeah, this is a photo of my parents and my sister Komaru. I took it after I got the invitation to join Hope's Peak."

"I see… Well, they surely seemed happy for you.", Kyoko said flatly. "I assume you can't see them as much as you used to?"

"That's right.", he nodded. "That's why I put this frame here, so that I'll always have them close. And well… My family and you guys are pretty much my entire life, so…"

The Luckster knew how touchy of a subject family was around Kyoko and although she had been the one to bring it up, he felt it would be wise to change the topic of discussion soon. Luckily for him, he didn't even have to do it himself.

"Well, we literally do spend our lives here, so that would make sense.", she commented. "But I had no idea you were so fond of our class, Makoto."

"Of course! It's not every day you can be classmates with such amazing people! And even if I'm not quite close friend with everyone, I've met so many wonderful people here, I consider myself extremely lucky.", Makoto said then realized something. "Well, I am the Ultimate Lucky Student, so…"

"Quite a nice talent to have, Makoto."

"Yeah. But it doesn't help during math tests, unfortunately.", he deadpanned, pointing to one of the textbooks on the desk.

"I guess it doesn't…", she agreed. "Then, shall we begin?"

"Yes, let's. I'm afraid I have a lot to catch up on and the sooner we begin, the better I think…"

With a last sigh, Makoto grabbed a textbook and a pen while Kyoko took an exercise book from her bag.

The two classmates and best friends had been studying for an hour and a half already. Their focus was on the chapter the last and the upcoming test were about and they had already finished five exercises. Kyoko had been leading the way, but she didn't write down any answer before Makoto fully understood why it was the answer. He didn't quite seem comfortable with derivatives and considering the test had been only about those, the Ultimate Detective quickly understood why he had struggled.

Hmm, if he proceeds with a mistake like this, it's going to mess up his entire exercise… Kyoko thought as she noticed a mistake her friend had made. And I don't think he noticed…

"Makoto.", she called him out. "There's an error on your formula right here."

"R-Really? Hmm, let's see…", Makoto looked at his answer deeply. He looked puzzled and didn't seem to find the mistake Kyoko had talked about. "I'm afraid I don't see it, Kyoko."

"The derivative of the square root function is one over two square roots of x, Makoto.", she explained. "You forgot the '2'."

"Ah, yes! That's why the next question didn't make sense!", the Luckster stated, finally understanding his error. "Thanks Kyoko! I had gotten it wrong on the test."

"You're welcome.", she softly said. "The best way to progress is to learn from your mistakes. That is why every time we get a test back; I always go through it again to see where I was wrong. This is a habit I picked up during my detective work."

"I see… This is why I always saw you rereading your tests after the teachers gave them back! Perhaps I should do that, too."

"Well, that's the way I work. Everyone can have their own methods, as long as you get there.", Kyoko argued. "And while going through your past mistakes is a good start, it is not sufficient to prepare for a test. Afterwards, I like to rework on exercises that focus on the questions I got wrong."

The young detective went on to explain her entire studying routine while the Ultimate Lucky Student listened closely. Every good tip he could learn would be one more weapon at his disposal to avoid finding himself in situations such as this one.

Then, they turned back to the algebra problem Makoto was dealing with. And with his mistake corrected, Kyoko took great joy in noticing that he finished the remaining questions easily and without any more mistakes. A fond smile made its way to her features.

He seems more confident already. She thought as she watched Makoto writing answer after answer without even needing to ask for help. He trusts himself. He finally realized that he doesn't have anything to envy from me or our classmates. That is the Makoto I became such good friends with… Perhaps he didn't even need me to help him on his exercises, just on his self-confidence issue…?

"-ko? Kyoko? Are you listening?", she heard Makoto mutter, stopping her train of thought.

"Aaah!", Kyoko exclaimed in surprise. "Wh-What is it, M-Makoto?"

"Were you daydreaming?", he asked her.

"W-Well, no… W-Well… a little, yes…", she admitted. "Did you need something?"

"Well, I kinda forgot the formula for the derivative of the cube root…"

Never mind… The detective thought amusingly. She might still be needed for something other than mental support, after all!

"Kyoko, can I borrow your calculator to check if I've got the right solutions?", Makoto asked. They had begun an exercise about graphical representation of functions and cubic equations. He had solved one of said equations and needed to verify whether or not he'd gotten it right.

"Of course. Hold on a minute…", Kyoko reached for her bag on the floor, flexing in Makoto's opposite direction. This left the lucky student with a pretty nice scenery…

Hmm… If she catches me staring like this, I'm good for a slap. He thought before turning back to his textbook.

"There you go, Makoto.", she added, calculator in hand. "But where did yours go?"

"It broke on Thursday…", he explained. "I'm fortunate it didn't happen during the test still, but I'm not looking forward to buying another one."

"Considering the price, that makes sense.", she nodded as Makoto took hold of the scientific calculator.

He turned it on. So, graph menu… The equation was… He entered both sides of his equation into the device and as he was about to graph them to check his answer, he noticed something. Hmm? There seems to be a function Kyoko left in the memory… It's strange though, there isn't any formula entered…

Makoto glanced to the side and noticed that the Ultimate Detective was reading something out of her book, visibly unaware of what he was doing. I am curious. Why would she leave something this odd function in her calculator…? His interest was piqued and the Luckster pressed the 'graph' button of the calculator.

However, nothing happened. Well, no function was graphed, at least.

Because something definitely did happen…

W-What the…?! Th-That's…! Makoto stared at the little but expensive device in awe. He rubbed his eyes with one hand to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. N-No way…

In fact, it would be wrong to say that the calculator didn't graph anything. Makoto realized that if it didn't show any function, it was because there wasn't one. Instead, he was graced by a drawing Kyoko had made on the little LCD screen. It clearly read 'Makoto' and right beside the Ultimate Lucky Student's name was a little heart that had been drawn surprisingly well considering the device used.

To say that he was taken completely aback would be an understatement.

W-Why is this in Kyoko's calculator…? He wondered, not realizing the implications of what he had just seen yet. Meanwhile, the lavender-haired detective was still reading her own textbook peacefully, paying no mind to her friend's amazement. It couldn't be what I think it is, right?

"Are you done yet, Makoto?", Kyoko finally asked after a couple of minutes. She noticed him staring at her calculator. "Makoto? Are you okay? You seem quite… d-disturbed… by s-something… wait…"

And then, realization dawned her. "Hey, gimme that!", she exclaimed and quite forcefully took the calculator from Makoto's hands. She turned around but nothing could hide her heavy blushing. In fact, she was red like a tomato. Makoto deduced that she had forgotten leaving this in her calculator's memory…

And while there were a handful of silly little jokes or remarks Makoto could have teased the Ultimate Detective with right at this moment, he decided to remain quiet. Kyoko was kind enough to come and help me study. I should not embarrass her. It took a few moments for her to regain her composure but it brought a nice smile on Makoto's face.

A girl as awesome as Kyoko might actually like me… He realized joyfully. Wow.

He was satisfied. Very satisfied. He had not been able to check his answer yet but this was better than everything he could have imagined.

Kyoko coughed awkwardly, trying her best to hide her ever-present embarrassment. She handed the calculator back to Makoto without a word, as if nothing had happened.

"Thank you, Kyoko.", he said and smiled gently.

Obviously, when he turned it back on, the function was gone.

Well, I might actually be able to check my answer now! But still, my curiosity definitely earned me something great today!

The boy finally graphed the two sides of his equation and verified his answer. And from what the device showed, he had gotten it right.

He seemed quite glad for that. And considering the softness of Kyoko's features, she was too.

Makoto stretched his arms and yawned loudly. Studying the same subject for three straight hours had tired him out and although he had filled many gaps of his mathematical knowledge, Kyoko thought he could use the mental rest. Thus, she had decided to call it a day after one last exercise, that Makoto got entirely right in almost no time at all.

"Well, I'll go and pour myself a cup of coffee.", he said. "I feel like I could fall asleep any second! Do you want one, Kyoko?"

It looks like Mr. Naegi isn't too used to multiple hours studying sessions! Kyoko realized with a small smirk. "No, thank you. I wouldn't mind another glass of apple juice, though."

"Okay.", Makoto stood up and went to prepare himself a coffee and a glass of juice for Kyoko. The latter began to pack her books back inside her bag, as well as her accursed calculator.

I'll never, ever, ever forget to delete my drawings from memory again! She thought and vowed to herself. Just thinking back to noticing Makoto staring at her calculator and thinking about what must have gone through his mind at that moment made her blush. Luckily for her, he had his back turned to her and he couldn't see it.

She had picked up this habit of drawing on her calculator whenever she finished her tests before the time limit in the scientific classes. And while she would always delete those drawings at the end of the test in case she was to let somebody borrow her calculator, she had forgotten this time. The only time it could have been embarrassing, she had forgotten.

When she took back the device in a hurry earlier, all she could think of was how he would react. Makoto was a friend that mattered a lot to her - as more than a friend, as he had himself seen - and she didn't want their friendship to end because of something as silly as that.

She definitely had something for Makoto but her inexperience in this regard had held her back. She desperately wanted to ask him out, like she had seen Mukuro do, but never got the courage to. And this held even more so after the boy basically rejected the Ultimate Soldier.

Do not panic, Kyoko. He didn't seem bothered. She thought, partially in an attempt to reassure herself. Sure, he had not said anything and had not even teased her when she had flushed red in an instant, but this could be due to his kind and caring nature. Perhaps I'm overthinking it?

"There you go.", she heard him say as he handed her a refilled glass of apple juice.

"Thank you, Makoto."

The detective grabbed the glass and took a sip of it as she watched the boy sit on his bed, his coffee mug in hand.

"You can come and sit here if you want.", he said, inviting the lavender-haired girl to sit on his bed.

Without catching the obvious subconscious meaning behind the Luckster's offer, Kyoko stood up from the desk chair and sat as she was told, making sure not to trip and spill the glass on Makoto's sheets.

"Are you feeling better, Makoto?", she asked. "Than when I met you at lunch, I mean."

"Much better.", Makoto replied, all smiles. "And it's all thanks to you. Oh, and by the way… I'm sorry for acting so cold earlier. I didn't mean to upset you…"

"You didn't upset me, Makoto.", Kyoko told him calmly and took a sip of her juice. "I just wanted to make you realize that you shouldn't think so lowly of yourself. Although you might not have joined Hope's Peak Academy on the same criteria as the rest of the class, you definitely deserve to be here. I needed to remind you of that fact. But I am deeply sorry for slapping you.", she said apologetically. "I hope I didn't hurt you."

The boy chuckled before responding. "No, I'm fine, Kyoko, no need to worry.", he reassured her. "And I needed someone to slap some sense back into my tiny brain anyway. And honestly, if someone was to do it, I'm glad it was you!"

Makoto giggled some more even before the Ultimate Detective could add anything. His features were brightened by the soft laugh such that his smile reached his cheeks and his eyes sparkled their brown color.

How cute can you possibly get, Makoto…? She wondered as she found herself smiling fondly at the still-laughing Ultimate Lucky Student. The way you laugh is adorable and everything about how you look is amazing. Those eyes, this smile, and that sweet antenna…

If it wasn't for her ever-present rationality, she would have kissed him lightly right now. Because his lips looked soft and she thought hers would mold nicely with them. But she decided otherwise.

She had been taught manners, and how much she might have crushed on Makoto, she was not going to kiss him without being absolutely sure that her feelings were reciprocated and that he wanted it to happen.

But it was tempting…

Makoto eventually stopped laughing after a time and Kyoko took this as her cue to speak up again before the silence got awkward.

"Hey, Makoto."

"Yeah, what is it?"

"I wouldn't mind doing this more often.", she simply stated before adding. "Studying with you, I mean."

"R-Really?", the boy seemed a little surprised by the offer Kyoko was making him. "Well, I'd love to, but is that really alright with you? I know you've got quite some work between your detective cases and your own schoolwork… I wouldn't want to overload you."

"I'll be fine, Makoto, do not worry.", she reassured him sweetly. "Helping you is a pretty nice and relaxing activity.", a small smirk appeared on her face. "And did you think I was just slacking during the entire afternoon, Mr. Naegi?"

"N-No, of course not!", the lucky student scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "I'm sure you got a lot more work done than I did."

"It's fine, Makoto, I'm just teasing you.", she added, giggling a little. "This was a nice opportunity for me to study for the test. I'm glad we worked together; it was more efficient. I am certain you will do better than last time with all the work you've done, too."

"Well, I truly hope so!"

After a good few hours of studying and then of chatting, the Ultimate Detective stood up from the bed.

"I'm afraid I'll have to get going, Makoto.", she said. "There is a case file I need to work on for tomorrow and it's quite important."

"Oh, I see… Then I won't hold you any longer if you have things to do.", Makoto replied, a little sad his friend needed to go. But it didn't feel right to hold her here if she needed to work, especially since she had accepted to help him so much in the first place.

But somehow, it didn't feel right. He felt like he needed to say something else, but didn't quite find the words. And considering the door was not far, he needed to say what he wanted to before the lavender-haired girl exited his dorm. And after mustering every ounce of bravery inside him, Makoto spoke up again.

"Kyoko? Would you be interested in going to the movies this evening?", he asked. "I-If you don't have anything to do, t-that is…"

Kyoko turned back around, a little off-guard.

"I wouldn't mind.", she replied with a small smile. "I should be done by this evening, anyway."

These few words were enough to paint Makoto's face a mixture of emotions. He was thrilled, happy, glad, relieved, content and while all these were pretty much synonyms, they all applied in a different way. This equaled a smiling Makoto.

"Thanks, Kyoko!", the Ultimate Lucky Student told her wholeheartedly.

"You're welcome, Makoto. Where should I meet you?"

"Well, we could either meet at the cinema next to the museum on the other end of the street or on campus and go together.", he answered, regaining some confidence as he did so. "As you prefer."

"I think going there together could be fun.", Kyoko stated. "Is 7:00 PM in front of your door satisfactory?"

"Yeah, sure!", the boy's face brightened even more, his smile reaching his cheeks.

"Alright. See you then, Makoto.", the detective turned around again to leave the dormitory but was stopped once more by Makoto's voice calling out to her.

"And thanks again for the help you gave me, Kyoko! You've been super helpful!"

She didn't turn back to meet his eyes but the way she stood, relaxed, her shoulders relieved of their usual pressure, were enough to tell the Luckster that his friend was smiling. He could imagine her, smiling softly, showing her most beautiful colors.

"No need to thank me. I'm glad to have been of help."

And then she left, leaving a very smiling and very excited Makoto alone in his room. He launched himself back on the bed, landing comfortably on the mattress and sheets. He rested laid here, his arms and legs spread out like a starfish in the ocean. He closed his eyes lightly, the light coming from the ceiling still able to reach them slightly but not enough to forbid a mental image from appearing in the Ultimate Lucky Student's mind.

The image of a lavender-haired girl in all her beauty. He didn't even need to think of her as prettier that she really was. Makoto already found her extremely attractive in her own way. She wasn't sexy by the conventional meaning of the word, but she was certainly really feminine. And what he liked about her was that she didn't feel the need to do too much: she never wore anything too short, never wore too much makeup and always acted her cool and collected self. Kyoko was radiant by nature, much to Makoto's pleasure.

And although it took time for him to notice, she seemed the romantic type, too. Her strong persona allowed her to cutely hide her weaknesses, something Makoto noticed a little earlier with the calculator incident.

I've got a date with Kyoko… Who would have thought? He wondered as many other images of the friend who was in the same room just minutes ago formed themselves in his mind. And the fact that her sweet perfume had odorized his room with its nice scent helped him picture her in even more details.

Makoto's eyes allowed themselves to close, leaving the boy in a sweet slumber that was accompanied by lovely dreams of one Kyoko Kirigiri…

"I've had a great time, Kyoko!", Makoto declared cheerily as they came out of the restaurant.

After their trip to the movies that finished at 8:30 with one teary Makoto, they decided to prolong their time together by eating together again. This time however, it was not the usual cafeteria lunch but rather a pretty prestigious restaurant not far from the Academy.

As a true gentleman, Makoto offered to pay and while Kyoko initially refused, his stubbornness made her give in. In the end, the Luckster had ruined his monthly scholarship but it didn't bother him too much considering he had had the evening of his life with his best friend and absolute crush.

"Me too.", she agreed. "It would be nice to do it again soon. It allows me to relax from my detective work…"

As she sighed, Makoto began to stare at her. Even when she was sighing in exasperation, she was still cute in her own way. But the one disadvantage of staring was that if you did it for too long, you are bound to get caught and in the worst scenario, to get slapped in the process.

And while she definitely caught him, he didn't receive his second slap of the day from her gloved hand.

"What's wrong, Makoto?", she first asked. "You're staring at me like I am a picture frame."

Well, that would be a magnificent picture… Makoto thought.

"Why, thank you!", Kyoko added, confusing the boy.

He remained clueless for a few moments before dawning in realization. "W-Wait… W-Was that aloud…?"

"I'm afraid it was, Makoto.", the detective chuckled. "And you also seem to be blushing."

"A-Ah…", the Ultimate Lucky Student hid his face with his hoodie and noticed that he was indeed blushing. The small grin Kyoko was showing him didn't help either.

Come on, Makoto! Sayaka already told you that you tend to voice your thoughts! Argh, this is embarrassing…

"Well, I certainly don't mind you blushing, it makes you cuter."

She didn't seem to realize it as she said it, but this comment only made Makoto's cheeks flush even redder. And even with his hoodie to try to hide it, his blushing was clearly visible. After a few seconds of silence, Makoto coughed awkwardly before finally saying something.

"I'm blushing because you're very cute yourself, Kyoko."

I had NOT meant to let that slip! Indeed, before he could close his mouth to forbid himself from speaking his deepest thoughts, the words were already out and said very confidently, too! And obviously, like the Luckster had been a mere seconds before, the Ultimate Detective blushed an interesting shade of red and tried to hide her face behind her lavender locks of hair.

"T-Thank you…"

They were the simplest words of sympathy but they carried a lot of weight. Her tone was low but the words were sincere. As sincere as her thoughts were. It didn't take more than these two words to express the gratefulness Kyoko felt at this moment. It satisfied Makoto.

They had made their way back to the campus under the starry night sky. And if it wasn't for the cold temperature, they both would have loved to take a moment to contemplate the many constellations. So instead they walked along the pavement of the city back to Hope's Peak, both smiling.

Makoto had wanted to take her hand for the entirety of the way but didn't have the guts to. He knew she wore those gloves on her hands but even the slightest physical contact would have been fine for him. But as often, his shyness stopped him.

Eventually, they reached the Academy and the dorms and since the lucky student's room was the first out of the two in the hallway, they both went in. The room's occupant jumped on the bed to make himself comfortable and while Kyoko didn't do the same, he noticed how much she would have wanted to.

"I'm glad we got to spend time together, Kyoko!", he told her, his usual cheeriness filling up the entire dorm. "And thanks again for helping me with my… mathematical troubles…"

The lavender-haired girl giggled before responding. "I'm glad I could be of service.", she said. "I definitely did have a great time, too."

Makoto was happy to hear that; however, he didn't know how to pursue the conversation from this point. And thus, a rather long and awkward blank began. And while the Luckster was in his room, laying down on his bed comfortably, his friend was standing there, in the middle of the room, making it even weirder. And for this reason, Kyoko was the first one to break the silence.

"M-Makoto?", she weakly called out, embarrassed already when she had not even said a word yet.

"Yeah, what is it?", he asked, pulling himself up to look at his friend.

"T-This might sound weird, but…", she trailed off a little. "W-Would you mind if I slept with y-you tonight…?"

The Luckster had been surprised a many times already today, but this took the cake. The math test, the calculator, the date… they were nothing compared to the request Kyoko had made.

W-wait, what the…?! Was his first inner reaction. 'Slept with you'…? L-Like… N-No way!

And while he was processing the sudden question, Kyoko felt shame building up inside her. It didn't take an Ultimate Detective's cautious eye to notice it and Makoto could almost see a "forget I said anything" come out of her mouth and decided not to leave her the chance to let it out.

"Yes, sure.", he blurted out, putting his dear friend out of her misery.

It was her turn to be surprised, however. It was true that considering the heavy silence she had gotten at first, such an answer was quite surprising. "A-Are you sure this is alright?"

"Well, it could help getting rid of the loneliness of my room!", Makoto stated in a reassuring tone. "I wouldn't mind at all!"

"Alright then.", she nodded in understanding. "I'll go fetch some sleeping clothes from my room."

"Okay. You should be quick however or you'll end up walking in a dark hallway!"

It was indeed 11 at night already and a vast majority of students were already asleep. It wasn't prohibited to exit the school at night but it wasn't recommended either and considering that all lights went off at 11:30 all over campus, you'd probably get lost even if you knew the Academy's layout by heart.

"I'll be back before you know it, Makoto.", the lavender-haired detective smiled before heading out of the room towards her own.

As soon as she had closed the door to the Luckster's room, Kyoko slapped herself.

What in the world was I thinking?! She wondered as she began to walk along the still lit up hallways, a look of disbelief and shock printed onto her face. I… What if he had said no…? And how comes a girl like me, who takes pride in the rationality of her work, made such a blunder? Why didn't I even think before asking that? Why can't I make heads or tails of my relationship with Makoto?

As she had expected, the dorms hallways were empty of any and all student to the point where she found herself in front of her own door before even realizing it.

Why do I blush whenever he compliments me? Why does his presence around me feel nice? Why do I feel so compelled to help him whenever I can? Why would I rather spend time with him rather than doing my detective work?

Kyoko took out the key to her door and entered her dorm. She flickered the lights on, revealing that nothing had changed since the last time she came to fetch her books and went for her wardrobe. And while her mind tried to avoid asking herself too many questions, she knew deep down that she couldn't avoid it.

Why do I like him so much?

The detective took her pajamas before making a stop in her bathroom to grab her toilet bag. Kyoko often fell asleep with her classic and working attire on - from exhaustion most of the time - and her pajamas were carefully folded. Nothing out of the ordinary, just purple sleeping clothes, matching what she wore during the day as well as the color of her eyes. She was glad there weren't any special designs or anything: she would have been embarrassed in front of Makoto.

She had had her fair share of embarrassment for the day, if not for the entire week.

Kyoko didn't meet anyone on the way back to Makoto's dorm room either. The hallways were awfully quiet and if she didn't know better about the security cameras being turned off after 10 (info she'd been privy to as the principal's daughter), she'd probably be pretty freaked out. Still, she reached her friend's room quickly and knocked.

It took only a few seconds for Makoto to come open the door and Kyoko noticed he was already changed into his pajamas. They were nothing out of the ordinary, just striped black pajamas. He looked good in them though.

"Hey, Kyoko! Come right back in!", he said and waited for the Ultimate Detective to step inside - which she did without hesitation, her bag and pajamas still in hand - before he closed the door behind and did the same. "You can go change in my bathroom while I tidy up a bit here and take out a second pillow, okay?"

"Alright. Thanks."

The lavender-haired girl stepped inside the bathroom and noticed that whereas the room overall was kind of a mess, Makoto did a good job of keeping the bathroom tidy. His shower gel bottles were all aligned on the counter next to what Kyoko thought to be shaving cream and some hair gel.

The gel doesn't seem to be making miracles against the rebellious antenna. She thought with a small smile. And I doubt he uses this shaving cream often with his baby face… His skin seems as smooth as silk!

Kyoko made sure to close the door behind her. She knew very well that Makoto wouldn't come and have a peak at her near-naked body - he was not that kind of guy - but she didn't want him to think she had left it open on purpose to taunt him. And so, she removed her clothes, from top to bottom until she was only left with her bra and panties. She quickly took her pajamas and slid in them. Kyoko then began to fold her clothes before realizing was inside her vest pocket.

Oh no… I forgot to give it to Makoto…! She thought, realizing that she had not given the lucky student the thing from her room. Damn, me and my memory…

She set it on the counter while taking out her toothbrush and toothpaste from her bag. Three minutes later, she cleaned her mouth with water and allowed herself to use the fresh-looking mouthwash of Makoto's. It smelled nicely of mint and Kyoko felt better and cleaner already.

Next, she slid her hair to one of her shoulder before undoing her little braid she kept on the left side of her long lavender hair. It took about thirty seconds to undo, much less than the ten minutes she took every day to braid it properly. She took out a hairbrush and started stroking in softly to straighten it. Once that was done, she removed the few makeup she liked to use and washed her face clean with a washcloth.

Kyoko was not an avid user of makeup contrary to some of her peers, like Junko or Celeste, but she liked to use some to at least think she was pretty. Her looks were not her priority since it didn't help her during investigations, but if she could look at least decent while remaining efficient, it was a win-win situation. And it so happened that she could be considered way more than simply 'decent', especially in the eyes of a little someone…

The detective came out of the bathroom after approximately ten minutes of use but not before taking back the gift she had prepared for Makoto. She held it tightly in her gloved hand to make sure he would not see it before she gave it to him.

The first thing Kyoko noticed as she exited the bathroom was that there was a second pillow on Makoto's bed. It was then that she fully realized what she was about to do.

Am I really about to sleep with Makoto? She asked herself, already well aware of the answer to that question. After all, she had been the one to ask and Makoto had offered her the best example of the saying 'ask and you shall receive'. This is crazy but I like it.

"Ah, Kyoko, you're back.", he stated as he noticed her standing on the doorframe. "Nice pajamas.", he added with a wink.

"Thanks. I hope I don't look too horrendous without any makeup on…", the Ultimate Detective deadpanned.

"What? You're still very cute, Kyoko!", Makoto immediately told her, in a kind and gentle tone. "Your cuteness doesn't depend on the amount of makeup you use; it's all about just being you!"

She smiled gently at the Ultimate Lucky Student before moving inside the dorm.

"Well, I'm gonna go and brush my teeth.", he said before entering the room. But he stopped on the doorstep, having visibly realized something. "Kyoko, did you use some of my mouthwash?"

Kyoko turned around. Was it that obvious? I knew I should've asked…! "Yeah, I did. S-Sorry, I should've asked first…"

But instead of scolding her, he warmed her heart again, for the umpteenth time of the day.

"Don't be. It smells nice. I've got a spare bottle; do you want it?"

"H-Hmm, w-well, if you don't mind that would be very kind of you…", she answered shyly. "I-I can just buy one for myself though…"

"No, it's fine.", he reassured her. "It's a little weird, but consider it a present."

Makoto chuckled a little. It's true that without context, offering someone a bottle of mouthwash would be considered an insult. However, in this case, he had never considered Kyoko to smell bad (far from it!) and he really liked the sweet mint scent he couldn't really smell when he personally used it.

"Then I'm glad to accept!", the girl told her friend sympathetically.

With that, Makoto entered the bathroom to clean his own teeth while Kyoko set her bag next to the former's desk. He came out a few minutes later - having way less to do as a boy - all smiles, as often.

"Makoto, I've got something to give you too.", she said out of the blues, getting the Luckster's full attention. He turned around and noticed she was fiddling with something in her hands. "I need to give this back to you."

"H-Huh?"

She opened her hand to reveal a small pendant with a little bird on it.

"This. You gave it to me for my birthday as a way to always have hope.", she explained. "But now, I want you to have it back."

Before he could say anything, Kyoko approached him and took one of his hands with one of her own. Though their skin didn't touch, she felt a nice feeling out of the boy's hand. She took the pendant in her free hand and delicately placed it around Makoto's neck. It shined in the light of the room. Once she had done so, she proceeded to take his other hand and stared at him softly, her violet eyes meeting his hazel ones.

"I want you to keep it so you won't forget me.", she said passionately, without thinking.

She didn't feel the need to think her words before speaking them. It was something considerably new for the young detective since her work had always needed her to think carefully about every detail and to have a rational mind. But right there and then, she didn't need to think. Her emotions spoke themselves.

Makoto left one of her hands and took the end of the pendant in it. He stared at the present he had offered Kyoko a few months before, his lips slowly turning into a smile.

"I promise I'll take care of it.", he then said, genuinely. "And I'll never forget you, Kyoko."

She felt the need to do something else but didn't have the guts to do so yet. It's too soon. She thought. And although denial didn't make much sense at this point, Kyoko still clung onto a part of her that didn't want to admit anything.

"Which side of the bed do you want, Kyoko?", Makoto asked, changing the subject.

"Hmm, well, I don't really care.", she replied. "You're my host, you get to choose."

"But what kind of host would I be if I didn't let you choose, right?", he teased gently.

"Fiiine!", the lavender-haired detective said with a long exaggeration. "I'll take the left side, then."

"Okay!", he exclaimed before quickly turning off the light with the switch on the wall and then jumping towards the right side of the bed and landing with a little bounce. "Come on, Kyoko! Your turn now!"

"Hmm, I'd rather not…", she said lowly and simply sat on her side of the bed. She took off her slippers before sliding herself under the bedsheets and placing her head on the soft pillow.

They were now both laying next to the other and could feel each other's body in the small bed. It was a little larger than a single-person bed, but not as large as a bed for a couple. Hope's Peak didn't want people sleeping together, it seemed like.

"Your sheets smell nice…", Kyoko murmured. "Like cologne…"

The yawn that came with the end of that sentence showed how tired she was after a long day. And the scent of her friend's perfume was one that could help her drift to sleep peacefully, she thought.

The Luckster gave her a warm smile. "Thank you. But I think you should fall asleep, Kyoko. You seem tired and need some rest."

"Yes, you're right…", she nodded weakly, feeling Morpheus opening her arms to her. "Sleep well, Makoto…"

I love you.

That was aloud, Kyoko… He realized before really grasping the meaning of the words. But soon enough, he understood and didn't even need to think of a reply.

She was already fast asleep, mere seconds after closing her eyes, but he needed to tell her.

He began to brush locks of her hair to get a good look at her pretty face. It felt soft and her peaceful slumber wasn't disturbed by it at all. "I love you too, Kyoko.", he said lovingly.

He turned his head back and readjusted himself in a comfortable position. He closed his eyes in an attempt to fall asleep as well and felt like seconds would be all he would need too.

"I'm glad to hear that."

The voice gave his mind a semblance of consciousness back. She wasn't really asleep, was she?

"And I like when you brush my hair."

He stared at her some more as her mouth and eyes shut, this time for real and she fell asleep. But instead of feeling ashamed, Makoto quickly did the same with a content smile on his face.

Kyoko really is the best girl you've ever met, isn't she? He asked himself as his mind began to blur. She's not a silly crush but the girl you'll spend your life with, Makoto Naegi.

And with this promise, he began to dream of her.

"Before you go, I'm going to hand you your tests from last Friday. This was, as you know, the last test of the year.", the teacher said as she took the pile of tests from her desk and stood up. "First, Sakura."

Makoto tensed up, in a very similar fashion as last time. He had worked so hard with Kyoko to make sure he wouldn't fail and although he felt confident after finishing the test, he didn't want to get carried away too soon. So instead, he sent a funny look to the detective that screamed 'I'm nervous!' but she simply gave him a smile and a nod of encouragement. She seems to trust me more than I trust myself… He thought amusingly. I better not disappoint her.

The woman approached the martial artist before handing her test to her. "Good work Sakura, 76."

I'm not asking for any more than that. Makoto thought. Although I wouldn't mind!

She nodded thankfully and took her sheet. "Celeste."

The Ultimate Gambler didn't seem to really care about her test and simply looked up, more in politeness than anything. "Good work too and an overall excellent year. 85."

Wow, she sure seems happy about that… The Luckster noted as the red-eyed girl simply put her test inside her textbook and put it away. Give me an 85 and I'll literally jump everywhere!

The teacher didn't call anyone and simply walked to the table next to Makoto's, Leon's table. She set the test on the table and the lucky student allowed himself to take a peek since it was evident she wouldn't divulge the Ultimate Baseball Star's grade today.

Ouch. Makoto thought once more. 18. That's not good, even by Leon's standards… He doesn't really seem to care though.

In fact, the red-haired boy was still chilling in his chair, as if nothing had happened. After all, he had failed his math year since pretty much the first month of classes so he had no real reason to care about his grade. This mentality was one Makoto couldn't really comprehend, as nervous as he always was when one of the teachers was handing a test back.

"Chihiro.", the middle-aged teacher then announced. "It is almost perfect, 98. Very serious work and an excellent year."

"Thank you…", the Ultimate Programmer shyly said and took the paper. The short girl seemed glad her work had been appreciated but wasn't very vocal. Chihiro is a nice girl, but she is extremely timid. Well, it visibly didn't get in her way when it comes to making friends, so good for her. The programmer was not someone Makoto was too used to talking to, but she wasn't someone he was on bad terms with. It even seemed a little hard to think Chihiro wasn't on good terms with anyone since she basically never said anything…

"Hifumi.", she then said, moving to the fanfiction writer's table. "71. That's a little less than last time but still satisfactory. Good year overall."

"Kyoko."

Makoto smiled subconsciously at the detective's name.

"Excellent work. 97. Your hard work and scientific rigor were appreciated. Congratulations."

"Thank you.", she said humbly and took in her gloved hand the test that was handed to her.

She did it again… Kyoko truly is amazing… He thought lovingly, his mind forgetting the math test for an instant and focusing on the lavender-haired young woman. Makoto couldn't stop but stare at her, finding her more and more beautiful as time passed. However, he was taken off his loving thoughts by the teacher calling someone else.

"Toko.", the teacher said. "Good work. 74. You've made progress throughout the year thanks to your motivation. This is encouraging."

That got the famous author all shaken up. She was visibly very surprised at her own work.

"Junko. 92, great work. I somewhat doubt this is thanks to any form of hard work but it's none of my concern. Good year overall."

The fashionista smirked at pretty much the whole class in a rather bitchy way. It pretty much meant 'No need to work when you're Junko Fucking Enoshima', as she liked to call herself. It didn't irritate Makoto though, since even if he needed to work hard to get results - which didn't even always work - he couldn't hold it against someone if they had natural talent.

And since he was at Hope's Peak Academy, it only made sense his classmates would have natural talent.

"Mondo…", she sighed. "What I told you last time remains true, even if you visibly don't care. 29."

I don't think he even listened to you, though… Makoto thought. The biker was not one for orders or even advices and this held true even for teachers. Most of them had given up long ago, but their math teacher had kept at it, but with the year coming to a close soon, she had visibly given up as well. Well, at least he has Leon to make sure he doesn't get the worst mark…

After placing the test on the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader's table, the teacher called out "Sayaka." and made her way on the opposite side of the classroom towards the Ultimate Pop Sensation. "80, good work and an overall good year."

The blue-haired girl smiled gently and took her test. She seemed fine, Makoto thought, and considering she was a good person - and a former crush - it was nice.

"Kiyotaka."

"Yes, ma'am!"

Makoto sighed. When Taka will realize that he doesn't need to act as the teachers' puppet, the world will be grandly grateful… I doubt he's getting reelected as class representative next year! Hmm, well, if he's the only candidate again, he'll have to be, but…

"87, another excellent work."

"Thank you, ma'am! It is my duty to work hard!"

Pretty much the entire student shook their head in exasperation. And apart from Taka himself, there was only one exception which was Mondo. Instead, he shot him a deathful glare that didn't seem to affect the Ultimate Moral Compass.

He's pretty much the Ultimate Ass-Kisser by now…! The Luckster and probably many others thought.

"Aoi.", the swimmer smiled as the teacher approached her table. "67. There are some silly mistakes here and there, but I noticed that you worked. Keep it up for next year."

"Alright.", Hina replied politely and took her test.

"Mukuro. Good work, 83. Some nice improvements throughout the year, as well."

The short-haired girl simply smiled a little - which was relatively rare for her - and quickly looked through the test.

Although Makoto had primarily rejected her when she asked him out because he wasn't attracted to her, it wasn't due to her physique - he didn't think she was the prettiest girl in the class (there was a certain lavender-haired girl holding that spot) but she wasn't ugly either - but more about her morals. She was a fine person and a cool classmate, but as her title implied, she was the Ultimate Soldier and had no issue with killing her targets and that was something Makoto couldn't condone.

"Byakuya.", she hummed over to the heir's table. "As usual, it's absolutely perfect. Congratulations!"

The Ultimate Affluent Progeny turned to look outside the window, visibly annoyed. Makoto - sitting directly behind him - swore he heard him mutter 'of course it is…'.

And so the streak continues! Well, I don't suppose you can become the heir to the Togami Family without being an upright genius. Good for him, I guess.

There was a fun thing about Byakuya since no matter how arrogant he acted; no teacher dared to say anything. His family and its many connections would find a way to have them fired if he was displeased with them and the gamble was not worth it. In a sense, the teachers were as much as ass-kissers with him that Taka was with them.

"Hiro.", the teacher said. "52! Well, this is somewhat encouraging even I think you got pretty lucky on the multiple-choice questions. I didn't see much hard work, but it's better nonetheless."

The Ultimate Clairvoyant smiled cheerily. He wasn't used to this sort of comments from the teachers and even though she had clearly stated that it was mostly due to luck, he seemed fine about it. It made Makoto chuckle a little.

But he quickly stopped chuckling when he realized he was getting his test next.

Legs shaking.

Sight fading.

He was downright nervous.

"And finally, Makoto."

He might have noticed Kyoko looking at him with a small smile, but it could also have been an illusion created by his mind to calm him down. And with every step the teacher took towards his table, the Luckster could feel his heart pound a little faster.

This is it, I guess. He thought. Whether or not I pass my first year as a student of the prestigious Hope's Peak Academy rests on this sheet of paper right there… C'mon Makoto, have a little faith in yourself! It's gonna be fine, it's gonna be fine, it's gonna be fine, it's gon-

"86."

And he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

Makoto Naegi, you passed!

His mind was racing. The teacher might have said something but he couldn't even hear her. Probably something about how he had improved and how she was proud of his hard work. All that was going on in Makoto's mind was the fact that he could finally breathe easy and that he would pass.

"Thank you, ma'am.", he said sincerely although he didn't know what she had said. He assumed it was worth a 'thank you' though.

He checked the test to make sure he had heard it correctly and when he read '86' clearly and plainly written, he understood that it was very much real. And after his first thoughts of celebration, all he could think of was the person who had been the architect for this.

I'll never be able to thank you enough, Kyoko, you know that?

He looked at her with a wide smile plastered on his face. She gave it right back to him, their growing feelings for each other evident.

"Overall, this is better than last time. A good number of you even got excellent marks which makes the average almost 75. There are still two of you whose lack of work will be a problem in the near future, but I am also proud to see some of you working harder and harder every time and getting rewarded.", she eyed Makoto. "I am pretty satisfied with the level of the class since you're one of the best Ultimate classes I've had in years and I think you all have what it takes to succeed next year, in math and in the other classes."

Makoto couldn't have been more overjoyed. I'm glad my work paid off in the end. He thought. It also seems like I panicked for no good reason, after all! And this is all thanks to Kyoko.

The bell ringed right as the woman finished talking. "Well, right in the nick of time, it seems. You're free to go. Have a nice day."

On those words, the sixteen students packed up their stuff and stood up. And as always, they all came out with their own words: politeness from the "good" students like Taka or Sayaka, and impoliteness from the "bad/arrogant" students like Mondo or Byakuya.

In the case of Makoto, he would have been polite even with his worst enemy considering the cheerful and overjoyed state he was in.

Once outside the classroom and inside the hallway, the Ultimate Lucky Student felt even better. He realized that this time, he wouldn't walk away in shame. Rather, he was smiling widely, knowing that he, a normal guy, with enough hard work, could have success even in the great 78th class of Hope's Peak Academy. Among the leaders of the world of tomorrow, Makoto Naegi had found his place.

There was someone waiting for him not far away from the classroom door. Kyoko smiled kindly at the sight of him and covered the few steps separating them, her long hair flowing gracefully.

"Congratulations, Makoto.", she began. "I'm glad your hard work paid off."

"Hehe…", he scratched his head in embarrassment. "It's all thanks to you though, Kyoko. I wouldn't have been able to get a good mark if it weren't for your help."

"Not at all, Makoto.", she disagreed. "I only offered you some assistance. You are the one who worked, of your own volition and will. You need to be prouder of yourself, Makoto. You're worth it."

"Kyoko…", he muttered sweetly. They took each other's hand. "I'm so glad to be dating a girl as nice as you are, Kyoko."

The detective blushed lightly and stared at Makoto gently. "And I'm glad to have a boyfriend as nice as you are and who I can love for who he is: a true gentleman with a heart of gold."

Makoto's heart melted at those words. We've never called each other boyfriend and girlfriend yet. He took his pendant with his other hand and after looking at the small bird - symbol of hope - attached to it, decided to push his luck.

He was the one and only Luckster, after all.

His lips got closer to hers and he could feel her breath and smell her nice perfume. He felt himself falling even more in love with her than before.

He closed his eyes and pressed his lips against hers in a soft kiss. Her lips felt soft and demanding. Makoto's mind was absolutely filled with loving thoughts of her and even when he didn't expect her to respond, Kyoko found a way to surprise him.

Her lips were indeed soft and the passion she showed was nothing short of amazing. He could feel the need she felt of showing how much she loved him, against all odds and for as long as they would be together.

The hallway was only the two of them in a lovely embrace and the whole world was only their love at this moment.

And just for Kyoko Kirigiri, Makoto could never regret failing that math test…

The End.