Disclaimer: I own neither the series nor the characters. This is adapted from 霧切さんと響子ちゃんと学園長と誠君 by natsu

If one were to ask where to locate Naegi Makoto in the vast halls of Hope's Peak Academy the, first place most would point to would be the luckster's classroom or perhaps his dorm room. After all, that would be the general answer for locating any student. If one knew a little bit more about the boy then you'd then look for one of his classmates as he had an odd habit of spending his free time with his friends.

However, for those that truly knew the habits of the boy, there was one last place that he would frequent and loiter by himself. A place where he liked spending in by himself instead of going along with where ever new place his classmates would drag him in to.

"Not another one of these…"

Naegi Makoto pocketed the results of his latest gacha machine spree. For the past hour, he had stayed in the school shop to partake in one of his few guilty pleasures which was the gacha machine of the school. It was a large machine that held things from food to jewelry to priceless artifacts. He really wasn't sure how they restocked it with so much random objects, but he found small pleasures in finding new things.

Unfortunately, today's haul wasn't too exciting, made up of mostly junk food and the odd trinket he's seen before. While he knew some of them would interest his classmates, you could only give the same thing so many times until they got sick of it.

After the fourth time he had given Celes a Rose Whip, she had gotten the idea that he was expecting her to use it. On him.

Quickly placing all his newly rolled horde in a plastic bag, Makoto gathered their gacha orb containers and disposed of them in a nearby trashcan. With much emptier pockets, he left the shop to go to the school's dining hall. He had done this rather early in the morning, so he could safely roll while avoiding a crowd so he was still lacking in breakfast.

'Hmm. I wonder who I could give this to…Oh?' As Makoto thought about who to give (dump) some of his newly acquired junk to, a flash of lavender a little far off caught his eye.

A very familiar shade of lavender.

"Kirigiri-san!"

His call made the person turn to him and stop in her tracks. Immediately, Naegi made his way to the girl although with every step, his brain told him something was off. This may not have been the person he knew.

Even from a far, it should have been obvious really. Maybe, it was how the girl was wearing a pure white top and a black skirt, missing her trademark vest. Maybe, it was how her hair wasn't as long and had two black ribbons on them.

Or maybe it was because he had to look down to see her.

When he finally reached her, Makoto confirmed just how mistaken he was. This wasn't his classmate if anything for the fact that the girl in front of him looked to be around maybe five to six years old. She did have a striking resemblance though with the same purple eyes and lavender hair as his friend, easily passing off as a relative. That she had responded to his call only added to that idea.

The unknown girl looked up at him with curious eyes that made Naegi freeze. This was partly from how cute she was and partly from how he hadn't really meant to call her, specifically. Seeing his hesitation, the girl took a small step back but continued to stare up at him as she scrunched her face up bravely.

'Cute.' Naegi thought. If something like that was done by Kirigiri Kyoko he knew, the glare would have been enough to chill his blood frozen. For the small girl, it was like a small breeze. It was both effective and ineffective at the same time. While it didn't cause fear in the boy it at least snapped him out of his stupor.

Putting his warmest smile a.k.a. his 'Please forgive me for eating the last pudding, Komaru' smile, Naegi squatted down to her eye level and introduced himself.

"Hey, I'm Makoto Naegi. Are you related to Kirigiri-san?" He noticed how she still seemed wary, so he reached into his pocket to draw out something he hoped would gain her trust. Hopefully, if it worked on the girl's relative…

He pulled out a test tube with a small rose inside. He gently handed it to her bare hands and couldn't help but chuckle at how her eyes just seemed to sparkle with amazement at the gift. Well, it the appreciation seemed to run in the family. Makoto had found that most girls enjoyed the gift although Kirigiri got really mad at him when she found out she wasn't the only one he had given a sealed rose to.

Hopefully, she'd be more lenient for a relative.

Tiny amethyst gems filled with wonder turned from the flower back to Makoto with the only sort of relevance and trust one would expect a young child to give to Santa. She opened her mouth, her voice like a twinkling bell. "It's so pretty!"

"Yeah, I agree." Makoto nodded, his smile widening. There really was no better feeling than giving the right gift to the right person. Hopefully, now she'd be less wary and trust him more.

"Hey, can you tell me your name?"

"My name?" The girl looked down as she hugged the glassed rose in her arms, slightly shuffling in place. She then looked up at him with a determined smile. "I'm Kirigiri Kyoko!"

"Huh?" Makoto blinked. His reaction must have not been what the girl expected as she tilted her head in confusion.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Makoto adopted his smile again. Did…those two really share the same name? Or maybe she was just giving Kirigiri's name as a sort of protective measure from strangers. Both were possible though unlikely, so he decided to just accept it for now and ask something else.

"Did you come to meet your older sister?"

The girl shook her head, braided lavender moving along with her. "I don't have any siblings."

Naegi blinked again. The girl didn't seem to be lying with how genuine she sounded but the similarities were way too on point to dismiss. Then again, there were those rumors with himself and another lucky upperclassman being the same person down to their name and voice…

He put his smile back on. "Then, can you tell me what you're doing here?"

At his words, the small girl squeezed the in-vitro rose tighter, a teary gaze transferring to the ground between them. With a wobbly lip, she replied, "I don't know. I was here before I realized it. I just wanted Father to read me a story."

"Father?" Naegi repeated the word. Could she perhaps be speaking of the headmaster? That was the first place his mind went although she couldn't have been referring to him as the girl mentioned she had no older siblings. Could there have been another male Kirigiri in the school?

Whatever the case, the best thing to do was to go to the Kirigiri Kyoko he knew. Whether the girl was a relative or no, the detective would be able to get on the case.

"Hey, do you mind coming with me?" Naegi asked, hoping that he didn't look as creepy as his actions sounded. "I'll bring you to someone you may know."

She used one arm to wipe her eyes. "Daddy told me not to go with strangers…"

Well, that was true, but it didn't really help him.

"Don't worry, I just want to help you find your family." Naegi stood up and held out a hand. "Besides, we're already friends, aren't we? I did give you a gift."

"…okay." After some hesitation, the luckster felt a small hand wrap around his own. Smiling, he used his one free hand to reach for his pocket and tell his classmate in advance that he'd be passing by her room. She was usually awake by now, but it would be rude to just barge into her like this.

Looks like breakfast would have to wait.

…..

Kirigiri Kyoko didn't expect to do much today. It was one of those rare weekends where she didn't have any cases lined up or reports to finish. She also felt a rare case of lethargy to go out and look for a murder so she thought it'd be a good opportunity to stay in her room to read a novel. Recently, she had started reading more of the sci-fi mystery genre over her preference of more grounded and realistic mystery novels.

The detective would admit that she found the few she had already read to be enjoyable when she got past suspending her disbelief for the more outlandish sections. Adding other elements such as clones, virtual worlds, time travel, increased some layers and room for possibilities in solving the mystery of the story when the sci-fi elements were handled well.

Or maybe it was because she was able to discuss them with Naegi Makoto, the person for her reading those books in the first place. In the process of getting to know her better, he started reading books she told him she liked. One thing led to another and now the two of them often traded recommendations.

Speaking of which, she had received a message from him asking if she was still in her room and that, if so, he wanted to talk to her about something.

Kyoko tried not to expect too much from his message though she found herself taking a bit longer in the shower and dressing up. It was oddly forward of the boy to want to meet her in her room and the thought made her feel a tinge of unease along with a flash of excitement. Could it really be…?

-Bzzzt-

Hearing her room's buzzer, Kyoko made her way to her door but not before allowing herself a small spray of Blueberry perfume she had once received from the luckster as a gift.

Calming herself, she opened the door to find an odd sight. While Naegi was there, he wasn't alone. There was a young girl next to him who looked eerily familiar.

"Morning, Kirigiri-san." Kirigiri Kyoko loved enjoyed a cup of coffee in the morning but somehow, she has found the luckster's smile to be just as invigorating yet cost less calories.

"Good morning, Naegi-kun." Kyoko nodded back her greeting before turning her gaze to the small girl next to the boy. "I take it this girl is what you wanted to talk about."

Noticing she was being scrutinized, the little girl hid behind Naegi's leg, peeking over the limb to meet her gaze. Naegi didn't seem to mind as one of his arms went behind his back to lightly pat the girl's head to calm her down.

"Yeah. I found her wondering the hallway and thought she could be a relative of yours."

"I don't have any other relatives besides my grandfather." Kyoko responded, not taking her eyes off the younger girl. The stranger's face was familiar as well as the ribbons which were much like the ones, she herself used.

Also, wasn't she sticking too close to Naegi-kun? And she didn't need to enjoy Naegi-kun's petting that much.

Tearing her eyes off the girl for a moment, she turned back to Naegi. "Do you know her name?"

"She says she's, uh," Naegi scratched his chin, "Kirigiri Kyoko."

At that, Kyoko turned back to the younger girl who finally stepped away from her hiding spot to nod. "Um! I'm Kirigiri Kyoko. Big sis looks just like Mother."

"I hope you don't mean I look old enough to be a mother," teased Kyoko as she hardened her stare. This got the other Kyoko to wildly shake her head.

"I mean, you have the same hair as he! Same with me!" pointed out the younger girl.

"Do you know either of your parent's names?"

The girl frowned as she tried to remember but then shook her head once more.

That got the detective thinking. While there many possibilities in her head, she already knew the two most likely explanations to this. Unfortunately, both would end up having her to go to someone she'd rather not.

The day was too early to ruin after all.

She turned to the luckster. She found he had an odd knack of putting pieces together and making decent conclusions. "Naegi-kun, what do you think?"

"Me?" The boy's face scrunched up in thought. "Well, she told me that the last thing she remembers is talking with her dad and that she also doesn't have any siblings. She also said her hair comes from her mother's side so…"

Naegi hesitated as he gave her a quick worried glance.

"It's fine, Naegi-kun." Kyoko tucked a stray hair behind her ear. He really was too caring. She appreciated it but he underestimated how much it'd bother her. "The first possibility is that this is my younger self who travelled to the future. The second and more likely one is that the headmaster had another child with a similar looking woman as my mother and gave her my name. It's clear which is the more likely scenario."

Naegi gulped, a tense awkwardness settling on his face. He was clearly unsure how to respond.

Kyoko folded her legs and bent down to meet the other Kyoko's eyes. There was one last way to confirm this loathe as she wanted to proceed.

"…Do you want to see your father?" The mention of the word brought recognition and joy to the younger girl's eyes. Kyoko forced herself not to flinch at the sight.

"Father? Is Father here?! Today, I'm going to ask him to read me a book!"

Ignoring the, -what was it? Disgust? Unease? Envy?- in her stomach from how happy the girl looked at the thought of meeting the man, Kyoko briskly replied, "Then let's go."

She stood back up to turn to Naegi. "Naegi-kun. Can you leave her with me? I'll bring her to the headmaster."

"Uh, yeah." Still not fully out of his stupor, Naegi nodded along. He stepped away to let the younger Kyoko move to the older one's side. "I need to pass by my room anyways. Um…Good luck, I guess."

The younger girl walked up to her, eyes curious. "So you're me in the future?"

As she took the smaller girl's hand, Kyoko couldn't help but feel like she needed it.

…

Taking a small breath, Kyoko knocked on the large wooden door in front of her.

"Come in."

While it was a weekend, the doors of the headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy were still open to any students who wanted to talk to him. The walk-in policy was more for formality's sake then anything as most students would prefer going to a councilor if they had a problem they needed discussed. Even then, those few that did could be counted in one hand.

And Kyoko was not one of them.

Which was why it was with wide eyes that Kirigiri Jin looked up to see his daughter outside his office.

"You…what are you doing here? Did you perhaps come to visit me?"

"Of course not." The girl immediately shot down without missing a beat as she stepped inside the office. "I just needed to inform you of a situation."

"A situation?"

Without another word, Kyoko motioned for her companion to step into the office. The sight of the young girl had the normally stoic man standing up in shock.

"Another Kyoko?! Kyoko when she was still little?! What is this, Kyoko?!"

"…I'm not sure who you're referring to." Kyoko sighed. The headmaster's surprise seemed genuine enough that he didn't know a thing about the smaller Kyoko. As she thought of leaving however, the smaller girl suddenly spoke up.

"Father? Father!"

As soon as the younger Kyoko saw Jin, the girl dropped all hesitation and shyness and immediately ran to the man, her eyes shining in relief. Kyoko could only watch, an uncomfortable scene feeling growing within her.

Even when Jin was still puzzled on what was going on, the moment the little girl reached the edge of his feet, he genuinely smiled and used two hands to lift up her body much to the girl's soft giggling.

"Is this Kyoko? Are you really Kyoko?"

"Kyoko is Kyoko. Father's being strange." The girl reached out her tiny hands to feel Jin's face to rub it against her rosy palms. "Father looks so old!"

"Hahaha" The man laughed softly, his eyes twinkling. "Yes. I've gotten old as well."

All the while the Ultimate Detective could only watch in silence. Unknown emotions bubbled within her which made her grit her teeth in frustration.

'I'm not sure why but this feels unpleasant. Did I really like this person this much?'

"Father, you promised to read me a book today!"

"Hmm, did I?" The man took a quick glance back down at his desk, still full of paperwork. "I'm a little busy today. It must have been a different me."

"You seem to like her a lot. Aren't you enjoying this situation too much?" Kyoko suddenly spoke up, her tone hard and bitter. "Even if it's hard to believe, if that girl is really myself from the past, then you should enjoy it while you can because that past doesn't exist anymore."

Kyoko crossed her arms in a huff, trying to suppress how irritated she felt. At those words, the man lowered the girl in his hands to face her his face apologetic.

"Oh yeah…I'm sorry."

The detective just humped. "…so? What are you going to do?"

The man shifted his gaze between the two Kyoko's and shrugged. "Well, while I'm sure what to do at the moment, I wasn't lying when I said I was busy today. Since it's a weekend, can you look after this child until I can think of something?"

"Fine. So you're throwing her out after all…"

"No, that's different…I know you're angry but-"

"That's enough. I'm not angry. This was something I expected. Then, I'll look after her today."

"…my apologies."

Kyoko ignored the man as she went over to pull her younger away by the hand from the man. To the smaller girl's credit, she didn't put up any resistance though she did look up to her confused.

"Eh, Father doesn't want to read a book?"

"He seems too busy. He can't always be bothered to spend time with you or me so why don't we both spend time together instead?"

"….Um." The girl nodded, obviously dejected.

When Kyoko reached for the door knob to leave the room, she stopped for a moment.

"If you find something, tell me. You don't have to do anything else."

Without waiting for a reply, the two left the room.

…

Kyoko didn't really know what to think and it wasn't like the odd feeling in her gut helped with that. Was this girl really her from the past?

It wasn't even a few steps outside when Kyoko felt her hand being pulled. She looked down to see the younger girl, still with her head bowed.

"What's wrong?"

"…I'm hungry." The girl replied shyly, a cute sound ringing from her belly. The sight caused Kyoko to smile.

"Well, I haven't had breakfast yet as well. Shall we go to the cafeteria?"

At those words the girl smiled up happily.

Really, she had to wonder if finding her younger self this cute would be too narcissistic.

Shaking those thoughts from her head, they made their way to the dining room. Thankfully, the hall was rather empty today which prevented her from having to make up some more convoluted explanations although it would be simple enough to pass the girl off as a relative.

The only other two diners were also people she knew so she made her way over to them.

"Ah! Kirigiri-san! Over here! There's the other one I told you about, Asahina-san."

"Morning, Kirigiri-chan! Kyoko-chan!"

"Kyoko-chan?" the sleuth raised an eyebrow on the way the swimmer had addressed her.

"Naegi told me about it. You're Kirigiri-chan while the smaller you is Kyoko-chan."

Kyoko found it odd but then again this must be what Celestia felt when a teacher would refer to Hagakure by his given name. Her situation was at least between another her rather than being linked to the clairvoyant.

She nodded to Asahina. "I'm going to get our meals. Can you watch over her for now?"

""Sure."" Both Asahina and Naegi replied simultaneously.

Kyoko turned to Naegi, suspicious. "You're oddly excited."

"Well, I did find her so I feel somewhat responsible." The luckster admitted, feeling bashful form his sudden reply. "Besides, I have a younger sister so I'm used to caring for kids."

"Hmm.' She turned her gaze at him, judging. "Tell, me again how you managed to get a child to follow you? This could be evidence."

"Ki-kirigiri-san!"

"Don't worry, Kirigiri-chan! I'll keep an eye on him!"

"Asahina-san too?!"

"…anyways." Kyoko turned to the smaller one. "Can you wait here for the moment? I'll bring us breakfast."

The girl nodded as she stepped away and allowed Kyoko to get their food from the kitchen. She turned to the only other two people in the room. Asahina spoke up first, a friend smile on her face.

"Hello Kyoko-chan. You can call me Aoi-nee!"

"Aoi-nee." The girl nodded then turned to Naegi.

"I'm Naegi Makoto. You can call me Makoto-oniichan."

"Makoto-onii-sama?"

"Guh!"

"Naegi-kun?!" Asahina glanced at the luckster who looked like he had been shot in the heart as he clenched his chest.

"I…I'm fine." Naegi gasped. The young Kyoko tilted her head in confusion.

"Is everything okay?"

"No, it's fine, Kyoko-chan. Just ignore this guy." Aoi pulled the girl away before she could end up killing the boy. "Why don't we find a table."

The three then moved away from the entrance and headed to one although when they did there was an immediate problem.

"She can't reach the table, huh?"

"You're right."

It was natural, the height of the chairs were designed for high schoolers. When the young Kyoko sat down, her legs floated in the air and she could barely place her elbows on the table. She pouted in dissatisfaction, one cheek inflated.

"Then what about this?

"Eh, Kyaa!"

Naegi sat down then lifted the girl to place her on his lap. He then put one arm around her tummy to make sure she wouldn't fall.

"Is this fine, Kyoko-chan?" He shot a smile at the girl who shuffle for a moment before finding that she was now able to rest her arms on the table easily.

"It's good!" she replied before a frown spread on her face. "But what about Makoto-onii-sama? You won't be able to eat any food."

"It's fine. I already ate earlier." The luckster reassured her.

The girl smiled again as she got used to her new seat. Asahina sat down next to them although she did raise an eyebrow at the sight but didn't say anything. After all, the cafeteria wouldn't have a high chair.

Eventually, the older Kyoko finally left returned and made her way to their table, holding a tray containing two plates and glasses. Although, seeing Naegi made her eyes widen for a moment before muttering a not so silent whisper under her breath.

"…sexual harassment."

"Eh? It's not like that Kirigiri-san," denied Naegi, even if his sudden outburst caused the girl in his lap to squirm for a moment.

"it can't be helped that Kyoko-chan is small." added Asahina as she took placed the box of donuts she had been carrying on the table.

"Then why doesn't she sit on your knees?" pointed Kyoko out to the swimmer who shrugged.

"Sorry. I need to eat donuts after every meal.

Sighing, Kyoko placed the one plate in front of the younger Kyoko and then took her own seat. She had gotten something simple but varied: just some ordinary bacon, scrambled eggs, salad, and a muffin. She thought of Japanese but the younger girl may not have been used to it.

Her drink was, of course, a hot mug of Luwak coffee while her younger self got orange juice.

"Huh, so Kirigiri-san didn't drink coffee back then.."

"That's natural, Naegi-kun."

Coffee was something she had grown into during her training as a detective.

As she drank the fresh brewed hotness, her younger self finally finished her meal and decided to pull the sleeve of Naegi.

"Hey, Makoto-oniisama!"

"-Gak?!"

"Kirigiri-san?!" exclaimed Naegi after the older girl seemingly choked on her own coffee. She turned back to her younger self with small tears in her eyes form how hot the coffee was..

She coughed one more time before replying. "…What did you say?"

"Makoto-oniisama told me to call him that."

"Naegi-kun, you…"

"Wait a second! I just to her to call me Makoto-nii. I didn't expect Kyoko-chan to say it so politely!"

"…I'm still not used to Kyoko-chan."

"Oh, this is Kyoko-chan" Naegi replied as she hugged the girl tighter for his point.

"I know. It's just…" Kyoko resisted the urge to rub her forehead. "For the time being, ask her what she wants."

"That's right." Naegi turned his gaze back to the Kyoko on his lap, adopting a friend ly smile. "What's wrong Kyoko-chan."

"Are there any books here?"

"Well, we have a library. Is there something you want to read?"

"Father promised that he'd read me a book but then said he couldn't…" After remembering the broken promise, the young girl's eyes began to tear up. The sight stirred up dark emotions in Kyoko, especially because this was all caused by Jin.

"Hey. If you're a Kirigiri, you shouldn't cry in front of other people so easily. Isn't that what your grandfather taught you.

"…I'm sorry."

Yet her scolding only made the young girl even more depressed as she tried to swallow her tears and put on a brave face.

Naegi, immediately spoke up to salvage the situation.

"You don't have to be so angry, Kirigiri-san."

"I'm not angry." This time Kyoko turned her glare to Naegi. "Why are you protecting her so much?"

"it's because Kyoko-chan is just a child."

"So because she's a child, it's okay? This is how Kirigiris are normally raised, how I was raised. It's none of your business."

"But it's not a normal situation at the moment. It won't help her if you scold her like that." Naegi then defiantly turned away from her to the girl on his lap. "Hey, Kyoko-chan. Instead of your father, what if I read you're a book instead."

That perked up the younger Kyoko. "Really, Makoto-onii-sama?"

"Of course!"

"Thank you!" the girl replied, her cheeks slightly dyed red."

"…it seems you prefer her as well. Then you can look after her yourself."

"Kirigiri-san?"

Without another word, Kyoko stood up from her seat and left the room. Naegi tried to immediately follow her but he felt a tug on his sleeve before he could get up. The younger Kyoko looked up at him with worry.

"Makoto-onii-sama?"

"It's..it's nothing, Kyoko-chan." Naegi shook his head and put a reassuring smile back on his face. "Let's go to the library."

"Um!"

Watching the whole thing silently as she ate her donuts, Asahina Aoi couldn't help but roll her eyes at the banter and think that the two should just get married already.

…

Kyoko shut the book in front of her.

It's been a few hours since breakfast and she thought she could continue her plans of reading for the day. However, the wave of irritations he had felt the whole morning had yet to fade which made concentrating on the words on the page difficult. She could barely remember what was currently happening.

"Really, both that man and Naegi-kun…" she murmured to herself.

She didn't want to acknowledge it but she knew what she was feeling right now. As irrational as it sounded, she was jealous of her younger self. And even she had already cut ties with that man, it was embarrassing to think that he was being taken away from her by her own younger self.

"How stupid." Kyoko looked at the cover of the book again, one Naegi had recommended. She wouldn't be able to discuss it with him if she half-assed it like this.

She stood up and left her room.

…

It wasn't too hard to find them in the library. She potted the two immediately, with the younger Kyoko laying her head on the knees of Naegi. In the hands of Naegi as an old mystery novel she had told him was a childhood favorite of hers. From the way the younger girl's eyes were closed, she must have fallen asleep while Naegi was reading it.

Kyoko approached them, making sure her next word was barely above a whisper.

"Naegi-kun."

"Ah…Kirigiri-san.." The boy looked up, a soft smile still on his face. He didn't look to be mad at her for their disagreement earlier. "Kyoko-chan fell asleep while I was reading this."

"Where's Asahina-san?"

"She couldn't stay in the library too long so she left to train."

"I see." Kyoko turned back to the sleeping girl. "Sorry for bothering you to take care of her for me, Naegi-kun."

"It's fine, Kirigiri-san. It's nice to be a big brother again. Should we take Kyoko-chan back to your room?" The girl twitched at the sound of her name but Naegi simply brushed her hair to settle her down.

Now that Kyoko thought about it, the girl must have been exhausted the whole morning from being suddenly plugged into such an unknown situation. The whole time she must have been anxious and tense. Maybe it was just her own pride but Kyoko thought the younger girl did better than most children would have.

"Yes, let's go."

Carefully, cradling her head, Naegi lifted then held the younger girl to let her sleeping face rest on the crook of his neck. Together, he and Kyoko walked side-by-side along the corridor. From the back, they could easily be mistaken as a couple.

'People may get the wrong idea if they see the three of us like this.'

"This is nice."

"Naegi-kun?" Kyoko turned to the boy who kept looking forward. He didn't seem too bothered or strained about carrying her younger self as well.

"I never really got to carry my sister like this. She grew way faster than me." Kyoko just sighed at his answer, not sure if she should feel disappointment or relief. "By the way Kirigiri-san, have you thought of what to do next?"

"I'm not too sure." Kyoko admitted. Was this girl really herself being time displaced? Even if she could answer that, it's not like she had any idea how to fix it. "I don't think you know how to time travel do you, Naegi-kun?"

"Well, no but I'm sure no one really does."

They discussed the problem a bit more before finally reaching her dorm room. As Kyoko brought out her key, the sound must've stirred the younger girl as she let out a yawn and stirred herself into Naegi's shoulder more.

"Should I leave her to you?"

"It's fine, Naegi-kun. I want to discuss the circumstances of this child with you more and how we could return her."

"Is that so?"

When they entered the room, Naegi lifted the blanket and gently laid the sleeping girl on Kyoko's bed. Covering her up again, he gently stroked the girl's forehead, smiling. Kyoko looked away, an odd combination of feeling embarrassed that it was still technically her he was doing that too yet feeling envious of the younger girl.

Such complicated feelings forced the words out of her mouth before she realized it.

"Naegi-kun. Do you like me or that child more?"

"…huh?" Naegi looked up at her surprised and befuddled. She immediately regretted it.

"It's nothing. Please forget what I said."

"I like both because both are Kirigiri-san, right?"

"I said to leave it alone."

"Kirigiri-san." Naegi turned from her to the girl on the bed and then back to her. "Is this somehow related to the headmaster?"

"…" Kyoko didn't say another word but Naegi got up and moved closer to her. He already knew how her father was a sore spot for the girl but he still wanted to help her. She had been unusually angry and moody today.

"A while ago, you said 'it seems you prefer her as well.' Did…did something happen.?" Naegi awkwardly placed his hand on her arm, he wasn't really sure if It helped or not but Kyoko soon spoke up."

"…I feel like such a fool. I got frustrated at the way he smiled at her. Even when I already told him that I didn't care about him."

Naegi just stood there silently letting the girl talk. It was so rare of her to tell him about her feelings that he always felt he couldn't really comment on it. He could just offer some support.

At that moment, only the gentle hum of the air conditioner and a young girl's light snoring could be heard in the room.

Then the sound of a buzzer broke the silence.

"Who is that?" Kyoko immediately turned and moved to her door letting Naegi's arm fall down limply. She opened it to find the main face of the main cause of her frustrations for the day.

"….what?"

"It's about Kyoko…I mean, the small Kyoko. Can I come in?"

Kyoko didn't reply but moved back into the room, giving the man passage. Jin immediately spotted the younger Kyoko sleeping on the bed and Naegi standing ent to her.

:Oh Naegi-kun." The man nodded not showing any surprise that the boy was there. "You're always taking care of Kyoko and now you're looking after another one."

"No, Kirigiri-san's always the one helping me out, headmaster."

"Hey, this isn't the first time you two have met. Just get to the point already," Kyoko was not amused by their little routine and just wanted the man out already.

"Then, I'll get to the point." He faced the both of them with a serious expression. I remembered something like this has happened before."

"Really?"

The man nodded at Naegi, his face becoming wistful as he reminisced. "There was one time when Kyoko suddenly disappeared. The promise the younger Kyoko talked about made me remember it. You were so excited to have me read a book that you slept in between your mother and I that night. The following morning you had disappeared."

"…I don't remember any of this," admitted Kyoko although it wasn't like she remembered much from before she started living with her grandfather. Just feelings of hurt and betrayal. "So you remember when I came back."

"We both searched for you that day but we couldn't find you at all. I even called Fuhito and he didn't have any leads. But the next morning, you were sleeping between your mother and I like nothing had happened."

"Kirigiri-san didn't say anything back then?"

Jin turned his eyes to the younger Kyoko, still sound asleep. Then when he turned back to Naegi, his eyes widened in realization.

"Wait, I remember Kyoko did tell me something back then. I dismissed it at the time because it sounded ridiculous but now it makes sense."

"What did she say?"

"She said, 'In the future, I'm going to marry Makoto-oniisama' "

"Eh?"

"At that time, I didn't know what you were talking about. I looked long and hard for anyone close to us that was named Makoto but couldn't fine any but it makes sense now if Naegi-kun was the one Kyoko-chan met back then. Naegi-kun, can I leave Kyoko to you?"

"Wh-what are you saying, headmaster!?"

"That's right! What nonsense are you saying now? How is any of that relevant?"

"No, it's totally related!"

Over the two's exclamations, Jin hardened his voice. His face adopted the seriousness one would expect from his position as Headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy. This even caused Kyoko to pause and give him a chance to speak.

"Back then, Kyoko disappeared when she slept between me and your mother. In other words, you can try sending her back by doing the same thing with the two of you."

"…It seems that it was a mistake to depend on you from the beginning. Please get out." Kyoko suddenly spoke up as she started pushing him towards her room's doorway. Her face may have also flushed slightly pink from the exertion of the act.

"Oi! Hey! Wait a minute."

"Get out! Get out!" Eventually, Kyoko was able to barge him out of her room, making sure to lock the door when she closed it.

"Really, what are you saying to someone who was once your daughter…."

"Um..Kirigiri-san?"

Calming herself, Kyoko turned back to an unsure Naegi. "Let's just forget everything he's said. He's no good after all."

"And what about…"

"On the off chance what he was saying was true, it's all just child talk, Naegi-kun. Don't take it seriously"

"No, I mean, it's fine. Komaru used to tell me that all the time."

"…"

"My sister."

"…of course. Anyways, Naegi-kun, it looks like we're back to square one." Kyoko sighed as she moved to her bed and sat down at its edge, making sure not to awaken the younger girl. Naegi followed sitting next to her and spoke up.

"Should we try it?"

"What?"

"Sleeping together with three people." Kyoko turned to him surprised at his suggestion. It was oddly forward of the normally herbivorous boy. At her look, he turned away, flushing a bit.

"I mean, there's really no other leads we have so we could test it. And, don't have any ulterior motives. It'll just be like camping or something."

While the headmaster's testimony was…questionable, Naegi was right that there was no harm In trying it. He wasn't the type to do anything untoward. Really, the worst part about the whole thing was that it meant she was believing something her father told her.

"…It can't be helped then."

Naegi mutely nodded, finding it hard to meet her eyes. "Well, then I'll come back later at night."

"Makoto-oniisama, you're going somewhere?"

The sudden interruption startled Naegi on to his feet and off the bed. "Kyoko-chan?!"

The girl didn't respond, instead opting to sleepily rub one of her eyes and nodded.

"Well, I'll just be stepping out a bit Kyoko-chan. Be sure to listen to Kirigiri-san, okay?"

"No!" Suddenly one hand latched onto his wrist. "Stay here."

Kyoko sighed at her younger self's unexpected rebellion. Maybe, it would be better off to just leave her with the luckster. "Then Naegi-kun, you can take her to-"

"You have to both stay!" The girl's other hand went to Kyoko's wrist and she tried to pull the two closer as much as a girl her age could. "You're both relaxing like mother and father are."

At that, the two Ultimate's shared a look of understanding. It seemed like they were both stuck with this.

"Kirigiri-san, surely loved her parents when she was younger."

"Well, I certainly remember I loved my mother."

Smiling, Naegi turned to the younger Kyoko, "So what do you want to Kyoko-chan."

"I want to walk somewhere!"

"Well, what about the courtyard? Or even the dojo? It's got a great view." He turned back to Kyoko. "What do you think Kirigiri-san?

"That's fine."

With Kyoko holding the girl's left hand and Naegi holding her right, the trio walked along the courtyard, taking in the sights of the school's greenery. Just like the Dining Hall earlier, there were also few students who noticed the pseudo family.

…

"Ah, do you want to make Flower Garlands, Kyoko-chan?"

"Garlands?"

"They're crowns made of flowers, I'll show you."

"Let's go!"

"She's too excited, Naegi-kun."

…

"You should eat, your vegetables."

"Uuuu…."

"Im surprised you'd tell her off for something like that, Naegi-kun."

"Ah well, Komaru always used to shove her own onto my plate so I've gotten used to it."

"Maybe, she should've concentrated on milk instead."

"That's mean, Kirigiri-san."

…

Much faster than they all thought, night had come at last. Naegi had brought his own mattress from his room and arranged the two mattresses next to each other so all three of them could fit.

At the moment, all three were already lying down next to each other. It should've felt awkward but the little girl in between the two made any less chaste thoughts disappear instead of familiar ones.

"It was a nice experience be able to help wash my younger self."

"Really?"

As Kyoko chatted with Naegi, they head a yawn in between them. The younger Kyoko looked was already nodding off, her eyes flickering to a close. It was clear that the rest of the day had tired her out and yet she had used the last of her energy to convince them to do this.

"Even if the headmaster hadn't suggested it, we may have had to do this in the end." Naegi murmured as he turned to face the two Kyoko's. Maybe it was that there was a child between the two, but Naegi found himself much calmer than expected.

"That may be true. I still wonder if I was really this spoiled as a child." murmured Kyoko back. It took Naegi a moment to notice how she had undone her braid. She gently nudged the small girl. "Are you this spoiled at home."

"No, I have to be firm as the next Kirigiri." the girl replied although her words were half whispered with how sleepy she was getting. She was trying her best to stay up and not end the day but her eyes just wouldn't stay open. A faint smile spread on her face. "But it's okay now. I'm happy that I could be spoiled today by you and Makoto-oniichan."

"You know I thought I'd be more nervous of sleeping with a girl in their room" Naegi spoke up, fighting the drowsiness in his eyes as well. "But now, I'm more nervous of falling asleep and that Kyoko-chan won't be there tomorrow."

"That's true" agreed Kyoko, the idea that her littler self may disappear the morning after finally settling in. While it was mostly relief, she couldn't help but feel a little sad as well. "But I think one of me alone is enough…Am I not satisfactory, Naegi-kun?"

"N-no. Of course not. It's just-"

"It can't be helped Naegi-kun. If this child remains here the next morning, we won't have any other leads on how to return this child from when she was."

"Yeah…I'm sorry, Kirgiri-san.""It's fine. Can you turn off the lights?"

"Sure. Kirigiri-san, Kyoko-chan, good night."

"Good night, Makoto-oniisama…Kyoko-neesama."

"…. Good night."

….

"She's really gone."

"Yes. She's not in the room anymore and there's no way she'd step outside without telling us."

Kyoko and Naegi woke up at almost the same time When they both woke up, they only saw each other's faces with no trace of the young girl that had been between them last night. Naegi immediately sat up, getting nervous now that there was no one in between the two of them.

"I had a good sleep…bit I feel a little sad for, Kyoko-chan."

"…Hey, Naegi-kun."

"Kirigiri-san?" The boy turned to Kyoko as she sat up as well. Her hair was not the slightest bit ruffled from her sleep. She faced him with folded arms yet didn't make eye contact.

"That girl may be gone but the genuine Kirigiri Kyoko is right here."

It took Naegi a second but a wide grin then spread through his face, washing away all traces of sadness. "That's right."

"Also," the detective met his gaze. "if you really miss it, you can call me Kyoko as well."

"Eh?!"

"Is it bad?"

"No, it's just..." Naegi turned away, his face red. The fact that the two of them were still sharing a bed was starting to dawn on him.

"Mako…Makoto-kun, please?"

"I..I understand Kyo…Kyoko-san!"

A soft giggle was heard next to him. "Fuh…you're face is red."

"Kyoko-san!"

"Well then, thank you, Makoto. I couldn't have done this without you." Kyoko sent the boy next to her a smile. 'And maybe not just him…'

"Kyoko-san…I wonder if it's just me…"

"Naegi-kun. Do you really want me to thank the headmaster for suggesting I sleep together with you?"

"W-well if you put it that way." Naegi glanced away for a moment before looking her straight on. "But still, I'd like at least to be friendly with him because…well…maybe in the future…he'd also be someone I'd care about."

Kyoko blinked before feeling her cheeks slightly heat up at the rather roundabout implication he was proposing. She reached her hand over to his. The space between them both was now empty so it was up to her to fill it.

"While, I'm can't promise you that, can I at least rely on you to do my part as well when I can't?"

The smile she got in return was nothing but invigorating indeed.

She hoped this wouldn't become a habit or she'd have to stop taking her morning coffee.

In the end, no one really knew the answer to why the younger Kirigiri Kyoko had appeared. The only hint being that the position she slept in, in between two people she trusted, was much like the Kanji for river, three parallel lines lying next to each other.

The only proof that she had been there was the in vitro rose that was left behind on the bed

AN: So I found this fic and thought the idea was pretty fun though I kinda wished the author didn't skimp over the rest of the day where they went out for a walk, ate dinner, had a bath scene etc. I guess, it wouldn't really add much so I added very short scenes for them at least.

The ending was kinda meh for me and lacked impact. Even in the original Japanese, there was no OOMPH. I just liked Kiri going all ""That girl may be gone but the genuine Kirigiri Kyoko is right here." It's super cute

Too lazy to write an Omake