Insurance

"Just promise me, if it seems like your life is in danger, you'll turn back."

Naegi's words do not come as a surprise to Kirigiri. It is not an unreasonable request, though not one that needs to be made. She cannot allow herself to die until everything is made clear. With that resolve in mind, she replies.

"I promise."

At this, he extends his pinky finger, prompting her to do the same. Really? A pinky swear? They are both high schoolers, aren't they?

But this is Naegi's charm. His innocence, his purity of the soul. To him, this is likely more ironclad than a binding contract. As such, she extends her own pinky and wraps it around his own.

The feeling of foreign skin on the leather of her gloves reminds her of a prior conversation the two had shared. She revealed to him the significance of her gloves, though refused to remove them for him. Even so, he was the only person she was willing to bare so much of herself to.

With that, she wondered. What if she did find herself in danger? Without this pinky swear, this ironclad contract tying her down, would she turn back? Facing danger with aplomb was second nature to her, even if she didn't fully know why. She needed some sort of tether. Something that would make the idea of not returning from her investigation unthinkable. The solution was obvious.

Once her finger had broken free of his, she then grabbed him by the lapels of his jacket. Naegi replied with shock. "Wait, what are you-?!"

She pulled him in and delivered a kiss that stopped his inquisition immediately.

Once that had passed, he took a moment before he found his voice again. "What? What was...?"

"Insurance," Kirigiri answered.

"I don't understand," Naegi replied, more confused than he had ever been.

She stood up, and gave her explanation just before leaving the changing room. "I can't die until we discuss what just happened, right?"

Naegi barely mumbled out a response. "Y-yeah."

As she walked away, she found herself pondering the lingering taste of his lips. This most certainly required further investigation.

Unexpected

Kirigiri was unaware if the concept of "whiplash of the heart" existed before this moment, but it was the best descriptor of how she currently felt. She had never felt lower than seeing Naegi carted off to his own execution, knowingly taking the fall for her. Yet, she had never been happier than to see Alter Ego shut down the piledriver and save his life.

She remembered that in olden times, if an execution failed, it was taken as a sign that the culprit had been wrongfully accused and was to be exonerated. A flawed system, yes, but accurate in this case. Naegi was not the one who took Mukuro Ikusaba's life. And even though she was the only other reasonable option, he had refused to throw Kirigiri under the bus.

Returning the favor by saving his life was less a choice, and more of an obligation.

Through a stroke of good fortune, she was on trash duty that day. Furthermore, thanks to Monokuma's slip of the tongue, she knew the trash chute was the path to where Naegi could be found. The recovering amnesiac prepared accordingly, unlocking the escape hatch for later, and sending a few garbage bags down ahead of her to cushion her fall. With that, she dove down the metal corridor.

She landed with a less than graceful thud, and set about to find Naegi. Or she would have, had she not heard his voice.

"Oh, it's just more trash."

Kirigiri chose to let a bit of friendly indignation shine through. "Trash? That's not a very nice thing to say to someone who's here to help."

As she stood up from the heap, brushing the dirt and grim from her clothes, she prepared for some sort of outburst. Rage, confusion, something. It wouldn't be unjustified. She was going to let him die for her.

And yet, his expression was one of joy. A tearful cry of, "Kirigiri!" all at once captured and broke her heart.

He had forgiven her. Already! Naïve as ever, but that was what she loved about him.

Loved? ...yes. That was it. She loved the boy. In spite of everything, he mattered to her above all else. She couldn't imagine risking this much for the others, as much as she wishes she could claim she would.

This shocking realization was interrupted by a sheepish comment by the brunette. "Umm... you've got a little something on your..."

An extended index finger pointed toward her head. A cup of noodles, positioned just about perfectly to stay on rested upon her lavender locks. She brushed it away. "Did I get it?" she asked.

"Almost," he replied, "let me just..." He ran his hand through her hair, removing a few loose noodles. Sparks flew between both of them.

Neither could tell you who leaned in first, but the next thing either of them knew was the warmth of the other's lips on their own.

As they broke away, Kirigiri smiled, and began to laugh.

"What is it?" Naegi asked, wondering if he had done something wrong.

She shook her head, as if sensing his concern. "I just never expected my first kiss would happen while I was standing in a pile of trash."

Naegi began to chuckle as well. "Yeah. Me neither."

Though, students of Hope's Peak were known for defying expectations.

Idle Consideration

It was hard to believe it was truly over. Junko Enoshima was gone, and the School Life of Mutual Killing had come to an end. And with the ability to leave the Hope's Peak came the need to pack before they left. If Junko had been telling the truth, and the world outside had come to an end, they would need as many supplies as possible.

And in spite of that, Kirigiri had found herself in the secret room in her father's old office. There was most certainly nothing here that would aid them in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Yet, there was one item calling out to her. An old picture.

An image of her father playing with her when she was young. Why? Why had he held on to this for so long? This line of questioning was broken by a familiar voice.

"I kinda figured you'd be here."

Kirigiri turned to see Naegi, looking downtrodden. He was clearly upset about the idea of interrupting her while she was in such a state.

"Did the others send you to find me?" she asked.

"No, I was just... worried," Naegi replied.

Kirigiri smirked. "This coming from the Ultimate Hope?"

He responded with a light chuckle. "You're the one who came up with that."

Kirigiri nodded and turned back to the photo. "Is it wrong of me to want to take it?"

"Hmm?"

"Is it wrong to want to take the photo with me?" she clarified. "I know we should only pack the essentials, but..."

"I think it's nice," Naegi reassured her, "it means you haven't forgotten about him."

She shook her head. "But I want to. I want to move on with my life. He's not my family anymore."

"You can't be sure," Naegi countered.

"What?" Kirigiri was stunned by his exclamation.

He continued with his line of reasoning. "We have no memories of the past two years. Maybe... maybe you two made up? You can't be sure that you didn't."

The mask the detective wore over her heart began to crack. She found it hard to speak. "I... I... I don't know if we did but... I hope not."

"Why?" Naegi asked, desperately trying to understand.

"If we had," Kirigiri explained, "then the fact that I'll never see him again..."

She lost the strength to speak. Naegi walked over to her, and took her gloved hands in his own.

"It's okay. You have a new family now, remember?"

Kirigiri blinked, not quite sure where this was coming from.

Naegi lifted her gloved hand toward her. "You told me you'd only show what was beneath your gloves to your family, and during the trial..."

"You've got that wrong."

Naegi stopped cold. He waited as she began to explain.

"I said I would only feel comfortable showing what was beneath my gloves to someone I considered family." Kirigiri freed her hands from his grip. "I was willing to make that sacrifice to defeat the Mastermind, but I wasn't comfortable with it."

"Oh," Naegi replied, defeated.

The former Luckster was about to chalk this up as a loss, until he noticed the detective gripping the end of her right-hand glove.

"What are you...?" he began, only to be stopped as her true hand was freed.

She presented it to him once again. "I... I feel comfortable showing you. Just you."

Naegi extended his own hand, testing the waters. A small nod was all the indication he needed to take her burnt hand in his own. He ran his fingers across it, tracing the hills and valleys of her scars.

It was at this point, she decided to throw caution to the wind. "So?" she asked. "Your thoughts?"

Naegi smiled. "It's just another part of what makes you who you are."

He placed a kiss upon the charred flesh. Kirigiri suddenly felt more life in her right hand than ever before. Even prior to the accident, her hands had never felt so warm and inviting.

Naegi drew his own hand back. "So, I'll see you at the door?"

"Right," she replied. "I'll be there shortly."

The eternal optimist turned and left the room.

Kirigiri was left on her own, idly considering if the next time the two were alone, whether or not she would bother with the gloves.

Fairy Tales

"Passing the Fourth Time Limit with Makoto Naegi alive."

Kirigiri's greatest fear upon reading that sentence was that she wouldn't be able to contain her gasp of shock. No, not shock. Fear. Fear of death is only natural, even for her.

There is very little doubt in her mind she is going to die. The only way to avoid triggering her own NG Code is by either allowing Naegi to die or by winning the game before the Fourth Time Limit. The latter is difficult. The former is out of the question.

After the Third Time Limit, another option presents itself. A blessing, to be sure, given that winning the game before the deadline is now impossible. The death of Seiko Kimura is certainly tragic, but the memento left on her person is a godsend.

Antagonist. It's a safe bet in Kirigiri's mind that the medication is meant to "antagonize" the poison from the bracelets. Still, a gamble. And one she will need good reason to take. How fortunate then, that her reason soon finds himself overhearing her sing his praises.

She tells him what she feels needs to be said before the inevitable, and they pass into a comfortable slumber. As per usual, she wakes up a few minutes before the sleeping phase comes to its true end. A very dark, twisted part of her whispers in her ear, telling her this is designed to tempt her into killing him.

No.

As she downs the supposed anti-venom, she looks to his sleeping form. Oddly enough, she is reminded of old fairy tales. About the handsome prince saving the princess with the magic of true love's kiss.

But, she is a detective. The rational part of her brain quickly snaps into action, reminding her that magic isn't real and this is certainly no fairy tale. All the same, she is human. And the emotional side of her simply looks at him. Her handsome prince.

She steals true love's kiss from his unconscious lips.

Ah, the voice of reason returns. Pointing out that even if this were a fairy tale, she would be the unconscious one, and he would place the kiss on her. The context is all wrong. She allows the voice to ramble on a little longer as she lays down, preparing for what is yet to come.

As her handsome prince stirs from slumber, her mind quickly turns to pain, and then silence.

When she awakens hours later, groggy, but very much alive, she notes that her voice of reason has wisely chosen to shut up about true love's kiss.

It certainly felt magical, anyway.

Crashing Down

It was a long walk up from the destroyed facility, but it was well worth it. Not just to see the sun again. Not just to take in the fresh air once more. But to declare for all the world to hear that Kyoko Kirigiri was alive.

But before the world must come one person in particular. The one staring off into the sunrise, likely steeling his resolve to face a world without her.

A few steps closer and the noise is enough to get him to turn around.

Dozens of emotions flash across Naegi's face all at once. Shock, apprehension, disbelief, but chief amongst them was joy. For though her left eye was hidden by an eyepatch, her left arm in a sling, and half her face slightly discolored, Kyoko Kirigiri was alive.

He walked over to her, fearing that running would shake him out of this fantasy he may have constructed for himself. As he approached her, she smiled, and he felt his heart race. Naegi reached out his hand, making contact with the side of her face.

"I told you, I will always be at your side," she said.

The floodgates opened, and Naegi wept, overjoyed. The why or how didn't matter right now, Kyoko Kirigiri was alive.

"I was so scared! I thought, I thought..."

She wrapped her good arm around him, pulling him into a much-needed hug. "I know. I'm sorry."

"Promise me something," he asked.

"Hmm?"

"Promise me you'll never choose to die for me ever again."

Kirigiri took a shaky breath. "If you'll promise the same, then yes. I'll agree to that."

Naegi nodded. "Okay. No more dying for each other. From now on, we'll just... live for each other. Does that sound alright to you?"

She smiled, and replied, "That sounds perfect."

The former lucky student pulled away from the hug, and looked at her straight in the eyes. "I should have said this a long time ago, but... I love you, Kyoko. I have ever since..."

She put a finger to his lips, stopping him. "Makoto," she interrupted, agreeing to their new first-name basis, "I feel the same way."

The two pulled back into one another, and met one another's lips. The way they felt, the two wouldn't have been surprised to hear that they were flying.

Fortunately, a nearby voice was able to bring them crashing back down to Earth.

"WELL IT'S ABOUT DAMN TIME!"

The two broke away, and turned to see Asahina, Togami and Hagakure in tow, with her hands wrapped around her mouth so as to amplify her voice. Apparently, they had arrived much earlier, and had simply chosen not to bother the two.

They had very considerate friends.

A Different First

"WAAAHHHH! WAAAHHH!"

"Congratulations, you two. It's a healthy baby boy."

As Makoto and Kyoko Naegi looked over the new life they had created, the two were completely overwhelmed. All the fear and uncertainty that came with parenthood melted away in the face of the miracle of birth.

Once the child had been cleaned up and swaddled, he was placed in his mother's arms. Tears came to Kyoko's eyes. "He's so beautiful," she whispered.

Makoto barely choked back tears of his own. "He takes after his mother."

Kyoko turned to her husband. "What should we name him?"

"I thought we agreed," Makoto responded, "if it's a boy, you would get to name him."

The two had chosen not to be told the sex of their child. It was nice to have a happy mystery in their lives for once. Upon the proposal of this mutual naming agreement, Kyoko hardly needed to be a detective to realize Makoto intended to name their potential daughter Sayaka.

Had she been a lesser woman, she might have been jealous.

Regardless, she turned to her son. She had thought about the idea for quite some time, and only one name came to mind.

"Koichi."

Makoto nodded, understanding. "Koichi Naegi. I like it."

Kyoko looked back to her son and smiled. "Koichi, I know you don't understand what I'm saying to you just yet, but I want you to know something. Your father and I love you very much." She sniffled, trying desperately to keep her composure. "Thank you, so much, for letting us be your parents."

Koichi giggled. He may not have understood the words. But the emotions were clear.

Makoto grinned ear to ear. "Should we let the others in now?"

Kyoko shook her head. "Not yet. I... I want this moment to last a little longer."

In the hearts of those three people, that moment would last forever.