There were quite a few requests for Kyoko's high school story! so here :D

boobaaboobaaboobaa

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"Kyoko."

"Shit, you found me."

"You didn't even try to hide this time." Takumori removed the magazine from my face. "You're literally lying on a bench at the back of the school."

"It was too sunny on the rooftop."

"Class started five minutes ago. Come on, you're making both of us late," Takumori said.

I peeked open one eye and looked at him. "It's the last week of school. Nobody cares."

"Get up," he insisted.

"Why do you even bother with me, Takumori? Just let me rot and die here."

"Don't joke about that," he mumbled. "Come on, get up."

"I don't wanna."

He sighed, then seated himself on the ground beside the bench. "I'll wait until you do, then."

"What the heck?" 

The both of us fell silent until I asked, "Seriously, Takumori, why do you even bother with me? We're just childhood friends. You're not responsible for me."

"Our second last year of high school is about to end, yet you still have no motivation to do anything. Didn't you say you wanted to apply to that prestigious investigators' academy?"

"Yeah, but... Can't I start working hard next year?"

"Do you think C's turn into A's overnight?"

"Okay, okay! I'll go! The teacher will probably make us carry around boxes all period, jeez."

Takumori walked beside me as we made our way up the school building and into our classroom. Honestly, this guy was too good for me. I didn't deserve a friend as good as him.

~~

"I'm home," I muttered. Right away, I heard a short but obvious gasp, some shuffling noises, then mom peeked her head out from the kitchen. 

"Welcome home!" she exclaimed. "Dinner will be ready in about ten minutes, okay?"

"Mm."

I crashed on the sofa and began scrolling through my phone, gradually getting tired. It didn't take five minutes for me to fall asleep.

I could almost smell the smoke in my dream. I've never smoked, neither did mom. Where did this come from?

I peeked open one eye and was met by the ceiling of my living room. What the heck was that?

Mom's face appeared in my vision, smiling. I got up and glanced around, noticing that my phone was now on the table. Whatever, she probably put it there so it wouldn't fall on the ground. I soon completely forgot about that short dream.

Dinner was awkward. Ever since a year ago, when I first mustered up the courage and seriously asked her for information regarding my father, since I had the right to know, she didn't take me seriously. She treated me like a child who couldn't handle a simple truth. She brushed my questions off like a little kid asking where the tooth fairy lived.

I always acted like I didn't care about anything, but I didn't plan on applying to an investigators' academy on a whim. I recently looked up some common interrogation techniques. Now's the time to try them out.

"Mm, the fish tastes really good today," I started, earning a beam from my mother.

"Really? I'm so glad! I tried a new recipe!"

"What sauce is this?"

Mom's eyes practically lit up, probably thinking that I was finally not mad at her anymore. 

When she finished talking about the recipe, I brought up Takumori. She tried to play matchmaker between us many times. I'd get her already-down guard even lower by mentioning a boy that she liked.

"What do you really think about Taku, other than he's smart?" I asked.

Mom's eyes shifted to the right. "Hmm, I like how attentive he is. Back when you two were eight years old..."

Okay, so when she's recalling a past memory, her eyes shift to the right.

"You ship us, don't you?" I finally asked, about to begin my real objective of this talk.

Mom giggled. "A bit, yes."

"But love doesn't last. You always claim that you loved dad a lot, didn't you? Look how that turned out."

All color drained from her face at once, making me feel guilty, but this was the only way I could get to the truth.

"No--"

"But you're not even confident enough to tell your own daughter about her father," I quickly said, interrupting any denial she might have. "Did you leave him because he wasn't responsible enough for a family?"

She shook her head violently. "That's not it at all! He was--"

"Then why? He didn't treat you right?"

"No, my insecurity was the only reason! Kyoko! Are you trying to interrogate me?"

"What makes you think that? Why would you be afraid of that?" I quirked an eyebrow. "Why is your first thought that this was an interrogation, instead of just me trying to have a conversation?"

"That's... that's because..."

"Was my dad a police officer?"

"Kyoko!"

In other words, she didn't deny it.

"Or possibly, a detective?"

Her head finally ducked. I wasn't going to stop there. I reached across the table and set both my hands on her shoulders, forcing her to look at me. "Mom, dad was a detective, right? He was a good man, wasn't he? You had your reasons for leaving, didn't you?"

I put on the best sad face I had, and she finally crumbled, nodding. "Yes... he was an amazing detective. Lazy, but amazing, and he had such a kind heart...."

I snapped out of whatever interrogation mode I was in when a tear dropped from mom's eye. I sighed a little. I sat back down. A detective was a really respectable job, and if he was a good man, why did she never tell me about him all these years? What was she afraid of? Why did she think it was okay to keep this kind of information from me?

"I'm full," I said, then quickly went to my room.

I had some interest in police and detective work before, but now I had a stronger motivation. I'll explore my own interest, and perhaps meet him in this line of work if he's still in it. 

The next day, I didn't try to skip class, much to Takumori's surprise.

"What changed your mind?" he asked.

"I got it out of my mom yesterday," I responded. "My dad's a detective."

"Oh," he said numbly. "So, now you're set on getting into that academy?"

"Yup. What about you? What are you planning to do after high school?"

Takumori's eyes widened a fraction. "I told you a long time ago. Private investigator."

"What? Seriously?" I looked up at him. "Sorry, I probably fell asleep when you told me. Then apply for the same place as me! It'll be reassuring to see a familiar face there."

He mumbled something under his breath that I couldn't hear, but eventually, he nodded. 

"So, you're following in your dad's footsteps?" Takumori asked, which I immediately frowned at.

"No, I was interested in detective work already, remember? My father's a stranger to me, okay?"

He peered at my face. "Are you sure? There's still a bloodline. It's hard to completely reject that."

I scoffed. "I'll be fine. I grew up without him. It's too late to play family now."

He looked as if he still had something to say, but the bell interrupted him. I tried my best to alter my lazy impression on the teachers in the last week. During the summer, I actually studied and caught up on all the subjects that I didn't really work hard on. I was probably still not a straight-A student, but I had an entire year to change that.

By the end of final exams of my final year in high school, I was finally above the rest. 

"I must say, Kishi-san, I'm very impressed," my homeroom teacher said. "You finally realized the importance of your grades, huh?"

"Yeah. I figured out where I wanted to go in life, and I need 90s for it."

"Bravo." She nodded. "Good luck to you, young lady."

I'm far from a lady, lady.

I returned to the house that I couldn't wait to move out from. I pinned the acceptance letter on the fridge. I wanted to be independent as soon as possible.

I was a little fearful of what the future might hold, but I'm sure I'll be fine. 

I'll figure it out when it happens.

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If you're looking for a cool summer read, if you enjoy my writing style, check out my original novels on my other account :)

--> zi_zyw

- Blood on Roses (Completed)

- A Taste of Crimson (Ongoing)

Two updates in one day?! What whaaaaaat

Next up is a giant scenario of all the daughters togetherrrrr (as planned like, 5 months ago lol)

HAPPY SUMMERRRR