Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Alright, the parents just left for work.”  Komaru announced as she closed the door while she held her nephew in her arms.  “So, what do we start with first, Hinata-kun?”

Hajime walked up to her before he decided “Well, we should probably start with floortime.  Basically we’ll play with the same toys he’s playing with to expand their circles of communication.”

“Okay, I think I get it.”  Komaru nodded and handed her nephew to Hajime.  He blinked in confusion before Komaru exclaimed “You hold him, I’ll get the toys from his room.”

“Huh?”  Hajime called out “Wait, Naegi-chan.  It’s better if he’s initially held by his family he knows!”

“Well he’s gonna have to interact with you eventually, so why not now?  Besides, I’ll be back in a jiff, so just hang in the living room and I’ll meet you there.”

“Wait, Naegi...”  Hajime trailed off as Komaru disappeared down the hall.

Hajime sighed and looked at the toddler forced into his arms.

“Well, I suppose it’s harmless.  You’ll have to interact with me eventually if this therapy is gonna work.” 

Mokubo merely stared in the direction of Hajime’s chest, not paying any attention to the unofficial therapist.

“Alright, let’s go wait for your Aunt.”

XXX

“Alright, I got the toys.”  Komaru announced as she walked in with the box.  “What should we use first?”  She asked as she kneeled down.

“Hmm...”  Hajime closed his eyes as he pondered how to begin before he opened them and decided “Why don’t we start with the cars?  We’ll let him do what he did before with them first and move from there.”

“Okay, Hinata-kun.”  She then dug into the box and dug out the cars before she placed them in front of her nephew and asked “Hey Moku, do you wanna play with the cars again?”

Mokubo silently crawled over to the pile of cars and began to organize them as he had done before until they were aligned in a perfect row. 

“Alright, so now what, Hinata-kun?”  Komaru asked as Mokubo stared at the line of toy cars.

“Hmm...Naegi-chan, are there any more cars in that box?”

“Let me see...”  Komaru fished though the box before she confirmed “Oh, it looks life I missed a few.”

“Perfect.  Let’s kneel down so we’re at his level.  We’re going to align them by size and color, just like he is.”

“Oh, okay.”  Komaru replied before she did as he asked and kneeled down next to him before she dumped the other cars in front of Hajime.  “So, what’s the point of this?”

“We’re starting at his level so that he’ll be encouraged to follow our lead.”  Hajime explained as she started to organize the cars.

“Oh, I think I get it.  Hey, you’re pretty good at this stuff.”

Hajime smiled at the compliment and replied “Thanks, though it’s more to do with my Ultimate Analyst talent than anything else.”  Hajime bit his lip in hesitation before he asked “...How much did your brother tell you about my past?”

“Well...”  Komaru began hesitantly “He told me that you and the rest of your class were brainwashed by Junko’s despair, and that you overcame her AI in the Neo World Program and saved your classmates before you led them to save Makoto and his friends front the Final Killing Game.  I also recall Makoto saying something about the Steering Committee when we cleared out the old Hope’s Peak Academy, but I honestly didn’t get that much.”

“I see...”  Hajime took a deep breath before he explained “Well, I was a Reserve Course Student who longed to be part of the Main Course.  The Steering Committee was researching how to artificially infuse talent into a person.  At the time, I was so desperate that...I volunteered to be their guinea pig.”

“Th...their guinea pig...?”  Komaru gasped in horror.

Hajime nodded shamefully before he continued “The experiment was a success; I was infused with every talent that Hope’s Peak Academy had researched at the time, but it also suppressed my personality in order to make room for a new personality: Izuru Kamukura.  Hajime Hinata  only existed in the deepest recesses of my mind.”

“Oh, Kami...”  Komaru muttered under her breath.

“Eventually, Junko and Mukuro broke into where I was held and, although I hadn’t fallen into despair, my Ultimate Analyst talent made me bored enough to side with her and despair.”  Hajime sighed and suggested “We should...get back to Mokubo’s therapy...”

Komaru nodded, understanding that their discussion had dug up some traumatic memories for the man.

“So...what do we do now?”  She asked.

“...Let’s...get Mokubo’s attention.  Why don’t you call for him?”  Hajime suggested.

“Sure.  Hey Moku, look over here, Moku!”  Komaru called before her nephew glanced over at the sound of her voice.

“There we go.”  Hajime commented as the boy focused on the set of cars.  He then pointed at the first car and directed “Mokubo, look at the car!”

“...Car...?”  Mokubo asked as he saw Hajime point.

Following Hajime’s lead, Komaru pointed to the car and replied “Yeah, it’s a car, Moku!”

“Mokubo, can you point at the car?  Like Komaru and I are pointing?”  Hajime asked as he and Komaru repeatedly pointed at the toy car.

Mokubo stared intently at them, then at the car that they were pointing to.  Just when they were about to give up, Mokubo slowly raised his right hand and pointed to the car.

“Yay, you did it, Moku!”  Komaru cheered as she clapped.

“That’s right, he did.”  Hajime commented with a smile.  “Not bad, Komaru.”

Komaru smiled bashfully and replied “Oh, thank you.  I’m just glad I could be useful.”

“Trust me, you were.  Now, what do you say we continue with the other cars?”

“Sounds good to me!  Alright, let’s do this!”  Komaru turned to her nephew and pointed towards another car before she asked “Hey Moku, can you point to that car now?”

XXX

“Hey Mokubo, can you point to Daddy?”  Hajime asked before Mokubo pointed to Makoto.

“Great job, Moku!”  Komaru cheered before she asked “Moku, can you point to Mommy?”

Mokubo pointed right at Kyoko, causing her eyes to water in joy.

“Moku?  Can you point to me now?”  Kiki asked excitedly, then beamed as her eldest brother pointed at her.

“Hey, buddy!”  Makoto called out “Can you point to Koto?”

Makoto grinned as he saw his eldest son point at his youngest, currently swaddled in Makoto’s arms.

Kyoko briefly sniffled before she asked “Mokubo, can you point to Kiri?”

Mokubo pointed at his younger sister, who was currently swaddled in his mother’s arms.

As Kyoko beamed in joy, Makoto smiled at Hajime and Komaru before he congratulated them “You guys are amazing.  Mokubo’s made so much progress after only five days of therapy.”

Hajime nodded and replied “Yes, he has, though it’s still only been five days.  We still have a long ways to go before he doesn’t need therapy anymore.”

“Still, I’m grateful for everything that you two have done so far.”  Kyoko told them as she smiled proudly and finished “I have high expectations for the both of you.”

Makoto gave a bittersweet smile as he recalled when she told him the same thing during the Killing Game.

He then turned to his sister and friend before he told them “Well, I won’t keep you guys any longer.  We’ll see you again on Monday, Hajime, Komaru.”

The two nodded as Makoto told his two eldest children “Alright you two, say goodbye to Hajime and Aunt Komaru.”

“Bye!”  Kiki called as Mokubo pointed at the two.

“Bye!”  They both replied before they left the manor, leaving Makoto and Kyoko with their four children.

Chapter Text

“Okay, so, what are we doing today, Hinata-kun?”  Komaru asked once Makoto and Kyoko had left for work.

“Hmm...why don’t we shift it up this week by having Mokubo play with the blocks instead?”

“Okay, but what are we gonna have him do with the blocks?”

“You’ll see.”  Hajime answered as he took Mokubo in his arms.  “I’ll bring him to the living room while you get us two sets of blocks.”

“Okay, I’m on it.”  Komaru agreed before she ran out of the foyer to grab the toys.

XXX

“Alright, I got two sets of blocks.”  Komaru announced as she kneeled next to Hajime, who was holding Mokubo in his lap.

“Perfect.  Alright, Mokubo, let’s set you on the floor.”  Hajime said as he eased Mokubo off his lap and in front of him in a sitting position.  “Alright Naegi-chan, dump one of the block sets on the ground in front of him.”

“Okay then.  Look Moku!”  Komaru exclaimed as she dumped the blocks in front of him.

“Blocks.”  Mokubo uttered as he pointed at the pile.

“Yeah, that’s right, blocks.”  Komaru replied with a smile.  “You wanna play with the blocks, Moku?”

The boy crawled over to the blocks and started to grab one in each hand.  Hajime and Komaru watched as the toddler started to categorize the blocks by shape.  Once they were separated into semi-circle, triangle, and rectangle piles, the boy organized each respective pile into a perfect line.

“So, should we copy him?”  Komaru asked, which led Hajime to nod in agreement.  “Hey Moku, watch!”

Mokubo turned his head and watched with slight interest as Hajime and Komaru dumped out another set of blocks and copied his work until they also had perfect rows of categorized blocks.

“Okay, so what do we do now, Hinata-kun?”

“So, you see that row of triangle blocks?”  Komaru nodded and Hajime explained “Now that we have his attention, we’re going to put them on top of the rectangle blocks.”

“Oh, you mean like building a house?”  Komaru realized.

“Exactly.”  Hajime confirmed “Most children will play with their toys properly, such as using blocks to build things.  But Mokubo’s just using them to create perfect rows.  So we need to teach him by example how to play with them properly.”

“Oh, okay.  Alright, let’s get to work!”

“Quite the enthusiastic one, aren’t you?”  Hajime chuckled in amusement as they each grabbed a triangle block.

Komaru scratched her cheek with her free hand and confirmed “Yeah, Toko can tell you that I get super excited whenever I beat a challenge, no matter how small.”

“Oh that’s right, you were a participant in the Towa City incident, weren’t you?”  Hajime realized as he put his block down.

“That’s right, I was.  Toko and I worked together to put an end to that whole Demons game madness.”  Komaru smiled with bittersweet nostalgia as she recalled “Every time I solved one of those kids’ games, I’d get so excited.  And then Toko would drag me back to reality.”

“I’m amazed you could stay positive through all that, trapped in a death game with your parents missing and all.”  Hajime frowned as he apologized “I’m sorry...for my role in that.  My actions allowed Junko to start the Tragedy and kidnap you and your parents.  They almost died because of me...so I’m sorry, Naegi-chan.”

“Hinata-kun...”  Komaru smiled before she told him “Hey, cheer up!  Everything’s fine now; our family is in one piece and better than ever.  I have my brother, my parents, a sister-in-law, two nieces, and two nephews.  Of course I wish I could have saved the lives that were lost during that awful game.” 

Komaru briefly frowned as she remembered Yuta’s execution before she smiled again and lifted her last triangle block.

“But we can only move forward, so stop dwelling on your past mistakes, or I’ll do this.”

“Ow!!”  Hajime exclaimed as Komaru whacked him on the head with her block.  “Alright, alright.”  He chuckled as he picked up his last block.  “I promise I won’t dwell on it, now let’s finish building this house.”

Komaru grinned victoriously, causing Hajime to smile in appreciation before they both placed their last blocks on the row of rectangular blocks.

“Look, Moku!  We built a house!”  Komaru exclaimed as her nephew stared at them and their creation.

“House!”  He exclaimed as he pointed at Hajime and Komaru’s block house.

“Do you want to build a house too, Mokubo?”  Hajime asked before Mokubo picked up his triangle blocks and placed them perfectly on top of his row of rectangle blocks, one by one.

“House!!”  He exclaimed as Hajime and Komaru smiled at him.

“Yay!  You did it, Moku!”  Komaru cheered.

“Yes, he did.”  Hajime turned his gaze to the semicircle blocks and suggested “Alright, next let’s have him...”

XXX

“Wow!  Great job, son!”  Makoto praised as Mokubo finished building a house, complete with a model garage, as shown by the row of semi-circle blocks on the side of the house.

“Indeed.”  Kyoko agreed “In just ten days, you’ve helped him learn how to properly play with blocks.  You have my gratitude, both of you.”

“As, it was nothing.”  Komaru replied in an attempt to be modest.

Hajime nodded and agreed “She’s right; we’re just fulfilling our agreement is all.”

“Yes, and I’ll write you a check for your services, Hajime.”

“Hey, don’t forget about my paycheck too!”  Komaru whined.

“Don’t worry sis, I’m not gonna forget to pay you too.”  Makoto assured her.

“One moment please.”  Kyoko fished through her purse before she dug out her checkbook. 

She then reached into her pocket and pulled out a pen before she started scribbling inside.  After that, she tore two checks out and handed them to the unofficial therapists.

“Thanks, sis!”  Komaru told her before she awkwardly hugged Kyoko, who was still holding Kiri.

“Alright, you two enjoy your respective weekends.  I’ll see you again on Monday.”  Kyoko told them.  “Alright Kiki, say goodbye.”

“Bye Aunt Komaru!  Bye Hinata-san!”

“Bye!”  They waved before they left the manor, leaving Mokubo with his family after a second week of progress.

Chapter Text

“Okay, so, what are we doing this week, Hinata-kun?”

“Hmm…”  Hajime hummed as he pondered what therapy to do with Mokubo.  “Well, he knows how to point at cars, so why don’t we teach him how to play with them properly.”

“You mean like, race them on a track?”

“Yeah, that’s a good idea, though perhaps we should start small and just race them in a straight lane across the floor.”  Hajime suggested “We could probably use a couple of books to use as the start and finish lines.”

“That sounds like fun!”  Komaru exclaimed as she forced her nephew into Hajime’s arms again.  “I’ll go get the cars and a couple of books and meet you in the living room.”

Once more, Komaru ran off without another word, leaving Hajime to sigh in amusement at the young woman’s enthusiasm.

“Well, let’s get going, Mokubo.”  Hajime muttered before he walked to the living room to wait for Komaru.

XXX

“Alright I’m back with the cars and books!”  Komaru exclaimed as she walked into the room, carrying a box in her left arm and two books in the other.

“Good, now why don’t you put those down before you fall.  You look like you’re gonna trip.”  Hajime cautioned.

“Nonsense, I’m totally fine!  Look, ah!”

Hajime bounced onto his feet as he rushed to catch her.  The former Ultimate sighed in relief as he managed to catch her before she fell on her face.

“I told you to be careful, didn’t I?”  Hajime asked as Komaru blushed in embarrassment.

“Yeah…you did.  Thanks for the catch.”  Komaru smiled bashfully as she commented “Guess my brother’s not the only klutz in the family.”

The two of them laughed as Hajime helped her to stand upright before he finally let her go.  He took the box from her arm into his own.

“Let’s put the stuff down on the floor so we can begin the therapy, alright?”

“Yeah, that sounds good.”  Komaru agreed as she got on her knees and put the books down while Hajime did the same thing with the box of toy cars.  “Okay, so what do we do first?”

“Well, first let’s find two toy cars to get out of the box.”  Hajime suggested “Let’s get ones of different colors if possible.”

Komaru nodded and they fished through the box before she pulled one out and held it over her head with a triumphant grin.

“I’ve got a red one!”

Hajime shook his head in amusement at her enthusiasm before he pulled one out and replied “I’ve got a blue one.”

“Awesome!  So what do we do now?”

“Well, first let’s get Mokubo’s attention.  Hopefully with our recent progress he should point towards the cars.”

“Okay, leave it to me!”  Komaru turned to her nephew and called “Hey Moku, look!”

The toddler turned his head until he was looking in her direction and his gaze almost instantaneously focused on the two toy cars.

“Car.”  He uttered as he pointed to Komaru’s red car.

Hajime nodded and replied “That’s right Mokubo, Aunt Komaru and I have cars.  Do you want to play cars with us?”

Mokubo crawled over to Komaru and Hajime as the young man fished through the box before he pulled out a small green car.

“Here you go, Mokubo.”  Hajime offered as the boy grabbed it and started inspecting it with his hands.

“Hey Moku, you wanna see a fun way to play with cars?”  Komaru asked, grinning victoriously as her nephew looked at them with a curious expression.

“Watch us and do what we do, Mokubo.”  Hajime instructed as he and Komaru put their cars down next to each other, gripping them with their thumbs and pointer fingers.  “Alright, for now we’re just going to move them back and forth and make motor sounds, okay?”

Komaru nodded and asked “Like this?”  She turned her head to look at her nephew again before she smiled and repeated “Vroom vroom!  Vroom vroom!” as she moved her car back and forth on the floor.

Hajime nodded and repeated the activity, making vroom noises of his own as he moved his own car.  To their delight, Mokubo put the car down in front of him and began to wheel it back and forth in front of him.

“He’s doing it, Hinata-kun!”  Komaru cheered gleefully before she frowned.  “Wait, but why isn’t he making vroom noises?”

“Well, he might not know how to make that particular sound yet, but we can work on that with speech therapy later on.  For now though, let’s keep doing what we’re doing for now.”

“Okay.  Vroom, vroom!  Vroom, vroom!”

With that, the two impromptu therapists kept moving their cars back and forth on the floor and making vroom noises as Mokubo mimicked their movements, moving his car back and forth in a rhythmic motion.

XXX

“I had no idea you had a game this old.”  Hajime commented as he accelerated Luigi down Donut Plains 1.

Komaru smiled nostalgically as she turned Peach around the corner before she commented “Yeah, my brother and I played old video games all the time as kids.  Thankfully our collections weren’t too damaged during the Tragedy, so we were able to collect them once we repaired our old house.”

“That’s a relief…heads up.”  Hajime warned as he fired a green shell at Peach.

“Hey, no fair!”  Komaru pouted as Peach spun out of control, allowing Luigi to blaze past her and cross the finish line.

Hajime smirked as he retorted “Hey, it’s totally fair!  I just used the game’s mechanics to my advantage.”

“Not when you’re an Ultimate Gamer!”  Komaru pointed out, then frowned as Hajime’s eyes started to droop in melancholy nostalgia.  “What is it?  Did I…say something wrong?”

Hajime sighed and put down his controller before he uttered “Chiaki.”  At Komaru’s curious glance, he elaborated “Chiaki Nanami.  She was the Ultimate Gamer of Class 77, and my first real crush.”

“Oh…I’m sorry, Hinata-kun.”  Komaru apologized with remorse in her eyes.  “I didn’t mean to bring up any unpleasant memories.”

Hajime shook his head and assured her with a sad smile “It’s okay, really.  I don’t mind talking about her.”

“O…okay, if you really don’t mind.”  Komaru hesitantly nodded before Hajime took a deep breath and recalled his first love.

“We met at this fountain on the school grounds when I was a Reserve Course student.  We ended up bonding over a shared love of video games, and we played there all the time.”  Hajime smiled wryly as he remarked “Though I never was able to beat her.”

“But you had fun, right?”  Komaru prodded with a smile.

“Yeah…I did…”  Hajime admitted.  “But it wasn’t enough to help with my…inferiority complex.  I’m sure your brother told you about how the Reserve Course was segregated from the main course.”

Komaru nodded, vaguely recalling one of his phone calls back home when he expressed his frustrations with the segregation present in the school he looked up to.

“Well, after the Steering Committee’s experiment, I didn’t see Chiaki again until the Tragedy.  Junko executed her in front of all our eyes, which brainwashed the 77^th Class into despair.  And I…I watched her die.”

Komaru’s eyes widened in shock as a single tear trickled down Hajime’s cheek.

“As she lay dying, she asked me…to play one more game with her.  Even on death’s door, she just wanted to play one more game with me…I could have saved her and I just chose to watch.”

“Hinata-kun…”

Hajime wiped his eyes and continued “When we were in the Neo World Program, when we were all about to succumb to despair, her spirit came to me, and gave me the strength to fight for the future that we wanted.  I…I owe her more than I could ever repay.”

“Hinata-kun…”  Komaru placed her hand on Hajime’s shoulder and smiled at him, causing him to turn his head to look at her.  “I know I’m not Nanami-san, but I’m willing to play games with you, if you want.”

“Naegi-chan…”  Hajime uttered as a touched blush painted his cheeks rose.

“Hey, if we’re gonna be game buddies, then we should be on a first name basis!”

Hajime chuckled and agreed “Alright…Komaru.”

“Alright then, Hajime.”  Komaru’s eyes narrowed with a fiery determination as she challenged “Now, let’s move on to Ghost Valley.  Prepare yourself, ‘cause I’m gonna beat you this time, Ultimate talent or no!”

Hajime laughed as he picked up his controller and watched as Lakitu counted down.

XXX

“Alright, let’s set up the books to create a simple racetrack.”

“Leave it to me, Hajime!”  Komaru exclaimed before she set up the books while her nephew kept playing with his toy car.  “Alright, all set!”

“Perfect, now get your car and we’ll set things up.”  Hajime directed before they picked up their respective toy cars and placed them up at the first book.

“Hey, Moku!”  Komaru called before her nephew looked up from his car.  “Hajime and I are gonna race our cars!” 

The boy looked at them curiously while the two adults gently moved their cars back and forth in preparation.

“On your mark, get set, GO!”  Komaru announced before they let go of their cars, which caused them to speed down the floor until Komaru’s reached the second book.  “YES!  I win!”  She cheered, which caused Hajime to sweatdrop before he shook his head in amusement.

“Hey Mokubo, you wanna race with us?”  Hajime asked.

Mokubo took his car and crawled over to them, making the two adults smile in satisfaction as he aligned hi scar perfectly with the first book.  They then walked over to the other book and retrieved their cars before they walked back and placed their cars next to Mokubo’s.

“On your mark.”  Komaru began as they moved their toy cars back and forth.  “Get set…GO!”

The three of them let their cars loose and watched them speed down the makeshift racetrack.

“YES!  I WON AGAIN!”  Komaru cheered as her car crossed the finish line first, followed by Hajimes, and Mokubo’s bringing up the rear.

There’s not really a need to get so excited.  We’re just racing toy cars with a three-year-old.  Hajime deadpanned as he watched Komaru grin with glee at her double victory.  Still, it’s nice that she can be so enthusiastic with this therapy.  Perhaps it’ll help her nephew to develop the skills he needs more quickly.

He glanced at the lavender-haired boy, who merely stared at his aunt.

“Alright, what do you say we bring our cars back to the starting line and go again?”  Hajime suggested.

“You’re on!  Just don’t cry if I beat you again!”  Komaru agreed as she walked over to pick up the cars.

Hajime laughed in amusement as he watched her pick up the cars and walk back over to hand them their cars.  They then lined up their vehicles at the starting line and moved them back and forth before Komaru began the countdown again.

“On you mark, get set, GO!”

XXX

“Vroom vroom!”  Kiki, Mokubo, Koto, and Kiri uttered as they released their cars, letting them fly off towards the finish line.

Kyoko beamed proudly at her children before she turned to Komaru and Hajime and thanked “Mokubo’s made so much progress this week!  I think this is the first time he’s played with either of the twins!”

“Yeah, we really owe you…hey Hogo, don’t eat the cars!”  Makoto exclaimed as he hurried to stop the puppy from eating his children’s toys.

Kyoko giggled at her family’s antics before she announced “Alright everyone, it’s time for Aunt Komaru and Hajime to go, so say your goodbyes.”

“Goodbye Aunt Komaru, Hinata-san!”

“Bye!”  They waved back at the four children as Kiki waved and Mokubo pointed at the duo.

They then turned around and left the manor, yet another week of progress made in Mokubo’s development.

Chapter Text

“Okay, so what should we do this week, Hajime?”

“Hmm…”  Hajime pondered.  “Well, he doesn’t seem to laugh or smile much, though that may be at least in part due to his personality.”

“Well, he is Kyoko’s son after all, and from what I heard she wasn’t always the most adept at showing her emotions.”

“I see…still, this would be a good opportunity to help him to exercise his emotions.  After all, if he can’t properly express himself, then he won’t be able to communicate with others and make friends.”  Hajime reasoned.

“Hmm, okay, I think I get it.  But then…”  Komaru asked “What emotion should we focus on this week?  If we try to get him to use too many of his emotions too quickly, he might feel overloaded and we won’t make any progress.”

“Good point…hm, what emotion to practice…?”  Hajime pondered before he decided “Let’s start with joy.  We can focus on getting him to smile and laugh.” 

“Hey, good idea.”  Komaru smiled before she asked “But how are we going to do that?”

“Well, you were probably too young to remember when it happened with you, but most parents at one point or another play peek-a-boo with their parents when they’re toddlers.”

“Oh yeah, that’s a great idea!”  Komaru complimented.  “Then we can get him to smile and laugh and we won’t even need to get any of his toys.”

“That’s right.”  Hajime nodded before he announced “Alright, bring Mokubo to the living room and we can begin.”

“You got it!  Come on, Moku.”  Komaru exclaimed happily as she carried her nephew and followed Hajime into the living room.

XXX

“Okay, Moku!  Peeka…”

“Komaru, wait!”  Hajime exclaimed as he quickly pulled Komaru’s hands down from her face.

She pouted and grumbled “No fair, I was just getting in the mood!”

“Sorry…”  Hajime apologized.  “I love your enthusiasm, believe me, but there’s a reason I stopped you.”

Komaru huffed before sh asked “Okay, so what is it?”

“Well, if Makoto and Kyoko had been able to get him to smile through this activity themselves, then he’d have no problem laughing and smiling by now.”

“…Okay, I see your point.”  Komaru reluctantly admitted.  “So, what do we do differently?”

“Well, I think we should role play this.  Mokubo needs to watch us do it, then I think it’ll be easier for him to do it.”

“Oh, okay, so one of us will do the peekaboo and the other will giggle?”

“Yeah, and it’ll probably help if we take turns switching roles.”  Hajime suggested.

“Hm, okay, I think I get it.  It’s gonna feel a little weird playing this with a grownup, but if it helps Moku, then let’s do it!”

Hajime nodded before he asked “So, which role do you want first?”

“Hmm…since our goal is to get him to smile and giggle, I think maybe you should hide first.  Since I’m his aunt and all, he might copy me a little more easily.”  As Hajime nodded in acceptance, Komaru called “Hey, Moku!”  As Mokubo turned his head to stare at her and Hajime, Komaru exclaimed “Check this out!”

Hajime hid his hands and began “Peeka…”  and then lowered his hands before he exclaimed “Boo!”

Komaru let out a cheery, melodious giggle that made Hajime smile and Mokubo stare in curiosity.

“Alright, let’s switch.”  Komaru suggested before she hid her face in her hands.  “Peeka…boo!”

Though not as melodious as Komaru’s, Hajime let out a hearty laugh that made Komaru smile.

“Peeka…boo!”

“Peeka…boo!”

This tempo continued as they switched back and forth for several more minutes.  Mokubo watched intently as Komaru and Hajime continued to role play for the young toddler.

“You have a…a nice laugh…”  Hajime admitted with an embarrassed blush, which caused Komaru to blush in turn as she giggled.

“You…you think so?”  As Hajime nodded, Komaru complimented “Thank you, you have a nice laugh too.  I mean…don’t take this the wrong way or anything, but you’re usually so serious even during our sessions.  It’s nice to just hear you laugh, even if we are role playing for Moku.”

Hajime nodded and admitted “I know I’m not quite the kind of positive beacon that your brother is, so seeing me genuinely smile and laugh is more of a rarity.  That said…it…feels nice sometimes to just let loose.”

Komaru nodded in understanding as she replied “I can understand that.  During Towa City, I barely found any reason to smile.  But…ever since it ended, I promised myself I’d try and smile as much as I could, to show how much I appreciate the blessings I walked away with.  My brother, a bright future, my parents…”

“I’m curious, and I apologize if I’m prying, but what are your parents like?”  Hajime explained “I’ve just told you a lot about my past, and since we’re friends now…I want to get to know you better, like I did with Class 77.”

“Oh…”  A surprised Komaru replied “Okay, I don’t mind.”

“Thanks.  I know I met them briefly during the wedding rehearsals, but I don’t really know anything about them.”

“Well…”  Komaru began “My dad, Shingi, he’s been an elementary school teacher for as long as I can remember.  Though on weekends when he didn’t need to work, he wouldn’t shave and we’d get to see the hint of a beard before he had to shave for work on Monday.”

Komaru smiled fondly at the childhood memory before Hajime nodded and asked “And your mother?”

“Our mom, Hana, was a shufu.”

“You mean she stayed at home and took care of you two?”  Hajime asked.

“That’s right; Dad was the breadwinner and paid the bills, while Mom stayed home and took care of me and Makoto when we were little kids.”  Komaru confirmed.  “When we weren’t driving her crazy, she would plop on the couch and watch daytime talk shows all morning.”  Komaru giggled as she recalled “Sometimes Makoto and I, when we were older, would plop down on either side of her and watch TV with her.  We would argue constantly about who sat where.”

“Onii-chan, I wanna sit on Mom’s right!”

“No way, Komaru!  I’m the oldest, so I get first pick!”

“Makoto, Komaru, there’s no need to fight.  Let’s just flip a coin and decide that way.  No matter who sits where, I promise I love you both equally.”

“But no matter what, Mom always made us both feel loved.”

Hajime smiled and complimented “They sound like really good parents.”

“Yeah, they really are…even now that we’re grown up and Makoto has kids of his own, they’re still amazing parents and grandparents.”  Komaru then turned to Hajime and asked “So, what about your parents?”

“Wasn’t the whole point of this conversation to get to know you better?”  Hajime asked with a nervous chuckle.

“Well, yes, but I can be curious about you too, can’t I?”  Komaru prodded.

But I’ve already spent the past three days talking about my past…  Hajime deadpanned before he sighed in surrender and informed her “My feelings about my parents are…rather mixed.”

“What do you mean?”  Komaru gently prodded.

“…My parents paid through the nose to get me into Hope’s Peak Academy because it was my dream, so I guess I can say they loved me enough to want to make my dreams a reality.  That said…when I told them about the experiment that would turn me into Izuru, they basically left that up to me.  As long as it guaranteed that I could stay at Hope’s Peak Academy, they were indifferent to how I got there.”

Komaru’s eyes widened in shock as she gasped “But that…no parent should be indifferent to their child being experimented on!”

“Being part of Hope’s Peak Academy was just that prestigious.  If you got in, you were set for life.  That’s why they didn’t bat an eye when I told them.”  Hajime sighed and told her “I don’t hate my parents; they weren’t cruel or abusive like the parents of the Warriors of Hope or Haiji were.  But if they had tried to dissuade me, assure me that I didn’t need to be in Hope’s Peak Academy to be worth something…maybe this whole Tragedy wouldn’t have happened.”

“Hajime…”

Hajime smiled at Komaru and assured her “I’m okay, don’t worry.  I’ve made peace with their mistakes, and since they died in the Tragedy, I can’t exactly talk to them about it.  Let’s…get back to the therapy.”

Komaru nodded uneasily, the truth of his parents’ negligence still weighing heavily on her mind as she forced a smile.  She and Hajime then turned to Mokubo before the former Ultimate Hope spoke to the toddler with enthusiasm.

“Hey Mokubo, do you wanna play peekaboo with me and Aunt Komaru?”  He hid his face behind his hands and began “Peeka…”  before he lowered them and exclaimed “…boo!”

Though he didn’t smile, Hajime saw the corners of Mokubo’s lips tug slightly upwards.

“Well, he didn’t giggle, and he didn’t quite smile, but I can see progress.”

“Let me try!”  Komaru exclaimed as she pushed Hajime aside and kneeled in front of her nephew.  Hajime shook his head in amusement at Komaru’s enthusiasm before she hid her face behind her hands and began “Peeka…”  She then lowered her hands and grinned as she exclaimed “…boo!”

Komaru beamed even wider as Mokubo’s lips tugged upwards slightly more than the last time.

“Hajime, I think he smiled a little bit more this time!”

“Well…”  He began as he crawled over to them.  “I don’t think it’s a full smile yet, but we seem to be getting closer with each repetition.  Let’s take turns playing peekaboo with him.”

“Sure, you go next Hajime!”  Komaru happily exclaimed.

“Alright.  Peeka…boo!”

As Mokubo’s lips tugged even more, Komaru, without missing a beat, repeated the game, exclaiming “Peeka…boo!”

The game continued as Mokubo’s lips tugged closer and closer to a true smile with each repetition.

“Peeka…boo!”

“Peeka…boo!”

“Peeka…”

XXX

“…Boo!”  Kyoko exclaimed with a smile as she lowered her hands, rewarded by a high-pitched giggle and a grin that brought tears of joy to their hearts.  “Moku…Mokubo…”  Kyoko cried as she brought her eldest son into a hug and wept “You finally smiled and laughed for me!”

Makoto smiled, touched by the scene between loving mother and son before he turned to Komaru and Hajime and thanked “Thank you both for all your hard work this week.”

“Yeah, I can count on one hand how many times I’ve seen Mom so happy!”  Kiki agreed.

“Hap…py!”  Koto and Kiri uttered cutely before they went back to playing with a stray toy.

As Kyoko wiped her tears, she turned to them and thanked them “Seriously, thank you so much for this.  Here, let me include something a little extra in your fees.”

“Ano…that’s not necessary, Kyoko…ow!”

Hajime winced as Komaru elbowed him before she hissed under her breath “Hajime, we’re getting paid more money.  Don’t jinx it.”

Hajime sweatdropped at his colleague, but relented and accepted the larger check Kyoko handed him before she handed one to her sister-in-law.

“Score!”  Komaru grinned as she started “Now I can…”

“Mine!”  Koto exclaimed as he tugged at one end of the toy.

“Mine!”  Kiri objected as she pulled on the other in a tug of war.

Kyoko sighed as she lamented “Well, the peace was nice while it lasted.  You guys should go; we’ll handle the twins.”

“Okay…bye Makoto, bye Kyoko.”  Komaru called as Hajime nodded before they turned around and walked out of the room.

“Koto, Kiri, you need to take turns!”  Was the last thing they heard before they left the Naegi Manor.

Chapter Text

“Okay, so what do we do this week Hajime?”  Komaru asked.

“Hmm…”  Hajime pondered.  “Well, we’ve been doing a lot of indoors therapy, so maybe something outside would be good this week.”

“Oh good idea!”  Komaru agreed.  “There’s a playground out in the backyard that Makoto and Kyoko installed when Kiki was a toddler.  We can have him climb the ladder to the treehouse, push him on the swings…”

Hajime nodded in agreement and complimented “Those are good ideas, Komaru.  Plus it’ll be a good environment to help Mokubo become comfortable with making verbal requests.”  Komaru furrowed her brow in confusion before Hajime told her “I’ll uh…tell you once we get out there.  Lead the way?”

Komaru nodded as she walked ahead of him and replied “Sure, just be careful of dog doo-doo when we’re outside.  Kiki also walks Hogo back there.  Makoto says she’s really good about cleaning up after him, but there’s always the possibility she missed some.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”  Hajime chuckled before he followed her to the backyard.

XXX

“So what did you mean earlier when you talked about Moku’s verbal requests?”  Komaru asked as they arrived at the miniature playground with Mokubo in tow.

“Okay, so do you remember when you were little and your parents did something fun with you, and when it was over you asked for more of it?”  Hajime asked.

Komaru nodded as faint memories of playing with her parents and brother flickered before her eyes.

“So, Mokubo doesn’t know how to ask for more of something.  The most he can do is cry if his favorite toy gets taken away from him while he’s playing with it.”

Komaru’s eyes flashed as she realized “So, you’re saying that we’re going to teach Moku how to ask for more of something.”

Hajime nodded and confirmed “Precisely.  We want him to be able to ask for things with his words, not by throwing a temper tantrum.”

“Okay, so how do we go about this?”  Komaru glanced at the swing and joked “Are we gonna push each other on the swing for a minute, then ask for more when we stop?”

“That…won’t be necessary.”  Hajime replied with a slight blush before he shook it away.  “I don’t think we need to do that kind of role play at this point.”

“So…what should we do, if we’re not going to role play?”

“…Well, first we’re going to put Mokubo in the swing.”  He glanced towards the swing and asked “You want to do the honors.”

Komaru nodded before she walked over to the swing and placed Mokubo inside it.  “Okay, now what?”  She asked as she buckled him in.

“Okay, so you push him from in front, and I’ll push him from behind.  When I say stop, we stop, okay?  I’ll tell you the next step once we get there.”

“Oh, sure.”  Komaru agreed with confusion in her voice as she and Hajime got in position.  “Okay Moku, you ready?”  She asked as she grabbed the edge of the swing and began to pull forwards.  “Ready or not, here we go!  Whee!”  She exclaimed as she let go of Mokubo’s swing, which caused him to move towards Hajime.

Hajime smiled as he pushed on the back of the swing, which caused the toddler to return towards Komaru.

“Whee!”  Komaru nearly shouted as she pushed on the swing again, which caused Mokubo to move back towards Hajime.

The pendulum motion between Komaru and Hajime continued for several more minutes, both adults smiling as they allowed themselves to slip into their enjoyment of the activity.

He looks really happy…  Komaru thought as she admitted Hajime’s smile.  I’m glad…someone who’s so serious and who’s suffered so much…can find joy doing something like this…

She seems right at home, almost like whe’s a parent herself.  Hajime noted as he thought I couldn’t ask for a better assistant; someone who’s so dedicated and enthusiastic about this therapy…wait, the therapy!  Hajime shook the thought away before he told her with an embarrassed blush “…We should…probably move on to the next phase of the therapy.”

Komaru nodded “Yeah, good idea…”  What are you thinking, Komaru?!  Keep your head on its shoulders and focus on helping Moku!  “So what now?”  She asked as Mokubo’s swinging slowly came to a stop.

“Alright, you see the gesture I’m doing with my hands?”  Hajime asked as he repeatedly tapped the tips of his left fingers against the tips of his right fingers.  After Komaru nodded, Hajime explained “This is how you sign for more.  Basically we’re going to associate this sign with more by saying more as we sign it.  Okay?”

“…Kinda?  I think I get the gist of it…”

Hajime frowned before he decided “Perhaps a demonstration is in order.”  He then walked around until he stood next to Komaru before he tapped his fingers together and asked “Mokubo, do you want to swing more?”

Oh, I get it now!  Komaru exclaimed in her thoughts before she smiled and copied Hajime’s sign.  “Hey Moku, do you want more swing?”

Mokubo stared at them for a few seconds before he slowly began to mimic Hajime and Komaru’s sign.

Komaru grinned as she repeated the sign and asked “More, Moku?  You want more swing?”

Seeing Mokubo sign more confidently, Komaru exclaimed excitedly “He signed it!  He wants more swing!  Hajime, get behind him and start pushing!”

…A little pushy, don’t you think?  Hajime deadpanned as he walked around  until he was behind Mokubo and pushed him from behind, making him move towards Komaru, who eagerly pushed him from the front.

“Alright, so now he can sign for more.  What’s the next step?”

“Well, eventually he’ll learn to say the word more.”  Hajime explained “We just have to keep associating the word with the result of getting more and he’ll understand that he needs to say more in order to ask for more of something.”

“Okay, I think I get it.”  Komaru nodded in understanding as she and Hajime continued to push Mokubo back and forth until Hajime gave the signal for them to stop.

Once Mokubo came to a stop in his swing, Komaru signed and asked “Do you want more swing?  You want more?”

XXX

“More!”  Mokubo uttered as his mother continued to push him in the swing.

“More?  You want more swing?  Alright Mokubo, we’ll do more swing with Mommy!”  Kyoko cooed as she continued to push her smiling son in the swing, laughing along with Makoto as he did his best to push their other three children in the swings.

The two unofficial therapists sweatdropped, then smiled in amusement before Komaru suggested “…You should probably go.  Whenever they’re in this happy parent mood, it’s like the rest of us don’t even exist.”

Hajime chuckled “Still, that’s not such a bad thing.  It just means that Mokubo and his siblings have a loving family…just like you do.”

“Yes, I do.”  Komaru giggled before she started to nudge him towards the door.  “Now go, alright?”

“Alright, I’m going, I’m going.”  Hajime replied as he walked to the door and disappeared through the house, leaving Komaru alone with her oblivious brother and sister-in-law, along with her nieces and nephews who were too enveloped in joy due to the family moment to notice Hajime’s absence.

Chapter Text

“So, what do we do this week, Hajime?”

“Hmm…”  Hajime pondered.  “Do you know if Makoto and Kyoko have any jigsaw puzzles lying around?”

“I think so…are you suggesting that that we do a puzzle with Moku?”  Komaru asked.

“Sort of…”  Hajime explained.  “Can you go and get one of them and meet me in the living room?  I’ll explain afterwards.”

“Oh, sure.”  Komaru agreed before she handed Mokubo off to Hajime.  “I’ll be right back.”

As she ran off, Hajime glanced at the toddler in his arms before he muttered “Well, let’s get to the living room, shall we, Mokubo?”

As he walked, Mokubo looked up at Hajime, which made the impromptu therapist smile.  

“Well, it seems like you’re finally looking at me without direction.  That’s good; you’re making progress, Mokubo.  I’m sure your parents will be really happy to hear that.”

Hajime filed the thought away as he continued to walk through the halls with Mokubo in tow.

XXX

“Here, I got it!”  Komaru exclaimed as she ran into the living room, a cardboard box in her arms.  As she kneeled in front of Hajime and Mokubo, she explained “Kiki and I used to love doing this puzzle together when she was really little.”

“Okay, let’s have a look…”  Hajime trailed off and frowned as he saw that the puzzle box showed a completed Pokémon picture, complete with Satoshi, Kasumi, and Takeshi along with their various partners from the original anime.  “Ano…Komaru…”

“What?”  Komaru asked.  “It’s a cute puzzle, isn’t it?  And it’s totally family friendly!”

“Well, yes, it is, but it’s just a little too…otaku for Mokubo.  He still needs to learn a basic vocabulary before we can talk about fictional creatures.  You know, things like farm animals, the beach, the kitchen.”

Komaru pouted and moaned “Alright, fine.” 

She put the Pokémon puzzle box behind ear and revealed a second puzzle box underneath it.

“I had a feeling I’d get shot down, so I brought a backup.”

Hajime nodded approvingly at the realistic animal theme before he told her “This is a much better puzzle for Mokubo’s therapy.”

“Okay, so what do we do?”

“So, the first thing we’re going to do is put it together ourselves.”  Hajime explained as he took the box from her and opened it.  As he dumped all the pieces on the floor, Hajime finished “Once it’s put together, I’ll explain how Mokubo’s going to interact with it.”

“Okay…”  Komaru sighed as she took a couple of pieces and began to fiddle with them.

Great…she’s upset…  Hajime lamented as he began to put puzzle pieces together.  “…I’m not upset you know.”  Komaru looked up at Hajime who smiled reassuringly at her before he explained “You had the right idea, you just need to keep your target audience in mind.  I’m not opposed to doing a more anime-themed puzzle with you and Mokubo once he has a stronger grasp of common vocabulary, but it just wasn’t the right time today.”

“Oh, okay…”  Komaru sheepishly apologized “Sorry…I tend to get a little overexcited sometimes.”

“Don’t worry about it.  Enthusiasm is a good thing, as far as I’m concerned.  It means you’re always engaged, and engagement is what Mokubo needs to overcome his challenges.”

“Thanks, Hajime.”  Komaru narrowed her eyes as she vowed “Alright, I’ll just keep on being my enthusiastic self!”

That’s the spirit!  Hajime thought with a smile as he continued to put puzzle pieces together.  “You must have been a fun little sister with your enthusiasm.”

“Well, Makoto didn’t always think so.”  Komaru giggled “We fought all the time, kind of like Koto and Kiri did last week with that toy.  But we still loved each other, and we always had fun reading manga and watching anime about it and talking about what we read and watched afterwards.  So…we didn’t have an ideal sibling relationship, but it wasn’t a bad one either.”

Yeah, Junko probably wouldn’t have taken you hostage if Makoto didn’t love you…  Hajime thought with regret before he shook the thought away and glanced at the Pokémon puzzle box just out of view.  “Ryota and Fujiko would have a field day with that other puzzle box.”

“Hm?  Ryota and Fujiko?  Who are they?”

“Oh, did I say that out loud?”  Komaru nodded before Hajime blushed in embarrassment and apologized “Sorry about that.  But since you asked…do you remember the funeral service we had for all the victims of the Tragedy before Hope’s Peak reopened?”

“Yeah, didn’t both your and my brother’s classes attend, along with all the Towa City…captives…”  Komaru’s eyes widened as she realized “Now I remember!  Fujiko was one of the captives that Hiroko Hagakure rescued!”

Hajime nodded and elaborated “Yeah, her name was Fujiko Yamada.  Her older brother, Hifumi, was one of Makoto’s classmates who died during the Killing School Life.  As for Ryota…he was one of Chiaki’s classmates, though he rarely attended class, and was always in poor health from what I heard.”

“Oh yeah, I heard about him from Makoto after the Final Killing Game.  Didn’t he try to brainwash the world with hope?”

Hajime nodded and explained “Yes; he wasn’t malicious, just misguided.  Once we all awoke from the Neo World Program, we traveled to the Final Killing Game and dissuaded him from going through with it.  We then took him back to Jabberwock Island so he could live in peace with us until your brother orchestrated that pardon.  He’s really improved since those dark days.”

“That’s good.”  Komaru agreed.  “Everyone deserves a second chance, at least that’s what my brother says.  Still…”  Komaru frowned as she lamented “There are a couple, like Junko and Monaca, who I can never forgive.  Junko orchestrated the Tragedy of her own free will, and Monaca was a victim of abuse at first, but she orchestrated the Demon Hunting Game that nearly took my parents away from me.  I…I can never forgive either of them.”

Komaru gasped as she felt a gentle hand overlap her own.  She looked up and saw Hajime staring at her with a comforting glow in his heterochromatic eyes.

“I’m sorry…for enabling them to take all the lives they did, and for nearly tearing your family apart.  If I could go back in time, I would have stopped myself from ever going through that program.”

“Hajime…”  Komaru smiled and assured him “Hey, I don’t blame you for what happened, okay?  Junko and Monaca are the only ones I can’t forgive, so don’t blame yourself for their actions, got that?”

“Okay…”  Hajime nodded, the two of them blushing as their hands continued to touch.

“Ano…Hajime…”  Komaru pointed out nervously “You can let go of my hand now.”

“Oh, sorry…”  Hajime’s blush darkened as he retracted his hand and went back to putting puzzle pieces together to distract himself from how he missed her touch.

“So…you were saying about Ryota and Fujiko?”  Komaru asked.

“Oh, right.”  Hajime explained “You see, after the pardon, we all kind of went our separate ways.  Initially, Ryota and another classmate, Teruteru Hanamura, stayed on Jabberwock to start their own ventures.  Teruteru continued to run his own restaurant, and Ryota started his own animation studio.”

“You mean Jabberwock was open to tourists after you left?”

Hajime nodded and continued “Some time later, Fujiko and another former captive, Kanon Nakajima, took a vacation to Jabberwock and ate at Teruteru’s restaurant.  Ryota ran into Fujiko and they really hit it off.  Apparently they went and formed their own anime studio partnership in the years since.”

“Wow, that’s really good for them!”  Komaru congratulated before she asked “And what about Kanon?”

“That’s an even more unbelievable story.”  Hajime chuckled and explained “Apparently Kanon’s one of the few girls who can stand Teruteru’s perverted advances, so they hit it off around the same time as Fujiko and Ryota.  From what I’ve heard they’ve started their own snack franchise that’s really popular at baseball games.”

“Wow, that sounds cool!  I’ll have to go to a baseball game sometime to I can try out their food.”  Komaru exclaimed.

“Yeah, Teruteru may be perverted, but he’s peerless among chefs.  I’m just glad those four were able to find fulfilling lives after all the trauma they endured.”  Hajime sighed and suggested “We should…get this puzzle done.”

Komaru nodded before they quietly continued to work on the puzzle before them, getting closer and closer to the finished solution so that Mokubo’s therapy could truly begin.

XXX

“I’m just glad that my dear little sister found someone she could max out her affection stat with!”  Hifumi gushed as he, Leon, and Sayaka watched Hajime and Komaru’s conversation in the afterlife theatre.

Sayaka nodded and asked “Didn’t you say that they got married?”

Hifumi beamed proudly and announced “Yes indeed, Miss Maizono!  They’ve even procreated a successor to carry on the family business.  A talented young maiden named Tomishiko Yamada.  It was quite kind of Mr. Mitarai to take my sister’s last name so that our family name could endure!”  Leon and Sayaka sweatdropped at the former Fanfic Creator before he asked “And congratulations are in order for you as well, Mr. Kuwata!”

Leon nodded in appreciation and commented “Yeah, surprisingly that Hanamura creep can be quite chivalrous when he’s actually in a relationship.  I’m glad he’s treating my cousin Kanon well.  Thanks to him and Hiro, she’s actually moved on from me to someone who can actually love her for who she is.”  Leon looked down in shame “Just makes me all the more ashamed at how stupid I was back in the Killing Game.”

“Leon…”  Sayaka held his hand and assured him “I was the one who started that, not you.  If I had just kept calm like Makoto told me to, we’d all still be alive, and you’d be celebrating your cousin’s marriage and the birth of your cousin’s son.”

Leon smiled and nodded before he replied “Thanks for cheering me up, babe.  At least that Kato kid is surprisingly cute, and his parents have done a decent job of teaching him what not to do.”

Sayaka nodded in agreement before she stood up and announced “Well, I’m gonna head back home.  Care to join me, Leon?”

“Right behind you, babe.”  Leon called back as he got up and ran after her.

“Wait for me Mister Kuwata, Miss Maizono!”  Hifumi panted as he chased after them.

XXX

“Alright, it’s all done!”  Komaru announced proudly as they looked at the completed puzzle together.

“Good work, Komaru.”  Hajime complimented.  “Alright, so bring Mokubo over here and I’ll explain the next step.”

“You got it!  Hey Moku!”  Komaru called out to her nephew as she got up and walked over to him.  “You wanna do something fun with me and Hajime?”

“Ta.  No.  Shii?”  Mokubo uttered in curiosity as his smiling aunt kneeled in front of him and picked him up.

“Yeah, tanoshii!  We’re gonna do something tanoshii together, so come on!”  She cooed as she carried him over to the puzzle and sat down with him across from Hajime.  “So, what do we do now?”

“Okay, so you see each of the animals on the puzzle?”  Komaru nodded before Hajime explained “We’re going to point to each animal and say what it is.  Eventually Mokubo should be able to say the name of the animal with us.”

“Okay, I get it.”  Komaru suggested “Why don’t we start with the dog over there?  He’s already said it before.”

Hajime nodded and agreed “Good idea, it’s best to start with the familiar so he doesn’t venture out of his comfort zone too quickly.  Okay, why don’t you start.”

“Sure.”  She pointed to the dog on the puzzle and exclaimed “Look Moku!  It’s an inu!”

“Yes, it’s an inu.”  Hajime chimed in.

“Inu.  Inu.”  Mokubo chanted as he pointed towards the image of the dog.

“Very good, Moku!”  Komaru praised before she asked “Alright, what next, Hajime?”

“Hmm…let’s try the cat next.  I’ll start next.”  Hajime pointed to the image of the cat and exclaimed “Hey Mokubo!  Look at the neko!”

“Yeah, Moku!”  Komaru interjected “It’s a neko!  A really cute, fluffy neko!”

“Ne…ko…?”  Mokubo asked.

“Yeah, it’s a neko!”  Komaru encouraged.

To her joy, Mokubo pointed at the image of the cat and chanted “Neko!  Neko!”

“Very good, Moku!”  Komaru exclaimed.  “Alright, now let’s see…oh, what about that cow?”  After Hajime nodded in encouragement, Komaru pointed to the image of the cow and asked “Look Moku, do you see the ushi?”

Hajime nodded and pointed at it before he encouraged “Yes, look at the ushi, Mokubo.”

“U…shi…?”

“Yes, that’s right.  It’s an ushi.”  Hajime confirmed before Mokubo pointed at the image of the cow.

“Ushi!  Ushi!”

“Great job, Moku!”  Komaru cried before she scanned the puzzle again.  “Alright, next is…”

XXX

“Hitsuji!  Uma!  Buta!”  Mokubo exclaimed as he pointed to a sheep, horse, and pig on the puzzle.

“Yay!  Great job, Mokubo!”  Kyoko applauded as she cheered on her eldest son.

Makoto smiled with his eldest daughter as he held the twins in his arms.

“Thanks again for another productive week.”  Makoto told his sister and Hajime.  “Kyoko’s been a lot happier since you started giving Moku therapy.”

Hajime smiled and nodded before he replied “It’s not a problem.”

“Yeah, it’s honestly quite fun.  I mean, I miss teaching, but I love helping my nephew overcome his hurdles, you know?  The moment when his eyes light up and he just gets it…it makes me feel all bubbly inside.”

“Is that so?”  Makoto chuckled.  “Well, I’m glad to hear that, though I think it’s time for you two to break for the night.  Kiki, say goodbye to Aunt Komaru and Hajime.”

“Bye!”  Kiki waved with a cheerful smile as the duo waved back.

“Bye!”  They waved back before they turned around and left the manor.

Makoto turned back around and smiled at the sight of his wife and son, too engrossed in their puzzle activity to notice that the impromptu therapists had left.

Chapter Text

“Okay, so what’s are we doing this week, Hajime?  Another puzzle?”  Komaru asked.

“Hmm…”  Hajime pondered “Well, I was thinking we could do something a little different, though the principle will be similar.”

“Okay, what did you have in mind?”  Komaru asked curiously as she held an equally curious Mokubo in her arms.

“Well, I was thinking…we could try reading a book to him, and have him point to and say what the various pictures in the books are.  It would probably help if it was one that had different flaps or textures Mokubo could interact with.”  Hajime suggested.

“I see…I think I have an idea!”  Hajime looked at Komaru curiously before she explained “When Kyoko was pregnant with Kiki, my mom gave her an American picture book during the baby shower.  If I recall, it has things on the pages you can slide back to reveal pictures.”

“That sounds like a good idea.”  Hajime agreed “Sure, why don’t you go grab that and I’ll meet you in the living room.”

“Okay, here then.”  She agreed as she handed her nephew to Hajime before she turned around.  “Be there in a bit!”  She called as she ran out of sight.

“Still as enthusiastic as ever, I see…”  Hajime muttered as he shook his head with an amused smile. 

His eyebrow raised in surprise as he saw Mokubo turn his head to smile at him.

“My, you’ve certainly come a long way since we started, haven’t you, Mokubo?”  Hajime asked before he chuckled and turned around.  “Alright, let’s go in the living room and wait for your aunt.”  He told the toddler in his arms as he began to walk down the halls.

XXX

“Alright, I got it!”  Komaru called out as she came into the living room with a hardcover picture book.

“Alright, let’s see what we’ve got here.”  Hajime replied as Komaru kneeled down in front of him and showed him the book.  “Brown Bear, Brown Bear?”

“Yeah, it’s pretty popular in America.”  Komaru commented as she sat with her legs crossed.  “So, how are we gonna go about this?”

“Okay, so since you’re his aunt, why don’t you hold Mokubo and I’ll hold the book.  Then you can read it to him and I’ll point out the flaps that he can pull back.”  Hajime suggested.

“Sure, that sounds good.”  Komaru agreed before Hajime got up and walked over to Komaru before he sat down next to her and crossed his legs.

They then exchanged the book and Mokubo so that the toddler faced outwards while he was held gently against Komaru’s chest.  Hajime then opened the front cover and held it up in front of them.

“Well, here goes…”  Komaru took a deep breath before she began “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, what do you see?”

“Bear!”  Mokubo pointed at the image of the brown bear on the first page.

“That’s right Mokubo.”  Hajime nodded as he smiled at the toddler.

“I see a red bird looking at me.”  Komaru continued before Hajime pointed at the flap.

“Where’s the red bird, Mokubo?  Could it be behind this flap here?  You want to try sliding it, like this?”  He asked as he made right-to-left sliding motion with his finger.

Mokubo reached for the flap and slid it left with his pointer finger, gradually revealing a ruby red bird behind the compartment.

“Bird! Bird!”  Mokubo exclaimed as he saw the red bird.

“That’s right, it’s a red bird.”  Hajime confirmed as he nodded in approval.  “Do you want to turn the page, Mokubo?”

Mokubo reached for the page and turned it, exclaiming “Bird!  Bird!” as an even larger red bird was revealed on the next page.

“That’s right Moku, it’s a big red bird!”  Komaru cheered before she continued to read “Red Bird, Red Bird, What do you see?  I see a yellow duck looking at me.”

“Where’s the yellow duck, Mokubo?”  Hajime asked before he pointed to the flap.  “Could it be here?”

Mokubo reached for the flap and slid it back to reveal a small yellow duck before he exclaimed “Duck!  Duck!”

“That’s right, it’s a yellow duck!”

“Yeah, great job, Moku!”  Komaru cheered before Hajime smiled at her.  “You know…this reminds me so much of when Mom used to read to me and Makoto.  We always had so much fun when she read to us…right before we fell asleep on top of each other.”

“Sounds like you had quite the childhood.”  Hajime commented.  His cheeks flushed pink as he complimented “It’s…probably out of line for me to say this…but I think you’d be a great mother yourself, given how comfortable you look reading to your nephew.”

Komaru grinned proudly, though her cheeks were also tinted rose as she bragged “Thanks, though I’ve had years of practice with babysitting Kiki.  Still…”  Her voice turned a little more bashful as she complimented “You seem to make a pretty good parent yourself, with how much you can pull off a warm and engaging smile.  I wouldn’t be surprised if you excelled at being a stay-at-home dad.”

Hajime laughed and denied “No, that’s Nagito.  I’m just good at listening and talking to people, that’s all.”

If Komaru had a response, it flew from her mind as they saw Mokubo trying to pull eagerly at the page.

“It seems like he wants to continue reading.”  Hajime noted with an amused smile.

Komaru smiled before she acquiesced “Alright, Moku, alright, you can turn the page.”

With that, she loosened her grip and allowed Mokubo to turn the page, allowing them to continue the story as the toddler pointed at the image on the next page.

XXX

“Kuma!  Tori!  Kamo!  Uma!  Kaeru!  Neko!  Inu!  Hitsuji!  Sakana!  Sensei!  Kodomo!”  Mokubo pointed out at each image as Kyoko read Brown Bear, Brown Bear on the couch to all four of her children, Kiki and Kiri on her left and Mokubo and Koto on her right.

“Very good, Mokubo!  You pointed out all the animals in the book!  I’m so proud of you!”  Kyoko praised her eldest son, tears welling in her eyes.

Makoto grinned at the touching family scene before he turned to Komaru and Hajime and thanked “Thank you so much for everything you’ve done these past seven weeks.  Moku’s improved so much, and I can’t thank you enough.  Both for helping Mokubo to interact with us better, and for making Kyoko smile at our son’s progress.”

Komaru giggled and replied “Aw, it was nothing, Onii-chan.  This has been really fun, and Hajime and I have had a good time with these therapies.”

“That’s good, because I have an announcement to make.”  Komaru and Hajime looked at Makoto curiously as he grinned and explained “You see, Kyoko and I have been meaning to get a therapist employed at Hope’s Peak Academy for a while now, but we just haven’t been able to find someone who was as good as Miaya Gekkogahara.  So we’ve just been reimbursing the costs of private practice therapy to the parents of students who need it.”

“…Onii-chan, what are you getting at?”  Komaru asked.

“Hajime, Komaru, Kyoko and I have been so impressed with how you’ve worked with Mokubo so far, that we’ve talked about it, and we’ve decided that we want you to hire you as Hope’s Peak’s official Senior and Junior Therapists.”

“Really?!”  The two exclaimed simultaneously.

Makoto chuckled and shook his head in amusement before he replied “Don’t be so surprised.  Hajime, I recall a certain conversation you had with Fuyuhiko in the Neo World Program where he suggested your talent might be the Ultimate Counselor.”

Oh…that…  Hajime thought with an embarrassed blush.

Makoto chuckled before he turned to his sister and praised “And Komaru…you have a gift for engaging people with a certain enthusiasm that allows them to truly listen to you and do what they need to in order to better themselves.”  His eyes twinkled with pride as he recalled “Your ability to spur the survivors in Towa City to action with your words and empathy alone is proof of that.”

That’s…not really a good example, Makoto…  Komaru deadpanned as she scratched her cheek awkwardly.

At that moment, Kyoko chimed in “Of course, should you take the position, Komaru, we would require you to study the relevant educational material in psychology and sociology.  We can waive that requirement for Hajime, since he has the talent of Ultimate Therapist, but I’m afraid that we can’t grant you such a waiver.”

“Right, I understand.”  Komaru turned to Hajime and asked “So, what do you think?”

“Hm…it would be nice to have a stable career instead of doing odd jobs and moving around all the time.  And it seems like an opportunity to really help people.”  Plus I’ve enjoyed working with you so far.  Hajime nodded and decided “I’m certainly interested.”

“Yeah, me too.”  Komaru agreed.  “It’ll be tough to study all that stuff, but it’ll be worth it to see smiles on the students’ faces again.”

Makoto grinned and replied “Excellent, then I’ll draft up the employment paperwork and we can sign everything in my office in a week or so.  Of course, Mokubo will still need therapy, but we can fit his sessions inbetween student appointments.  That should also give you time to study, Komaru.”

“Alright, I can’t wait to get back to work again!”  Komaru cheered, making the other adults in the room smile.

“Alright, I’ve given you guys enough to process for now, so why don’t you take a nice, well-deserved rest at home?  I’ll see you both on Monday.”

“Sure, let me just say goodbye to the kids.”  Komaru requested before she walked over to her nieces and nephews and hugged them one by one.  “Bye Kiki, Moku, Koto, Kiri.  I’ll see you all on Monday!”

“Bye!”  Kiki waved along with Koto and Kiri.

“…Bye…”  Mokubo waved and uttered with a slight smile, making Kyoko gasp in joyful shock.

As Kyoko whispered in Mokubo’s ear and wrapped her arms around him, Makoto beamed proudly before he urged “Alright, go you two, before my whole house ends up in tears.”

“Sure.  Thanks for everything, Makoto.”  Komaru thanked as she hugged her brother, who eagerly hugged her back before they released.

“Take care, Hajime.”  Makoto told his new employee, who merely nodded with a grateful smile before he and Komaru turned and walked out the living room, leaving a joyful Makoto alone with his equally joyful family.

XXX

“I can’t believe it!  A new job as a therapist!”  Komaru exclaimed as they walked out of the Naegi Manor.

“You seem very excited for this opportunity.”  Hajime chuckled at her enthusiasm.

“Well, yeah, I am.  I enjoyed working with teenagers as an Assistant Literature Teacher, and now I get to do the same thing in a different way.”  Komaru sighed as she lamented “The thing I’m not looking forward to is all the studying I’ll have to do.  Those textbooks are gonna bore me to sleep, jus like Makoto used to do with all his boring classes.”

Hajime chuckled in amusement as he offered “Don’t worry, I can…help you out with that.”

“You mean that, Hajime?!”  Komaru gasped in happy surprise.

“Yeah…I mean, you have a talent for this kind of field, so if you need a little help with the academics…I don’t mind helping you study.  Besides…”  Hajime blushed as he complimented “You’re…fun to be around.”

“Th…thank you…”  Komaru blushed before she shook it away and held out her hand.  “So, ready to get to work, partner?”

Hajime shook her hand with a smile and agreed “I look forward to it, partner.” 

They then released each other before they continued walking along the sidewalk.

“I really am excited; this is a really good oppo…whoa!”

“Komaru…ah!”  Hajime called out as he tried to catch Komaru who had tripped on the sidewalk, only to grunt as he was taken down by her momentum.

He landed on his back with a thud as he groaned to himself Ow…that hurts…huh?!

Both their eyes widened in shock as they realized that not only had Komaru fallen right on top of him, but that her lips were gently pressing against his own.

Oh…KAMI!