The Meddlers

Kyouko Kirigiri, unbeknownst to many of her classmates, was always observing those around her.

Mondo did not notice her when she saw him pass Kiyotaka a note, and more than this, he was unaware that she'd been observing him a long while.

She'd noted obvious changes in his behavior, like the drastic differences in his body language when he was with Kiyotaka versus when he was with anyone else. She noticed how much his attitude had improved in regards to schoolwork and avoiding fights, and observed how Kiyotaka had become much more relaxed.

Kirigiri was more than observant: she had become quite meddlesome. It was with her observations in mind that she approached Mondo in the hallway and bluntly asked him what he was doing.

Mondo made some terrible excuse, or rather, he didn't bother trying to make one at all. He simply refused to explain himself. He did not have to, of course. Kirigiri saw Kiyotaka exit his classroom somewhat glumly and begin walking down the hall, and she knew her suspicions were correct.

Kirigiri noticed a certain boy observing the scene from nearby, so she ducked into the classroom she had seen him in and pulled him away from the door. The two watched in silence as Mondo chased after Kiyotaka and shoved a different note into his hand. Mondo fled before Kiyotaka could react properly, and then he stared blankly ahead and rushed to his room with the note still in his hand.

"It's happening," Kirigiri said quietly as she released the boy from her grasp.

"What's happening?"

"Oowada-kun is asking Ishimaru-kun for a date. Really, Makoto-kun. I thought it was quite obvious."

Naegi blushed and peeked out the door to confirm that both boys had actually left, and then he looked up in thought.

"Asking him on a date... You mean like a date date? I know they're close, but I didn't think it was a romantic thing."

Kirigiri sighed and shook her head. Boys.

"Have you not noticed that they have both developed a habit of blushing recently, particularly when the other is around? Think— did either of them behave that way when you first met them?"

Naegi's mouth fell open slightly as he thought, and his brow furrowed.

"Uh... Yeah, you're right. Ishimaru-kun used to have the same really serious expression all the time. And Oowada-kun didn't used to laugh as much as he does now. And the blushing... I don't remember that from before."

"When was the last time Oowada-kun got into a fight? And when was the last time Ishimaru-kun ruined everybody's fun and refused to listen to anyone?"

"I-it's been a while, huh?" Kiyotaka had actually helped Naegi pass a number of tests, he remembered, and had always been very encouraging about the results, even if they were less than perfect.

"Now, think about the way they behave together. If one of them was a girl, would you still see it as platonic? Be honest."

"...No," Naegi admitted, his shoulders slumping.

"They like each other. And Oowada-kun is trying to bridge the gap, but... If they don't get any help, I fear they'll both just hide in their rooms and never discuss what must be discussed."

Naegi nodded slowly. His head still seemed to be in the clouds. He was likely reflecting on his experiences with the boys and seeing them in a new light.

"Okay... So let's help them out!" He declared, and Kirigiri smirked.

"You and I are on the same page. Here's what we're going to do."

—————————————

Kirigiri found Kiyotaka alone in his bedroom, obviously flustered. She explained to him what had apparently gone over his head, and did her best to calm him down. She inspected the letter, noting the careful detail that had been put into it. She smiled and shook her head as she pulled out her cell phone.

The person Kiyotaka likely needed to see most was Chihiro Fujisaki, but Kirigiri didn't have her number. They got along, but hadn't spent much time alone, and so they'd simply never made the exchange. Chihiro would have to be fetched in person. She pulled up the contact information for Aoi Asahina.

Lady Sherlock: Asahina-chan

A few moments of silence. She heard Kiyotaka slapping himself, trying to stay focused and calm.

Donut Girl: What's up Kyouko-chan??

Lady Sherlock: Ishimaru-kun needs help, and I think you and Oogami-chan would be good for him right now

Donut Girl: Is he okay what happened?!?!!?

Lady Sherlock: He's fine. Oowada-kun gave him a note confessing his feelings and he's a little overwhelmed and unsure of what he should do.

Donut Girl: Feelings??

Donut Girl: WAIT

Donut Girl: WAIT IS HE ASKING HIM OUT OMG OMG OMG

Kirigiri took a moment to laugh at Asahina's enthusiasm. Apparently she wasn't the only one to have picked up on Mondo's obvious crush.

Lady Sherlock: Yes!

Donut Girl: Well is he gonna say yes?!?!

Lady Sherlock: I'm sure he wants to, but I think he's scared. He seemed like he's not sure he should believe it or not.

Donut Girl: Omg I'm totally there tell him not 2 worry!!

Lady Sherlock: Will do. Please bring Oogami-chan, she's very calming

Donut Girl: She's with me now, I'll tell her on the way

Lady Sherlock: Do you happen to know where Fujisaki-chan is?

Donut Girl: Check the library, she goes there 2 code

Donut Girl: Remind me 2 give her ur number in case u forget!!

Lady Sherlock: Okay. I'm going to go find her, and you two stall Ishimaru-kun. I have Makoto-kun rounding up some people to help Oowada-kun. Wish me luck.

Donut Girl: Will do! Tell Taka-kun that me + Sakura are on the way!!!

Kirigiri put her phone back into her pocket before turning to Kiyotaka to offer comfort once more. She wasn't the best with affection, but she thought she made her intentions clear. She informed him not to worry, and assured him she would make sure everything went smoothly. With the guarantee that Asahina and Sakura would arrive soon, she took her leave and headed to the library.

—————————————

Asahina sprang into action and pulled herself off of the ground. Sakura frowned in the middle of her sit-up.

"You should not move about so suddenly during exercise, Aoi. You could strain a muscle."

"We don't have time for exercise right now, Taka-kun needs our help!" She was already overexcited. Her attachment to and defensiveness of the prefect were quite obvious. She just about smothered him with affection every time they met.

"What has happened?!" Sakura shouted as she pulled herself from the floor. Asahina was literally hopping in place.

"Mondo-kun finally asked him out but they're both so nervous they're hiding in their rooms and Taka-kun doesn't know what to say or what to do and he needs somebody to guide him and support him and talk him through the plan—"

Sakura took the swimmer by the shoulders and shook her gently, only to force her to focus her thoughts. Asahina blinked for a moment, and then shook her head.

"Y-you're right, I have to be calm! I want to help! I'll explain everything on the way, but we need to get headed to Taka-kun's room, okay?"

"Agreed."

Sakura took the lead by holding the door open for her companion, and Asahina giggled as she sprinted through it. Sakura had some difficulty keeping up with her. She was strong, and her reflexes were quick, but her sheer size slowed her down and made it hard for her to turn corners. Asahina, on the other hand, was wily and had a great deal of stamina. She bounded through the halls with the same speed that she cut through water.

Suddenly, Asahina screeched to a stop, and Sakura barely avoided a collision. She turned to see what had caught her attention.

"Sayaka-chan! Sayaka-chan!"

Asahina waved at the pop star. She had her personal microphone and lyric notebook in hand, and she looked surprised to see the swimmer.

"Oh, hi, Asahina-chan. Did you need something?"

"You like Taka-kun, right?!"

"...Oh, Ishimaru-kun? Of course I do— who doesn't?"

Sakura chuckled at that. The boy had once had trouble making friends, and now it seemed like people trampled over themselves in their efforts to shower him with love and affection. Girls, anyway.

"He needs help! Mondo-kun wants to take him out on a date, and I'm sure he could use lots of friendship right now. Plus, I suspect he'll want to get dolled up, and you're the best at that stuff!"

Maizono giggled girlishly.

"Oh, a date? How sweet! Sure, I'll swing by, but I do have a few things to take care of first. Where are we meeting up?"

—————————————

"Kuwata-kun! Hagakure-kun!"

Naegi sprinted after the two boys. They were headed to the cafeteria. He grimaced at how long it had taken him to find them. Kirigiri had surely initiated her side of things already. He caught both of the boys by their shoulders with his hands and pulled them back into a corner of the hallway.

"The hell was that for?! I was gonna eat some—"

"There's no time for that now, we have to act fast! Oowada-kun needs our help!"

Leon's annoyance at the interruption quickly faded, and was replaced by confusion. Hagakure... Well, he always looked confused.

"I'm always ready to help out a bro in distress, but what's the problem?" Hagakure asked, stroking his chin.

"Have, uh, have you guys noticed that Oowada-kun has been acting a little strange lately?"

Leon scoffed loudly and rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, duh! He keeps blowin' me off whenever he finds out Ishimaru is gonna be there! I thought they were friends, but I guess they had some kind of falling out."

"No, that's not it at all! They didn't have a fight! Oowada-kun... Oowada-kun came to a certain realization, and it's made it difficult for him to face Ishimaru-kun!"

Leon blinked at him for a moment, and then his face twisted into a wolfish grin.

"Ooooooohhhhhhhhhhh. Wants a little piece o' the hall monitor, does he? What a fuckin' cliche!"

"I didn't even realize what was going on, but Kyouko-chan made it seem obvious. I honestly feel foolish now," Naegi said through a laugh.

"So wait, does he, like. Like like Ishimaru-chi?" Hagakure asked, his voice as slow and drawn out as always. Naegi nodded.

"Yeah, and he just passed him a note asking him out, but he got flustered and ran away to his room! Kyouko-chan and the girls are helping Ishimaru-kun out, and she says that she has a plan of some kind, but somebody has to check on Oowada-kun and make sure he doesn't chicken out!"

Leon laughed and rubbed his hands together.

"Okay, okay, let's go! I don't know if you know this, but I'm something of a romance master. People want my help all the time."

"I'm sure they do," Naegi responded flatly. He was actually quite sure that wasn't true, but he needed all the help he could get.

Naegi noticed that Leon had a mischevious twinkle in his eye. The redhead said that he had to get something first, and elbowed Hagakure. Hagakure seemed to play along, and they both vanished into the music room for a moment before returning. It was obvious they were both trying to hold back their laughter.

"Well, let's go, brah!" Hagakure shouted as he took the lead, and Naegi ran to keep up with his longer legs. He wondered if maybe he should have gone alone after all.

—————————————

"Fujisaki-chan— there you are."

The little programmer looked up from her laptop to see the detective approaching her, and she smiled.

"Hello," she chirped. Kirigiri didn't respond right away and instead took a seat next to her, looking even more serious than usual.

"You are close to both Ishimaru-kun and Oowada-kun, yes?"

Chihiro slammed her laptop closed and turned to face the detective.

"Are they finally talking about it?! Are they going out?!"

Kirigiri couldn't help but snicker as she shook her head. Chihiro was around them more often than she was— the tension had likely been killing her.

"It's getting there. Oowada-kun passed him a note that confessed how he feels, but he ran away. I sent Asahina-chan and Oogami-chan to Ishimaru-kun's room to see if he's okay, but I feel that he has something serious he needs to talk about. Everyone would be grateful for your assistance."

Chihiro had already begun packing up her things before Kirigiri had finished her explanation. She did a small bow as she stood.

"I've got it, I'll go and check on him!"

And then the programmer was gone, and before Kirigiri could ask to exchange phone numbers. At least she was enthusiastic about helping.

Alone once more, she stroked her chin and thought. The boys would have to meet somewhere, and it would have to be somewhere with a place for her to hide and observe. She could think of a few pretty places nearby, but none that offered the cover she wanted. She also wanted a place with multiple walking routes, as she didn't want the boys to see each other too early. She pulled out her phone.

Kyouko <3: Makoto-kun, how are things on your end? I have a question for you

Luckster: I literally JUST found Hagakure-kun and Kuwata-kun!! >:/ what do you need?

Kyouko <3: The boys have to meet someplace, somewhere with multiple routes and cover where we can hide. Someplace pretty. Any ideas?

There was a long pause, and Kirigiri imagined that Naegi was discussing things with the boys. She doubted that those two had any helpful suggestions.

Luckster: How about the park downtown? It's not a long walk, it's pretty, there's lotsa ways to get there, and the center fountain area has hedges :D

Kyouko blinked in surprise. She'd been to the park once or twice with the girls to picnic by the trees, but hadn't been to the center.

Kyouko <3: That's a great idea. Do you go there often?

Luckster: Um..... Well u see, I was scoping it out. Kuwata-kun said its nice, so I thought it was a good idea

Kyouko <3: Scoping it out?

Another pause, and she wasn't sure what Naegi was doing this time.

Luckster: I wanted to take you there

Kirigiri stared at the message, and slowly smiled to herself.

Kyouko <3: It sounds very nice.

With the location settled, Kirigiri stood to find a sketchpad. Things would go faster if she could draw everyone specific walking routes.

—————————————

Asahina and Sakura had done their best to calm Kiyotaka, but it was Chihiro's late arrival that really sealed the deal. With her help, he arrived at a decision, one he seemed sure of.

As they had talked to the prefect, Kirigiri had sent the occasional update to Asahina's phone and settled on a location. She was keeping everyone filled in on Mondo's progress, and there was now a very specific game plan. Asahina had thought to turn off the vibrate on her phone, so it seemed the boy had not noticed.

Asahina realized, after a moment, that Chihiro had likely been rushed. She used her skill in covert texting to her advantage and typed up the entirety of the situation, sending it to the programmer in large chunks. Chihiro quickly thought to turn off her vibrate as well, and did not read the messages right away.

It was only after Maizono finally arrived that Chihiro truly began to read.

Hina: So Mondo passed Taka a note in class but he crumpled it up and threw it back. Mondo made a new 1 in his next class and gave it 2 Taka in the hallway and Kyouko saw him do it. He got nervous and ran 2 his dorm. Kyouko got Makoto and sent him 2 round up the boys and go help Mondo, and texted me and Sakura and sent us 2 Taka's room! Leon and Hiro are with Makoto and Mondo RN

Chihiro paused her reading to glance at Kiyotaka, who was still having his eyebrows trimmed. Maizono was doing an excellent job at keeping him distracted. She'd already been briefed on everything, apparently— Asahina and Sakura had followed her into the bathroom to whisper only moments after her arrival.

Hina: Makoto said it took him a while 2 find the boys, so we have 2 keep Taka in here as long as possible. Kyouko doesn't want him asking 2 many questions about the plan because he worries 2 much

Hina: We r all going 2 meet in the park center, and she'll have 2 meet u in person 2 give u ur map and prep u. Then we all have 2 hide and wait for Mondo 2 hopefully not mess everything up

Hina: Which I mean in the nicest way possible

Chihiro smirked and put her phone away, realizing too late that Kiyotaka had seen her reading something. She hoped he wouldn't get suspicious. Just as she had this thought, Maizono sighed and picked up her phone.

—————————————

As soon as Maizono was alone, she closed the bathroom door and properly put her phone to her ear.

"What is it, Kuwata-kun?" Her tone was quick and terse.

"Sayaka, baby! Is that any way to talk to your future husband?!"

"I don't know— tell me when you find him." She wasn't normally so snippy with the baseball star, but she didn't want to waste time when Kiyotaka needed help. She heard Leon scoff.

"Well, listen, I'm not callin' to bug ya. See, Oowada has decided he wants to look his best for the little ol' hall monitor, and we wanna have you give him a nice haircut! Can you do that?"

Maizono did her best not to sound too eager. She'd always, always wanted to know what the biker would look like without his signature hairstyle.

"That sounds doable! I'm with Ishimaru-kun right now, but I'll leave. I assume you're in his dorm?"

Leon quickly gave her the details before thanking her and hanging up. Maizono made a mental note of the things she'd need to grab, and then said quick goodbyes to everyone as she rushed away.

Upon her arrival in Mondo's room, however, she quickly realized she needed backup. Even between the four of them, it was difficult to keep Mondo restrained. Years of over-styling and poor care had left his hair a mess, and to pull through the knots was painful. She took a moment to step back and pull out her phone.

Idol: Fujisaki-chan, are you still busy?

Chibi: Is it important? It's apparently okay if I leave as long as I walk him alone

Idol: We're trying to cut Oowada-kun's hair and he's being a big baby about it because of all the knots. He's already kicked Kuwata-kun a few times :'D

Chibi: oh my GOD say no more. -_- I'm on my way

Idol: Thank you!!! I wasn't sure what to do!!!

Maizono breathed a sigh of relief and picked up her brush once more, laughing at the way the boys braced themselves for impact.

—————————————

Chihiro arrived without explanation, but Naegi more than welcomed her. She calmed Mondo easily, as if it came naturally. When he had a chance, he asked Chihiro where she had been. She explained as briefly as she could.

"I need to see Kyouko-chan for a minute so she can give me directions, and she needs to fetch you, so we'll to have her over here at some point. It's up to you to distract him somehow, okay?"

Chihiro nodded, then returned her attention to Mondo. Naegi, in the meantime, sent a text to Kirigiri warning her to be on alert. Before long, Chihiro and Maizono had thought of a good enough distraction. They picked out clothes for him to wear and shoved him into his bathroom. Naegi had his phone out before he heard the door shut.

Luckster: OOWADA-KUN IS CHANGING IN THE BATHROOM GET OVER HERE WHILE HE CANT HEAR US

Kyouko <3: I'm on my way!

Naegi whispered at everyone to keep quiet and gestured at Chihiro.

"Kyouko-chan says they're finishing up with Ishimaru-kun, but he can't get there before Oowada-kun! As soon as you get a chance, get out of here and follow Kyouko-chan, okay? She'll tell you where to go and what to do."

Chihiro nodded, and as he heard the very light rapping on the door, Naegi rushed to the entryway. Kirigiri, thankfully, did not need to be told about their small timeframe. She always acted with some sense of urgency.

"Here," she said as she shoved a piece of paper into his hand. "Walking directions to the park. You and the boys will take the shorter route with Oowada-kun. Keep him calm, and get there fast."

She peered over his shoulder and waved at Maizono, who was quite good at acting like nothing had happened. The sound of a door opening passed Naegi by as he asked for more details, and Chihiro darted away to keep Mondo distracted.

"Fujisaki-chan has to walk alone with him, see, as I feel there's something else he may need to discuss."

"That makes sense. Anyway, I know this route, so we can get there fast. Are you heading straight to the park?"

"I am, though I must regroup with the girls first. I will text you if anything comes up and we need you to stall."

Naegi suddenly became aware of the eyes boring holes in his back, and turned to see that Mondo was looking at the two of them quizzically. He flashed a thumbs-up at Chihiro, muttered an apology to Kirigiri, and slammed the door.

—————————————

Kirigiri blinked at the door. She had seen Mondo for a brief moment before she'd been pushed out of the room. His looked had improved greatly. She owed Maizono her thanks— hers and Kiyotaka's.

She didn't have to wait long. Only a minute or two passed before Maizono ran into the hallway, and Chihiro not long after. She took both of them by the arms and pulled them along to her dorm room, where Asahina and Sakura waited.

Sakura stepped forward and produced a bouquet, and Kirigiri smiled at it.

"You've outdone yourself, Oogami-chan. This will do quite nicely."

Most people would never guess it, but Sakura quite liked flowers and was skilled at arranging them. Kirigiri had asked her to stop by the school greenhouse and put something together, and to do so quickly. She winced as she imagined Sakura running down the halls at full speed with an arm full of flowers, but she had managed to pull it off, so she couldn't complain.

"Now that that is settled, shall we be off?" The large girl asked.

"Ah, yes. Maizono-chan, you'll accompany the three of us. I hope you don't mind hiding in the bushes. And Fujisaki-chan—"

"I'm gonna go get Taka and take him for a separate walk," the excited programmer interjected. She looked very determined. Kirigiri turned to study her expression more closely.

"You look fired up about something. Was I correct in guessing that he would need some alone time with you?"

"Y-Yeah, he definitely had something else he needed to talk about. He dodged the question when I asked him."

"That's probably because of us," Asahina admitted. "We're good friends, but we don't know him on as deep and personal a level as you or Mondo-kun. He must not have been comfortable talking about it in front of us."

Kirigiri nodded in understanding.

"Well, then... Good luck, Fujisaki-chan. Take the longer route and walk slowly, we want Oowada-kun to get there first."

The detective pulled a piece of paper from her breast pocket and handed it to Chihiro. The programmer unfolded it and smirked. It was a small simplified map with walking directions highlighted in yellow. She glanced it over for a moment and quickly memorized it— she did a lot of walking around town and had already had an idea of where to go.

Meanwhile, Kirigiri pulled out her own map to use as reference and walked to stand beside Maizono, Asahina, and Sakura.

"We will head to the park. We're taking a third route, a shortcut, to guarantee that we get there first. Try to keep Ishimaru-kun focused on talking, okay? He has a tendency to overthink things."

—————————————

Finally, everything had fallen into place. Kirigiri returned to her spot behind the bushes, now empty-handed as she had given away the bouquet. She would have Mondo properly thank Sakura later, but for now she needed to keep him focused.

The boys took their places, and she noticed Leon and Hagakure giggling about something. She glared at them, but didn't say anything. She knew Hagakure didn't have an inside voice and didn't want to give him any excuse to speak.

She turned and saw Sakura ducking, and saw Chihiro, Maizono, and Asahina huddled beneath her shadow. Chihiro struggled to pry the bushes apart somewhat in order to get a better view.

Finally she looked at Naegi, who blushed when his eyes caught hers.

"Thanks for helping," she whispered.

"It's no problem at all," he replied. "I'd do anything to help my friends."

Kirigiri turned to face forward once more and smirked.

Anything, indeed.