Straggling as the Credits Roll
Only one person applauds during the credits. She looks ready to appease a god, worshipping at the altar in her front row seat. As the names of friends and enemies alike scroll up on the movie screen, Yukizome raises her hands high into the air, and her thunderous clapping echoes in the still theater.
Her bucket of popcorn has fallen to the carpeted floor. Kernels spill over her polished shoes. They crunch underneath her as she cheers, her eyes wet with unshed tears. Hope swells her chest, burning like the sun and filling her with more warmth than she could ever imagine. She feels like she could go supernova as the names of her dear students pass her, proud like a mother hen watching her chicks leave the nest for the first time.
She sighs, lowering her hands to her lap. The show is over as the screen fades to black. She glances over to her partner, watching the mastermind stuff one final fistful of caramel popcorn in her mouth. A flair of arrogance runs through her, knowing that all of Enoshima's ideals have been thoroughly decimated under a wave of inspiring hope.
"And there we have it. The hopeful ending that we deserved." She tightens her jaw when Enoshima has the nerve to flip her hair over her shoulder.
Enoshima yawns. Stretching, her back cracks, and her joints pop. Brushing stray flakes of popcorn off her skirt, Enoshima shrugs.
Yukizome snorts, her smug grin etched on her face. "Don't be so haughty. You've completely lost. There's no way a reign of terror like yours will ever plague the world again."
"When did I say I ever gave a shit about that?" Enoshima shoots her tongue out and cocks her head. "All I fuckin' said was that I was gonna spread despair and despair until I die. I already got what I wanted. I did what I always wanted to do." She waves a flimy hand at the screen. "Besides, I already experienced all the despair I needed for one life. I don't even need to be reborn."
Her flippant attitude irks Yukizome. The former housekeeper balls her fists at her sides and shakes her head. She knows Enoshima is baiting her, but watching her sashay between the rows and skip to the exit, she barks, "That doesn't matter! What matters is that everyone's going to be happy from now on. You lost, and you're too stubborn to admit it."
Humming, Enoshima rests her hand against the exit door. She spins around on her high heels and heaves out an exaggerated sighs. She leans forward and clutches her hips, sneering, "You're a bigger idiot than I thought. You can't even realize the true despair about this ending. If anything, it's just inviting…" She laughs, clutching her face. "Upupu! Oh, man, I shouldn't even have to explain this to a teacher! If you're don't get it by now, then you're not gonna get it later. Even if someone drills it into you-" She smirks as Yukizome flinches. "-then you'll still be the same dumb bitch you started out as before I ever came into your pathetic life."
With that, Enoshima turns and shoves open the door. A brilliant gray light surrounds her, and she steps inside. Flashing Yukizome a winning smile, she offers a peace sign. Enoshima leaves as Yukizome stews, entering a realm unknown as the former teacher quakes in the theater.
She grits down on her molars and crosses her arms. She knows that this is the most hopeful ending any of her beloved students and friends could have achieved. They worked and battled through Enoshima's despair and manipulation, suffering through unwavering terror that nearly shredded through them.
They won. They earned their happy, hopeful ending. She forces her smile to set against her mouth and catches her breath. She takes in deep breaths and tells herself that Enoshima is just vengeful.
Yukizome is the victor. Munakata will go spread her mission of hope while the world beats down the last remnants of Enoshima's toxic despair. All of her poisonous influence will be gone in the new world order as rationality and hope will bless every last person who endured the vast chaos caused by Enoshima.
Something creaks behind her. A chair shifts as a person stands up. Withholding her gasp, Yukizome snaps her head to the far left corner of the room. She surveys the chairs and finds a young girl wearing a Hope's Peak uniform clutching her backpack straps. The girl wobbles and shifts pink hair out of her eyes when she turns to her closest exit, but she freezes when Yukizome calls out her name.
"N-Nanami-san! Nanami-san, you were here this whole time?" Yukizome sputters, her eyes wide as Nanami glares at the muted deep green carpet. She breaks into a stumbling sprint, her legs feeling like jelly after sitting down for so many hours glued to the screen.
She reaches for her precious student, but Nanami jerks away. She raises her arms like a shield, her knuckles burning white. Nanami tightens her lips into a straight line, her breathing ragged and unsure.
Yukizome breaks out in a nervous chuckle. "I-I didn't-I didn't realize you…" She clears her throat. "I didn't realize you were sitting there. How long have you been up here?"
"Of course you didn't. You ended up front and center because you wanted to be," Nanami replies, curt and to the point.
The jarring tone makes the hairs on the back of Yukizome's neck stand at attention. Playing off Nanami's reply with a giggle, she says, "So, you saw everything, too. Isn't it wonder-?"
"It's not wonderful. It's far from wonderful." Nanami pushes past her, hugging herself as she stomps towards the front row.
Yukizome tries to grab her shoulder, but she hesitates. She remembers embracing Namami from behind and subsequently pushing her to her death. The horror crossing Nanami's face burns in her memory. Shivering, she suppresses the guilt building in her belly and follows her.
Nanami glares at the black screen. She keeps touching her hair, stroking the spot where her Galaga pin had been. She twists the strands and almost plucks them out. Furrowing her brow, she leers over her shoulder when Yukizome calls her name.
"What do you want? How else do you wanna hurt me?"
"N-Nanami-san, I'd never hurt you! That wasn't-! I wasn't in control." Yukizome throws her arms out. "It's just like with your friends. We never wanted to hurt anyone, but Enoshima-"
Nanami recoils, clutching her heart and shuddering. Her expression writhes, and shaking her head, she snaps, "You can't even take any consideration for your actions. You're the one who hurt me, too." She hisses at the screen. "They won't even remember me."
"O-of course they will! That's cruel of you to even insinuate!" Yukizome stamps her foot. "Hinata-kun and the others love you. I'm sure-"
"If that's the case, why didn't they even give me anything? Why wasn't I the one thought about just now?" Nanami digs her fingernails into her palms. "You can't even see how awful it is to be replaced by someone who got my second chance at life."
"You-you're just…" Yukizome trails off, her blood pounding in her ears. "This is a good ending. Can't you accept that they've finally reached a happy ending or are you going to be selfish about it just because you died?"
Her words shoot out of her mouth before she registers the true meaning behind them. Yukizome swallows, her brow furrowed and hands tightly clenched. She watches Nanami peer back at the theater, gazing at some spot Yukizome couldn't pinpoint. She tries following her gaze only for soft sobbing to hit her ears, and she yelps, watching three people materialize in the middle rows.
Ando sobs against Kimura's chest. She's blubbering out apologizes as mucus dribbles over her lips. Fat, wobbly tears roll over her plump cheeks. Her inky mascara leaves black stains crossing down to her chin. Kimura's arms are wrapped around her, and Ando alternates to Izayoi, bawling into his sturdy shoulder as he cups the back of her head.
"When did they-? How did I not see them?" Yukizome whispers, bringing her hand to her mouth.
Nanami scoffs. "When you become too engrossed in your hope, you start losing sight of what really matters."
She bares down on her teeth, snapping, "What? Don't you dare try to say that I was wrong. All I wanted was for everyone to get along, for hope to-"
"You can't even realize that there are more important things than hope?" Nanami tightens her grip on her elbows. "Yukizome-sensei, you're the one who taught me about the importance of bonding with others. I can't believe you're putting hope on a higher pedestal than caring about one another."
"That's not true! That's not true at all! Don't put words in my mouth." Yukizome crosses to her, glowering at the unflappable gamer. "Bonds and hope are equally important. Everyone worked hard for this ending. We should be happy for them."
Ando's choked sobs halt. Kimura and Izayoi glance at each other as Ando raises her head. The confectioner sputters out a weary cackle before cupping her face. She hunches forward in her seat, shaking her head and digging her fingers through her unkempt hair. Izayoi quickly embraces her, pulling her to his chest and whispering comforting nothings in her ear.
Kimura stands and pulls down her mask. A crease forms in her brow as she inspects Yukizome, one of the people who had helped her rise from the ashes. "That's a nice thought, isn't it? It'd be better if we could enjoy it, too."
Yukizome's spirit sinks as people form before her eyes and leave the theater. They trudge along towards the light as she trembles. Gozu and Bandai leave together, seemingly content, but it's the victims of the first killing game who catch her eye. They're forcing smiles, shaking, uncertain of what will happen to them now that the story is over. Not even the gambler can lie to herself as she covers her mouth with a pale, shivering hand, silencing her frightened mumbling. They never had the chance to live. Along with Nanami, they were the truest victims in Enoshima's cruel game.
Behind them is Sakakura. He leans back against the wall as Kimura gathers Ando. Izayoi helps her stand, but she recoils, shouting that she doesn't want to go. She buries her face back into Izayoi's pectorals, and Kimura holds her from behind, promising they'll always be together. Sakakura offers a sympathetic glance as he trudges towards Yukizome, who puts on a brave mask before him.
"I'm happy for Munakata," he says, "but you know what? I wanted to live by his side just as much as you did."
"I-I know, but-"
"No. There's no but." Sakakura shakes his head. "I'm glad I did what I did to save him, but that doesn't change the facts. I'm dead. You're dead. We're all dead, and Munakata's facing the world alone." He sighs. "I want to be at his side right now, and I know you do, too. We both loved him."
She lowers her head. A weak nod is her response.
"Yukizome-sensei, just because they're happy, and just because we're happy for them, doesn't mean we're not going to fully forgive and forget." Nanami clasps her hands by her waist. "I wish I lived. I didn't want to die at Hinata-kun's feet begging for him to help me. I'm sure you didn't wanna die even when you were killing yourself."
She can still feel the knife piercing through her chest and the pain that exploded in her body.. Yukizome thinks she tastes metallic blood bubbling up her throat, but she chokes it all down. Rubbing her throat, she shakes her head and twists her expression into something raw, ugly, and despaired.
"I don't want to be sad. Not like this, not at this ending." She grimaces when Nanami and Sakakura exchange a glance. "Can't you two just...let it go? It's over. It's really, truly over."
"No," Nanami shoots back, "I don't want to forget what happened to me. I wanted to live with the others." She sighs. "They're going to be on a paradisiacal island forever while I'm...I guess I'm in limbo. It's sorta selfish to admit that after all they've endured, but I'm kinda jealous." She hiccups, screwing her eyes shut. "I want to be with them, too. It's not fair, it's not fair what happened!"
"I feel ya. I have no idea where Munakata's gonna end up." Sakakura rolls his shoulders back and turns to leave as Nanami collapses in a chair, crying her eyes out. "I don't know where I'll end up once I head out that door. Guess I'll just...find out."
Yukizome hobbles after him when he turns to leave. She opens her mouth and realizes she has nothing left to say. Bowing her head, she releases his coat and lets him go, knowing the pain she has caused him. If only she had welcomed Sakakura sooner, than maybe he would have been the one protecting Munakata right now when he needed them most.
Sakakura pats her shoulder and grins down at her, but her heavy heart breaks under his simple gesture. She cries, a waterfall of emotions pouring out of her after being withheld for so long. The time she spent as a Remnant of Despair, betraying her friends and students, causing the death of one of her own, finally surges out in a wave of roaring agony.
Her heart snaps in two like scissors gliding through paper. She wants to embrace hope for the sake of everyone's happiness, but despair eats away at her even as Sakakura wraps his arm around her. She feels him guiding her towards the exit, and she doesn't resist when the gray light envelopes her.
If she could have a second chance, she'd change everything. Instead of forcing her students to bond, she'd listen to their problems and offer solutions. She wouldn't have pushed so many responsibilities onto Nanami or plagued Sakakura with her stark jealousy because of her own affections for their friend. She'd find a way to stop Enoshima, but that's a bitter thought as she remembers the needles jabbing into her brain.
She wouldn't have adored the guileful promise of a happy ending after endless despair. She would've taught her students that what they share with each other is the most important lesson of them all.
Before her world ends, she hears Nanami's voice, soft and gentle, bordering on forgiveness.
"Let's play again some other time, sensei."