Angst. An AU oneshot where something changed and Makoto is engulfed in blissful denial.

PS, I have not watched DR3 in a very long time and I can't be bothered to rewatch it, so if any information is off I apologise. I also just wrote this on a whim, pls don't kill me.

OR

It wasn't uncommon to see Makoto alone now, sometimes staring into a wall with a distant look in his eyes and his brain in a distant slumber, sometimes acting like he wasn't even there and sometimes refused to respond to anything in the outside world.

It pained everyone.

But most of all, it pained her.

Dear, Komaru Naegi. The little sister of the Ultimate Hope. A less than normal girl with a less than normal life.

It pained her because her brother had been in such a state for nearly a month, the brother she desperately wanted to reunite with after all these years. She wanted to see him again, hear his voice just to confirm he was here and not some sick fantasy conjured by the atmosphere of paranoia and despair.

But everything was fine.

The world was healing.

And the haunting's and ghastly shrill laughter of despair was fading like a warm summer breeze.

She couldn't lose him, not now, not when she couldn't even find their parents.

She promised after all.

"Hey, Makoto?"

No response, not even a slight motion to acknowledge her existence. The room was almost silent, the beeping and light breathing being the only thing to break it. The whiteness and the smell of disinfectant only added to her unease, her hairs on end.

She could just barely manage a weak smile as she sat down on a chair next to his bed, setting down a bouquet of flowers on the table next to him. "It's me... Can you hear me?"

A broken laugh escaped her mouth, even as Makoto did nothing but stare.

Stare.

At.

Nothing.

"I wanted to see you again, its been a week but I wanted to see how you were doing and let you know what's going on." She looked out of a window, it was so bright it felt unnatural. But she was just so used to the hellish red that she forgot what normal even looked like. "Umm... Well, the construction of Hope's Peak is going well still, there still hasn't been any accidents or even any attacks, which is good. I'm also getting to know your classmates!"

...

"Well, I already know Byakuya... And I'm still not entirely sure what Touko see's in him to be honest, he's kind of a jerk. Mr Yasuhiro is really funny though! He saw me looking down the other day and decided to cheer me up and gave me a free fortune! He said 'Everything will get better soon, just not the way you expect it!' Toko said I shouldn't listen to him because his fortune telling is 'fake and scammy' and even if it was real 'it's only a 30% chance of it being accurate.' Well it's still better than nothing right?"

...

"I also really like Aoi- Hina! She's so sweet and she's been happily listening to my problems, she even gave me some donuts to cheer me up as well. But..." A hesitant pause. "I... Don't have the guts to tell her about Yuta. I think- I think Touko is going to tell her. I think its better that way, you know?"

...

"Speaking of Touko, we're going to go on another expedition to Towa City tomorrow! I still haven't given up on mom or dad yet, I know they're still in the city... Somewhere! And- And!"

...

"...And I really want you to be there for when I return with them, I want us to be a happy family again."

...

"And I... And I want you to be like you were... Like you... You were..."

Everything was getting blurry, she could feel her cheeks warming up as her tears began to pour down her face.

A family.

That's all she wanted.

Just to be a family again...

She let out a few hiccups, not hearing the door open and a set of footsteps come closer towards her. "I know you miss- miss her. Everyone else misses her too, and she... She must of been so important to you for you to be like- like- Makoto!"

It felt like a dam had burst.

"I wish- I wish I got to know her... As well!" She hiccuped. "She sounded, sounded like an amazing per- person. And to see you like... Like this hurts because... Because..."

"Komaru..."

She turned towards Touko and immediately hugged her, ignoring her startled hiss and ignoring how ugly she must of looked right now. "If I could bring Kyoko back, even just for a few minutes, just to see you smile-!"

"...Hey, Komaru..."

"I- I know! I know Touko! I just..."

"Come on... I know you'll stain my clothes, but if it'll make you feel better you can let it all out."

"Auuugh... Waaaaaaahhhh!"

Even as she cried, even as Touko held her closest and only friend tight and did her best to comfort her.

Makoto.

Still.

Didn't.

Respond.

"Hey~! What's with all of the commotion? Did we miss something?"

Jack's curious question snapped her out of her deep thoughts which still lingered on such painful memories, Komaru looked up from her gun to see a crowd of people. Most of them were builders and other agents from Future Foundation, others were people she recognised such as Yasuhiro and Aoi. And, for whatever the reason, they were all crowded around the entrance of the academy.

Did something happen?

"Shall we check it out?"

"What, and just stand around like a bunch of Monokuma's without a purpose?" Jack asked. "Go on! I want to see what's happened!"

So they began to walk towards the crowd, and began to hear individual voices that began to occasionally overlap each other like a really bad choir.

"...Real?"

"...-Is it possible?"

"-Alright but-

"-He hasn't properly coped."

...?

"Hey Hina!"

Suddenly the crowd was silent, each whisper suddenly died down and sets of nervous eyes fell on her. They all looked at her, startled and almost uncertain. Aoi also shared their look, however her nervousness was more apparent from how she sweated like a child being scolded by their parents.

"Oh, hey Komaru..."

"Hey, what's going on? Did something happen?"

"W-Well... Yes, it's good but-"

"Komaru?"

There it was. A voice, a very familiar sounding voice that sounded similar, yet very different. A kind tone she remembers him having. A voice that made her heart suddenly pound against her chest like it was about to burst.

And suddenly the crowd made sense. The crowd began to shuffle, splitting at the centre to reveal...

To... Reveal...

He woke up.

Makoto Naegi finally woke up.

"Makoto!"

"Kom- Ack!"

She couldn't help herself, she couldn't help but run up to him, lift him up and hug him with all of her might, ignorant of the choked splutters and gasps that came from her brother. Some of crowd tried to pry her off in vain, but she was just...

"Oh Makoto... Makoto... You're back!"

"K-Komaru-"

"Is it really you? Is it?"

"...Yeah, I'm back. I'm sorry I've been gone for so long..."

She put her brother down onto the floor. "I was so- so scared. I didn't want to lose you. I didn't want to be alone. Augh... Urghh..."

"I'm sorry. I really am." He paused. "Komaru? I know this may be sudden, but can I introduce you to someone important..?"

"O-Oh? Sure."

Komaru weakly smiled, her cheeks turning red once again, her heart now a flutter and her mind trying its best not to overwhelm itself. Her brother was fine, Makoto was fine-

"I'm sure my friends have told you about her before, but she's been out so you've never really met but-"

...Oh?

Makoto motioned towards his side, and Komaru was expecting to see a woman or another close friend-

"This is Kyoko Kirigiri, she's someone special to me."

Only to see an empty space.

"...Huh?"

Kyoko...? The same Kyoko from his class? One of his important people? The one's who's death broke him?

But... There was no one there.

Makoto let out a nervous laugh, which was when she noticed a pair of blacked studded gloves clenched in his hands. "I'm not entirely sure if I actually introduced you to each other back when I was still a student in Hope's Peak. But this is Kyoko, she helped save our lives back in the Killing Game and is someone close to me." His cheeks turned a faint shade of pink. "She was in a bad state due to the poison, but she's gotten much better now. See?"

He motioned towards the space, this time pointing to somewhere specific. She wasn't entirely sure but...

"Ma... Makoto? What are-?"

"Well? Are you going to introduce yourself?" Makoto asked innocently, seeming unaware of the growing horror growing in Komaru's eyes.

What was going on?

Was he sick?

Was he still out of it?

She opened her mouth, to ask what was going on-

..?

A sharp glare from Byakuya shut her mouth shut.

...

She's... She's read this before, in a romance manga.

It was the story of a happy couple, who were just like any other. But one day something tragic happened with the girl that killed her sister and was in a coma like state for quite a while. And when she woke up-

She acted like nothing bad had happened.

And despite the fact her sister was dead-

She pretended that she was alive. She pretended, just to keep her mental state intact. She carried a bear toy around, and pretended it was her sister.

And... It was something Makoto was doing, right now.

"I..."

She didn't want this.

She just wanted her brother back.

"Komaru?"

"...My..."

But if this was to keep his mental state in check, to stop him from shutting down.

'I'm so sorry Makoto.'

"...Hello, you must be my brother's girlfriend. My name is Komaru Naegi. It's a pleasure to finally meet you Kyoko."

She couldn't bare seeing him shut down again.

She didn't want to be alone, even if it went using selfish reasons.

Even if he had to live in blissful denial for the rest of his life.

Felt like writing something angsty (and rushed, and possibly OOC). If someone wants to write a fic based off this premise go right ahead.