Author's Note
Jesus...It's been a very long time since I've written anything.
Honestly, I don't know why I'm uploading this.
Maybe putting my work out there will make me like writing again.
Anyway, backstory for this:
After rewatching NicoB on Youtube and his Danganronpa 2 Let's play, I forgot how someone would react to the Hope Fragment segments and the 'gifts' the player received from becoming friends with everyone. Then I remembered in the combo game set for the PS4, there is a School Mode for the first game, and you can receive the same 'gifts' from classmates in that mode.
Anyway, that got me thinking:
How would someone actually react to these types of gifts? How would Naegi react if he had been given the opportunity? This is how this was born.
So I changed the School Mode style in this.
This story takes place during School Mode. However, I've changed it so that Naegi receives the 'gifts' right after he fills out the report cards, much like Hajime in the second game. This is for the sake of getting a flustered reaction out of our main boy.
The characters may seem a bit OC, but I tried to keep them as close to as they were so it would feel authentic. At the same time, these OC moments are for the sake of making this funny, while still told like an actually decent story. Kirigiri is a bit more OC, mainly because the series ships Naegiri so hard that I don't even need to contribute, but I will.
Anyway, hope you enjoy...
P.S. I forgot about the dumb time skip rules for this site. When you see '0-0,' the scene jumps forward.
Thoughts
"Speech"
"Yeah, you're right. We need to work together and do our best…Hehehe!"
Maizono's smile warmed Naegi's heart. Stuck in the situation they were in, he had to appreciate these small moments.
Not too long ago, Naegi's life had been as average as anyone could imagine. One invitation literally changed everything. A new school, 'Ultimate classmates;' all of this already stood out as 'bizarre.' None of those even compared to the robotic bear that claimed to be their Headmaster. Combined with the turrets and bolted windows that imprisoned the students, his life teetered between 'sci-fi' and 'physically impossible.'
The robo-bear, only slightly larger than an actual teddy bear, had made two demands of them: to call him Monokuma, and to work with each other to build backups. Contradictions began lacing his words; such as him being more advanced than anything from NASA but forgetting to have spare bodies should something happen to him. The babbling had become nonsensical, mentioning that we had blown him up in a prologue and in 'Chapter 5;' whatever that means. The bear had ignored any questions about the statement; only swearing that their real school lives would start once they had built every backup he had demanded.
Thus Naegi and the other Ultimates of the 78th class had begun their daily lives scrounging about for parts and cleaning.
Perhaps it was his optimism, but Naegi was not worried. There was plenty of food to keep them alive for week; not to mention that the food was resupplied ever few days. Other than being a nagging presence or berating them, Monokuma left them to their own devices.
It was not the most optimal situation, but Makoto felt that they could have been dealt a far worse hand. In the downtime, Naegi felt it best to get along with his classmates. He hoped that if they grew closer to one another, they would be able to pull through the next 50 days of their lives.
Some would even think of their new world as a blessing in disguise; he and the IDOL Maizono working side by side, talking so naturally with one another despite the gravity of their situation. Naegi had only dreamed of talking with Maizono like this when they were classmates in middle school; a dream that he apparently shared with the idol.
Naegi's cheeks warmed as he thought of the bond the duo had formed. No matter what type of relationship they chose to take, the Ultimate Luckster vowed to always stay by her side.
Confident that she felt the same, Naegi turned to Maizono again. His words died in his throat as he noticed her behavior was…off. Maizono held her broom close to her body, clinging to it for what seemed to be dear life. A subtle swish of her hips drew his eye to that area. Her skirt swayed with her motions, and her legs shuffled in place. One of her hands pressed against her hip, seemingly drawing circles against a certain point on her hip.
Naegi's brow arched. The idol's smile never so much as twitched. It was as though she didn't notice what her body was doing.
Something bright caught his attention. It didn't shine like a bulb, but the color stood out against the deep reds and whites of their new home's walls. It especially stood out against the creamy tone of her leg and the dark blue of her skirt. By the time his mind realized what was happening, the pink fabric had slid down her legs and rested atop her feet. His eyes almost popped out of his head as she stepped out of the material, hopping on one foot against the broom while pulling the dangling material off her foot with her other hand.
It was only as she placed the warm article of clothing into his palm and shut his hand around it that his mind stopped screaming and instead left his mouth sputtering nonsense. The Luckster couldn't register what she had done. Eyes shut and a soft smile on her face, she had done the entire thing without missing a beat, as though giving someone your underwear was an everyday occurrence. Just as Naegi's mouth began working again, she turned away and walked to her room, leaving the boy with a single thought.
W-W-W-W-W-WHAT THE FUCK JUST HAPPENED!?
0-0
Maizono had never brought up any mention of her 'gift.' That left the Luckster stranded without a clue and a pair of underwear that made steam pour out of his ears at the very memory. He had discarded them into one of the empty drawers in his room. If he took them anywhere else, incinerator included, and someone caught him with the frilly fabric, it would only leave him dying in a pool of his own shame. Thus, he sought ways to forget about the incident.
"Now let me be crystal clear – we no longer have anything to talk about. Do not come to me like this again."
Makoto had no idea why, but at that moment, being ridiculed for having a girl's underwear on his person seemed like the better option. Definitely better than the berating hurricane that was Togami's snide criticism.
"Goodbye loser." With that, the Heir turned and walked away. Makoto dared not show how much Byakuya's words had stung. Sure, they were from two different worlds; that much had been made clear from all of their chats. Still, Makoto had hoped that perhaps, in some alternate universe even, that he and the Prodigy could become friends. Togami had made it very clear that that would never happen.
A slam down the hallway sent a jolt down Naegi's spine. He wiped his eye of a stray tear and turned. Byakuya, the very same person who had rejected a possible friendship, emerged from his room and began a quick stride towards Naegi. His face held the same condescending scowl he had when the Heir had ended their previous conversation.
Naegi stayed in place, afraid that he might have irked the Prodigy more than he had realized. Each step made Togami seem even more threatening. By the time he had stopped before the Luckster, said student was trying to find an escape route if the bespectacled student attacked.
Mustering up what little courage he had left, Makoto tried to ask the heir why he had returned. Almost immediately, the Luckster was silenced. Not by words but by actions. Byakuya thrust his arm forward, startling Naegi. The Luckster stumbled backwards; avoiding what he assumed was a fist to his face. Silent and stone-faced, the heir grabbed Makoto's arm, anchoring the student in place. He dug his fist into Naegi's hand, but there was little force on the impact. In fact, Naegi realized that Byakuya was nudging something into the Luckster's palm. Not wanting to anger the heir any further, Naegi relented and allowed the prodigy to open his hand.
Whatever was in his hand, it was warm. Once the item was encompassed in his hand, the heir pulled away. His facial featured stayed neutral, and he turned once and walked away without another word. It was not until the heir had turned a corner that Naegi realized he was actually not coming back this time.
The item in his hand felt…elastic. Just the thought of the material seemed off. Togami, as rude as he was about it, was above giving gifts to any of the other students, as he had everything he could ever want waiting for him outside the walls of the school. Even if he were one for giving gifts, something made of elastic seemed…below his class. Whatever it was, Byakuya would not have given him something lest it held some significance.
Glancing down, Makoto could only make out that the material was black. There was some yellow trimming the top. In the center of the fabric, there was a symbol of some sort. Even though he had never seen the symbol before, somehow he knew that it was the Togami family crest.
Had Byakuya given this to Makoto to represent something? Did the heir perhaps view the Luckster as someone worthy of acknowledgement by giving him a symbol of his family?
Naegi noticed something else. Pulling the fabric taut, it seemed there were holes near the top and bottom of the crest. Almost as if someone was to wear it.
The answer clicked in his mind immediately. His first instinct was to scream. His second was to toss the offending item as far away from his person as possible. As the fabric fluttered in the air a moment, Naegi felt bile rise into his throat. He swallowed it down, along with what little understanding he had left of the world, and watched as Byakuya's speedo-esque undergarments fall to his feet.
WHY IS THIS HAPPENING!?
0-0
Naegi stared down into his drawer. Once an empty space, he wish it had stayed that way. Undergarments of all shades and materials piled up. Gothic lace mixed together with a loincloth; bikini bottoms snuggled with bloomers. It was a cornucopia of cloth that revealed far more than Naegi had ever wanted to know of his classmates.
The drawer clicked shut with a sense of finality. Naegi felt drained as every encounter replayed in his mind. In the end, no one gave him an explanation. The 'special gifts' had become such a normal occurrence, that Naegi almost threw up when he realized he had started expecting them. What was even worse, no one still gave an explanation. Immediately after Celeste and Hifumi had added to his undesired collection, he had thrown caution to the wind and asked everyone what was going on.
He had expected to be laughed at or treated like a pervert. By that point, he'd accept being branded as something horrible; anything to finally get an answer. The response had been as lackluster and confusing as the entire ordeal.
Everyone ignored his questions. It was not like they were intentionally ignoring him. Rather, it was like they literally did not hear the question. Ishimaru, who had been cheerfully asking Naegi about his day, had seemingly not heard the question. He even went out of his way to be worried if Naegi had fallen ill, as he had not answered Ishimaru's question.
Similar reactions followed with the other students. It was as though they were non-playable characters in a video game; only responding to the next key phrase and turning a blind eye to all else.
A sigh built in Naegi's chest. Left with more questions than answers, he had no choice but to move on.
A chime rang off from the intercom and Naegi relaxed at the hypnotic tone. Today was a special day; the last day of their scavenging school life. After presenting the final Monokuma spare, they'd finally be released. Naegi had to believe in that hope.
Shaking himself out of his funk, he headed to his door.
As he walked towards the gymnasium, he passed by practically everyone. In turn, they each paused when they noticed him. They each offered a bright smile to the Luckster and joined him as they made their way to the gym. Even Byakuya and Toko seemed less grumpy when he saw them talking with one another. Chatting excitedly, the amassing group walked in stride towards the goal line.
A swell of emotion bubbled with Makoto. He had been worrying about everyone giving him their underwear. It had startled him, creeped him out, and there were more than a few nightmares he wished to forget. However, it may have been a necessary sacrifice. Side by side, each of them had reached this finish line together. And at the center, Naegi knew that everyone by his side viewed him as a trusted friend, and he the same with them. A little shame was worth this ending.
One by one, each of the students left the gym. They spoke ecstatically, making plans on what they wanted to do when they got out. They each began the trek to their dorms, ready to pack up whatever they wanted to keep from this nightmare before heading back to the real world.
0-0
Naegi just stood there, staring at Usami. He half expected her to flair back to life. That seemed impossible though. Her glassy eyes, so full of hope and love moments before, stayed dull and lifeless from her battery dying. Or at least, that was what they assumed. The Luckster didn't remember a battery being anywhere in their designs for the temporarily sentient spare…
"It seems that whatever this was supposed to be, never came to pass. At the same time, I don't know if we can trust this ending…"
Naegi nearly jumped out of his skin, had he not been anchored by the hand on his shoulder. All tension left once he recognized the cool voice and the studded glove atop his arm. Sure enough, he turned and saw Kirigiri there, her other hand set in her signature pose against her chin.
Of everyone he had lived and spoken with, Kirigiri was without a doubt still the most mysterious. Yet at the same time, there was something special about her that not even Maizono instilled in his heart. For being the most perplexing person locked within Hope's Peak's walls, there was an unspoken bond that had been forged between the duo. Even if she would never admit it, they were close.
"Honestly, I don't know either. After everything we went through, it feels…odd to have it end the way it did. But…" Naegi cupped the hand that was on his shoulder. It was a gentle squeeze that Naegi hoped conveyed how comfortable he had become around Kirigiri. "An ending like this isn't so bad…"
Pink dusted the detective's cheeks at the contact. Naegi thought it was a trick of the eye, as in the next moment, she was back to her cool expression. However, the serious glare did not reach her lips, which twitched upward in a smile all for him.
As her expression calmed, his mind wandered somewhere he had not expected.
His mind went back to his drawer. He swore he would stop thinking about it, but standing there with Kirigiri made him realize something he wished he hadn't. Kirigiri had never given him a 'gift.' They had spent as much time together as Naegi had with any of the other students; he would even admit that he probably spent more time with her than anyone else.
Why had he thought of it? He got his answer a moment later.
Kirigiri kept her hand on Naegi's shoulder, not even attempting to move away. If anything, she had taken a step forward. Naegi had not expected the sudden flush of heat as her body moved closer. It made his cheeks burn, both at the feel of her body pressed against his, and the embarrassment that he had to look up to stare into her eyes.
"K-Kirigiri?" he asked. The detective did not say a word, and that made something click in Makoto's mind. His cheeks heated even further as he noticed her free hand slipping beneath her skirt.
Naegi didn't know what to think. He had done his absolute best to forget about all that had occurred. It had been an awkward ordeal every time it had happened. Byakuya had been the nail that bashed into the coffin called 'possibility.' If he would do that, anyone would do it. The thought had never crossed his mind that Kirigiri might do something along those lines as well.
Naegi watched as her hand reappeared from beneath her skirt; a piece of black ribbon caught between her fingers. Naegi felt guilty that his mind had gone somewhere perverted when he realized what kind of underwear she wore. Naegi had to force himself to look away and she yanked on the ribbon. The poor boy wished he could shut his ears as well; every movement was unfortunately giving him a clear mental picture.
Keeping his eyes shut, he waited for the inevitable awkwardness he had become accustomed to when she would force her underwear into his hand. In his blinded state, he caught the jingle of something, but it became muffled almost immediately.
He ignored the noise, choosing to focus on Kirigiri slipping the hand on his shoulder downward, clasping onto his chin. Her gloved finger traced down the curve of his chin, and he allowed her hand to guide his face back in her direction.
"Naegi." There was no question; only a statement that clearly said 'open your eyes.' Naegi obeyed the silent order and found himself staring deep into the detective's eyes. He wanted to move back, but his body locked up, focused on everything the woman before him did.
Kirigiri was the one to break the spell as she moved back. Her fingers slipped from his chin.
"Well then, I guess we have a few hours before we reconvene with others at the entrance," she said. Kirigiri reached out and cupped Naegi's hand. Her other skimmed atop his open palm, and Naegi felt the unfortunately familiar sensation of something warm and used being shoved into his hand. Kirigiri pulled away; a smile teasing her lips as she moved past Naegi towards the gym entrance.
Naegi sighed, embarrassed that this had happened again. At the same time, he was grateful that with Kirigiri, he now knew for a fact that he had everyone's 'gifts;' meaning that there wouldn't be any more.
"One more thing Naegi..."
Naegi turned and saw Kirigiri at the doors. Her back was to him, but her neck craned to look back at him. Perhaps it was a trick of the eye, but he could swear there was a spark within her he had never seen before. It felt as though a predator had him in their sights.
"Don't keep me waiting."
Kirigiri did not wait for a response. She turned back to the door, and walked through without another backwards glance.
Naegi stood there, confused by her words, holding onto her underwear that was steadily losing their warmth. Shaking his head, he stuffed his hands into his pockets, more as a guise of transporting the underwear without anyone batting an eye. Sure, everyone knew by this point, but still.
A jingle rang out again and Naegi froze. He had paid it no mind before as he was intently focused on not making any sudden movements against Kirigiri's body. This time, he could not ignore the jingle. It sounded muffled, but it still rang out loud enough for him to pinpoint where it came from.
Subconsciously, he pulled his occupied hand back out of his pocket. He forced himself to open his palm and stare down at the ribbon and lace that was Kirigiri's underwear. The material was black, and nothing should have stood out about that. Yet something did stand out. Naegi went rigid, stunned at the glint of something metallic glinting within the fabric. Numb, his fingers gripped against one of the ribbons of the fabric. The material slipped through the cracks of his fingers, suspended in the air by the ribbon. The metal jingled out as it twirled in the air.
Naegi raised his hand, slowly bringing the remainder of the underwear overhead. There was a distinct lack of frills, but the ribbons themselves proved how feminine the item truly was.
The metal reflected off the gymnasium's light. It sways to and fro, tied to the other ribbon of the undergarments.
The key spun slowly, the weight of its keychain keeping it from staying still. The owner's name reflected the overhead lights, but Makoto can still make out a portion of the name engraved.
KIRIGIRI.
Naegi lowered the underwear back into his pocket. He looked back at the gymnasium stage, and then promptly collapsed to the floor, fainted.
Hope you guys had fun.
Oh, one last thing. I don't really care about flames since I really wrote this for fun. Nevertheless, if I get a good response, I might write more stuff. In that case, if you critique my work, please also offer genuine advice to help my skills grow. If you flame for the sake of flaming, I will snuff out your comments; they're a waste of your time to write and they're a waste of time for me to even pretend to care...
Good night everyone.
-CZ Out
