And finally, I get around to writing a DR3 shot that isn't centred on Yoi/Ruruka =D Not that I didn't enjoy writing them (of course I enjoyed it, I ship them massively for crying out loud) nor that I don't want to write more (I have some ideas brewing...), and admittedly there is a little shipping of them in this fic too anyway,but there's just so much that was wonderful about DR3 that I wanted to focus on something/someone else instead this time. And since there was also a lot that was not so wonderful about DR3, that's where this fic comes in.
Essentially, this sticks mostly to the canon events, including Kibou-hen, but there are some tweaks here and there (some that attempt to address a couple of general plotholes), as well as inclusion/mention of minor OCs. I think the most important change is that here, the scene of the new Hope's Peak does not take 'several months later' but at a time that's more like 'some years later'. But anyway, the most important thing is to credit a couple of people, because I cannot fully take the credit for this.
The first is a Tumblr user called 'Komaesa', who posts a lot of DR3 content/translations/shitposts etc-after EP11 of Mirai-hen they posted a bunch of Sakakura-surviving-AU headcanons, and one of them mentioned Munakata putting up structures/buildings and naming them after fallen Future Foundation members. And this is what the story revolves around, each scene taking place around one of them. The very first one is the first one to be built-it's also the example 'Komaesa' put in their headcanon list-and as such each monument's (that is what I am calling the structures, hence the story title) scene takes place in chronological order of when it began to exist in this timeline. The only exception is the final scene. That takes place in a graveyard, but the graveyard chronologically would probably have been created before the first scene of this story, if not early on in it. But yeah, asides from that, there is a chronological order to the monuments.
And I realise that was a huge chunk of long sentences up there, but I hope that made some sense. If not, do ask!
Anyway, the second person I need to credit is RoyaltyJunk5, a user on this site. I cheekily pinched some ideas from their Naegi/Kirigiri fic 'Lavender' for some of this and adapted it for my own purposes. Admittedly that's just one particular scene I needed that for as opposed to the general story concept, but yeah, it's still worth mentioning because otherwise that's not fair on them, when they came up with the idea.
But yeah, the rest of this idea is essentially mine. Munakata essentially got shafted by the end of Kibou-hen, so I hope in some way this AU goes some way to fixing that, in a way. And actually, generally, I hope you enjoy this fic! And this note is stupidly long, especially given the story length, so I will shut up and if you have questions, please ask! ((Also, feedback is always appreciated!))
The Kimura Institute of Medicine.
Munakata didn't plan for this to be so, not exactly. He had just sort of gotten swept up in it in the aftermath, looking for something to do that wasn't cleaning up what remained of the former Future Foundation headquarters, something that would actually go towards helping the world. Overseeing the rebuilding of a hospital seemed perfect-a place to get treatments, to heal, it was what people needed. And it was what he needed, so he threw himself into it, tried hard not to think.
Well, whenever his ghosts didn't turn up to interrupt this.
Still, he threw himself into the task, and when he was working hard enough, he could forget all that had happened. But as the building started to look like the solid structure it must have been pre-Tragedy, as each ward began to function again and patients came in and out, and more people started living rather than dying, he noticed that the treatments they were using were mainly Kimura's. The detailed notes about her completed medicines, the actual treatments themselves, all bottled up and all salvaged from the headquarters, offices and accommodation. Medical journals, scribbled ideas for new medicines (including but not limited to other versions of her Cure W, which had turned out to be more than an idea, in the end). All of them were hers, and where they were not, many of their ideas had originated from her, and he could not escape it. He could never escape it, no matter how hard he tried to avoid the thinking of it.
So he decided to honour it instead. Rather than just fix what was there, Munakata had the old hospital expanded. He hunted down more doctors and nurses willing to work, people who aspired to research medicine and who wanted to make the world better in this specific way. He drew up plans for a research wing which consisted of (but was not limited to), laboratories, a conference room and study rooms, as well as extra hospital wards. He paved the way for extra funding to help with this. The building became more than a hospital, but a place where medicine could progress, and be studied to further help the world.
And then he named the place for the one whose legacy had made it possible. Seiko Kimura, There was no fanfare about it-the institute was urgently needed after all- and everyone just got down to things the moment it was possible to do so. But he made it clear that the place was made to honour her, and was sure to clarify why that was so at every possible moment.
But as he stared up at the building that evening, a week after the institute had opened, all he could think was that he wished that he could have started with the two who he'd treasured the most.
"Don't be silly." The ghost of Sakakura snorted, as soon as the thought occurred. "That's not how this sort of thing works. And anyway, it's the least the kid deserves, this recognition. Though really, she deserved better than having this occur after she died."
Munakata smiled for a moment at Sakakura's usage of 'kid'. If he'd been using that in relation to anyone else, it would have sounded closer to 'brat', as opposed to the rough-affectionate tone the word had taken with Kimura. It was reassuring to know that such things didn't change after death.
"But, Kyosuke," the ghost of Chisa teased him, pretend-pouting. "You'll get around to us eventually, right?"
"Of course I will." Munakata told her fondly, aware he was in public talking to ghosts and not caring. He looked across at the Kimura Institute one more time, at the white walls, the gleaming windows and the blue painted sign declaring the name of the building. He imagined the small memorial plaque just inside reception, and the buzzing activity going on inside, even at this time of evening. And he sighed, before turning on his heel and walking away, Sakakura and Chisa following behind him as they always did.
"It's the least the two of you deserve, as well, after all."
…
Daisaku Bandai Market Square/The Great Gozu Clocktower
Another one that was again not his own full creation-this time, the idea was Asahina's-but once he'd had the idea, the rest seemed almost to fall into place, as if it were meant to be. With shopping not being a big priority at this point but being able to get food, clothes and other items definitely one, having an organised marketplace seemed reasonable. And it fitted, too, with the fact that so many people had to be self-sufficient now, growing their own food where they could, hoarding. It made a certain sense to utilise that.
"Bandai-kun would have been really happy with something like this." Chisa mused one night as he stayed up late to write plans, leaning over his shoulder in that way that she had.
"Do you think so?" he asked.
"I know so. He used to talk about it a lot, the farmers' markets he used to sell his produce at, or just attend as a customer. He offered to take me to one once, when everything was over. I could have got something, made a pie for us afterwards. Or a casserole. Or both, who knows?"
Her frowning expression, exactly the same as it was whenever she was knotted up by some other decision, made it seem impossible to Munakata that she'd never be able to decide to make a meal and then just do it. But despite himself, he had to satisfy his curiosity-he just could not reconcile this image, of the large, abnormally-faced Bandai inviting Chisa to a farmer's market.
"Did he? When was this?"
"Oh…." Chisa pretended to think, then stuck her tongue out at him, indicating that there would be a joke in what she said next. "A while back, a looooooooong time ago, when it was really just a plan. You were too stuffy though, so probably why he didn't ask you instead. Or Sakakura-kun for that matter, though that's because he was scary rather than stuffy."
"Oi, Yukizome, I'm right here." Sakakura growled, from where he had been sitting in the corner. Chisa just giggled at him, and then turned back to Munakata. But he didn't respond, too busy looking down at the paper in front of him, seeing nothing, wondering why her joking comment had hit him so hard.
Munakata straightened as the memory drifted away from his mind, and absently touched the raised scar of what had once been his right eye, before studying the area. Despite himself right now, he had to admit that market was already a success, and though he imagined this was not exactly what a farmer's market in particular was like, it was very easy to imagine that Bandai would have a blast of a time here. Though it was not Bandai's ghost that he could see visiting each stall. Rather, Chisa and Sakakura seemed to be busy debating the finer points of red vs green apples-what these finer points were, he had no idea, but his ghosts were arguing about them, and he let them be for now. It was hardly as if he could go and break it up. He decided to go around from the other direction, look at the other things on sale today, and then return to his ghosts.
"Munakata-san!" he turned to see Naegi bounding up to him, Kirigiri following him at a slower pace, aided with a walking stick that she would likely no longer need after a few more months. Lucky…
"This was a good idea of yours!" Naegi said, diving right into conversation, as if to stave off what tension would follow. Munakata took a breath, and quietly let it out.
"Well, it is not as if I can take full credit for this." He reminded Naegi, evenly. "You know this."
"Ah, go for it, it's no big deal!" Asahina called out over her shoulder, as she paid for something at a nearby stall selling baked goods. "Suzuki-san sells the best home-made doughnuts, and that's all I need, really!"
At that, the ponytailed young woman turned around with a flourish, triumphantly holding up a paper bag in one hand, and flamboyantly gesturing to the amused vendor-Suzuki, presumably-with the other. Munakata supposed he should find it amusing, and though a part of him did indeed feel that, he didn't have it in him, so he nodded at them both in acknowledgement, before turning back to Naegi (and Kirigiri, even if it was hard to look at her).
"Well, there's the Clocktower as well." Naegi acknowledged. "I still can't believe that you managed to track down the former SHSL Clockmaker from the 61st class to help you with this. "
"That was not so hard-he wasn't that far from Towa City in the first place." Munakata reminded him, his words coming out slow and exaggerated, to keep himself together. Tracking down a clockmaker is nothing. Absolutely nothing. His gaze wandered to the Clocktower, which had been dedicated to Gozu- a large, beautiful silver column in the centre of the market square, subtly patterned on all sides, the plaque describing him at eye-level, underneath the clock face. As for the clock face itself, it was wide and clear, so that it could be read even from the very corners of the square, was a work of art. Since it was afternoon, it depicted a sunny skyscape. But when the evening came, that, too would subtly change.
"The Clocktower is something." Kirigiri murmured, as if she had read his mind, or at least deduced where his thoughts were going. He said nothing, again, to keep himself together.
What use is it, being able to track down people to make clocks, if I couldn't even hold onto Chisa and Sakakura?
"Yes, well. I think that all together, this is an appropriate tribute to Bandai and Gozu." Munakata concluded, avoiding Kirigiri's gaze-still razor sharp, even with that glass eye. His words came out stilted, and hard, and created an odd silence between them, in which they waited for a moment, to see what would happen. Eventually though, the atmosphere became too thick, and Naegi broke it by awkwardly laughing, running a hand through his hair as he made to leave.
"Well then, I'll see you later! Bye, Munakata-san!" he called as he rushed away. Kirigiri naturally followed, her pace more measured and careful. Despite himself, Munakata watched them, how Naegi stopped and made sure that Kirigiri could keep up with him, concern flickering behind his constant good cheer. What I would have given, to be able to be concerned like that, to worry over a living person….The world had been good to Naegi, and in moments like this, it felt like it had been too good to him. Breathe, he had to remind himself, breathe. It was hardly as if it was Naegi's fault, as it were. And is not as though he really wished pain on the younger man. It's just that…..
Trying his hardest to pull himself together, Munakata briefly considering going over to Suzuki's stall himself, and he also noticed a few other stalls of possible interest. But in the end, he decided to go over to the fruit stall. He had to. Sakakura and Chisa were still arguing, and he knew he'd need to go and referee soon, if he was ever to get out of here with some semblance of sanity. Not that he minded.
After all, this was his duty.
…
Sakakura Train Station
As he looked at the crowds gathered for the ribbon-cutting, Munakata felt an odd sense of jubilation. Finally, he had managed to find something to dedicate to one of his fallen friends, and even better, enough progress had been made in the world that there could be a little ceremony surrounding it.
This part of Towa City had not had a station before the Tragedy, but afterwards, in rebuilding, it had been decided that it would probably be for the best, as the two stations nearest to the area were actually quite far away-something Munakata knew, because up until being accepted at Hope's Peak, this was where he had lived.
But despite the childhood memories, he'd had no real attachment to the place until now. His life had really begun at Hope's Peak, with meeting Chisa. And Sakakura, too, which was why he had made the decision that this new station would be named for him. As to why he hadn't given this station Chisa's name-well, he was still looking, still searching for the project that he could dedicate to her-he had not found it yet, and it needed to be the absolute right one. Her ghost had pouted at him over his unnecessary dinner table every evening over the months Sakakura Train Station had been built in, but he knew that really, she didn't mind. That she forgave him the wait. At least, he hoped that was the case.
"And now, before the station is opened for the first time, I would like to pass you onto Kyosuke Munakata-san, who has some words to say."
Munakata blinked, having almost forgotten that he had a speech to make. But he was not nervous-he had given speeches countless times. He had once been SHSL Student Council President, after all. So he pasted a neutral smile on his face, and thanked Naegi as he took the microphone from him and stood in front of the ribbon across the entrance. He scanned the crowd for a moment-his ghosts, for some reason, were not there, and that made a lump form in his throat, but he swallowed it down, and got on with it.
"Today, I would like to tell you a small amount about the man whose memory this station is dedicated to. Juzo Sakakura was once the SHSL Boxer of Hope's Peak Academy, and during the Tragedy, he became the leader of the 6th Division of the former Future Foundation. He was a victim of the killing game that claimed most of the former Future Foundation's branch leaders…..and he was my friend. But, he was more than that-"
As he spoke, his voice became thicker, but it was not until the crowd in front of him started to blur, that he realised that he was crying. Silently, unabashedly crying. He took in a breath to try and calm down, but it did not seem to work, and tears rolled down his cheeks. Naegi hovered next to him, unsure as to whether to pretend nothing was happening or actively offer comfort, and people in the audience exchanged looks. And then, finally, there they were. Sakakura and Chisa. Standing right at the front, in a position to block views had they actually had a solid form. But there, and smiling. It both gladdened him, and made him sadder. It certainly didn't stop the flow of his tears.
But it allowed him to breathe again.
So, as though he had not paused in the first place, he continued. He kept on talking, acting as if this was a normal speech, as though he was not crying. He made no move to wipe his eyes, and stoically carried on until he was completely finished. Until he made sure that everyone knew what Sakakura had been-not just a boxer, or a former Future Foundation leader, or a victim, or a friend. But a comrade, a fighter, someone who was true until the end. And above all, a hero. He kept on going, and used everything he had, just to make sure that they all knew. Every last one of them.
…
Izayoi-Andou Housing Project
After coming back from the opening of the housing project, he found that it was difficult for him to get to sleep. He was finding it hard to get the thoughts that had been stirred up from out of his mind. The memories, too.
If he was honest, he hadn't much liked Izayoi or Andou, while they had been alive. Some of that had come from the fact that they had visibly disliked him, and he'd instinctively reacted to that. But most of it was just because of how odd and different they seemed to him. Some of it came from the fact that they had been thrown out of Hope's Peak, rather than having graduated, but Kimura had come from the same situation, and he had not felt this same disconnect when it came to her (though how much of that was influenced by the way Sakakura clumsily doted on her, he could not say).
Rather, it was something different. It was clear that they had hated despair, but they also had not seemed particularly interested in in fighting despair, in restoring hope. And though they had worked hard in their former Future Foundation roles-something even he couldn't deny- they were more wrapped up in each other, in their own little world. Their personal lives had been more important to them than the grand scheme of things. He couldn't understand how that could be, why that would be, when so much else was at stake. And thus, he had come to dislike them.
But that didn't stop him from trying to find something to dedicate to them. They had fallen in the same way, after all. They were equally deserving. But because he hadn't liked them, it was difficult. And then he hadn't been sure whether it would be more fitting to dedicate one thing to the both of them, or give them separate monuments. His ghosts had been unusually (and annoyingly) silent about the matter, simply smiling enigmatically at him as he puzzled over the matter on his commute, or when he mused about it while reading in bed.
But then he had become involved on this housing project. A few blocks of spacious two and three bedroomed flats, aimed primarily at families, or couples hoping to start a family now that there was a world worth bringing children into. As a necessity, he'd met some of the people who'd benefit from such housing, people who hoped to move into a place like that one day. And in their words and actions and expressions, he had seen flashes of Izayoi, and of Andou, too. Separately, and together. And for the first time, he had understood that perhaps the two of them were perhaps less different to him than he had thought.
Because perhaps he'd had loftier ambitions as well, once, but in the end, he'd wanted something similar. To settle down with Chisa one day, perhaps even start a family. He'd just been better at compartmentalising, at separating matters of the head from matters of the heart. Which sounded a good approach in theory, but in reality it had met he had just taken things for granted. He'd just assumed that he could achieve his dream first, and then everything would fall into place at the right time, that there was plenty of time in his life to treasure her. They had done the opposite, in a sense- put each other above everything else, making sure to cherish each other all the time, at every moment, and just assuming that everything else following on from that would settle into place how they wanted it to afterwards.
So there was a logic to it, to dedicate the housing project to this, to what they had been and had wanted to be as a couple. Especially since that was what he had been desperate to fight despair for. For the sake of humanity, all these people who wanted to build their own little worlds, who wanted to love each other and live good lives and flourish. People who, no matter how different they were, mirrored them, as well as him. And so he had gone ahead with it, and now the flats of the Izayoi-Andou Housing Project were up, and all these different people and families were preparing to move in and start to build their lives. And he was glad of it.
But still, it was haunting him, playing with his mind and preventing him from sleeping. All that he had taken for granted, amplified by seeing all those people, all those mirrors of himself, and Andou and Izayoi. What had happened after he'd gone back into his office at the new Future Foundation hadn't helped.
"Oh, you're back! How did it go, Munakata-san?" Naegi asked almost as soon as he came in, standing up at the desk. Kirigiri, who shared it with him, remained sitting, but looked over in interest.
"It went well, thank you." He answered as he went to his desk and pulled off his jacket, draping it over his chair. He was about to sit down when all of a sudden, Komaru came in.
"Hey, Onii-Chan, aren't you going to tell him as well?"
Munakata turned and stared.
"Tell me something?"
"Komaru…..Munakata-san literally just came in." Naegi laughed awkwardly. "There's no need to bombard him right now…"
"But…"
"I'm thinking that you're more excited than the two of us are, collectively." Kirigiri put in at this point, a smile tugging at her lips. Komaru turned and pouted at her, before giggling. Munakata shook his head at the younger girl. Even if her youth showed strikingly in moments like this, she was headstrong and capable and solid, too. All in all, he had a good opinion of her, and so he found himself not minding the sudden mini-whirlwind that had occurred in this moment. That, and from what had been said, he had a suspicion he knew what was coming.
"I think my curiosity has been piqued enough to want to know now-I promise not to feel bombarded." Munakata said, aware that his attempt at a joke sounded feeble.
"Well, in that case." Naegi shrugged, exchanged a look with Kirigiri, and then came out with it.
"Kyouko-san and I, we're getting married. Next summer, we're hoping for."
Kirigiri nodded to confirm this, then held up her hand. Sure enough, she was wearing a silver engagement ring, slipped on over her glove. It was simply designed, and the diamond was more understated and elegant as opposed to large and flashy. But still, it was bright, and he wondered how he hadn't noticed. He also wondered how the ring wouldn't snag on her glove. Presumably, some adjustments had been made. Still, he couldn't stop himself staring at it, and so he almost didn't notice that Naegi was wearing a ring, too. Gold, no diamond, but still an engagement ring.
Spotting the question in his eyes, Kirigiri chuckled dryly, and stood up and came over to join Naegi, smiling.
"Flipping the traditions." Was the only explanation she gave.
Perhaps in other circumstances, he'd have found that funny. Flipping the traditions, of all the things. But here he was, alone with nothing but ghosts and the realisation that he'd taken things for granted.
"Why….why didn't I…..?" Opening his eyes blearily after a few useless minutes of keeping them closed, he looked around, tired. "Was there a way I could have treasured you better..?"
"Stop beating yourself up, Munakata." Sakakura told him, sitting on the floor, leaning against his cupboard. "We understood, didn't we? We wanted to help you with your dream."
"But…" Munakata flailed and struggled for an argument, an explanation, but gave up. How come you're both still willing to be here?
"Why? Why are you still here?" Munakata yawned, gradually becoming groggier but still unable to fully let go. "Why can't you…?"
"Silly Kyosuke." Chisa was here now, kneeling by his bedside, hand brushing his cheek-he could feel it, almost as real as if she still had a body. Did you always feel like that? Or am I making things up now, trying to reassure myself that I do have enough memories of you? He honestly wasn't sure anymore, and that scared him, a sharp feeling that persisted even through this fogginess.
"Silly Kyosuke." She repeated, not unkindly, as sleep began to finally, somehow take his eyes fluttered closed, he saw her smile at him, gentle and chiding, and heard what else she was saying.
"Didn't you know? We're never going to leave you."
…
The Kazuo Tengan Public Library
"Oh! Hello, Munakata-san. I didn't know you were coming in today." The librarian at the desk-Aihara, her badge said- straightened up and smoothed at her hair, visibly nervous.
"Was there anything in particular you wanted to check on?" she asked him politely, smile a fraction too wide as she snuck glances at where his right eye had once been before averting her gaze hurriedly. He pretended not to notice, shook his head, and smiled slightly in return, to try and ease the tension a little.
"No, nothing like that. I just thought I'd come and visit, make use of my own library card." He explained.
"Oh…." Aihara frowned, and then her face cleared. "Well then, go ahead. If you need help, please ask one of us."
"Of course. Thank you."
As Munakata walked away, he could not help but notice how relieved Aihara was. Of course, she had no reaction to Sakakura and Chisa walking behind him, glaring at her. Quite possibly a good thing, particularly in Sakakura's case.
"Just what was her problem?" Sakakura seethed as Munakata picked an aisle at random and started to browse the books-I wonder how many of the ones here are from the Director's collections- on the shelves there.
"If she had one, she should just come out with it. I swear, if I wasn't dead, I would deck her…."
Munakata had to hold back a chuckle at that.
"It's a common reaction. I'm used to it by now." He whispered, glad that there was nobody else in this particular aisle at the moment to see him conversing with his ghosts. He scanned the area with his good eye and realised that ironically, some of the shelves here were devoted to medical books, and he was right next to a shelf with books about eye disorders.
Carefully, he put a hand to the scar of his eye. Perhaps he could have gotten a glass eye back then-Kirigiri's was particularly good, one had to look very closely to realise that it really was fake-but something about that had not seemed right (though he knew that if Sakakura had been alive, and was getting a prosthetic hand, he'd have gone for a glass eye with no hesitation, just in the name of solidarity), and he'd let things remain as they were, for the skin to properly heal and to leave behind the scar that was there now. He had also tried an eyepatch, but Chisa had found it hysterical, and after a week of dealing with that, he gave up. And now, he left it as it was, exposed, and preferred it that way.
Of course, he would have preferred for Tengan to have not taken his eye in the first place, for that fight to never have happened. And he wished so badly that the director of the former Future Foundation hadn't been tainted by despair-as much he could see the sense in Naegi's speculations, he somehow felt that despair had played a strong role in Tengan's actions. Still, it didn't matter, as the end result was the same, no matter what he believed about how it had come about. Especially since some of the end result was my fault. That was something else that he could not escape. Saving Tengan's massive collection of books and putting them towards a library could never undo that, just as the other monuments he had put together couldn't.
But in a small way, it makes up for it. I'm sure.
He shook his head, and turned away. Chisa tilted her head, and looked at him quizzically.
"Is something wrong, Kyosuke?" she asked. He shook his head.
"No, nothing. I just don't think that's there anything of interest here."
"Then what are you doing here? Find another section." Sakakura rolled his eyes.
"Yes, I know." Munakata touched the scar again, and then strode off further into the library, his ghosts following behind him.
…
Gekkougohara Concert Hall
Standing on the stage felt a little like he was in the centre of the world, and he circled around slowly, so that he could take it in more fully-the round shape of the hall, the way the plush seats circled around it. He could, for a moment, easily imagine being one of the acts on this stage-whether an orchestra or a J-Rock band, the mix of emotions that would come from literally being surrounded by the audience. Their hopes, dreams and expectations, their entire world. Dizzying.
"Woah….this is brilliant! It's amazing!" Komaru, who'd been his assistant for this project, exclaimed as she, too, turned around to take it all in.
"Yes, it is. You and your team have done a good job on all of this." He addressed this to the lead architect, Segawa, who was also standing with them, along with the manager-to-be, Miyamoto. He nodded, and made a quick bow.
"I'm glad to hear it, sir."
"And we already have a good prospective line-up of acts who want to use the hall as soon as it opens." Miyamoto added.
"That includes the former SHSL Drama Troupe of Hope's Peak, if I recall correctly?" Munakata asked, dimly remembering a colourful bunch of young men and women who had been in the year above him. Miyamoto nodded briskly.
"Yes, that's right. It's new material they're doing, which is very exciting."
"Oh, who else do you have lined up?! I didn't see the full list-perhaps there might be someone I know?" Komaru beamed, bouncing slightly as she bounded over to Miyamoto-though how she was doing that in those so-called 'sensible' shoes, he didn't know. Granted, they weren't exactly high-heels ("I'm too used to running around for that." He would often hear her say to Asahina or Fukawa or any of their other female colleagues she was friendly with), but even so. Of course, Chisa was moving in a manner that was just as excited, and she was actually wearing high-heels. It makes no sense to me, he thought, mentally sighing and smiling ruefully to himself.
As Miyamoto began to reel off the list to Komaru, Segawa and Chisa, Munakata stood a little off to the side with Sakakura, half watching them and half looking over everything again. Apart from the classical concerts and some of the plays, he wasn't really that interested in the acts. Not that he was disinterested. He cared, because this was the concert hall that would always symbolise the legacy of the fallen former SHSL Therapist.
"Kind of a strange choice, I still think, a concert hall for Gekkougohara." Sakakura commented.
"I suppose." Munakata conceded. He had initially been thinking of adding a new wing to the Kimura Institute, something dealing with mental health. It had felt unfair though, only giving her a wing, not even a whole, separate place of her own. And there had not been much of a reason to rename the place, to merge Gekkougohara's and Kimura's names-it was not as though they were Izayoi and Andou, or even just generally close in a way that needed some honouring of its own. He'd eventually decided on a concert hall, because even with his lack of interest in the sort of things Komaru liked (for example), he knew that entertainment was important too. That art and culture were vital parts of the world too. And that in their own way, these things could heal too. The music tapes he often listened to while working or while making dinner were a testament to that.
"I suppose." Munakata repeated as he thought of this. "But with that being said, it's also more than fitting. Don't you think?"
"I suppose so…but I don't really get why. Still, if you say so, then I'm with you on that one."
Munakata nodded at that, thinking that to say anything would be superfluous. They looked up at the domed ceiling, painted white with the curlicue patterns offset in gold, the skylight in the very centre circled by silver, almost giving the impression it was a mirror-except, of course, it wasn't. Right now, he could see the pale blue sky of the afternoon, and soft sunlight streamed through as a means of illumination. He wondered what this stage, the entire concert hall would look like on a clear night, with the moonlight of Gekkougohara's name glowing there instead. He suspected it would be just as impressive. And he wanted to see it.
"When there's something interesting on here, let's come and see it. Make an evening of it, if we can." Munakata suggested casually, making a mental note to look over his own copy of Miyamoto's list later to see what would be on.
"What, the three of us?" Sakakura pointed at himself, and then to Chisa, who was giggling along with Komaru (who was still very much oblivious to her presence). Munakata nodded.
"Yeah, I can see Yukizome going in for something like that. Perhaps we should catch the show our ex-upperclassmen are doing, that sounds okay to me. They did some good stuff while we were in school, didn't they?"
"Yes, they did." Munakata was swept away for a moment, remembering school festivals, sitting in the school auditorium, Chisa to one side of him, Sakakura on the other, waiting for the play to start. Better times.
"So let's do that then. Just don't do anything stupid like buying tickets for the two of us, okay?"
…
Kizakura Restaurant and Bar
When he arrived, he looked around for them, a job made more difficult by only having one eye, but he caught a glimpse of a bright blue sleeve and when he turned to it, Asahina was waving wildly, standing at a table near the back, along with some of the others. Over the din, he could also just about hear her call his name, so he lifted a hand in response, and then underwent the task of navigating the tables. It was, admittedly, a little difficult, but he was used to it by now and knew how to handle problems like this. That, and Chisa grabbed his hand and made a point of guiding him there.
"Ah, I'm sorry! We probably should have asked for a table nearer to the front!" Komaru said in lieu of a greeting, pulling a slightly embarrassed face. Munakata shook his head.
"Don't worry about it. "He reassured as he took off his jacket, draped it on the back of the wooden chair, and sat down. Chisa and Sakakura remained behind him, leaning against the wall. Sakakura just stood there with his arms crossed, watching everything, while Chisa examined the wall decorations with some fascination.
"Ah, it feels like ages since we were last gathered here together!" Asahina (though he knew technically she wasn't an Asahina anymore, he couldn't quite bring himself to call her Aoi) beamed around at them. "The others need to hurry up and get here."
"Who else is coming?" Munakata wondered. "Apart from the Naegis, I mean."
"O-obviously Byakuya-sama!" Fukawa spluttered in response. "How c-could you forget about him? O-or even his wife?"
Munakata raised an eyebrow at this, and Komaru, catching the look, mouthed an apology before patting Fukawa's shoulder and distracting her. The same as always.
"Togami-san, Yukariko-san and possibly Inoue-san. " Kenji-Asahina's husband- answered in a more level-headed way.
"It's still a bit up in the air with Inoue-san though, isn't it, Aoi?"
"Yeah, she's not really changed back from when we were in the thirteenth branch together-there's always something going on somewhere else. Almost like you, Munakata-san."
Munakata raised an eyebrow at this. Inoue was the only branch leader of the former Future Foundation who hadn't been involved in the killing game, because the mission she had been on had prevented her from making it there. She'd sent Asahina in her place, not just because she'd been helping Naegi and Kirigiri anyway, but also because they'd actually known each other for a while before the tragedy (the exact details were not ones Munakata remembered) and she trusted her to be a good representative. And though Asahina had escaped with her life, Inoue still held some guilt in her for having sent Asahina there, and thus threw herself even more into fixing the world, often going overseas to help with building efforts in countries that hadn't been very well off even before the Tragedy. Though she was technically part of the current Future Foundation, she was rarely seen in the offices, and contact with her was patchy. He supposed in this, he could see the similarities-even if he was in the country, and did see them all more often, he was still mostly out and about, an almost solo force devoted fully to building the monuments he had done. Including this restaurant.
But Inoue had not been neglectful. She hadn't failed to notice when a loved one had fallen into despair, hadn't been stupid enough to not realise that a. friend was carrying the heaviest of burdens. She had not killed anyone close to her under mistaken beliefs, and perhaps her role had caused some deaths in the field, but never had she had to kill anyone in the way he'd had to kill Tengan. And perhaps all of them, every single one of them had fallen woefully short in not being able to see what Tengan had become, given that he was the director and they'd all know him. But she had not been complacent, had not taken things for granted. Hadn't lost nearly everything. And he strongly doubted that when (or if) she arrived here tonight that she'd have ghosts trailing behind her.
"Oi, Munakata, breathe." Sakakura muttered under his breath, putting a hand on his shoulder and jolting him out of his thoughts. He obliged, and breathed, and paid attention to what was going on. Currently, Hagakure and Kenji seemed to be playing some version of rock-paper-scissors to determine who would go and get a round of drinks. Munakata couldn't follow it, but soon enough (and predictably so) Hagakure lost, and with a sulk, got up.
"Ah, ah, fine! I'll do it! What does everyone want, then?" Almost immediately, everyone chimed in with their choices.
"ARGHHH! Hold on, I can't keep up with all of this, wait! I'll write it down." Hagakure grabbed a cream-coloured napkin off the table and shook it out of the shape it was folded into, before producing a marker from one of his pockets and scribbling everything down.
"Aoichii, you'll want a juice, right?" he said once he'd caught up.
"Yeah, just orange is fine by me." Asahina grinned, patting the gentle bulge of her belly.
"Okay, that's easy. Munakatachii, you never said anything. What do you want?"
"….." Munakata thought, and then shrugged. "Whatever you're getting for Kenji-kun", he decided eventually.
"Right, right, got it! See you soon!Make sure nobody nabs my ball!" With that, Hagakure lumbered off, gripping the napkin tightly. There was a moment of silence.
"A…are we really sure Hagakure-san can handle this?" Komaru echoed what they were all thinking. "I do not want a messed-up drink to be the first one I experience."
"Let's believe in the poor guy. He wrote everything down, at least." Kenji reasoned.
"Then you go next time!" Fukawa declared.
"Yeah, yeah, sure." Kenji said, unflappable.
"I'm more concerned as to why he felt the need to bring his crystal ball with him….." Munakata put in at this point. They all shrugged.
"Who knows?" Asahina eyed the unnecessarily fancy object. "Who knows? Oh!"
A surprised look on her face, she fished her phone out of her purse, and checked it. Then, her eyes lit up as she tapped out a reply.
"Aoi?" Kenji asked curiously.
"It's Makoto, he and Kyouko-Chan are coming down the road now, so they wanted to know where we're sitting." She explained, grinning.
"Oh, that's awesome!" Komaru exclaimed. "Now we're just waiting on Togami-san and Yukariko-san."
"And hopefully Inoue-san." Kenji added.
After this, they all chatted about other things. Munakata mostly listened, but he didn't distance himself from it. Chisa and Sakakura also tried to participate, even if it was mostly just the occasional editorial comment. By the time Hagakure arrived back with drinks (and with no mistakes or mishaps), Naegi and Kirigiri had arrived and there was a flurry as greetings were exchanged and people shifted around so that they could sit. Munakata nodded at them, but didn't say all that much, trying to minimise his interaction with Kirigiri in particular. Once Togami and Yukariko joined them a few moments later, and once they'd all ordered the food they wanted, it was easier to do this, just getting lost in the conversation.
But of course, nothing escaped Kirigiri. Even if again, that name was technically not hers anymore, she was a detective through and through. Nothing escaped her, and soon enough, she directed that still-all-seeing gaze on him.
"Munakata-san, I read the plaque outside." Kirigiri told him abruptly while the others were embroiled in an argument about a popular book series. He startled a little, but tried not to flinch, despite wanting to turn away as quickly as possible.
"I see." He neutrally replied, both words as stiff as he felt, wondering what she was getting at.
"It was very fitting. I have a feeling that he'd be flattered by all of this. Certainly, he'd make that apparent." With one gloved hand, she indicated the expanse of the restaurant, lingering a moment in the area the bar was.
"And I thank you for realising that about him." Kirigiri concluded as she put her hand back down. Munakata tipped his head slightly to study her, still unsure what she was referring to. Her face remained expressionless, but then he noticed her hand tremble slightly as it gripped her wineglass, and then it came to him in a rush. Oh. Oh, of course.
It was not as though he had forgotten the circumstances of Kizakura's death. Such a thing was, at this point, simply impossible. But he had not made the connection between those, and the living, breathing woman Kirigiri was now. He'd somehow built up an image of Naegi and Kirigiri being utterly blissful, because she had survived and he'd got her back. Loss did not fit into that image. Foolish idiot. Who's to say she doesn't have her own ghosts too? That neither of them do? He didn't think that a ghostly form of Kizakura spent his days trailing the couple, but all the same, they definitely had ghosts.
And in that way, they had something in common with him.
"You're welcome." Munakata replied, battling this new sense of disquiet. "I'm pleased you think that.
An understatement, to be sure, but Kirigiri's lips quirked up, before she turned away to get Naegi's attention, leaning in and whispering something to him when she got it. Munakata could not hear it, but whatever she said made him grin and nod eagerly, before standing up, holding his wineglass and calling everyone to attention.
"Everyone, I propose a toast."
"To what, exactly?" Togami asked.
"To Kizakura-san, of course." Naegi answered. "He gave his name to this restaurant, after all."
"And to Munakata-san, too." Kirigiri interjected quietly. Naegi nodded eagerly at this.
"Well, of course! This place was his idea, wasn't it?"
"Well, the building and the dedication, of course. Its existence as a restaurant is another matter."
"Aww, c'mon, Munakatachii! " Hagakure pulled a face and laughed. "You should give yourself more credit, man, wandering around putting up all these buildings."
"For once, he's right." Kenji observed dryly. Munakata blinked at them, staring. For a moment, the looks of appreciation and trust on their faces could almost mirror what he remembered of Chisa and Sakakura. Indeed, when he turned to look behind him, their ghosts looked at him with much the same look. When did I get to this point?
"Let's just do it, guys!" Komaru said, eventually breaking the moment. Everyone else laughed, and then they lifted up their various drink glasses.
"Then, to Kizakura-san's memory, and Munakata-san's hard work!" Naegi declared, and they put their glasses together in the air with a chorus of clinks. In the reflection of the glasses, he could see Sakakura grinning and Chisa beaming. And over the glasses, his eye met Kirigiri's again, and the new understanding he'd gained settled a little, became less disquieting.
Perhaps one day, the feeling would settle completely, and memory would be less painful.
…
The Chisa Yukizome School
When Naegi finished his speech, Munakata was one of the ones clapping the loudest, something that did not surprise him, and yet at the same time did. Still, he couldn't help but smile as Naegi grinned and bowed, and then left the stage to join his wife. It seemed like the tips that he'd given Naegi to help him with giving speeches properly had paid off well. Not that the younger man had ever been bad at finding and using the right words to stir people-platitudes, he remembered with an embarrassed twinge-but that was a whole different issue to proper, formal speeches.
You did well, Naegi. Munakata leaned back in his chair, and looked around him at the hall. When the week began, students would be streaming into this hall, ready to start their first year of school here, ready to listen to what words their new headmaster would wish to impart on them, what values and expectations he wanted to instil. He hoped-no, he knew,-that they would be fine ones. That Naegi would be a fine head teacher. And this knowledge was a more than comforting thought, given that this was a school with Chisa's name. The school needed someone special to be entrusted to, after all.
"Tch, you should have been the one up there." Sakakura muttered irritably from behind him. Munakata turned around on his chair and shrugged.
"Do you think so?"
"Yes, of course! Isn't this what you wanted? This school, starting afresh under a better system?"
Munakata bit his lip and didn't answer. Instead, he looked to see where Chisa was, and soon spotted her, laughing at the antics of Kenji and Asahina's young twins, unnoticed. He had wanted those things once. He'd been in the process of making them a reality, had believed that it was only a matter of time for this to happen, when the Tragedy had hit. But am I the same person as I was then?
"Naegi will be a good head teacher. I know this. Besides, it'll be good for the school, having a public hero in charge. "He replied eventually. "And…..This is a school for Chisa's memory. It deserves the best."
"But you're the best. And surely the b-"
"Munakata-san, what are you doing?"
Munakata startled as Komaru's voice cut off Sakakura's words, and he faced her. She grinned at him, and ran a hand through her hair, messing it up slightly.
"Come join the celebrations! Don't just sit there!" she ordered him, putting a hand on her hip and mock-frowning at him. Munakata smiled indulgently at her, nodded, and got up, picking up his coat and draping it over one arm-and then he paused as he looked around at everyone. Hagakure annoying Fukawa with something he'd seen in his crystal ball, Togami and Kenji heatedly debating something, while next to them, Asahina and Yukariko chatted, the twins-Sakura and Yuta- chasing each other in circles around their feet, accompanied by another little girl, the daughter of one of their other colleagues who'd helped with the rebuilding of the school. Naegi, piling a plate with various goodies from the buffet table and calling something out to Kirigiri, who was in deep discussion with a colleague whose name Munakata could not quite recall. And Komaru, trying to bring him into the cheerful fray.
Chisa looked up at that moment, and spotting him, made her way across the room, and then wordlessly linked arms with him. It took everything he had to not react, as if she was actually here and living and breathing. Sakakura, still shooting dark looks at Komaru for interrupting, sloped over so that he was standing next to Munakata.
"Munakata-san?" Komaru asked, tilting her head curiously. Munakata blinked at her, trying to collect his thoughts. Then, through the wide window a small distance behind her, he caught a glimpse of the daisy field, and threw his coat on.
"Actually," he decided. "I'll come and join you all in a moment. There's something I need to do first. "
…
Future Foundation Cemetery
On the other side of the field of daisies, The Chisa Yukizome School looked impossibly small. Ordinary, unassuming. It didn't look as if once it had been the all-important Hope's Peak, a source of talent, the centre of tragedy. It didn't look as if it could ever be anything special again. But that was not why he was here.
"Don't even think about apologising for not bringing flowers. In the first place, we're surrounded by them. In the second place, someone else already has. Also, do you think we'd get hung up by a lack of flowers from you?"
"No, I suppose not." Munakata chuckled at Sakakura's mini-rant, then looked down at Chisa, kneeling down by her own gravestone.
"Well, I do wish whoever had brought these ones had arranged them nicely. They're so pretty, but such a mess." Chisa pouted at them, before looking up at Munakata and pulling a face.
"And I can hardly arrange them, can I?"
Munakata chuckled again, and carefully knelt down himself, and started to attempt to fix the problem.
"Here, let me."
"Geez, Munakata, it's not a big deal-"
"Yes it is, Sakakura-kun!" Chisa interrupted. Munakata just shook his head, and though really, he knew nothing about flower-arranging, managed to come up with something that made Chisa happy-which was really all that mattered. He straightened up, dusted dirt off of his knees, and stuck his hands in his coat pockets as he contemplated all the other graves. It was not just the former Future Foundation killing game victims who lay here, but those from the 78th Class, the Student Council, all the other Main Course students who had been murdered on that fateful day-including Yasuke Matsuda and Chiaki Nanami- and the late former Principal Kirigiri. Even the Reserve Course Students had a gravestone for them-though that was little more than a token, given that in most of their cases, there hadn't been a body left to retrieve. So many…if I had realised how bad things were earlier, if I had done something different….
"I wonder if they're all at peace now." He wondered aloud as he cast his gaze over each and every gravestone. By now, he didn't have to actually go around each and every one to know who was buried where. And he had a good idea of who would haunt those of them who had survived. Not least because of his two ghosts, who were still insistent on being there with him, every step of the way. So he turned the question to them.
"Say, Chisa, Sakakura. Are….are you at peace now, do you think?"
They both looked at him as if he'd grown two heads, and he sighed, rubbing his forehead. But then, Chisa spoke up before he needed to search for the words to attempt another explanation.
"Well, I don't think there's anything troubling me as such. And I know you won't forget me-that's more than enough." She beamed at him as she said this.
"Yeah, yeah. What she said, basically, though I'm not sure I'd word it like that, but that's just me. I'm a bit pissed I can't be of more help to you, and I swear I keep seeing Kimura everywhere every time we visit The Institute, which drives me to distraction. But yeah, I'm fine."
Glancing towards Kimura's grave, Munakata briefly wondered how, exactly, a ghost having a ghost of their own worked, but shoved the thought aside for that moment.
"So how come you're still here? Shouldn't you leave now? Can't you….?"
Munakata paused at this. What did he want to say? Why can't you leave me be? Why can't you let me have some peace? Can you not go away now, that I've honoured both your memories? Will anything I do ever be enough? Were those the things he wanted to say to these two, who he had so badly taken for granted?
"Kyosuke, I said this already, didn't I?" Chisa shook her head and pursed her lips at him. "I'm never leaving you. We're never leaving you. Right, Sakakura-kun?"
Chisa looked over at Sakakura, and though he fidgeted a little uncomfortably, he nodded firmly.
"Right."
"But….."
"Not unless you want us to, though."
"Huh?" Munakata startled at this, and gawped at the two of them, words stuck in his throat. They both regarded him seriously, standing side by side. It reminded him so much of the old days, when they were a team, when he had believed so fully in all that he wanted to achieve, for no other reason than their existence in his life.
"You're not kind to yourself, Kyosuke." Chisa told him gently. "Still now, you're beating yourself up, aren't you? On top of grieving."
"I do take some of the responsibility for the way things turned out. And, Sakakura….." Munakata turned to him. "I all but killed you. Aren't you angry?"
"Nah." Sakakura paused, and then shrugged. "Well, yeah. I suppose. I'm human, what do you expect? But…still, I wanted you to live. I'd do anything for that. And I guess that's why we're still stuck drifting around now."
"I never deserved you two, I really didn't. But….still, I miss you both, so much. I don't think I'll stop missing you. But…..I can't keep you here. Surely you need to move on now, to a better place. It's been so many years, you don't need to sti-"
"You don't fully believe that." Sakakura accused. "Also, you're one to talk about moving on, when you haven't yourself."
"Sakakura…."
"Do you want us to go? We've got your back, either way." Chisa queried, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. Munakata pondered the question. On some level, he knew it was strange for him to be actively conversing with ghosts, the way he was doing now. If someone saw him now, they'd surely tell him to go see a doctor. At the same time, it was not as if he had drowned under the weight. He'd spent all this time helping to rebuild the world, putting up all the different monuments, making sure that the memories of the fallen were honoured in the best possible way. And there was still more he could do out there, more that needed fixing. Hell, there were even things he could do here. He'd initially rejected the offer of a role when it had first been extended, but Naegi had told him that there would always be a place for him at The Chisa Yukizome School, should he ever want to take it up. Perhaps one day he would. Perhaps one day he could try and find a new set of dreams to follow, and pursue them there.
And I'm lucky, because they'll both be with me if I want them to, even though they shouldn't be.
"I…..I'm not sure." He ended up saying, helplessly. To his utter surprise, they both started to laugh at that.
"I had a feeling you'd say that. Geez, Munakata. It's not like you to be so indecisive." Sakakura chortled.
"I know, but aren't we all a little different now?" I know I am, Munakata thought, thinking about how eager he had been to forget everything before. Now, he couldn't imagine ever doing such a thing.
"That we are." Sakakura conceded. "But we're just taking that as a yes for now, because that's simpler."
"Anyway, Kyosuke." Chisa put in. "You should go back now. There are a lot of people waiting for you back at my school, aren't there? Go join them and have some fun!"
"Yeah…." He pictured all their faces, from Naegi and Kirigiri all the way to Komaru, and smiled. Perhaps none of them would ever be like Sakakura or Chisa to him, perhaps he'd never know just what their ghosts were like, if they had any. But they'd all survived, and they had each other. So he'd go back to them, and join in the celebrations. Then, the next day, he'd move on to whatever needed to be done next.
He would live. And he would remember. And somehow, he'd be fine with it all.
So, he relaxed his shoulders, allowed himself to smile again, and started to make his way back across the field of daisies. And though he didn't turn back to check, he was comfortably sure that his ghosts were right behind him.