Lost In Tranquility

by A Lucky Soldier

Though she had seen it many times, she had never understood it. Though she sees it every day, it remains a mystery to her. Lost in her own narrow view of the world, a normal boy was able to show her something no one else was able to.

2. Chapter 2

Author's Note:

I'll be completely honest, I completely forgot this existed until I checked my OneDrive and was like "oooooooh sh*t... that was a thing wasn't it..?". Its been such a long time since I touched this that I'm not sure if this second chapter was what I had originally planned, but I sure hope it is somewhat similar enough to it.

Anyways, I guess it feels refreshing now that I don't immediately fall asleep upon opening Microsoft Word anymore. If anyone here follows Spirit Soldier's Class 78 Watches the Future story, you'll have an idea on what I was up to since my last update, but TL;DR, I marathon'd a ton of games and anime. And so, with that off, let's get this out of the way :)

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Lost in Tranquility Chapter 2

Mukuro was completely unprepared for what eventually happened when the two finally made it to the Naegi residence.

"I'm back!"

"Welcome home Onii-SaaaaAAAGGH! Oni-san has brought home a girl! Where's mom when I need her?!"

"Wha-What?! Don't get the wrong idea! She's here to tutor me! Tutor!"

"T-That's what they all say before you two start—"

"I'm telling you you're making a misunderstanding!"

As the exchange went on, Mukuro stood by the door, unsure of what kind of facial expression to make. The exchange has only went on for a mere ten seconds and yet, even Mukuro was starting to feel burdened by it. However, as she contemplated to clear things up, the Naegi siblings seemed to have already de-escalated the situation.

"So? Who is she?" Komaru asked, peeking around Makoto standing in the doorway who was half-obstructing her view.

"Like I said, she's my classmate from Hope's Peak. She's here to tutor me." Makoto said in a half-exasperated voice. He then turned his body halfway towards Mukuro to introduce here. "Komaru, this is Mukuro Ikusaba. Mukuro, this is my sister, Komaru Naegi." He spoke while gesturing with his hands towards each other.

In the moment it took Makoto to turn his body to the side, Mukuro took the chance to do a quick visual assessment over Komaru. In the span of less than a second, Mukuro had already determined her height, weight, potential strength, vitals and a myriad of other basic information. She was surprised that Komaru was a little bit stronger than Makoto, but aside from that, everything else about her was literally average. Makoto sure wasn't kidding when he said he came from an average family.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Mukuro Ikusaba." Mukuro said, reciting the prepared greeting she had mentally prepared prior to the meeting and giving a light bow in the process.

"Likewise! My name's Komaru Naegi! You can just call me Komaru!" Komaru happily replied while gesturing inside the house with one arm. "C'mon! Come in, no need to wait by the door!"

As Mukuro followed Makoto inside the house, she noted that it was a relatively average house. From where she stood in front of the door, there were stairs heading upstairs to the right, a living room on the left, the kitchen and dining room beyond the living room, and what she guessed was a washroom underneath the staircase. There was probably another room next to the dining room on the far side of the house, but it would be rude of her to explore the house without permission. Even as a soldier, Mukuro understood that much.

In terms of deco, it was mostly plain save for a few family pictures, some religious charms, and a couple potted plants. Although the house was more spacious than the apartment she shared with Junko, it wasn't big enough to allow wide movement like the living rooms of rich manors. She mentally made a note to herself that if she was ever to get in a fight within here, it would get really messy.

Despite its normality, Mukuro was still surprised by the "average-ness" of the house. Aside from Hope's Peak, her apartment, and the various safe houses and rich manors of the VIPs she has escorted in her military career, it was the first time where one can say that she has "entered a home". She was so entranced by such a simple and basic setting that she almost forgot she looked like she was spacing out.

"This is… quite a house." Mukuro commented in her moment of curiosity.

"Ah no, not really. It's a pretty normal house if I had to say." Makoto replied, putting his bag down.

"So…." Komaru's voice came from the other couch. "You're in Makoto's class, right? From Hope's Peak? What's your talent?" She asked with modest curiosity.

Mukuro internally grimaced at the one question she wanted to avoid answering. Each and every time she had answered this question, the results were always the same. Seeing that she should have saw this coming considering that Makoto often spoke of his sister and this is the first time they met, Mukuro could only resign to her fate of answering the question. However, Makoto sensing that this was potentially heading in a bad direction, tried to interject himself.

"Ah Komaru, look—"

"Ultimate Soldier, that is my talent."

As Makoto tried to salvage the situation, Mukuro gave her answer in the same way she had to everyone else that had asked the question.

"Ahh." Was the only verbal response that Komaru was able to make. Her mouth was hung open and her eyes widened as her brain processed what it meant to be a soldier.

Mukuro braced herself for the inevitable reaction that she has already received countless times from other people. She could already imagine the all too familiar face of fear and anxiety on Komaru's innocent face, and it pained her that it had to be Makoto's sister. After all, "Ultimate Soldier" doesn't exactly translate over as something nice. As Mukuro slowly watched Komaru's reaction grow, she internally considered clarifying soldier to something more innocent, but the only other thing she could think of was "mercenary." Mukuro could only stand where she was as if she were to receive a reprimanding from her commanding officer.

"Uh oh."

On the other hand, Makoto instantly recognized the reaction that Komaru was going to give. Though other people can't recognize it, he could already see the glint and sparkles behind her pupils. The fact that Komaru is still processing it means that she has completely missed the point. The last time Komaru had such a reaction, the resulting mess took a while to cleanup. Makoto had told himself that since then, he would do his best to take measures to avoid such trouble again, but clearly, he has failed that task today.

As the two finished their thoughts and resigned to the inevitable, Komaru visibly inhaled before letting loose.

"OH MY GOD. THAT IS AWESOME!" She cried at the top of her lungs, her voice stunning Mukuro and causing Makoto to sigh to himself as Komaru missed the point. In fact, Mukuro didn't even have time to formulate her thoughts as Komaru quickly closed in on her and continued her assault.

"You must have some secret moves right? Woooahh, do you use any secret weapons? C'mon! Teach me a secret move or something! And oh! What kind of bad guys have you fought? They must have had it coming haven't they? ….." Komaru threw out questions at Mukuro in rapid-fire fashion. For a normal person, Komaru showed no signs of running out of breath throughout her relentless but passionate "interview".

Mukuro, having already been put in a stupor from the different reaction from Komaru, was completely helpless against her onslaught of questions. She was so stunned that she hadn't reacted to Komaru gradually getting closer to her until Komaru had literally taken both her hands into her own and started shaking them with passion. Even then, she was unsure of how to deal with such an energetic individual.

"C'mon! C'mon! C'mon! Surely you can teach me something!" Komaru begged with sparkling eyes. If Junko were to see her like this, she'd make a comment about a puppy and a guard dog. Suddenly, in the midst of Komaru's begging, she heard the sound of the flat impact of paper and a cry of pain right in front of her. Slowly coming back to her senses, she realized that Makoto had hit her with a generic girls manga that he had purchased from the convenience store earlier.

"Ok that's enough. You're being quite rude to our guest here." He lightly chastised her while also handing her the book.

"Oooh wooaah! Is that the latest volume? You're the best Makoto!" Komaru took the book and made her way upstairs. Just before she disappeared into her room however, she peeked back out and looked at Mukuro.

"By the way, you should still teach me something sometime! Makoto is a huge bully!" She said before closing the door.

"Am not!" Makoto cried back from the sofa. Sighing from the somewhat rude behaviour of his sister, he finally took the time to address the issue.

"By the way, sorry about that. Ever since she found out Sayaka was a classmate, she'd been ecstatic to see everyone else from my class." Makoto apologized while also explaining the situation.

"I… can imagine that." Mukuro responded. If she can barely deal with one person like this, she couldn't imagine how Sayaka deals with all of her fans on a daily basis. She doesn't even know how Junko deals with her fans since there's seldom times that Mukuro would be with Junko while she's on the job. Mukuro hoped that she wouldn't meet anymore fans like this lest they find out she's a pretty hopeless person.

"By the way, would you like something to eat? I've got some snacks and ice cream in the fridge." Makoto offered.

"I'm fine, thank you. Besides, I don't think you have the time to afford that anyways." Mukuro replied back with a smirk, returning to the original plans of her coming over. Upon hearing those words, Makoto reacted as though he was stabbed through the stomach.

"Haah… I guess you're right." He resigned with a slightly gloomy face. Mukuro gave a tiny smile of sympathy as even she shared the sentiment that sometimes, homework is boring.

The two moved to Makoto's room where once again, Mukuro seemed captivated. The simple and plain room was a stark contrast to that of Junko's and her own. There was a small single bed and an alarm clock on top of a small dresser in the corner, a small bookcase filled with assorted novels, manga, and a small number of magazines in another corner. His desk sat beneath the only window in his room and next to the bookcase, while a sliding closet was present at the foot of his bed. There was almost nothing worth noting in the room except for a small framed family picture on the window sill and an autographed poster of Sayaka Maizono hanging on one of the walls.

Makoto noticed her look and quickly explained: "Ah that? Sayaka was quite adamant that I take it, and I uh, didn't have anywhere else to put it so there it is."

"Oh I see. Do you visit her concerts often?" Mukuro asked.

"Eeeh, it's more like I accompany Komaru since she's the one who wants to go, but I do enjoy it from time to time too. Have you ever gone to one?" Makoto fired back with a question as we prepared a seat for both himself and Mukuro.

"No, although I have heard a couple of her performances on the radio." Mukuro replied, taking out her books and notes. "Alright, let's get this started."

Makoto sighed in response, not entirely motivated, but still complied as he had to get through his studies somehow. Picking up where his notes started trailing off, the two quickly entered a comfortable pace of studying. Makoto was quite frankly surprised at how well Mukuro was able to explain and articulate the important points despite her usual quiet nature. He absentmindedly let out a small smile, knowing that there was probably more to her than she lets on.

The next couple hours flew by really quickly. Rays of dusk pierced into the small room between the blinders, providing little extra light to the already dim setting. The sight of two young kids working together would have made anyone reminiscence their student days. Some would think the two were siblings, some would think otherwise. However, regardless of who saw them through the window, the conclusion was the same.

For the first time ever, Makoto felt like time flew by really fast during the study session. He was surprisingly able to make an entire day's progress in just a couple hours, which he thought was an astonishing feat itself. Feeling the fatigue starting to set in, Makoto leaned back into his chair for a quick stretch, but immediately froze as his back made contact with the backrest.

"Ah."

"Uh…"

He never realized it until just now, but Mukuro's face was practically next to his. Sure, Makoto's been in enough accidents where Mukuro had to rescue him time and time again, but somehow, it felt very different this time. The moment of realization was just a split second, but in that moment, it felt like an entire minute. Before the inevitable embarrassment that would shock him back into the world, Makoto felt as though he turn his head and look at her, maybe even feel her. Maybe it was his imagination, since it never happened, but there was a desire.

The embarrassment finally hit him and his cheeks immediately flushed red. Makoto would've instinctively jolted forward were it not for the hand on his opposite shoulder holding him there.

"W-Wha—"

Makoto couldn't comprehend what was going on as Mukuro's hand on his shoulder slipped down, and her other arm came around his neck in a soft embrace. He knew that this was a very out-of-character move from Mukuro, yet he didn't try to fight it. His heart started racing from all the things he's feeling right now, and yet his body relaxed into the embrace from behind. Makoto felt as though his senses went into overload. In the moment, he felt everything. Her strong but soft arms just lightly dangling on his chest, her face hovering right next to his, her hair softly brushing his, her scent enveloping around him, and her soft breathing echoed into his ears.

The just lively private lesson suddenly turned quiet as the sun disappeared over the horizon, leaving a faint orange glow in the room. It was warm. It felt like lukewarm water boiling. A comfortable temperature in which water should never boil at, and yet everything felt like it was going to burst. It was both awkward and comforting at the same time. Both of them wanted to break away from how unnatural it feels, and yet both of them wanted to stay like this because it felt warm. Both their hearts were racing, and yet their breaths were soft and relaxed. The tension and pressure kept building up within the two as they tried to preserve the embrace, but eventually, one of them will give in.

Makoto eventually took a deep breath in preparation to finally say something. As his shoulders gently rose and fell, he could feel the slightest twitch from Mukuro's arms around him. He couldn't see her face, nor did he have the courage to turn his head over, but he could imagine that she didn't want to let go. He couldn't fathom why she was doing this, but he couldn't complain about it since he also just gave in to it.

"Nee, Makoto." Mukuro softly spoke. As her words broke the comfortable silence, Makoto felt as though the tiniest movement would end it all. His shoulders rose slightly in response to her calling, but no words came out of his mouth.

"Can I ask you something?"

Makoto's heart skipped a beat at the question. Somehow, he had been expecting something like this, but having it thrown at him still made him feel unprepared for it. He felt happy, anxious, but also curious as to what Mukuro had to say in this situation.

"Mhm. What is it?" He replied. It was an automatic response, and it only filled him with more anxiety as Mukuro seemed to be taking her time with it.

"If.."

"If….?"

"If.. I ever found myself in trouble… would you come to my aid?"

Suddenly, Makoto felt all the anxiety from within him disappear. Although Mukuro couldn't see it, Makoto's lips had curved into a small smile.

"What, that's it? That was all you're going to ask?" He thought to himself.

"Did you even need to ask that question?" Makoto softly replied back. As he spoke his words, he again, felt the slightest twitch from Mukuro's arms. In response, Makoto gently held her hands in his own as his smile grew bigger.

"Of course I would." He answered sincerely. He could feel all the tension flow out of Mukuro as he delivered his answer. Makoto had no idea what trouble she was referring to, and he was very confident that she was more than a thousand times as capable as him when it comes to handling trouble. But if there was something even she couldn't handle that she had to turn to him, his willingness to lend a hand to her would've been as normal as breathing.

"That's… good to hear… Very good." Mukuro mumbled as she relaxed herself and lowered her body closer to his.

"Can I ask?" Makoto inquired, still curious as to what made her ask this question.

"I'm sure you'll find out one day… for now… let's just stay like this a while longer.." Mukuro replied, her soft voice slowly transitioning to a whisper at the end. Although Makoto still had no idea why she was doing this, he closed his eyes and just decided to let the moment live itself out.

Of course, as his luck would have it, it didn't last another ten seconds. Suddenly, his door was flung open and a furious Komaru stood outside his rom.

"WAGH! What the.. Komaru?! When did you—"

"DON'T YOU WAAAGH ME! LOOK AT THE TIME! I'M STARVING AND ALL YOU'RE DOING IS JUST FLIRTING IN HERE!"

"F-FLIRT? T-THAT'S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!"

"Flirt?"

"OH MY GOOODDD! HOW CAN YOU EVEN ASK THAT WHEN YOU'RE SITTING LIKE THAT!"

"Sitting?"

Makoto turned around and was immediately amazed at how fast Mukuro had repositioned herself to sitting in the chair Makoto had brought into the room earlier. In fact, he realized his books were all open again and in his right hand was the pen he had been using earlier.

"T-That's definitely some amazing agility there…. She could definitely qualify as a ninja…" Makoto thought to himself. "Nice save…."

"YOU TOTALLY HAVE THAT LOVEY DOVEY STUDY ATMOSPHERE SET UP LIKE A MANGA! WAAAAAGGHHH!" Komaru 'cried'. "After all this years…. How can you forsake your sister like this?"

"Ok ok I get it! I'll go make dinner right now! Just, get up from the floor now!" Makoto conceded, getting up from his chair. "Say Mukuro, why don't you join us? You're here anyways and it is a bit late."

"I'll take you up on your offer then." She replied with a small smile.

"uuuuu….. You better be making something good as punishment for forgetting me…." Komaru sulked as she dragged her feet down the stairs.

"Alright alright, I'll think of something. Just prepare the table before I'm finished ok?" Makoto soothed as he went after her, Mukuro quietly following him.

"Is this what the Naegi residence is usually like?" Mukuro wondered to herself after having experienced it firsthand. Although Junko was pretty lively herself, she was on a completely different scale compared to the Naegi siblings. In addition, if there was another thing aside from interpersonal skills that Makoto was decent at, it would be his cooking as it seems that this is not his first time.

"I might be able to get used to this." She smiled, a sense of excitement and warm anticipation growing within her as she descended the stairs towards the living room. Another lively night awaited the Naegi household, and little did they know, that they would be having an extra member for many other nights to come.

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Final Notes:

So again, I'm not sure if this second chapter lines up exactly with what I had in mind since... April I think? (my last update on this story) But I do know that I was looking for simple cute stuff. I also feel like it's a bit shorter than my usual standard per chapter so I hope it's ok. Man, I feel like I'm so rusty with my vocabulary and stuff now, I should try to get back onto this some more.

And for my next work? I tabbed into the Sayaka ship tags and noticed that it is very very inactive (at least, recently). I knew Sayaka wasn't too popular to begin with, but the lack of pure Sayaka stories is starting to get to criminally low levels so, I think I'll try my hand at Sayaka next (There is a surprising amount of Sayaka and Mukuro though O: ) Sayaka is a good girl, she just wanted to protect everyone she loves... except that she loves some people more than others.

Also just to go off topic a bit here, I also noticed that there's been a surge of "big stories" rather than the usual 1-3 chapter stories. I wonder what's up with that huh. (Nothing against them, just surprising to see)