So… there are some of you guys who are still into this.

No one asked for the FAQ so that either means I'm doing my job pretty well or you don't care. Either Way, I have less work to do.

I have a range of excuses from I was sick, I forgot, and I lost interest. But I regained that interest when Cinnamontoastken started playing Danganronpa 2. So yee. I personally hate this chapter because it took way to long to write. I had to endure a slew of things to get this one out. I wanna be done with this story and make one for Danganronpa 2. Props one more chapter, but who knows.

OOC characters I guess, they seem fine to me.


The elevator ride was quiet. Togami lost his shit when Monokuma came over the intercom and stated they were having one last trial. The real last one this time. But eventually he calmed down… With the threat of a tranquilizer gun… Makoto was standing in the corner looking at everyone with a boastful attitude and grin. Even if you only took a slight glance, you could see that it was plastic. Asahina watched Kiri carefully. She was looking straight down. Probably thinking about what's going to happen.

Monokuma was being obnoxious just by eating a jar of honey. To which Asahina wondered, could the robot even taste honey?

The elevator hit the bottom level and everyone got off. They hesitantly walked to their stations, next to the pictures of their deceased friends. Makoto walked over to his throne, but Monokuma beat him to it.

"Move." Makoto said to the bear. He got a laugh in reply.

"I'm taking back my role as headmaster. Sorry bud, go stand with everyone else." Monokuma sat down. Makoto stared in disbelief.

"But this is my school. I'm the headmaster. Move it!" The bear gasped in fake shock.

"Talking back to your headmaster?! I'll have to punish you if you keep this up." The Luckster stood there with his mouth gaping open, as he wasn't sure if this was real. He blushed as he heard a snicker from behind. To his surprise, it was Togami who was mocking him. Makoto sighed and walked over to his stand.

Kiri hid a smile, but Asahina was able to see it before she cleared her throat and started to speak.

"Okay. No one has been enjoying themselves. Everyone hates it here, even Makoto. Let's start a vote." The Detective announced to the room. Monokuma kept laughing his stupid laugh, and at least three people were pissed off by this.

"Who the hell put you in charge?!" Togami and Makoto asked at the same time, albeit Makoto being slightly quieter than the SHSL Heir. But the Luckster spoke up.

"Okay, so we're doing the same vote as last time? Vote for hope you have to stay here forever. All safe and sound. Vote for despair and wish granted. You can live outside and probably die of nuclear radiation or something. Since you all know what's out there, this is probably going to have the same exact ending as the last vote-"

"You've got that wrong." Kiri shouted. Makoto flinched at hearing his own catchphrase being thrown at him.

"What?" He asked, caught off guard and very confused.

"Well, if this is truly going to be the last trial we have at Hope's Peak, we might as well switch things up." she said in a thoughtful hum.

"But you're not the headmaster-"

"Neither are you. Just because you revealed yourself as the mastermind and Super High School Level Despair doesn't mean you control the school." Makoto laughed to that.

"I'm pretty sure it does."

"Upupupup, sorry Makoto, but you made me the headmaster of this establishment. No take backs." a giddy Monokuma said. "And hamburger hands is right, it would be boring to have the same vote as last time." Kiri nodded.

"I propose a new vote. That goes a something like this, we still vote for Hope and Despair, but this time, if everyone votes for Hope then we all get to leave this place, find hope somewhere else instead of rotting away in this school. But if one of us votes for despair, we stay here, hopelessly lost and bored. So, everyone, let's vote." She smiled, for the first time in a long time, it was a true, hope filled smile. Togami almost flipped out again, but he kept most of his composer. Most of it.

"That's absurd. No one is going to choose to stay here any longer. I'd rather die than be with the likes of you." He frowned, crossing his arms, acting like he was above everyone. Fukawa smiled and did a small dance in her stand.

"Master is so right!" She gushed.

"...w-wait… If I can't be the headmaster… That means I'm a student just like the rest of you." Makoto said, looking up with realization. "I-I can vote here too." Asahina gasped.

"That's right." The Swimmer shouted, eyes wide in fear.

"He's going to vote despair so we're stuck here with him. He won't let us leave." Togami also concluded. "This whole vote is for nothing!" Maybe Kiri was helping him spread despair, even if he lost the inspiration to-

"You've got that wrong!" Okay, so now he was getting thoroughly pissed that she was stealing his catchphrase. She looked to him, with… Something, but it wasn't hope or despair,he couldn't recognize it. "Yes, Makoto is allowed to vote with us, but I'm sure we can convince him to vote for Hope with us." Asahina looked at her confused.

"How are we supposed to do that? Makoto is the SHSL Despair. Despair! He hates hope and just wants to drag us down with him." The donut head said. Kiri smiled.

"I'm sure many of us have lost our hope these last few days. But it doesn't matter. We just have to be determined. Determined to get out of here, along with Makoto."

"Ha, I won't vote for hope, no matter what you say." the Luckster said crossing his arms with a plastic smirk.

"Makoto. Don't think I haven't noticed. You've been conflicted. You can't decide for yourself of who you want to be. You are both, the hope that motivated us to come this far through the previous class trails and the despair that trapped us here and forced us to kill each other. Having memories of two lives like that is stressful. You've been dropping signs left and right. Being the SHSL Detective does come with the luxury of putting those clues together, but it doesn't let me see what you're thinking. Makoto, do you really want to keep us here?"

"..." he stared at the ground. He… really didn't know.

"I'm not going to tell you that this 'isn't the true you' or something like that. I'm asking you who you want to be and what will make you happier. The past doesn't matter right now. I have faith in you. It's clear that you have had a fair dose of despair along with the rest of us. Was it what you expected?"

"I… Uh…"

"This vote isn't for us. We have a clear choice. We want out. It's up to you to choose to be our hope or our despair. Do you want to stay here or do you want to leave this prison of hope and despair and just… Live?" Makoto thought about her words for a long time. He debated in his mind. He thought about what would make him "happy". The whole time he was coating others in despair, was he happy. He was… But not so much anymore.

He recalled his time being his friend's hope. Those times felt more enjoyable. He missed being filled with the warm, bubbly feeling of hope. He sighed and looked at each of his friends, then to the pictures of the deceased students. Makoto sighed and did something he hadn't done in a long time. He smiled liked he meant it.

"Alright… I… I want to vote for hope along with you guys. I'm sick of despair. L-lets end this."