Chapter 10: Acceptance

In a dark room with an oppressive atmosphere, the most powerful members of Hope's Peak Academy sat around a large table.

"It's been a year, has a subject been decided yet?"

"I thought we agreed on that reserve course student?"

"It hasn't been set in stone yet, but given our findings on him…I'd say he's our best fit."

They were all seated, having their first dinner with two of their newly awakened friends. After settling the rather awkward misunderstanding that Mioda had caused, the musician quickly warmed up to Makoto. Even Sainoji seemed to express gratitude towards him…in her own special way.

"Ah, Hero-chan, you have hiyoko* biscuits?! You've been holding out on me!"

She'd given him the nickname "Hero", but it was certainly one of her better nicknames, and whenever she uttered it, there didn't seem to be any malice in her tone.

"Ah, I forgot I brought those with me. Would you like some?"

"Of course! That's one of my favorite snacks!"

Sainoji gratefully accepted the biscuits from the younger boy and set them aside. "For dessert", she'd said when asked why.

There was a buzz in Makoto's pocket. He took it out and frowned.

"What's wrong?" Kirigiri asked, leaning over to look at the phone. She frowned when she saw the caller ID.

"Hello?"

"Ah, onii-chan! It's terrible! I-I lost them! I can't find them and - and -"

"Komaru, calm down. Who did you lose?"

There was a commotion from outside before the door burst open, revealing four grade schoolers. Makoto stood up in surprise and rushed to the children's side. In his haste, he dropped his phone, but Kirigiri caught it with practiced ease before it hit the floor.

"This is Kirigiri. Your brother has found the children."

"Ehhh?! They went to Jabberwock Island?! No, that can't - Ah, Touko-chan, I need you to-"

The call was abruptly cut off in Komaru's panic. Kirgiri sighed and set the phone aside, focusing her attention back on Makoto.

"What are you all doing here?!" He asked, voice tinged with worry.

"I'm really sorry, Mako-nii", Nagisa began, "but-"

"But I found a super major helpful clue for helping you reform some of the students!" Kotoko finished, smiling smugly.

"A clue? Wait, no, more importantly, how did you get here?!"

"We swam!" Masaru piped up excitedly.

"What?!"

"He's only joking, Mako-nii;" Nagisa supplied, sparing a glare in Masaru's direction.

"Y-yeah. We just stole a boat."

There was a moment of silence as Makoto felt all of his pent up stress well up. He swayed a little and fell backwards, but was caught by a swift Kirigiri. Makoto planted his face in his palm, not sure how to even process his current situation.

"A boat…You stole a boat…"

"Naegi-kun, I think you should rest. We can take it from here."

"What?! No!" Kotoko yelled, stomping her feet on the ground. We came all this way to see Mako-nii again!"

Kirigiri leveled a glare at the younger girl that instantly silenced her. She looked back down to gauge Makoto's current condition…only to find him fast asleep in her arms. She sighed and turned to Togami.

"Could you carry Naegi-kun to his room?"

Togami complied, placing the smaller boy on his back.

"From heir to the biggest conglomerate, to carrying a scrawny kid…"

Kirgiri smirked, "But this scrawny kid's your best friend."

Togami made a choking noise, but didn't deny the statement. He left the cafeteria, trying very hard to ignore the curious and shocked gazes his upperclassmen sent his way. After closing the door, Kirigiri turned back to the group of grade schoolers.

"Alright, you four have a lot of explaining to do."

Komaru ran out into the hall of the Future Foundation Headquarters, calling for Touko.

"Touko-chan! Touko-ch - Uwa!"

Komaru bumped into something big and hard. Upon realizing that what she had bumped into was not in fact a wall, but a person, Komaru quickly got back up and began to apologize profusely.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I wasn't paying attention and-"

"Ha ha, it's fine!" A masked man replied, laughing heartily. Great Gozu helped Komaru back up.

"If you're looking for Fukawa, I saw her in the break room with Asahina."

"Really?! Oh, thank you so much, Gozu-san!"

"No problem. But what's got you running in such a rush?"

"Um…well…"

Komaru wasn't sure how she noticed given that Gozu was wearing a mask, but she could somehow tell that the former wrestler had a concerned look on his face.

"Does it have to do with your brother's…current mission?"

Komaru nodded. Gozu had been supportive of Makoto's decisions from the start, so she knew he could be trusted. Gozu stiffened at the brunette's response.

"…I see. Well, if you need any help, don't ever hesitate to ask."

Komaru beamed. "I will. Thank you, Gozu-san!"

Komaru sprinted past him, making a mental note to enlist Gozu's help if their current predicament got too out of hand. He looks scary, but as I thought, Gozu-san's a good guy!

Komaru finally made it to the break room, but paused when she overheard voices. She recognized Touko's and Asahina's, but the third…

"Y-Y-You keep that thing away from me!"

"I-It wasn't my intention, I promise!"

"Ah, Fukawa-chan, calm down! I'm sure Kimura-san didn't mean anything by it! Besides, you grabbed the drink before she could even say anything!"

"So you're siding with her, Donut girl! You traitor!"

Kimura. Komaru remembered now, she was one of the branch leaders that was against reforming the 77th class.

Should I go in now? Or should I wait until Kimura-san leaves? If I wait, would I look to suspicious?

"T-The side effects aren't even noticeable. You'll be back too normal soon!"

Back to normal? Succumbing to her curiosity, Komaru tentatively opened the door a crack. Her eyes widened at what she saw. Saying that the "side effects" weren't noticeable was a major understatement.

Touko had a moustache.

In her shock, Komaru let out a surprised yelp. All eyes turned to her.

"K-Komaru?!"

"Ah, sorry. I was, uh…um…I feel like I came at the wrong time…"

"S-see?! Did you see her reaction?! Fix what you did to me this instant! What if Byakuya-sama sees me like this?!"

"I-I'm sorry, but I haven't figured out an antedote yet. But it should wear off in a few hours…"

"Hours?!"

"Touko-chan, more importantly!"

Komaru grabbed both Touko and Asahina's hands and pulled them out of the room. Kimura stared at their retreating backs before breathing a sigh of relief once they were out of sight.

"…But what did that girl come here for? Does it have to do with the 77th class?"

Komaru finally let go of the two older girls once they reached an empty room. She peeked outside, making sure that no one was around to eavesdrop before going back inside.

"Komaru-chan, what's wrong? Did something happen with Naegi-kun and the others?"

Touko scoffed, but with her new mustache, the effect it had made it difficult for Komaru to stifle her laughter. "Pfft, of course it's about her brother. Your bro-con complex acting up again or something - Stop laughing! It's not that funny! You too, donut girl!"

"S-sorry, Touko-chan!" Komaru closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths before finally settling down. When she opened her eyes again, her expression was serious.

"It's about the kids. The Warriors of Hope. They're with my brother."

The older girls let out a shocked gasp.

"What?! How?!" Touko exclaimed, "Where would they even find a boat?! And who would be stupid enough to lend a bunch of kids a boat?!"

"I think I know someone…" Asahina offered, expression becoming sour. Touko seemed to realize who the swimmer was referring to, as her expression changed to one of bitter distaste.

"You've got to be kidding me."

"What? Who are we talking about?"

The two former classmates exchanged a look before responding; "Hagakure."

At a dock not far from Future Foundation's headquarters, a bespectacled man let out a sneeze.

"Aw, man. I hope no one's talking bad about me…Hm…Maybe taking those kids' money wasn't such a good idea after all…Naw, I think I'm good!"

"It was the old guy with the crazy hair!" Kotoko announced defiantly, "He's one of your co-workers, right? So if he gave the 'ok', then there's nothing wrong with us being here!"

In that moment for the first time in her life, Kyouko felt the urge to murder one of her former classmates. She pinched the bridge of her nose in irritation.

"So just to be clear, it was Hagakure-kun that lent you the boat?"

"That's correct", Nagisa replied.

"And none of you threatened him in any way?"

"Of course not!" Kotoko cried with a huff, "We just flashed a couple of fat bills in his face, and he was puddy in our fingers!"

Kyouko felt her eye twitch. She would have a very long talk with Hagakure once she got back.

"Um…" Kyouko looked up in surprise. It was the first time HInata had spoken since his "talk" with Komaeda. The others had been constantly casting him worried glances throughout dinner.

"I know you've already got your plate full dealing with Future Foundation affairs, so if you'd like, I could look after the kids for a while."

"Ooh, that's a great idea, Hajime-chan! Ibuki wants to play with cute kiddies too!"

Kyouko felt her lips tug up to a small smile. She felt pride swell up within her. Ah, is this what a parent feels when witnessing their child's growth? But no, there was still one more thing that was bothering her. She turned to address the children again.

"What did you mean when you said that you had information to help reform our upperclassmen?"

"Ah, right"; Nagisa begins, "Back when we were part of Despair, we worked closely with someone named Nagito Komaeda."

"Well, more like, he was our underpaid servant;" Kotoko said with a snicker.

"Um…I don't think we ever paid him." Jataro added.

"Anyway," Nagisa continued, "We heard from Onee-chan that he woke up, so we think we might be able to help reform him."

"Onee-chan?" Hinata asked.

"They're referring to Naegi-kun's little sister." Kyouko supplied.

"Wait, so there's some one smaller than the little guy?" Owari asked between chews. With everyone distracted by their new guests, the gymnast had taken the opportunity to snatch their leftovers.

Kyouko cracked a small, teasing smile. "No. She may be his little sister, but she's actually taller than him."

"Oh. So he's like Baby Gangster."

"N-Natsumi wasn't that much taller than me!"

"Do you guys get off on tangent like this all the time?" Kotoko asked, looking unimpressed. "No wonder you guys haven't made any progress with that psycho marshmallow."

Kyouko turned back to address the children, who all snapped at attention the minute she turned her gaze on them.

"Komaeda-kun recently had an episode, so I'd advise meeting with him tonight. If he appears to be in a calmer state tomorrow, I'll see if I can get him to meet with you."

Nagisa smiled. "Understood! We'll do our best!"

Kyouko found herself smiling back. She turned to Hinata; "Alright then, I'll leave them to you. You four, don't give your new babysitters a hard time."

"Babysitters?! We're not ba-" Nagisa quickly placed a hand to cover Masaru's mouth.

"Yes, don't worry! We'll be good!"

"Yes! We'll be the absolute sweetest!" Kotoko added with a grin.

"I-I don't think I can be sweet…" Jataro muttered.

Kyouko nodded before turning to leave. She now had a lot of damage control to work on thanks to a certain fortune teller.

After the doors closed, Kotoko and Masaru's expressions turned sour.

"Ugh, jeez. Why do we have to get looked after by this antenna wannabe? I came here to play Mako-nii! Heck, even that detective onee-chan would have been fine!"

"Yeah! I still haven't beat him in hide-and-seek! Hey, you!"

Hajime felt himself stiffen at the rude way he was being addressed…Not that it was anything he wasn't used to. "Yes?"

"How good are you at hide and seek?"

"The both of you, that's enough!" Nagisa yelled, instantly silencing his friends. He turned to Hajime and bowed slightly. "I apologize for their rude behavior."

"Yeah, don't take it personally," Jataro added, "They're like this with almost everyone."

"It's alright. For now, why don't you four get something to eat?"

"But I already ate! Now I'm itching to play!" Masaru exclaimed, bouncing excitedly on the balls of his feet. His energy seemed to be infectious, as the rest of Hajime's friends all began chattering excitedly over the prospect of playing hide and seek at night.

"Aw yeah! Ibuki's totes great at hide and seek!"

"I often played hide and seek in my country as well! I was quite excellent at it!"

"Woah, really Sonia-san?! Well, I don't wanna brag, but-"

"Yes! Totally! Count me in! You're playing too, right Koizumi-onee?!"

"Huh? Oh, yes, of course."

"Woah, all of you big bros and sis are going to play with us?!" Masaru asked, eyes shining.

"Of course! Everyone in here is a kid at heart!" Hanamura replied with a smile.

"Ah, right! Before I forget!" Kotoko turned to Jataro. "Hey! You remembered to bring them with you, right? The cute fuzzies?" Jataro nodded. He dug into his pockets and produced…four familiar hamsters. Sonia squealed in delight at the sight.

"Sun-D! Maga-P! Jum-P! Cham-P!"

"Oh, so you're the princess! Welp, that settles it! Give 'em to her, Jataro!"

Jataro nodded and carefully handed each one to Sonia. The blonde giggled in delight as the hamsters nuzzled her nose and settled on her shoulders. Souda watched in quiet, envious silence. Kotoko, of course, couldn't help but comment on her expression.

The former actress moved closer to Masaru and held a hand up to her hand, speaking in a mock whisper. "Hey, hey~ Do you think that shark toothed guy has a crush on the princess? She's so cute, though, so I don't think he has a chance~"

Souda turned to glare at the pigtailed girl. "Hey, I can hear you, you know!"

Kotoko snickered before tottering off, with Masaru close at her heels. Souda let out a low growl as he continued to glare at the children's retreating forms. Hajime let out a tired sigh before clapping his hands to get everyone's attention.

"Alright, listen up! Here are the rules."

Lying on a bed, isolated from everyone else, Nagito's eyes fluttered open. "It sounds like everyone's having fun…"

"Ah, you're finally awake, Komaeda-kun."

"Alter Ego…So you're babysitting me now?"

Alter Ego nodded, but didn't elaborate. Komaeda smiled sadly. Yes, it was the right decision. Seeing the AI Nanami would only bring back tragic memories, and the luckster didn't feel like his current mental state could withstand reliving such memories. He closed his eyes again, allowing his former classmates' laughter to lull him to sleep.

Hajime woke up to loud chattering surrounding his bed.

"Ah! He's finally waking up!"

He recognized that voice. It belonged to that former child star. Hajime cracked one eye open, still tired from last night's game of hide and seek. Either those kids were just ridiculously fast, or he was getting old…

He got up and was greeted by four pairs of eyes.

"Um…Good morning. Can I help you?"

"Yeah! Why are there dead people inside coffins?!" Masaru asked.

"Masaru!" Nagisa reprimanded.

"What?! How else do you explain that?"

Hajime smiled and patted both boy's heads.

"Don't worry, those aren't dead bodies. Those people are just sleeping."

Kotoko's expression turned pitiful as she clasped her hands together. "Oh my goodness! He doesn't understand the concept of death despite his age!"

"No, I understand death! But those people in the coffins, they're in a coma! They're not really dead! Wait, speaking of…How did you guys break into that room? It should be locked at night…"

"We hacked into the system!" Kotoko answered in a sickeningly sweet voice. "Well…Jataro and Nagisa did. But Masaru and I provided moral support!"

"S-sorry…Were we not supposed to?" Jataro asked, eyes watering.

"N-no, it's fine. Well, not really, but It's not like you broke anything, right?" Looking after kids was tough, Hajime realized. How does Naegi do it?

"No, we didn't!" The brunet quickly replied, shaking his head. "We made sure to set everything back to normal before leaving."

"Okay, good. Is that all you wanted to ask?"

Nagisa fidgeted a bit before taking a deep breath and steeling himself. "Is it true that you're Izuru Kamakura?"

Ah, so that's why. Naegi must have told them.

"Yes, I am."

Nagisa looked taken aback, probably not used to having adults answer his questions so easily. "O-oh, you are…"

Masaru and Kotoko, however, completely lacked his reservations as both immediately jumped on the older boy's bed, talking at once.

"Can you make cute clothes?!"

"Can you transform into a robot?!"

"Can you make sweets?!"

"Can you transform into a dragon?!"

"Can you-"

Hajime let out a hearty chuckle. "Alright, one at a time! But, hmmm….How about we grab breakfast and you can ask questions while we eat?"

"Okay!" They both exclaimed, bounding for the door with Jataro following close behind.

"I'm really sorry about them," Nagisa began, bowing slightly. Hajime smiled down at him and pat his head affectionately.

"It's alright, don't worry about it."

Nagisa nodded. "You're…a lot nicer than I pictured."

"Really? Well, I'll take that as a compliment."

They continued to talk on their way to the cafeteria, with Kotoko and Masaru constantly bombarding him with questions and Nagisa and Jataro adding their input every now and then.

Kotko paused and smiled brightly. "It's Mako-nii!" The grade schooler ran up to Naegi and hugged him as soon as she reached him. The other kids followed suit, all hugging and excitedly greeting the luckster.

"Good morning everyone! I'm glad to see that you all slept well! Ah, Good morning HInata-kun."

"Good morning. Uh, did you check on Komaeda today?"

Naegi's face grew serious. Sensing the change, the kids let go and exchanged worried looks.

"He's fine…But I don't think we should let the kids to talk to him right now."

Masaru pouted as he crossed his arms across his chest. "You mean we came all this way for nothing?"

Naegi let out a chuckle. "You can't see him right now, but you can see him later. Will you all be patient for me?"

"Y-yes, of course! We came here to help you, after all!" Jataro reolied, nodding a bit excessively.

The luckster smiled. "Thanks. I really am grateful you came all this way to help us."

"Well, since we're not meeting with the psycho marshmallow today, can we look at the dead bodies?" Kotoko asked.

"Dead bodies?!"

Hinata let out a frustrated sigh. "For the last time, they're in a coma!"

Mikan Tsumiki woke up to silence. She scanned the room with dreary eyes…So she had survived. Well that was unfortunate. There was no point in living in this world if her beloved were no longer in it…Her beloved…Who was it again?

The sound of several voices from afar snapped her from her thoughts. Ah, they must be coming to punish me…Good. I hope it's a death sentence. This horrible, despairing world…I can't bear to live in it for another second.

"For the last time, they're asleep! Naegi, back me up on thi-"

Brown hair. Red eyes. The tell-tale antenna. Ah, it was him. Izuru Kamakura. She regarded him silently, expression remaining neutral. She no longer felt despair or hope…Just nothingness.

"Tsumiki?"

"Ah, you're right, they really were asleep!" A red haired boy exclaimed, pointing a finger at her.

"Ah, kids, don't get too close!" A brunet dressed in a black suit yelled, pushing the kids further back.

"Huh? Why? Ah, has she been bullying, Mako-nii? That's unforgivable!" A pink haired girl exclaimed, clenching her small fists.

"N-no, that's not it…Ah, Nanami-san, are you there?"

Nanami?

She turned and noticed a large screen for the first time. It flickered to life before revealing a pink haired girl. Her former class rep. Yes…She still remembered everything. Her descent to despair. Her first friend's death. Betrayal. Death. Blood. Beloved. Her head hurt… Ah, she was starting to lose it again…But she couldn't. She had to keep her composure…

A voice, familiar and nostalgic. "Yes, I am. Good morning, Tsumiki-san."

Mikan opened her mouth for the first time, speaking in an even tone. "I'm sorry, but could you all leave me alone for a while? I don't know how long I can keep my composure…"

The suited boy took an expression of alarm as he gently pushed the children away. "Okay kids, why don't we go ask Hanamura-kun if he can teach us how to make some sweets?"

The kids quietly allowed the short brunet to lead them out. Kamakura lingered for a while longer, looking unsure. He exchanged looks with the AI Nanami before nodding his head and turning to leave. Soon after, the screen flickered off, leaving Mikan alone to sort through her thoughts. She closed her eyes as the memories began to slowly flood back in.

Mikan Tsumiki walked down the empty hallways after school. She wiped the tears from her eyes, telling herself repeatedly that she deserved those scoldings and jeers. There was no way someone like her could be an admirable senpai. She was a fool to think that she could gain the respect of her underclassmen, let alone her own peers.

"Tsumiki, as a student of this prestigious academy, I expect better from you!"

"If you're a nurse, why are you covered in bandages?! I don't want to be treated by someone that can't even take care of herself!"

"Ugh, stop apologizing! And what's with your hair?! Gross. I thought all of students in this academy were supposed to be elite."

"You're so clumsy! This school must not be all that great if someone like you got accepted."

She paused and stared out the window. She couldn't hold it in anymore. Her vision started to blur as tears began to flow freely.

I'm pathetic! I'm so pathetic! Even now, nobody will still accept me!

She continued to stand there, crying helplessly until she felt something at her back. It felt like…someone's foot? The foot pushed her down. Mikan quickly picked herself up, rubbing at her face so that her attacker wouldn't have to deal with seeing her awful, snotty, tear-stained face.

"Huh? Oh it's a person. I thought it was a giant bug."

Mikan remained silent. It was true. Her worth could be measured at the same level as a bug. She kept her head down as the clacking of heels became louder.

"Hey! When the great Junko Enoshima addresses you, you're supposed to give me your full attention!"

She felt strong hands grip her head and forcefully lift it up. She came face to face with a pretty young girl with massive pigtails. The girl smiled at her.

"Ah, that's better! Oh..Ewwww." She let go of Mikan's head, wiping her hands on her skirt.

"Ugh, is this snot? Gross. Where you holding a pity party for yourself here?"

"I-I'm sorry…"

"Why are you apologizing? You didn't do anything to me."

"I'm sorry.."

"Ugh, stop apologizing, seriously! Hmmm…." Enoshima rummaged through her bag before producing a tissue packet. She pulled two out and placed one in each hand. With the tissues attached to her hands, the younger girl grabbed Mikan's face again.

"Hm…Yeah, I can work with this." She let go once more and started pulling Mikan's hand.

"Wh-where are we going?!"

"To get you a makeover! Oh, this will be my best project yet! You, my dear, are going to undergo the the biggest, greatest change in your life!"

"Eh?"

She did undergo a change after that. None of her classmates recognized her the first time they saw her new appearance.

Her hair was cut evenly and tied in a ponytail. She wore a cute, pink sweater over her shirt and hiked up her skirt. She wore make up, jewelry, and cute hair accessories. For once, she felt like she belonged. For once, she felt like she might be accepted.

But they didn't.

But it wasn't just her appearance that changed. Each precious minute she spent with Enoshima…It made her stronger. She was able to stand up to her bullies. To Sainoji. Then everyone started avoiding her.

Nanami, the first person who approached her. The first person who wanted to hang out with her, to play games, to eat lunch together. She was the first person who rejected her.

"You've changed." She'd said with sad eyes.

But that didn't matter anymore. None of them mattered anymore. What mattered was that she was happy. No one looked down on her anymore and she had Enoshima - her beloved - at her side.

But that was wrong.

Junko Enoshima had taken advantage of Mikan's gullible nature. It was easy for her to manipulate the older teen, and before long, Mikan Tsumiki unwittingly became the first member of despair.

Ah, yes…I remember now…Back then, I had thought that I had met my guardian angel…But she turned out to be the complete opposite…But it might be to late for me now…

When Mikan woke up again, she could sense several bodies around her. She opened her eyes to see her former classmates sleeping soundly around her coffin. Koizumi, Ibuki, and Sainoji were the closest to her. Her brow furrowed a bit at the mere sight of Sainoji. She hadn't quite forgiven the blonde for all of her bullying, and if she was being completely honest, she didn't regret killing her in the virtual world.

She wasn't quite sure what time it was, but she assumed that it was probably late at night. The doors opened and the short brunet from earlier came into view. He came in carrying a pile of blankets, with two more suited figures following him.

The girl noticed her and stopped in her tracks.

"She's awake."

The brunet peeked over the many blankets he was carrying and flashed her a smile. "Good morning! Ah, or should I say good evening? How are you feeling?"

"Like I just killed two people."

"O-oh…That's…Um…"

The purple haired girl moved forward and began laying the blankets on her classmates. The other two boys soon followed suit. The brunet suddenly stopped in front of four smaller figures…The children from earlier. He smiled warmly at them and lay a blanket carefully over their bodies.

"I was worried about how they'd get along with our senpai, but it looks like I had nothing to worry about." The boy looked up and Mikan followed his line of vision. Sleeping next to the kids…was Kamakura.

The suited girl stooped down next to the brunet and laid a blanket over Kamakura.

"They have similar pasts…Everyone in this room…They've all fallen victim to her despair."

Despair? Ah, they must be talking about Enoshima.

One of the kids, a blue haired boy, shifted before jolting awake.

"Mako-nii!"

The older boy put a finger to his mouth in a shushing gesture.

"What is it, Nagisa?"

The boy nodded and lowered his voice. "Everyone was worried about their friend that woke up…They said that they wanted to be with her when she woke up again so that she wouldn't feel lonely and then Kotoko suggested that we all have a sleepover and it seemed fun so I…"

The older boy…Mako? He merely chuckled and ruffled Nagisa's hair.

"That sounds like fun!"

Nagisa smiled, blushing slightly. "Yes…It was…"

Mako turned to finally look at her. "My name is Makoto Naegi. It's nice to meet you."

His other two companions joined him.

"I am Kyouko Kirigri."

"Byakuya Togami."

"I'm Nagisa Shingetsu. It's nice to meet you."

Mikan felt herself nod. Did they expect her to introduce herself too?

"…Mikan Tsumiki."

Kamukura jolted awake just then, brow furrowed and breathing heavily. It looked as though he'd awakened from a nightmare. Mak- Naegi was at his side in an instant, calming him down and helping him through breathing exercises. It looked as though they'd done this before. The kids sleeping next to him woke up to the commotion. Upon seeing the state he was in, they all instantly wrapped their hands around his, offering support until he calmed down. After Kamakura's breathing returned to normal, he thanked Naegi and the kids.

He finally turned to face her, and his smile broke into a bright grin.

"Tsumiki! You're awake! Oh." He paused and looked her up and down before letting out another smiled. "I like your haircut. It suits you."

It was then that Mikan remembered. After Junko Enoshima's death, she had become depressed. So much so that simply looking at the mirror, looking at the clothes, hair, and make up Enoshima had chosen for her, brought her down to a sobbing mess. Instead of bright, flashy clothes with too short skirts, she now wore the kind of nurse uniform a suburban mom in American TV shows would wear. Her hair was cut shorter, albeit more now more even, reaching up to her shoulders.

No one praised her for this more conservative look, but people feared her all the same. And more importantly, she could look at her reflection again without having a mental breakdown.

But hearing what Kamakura - no, what Hinata had said….It was the first time anyone had praised her for something she'd chosen to do herself.

The tears fell before she realized it. She probably looked hideous. Like a pig. But she smiled anyway as she said; "Thank you, Hinata-kun."

Omake:

Kyouko Kirigiri and Byakuya Togami looked up at the monitor, observing the 77th class.

"A lot of them remind me of our previous classmates…It's quite nostalgic." Kyouko observed.

Togami nodded. "Yes, it is. But their class's SHSL Good Luck."

"You noticed as well?"

"How could I not? The way they dress. Their hairstyle. Even their voices sound identical."

"Yes. But even so-"

The door opened as Naegi rushed in, arms full of refreshments.

"I'm back! I thought you guys might be getting hungry, so I got some snacks from the kitchen."

At that moment, Kyouko and Togami had the same thought.

Our SHSL Good Luck is way cuter.

*Hiyoko are chick-shaped biscuits with filling insides with bean paste filling.

*Waves at chapter as I chug down a glass of milk because I still can't stand the taste of coffee* Heeeere it is.

If you want to discuss with me/scream with me/ask about headcanons about this or any other randoms I'm in, feel free to hit me up on my tumblr. My username is jheyjette.