"Hope!" Normal Speech

'Despair!' People's thoughts

"Truth!" Flashbacks

Disclaimer: I have as much ownership of the Danganronpa series as you do dear reader.

AN: Thanks to both RWBYJNPR and Zephyrius29 for beta-reading this chapter.

AN2: Other tags for this story (since the site only gives you 2): Mystery/Friendship/Drama.

Chapter 12

Hope Of The Future – Despair Of The Past

"I will never let anything happen to you." He spoke with conviction and nothing but determination shining in his gaze. Brown eyes clashed against a pair of blue ones belonging to the squirming girl lying right in front of him.

"Y-you mean it…?" The girl in question could only ask while doing her best to keep eye contact, even as she felt the heat reaching her cheeks. She knew it was dumb, to act all skittish like this considering the situation, but she just couldn't help it! She could even feel her heart threatening to burst out of her chest, and just wondering if the young man kneeling in front of her could hear that was enough to make her embarrassment even fiercer.

"Of course." And then he smiled, that same smile that could make her legs turn into jelly with the greatest of ease. These type of things had never been her strong suit, so to have him acting like this, so close to her to the point that he was almost holding her… She could only be glad that she was already down on the floor.

Her lips parted, but no sound came out of them. She knew what she had to say now, of course. She hadn't had any real issue memorizing what she had to say in the first place, and she would be lying if she hadn't already practiced saying it before from time to time.

Speaking to a mirror though, was far easier than this. If she could actually bare her heart like that then she wouldn't become such a mess just with his touch, right? Her best friend has always told her to have more confidence in herself and be more assertive, but the only thing she wanted to do right now was to crawl in a hole and hide.

But then again…could there a better moment than this? She had already been dragged into doing this, leaving her so close to what she wanted the most, so why not take the chance? The knots forming themselves on her stomach told her not to, but the longing inside of her spoke of a different story.

How long, after all, would she be able to wait before she lost her chance for good?

Her lips trembled just as she felt the palms of her hands becoming a sweaty mess. She would have to make him understand then, beyond any doubt what she truly meant.

So just as the gaze from the object of her affection slowly turned into a worried one, she closed her eyes and opened her mouth, for the thing that she had wanted to say for so long now demanded to be left out, even if the embarrassment killed her.

"I…!"

Whap

"Ouch!"

"Flirting in the middle of the battlefield…Have you no shame, Hero?"

And just like that, the moment was gone. Whether it was because of the sound of wood smacking something, the cry of pain from the Luckster kneeling in front of her, or the annoyed glare she was receiving from the red-eyed underclassmen standing in front of her, the Ultimate Swimming Pro wasn't able to say.

She had to admit though, that was one scary glare the one she was receiving at the moment, a glare that was only lessened by the outfit the girl in question was wearing.

Not like she had any room to talk considering what she herself was wearing at the moment though.

"Wait…that wasn't on the script."

Such comment was quick to earn the attention of the trio, even as the resident time-traveler of the group helped his classmate to get back on her feet while doing his best to act as if he wasn't feeling the daggers being thrown at him in the form of a quite cold glare from his right.

What did he do now? He was just following the script as best as he could! He didn't remember getting hit like that being part of it though.

Not that she would question the still glaring younger Ultimate, however, for he was still rubbing the back of his head and something told him she wasn't above a repeat performance.

Instead, his gaze moved to the one that had voiced his concerns when it came to the script of their little play. Such action brought his focus to a young blue-haired boy, definitely no older than twelve, standing in front of the stage they had been using so far.

Said boy was too busy looking at a stack of papers in his hand, almost as if he was trying to find something wrong with it. The Luckster knew he was right however, for as far as he can remember this was the part in which the childhood friend and first member of the party finally confessed her feelings towards the Hero right before their final confrontation with the Dark Witch.

Suffice to say, such a thing didn't happen, which was probably for the best all things considered. Sure, his head now stung a bit, but it had been obvious just how embarrassed with the whole thing Aoi had been.

Not like he hadn't been either, but by now he had gotten a lot better when it came to these types of acts.

"Who cares?!" And the reason for that was the pink-haired young girl standing right beside the blue-haired boy with a look of nothing but satisfaction present on her face. "Just imagine it! Everyone thinks the evil Witch is just a callous monster, but with each confrontation against the Hero, she starts growing fond of him! To the point that she can't live without him and it shows when she grows jealous of the love between the Hero and his party!"

The young girl in question ended her ramble with a content sigh leaving her lips just as her eyes told a story of a girl fantasizing with things beyond anyone's understanding, especially the blue-haired boy that kept looking at her as if she had lost her mind.

As for the Luckster himself, he could only give a wry smile, not only because of the action of the two kids but also because of the rather fierce poking that he kept receiving on his ribs, courtesy of the black-haired girl still glaring to his side.

"I'm not doing that." The Ultimate Child Caregiver, Harukawa Maki, hissed in a slow tone so that only Makoto would hear her, but her words only got a slightly confused expression from the ahoge-boy in question.

"But…you were already dressed like that before we arrived." That was the truth, after all, for the first thing that he got to see as soon as he had arrived into the Elementary Course was that of what could only be described as a cosplaying Maki.

He definitely would know, because by now he could recognize the Ultimate Cosplayer's work anywhere.

Suffice to say, Maki had promised a swift death to anyone that dared to mention this to anyone, especially to her classmates.

"…shut up." The black-haired girl in question could only mutter before looking swiftly to the side, and at that moment the Luckster could have sworn there had been a tint of pink appearing on her cheeks.

He decided, as his survival instinct told him, to not comment on how those clothes actually suited her way too much. He had done the same to the still breathless Swimmer to his other side, after all, and her reaction had been a worrying one, to say the least.

"But, shouldn't we work with what we have already?" Hearing the blue-haired boy complain once more, Makoto was quick to bring his attention to the duo again, just in time to see the pink-haired girl moving her finger from side to side in front of the boy's face.

"This is why I'm in charge, Nagisa-kun."

"Kotoko…" And for his part, the young boy known as Shingetsu Nagisa, could only sigh quietly, deciding that arguing with his normally stubborn classmate was not worth the effort.

Someone didn't share his views, however.

"This is all so lame!" It was a red-headed boy the one that spoke next in an obviously bored tone from behind the duo, right before a grin appeared on his face. Before anyone could react the boy had already jumped on the stage and stood right in front of the Luckster with no small amount of excitement showing on his blue eyes.

"C'mon Aniki! Let's go play something else!" The boy spoke while pretty much shaking in his spot. He even tried to drag the time-traveler by the hand, to which Makoto could only smile at how active the red-head could be.

"Masaru-kun…" It wasn't really a surprise, however, considering how he was dealing with the one Daimon Masaru.

Masaru's attempt at dragging him, however, was stopped almost immediately by someone slapping him right on the back of his head, earning the boy's ire as he glared straight at the pink-haired girl that had joined them on the stage.

"What gives, Kotoko?!"

"Onii-san already promised me to help me with this play, so I won't have you ruining it for me, Masaru!" Utsugi Kotoko was not one to relent though, so even while facing a glaring Masaru the only thing she did was to glare straight back for a couple of seconds, right before moving her attention to the Luckster in question, her previous glare changing so quickly into a smile that anyone would have missed it if they had blinked it.

"Isn't that right, Onii-san?" She said cutely just as she grabbed his hand with both of hers, and with the young girl looking up at with such an expression he found it hard to do anything besides nodding, earning a victorious grin from the girl which she made sure to aim at the fuming red-head.

"That's not fair; you've been hogging him all day with your stupid play!" Masaru stomped on his foot while almost growling, but it was hardly a threatening visage in the Luckster's opinion. "Why can't you just get someone else to help you?!"

"Who am I supposed to get? You would just ruin everything and Jataro-kun is too shy!" The girl whined right before pointing at the last of the trio that was coming closer. "And Nagisa-kun would just dream about Monaca-chan all day!"

"I-wha-that's…!" The boy in question could only splutter in response, with even the tips of his ears going red. He would not, thank you very much!

"Everyone, please…" As for the oldest of the bunch, the brown-haired teen tried to stop what he knew was an oncoming argument, but he certainly found himself unable to do so once he ended up becoming the figurative rope in the pulling game between Masaru and Kotoko, with both children holding each of his hands and refusing to let go no matter what.

And with Nagisa just muttering to himself on the side, something told the time-traveled that he wasn't getting any help with his predicament.

And watching this spectacle was a group formed of three girls, each one wearing clothes that they certainly weren't used to see, let alone actually use.

Two of them, in particular, knew that they wouldn't use such clothes unless actually necessary, but it was simply hard to say no to the Luckster, especially considering the reason behind their outfits.

"He's really going to spoil them rotten." The red-head and oldest of the group spoke with a shake of her head, although nothing but fondness could be found in her tone. She knew she was just the same as him in that regard though, for there was one small blonde on her class that she certainly favored more than she should. Mahiru knew, after all, that if someone didn't look out for her class they would most certainly become a mess.

Just like the other two, her normal uniform had also been replaced by clothes one would find in one of the games her Class Representative enjoyed so much, however unlike the other two girls whose costumes were supposed to be of a Dark Mage and a Fighter, hers was supposed to make her the Priest of the group, or at least that's what the kids had explained after showing the costumes to them.

The only reason she hadn't been participating on that last scene is that her character had already died before, so she had been relegated to taking pictures from the side, although something told her that red-eyed Ultimate of the three wouldn't let her show such pictures around.

Of course, Makoto himself was also sporting his own costume, which apparently was supposed to make him the Hero of the tale. Such a thing didn't surprise any of the three girls though, for they knew that when it came to these particular children, favoritism towards Makoto was putting it lightly.

Not that they were that different on that regard, either.

"Naegi-kun just doesn't know how to refuse to someone." It was Aoi the one that followed up with a fond smile on her lips, just as she watched the tugging match between the two kids become even fiercer.

"He also has a soft spot for them." Mahiru certainly lost count of how many times Makoto got too busy because he was doing something on the Elementary Course of the school. She could only wonder if it had to do with him being an older brother.

Considering how aggressive, for lack of better terms, these kids had been towards everyone she knew at the start, she could only assume that Makoto was a natural with kids.

"He isn't the only one!" And to the Swimmer's words, both girls turned to look at the younger Ultimate that had been silent so far, who simply narrowed her eyes at them before huffing quietly, her body moving soon after.

"I'll go and change." Maki declared with aloofness, deciding that leaving was better than dealing with teasing from her seniors. Besides, the less she spends with these clothes the better.

Cosplaying still left a sour taste in her mouth, after all.

"W-wait, Harukawa-san!" Mahiru was quick to follow, however, with a small smile still on her lips, for as comfortable as the costumes were, they could only handle so much embarrassment.

Aoi was not going to be left behind, of course, but just as she was about to follow her gaze ended up trailing towards the Luckster once more, this time her visage turning into one of worry.

Surely, her blonde classmate was just exaggerating, right? Makoto would certainly tell them if something was truly wrong...right?

With a sigh he walked once again into the theatre, his normal uniform once more present on his body while a bag on his shoulder hid the Hero costume that he had been wearing a while before.

Without even noticing it, his gaze moved to the ceiling of the ample area that was the theater, and once again he was reminded that a school like Hope's Peak truly went all out whenever it could, for even though this place wasn't located on the Main Building, it was still more than enough to leave him breathless, even though it was hardly the first time he had been at such a place.

Truly, even the Elementary Course was on a whole other level compared with the rest of the world.

Then again, considering that such a place held those that would move forward into the Main Course, kids that couldn't even be considered teenagers, and yet already had the title of Ultimates that set them apart from the norm.

Or rather, Li'l Ultimate if he had to be specific.

Semantics aside, with the Elementary Course's objective being to form the Ultimates of the future from a young age, he supposed it wasn't weird that the school wasted no effort to help on their growth.

But then again, no place in Hope's Peak was ever perfect, now was it?

Another sigh left his lips just as he stopped walking, his position high on the last sets of seats allowing him to see the form of three of the kid that by now meant the world to him, to the point that he couldn't believe he had never met them in the future until a few days before his journey.

Utsugi Kotoko, the Li'l Ultimate Drama.

Daimon Masaru, the Li'l Ultimate P.E

And of course, Shingetsu Nagisa, the Li'l Ultimate Social Studies.

They weren't the whole group, but he knew he would be seeing the missing members of their little group soon enough. He would have loved to have them all here at the same time, but while one was sure to arrive soon enough, the other one, well…

She was a completely different matter altogether.

Then again, weren't all of them exceptional? And as his gaze watched the bossy Kotoko order around a grumbling Masaru to clean up the place while a focused Nagisa seemed to try and put everything Kotoko wanted on the new script, he could only think how they were all amazing on their own rights.

Not because of their talents, even though that was impressive by itself.

Not because of the fact that in a few years they would be joining the Main Course.

But simply because they were still able to just smile.

And with that thought, others followed soon after. Thoughts that had his hands curling into fists with enough strength to make his knuckles go white.

It wasn't easy to make him this upset, he was sure anyone that knew him could make that clear.

But when it came to these kids, he just couldn't help it whenever the knowledge of their lives made itself present on his mind.

They didn't deserve such a thing. No one did.

Families were supposed to love each other, to support one another, to always be there!

And yet, what their families had done to them… It was unforgivable.

Just like he could never be able to truly forgive Enoshima Junko for what she had done, he knew for a fact he would never be able to forgive those families.

And as far as it concerned him, they would never see these kids ever again. A sentiment that he knew each one of the Li'l Ultimates shared.

Just thinking of some of the things that they did to them, happening to his own little sister…

"They're strong."

Before his own thoughts made his blood boil, a cool voice took him out of that trail of thoughts. He could only be grateful for that to be honest, for the last thing he wanted was to show such a face to those kids.

Knowing them, they might start thinking it was their fault.

"They are." He replied with pride, not even having to turn to know that it was Maki the one that had moved to stand right alongside him. Besides him, the one that knew that fact better than anyone else was most definitely the black-haired girl to his side.

Because he understood by now, that she was the only other person in the school that had been able to connect with the members of the 'Trouble-maker' class, as the school liked to put it.

He wasn't a fan of that title, to say the least.

"We are similar." Such had been Maki's answer when he had asked how she had done it months ago, and he could only be glad that they had found someone else they could trust besides him. They weren't truly a fan of most of the school, and the reason that he had even brought along both Aoi and Mahiru was that out of everyone, they were the ones that the kids accepted the most as of late, even if it was reluctant at best.

There was also certain older Luckster, but that relationship was as one-sided as it could get if anyone asked him.

"Even strong people need help though," Makoto spoke after a couple of minutes of nothing but silence, his gaze then moving towards the girl that offered nothing but a questioning glance, to which he could only smile in return. "Thank you for being there for them."

"You were there first, I didn't do much," Maki replied quickly, while her right hand started to play with one of her long pig-tails without even realizing it. "Besides… I needed to keep an appearance, that's all…"

He knew what she meant by that, he truly did, after all as far as the majority of the school was concerned; Harukawa Maki held the title of Ultimate Child Caregiver, and nothing else.

He knew better of course, but he wasn't going to bring up such a subject right now. He was more than sure, however, that it was more than just for appearance's sake.

His lips parted, for on the back of his head he found the necessity of saying something to the red-eyed younger Ultimate. He didn't however, and instead simply offered a hand, one that was quick to fall onto the girl's shoulder.

He felt her tense for just a moment under his touch, but it didn't take long for her body to relax, even as they kept their silent watch over their young wards. There weren't any words that he could offer to the black-haired girl by now, but he knew that right now this was more than enough.

Such was the nature of their relationship, he knew.

She didn't need anyone giving her pity, so he didn't offer it.

Instead, he just offered her someone that wouldn't judge her and her past.

Strong people also needed help, those words were nothing short of the truth.

"To see Naegi-chan and Harukawa-chan here, everyone must be so happy!"

He removed his hand from the girl's shoulder as soon as the squeaky voice filled their ear, knowing that it was something Maki would appreciate, for just like others that he knew, Maki wasn't what one would call a people's person, especially when it came to embarrassing stuff.

He turned his body to the side, an action that was followed by Maki, with both of their eyes quickly focusing on the white and pink rabbit that was practically crying tears of joy.

It sounded a little less weird when you added the fact that it was just a projection on a screen, courtesy of the woman on the wheelchair that was slowly approaching them.

"It's good to see you, Gekkogahara-senpai!" The Luckster greeted the light blue-haired woman with a smile on his face, his gaze then moving from her screen that showed her way of communicating to the small figure almost hiding behind her chair.

"Jataro-kun." It took him less than a second to recognize one of his missing kids, his brown eyes meeting the shy gaze of the hood-wearing Kemuri Jataro.

He always felt pride by the fact that the Li'l Ultimate Art had ditched his mask a long time ago, although the fact that he had replaced it with a hood that was pretty much a carbon copy of his own left him with a few conflicted feelings.

Baby steps he knew, and he would give them all the time in the world.

He kneeled on his spot, allowing him to be on eye level with the brown-eyed boy. Almost immediately, Jataro understood his invitation and moved from behind the Ultimate Therapist, and glued himself to the Luckster's side, with a wry smile forming itself on Makoto's lips at such an action.

"You were helping Gekkogahara-senpai then?" He asked with as much kindness as he could muster, with the only answer he earned being the boy nodding from where he was holding onto his arm.

"He was! Kirigiri-san already has me checking on the next batch for the Elementary Division!" It was Usami the one that answered in a voice filled with happiness, with the magical girl-looking rabbit even bouncing on the screen for added effect.

"Thank you for that, Jataro-kun." Makoto continued just as he put his hand above the boy's head, with his action making the hold that Jataro had on his arm becoming a bit tighter.

He opened his mouth to continue his praise, but he was stopped once he felt more than a couple of stares drilling holes on his back.

He turned his head around slightly, just enough to give his attention to the seats that were to his right.

Or rather, the three kids that were standing on said seats, with Kotoko simply pouting while Masaru watched with open jealousy, all the while Nagisa simply kept a narrowed gaze.

Why did he suddenly felt as if he was cheating on someone?

"Jataro-kun is a sly one." Kotoko grumbled from her spot, her words actually earning a nod from Nagisa. Before they could say more, however, it was Masaru the one that took the leap.

Literally as a matter of fact.

"Wow!" The Luckster had to steady himself as the sudden weight of the young red-head landed on his shoulder, with his left hand immediately moving to support the boy that now sat on his shoulders while his right one kept a secure hold on Jataro, who simply refused to release him from his grip.

"That was dangerous, Daimon." The one that reproached the Li'l Ultimate was Maki herself, who simply kept looking at the sight with her arms crossed below her chest.

Not that the blue-eyed boy even heard her, however, for he was too busy enjoying his new spot. His sudden movement had forced the Luckster to stand up properly to get a better balance, after all, easily putting Masaru above everyone else while Jataro decided to move his grip to Makoto's right leg.

"Hey, you could have hurt Onii-san, you idiot!" Kotoko pretty much barked from her seat, but the only thing she got in response was Masaru sticking his tongue out.

"He's going to hurt himself one of these days." Nagisa said under his breath, barely high enough for the rest to hear.

"You're all just jealous you didn't think of it first!" The victorious grin Masaru sported only gained the ire of the Li'l Ultimate Drama, who was more than ready to give the knucklehead a piece of her mind if she had to.

"Now now kids, fighting is just no good!" Makoto could only chuckle at the vain attempt by the Ultimate Therapist to defuse the situation.

He knew something had to be done, however. He knew that their arguments were generally nothing but their way of showing that they cared, but he didn't want for the pink-haired girl to try and crawl her way up his body.

It wouldn't be the first time, and he was sure his ahoge could still remember the pain from that day.

"Eh?!" In the end, Masaru's victory was short-lived, for Makoto was quick to put him down from his shoulder and into the floor right in front of him, simply earning a pout from the hyperactive kid.

"Kotoko-chan, Nagisa-kun" The time-traveled called the duo next, making the two share a look before walking from their seat to stand in front of the once again kneeling Luckster, framing Masaru who stood on the middle.

"I actually came here to tell you something." Makoto revealed slowly, earning confused looks not only from the three kids, but even Jataro raised his gaze to look up at him in wonder, while both Maki and Miaya, or rather Usami, looked in confusion.

"I…wanted to apologize," Makoto spoke with nothing but regret in his voice, earning a wide-eyed look from the Li'l Ultimates. "For not being here as much as before… I have no excuses."

Yes, it was true that things had started to become a lot more hectic as of late, especially since the school year began. The message that he had received barely a few days ago hadn't helped at all, but in his mind, none of those was a valid enough excuse.

He had promised his sister before traveling back here that he would do his best to help these kids, and even though he had done as best as he could in his mind it was simply not enough yet.

Especially when it came to the missing member of the group.

"What are you talking about, Aniki?!" Masaru was the first one to react with a confused look on his face, truly having no idea why someone like his big brother would be apologizing as if he had done something wrong.

"Nii-san… Did someone say something to you?" Nagisa questioned without much delay, with a gaze filled with accusation suddenly aimed at Usami, who could only cower under the gaze.

It didn't help that Kotoko followed quickly with a glare of her own.

"No, it's something that I have been thinking for a while." Makoto's words of finality, however, were enough to gather their attention once more. "I should be here more with you all. I promised, after all."

"Onii-san, we…" Kotoko tried to follow up, but she just ended up scrunching her face, almost as if she didn't know what words to say at that moment. "We don't want to be a burden to Onii-san…That's why we're fine even if it just once in a while."

It was a fear that their whole group had, after all.

For if there was something that they had all learned to treasure, to the point that it became the main subject whenever they argued with one another, it was the time that their big brother would come to play with them.

Sometimes there wasn't even enough time for that, so they just talked, they told him about their day, their week. About the things they wanted to do with him, there were simply no lies between their group and their older brother.

And they loved him for that, because he cared. He cared when no one else did, and he kept caring even after a whole year.

And the fear of missing that, being left alone by themselves once more, it was the nightmare that they all shared in common, even if they never talked about it, scared of the reaction they would get.

"You are not a burden, none of you are!" The steel in Makoto's voice caught everyone by surprise, but hearing such a thing coming from any of them was enough to leave him in a bad mood. Not aimed at them of course, it was never aimed at them, but at those that had betrayed their trust like this.

"That's why…That's why I want your help." He continued in a soft tone while making sure to make eye contact with each of them. "So that I can be a better older brother…If you ever need anything, or if something happens…Please, don't think I won't help you."

Because that's what scared him the most right now. If there was truly someone out there calling themselves Ultimate Despair then, the last thing he wanted was for any of the kids to become a victim to the monster that was Ultimate Despair.

He managed to keep them away from Junko's reach, so there was no way in hell he would let anyone else turning them like that.

Then again, for all the horrible things Junko had done in his future, he couldn't find a fault in saving these kids. Yes, she did it simply out convenience and amusement, but at least it gave them all a fighting chance.

Nagisa, Kotoko and Masaru seemed to not know what to say for that, for when they had seen the Luckster today the last thing they thought would happen was a conversation like this. They still tried to look strong, however, blinking away the small tears that suddenly threatened to spill from the corner of their eyes.

"Makoto-nii…"

In the end, though, it was the most silent one of the group the one that acted instead, with Jataro's soft voice suddenly being heard, the boy's brown eyes still looking up firmly at Makoto's face.

"Makoto-nii… won't leave us?" He asked, almost timidly, his grip on Makoto's clothes becoming tighter without even realizing it.

"Of course not!" And the Luckster's response came out immediately and without hesitation. They had grown too much on him by now, just like everyone else from the Main Course had. "I'll always be here for all of you."

"Then…that's enough… for us." And with those words, Jataro's gaze moved once more to the floor, and before Makoto was allowed to say anything else, a chorus of agreements was the follow up from the three, now smiling children in front of him, smiles that told him of pain that no kid should ever have to experience.

Enough for them? Maybe that was actually the case.

But to him, there simply wasn't such a thing as enough.

With heavy steps he walked forward, gaze down as his legs dragged his body through the halls of the Elementary Division.

There wasn't much difference between these hallways and those that filled both the Reserve Course and the Main Course, to the point that he knew he would have confused the whole layout of the place if he didn't know better by now.

But with Aoi, Mahiru, and Maki distracting the Li'l Ultimates, he knew that it was now or never that he could go to that place.

Then again, with the looks he had received from the kids, something told him that they understood what he was going to do. Not a real surprise, however, considering how it involved the leader of their little group.

With one last step his body went still, and his lowered gaze moved to focus on the plain brown door in front of him, one that he was certainly familiar with, especially considering the small drawing that was supposed to symbolize the owner of said room.

It wasn't like he didn't want to see her, for he certainly did. She was as important to him as everyone else from their group, the Warrior of Hopes as they sometimes liked to call themselves, although he knew it was a name Maki wasn't very fond of.

He found it cute, however, even if the name had come from one heck of a weird rambling by the Luckster of the year above him.

But even so, he still felt more than a bit of trepidation in his body, for he knew how this kind of things usually went.

He needed to be certain however, that this so-called Ultimate Despair hadn't done anything to any of them, for he knew how easy it would be, for something like Despair to entice these kids once more…

And considering their lives, in the bottom of his heart he knew that he wouldn't be able to blame them if it happened, and that the only ones he would fault for that were the families that had failed them, and he himself for not being able to save them.

That didn't mean he would ever stop trying, however.

"Monaca-chan?" He called her name as soon as his fist knocked on the door, doing his best to keep any of such feelings away from his voice. The girl was perceptive, he knew, and he didn't need for her to get the wrong idea.

"It's open, Onii-chan!" And from the other side, a voice filled with nothing but elation answered back immediately, one that had him nodding before going through the door and closing it behind him, his eyes now catching a glimpse of a room not much different from those in the others sections of the room.

His focus never went to the room itself; however, for by now he was used to the rather simplistic approach that the owner of said room took when it came to decoration. Instead, his eyes had moved as if they had been attracted by a magnet, and his gaze had focused immediately on the green-haired girl sitting lonely in the middle of the room.

And just like he had done, the young girl had focused her attention on the newcomer of the room, with brown meeting green, and the girl giving him what he could only describe as a loving smile from her spot on her wheelchair, with the book she had been seemingly reading now resting closed on her lap.

"Welcome back, Onii-chan." The green-eyed girl spoke with a tone that easily matched her smile. He found the happiness emanating from the girl known as the Li'l Ultimate Homeroom to be contagious however, considering that a smile of his own found its way to his lips at such a sight.

"I'm back, Monaca-chan." It was a little ritual of theirs by now, one that he knew meant more for the green-haired girl than what one would normally think.

He moved to sit on the edge of the bed, leaving him as close as possible to the owner of the room, whose gaze followed him along the entire time almost as if he would disappear if she even did as much as just blinking.

"I just wanted to check on you." The Luckster explained. "You weren't with the others so I got a bit worried…"

A small giggle from the girl was his response, right before she extended her right hand towards the Luckster, an act that made him act on instinct by now, with him also moving his left hand to meet the girl, with her smaller, softer palm fitting almost perfectly on his on hand.

"Onii-chan always worried about Monaca." The girl spoke softly just as her thumb traced circles upon the Luckster's palm. "That makes Monaca really happy."

"Monaca-chan…" Makoto wasn't one to just ignore the obvious though, even if it might get an unpleasant reaction from the girl, he still knew he had to talk to her about it. "Why… why weren't you with the others? It wasn't the same without you."

His words were seemingly ignored, however, for it seemed Monaca preferred to keep her attention on their intertwined hands. He opened his mouth to ask once more, but he was beaten to the punch by the young Ultimate.

"Onii-chan didn't come alone." She said without an ounce of doubt, for she knew that for a fact. In response he could only nod slowly, after all lying would do more harm than good.

"Asahina-san and Koizumi-senpai came to help…" He explained, his gaze carefully looking at whatever reaction the green-haired girl could have. "Harukawa-san was already there too."

Monaca simply nodded along with his words, and for the first time today he saw her smile falter just as the corner of her lips twitched downwards. It was so fast he might have mistaken it for a trick of his mind if he hadn't known better.

"Onii-chan is so kind…" Monaca whispered with her head lowered, right before she retrieved her hand from Makoto's hold, with both of her hands now close to her chest. "But he's also cruel sometimes."

"Monaca-chan!" The Luckster stood up abruptly, his gaze a shocked one as he felt guilt sipping into his body as a result of the girl's words. He knew that among everyone from her group, that it was Monaca the one that hated dealing with others the most, to the point that she would rather seclude herself sometimes over having to deal with anyone that she considered dangerous.

Which by now he knew it meant everyone except him. Even her close friends, the other Li'l Ultimates, she didn't trust them completely, a fact that became more apparent with each interaction that he had with the group.

Because Towa Monaca had been rejected by the world that was supposed to keep her safe, so now she rejected the world back without hesitation and with a smile on her face, even as the rest of the Warriors of Hope slowly, but surely, tried to move forward.

He attempted to walk towards her, to assure her that he would never treat her like that, but before he was able to do such a thing it, it was Monaca herself the one that made the first move.

Because this was the Monaca that only he was allowed to see. A side of her that not even the other four kids of their group knew about, of the normally wheelchair-bound little girl slowly standing up from her seat, her legs wobbling a bit as she did but otherwise not showing any sign of being damaged at all.

And with an empty gaze on her green eyes, the Li'l Ultimate Homeroom gave one tentative step forward, followed by another not even a second later.

And then, before he even realized it, he had her head glued to his mid-section and her arms circled tightly behind his back in a tight hug, one that he found himself doing his best to reciprocate giving their height.

"Monaca loves Onii-chan more than anything else." Even though her words sounded muffled, he was still able to understand her. "But Onii-chan still prefers to be with others over Monaca."

"That's not true!" He tried his best to reassure her with his words, but the only thing he felt was the shake of her head against his clothes.

"Then…will Onii-chan stay here with me then?" Monaca raised her head to give an upward look to the Luckster, with nothing but need showing in her green orbs, almost to the point of desperation.

"Of course." And against such a look, what else could he do but to agree?

Was it the best choice? He wasn't sure for he certainly wasn't an expert, but the guilty eating him on the inside didn't allow him to even think of refusing.

Because if there was one thing that he regretted, it was the fact that he wasn't able to help any of them sooner, for by the time he had arrived back in the past, by the time he had been able to do anything for them, it had already been too late.

The damage had already been done long before he even met them.

And now, the only thing he could do was to stay with them no matter what, even if it left him on the blacklist of an organization like the Towa Group.

"Anything you need, Monaca-chan. You know I'll do my best to help." He continued reassuring her with the best smile he could offer.

In return, he saw a bit of light going back into Monaca's green eyes. The young girl opened her mouth then, with more than a bit of hesitation showing in her quivering form right before she allowed herself to speak her mind.

"Then… can Monaca go live with Onii-chan?" Her request came out in a soft whisper, almost like a whimper. "Monaca promises to be good, Onii-chan, so please!"

And as always, it was a request that wrenched his heart, not because of the reasons behind it.

But because he knew that it was one he would not be able to fulfill.

And to Monaca, who by now he understood wanted nothing else than to be his family, for him to be the older brother she never really had, denying this request once more was probably the most hurtful thing he could do to her.

It killed him on the inside, but what else could he do? He knew the rules, for Monaca and the other members of the Warriors of Hope were wards of the school.

It had been the best compromise he had been able to get in order to get them away from their abusive families, and while he knew that they were more than happy to be away from their so-called families, he was also aware that they yearned for more than to just live inside the walls of Hope's Peak Academy.

And if he could, he would have given them all what they wanted a long time ago.

But he wasn't able to, at least not right now. The Headmaster had been more than adamant that if he wanted for this to work, that the kids needed to stay at Hope's Peak.

The school having the custody over them already put the school on thin ice in case anything happened to them, so if words got around that they were living with a student no less, the consequences could put them all in jeopardy.

Especially considering how the Steering Committee was trying to find anything to take the Headmaster's position away from one Kirigiri Jin.

"Monaca-chan, I…" He tried to find the right words, for he could already see the pain of rejection starting to show once more on the girl's face. Each time he came to her, each time she made that request and he denied it, it always made a dent in his resolve.

And with everything that was happening around him, said resolve could barely even take anything else, let alone the pleading look of the girl.

"How about…" He started slowly while rubbing the top of the girl's face in an attempt at soothing her. It had always worked with Komaru after all. "How about you come and stay the weekend?"

"R-really?!" It actually took a few seconds for Monaca to process what she had just heard, but when she did her face light up in a way that the Luckster rarely ever saw.

Sure, it wasn't what Monaca had asked, but for the girl that wanted nothing but her real brother's attention, it was more than what she could have hoped for.

"Of course!" A grin quickly appeared on his lips at seeing her in such a state. That child-like happiness that he wanted to protect. "I'll come to pick you up on Friday, I promise!"

He knew he would have to talk about it with not only his parents but with the Headmaster himself, but he was sure that they would be able to come to an agreement.

Kotoko, Masaru, Nagisa, Jataro and Monaca, they had all already been through so much in his eyes.

And as the girl spilled tears of happiness on his shirt while repeatedly muttering 'thank you' over and over, he could only think about how there wasn't anything wrong with them being selfish from time to time.

"You know I appreciate it and all…But you sure you're alright there?" Hinata Hajime asked in obvious worry as he gave the Luckster to his side a frown, one that was met with a half-smile from Makoto's end.

"Yeah, I just…wanted to spend some time here." The Luckster spoke right before a yawn left his lips, one that only had the student of the Reserve Course shaking his head.

"You look like you need a bed, not the floor." He commented as they both sat right outside Hajime's classroom, with multiple students from the Reserve Course walking by in front of them, most of them greeting the tired Luckster as soon as they walked past them.

"Its fine, really!" It really wasn't, especially with how he had stayed with the Warriors of Hope until classes had ended. It took more goading that he would have liked, but he had been able to convince Monaca to join the others alongside him, albeit only after the Ultimates of the Main Course had left for class.

He would need to ask Kyoko about what things they saw in class today, something that only made him more tired just by thinking about it.

"C'mon Makoto, at least close your eyes for a bit. You look like you're about to pass out or something." The genuine concern in Hajime's voice was enough to make the Luckster's shoulder sag, for he knew that the taller teen was right, he did feel as if he would fall asleep at any second now.

But even so, was it so bad that he just wanted to make sure that the older ahoge-boy was fine? Without the videos, and after making sure that there was nothing strange, or at least more than usual, on the Elementary Division, he had just wanted to make sure that Hinata Hajime was still, well, Hinata Hajime.

It was dumb paranoia, he knew, for he had stopped the teen from going along with that Project, but even so he had just wanted to calm his worries even if it was just a bit.

Now though, he needed to think of a new approach if he wanted to get any answers before it was too late.

Hajime's idea though, certainly didn't sound so bad at the moment…

"I mean, I'm sure Nanami would say the same if sh-" Whatever words were about to leave Hajime's lips would forever remain a mystery, for the brown-haired teen was forced to stop once he felt a sudden weight pressed on his shoulder.

He blinked confusedly before slowly turning his head to the side, just to end up looking at the sleeping figure of the Ultimate Lucky Student, who certainly looked comfortable with using his shoulder as a pillow.

The giggles and snickers from some of the students that walked by only made Hajime's ears go red in embarrassment, a glare appearing on his eyes aimed at anyone that was mocking him, although considering that he still had the Luckster resting on his shoulder it didn't have as much effect as he would have liked.

He opened his mouth, more than ready to berate the younger ahoge-boy over things that would lead to misunderstandings, but as soon as his eyes fell on the peaceful face of his sleeping friend he ended up just not being able to do anything but to sigh, with a fond look slowly appearing on his face not long after that, one that was aimed at the resting Ultimate.

Sure, it was embarrassing as hell, but he supposed he could give the little guy some leeway this time around. He certainly deserved it in his opinion.

Besides, what was the worst that could ha-

Flash

He blinked once more, his previous content face slowly morphing into one of horror just as he turned his face around, his gaze quickly meeting the one of the girl standing in front of him, or rather, the device that she was holding on her hand.

"Nanami." He called to her, to which the Ultimate Gamer simply tilted her head slightly in response. "Delete that, now."

A silent shake of her head was the only response he got.

"Why not!?" He hissed in a whisper, doing his best to not wake the sleeping teen to his side.

And in response, she once again stood silent while her fingers repeatedly touched the screen of her phone. Then, without warning, she turned it around and trusted it towards Hajime, allowing him to see the screen properly.

Or rather, the image that the girl had seemingly decided to use as her new wallpaper.

As for Hajime, he found himself doing the best interpretation of a goldfish that anyone had ever seen at seeing the picture of a sleeping Makoto resting on his shoulder while he had a rather pleased expression on his own face.

"Hinata-kun." And then the Ultimate Gamer kneeled in front of him, and without warning she took his free hand into both of hers, leaving him both more confused and embarrassed that he had ever been in his life.

That only lasted for a couple of seconds, however.

"Would you be fine with sharing him?" The serious way in which Nanami Chiaki asked her question left little to no room for one Hinata Hajime to confuse her request with anything else but that.

It was a testament to how tired Makoto was, however, for not even the loud shriek that left Hajime's mouth was enough to shake him from his slumber

"Could they stop the screaming? Geez." Some people were just so rude, that much he knew. As if having to hide in a closet was it enough he now also had to deal with the noise?

He needed a break. Couldn't anyone see that the MC was about to meet with America's King?!

"Are?" His vision was cut short, however, once the light of his flashlight suddenly died on him.

He tried to shake it to no avail, but in the end, he was left all alone in the dark, with nothing but a sense of defeat on his form.

This was Makoto's fault somehow, Yasuke decided that day.

Green eyes watched impassively at the ceiling of her room, while her body simply rested on her own bed, with one of her arms on her chest while the other one was dangling from the edge of the bed to the point that she could almost touch the floor.

A small sigh left her lips, right before the memories of her day swarmed her mind once more. She couldn't help but smile at the thought, for in her heart any day that she could spend with her dear Onii-chan was a perfect one.

Her dear, wonderful, kind and brave Onii-chan. Her only family, and the only one she would ever need.

A content sigh left her lips. She truly couldn't wait to go to his home. It would be a good practice, she had decided, to learn how it would be to live with him. She felt all giddy just thinking about that, to the point that she couldn't even hold the giggle that escaped her.

She loved him, she loved him so much that it hurt, and she wanted nothing more than his love in return.

But it truly hurt, knowing that she wasn't the only one in his heart. Didn't that make her replaceable? She didn't want to be replaceable; she just wanted her Onii-chan to look at her, to smile at her, to praise her to love her!

And only her.

But she knew it couldn't be, at least not right now. Her Onii-chan was too kind to everyone that much she knew. She would never change that part of him, for it was what she loved so much about him.

That didn't mean that she had to like for everyone to try and take her Onii-chan away from her.

She didn't, she hated it, and every one of her friends knew that.

That's why she was the only one that could call him Onii-chan.

Because he was her older brother.

So she truly couldn't wait.

Not only to live with him.

But to live in a world in which there was only her dear Onii-chan and her.

They needed no one else, she didn't want anyone else. Just the two of them was more than perfect and everything that she needed.

She knew he wouldn't understand at first, but she was sure she would be able to convince him. He would never say no to her, after all.

So she would make this ideal world, a paradise just for the two.

And with such thought, she suddenly felt a pair of stubby, round pieces of metal grabbing her hand from below her bed.

She couldn't help but smile even more.

She quickly closed her hand around the metallic object, and without much effort, she brought it close to her face, with both of her hands holding it by its armpits.

A metallic little bear of white and green, she still didn't know why someone had decided to approach her with such a thing, but she wasn't going to complain.

For whoever had sent it had promised her the world that she desired so much.

She didn't care what she had to do, as long as she got what she wanted.

Her perfect world, with her perfect Onii-chan by her side…

She smiled once more, and she hugged the small bear to her chest.

She truly couldn't wait.

Fortunately for her, it would begin very, very soon.

I'll admit, I didn't expect to push out this chapter so soon, but what can I say? I really wanted to write it.

The long awaited arrival of the Warrios of Hope. I'm sure a lot were left wanting for more, either in interactions or in their past with Makoto. That is for later though, for if I tried to cram up that much chapter would be way longer for my taste.

Sorry to Mahiru fans, I feel that she got the short end of the stick here even though I really like her. She was there for a reason, however, so wait for that in the future.

Monaca was the star of the chapter, and such is the route I decided to take when it came to these kids. A broken group and a time-traveler that wants to help them but doesn't know how to with more than enough obsession on Monaca's part.

The Warriors of Hope are sure to receive a flashback chapter just like Hajime and Nagito in the future, just not right now.

For a moment I honestly thought no one would nail the V3 character. There were some interesting guess, to say the least, but it was the user McdrilaX the one that guessed correctly, so congrats! Now whoever can tall me what LN Yasuke was reading gets another cookie.

I apologize of the Li'l Ultimates seem OOC. I'll admit that when it comes to Despair Girl's characters, they aren't my strong suit.

Also, since I just suck at describing clothes, just picture (or rather, google) the clothes o FFIII's Monk, White Mage and Magus for Aoi, Mahiru and Maki respectively, while Makoto has the might of the Onion Knight.

As always, thank you all for having read this far, and thank you for the amount of follows, favs, PMs and of course reviews. We just reached 200 and I definitely appreciate each one of them.

Next Chapter: Royal Blondes.