Makoto 7: Official Town Meeting

Hiroshima; August 17th, 1994

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Before their first official meeting that next night, the council held a quick meeting in Leon's house when the rest of his housemates were away to go over what they wanted to do and make sure they were all on the same page. Everyone was present; announced by all the pairs of shoes neatly lined up beside the door.

"I think the first thing we should talk about is how to make sure the voting will be fair. Originally, Makoto-kun and I wanted Lady Nanami to endorse everyone to prevent someone from getting twenty fake votes from their friends or something...but that's no longer an option," Sayaka sighed a bit. "So I think instead, we should all get one person to vote for us and a second to back us up. Nobody on this council can vote for someone else on the council,"

"I think we should talk about the spies on the nineteenth. Because...we're starting to become a big city! Don't you guys know what happens with a large amount of a voting population?! Somebody might get voted out!" Yasuhiro cried.

Everyone winced at that and it was an unanimous vote; 8-0, about meeting again on the nineteenth.

"I also think we should make some sort of committee to go out and search for Lady Nanami," Makoto proposed. "I know she said she'll come back soon and obviously will not come back on her own until she's ready, but if she's injured in a hole somewhere that's a different matter. We don't have much organization and thus I think a permanent group to go out for her and search would be good. And I nominate Hifumi-san to be the head of that group since looking for her in the first place was his idea,"

"Really? Me?" Hifumi asked in disbelief, blushing a bit. "Well, I'm quite flattered. I guess my genius is finally showing to you too, Sir Makoto!"

"I'm not sure how helpful a search party would be...she's a blind girl. How hard would she have it out there?" Aoi pouted a bit.

"It's worth a try!" Kaito tried to encourage her.

"I also think we should try to establish some sort of group to go down to that power plant and do actual work on it!" Yasuhiro announced.

"Um, about that..." Makoto looked away. "I don't think we should keep messing around with that place anymore. We don't have the training or supplies to properly deal with nuclear energy. What happens if there's a meltdown? It's too risky. Sorry, Fujisaki-san, go tell the other two they're off the project too,"

Chihiro's mouth opened in shock and he uncapped his pen.

"So are you just suggesting we give up on trying to restore energy? Sorry, but we kinda need it to live. What about food and stuff?" Leon asked.

"It's not like nuclear power is the only way to get power, right? We just need to think of another source!" Aoi suggested.

"How about the sun? It's easy to build and install, plus the sun is always around!" Kaito suggested eagerly.

"Yeah, that could work!" Sayaka smiled.

"We can talk about it more tomorrow night," Kaito looked over as he read Chihiro's note. "Speaking of which, is that it?"

"Yes. All in favour of adjourning?" Makoto looked around.

The vote was unanimous; 8-0.

Before they could leave, however, Kyoko showed up with a camera on a tripod, making Makoto laugh a bit.

"I wanted to remember the council in a good way, so I thought we could all take a picture together," He explained.

"That's a great idea!" Aoi exclaimed.

Kyoko set the camera up and waited for everyone to get into position. It was intended to be a formal photo but most of them struck funny poses. Makoto and Sayaka were positioned in the front, holding each other. Leon and Aoi were on either side of them; Leon grinning with his hand behind his head and Aoi jokingly flexing a bit. Chihiro just smiled a warm smile with his hands clasped together. Yasuhiro crossed his arms in front of his chest and gave a wide grin, while Hifumi stood off to the side a bit awkwardly, a proud smile on his face. Kaito stood in the back with his fists pressed together, looking triumphant. Kyoko snapped the picture of them together.

It was developed a few days later by Miaya, and Makoto promptly hung it up in his room right next to his old family picture.

Written on the bottom was the simple caption: 'Hope '94'.

For the first time since he had arrived, Leon had become aware of just how many people had settled in Hiroshima. Walking around the town normally, one would just see people in pairs or by themselves going about their day, but that night, there had to have been at least six-hundred crowded into the main hall of the Buddhist temple. He was suddenly very glad the walls were paper-thin and easily-movable to make space for everyone.

The crowd in question whispered curiously amongst each other, kneeling in front of the makeshift podium in groups. Their voices bounced and echoed off the empty walls. Everyone in town dressed their best in either formal Western clothes or kimono; due to the humidity many were clad in just yukata with nice jewelry and hairstyles, but a few were decked out in a full ensemble. The rain hammered heavily on the roof and Leon felt it would continue to do so for several more hours.

In his hand was a pamphlet of what the council planned to get done that night; organize a power group, a burial committee, a search committee, deciding if Lady Nanami got full veto power in their decisions, electing eight members to serve on the council, and a reading and ratifying of their Constitution.

This was for real, then, wasn't it? Leon wasn't sure how he felt about that. It was way more fun to sit around in other people's houses and constantly talk the day away, eating Sayaka's sweets and making merry. But here, he could genuinely be nominated to sit on the council. And then what? All of those people would be counting on him, like Kanon counted on him once to take her out of the city and introduce her to other survivors, but he couldn't, he just couldn't, and nobody else there even knew about that except for him. Only he knew that the first person he tried to take care of after the pandemic died from the friggin' disease herself.

"It'll be alright," Kaede whispered to him in a reassuring tone. She gently placed her hand on his and he only then realized he was in the middle of crumpling the paper up for the fifth or sixth time. "You'll be perfectly fine, I know you will!" She then gave a smile to Nagisa. "Won't he be?"

"Yeah. Sure. He'll be fine," Nagisa responded in disinterest. The two were seated on either side of Leon. Earlier he tried to invite Mukuro as well, but she was nowhere to be seen and Nagisa just shrugged and went back to reading when asked about her whereabouts.

"See? Even he agrees!" Kaede wore a sunny yellow kimono with short sleeves patterned with violets; a purple and blue obi tied around her waist with matching violets tied up in her bun. Nagisa wore a simple yellow yukata and sneakers, while Leon was dressed in a dark grey kimono with striped hakama and a matching dark haori. Damn, all he needed was a sword and he'd look like someone out of a historical drama. He awkwardly adjusted the fabric around his neck.

She squeezed his hand tighter and he flinched. Not from the pain, but because she was genuinely looking up to him and trusting him, unknowingly knowing he could make some kind of horrible, deadly mistake. He might've done just that with Koichi Kizakura and he was the man seconding his nomination! Everything was going to turn out horribly.

"I'm fine," He finally answered once seeing barely-masked worry in Kaede's violet eyes.

Makoto wandered out onto the podium then; the microphone and lights around being powered by an emergency generator. His dark blue kimono looked almost black under their harsh glare, and on the back of his haori was the emblem of what Leon assumed to be his old high-school.

The moment he stepped out onto the stage, everyone begun to erupt in cheerful, thunderous applause that rung out in the room and showed no sign of letting up soon. It was practically unheard of for so many people to clap so enthusiastically at such a formal event, but courtesy be damned for once he supposed. Even Kaede was clapping beside him, politely and quietly with tears in her eyes. Nagisa nodded along with the crowd.

"Hey everyone-" Makoto tried to speak, but the applause just continued. Leon looked down at his aching hands and saw they hurt because he was clapping just as frantically as everyone else.

Soon, though, the clapping did eventually die down, the only sounds replacing it were a few sobs and people adjusting their positions. Makoto smiled and bowed formally.

"Thank you very much! And I am very happy to see you all here tonight, ladies and gentlemen. I'm happy to be here myself," He accidentally bumped up against the podium too hard, making the microphone whine. "Whoops, sorry. I'm not used to this stuff yet," He tried to mumble, but the audience chuckled a bit as the microphone picked it up anyway. He blushed. "For those of you who don't know me, I am Naegi Makoto and I'm originally from Yokohama; a small community there, but you guys likely already figured that out by my accent. I hope you all will take care of me," He bowed again. "The last time I had to make a speech like this, it was at my middle school's graduation ceremony,"

"Honestly, I think he's a natural!" Kaede smiled and whispered to Leon, who just nodded. He certainly wore that stuffy kimono better than he currently was. He subtly tugged at the collar again.

"First I want to introduce the members of our preliminary committee and introduce you all to its members. I hope you all saved some cheers for them too, because they all deserve it for pitching in and thinking up the agenda for tonight. Eight of us all got together and planned this out, so welcome us all here tonight," Makoto briefly scanned the crowd and saw each of the other seven members of the council, waiting eagerly to be introduced. "We call ourselves Hope's Peak Ministers. First off, um, I'd like to introduce you all to Maizono Sayaka-san, originally from Nagoya right on the coast. Please stand up, Sayaka-chan, and show them what that kimono of yours looks like!"

Sayaka was seated near the front and bowed graciously at the crowd, wearing her pretty handmade pink kimono. Her hair was up in a loose bun and her earrings had a crane motif. The audience applauded nicely for her, and there were also a few good-natured wolf-whistles. She quickly took her seat again, blushing madly.

Before the applause could entirely die down again, Makoto continued.

"Hagakure Yasuhiro-san, originally from Aomori," He motioned near the middle, and Yasuhiro proudly stood up and bowed quickly, wearing an earthy green and brown kimono without the haori. The audience clapped loudly.

"Momota Kaito-san, originally from Sendai," He stood up, wearing a very neatly-pressed purple and grey kimono with a loosened top and his haori draped around his shoulders. He bowed and the audience clapped nicely.

"Asahina Aoi-san, originally from Fukushima," Aoi stood up next in a red and pink kimono with floor-long sleeves, an aqua ribbon in her ponytail that trailed down her neck. Her kimono was patterned with sun-rays and flowers. She bowed politely and got lots of applause as well as a few wolf-whistles too.

"Yamada Hifumi-san, also from the same neighborhood as Sayaka-chan!"

Unlike the other guys, Hifumi was wearing a pressed black tuxedo with a simple white tie. He bowed a bit awkwardly but still smiled, and he received a healthy round of applause.

"Kuwata Leon-san, originally from Shinjuku!"

So he would be second-to-last. He stood up anyway and waved instead of giving a bow, hearing a huge roar of applause for himself as well. Kaede was one of the louder ones. Somewhere, sometime, in another life maybe, he'd be receiving this sort of reaction after a show-stopping concert in a packed hall, likely after playing Your Man Just Ain't Good for Ya. This was better, somehow.

"And last, but certainly not least, Fujisaki Chihiro-san, originally from Nagasaki!" Makoto motioned to Chihiro, who stood up awkwardly and bowed, wearing a grey and blue kimono set with a haori and his hair brushed back neatly. He received the longest and loudest applause and Leon felt a bit bad that he couldn't even hear it.

Once he sat down again, Makoto awkwardly cleared his throat again to get everyone's attention. "I know that this isn't on the agenda, but...I thought that before we officially began, we could sing our unofficial anthem. You know what I mean. It's not our official national anthem...but you all know the words."

Everyone immediately rose to their feet and stood stiffly with their arms by their sides, looking around to see who would start it.

"May Japan continue for a thousand, eight thousand generations,
Until the tiny pebbles
Grow into massive boulders
Lush with moss!" Sayaka sung out sweetly, having the voice of an idol. Maybe she would've been one if the world was still intact. She started it, but the remainder of the crowd finished it, looking up high ahead with stern expressions on their faces. Due to the song's shortness, they sung it a total of three times.

"May Japan continue for a thousand-" Kaede was subtly holding his hand during it, crying again, and Leon was suddenly reminded of a baseball game he attended with Kanon a year ago and the song was sung before the game started. She had no lip piercing or hair dye that day; but she leaned against him and grabbed his arm with that same fierceness that marked her as his cousin.

Once the song was over, Leon found himself to be crying a bit too, though he was far from the only one in the room to be doing so. He realized they were all crying over their lost hopes and dreams, and he couldn't say he blamed them. Kanon was gone. Lisa Kuwata was gone. Shinjuku was gone. All of Japan was gone, and even if they did manage to defeat Junko Enoshima, what difference would it make? Anything they made wouldn't ever compare to what had come before it.

After they all sung the unofficial anthem, Makoto calmed everyone down enough again to read to them the Constitution of Japan; or more of, briefly outline what was stated in it and confirm that Hope's Peak Ministers would follow it accordingly. The next item on the agenda was to see who would still serve on the council, but the citizens all quickly agreed on a vote that the current preliminary members should also be the official members, and none of the council argued against that.

Kizakura offered the thought that the reason why the town was so abandoned was due to a rumor that the fever came from the town's own clinic, according to local papers. Whether that was true or not the citizens evidently never stuck around to find out and fled, all of them just citing that they had a 'bad feeling'.

The rest of the time was spent discussing the dreams they all had prior and the effect Chiaki had on all of them as a whole community. Her kindness, her firmness, her traditional nature, and how she always seemed to know just the right thing to say and when to say it, and also when to hold her tongue, much like a true Buddhist. Even Kaito stood up and talked at length for nearly five minutes about how he had never known a girl to be quite as sweet as her and how she was practically like the little sister he never had. The amount of sobbing people in the room afterwards seemed to just prove his point.

Makoto found the tension in the room to be similar to a wake and felt uncomfortable. Chiaki's absence proved that the community could get along just fine without her and even though she would be welcomed back and treated well if she returned, they didn't need her to function. The mystical allure of her was fading; their dreams seemingly had no more power over them anymore.

Once the meeting was wrapping up, Makoto stepped to the podium once more and cleared his throat. "I know this is likely a bit unorthodox. Before we all head home for the night, I'd like to suggest that each one of you take some time to light a lantern and set it afloat in the river behind here. It's Obon tonight and we have had so much struggle and turmoil in our lives..shouldn't we give our relatives the same comfort?"

Everyone nodded in agreement at that, an uncomfortable silence descending upon the room.

"Just light a lantern for everyone you have lost," He added.

"There ain't enough fucking candles for that!" Leon called.

"I think he has the right idea," Kaede gently tugged on Leon's arm amid the awkward laughter. Everyone was handed a lantern and Makoto led them all outside, being the first one to light his lantern up and set it afloat.

"For my parents and sister," He whispered, also silently adding all of the people they came across on their journey who were no longer with them.

"My parents and aunt and uncle. And Kanon-chan too," Leon dropped his into the river and watched it float off merrily. He owed that to her. Maybe then Kanon could finally stop tormenting every waking thought of his.

"My husband and daughter," Kaede gently set hers down in the river beside his. He briefly found himself wondering if Mukuro would've lit one for her parents had she been there.

"My grandparents," Kaito placed his next to Aoi's, who stated it was for her parents and younger brother.

"My mother," Yasuhiro went up next.

"My parents and older sister," Hifumi's lantern nearly toppled the moment it was set into the water before getting its balance back and floating just behind the others.

Sayaka was one of the next ones up, but found herself clutching at her dark lantern nervously. Who did she light it for? Her sister and mother died long ago, long before the disease, and her father had been a prick. Certainly not Shuichi either. Who?

Finally, she took the candle handed to her and lit up the bottom, handing it off to the next person before she gently placed the glowing lantern into the water and watching it float off rapidly.

"Byakuya-san and Touko-san," They didn't deserve to die; and despite them not dying from the pandemic, she still thought they deserved a mention since their deaths never would've happened if the apocalypse hadn't happened. She took a few steps back.

Chihiro lit his own up and held it away from his face, trying to stay away from the river banks. Once he got as close as he'd attempt, he slid it into the water and backed away, going into the crowd again.

For Gonta-san's mother. I never knew her, but if I had, she likely would've treated me like her own son, He thought silently.

Everyone was quiet as they watched the lanterns travel down the river, soon fading from view but still lighting up the night. It felt like they would be able to see them for miles and miles. There were no tears that time around; all of those had been cried at the meeting earlier. The rain started up again and pattered gently in the river and onto the crowd, and they all reluctantly started to head for home, feeling a strange mix of homesickness, hope, and dread.

"Sayaka-sama! Sayaka-sama!" Hifumi gasped as Sayaka suddenly turned around, about to head for her bike.

"Hm?" She blinked, wanting to know what Hifumi wanted with her.

"I wanted to say something to you, but I thought now was the most perfect time. I found this on the sidewalk near the gas station," He held up his hand and Sayaka gasped, taking the red earring from him.

"Oh, Hifumi-san! Thank you for finding it for me! I was really worried that it was gone for good! Then I'd just be stuck with one missing pair!" She smiled a bit, clutching it close to her body.

He smiled proudly. "And we can't have that, can we? Only the finest for my lady!"

She frowned a bit. "It's weird how it was near the gas station though...I've never gone anywhere near there at all,"

"All good things must come to an end," He shrugged and walked along, leaving Sayaka to stare after him a bit darkly.

Sayaka and Makoto walked their bikes back to their house, going slow that day, letting the warm summer air flow around them. Sayaka seemed more forlorn and listless, and Makoto kept giving her concerned glances.

Finally, she sighed. "I was just thinking...hearing our unofficial anthem sung in there earlier...it made me realize how much I miss everything that made us...us. Those big coasters in Ikebukuro, those little coloured dangos on a stick. Only a few hundred people sung the anthem in there, Makoto-kun...it should've been far more," Makoto thought he saw tears in her eyes. "In my diary, I kept a small note of everything I wanted the baby to remember, but it's more like..things they should forget. Because none of that stuff is ever coming back again!" She suddenly dropped her bike and burst into tears, and Makoto held her close within a second.

"It's alright,"

"I'm mourning for an entire nation, Makoto-kun! All of these little things pass by in my mind that I didn't even care about at the time..." She sobbed more when she felt his hand on her back.

"I'm sure every single person in that room felt that way tonight. And all the time. Losing everything that makes you you...it's not easy," He finally let go off her, sensing her sniffling. She nodded and gently picked her bike back up.

"I'm alright now...let's keep going." After a few more minutes, she looked over at him. "What's something you remember vividly?"

Makoto blushed. "I can't tell you...you might think it's crazy,"

"I won't," She promised, knowing he'd tell her anyway.

"Alright..." He thought about it for a second. "This was four years ago...I worked part-time in a cafe. As a waiter. It wasn't really meant to be serious, but I wanted to get a part-time job. Mom was close with the owner and thought I'd make a good worker even though I technically wasn't supposed to be working part-time yet. It wasn't that popular of a cafe anyway since it had no theme and just served generic stuff...most days I just relaxed behind the counter with some manga for the majority of the afternoon until I got off at around nine or ten at night,"

Sayaka nodded, picturing a fourteen-year-old Makoto kicked up in a chair, thumbing the pages of his favourite shounen. She loved him in that image; this young boy who would mature into her current boyfriend; she loved him in all images her mind created of him.

"One day, it was another slow day, but this young woman walked in when I was in the middle of reading. It was about eleven in the morning, so a bit late for coffee, but who cares, right? It's not my business. So I put my book down and addressed her politely; she couldn't have been older than twenty. She was pretty but also unnerving in her prettiness...if that makes sense. I remember she had dark black hair cut into a nice bob and a loud red sweater with white sequined pants. She also wore a pink watch.

Anyway, I asked her what she wanted, and she smiled mysteriously and said: 'Just a vanilla latte, small please," I nodded and started making that for her, but the whole time I just felt uneasy. I asked her if I saw her around town, but she just laughed and said she traveled around a lot. I started making her drink and all at once nearly froze as I realized why she looked familiar,"

They were a block away from their apartment by that point. Sayaka blinked. "Who was she?"

"I finished making her the drink and gave it to her and told her it'd be nine-hundred-seventy-nine yen. I then tried to give her a smile and asked if I had seen her around since she looked familiar. She handed me thirteen-forty-five and said I could keep it. I then told her that she was supposed to be dead for over a year.

She smiled breezily as she took her drink and said I shouldn't believe everything I read in the paper, as sometimes deaths are faked. She stood there and took some sips of her drink as I tried desperately to think of something else to say to her. I didn't want her to leave yet. I just had to know...eventually I just gave her a wave and bow and told her to take care of herself, and she smirked and said: 'Perhaps we'll meet again, very soon,' and left. My blood chilled when I heard that. I'll never forget those woman's eyes; they looked like the eyes of someone who had tasted true despair and loved it. If we ever come across Enoshima-san and try to fight her, I think her eyes would look just like that,"

They parked their bikes in the yard. "She was talented and had a pretty voice..but I just couldn't after that,"

"Who was it, Makoto-kun?" Sayaka pressed again.

"You know that series Pastel Yumi? Komaru-chan was a big fan,"

She nodded. "I loved it as a child!"

"The main actress of it...she was the one who stopped in for a coffee that day. Shiga Mariko-san."

"But she died! Back in '89, it was all over the news!" Sayaka found herself gasping. "It could've just been a woman who looked like her,"

"That's what I thought for the longest time, but..." Makoto sat down on their steps and she sat down beside him. "Now I'm starting to wonder if it was truly her. I mean, maybe she didn't really die after all. Maybe she's still alive now, wouldn't that be something?"

"It would be." Sayaka agreed. "But I don't think she's here,"

"Not with eyes like that,"

They were quiet for a time, and she leaned against his shoulder.

"Oh, did I tell you that Hifumi-san found my missing earring for me? It was near the gas station," Sayaka suddenly announced, pulling it out of her kimono folds and showing it off to him.

"That's really nice of him!" Makoto nodded in agreement.

"But...it's weird. I don't remember ever going near the gas station...I wonder how he even found it?"

He shrugged and stood up. "Do you think he's lying?"

"No...it's definitely my earring...but..." Sayaka eventually trailed off and just stared at the earring in the light. She originally lost it at Hifumi's place, she knew that. So did he suspect her of breaking in?

No. He would've said something about it if he had, even if he just implied it.

Then what did he mean by 'all good things must come to an end'?

Sayaka finally stood up and went back inside the house, trying to soothe her tremulous thoughts.

Leon and Kaede walked back to their place, smiling at each other and walking hand-in-hand. Nagisa had gone home a bit early before them; feeling tired and wanting to see if 'Mukuro-mama' was home yet.

"The meeting was really-" Kaede started, suddenly freezing in terror as her words died in her throat. Leon felt a chill too as a sudden dark shadow approached them from the porch, and he immediately assumed it to be the girl with the bear in her hair before he blinked a few times and saw it was just Mukuro.

What a strange thought to have about Mukuro! She seemed prettier that night, even prettier than Kaede, if such a feat were possible. She wore a grey-blue denim dress that was low-cut with short sleeves and a brown belt around her waist. Her hair shone in the moonlight and even her freckles twinkled. She still wore that tiny bow in her hair. Leon had the feeling a knife was hidden on her hip.

"Oh, Mukuro-chan! You gave me quite a fright! I thought you were someone else!" Kaede smiled at her, but Mukuro continued to stare at Leon.

"I need to talk to you. Now." She directed.

"Does it have to be right now? I kinda got other things to do," Leon responded playfully.

"Yes. Now. Or never. Make your choice," She stared him down.

"Kaede-chan-" Leon began as he saw her letting go of his hand and giving him a stern look. "It'll just be for ten minutes,"

"I completely understand! Talk to her for as long as you need!" She encouraged weakly, heading up the steps and slamming the door right on one of her sobs. Leon was left standing there, staring at Mukuro; into those dark violet eyes that always seemed to indicate their owner knew more than him. They were surprisingly pretty...so different from Kaede's. Hers were a perky violet like the flower, always so cheerful and welcoming. Mukuro's were sharp and cold like an icy winter morning; one wrong step and you'd freeze.

"Walk down the street with me," She directed, but Leon made no moves.

"You picked a bad time to come here. Look, let's just go back inside the house and have this talk tomorrow morning, okay?" He ran a hand through his hair. "We're all tired-"

"I'll beg. I'll get down on my knees and beg. Rockstars like that, right? My sister told me they did, if a pretty girl got down on her knees and begged, they'd do anything for her," And to his horror she did get down on her knees, lifting up part of her dress to expose both a knife hidden away and part of her bare thigh. Was the rest of her bare too? Where did that thought even come from? He managed to look down at her and briefly had a sick feeling of delight and power of seeing her groveling before him. Her head was right at his-

"For fuck's sake, cut this out right now and get up!" He snapped, yanking her back up to her feet. Her dress rose up again briefly to show her pale thighs; once bony and thin, now milky and thick. "Fine, we'll walk down a block or two,"

She nodded and tightly held onto his arm as they walked in the darkness. They passed a deserted shopping center with a few empty metal carts being pushed around lightly by the breeze. He involuntarily shuddered, thinking of his time in the tunnels of Shinjuku.

"I know that I am likely too late and she's right. I hate that. But I still want to be with you," She began in a low voice.

"Mukuro-san-"

She gave him a look. "I mean it. I want to stay with you forever. I don't have anyone else but you. Not even Taro-chan needs me anymore because he's no longer around,"

"He went back to our place to sleep, is he not there?"

"A boy named Shingetsu Nagisa-chan is, but he isn't."

"Mukuro-san, this is bogus. He still needs you." He stared at her.

"He does need me. He does need me." Mukuro whispered lowly and Leon had the dark feeling she wasn't talking about Nagisa anymore. "But I..for once in my life, I feel clear-headed. I know what I want. I need someone else in my life. I need joy and happiness and hope. You can give all of that to me," She stepped even closer to him, and for once she smelled deliciously of vanilla-cinnamon.

"Sorry, but I really gotta get home. Kaede-chan is waiting for me. But I know you can work it out just fine on your own," Leon tried to cheer her up by giving her a pat on the back, but she instead fell completely into his arms, something dangerous and lustful glowing in her eyes-he had never seen so much expression in them before and instantly decided he didn't like it.

"Leon-kun..." She slowly ran her hands down his body. "I'm not going to mince words tonight. Fuck me. Just do it. Even if it must be right here. I need it to be done, I want it to be done by you," She pressed herself up against him and Leon realized with dark arousal that she was indeed wearing nothing under that dress; even her breasts felt a bit bigger that night. "I'll be safe and free if you do.."

Leon managed to break her grip and shove her away, startling her enough to make her lose her balance and nearly fall. She trembled a bit, moaning. "If you knew-"

"I don't know, Mukuro-san. I don't. Why don't you tell me?" He demanded. She looked away. "Tell me instead of trying to rape me or whatever the hell that was!"

"I was not raping you." Was all she said.

"There was a time that I wanted you, and you knew that. A week ago. The week before that. I asked you several times and you turned me down every single time!" He yelled, wincing at his tone.

"I couldn't. It was too soon then," She whispered.

"Well now it's too late. Sorry, Ikusaba-san."

She winced at how much the unfamiliarity of her name stabbed her, then slipped her hands into her pockets. "Okay. Bye." She then turned her back and left, and Leon took a sudden chill.

"Ikusaba-san, wait!" He reached a hand out to her, but she made no sign she even heard him. He knew she did though; her purposeful ignorance might have upset him once, but not that night. Not anymore.

He called for her one last time before finally giving up and walking away, shivering again as he swore he heard her laughing down the street. But she never laughed. Never laughed, not once. And even if she ever had, it certainly didn't sound like it did just then; a low-pitched, almost comical laugh of pure despair.

Upupupupupu.

Kaede laid awake in the dark, staring up at the ceiling. Her tears had dried forever ago and she suddenly jolted when she heard a door open up.

Kuwata-kun?

Maybe he was just coming to get his stuff and move himself and Mukuro out...no. She had to think positive! He was a good person. And even if he did pick Mukuro over her, well then. They were all still close friends and she was proud in the fact she never cheated once. Not on her husband and not on Leon. She wasn't that kind of person.

She heard him pull open the bedroom door and then she made out his shadow in the doorway.

"Should I turn the lamp on?" She asked nicely, and he nodded. She slowly turned the gas lantern on and in the light she noticed how pale his face was.

"Kaede-chan, just let me say something. I need to say something," He was looking straight at her.

"You can say it in the morning," She shook her head. "Please just come to bed right now,"

"No. I just need to say that I know I'm not always the greatest guy around. I'm not sappy and whatever. Probably loads of other way better guys out there for you than me. But if you want to love me genuinely, then I'm here. And I guess that's all that matters,"

"You're the right guy for me, and that's all that matters to me,"

Once they finished making love that night, Leon whispered into her ear: "Let's make it official. Let's get married," And she wept and was so certain from her happiness that it must have been a dream until that next morning when Leon took her into his arms and asked her once again. And she begun to weep again and answered in the affirmative.

Three days later, they were told by Kaito that Mukuro took her stuff and moved out; though evidently she still hadn't found a permanent house yet. Ishimaru was allowing her to live with him along with Sakura and Kenshiro for the time being. Kaede felt saddened by the loss of her friend, but also a bit relieved. Relieved? Yes...Mukuro was gone and they both found they could breathe easier.

Mukuro returned to their house only once briefly to get her things; however little she had, and look at Nagisa one last time. She lit a lamp and carried it carefully with her to stare at him, seeing him wearing a normal pair of pajamas and curled up asleep, a foot peeking out from under the blankets. His face was a smooshed-up look of contentedness; just a regular boy sleeping after a long day instead of the mute savage look she had grown so accustomed to seeing.

She caught her reflection in the mirror and stared back at the twisted, darkened features she had in the low light. The first thing she noticed was the little bow she took to wearing in her hair because Leon thought it was cute. With a great yank, it was pulled from her hair and thrown onto the floor, leaving a mess of tangles. Leon didn't deserve her. Nobody deserved her. The only person who did was...upupupupu..!

Nagisa stirred in his sleep fitfully, making Mukuro look over at him in concern. It was almost as if he sensed something dark. He'd be right.

She headed back to her own room with the lamp, getting a duffel bag out of the closet. Her room was truly one of a soldier; just a plain cot on the floor without even a picture. That was all she ever wanted, all she ever knew. Perhaps in another life she would've been as frivolous as her sister, but not in this one.

The thing hidden at the very bottom of her closet she then pulled out, staring at it in fascination. A syringe filled with viscous red-orange fluid. She never once took it before; Nagisa was around and with two adults nearby it would be far too easy for her to be caught. She found it at the clinic a few days ago and felt sick and dizzy until she finally took it; she knew it wasn't her own desire. She hid the terrible thing in her closet for days on end, never touching it despite how vivid and horrifying her nightmares got. Eventually she was compelled to put on the stupid girly dress and wash her hair and put on nice perfume in one of her dreams, then decided to make the most of it and convince Leon to take her. She thought she was doing the right thing.

She gently wrapped the needle up in paper and placed it at the top of her duffel bag before zipping it up. She turned the lamp off and silently snuck out, taking a flashlight with her as she ignored Nagisa's fitful tosses in his sleep. He must've been having nightmares. Maybe nightmares about her.

She got onto her bicycle and pedaled off, heading out of town. It was the same bicycle she used to pedal up to Hifumi's house just a few days ago; again, seemingly through no conscious will of her own. They had hardly spoken since she arrived, yet she was filled with the deep desire to see him. She marveled at his locked house and closed blinds and was ultimately disappointed that he wasn't home. Anything could happen in that house. Him and that darling doll of his probably had all kinds of freaky sex with the lights off.

She biked up to the amphitheater near one of the mountains and set herself down on the cold ground, pulling the needle out and looking it over.

It wasn't very big, but it didn't matter. What mattered was inside it; a substance designed to make her feverish and hallucinate for hours on end. Then she would have nightmares so vivid, she could reach out and touch her sister as if they were both truly there in the flesh and not separated by an island. She ripped a piece of her dress off easily near the hem and wrapped it around her forearm, wincing.

She felt a chilly breeze wash over her, and suddenly her head was filled with brief images of everyone in town; Hifumi and Aiko eating cookies, Yasuhiro and Kyoko having an intense discussion over who built the pyramids, Makoto and Sayaka reading a book together in bed, Kaede making breakfast for Leon, Kaito and Maki getting ready for bed together, and Chihiro and Aoi dancing together silently. She knew it was Junko who sent those images to her, and suddenly she knew what she had to do.

She thought of Leon rejecting her and the unfamiliarity behind her name as he spat it out like a poison. She thought of how everyone took sudden chills whenever she was around and secretly didn't include her in many activities. She thought of how everyone thought she looked too strange or talked too little or stared too much. She had tried too hard to fit in, she supposed.

Mukuro tightened her grip on the needle and slipped it into her arm as she stared down at the town one last time.

"Let them fall into Despair." She smiled an evil smirk before falling to the ground.