Everyone's up bright and early the next morning. They don't particularly want to be, considering they were up until 4 AM last night, but when your friend Kurhahashi is hard-wired to wake up at 7 AM in the morning and sunlight filters in way too bright through the E-Class windows, well… things happen, and willingly or not everyone is awake by eight.

"Oh my god," Hazama begs, covering her head with her pillow. "Will you people just shut up? It is 8 AM in the fucking morning. You don't need to shout-"

"We are not shouting," Megu replies, looking up from her phone. "We're just discussing breakfast. Now do you want anything from the WcDonalds or not?"

"WcDonalds?" Takebayashi asks with a bemused snort. "...Don't tell me we're seriously getting breakfast from-"

"Yes we're getting breakfast from WcDonalds," Okano interjects. "No-one felt like cooking. Not that we even could here. It's either WcDonalds or snacks, and I know which one I'd rather have for breakfast."

"Touche," Takebayashi replies. "Can you grab me a hash brown?"

"Hazama?" Megu repeats.

Hazama lets out a low groan.

"Get me an Egg WcMuffin, will you? And please… just quiet down a little."

"Hey… hey," Kurahashi reassures, patting her head. "It's okay. You can rest as much as you need when we get home."

"Mmmrrrrmmmphhh…-"

Kurahashi cocks her head and gives Hazama a sympathetic look. "...I knowwww."

Nagisa laughs from his seat in the corner. Thankfully he's already more than used to waking up at morning hours… and so when Makoto had poked him awake at 7:30 it had been no big deal. Admittedly he's still a little bit tired, but he figures that much like Hazama he'll catch up on his ZZZs when he gets home. For now he's just content to hang with his friends.

"Get me an Egg WcMuffin, too, actually," he pipes up. "I'm starving."

This is usually about the point where he'd ask one of his beautiful spouses if they wanted anything… or perhaps his impressionable student! But it seems they're all already on it. Huddled around Megu; Kayano, Karma and Makoto bombard the poor girl in orders.

"I'll take a Big Breakfast with Hotcakes and Oatmeal. Make sure they do not forget my syrup, okay? Last time they scammed me out of that part of the order and I still don't think I've recovered."

"Two Sausage WcMuffins and a shake. Strawberry, please. And Kayano's right. They better not forget our condiments."

"Oh! Oh! I want Hotcakes, too! And a burrito! As many of them as they have! Can I also get the ice cream? I heard they have real good ice cream. With the fudge and the chocolate and the cream. I won't make a mess! I promise!"

Nagisa laughs. He supposes they always have all had a sweet tooth. He'll leave them to their devices. It's more than clear they've got this under control.

Their order arrives in no time; and Karma, Sugino and Okano sprint down the mountain to grab it. The E-Class is a lot of things, but willing to make a minimum wage DoorDash driver climb up the Hell Mountain just to deliver their food is none of them. Instead, it's their friends and family who make the tumultuous climb... and having become somewhat of experts at this point they do so with ease. The three of them soon make their triumphant return: takeout bags in hand and overwhelming smell in tow.

They divvy out everyone's food as the classroom continues to bustle. Hazama lets out a muffled thanks and Makoto leaps to his feet to snatch his food directly from Karma's hand. Karma lets out a 'woah!', telling him to slow down, but it's almost certainly just for show, because he doesn't complain even as Makoto rips the wrapper from his burrito with his teeth.

Over breakfast they discuss their plans for the day. Admittedly Makoto wants them to stay for a while longer, but most of the class just isn't available. They'd love to spend more time together… they really would, but they've got lives to get back to. In between family and work it turns out they are busy! Rio's got some quality time she's been meaning to dedicate Okuda… and Terasaka has some paperwork he's gotta catch up on. Maehara and Isogai have a baby to deal with, and needless to say Hazama is going to get her beauty sleep, reunion or not.

Makoto is surprisingly understanding. He's a little bummed… of course he is, but he understands. Besides, even if it sucks that they've got to go, it's not like this is the last time he's gonna see them.

"...Is it?"

"Of course not!" Yada sputters.

"It better not be!" Terasaka adds on.

"We may be busy, Makoto," Isogai says. "...But we're not too busy for you. I'm sure we'll be seeing each other again in the future. We just got you back, after all. We'd be really disappointed to have to say goodbye to you now."

"I'm not sure about everyone…" Hara admits. "But most of us should be in town for the next two weeks. Kiyoshi's birthday is coming up, and we'd have to be crazy to miss it. You can hang out with us as much as you'd like during that time. Not to mention during the party itself, as long as you're invited."

"I better be invited!" Makoto huffs. "I'm the guy's best friend! And it's not like the fucker hasn't already-" he falls silent, realizing he probably shouldn't say that... before leaning over to grumble in Nagisa's ear. "...Not like the fucker hasn't already crashed one of my parties before."

Nagisa laughs, giving Makoto a reassuring pat on the back.

"Don't worry," he says. "I'm sure you'll be more than welcome."

"And even if you aren't," Yoshida says. "We are going to hang so fucking much. Do you know all the stuff I want to show you!?"

"Yeah!" Sugino adds on. "I've still gotta teach you to play baseball, don't I?"

"And I sort of promised to let you babysit my kid," Maehara admits. "There's no backing down on that."

"Why don't I give you another henna tattoo sometime?" Sugaya asks. "No poison involved this time, I promise."

Makoto admits he'd love that. In fact… he can hardly even decide what he wants to do first! Henna tattoos sound so cool! And needless to say he can't wait to see Naoko. Can Sugino teach him how to do one of those throws where it swerves to the side? And oh! OH! Yoshida should take him for a ride on his motorcycle sometime! He wants to feel the wind in his hair!

"Well… you'd have to be really safe," Yoshida admits sheepishly. "And I'd probably need permission from Nagisa. We did just get you back, after all... the last thing I'd want to do is end up smashing your head open on the concrete."

"I'll be super safe and careful! I promise!" Makoto says, turning to Nagisa. "Please? Can I? Pretty please? You know I'll be responsible!"

"Well…" Nagisa murmurs, exchanging a glance with Yoshida that says 'Neither of us want to have to do this.' "...We'll see. We've got a lot of other things to plan first, after all."

That seems to shut Makoto up. Yoshida's relief is palpable. And Nagisa must admit he's pretty relieved, too. While he doesn't want to be a helicopter 'parent...' Yoshida's right in saying that the last thing they need to do is go and lose Korosensei again. Motorcycling can wait, at least for now.

Ultimately they end up making a second group chat. Everyone's clamoring to stay in touch with Makoto, after all… but they'd hate to subject him to the horrors of their main group chat. He seems perfectly content with that. He's happy as long as he can stay in touch with them, and he 'doesn't want to see their dick pics, anyways.'

"That is not what we're sending in the main group chat!" Okano screeches, covering her face with her hands. "Half of us are married!"

"And besides! Do you seriously think that's how we as friends interact with each other!?" Mimura groans.

"Well… I guess not," Makoto admits with a laugh. "But hey… remember? I need to pull on your legs, too. And I'll take whatever I can get."

The truth is a lot less interesting than that. More than anything they just don't want to subject Makoto to their worries. They talk about some pretty serious things in the main group chat sometimes, and as much as they love Makoto it is not his job to deal with any of that. If they're struggling with debt or depression that's when they can come to each other. Makoto, meanwhile, deserves to keep being a kid.

Nagisa has a feeling Makoto knows some of that, but he doesn't push. He's content to let their personal business stay their personal business, and Nagisa's thankful for that. Not only does he not want to subject Makoto to any of that, but it seems like a seal of approval, almost: a 'You've gotten this far without me. And I'm sure you'll continue to keep looking out for each other in the future.'

'Yeah,' Nagisa thinks with a smile. 'Don't worry. We will.'

Soon after everyone begins to make their departure. Makoto hugs them each in the doorway… telling them he's proud of them and that he can't wait to see them again soon. More often than not they return the sentiment; telling him that it was a great reunion or that they hope they'll be seeing him again next year.

"Did you hear that!?" Makoto asks, prancing over to Nagisa's side. "Kimura said he wanted to see me again next time! I'm invited next time, right!?"

Nagisa looks out over the class… over Isogai beginning to pack up the snacks and over Okuda and Kayano hugging as they say goodbye to each other in the doorway. Even as things wrap up there's a jovial atmosphere to the air… a calm sort of catharsis. And it's a good feeling. As scary as it was approaching all of this, Nagisa is really, really thankful Makoto was brave.

"...Of course you're invited," he says. "It wouldn't be the same without you."

Makoto hugs his leg, thanking Nagisa again and again for being patient with him. Nagisa reassures him that it was nothing. He's not the one who did anything to make last night magical. That was all on Makoto.

"Yeah," Makoto admits. "I guess that's true. But… it still meant a lot that you believed in me."

"Well," Nagisa says. "You know I always will."

He offers to let Makoto come with him back to his place.

"The reunion may be wrapping up," he says. "But you know you're always welcome with us. Wanna give beating Karma at Mario Kart one more try?"

"You know I do!" Makoto replies, pumping his fists in the air. "I've still gotta give him a piece of my mind! And not just that! If I win I can tell everyone about it! Can you imagine the reaction in the group chat?"

"Reaction to what?" Karma asks, slinking up from where he'd been helping Megu clean everything up.

"Oh, only me kicking your ass at Mario Kart," Makoto says with a grin.

"Ha!" Karma says. "I'd love to see you try. I'm still a master, I'll have you know."

"Like hell you are!"

"You wanna bet on that?" Karma asks, reaching out to grab Makoto. He pins him to his side and ruffles his hair, before lifting him up into the air and flipping him upside down over his shoulder.

"Gah!" Makoto cries, flailing wildly and kicking at Karma's back. "Hey! No fair! Cut it out! This doesn't even havegot anything to do with Mario Kart!"

"Maybe not!" Karma says, swinging him back and forth by his ankles. "But it's got everything to do with disrespecting your favorite student. You hurt my feelings, you know." He grins and sticks his tongue out.

"This is why you're not my favorite!" Makoto hisses, giving him a kick upside the head. "Now put me down before I make you really regret it!"

"Makoto's right," Nagisa says, slapping Karma's shoulder. "Stop screwing around, will you? Is everything cleaned up, or is there still something we can help with?"

"Nah," Karma says. "Everything's good. We can head out as soon as you're ready."

"Awesome," Nagisa says. "Then put Makoto down and regroup with Kayano, will you? I'm gonna go and give Isogai and Megu one more thanks before I duck."

"Can do," Karma says, despite plainly not letting go of Makoto. He waddles over Kayano's way, the boy still slung over his shoulder.

Nagisa sighs and shakes his head. Nevertheless he's sure Makoto will be fine. He approaches Megu and Isogai, giving them a quick half-hug before pointing over his shoulder.

"Listen," he says. "I'm about to head out, but I just wanted to thank you two first for putting in all the work to help me make this happen. I may be the one who owns the building, but you guys are the ones who do the real heavy lifting every year. I really appreciate it."

"Aw," Isogai says. "There's no need to thank us. You know we enjoy it, too. I'm glad you had a good time!" He gives a bright smile. "Thanks for bringing Sensei along, even if it didn't initially seem to be a part of your plan."

"Haha… yeah, no," Nagisa says. "He mostly orchestrated that one." He scratches at his arm. "Sorry again about hiding that, by the way."

"Don't sweat it," Isogai says.

"Well… do," Megu amends. "But… it's fine." She sighs. "There's no changing it now. We're just happy to have him as a part of our lives at all. And I know the same thing won't happen again in the future."

"Yeah," Nagisa says. "...I can trust you guys."

"And you always could," Megu promises. "Have a safe drive home, alright? I know it's not a long ride, but..."

"Don't worry," Nagisa says. "We will."

"You taking Makoto with you?" Isogai asks, shooting a glance towards Karma.

"Yeah," Nagisa says. "He wanted to come with. Unless one of you wants to take him?"

"Nah," Isogai replies. "As great as that would be I'm still sorta trying to process all of this."

"I know, right?" Nagisa asks. "It's crazy, isn't it? Crazy awesome, though."

"Make sure to let him know we'll be seeing him again sometime soon," Megu says. "...He's an interesting kid."

"Of course," Nagisa says. "He'll keep in touch. Thank you all for being so nice to him."

"Of course!" Isogai replies, somewhat stunned. "Why wouldn't we be?"

"Well… no reason, really," Nagisa admits. "But he can be sensitive sometimes. I know this meant a lot to him… feeling like nothing had changed, even just for a bit. You really made his week."

"Glad to hear it," Megu says. "He might not know it, but…" she smiles, slightly. "I think he made ours, too."

"Without a doubt," Nagisa says, before turning. "...Anyways, I should get back to supervising him. But be seeing you guys, alright? It was nice hanging out. Let's talk again sometime soon."

"Yeah," Isogai agrees. "See you."

With that, Nagisa regroups in the doorway. Karma, Kayano and Makoto are waiting for him there. Thankfully (...And perhaps at Kayano's command) Karma has finally plopped Makoto down. He's pacing in circles as he waves Nagisa over.

"Hey!" he says. "Kayano and I were just talking about how fun that was. It went… like… way better than I expected. I mean… I was really nervous approaching all that, but they loved me! Can you believe it, Nagisa? I mean- I felt like the coolest guy there!"

"Of course I can believe it," Nagisa replies, ruffling his hair. "You pretty much were. I mean what's as cool as that secret?"

"I feel a little bit bad having stolen the spotlight from Ritsu," Makoto admits. "But it was really nice getting to hug her. She felt just like a real person!"

"Well…" Karma muses. "At this point she pretty much is."

"I can not wait to tell Fumiko and Kiyoshi!" Makoto gushes. "They are going to be so jealous. I wonder if they can come next year!" He claps his hands. "I mean I guess Kiyoshi wasn't really one of 'us,' but Fumiko was, wasn't she? She has got to be allowed! I bet she'd be so excited!"

"Well," Karma says. "She wasn't really a member of the E-Class, was she? The girl had to be there for two weeks tops."

"BECAUSE SHE DIED!" Makoto and Kayano seem to hiss at once.

Makoto leans over to give Karma a firm slap on the wrist. "That wasn't her fault, asshole."

"I know, I know," Karma admits with a laugh. "I'm just screwing with you." He smiles. "You'd have to talk it over with everyone else first… but who knows? Maybe they would be cool with having her around."

An interesting proposition! But Nagisa must admit he's only half-listening. As they make their way out of the building and begin their descent down the mountain his mind wanders to a topic from last night. It had seemed inconsequential at the time, but the more he thinks about it the more it eats at him. And listening to Makoto excitedly ramble, he runs his fingers over his tie.

"I mean, seriously," Makoto says. "I am telling you guys. It was the best feeling in the whole wide world. I was really nervous they, like… wouldn't believe me or would be disappointed in me or something, but they weren't at all! They were just happy to see me! And they didn't even comment on how I was different! They… they really liked me! For who I was! I can hardly believe it!"

"Of course they did," Karma says. "They really missed you, dude. Not to mention you're a fun-ass guy to be around even not accounting for the whole Korosensei thing."

"I know, I know," Makoto says. "But it's just so…-" he drifts off and lets out a squeal. "I'm just so happy!"

Nagisa smiles slightly. It's like he said to Isogai and Megu: this meant a lot to Makoto. In the past Makoto expressed feeling inferior to Korosensei… insecure and uncertain, but he doesn't show any of that now. He's confident and cheerful… he holds his head high as he walks and waves his arms in the air. He's upbeat! He's loud! He's close to tears, and more than anything he looks self-assured.

...In hindsight, Nagisa just feels bad about not giving Makoto this chance on his own. He'd known it would have been good for him, but he still hesitated. Why? Because he was afraid to see how his classmates would react? Because he somehow didn't trust them? Or because… because…-?

Did he dare think Makoto wasn't enough, too?

Quickly, he shakes his head. No. That's not it. And… it never will be. He loves Makoto. And he's believed in him from the start. Any part of Nagisa's hesitance… it's not because Makoto wasn't worthy enough. He was always good enough to deserve to see his students… and Nagisa has a feeling he was always 'himself' enough for them to believe him, too. The fault here is all his. And even if that's in the past now, he thinks he'd like to make it up to Makoto however he can.

...A 'sorry.' Or at the very least, if that's not wanted, an 'about time I got to see you thrive.'

Nagisa slows to a stop. He holds a hand up and asks "...Actually… can I have a minute alone with Makoto? We'll only be one second and you can go right ahead: we'll catch up. But… there's something I'd like to talk to him about before this reunion ends."

Kayano and Karma exchange a curious glance, but nod.

"Of course," Kayano says. "Take as long as you need. If you can't find us we'll be waiting for you by the car." She pauses, frowning for a brief second. "I hope everything's alright?"

"Yeah," Nagisa says. "Everything's fine. I just need to..." he drifts off. "I just need to do something I should have done a long time ago."

Karma raises an eyebrow, but Kayano takes him by the hand. She must be able to discern by the tone in Nagisa's voice that this is something important to him.

"Lets go," she whispers. "I'm sure it'll only take a minute."

Karma nods and follows after.

Makoto shoots Nagisa a confused look as the two of them leave. Of course... there's still a certain sort of spunk to his step as he paces around, but it dies down slightly. He frowns and asks, fidgeting "What is it?"

He says it so simply. Cheerfully- almost. But there's a clear sort of hesitation to his voice. A nervousness. An 'I'm not in trouble, are I?'

'No,' Nagisa thinks. 'Never.'

"I… have a gift for you," he says. "I… honestly should have given it to you sooner, but I guess it just didn't cross my mind. Last night Sugino brought it up after you fell asleep and I realized that… hey, yeah. This is rightfully yours, isn't it?"

...Slowly, he lowers himself to the ground. He kneels, looks Makoto in the eye, and reaches up towards his tie. Carefully he undoes it… takes it into his hands, and motions for Makoto to hold out his own.

Makoto is shaking slightly.

"W-wait," he asks. "What is this?"

"Just hold out your hands," Nagisa says. "It'll be okay, I promise."

Makoto hesitates, but nods. Quietly, he cups his palms.

...He doesn't speak.

Gingerly… as carefully as he can Nagisa places the tie in Makoto's hands. Shaking his head he says "You know who this belonged to, yeah? Well..." he pauses. "...Belongs to, I guess. I'm sorry I didn't return it to you sooner. I just didn't think of it. That… and I think I needed it for just a little while longer. Thank you for letting me hold onto it."

"But now… it's about time it goes home. And as such, please let me offer this to you... to my Sensei, and to my student. Think of it as a promise that I'll always be proud of you, no matter what you do."

Makoto's expression is indecipherable. Blinking back tears he stares down at the crescent pattern. He glances up towards Nagisa… uncertain almost; but Nagisa simply nods.

'Go right ahead,' he thinks. 'Take it.'

"Shut… shut your eyes for a second, will you?" Makoto asks quietly. "I've got something I need to do."

Nagisa shuffles slightly, but does as told. The forest hums around him as he closes his eyes. But after what feels like forever, Makoto steps in closer. He lets out a hushed laugh, crouches, and…

...Places the tie back in Nagisa's hands.

"Nagisa," he says. "...How dumb can you be? I don't need this to know you'll be proud of me. I don't need this at all."

Nagisa's eyes shoot open. He startles slightly.

"But… but it's yours-"

"Yeah," Makoto says. "It was. But… I also think that you need this more than I do. Maybe I would have accepted this gladly a few months ago… when I was less certain about who I was and what I wanted to do, but I know who I am, Nagisa. I don't need any silly tie to prove that. I'll be myself with or without it."

"It's more than clear this has given you strength. That… everything about my memory has. I'd never want to take that away from you. If you've felt guilty about keeping it this long, then here's me giving it to you for real… no strings attached. Think of it as a gift. It's yours. Because you're carrying on my legacy just as much as I am. And… I'm thankful for that."

Nagisa glances down towards the tie then back towards Makoto. He seems so certain… so unwavering, but Nagisa can hardly understand how. Suddenly it's his turn to shake. Because he never… he never expected to-

"Even though… even though you got it from-?"

His voice catches in his throat.

"...Even though I got it from Aguri."

Makoto places a hand over the tie… over Nagisa's palm.

"A very long time ago a person who believed in me gave this to me because she thought I could become my best self. And… I'm giving this to you now because I know you've already become yours. I'm ready to part with it. I really am. And if you really, really want to do something for me, then I only have one request."

Nagisa stares.

"...What is it?"

"Sew up the holes in it, will you?"

"H… holes?"

"Yeah," Makoto says, turning over the tie and pointing. "There are two tears in it. One from when Aguri died and the other from when you killed me. I want you to fix them up. I… left the first rip as an important reminder to myself... a warning not to make the same mistakes. But… as important as it is to learn from your mistakes, you need to move on eventually, too. If you keep dwelling on it forever, then… well…" he pauses. "...You're never going to get better."

Nagisa stares at the rips. Quiet, he says "...I didn't know you knew about how you died."

"Not until recently," Makoto admits, still not looking up from the tie.

(Now that he thinks about it he thinks he recalls Makoto saying something about that last night... but he'd just been so out of it)

"I hope that didn't…-" Nagisa drifts off. "I mean… I hope it's not weighing on you."

"Nah," Makoto says with a laugh. "...It was my time." He frowns. "...If anything, I think I'm more concerned about it weighing on you. Are… are you alright, Nagisa?"

Nagisa's silent for a long moment. Finally, he gives a defeated shrug.

"I'm trying to be."

Makoto reaches out to awkwardly pat his shoulder. A 'here here.'

"I guess I just… I feel bad about it, you know?" Nagisa continues. "I know it was a long time ago, and I know you'd want me to get better, but…" he pauses. "I can't stop wondering if there's something else I could have done. If I could have fought harder. What if… what if I could have saved you? And what if… I didn't? Does that mean I failed you?"

"You were just a little kid, Nagisa," Makoto insists. "...It wasn't your job to save me. You wouldn't expect me to do something like that for you, would you?" He shakes his head. "...And besides, you did save me in your own way. You made me happy. The whole class did! If you want to worry about all the things you didn't do or screwed up I could do that too… I really scarred you guys. But there's no point in that… at least not in the self-pitying way."

"Not that… not that I'm calling you self-pitying." He reassures, cocking his head. "I just… know by now that there's no going back. And even if that hurts, that's the truth. Beating yourself up over it won't change what happened. All you can do is move forward. And I want to see you do so with dignity. I'm telling you it's alright. I'm telling you you did everything you could. And… I'm telling you you'll do everything you can in the future. I know that, Nagisa. And I want you to believe it, too. Because… as important as reflecting on your past is…-"

"I want you to have a future, too."

Makoto leans in to hug Nagisa. He clings tight to his back and buries his face in his shoulder.

"You can forgive yourself now. It's alright. I'm here. I'm here."

Carefully, he pats Nagisa's back… and Nagisa takes a shaky breath. He's hardly sure what's happening here. This was supposed to be a touching, reassuring moment for Makoto, but it seems he's the one getting schooled instead. If he weren't so close to tears he thinks he'd laugh. Still… he clings to Makoto's back, and he thinks he does feel somewhat closer to forgiveness. Not quite… but… somewhat. And that's a freeing feeling in and of itself.

...As worried as he is that Makoto has to know, it's nice to finally get that off his chest.

"And… you really want me to keep this?"

"Yeah," Makoto says. "I really want you to keep this. If you want to, I mean." He pauses. "It's a burden I maybe couldn't bear. But I think… I think it suits you." He smiles. "Keep it and sew it up. It's time."

"Okay," Nagisa says. And he means it. "Okay."

If there's one thing he can do for Korosensei- for the person he failed, and for the student he's failed in a hundred ways too, then it's this. If all Korosensei has to ask of him is to thrive then who is he to turn that down? He wants to get better. He wants to bury the past. And he wants to believe things can heal, too.

...After all, they already sort of have.

"I'm sorry, and I'm… I'm done being sorry. I'll take this, and I'll wear it with pride. Th… thank you Sensei. For the gift, and for everything else."

"You know there's no need to thank me," Makoto says. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Finally, he pulls away.

"I'm glad you came around. I'd have been really mad if I had to end up taking that, you know. You look super cool in that tie."

Nagisa blinks. "You… you really think so?"

"Of course I think so!" Makoto says. "You make one badass teacher. Who better suited for the teacher tie than that?" He waves a hand. "Now get up. Your spouses are probably starting to get worried about you… and you've got your nice pants all dirty."

He 'tsks.' It's a fatherly sort of thing. All the same… it's overdramatic; silly. It's very… Makoto.

Awkwardly, Nagisa stands. He brushes off a pant leg, glancing over at Makoto.

"You're right," he says. "My mistake. Sorry for pulling you aside like this or if it was weird, but-"

"...It's not weird," Makoto says. "It was nice to talk about it. And besides, even if I don't want the tie…" he pauses. "It was nice to hear that you'll always be proud of me."

He gives a bright smile. Hurries to his feet, himself, and starts to lead the way. He turns back towards Nagisa… surprisingly patient looking for someone so fidgety.

Nagisa glances down towards his hands… wonders if he should put on the tie, but decides against it. He'll wear it again once he's fixed it up. For now… he follows after Makoto.

There's a slight skip to his step. It's clear he's still a little on edge, but for the most part he's in good spirits! He hums as he walks. Nagisa wonders, watching him, if there can be an upside to your screw-ups, too.

He feels bad even thinking it. All the same, he knows full-well that if Korosensei hadn't died Makoto might not be here. He wonders what that world would be like. If his classroom… if Fumiko and Kiyoshi's lives might be a lot less bright.

He's not thankful Korosensei died. He never will be. But… he's proud of Makoto. And for once, that's enough. It's nice to think there can be a light even in the darkest of moments.

"You know," he says. "That was actually pretty wise. Have you been thinking about that stuff a lot lately? Moving on, I mean? How to deal with guilt?"

"Yeah," Makoto says. "A lot of my thoughts on it I think actually ended up influenced by all the smart stuff you told me, but I guess some of it came from Kiyoshi as well. Kiyoshi and… everything about my own situation. I felt really bad about being the Reaper for a really long time. But I think I'm starting to finally get it figured out now. And… I think it has a lot to do with learning."

"Learning?" Nagisa asks.

"That's what I called it, isn't it?" Makoto asks. "Leaving the hole in the tie… vowing not to fail people like I failed Aguri. It was learning from my past. But there's a point where it went beyond learning and just made me sad. Learning should… it should never feel like that. If there's anything I've learned from this year it's that. Because you'll just burn out at that rate, y'know? It's important to learn, but…" he pauses. "Once you've studied enough it's time to move on to the next subject. Surely you'll learn something from that, too."

Wise indeed. Hearing the learning metaphor Nagisa's almost tempted to comment he sounds just like Korosensei… but the urge quickly peters off. Makoto doesn't need to hear that right now. And besides…

(He glances down towards the tie, and thinks of the wistful way Korosensei looked up at the sky the day he died)

...Something tells him this is a wisdom all Makoto's own.

They regroup with the other two at the car. Kayano asks what happened, but Nagisa says he'd simply wanted to give Makoto a gift. Turns out he didn't need it, but… hey. At the very least Makoto ended up giving him some advice.

Karma laughs. "That's our Makoto, isn't it?"

They drive home without much fanfare. Sitting in the passenger seat Kayano texts Gakushuu and lets him know they're on their way. He meets up with them in the doorway, Fumiko by his side.

Makoto rushes to meet her. Tugging maniacally at the handle until Nagisa finally unlocks the car, he bolts from his seat and makes a mad dash to her side. Finally, he wraps her in a hug and asks her how things went.

She tenses slightly at his touch, but relaxes as he lets go - embarrassed, almost. Scratching at her arm she admits "Really well, actually! I had an awesome time. Asano-san is the best and it was nice not to have to worry for once. What about you, though?" her brow furrows. "I didn't know you'd be arriving with Shiota-sensei and the rest. Don't tell me you…-"

"I snuck in!" Makoto confirms, proudly knocking on his chest. "Crashed the party and everything! Even Nagisa didn't know what I had up my sleeve!" He grins. "Pretty cool, ain't it?"

"Well… I don't know if that's the word I'd use to describe it," Fumiko admits, lip curling slightly. "But I suppose that does sound rather fun. Did you tell everyone?"

"Mmm!" Makoto says with a nod. "And they took it so much better than I thought they would! I mean… it was crazy! They loved me! You should totally come next year. I bet they'd be more than happy to have you! I mean- you're - like - their hero, too. Can you imagine the commotion!? The two most loved people in the classroom making their triumphant return!? It'd be nuts."

"Ah… ah..." Fumiko glances away. "Now I'm not sure I'm prepared for…- that's a lot of attention, but…" she smiles. "I suppose it would be nice to see everyone again sometime. Especially now that I know they believed you."

"'Course they did!" Makoto says. "I did sort of doxx them." He lets out a snicker. "You should have seen the looks on their faces when I started saying all this spooky stuff I had no way of knowing! It was the best."

It's about now that Nagisa and co are finally catching up with him. It's as they start to greet Gakushuu in the doorway, however, that Makoto clings excitedly to Nagisa's hand and starts tugging.

"Oh yeah! Wait!" he says. "I almost forgot. Nagisa tried to give me a gift and I turned it down. Namely because I thought it'd look better on him, but he still made me a promise. Wanna help us fix it up?"

"Wait," Nagisa says. "Right now?"

"Of course right now!" Makoto replies. "I told you: the sooner we start moving on from that stuff the better. And besides: I wanna show you my cross-stitch."

"Don't worry," Kayano says. "I've got it. I know where Gakushuu keeps the sewing stuff. And that reminds me there's something I've been meaning to grab, anyways. I'll be right back."

Makoto bounces on the balls of his feet as he watches her go. He leans in towards Fumiko and starts to whisper into her ear... no doubt explaining all the exciting happenstances of last night and his gift of the tie. It's as he does so, however, that Nagisa turns towards Gakushuu.

"I missed you," he says quietly. "I hope you had a good night."

"It went rather well," Gakushuu replies. "While I may not have been invited to one of your extravagant parties Fumiko made an excellent house guest. Did you know she knows how to play chess?"

Nagisa cocks an eyebrow. "I did not," he admits. "I'm glad to see the two of you bonding. It means a lot to me that you're helping her out, you know."

"Of course," Gakushuu says. "Protecting her is just as important to me as it is to you. It was about time I took initiative." He smiles. "But enough about my night. How was yours? Did you enjoy the reunion, even with Himura crashing it?"

"Of course," Nagisa says. "The class was awesome as usual. And they took Makoto's surprise appearance like way better than I thought they would. We played two truths and a lie and a few other games. I had a really good time."

"Taking it you didn't engage in your usual tradition of binge drinking?"

"Oh. Absolutely not," Nagisa replies. "As much as I look forward to getting wasted with the class it was not the time."

Gakushuu laughs. "Glad to hear you had fun nevertheless."

"Damn right we did," Karma interjects, slinging an arm around Nagisa. "Nakamura told me to pass on my regards to 'Gakushit,' by the way."

Gakushuu rolls his eyes. "Tell Nakamura she can insult me when she runs a billion-dollar corporation. I'm hardly wounded. Sticks and stones, you know."

"Don't worry," Karma says, sticking his tongue out. "I made sure to tell her that you're sexy and powerful… as per the usual.

"...You did not."

It's about now that Kayano's returning. She's got the box of sewing supplies tucked under one arm and what looks like a shirt under the other.

"I saw this while I was out grabbing stuff for the reunion," she says, carefully placing the sewing supplies down on the table. "It's silly… but it made me think of you, Fumiko. I know you're getting to spend more time away from home now and I realized you might want to use that opportunity to express yourself more. Now I don't know if this is really your taste, but… it made me laugh. And it's always fun to expand your fashion sense, even just a little."

She gives a nervous smile before holding up what is (Needless to say) one of the weirdest pieces of fashion Nagisa has ever seen. Hot pink and with an anthropomorphized hotdog embroidered onto the front, the shirt reads 'Cracker Barrel Arson.'

Fumiko gives her a skeptical look, but Kayano laughs.

"You like it?" she asks. "Or are you too grown up for this sort of stuff now?"

There's a sense of teasing to her tone. Nevertheless, it's clear it comes from a place of love. And Fumiko must sense it, too… because after another moment of huffiness her shoulders fall and she shakes her head. She makes her way over to Kayano and buries her face in her shoulder.

"Of course not," she says. "It's the ugliest thing I've ever seen." She lets out a low laugh and presses it to her chest. "...I love it."

"Good," Kayano says, ruffling her hair. "And here I was almost thinking I embarrassed you."

"No," Fumiko says, punching her shoulder. "Never."

Needless to say she wants to try it on right away.

"I mean… it's the worst, don't get me wrong, but I didn't even realize they still made these things!" she says, giving it a look of awe. "I thought they'd have long since gone out of business. I have got to celebrate."

"Well, you know what they say," Karma comments, stretching. "You can't keep down the clown."

"Damn right you can't!" Fumiko replies, pumping her fists.

And despite herself… she looks ecstatic as she scrambles into the bathroom to slip it on.

Nagisa and Kayano exchange a warm smile. Nagisa can't say he expected that, but it's nice to see Kayano make Fumiko's day. And hey! At least someone ended up obtaining an old cursed family heirloom.

Speaking of…

Makoto cracks open the sewing supplies, motioning for Nagisa to sit down next to him. They end up crouching over the table sitting in front of the couch. Makoto proudly takes the tie from Nagisa's hands and places it down before digging around in search of yellow and black thread. As he does Fumiko returns, looking wholly embarrassed but strangely proud.

"What do you think?" she asks.

"Looking good!" Makoto says, giving her a thumbs up.

She ends up joining the two of them… leaning over Makoto's shoulder as he sits on the couch. She watches curiously, fidgeting with her hands as they perform the ever-delicate surgery on the tie.

"Do we have a brighter yellow?" Nagisa asks, eyeing a spool of thread. "This one doesn't quite match up."

"Right here!" Makoto says, unearthing another spool from the pile. "At least… I think it's closer. My color comprehension is pretty bad."

The six of them make small talk as Nagisa gets to work. Makoto helps him thread the needle and they even begin to start stitching up the tie. It's before they can get far, however, that there's a knocking at the door.

Nagisa and co exchange a confused glance. Now they don't remember inviting anyone... Nevertheless, Gakushuu stands and says he'll get it.

"Uh… hey!" A meek voice pipes up from the doorway. "I hope you don't mind me stopping by. I know I wasn't exactly invited, but… I realized the reunion had probably ended by now and wanted to know how things went. Mind having me?"

The one… the only: Kiyoshi.

"Of course not," Nagisa says. "Come right in. But before we tell you anything about how our night went how was yours? Did you have fun with your parents?"

"Uh… yeah!" Kiyoshi says. "It was… actually really nice. I got to show them my favorite anime and we even played some Fire Emblem! We ended up staying up really late, though. They're still sleeping in now." He pauses. "Which is why I'm here, for the record. They didn't - like - ditch me. I just can't sleep. Ever. The perks of chronic insomnia?" He lets out a nervous laugh, stepping in through the doorway. "Anyways! Enough of that. Thank you for letting me stop by. I brought ca-..." he drifts off, eyes drifting towards the couch. "...Wait."

"WHAT IN THE GOD DAMN HELL IS FUMIKO WEARING?"

He only just now seems to process it. He looks at Fumiko… then at her shirt… then at the rest of the room as if asking if any of them are also seeing this.

"Not that- not that there's anything WRONG with it, of course! And I- I didn't mean to SHOUT… I suppose I'm just wondering what… when… - how… that… happened-? It's not very… it's hardly your sty-" He blinks. "...I've missed a lot, haven't I?"

"Eh," Fumiko says. "Not really. As for what this is, however," she says, motioning to her shirt. "It's a gift from Akari. That, and the stupidest thing I've ever seen." She gives him a goofy smile. "You like it?"

Kiyoshi gives her another bewildered look but must soon realize that this is just how things are with his chosen group of friends. His shoulders relax and he nods.

"Yeah," he says. "It looks nice on you. It's fitting."

Surprisingly sincere for an indecipherable shirt about a hot dog! Even complimenting her, however, Kiyoshi doesn't approach. He steps in awkwardly through the doorway and removes his shoes. Then, apprehensive, almost, he takes a seat on the couch across from them.

Fumiko is having none of that. She hesitates for a moment, before patting the seat next to her.

"Oh!" Kiyoshi says, glancing over. "Do you want me t- I mean- I can come over if you'd like- I just didn't want to assume that-"

"It's fine," Fumiko says. "Now get over here already before I change my mind."

Awkwardly… Kiyoshi stands. Fumiko is silent as he takes a seat next to her. All the same… she doesn't scoot away. She simply sits there, fiddling with her scarf. Kiyoshi gives her an uncertain look, but Fumiko's expression doesn't waver. And slowly… his own shoulders lower. He smiles, nervous, but thankful to have closed some of the gap between them nevertheless.

'Baby steps,' Nagisa thinks, watching them. 'Slowly but surely, they're healing.'

...It makes him smile.

"You guys want some cake?" Kiyoshi asks, holding out a box towards his friends. "It's store-bought, so it's probably not very good… but I passed a bakery on the way here and figured I may as well at least try to celebrate the occasion." He pauses, gaze drifting towards Makoto. "That, and… like… make reparations or whatever for crashing your party last time." He stiffens. "Not that - not that I'm still beating myself up, of course! But-! I thought it would be a sweet gesture!" His brows furrow and he gives a sheepish smile "You know…?"

"Of course I know, dude," Makoto says. "And I, for one, will gladly take cake. You sure know how to speak my language." He makes grabby-hands. "Hand it over already!"

"Not before I grab plates, please," Gakushuu says, bolting to his feet. "I just vacuumed the couch. The last thing I need is you three getting icing all over it."

"You three?" Karma asks. "Great way to exclude us. Unless the cake is just for your friends, Kiyoshi?"

"Of- of course not!" Kiyoshi sputters. "The adults can have some too! There's more than enough to share."

"Good," Kayano says. "And there I was over here almost getting my feelings hurt."

Everyone ends up taking a slice except Nagisa. He's a bit too preoccupied with the tie to eat. Makoto apologizes, saying he hopes Nagisa doesn't mind that he's a bit too busy to help out, but Nagisa reassures him that it's okay. He's more than content to do the 'heavy lifting' while Makoto eats… even if plate or not he's still getting crumbs all over Gakushuu's precious loveseat.

Gakushuu sighs but doesn't speak. He may be a little irritated, but the truth is the couch can be replaced. Makoto, however, they only have one of.

...And, hey... despite himself, it seems he's enjoying the cake as well.

"Thank fuck you came up with this," Makoto says, mouth still full of cake. "Not only was I starving, but if you hadn't done something I was gonna be seriously tempted to smash your cake next week. Y'know. As revenge for what you did to mine. "

"Seriously!?" Kiyoshi sputters. "I thought you were above that sort of stuff! Best friends and all!?"

"Well... yeah, for the most part!" Makoto replies. "But cake is serious business! I had to do something!"

"Like smash my birthday cake to bits!?"

"Not ANYMORE!" Makoto replies. "You're in the clear! You did it! You got a gold star! You've got nothing to worry about!"

"For now," Fumiko says, a bit of frosting on her lip. "Who knows? Maybe if you don't smash Kiyoshi's cake I'll just have to take things into my own hands." She laughs. "-Shitting you, of course. I wouldn't. Probably."

"Eh," Kiyoshi says. "Even if you did I'd probably say 'That's fair.' The hardest thing would just be explaining that to my parents."

"What? Why I smashed your cake?"

"Yes, why you smashed my cake!"

"What? So Fumiko is allowed to smash your cake but I'm not!?"

"No-one is allowed to smash my cake!"

"Guys, guys-" Nagisa interjects. "Let's use our kind words with each other. We're all friends here."

That, and he desperately wants his 13-year-old students to stop discussing 'smashing cake' with one another.

Makoto lets out an annoyed huff.

"Fineeeeeeeeeee."

Ultimately they come to the conclusion that as long as Fumiko and Makoto get extra slices at Kiyoshi's party then everything's fine.

(Er- well… not everything, obviously! But! Cake-related affairs! Everything will be fine in regards to cake-related affairs!)

"Sounds good to me," Kiyoshi says with a laugh. "I'm not much of a cake guy, anyways." He smiles. "You can have all the extras you want. Fair warning, though: you might have to compete with my mom."

"Oh. I am not afraid of her," Makoto replies.

"Wanna tag team it?" Fumiko asks, smirking.

"You know it."

Kiyoshi sighs, but doesn't remind them that he'll be formally uninviting them from any future birthday parties if they fistfight his mother. Instead, he simply rubs at his temples and shakes his head.

"By the way," Fumiko asks as the conversation starts to drift. "How'd you know Makoto would be here? I told you Gakushuu would be tutoring me, but last I'd checked he didn't breathe a word of his plans to crash the reunion. Even I was in the dark. Did you just anticipate him to show up here?"

"Yeah… pretty much," Kiyoshi admits with a laugh. "He didn't say anything about his plans to - uh - jump Shiota-sensei and co or whatever, but he did say enough weird stuff that I had a suspicion. Besides… even if he didn't end up doing that…" he shrugs. "I knew he wouldn't wanna spend his honorary birthday with anyone other than you guys. He'd show up here sooner or later."

"Speaking of," he continues. "How'd the reunion go? Other than the cake that's what I stopped by here to ask about. Did you guys have a good time?"

"Yeah!" Nagisa says. "As always we had a really good time. We missed your parents, but I'm glad they spent some much needed time with you. And hey… by complete surprise Makoto kinda ended up filling in the vacant 'teacher' role, anyways."

"What did he do, exactly? Sneak into the building?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"I hid out under Nagisa's desk for a whole hour!" Makoto boasts. "It was super uncomfy, but I also felt super cool. Like a spy or something."

"And I'm taking it you told the class?"

"Yeah," Makoto says. "And I told 'em about Fumiko, too. Don't worry, though. I didn't say anything about you. I figured if you wanted to say anything then that was your decision to make." He pauses. "About the Yanagisawa, thing, I mean. I obviously said things about you! I told them you were super c- I called you my best friend! But I didn't- I just didn't mention the superpowered evil guy thing!"

"I deduced that much," Kiyoshi reassures. "And… thank you. Not only is that - like - uh… the last thing I'd ever want them to know about, but something tells me it would have put a damper on the joyful reunion."

Quick to change the topic, he asks "Does what Nagisa's doing have something to do with the reunion, too? That is your tie he's working on, yeah?"

"Well… sort of," Makoto admits. "Not any more. I ended up gifting it to him officially. He tried to hand it over to me and I was like 'no way!' I feel a little bad doing it since it was a gift, but it only felt right to pass on the mantle."

"Don't," Fumiko says. "I don't mind. In fact… I actually think it's pretty sweet." She shrugs. "Shiota-sensei's been a beacon to me as much as he has to you. I'd never argue against him deserving this kind of thing. Besides..." she smirks. "Something tells me you'd look super goofy in a tie like that, anyways."

"Hey!" Makoto shouts, gently elbowing her.

"What?" she replies, stifling a laugh. "You know it's true."

"Is not!"

Nagisa gives a content smile. He's flattered these kids think so highly of him. Even if he knows he's always been trying his hardest it's nice to hear it said in words… to be called a 'beacon.'

"...Awwww," Kiyoshi says. "That is sweet." He smiles. "Hope you like it, Shiota-sensei. The two of them are right. You deserve it."

"Thanks, Kiyoshi," Nagisa replies. "That really means a lot."

He reaches up to absentmindedly wipe at his eyes... steadies his hand and sighs. He can't go getting all choked up now. Not when he's doing such delicate work.

"Why don't you tell the two of them about all the other cool stuff that happened at the reunion, too?" he pipes up. "Unless you're seriously planning to leave them in the dark about Ritsu?"

"Oh shit!" Makoto says. "Ritsu! I almost forgot!"

"What did she do this time?" Fumiko asks.

"She didn't do anything! At least not mostly! It was more Takebayashi and Okuda and Itona! Though I guess Ritsu helped, too! I mean she was the one who asked for-" he shakes his head and throws his hands in the air. "She's got a body now, guys! That's what I'm trying to say!"

"She's got a what!?" Kiyoshi sputters.

"A body!"

"You can't be serious! Ritsu? Our Ritsu? Ritsu Has-No-Discernible-Last-Name-Because-She's-A-Robot Ritsu?"

"Yeah, that Ritsu!"

"H-how!?"

"I'unno! Takebayashi and co built it for her! Some cool science-y shit! I wasn't really listening 'cause I was so excited but they talked about nerves and exoskeletons and fake skin or something? I'm not entirely sure! But I am not shitting you, guys. They put her in a body!"

"I've got pics if you don't believe the kid," Karma says, throwing himself onto the couch beside Kiyoshi. "Wanna see 'em?"

"Hell yes I want to see photos!" Fumiko says. "That is awesome! I mean… also really fucking weird, but awesome!"

"Uh - yes," Kiyoshi says. "That would be...- not that I don't believe Makoto-! But that would be nice!"

Karma smirks as he pulls out his phone. He swipes through his camera roll, showing off picture after picture of Ritsu.

"...Woah," Kiyoshi says. "That is incredible. I mean… I can't even tell the difference between her and-..." he drifts off. "...You're sure that's not just an incredibly skilled cosplayer?"

"Positive!" Makoto replies. "She had the voice and everything. That was our Ritsu alright."

"Oh man."

"What's she doing in that pic?" Fumiko asks, giving the phone an incredulous glance as she reaches out to point at it.

Makoto cranes his head back, glancing at the phone from his seat on the floor before replying "Eating soap." He giggles. "Truth or dare is a weird game."

"You guys played truth or dare?" Kiyoshi asks.

"I didn't," Makoto says. "Ended up falling asleep way before any of that got started. Ended up hearing some of it, though. Did you know that Nagisa dyed his hair pitch black for a while back i-?"

"Woah, woah, woah!" Nagisa interjects. "I did not know you were awake for that. Let's not-"

"Not what?" Karma asks. "Talk about your emo phase?"

"Like you can speak!" Kayano hisses with a dramatic roll of her eyes. "Last I'd checked weren't you Mr. 'Wanted To Kill A Teacher?'"

"I mean, yeah!" Karma says, face flushed. "But weren't all of us? I mean it was the Assassination Classroo-"

"No. You do not get to pull that card on us!" Nagisa interrupts. "You were. Like. Way worse than any of us. You jumped off a cliff for fuck's sake!"

"It was cool!"

"It was not!"

"I wanna do that!" Makoto pipes up, hand shooting into the air.

"You do not," Nagisa replies, quickly lowering it.

"Well, kids," Gakushuu says. "Now you know what you have to look forward to in fifteen years: being horribly embarrassed by literally everything you did as a teenager." His nose wrinkles. "An experience I am not exempt from, either."

"Eh," Kiyoshi says. "I'm already pretty horrified by everything I did fifteen years ago. I like to think that by the time I'm 28 I'll have gone so numb that I don't even process new humiliation anymore."

"A mighty goal," Gakushuu says with a snort. "I wish you luck."

"Anyways," Fumiko says. "What else happened at the reunion? What games did you get to participate in?"

"Two truths and a lie, mostly!" Makoto says. "I learned lots of things. Hazma's written a book and Hayami has like nine-hundred children. There was so much cool stuff I could hardly even process all of it. I mean…" he drifts off. "Wait! KIDS! Shit! I almost forgot!"

Nagisa startles.

"Forgot what!?"

"Yours!" Makoto says, bolting to his feet. He rushes to Gakushuu's side and holds out a hand. "Congratulations, Asano-kun!"

Gakushuu blinks.

"C-congratulations?"

"Yeah! I already got to tell everyone else, but you weren't at the reunion! Congratulations on the decision! I'm really glad you're going to be able to have a baby!"

Nagisa and Gakushuu seem to process what he's talking about at once. It's as clarity washes over them, however, that Fumiko and Kiyoshi let out a subsequent shout.

"A BABY!?"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN A BABY!?"

"ARE YOU FOUR SERIOUSLY-?"

Chaos washes over the room. It's as Fumiko rushes to Kayano's side, however… demanding to know if she's pregnant that Nagisa bolts to his feet. He holds his hands in the air and shouts

"Y-yes!" he sputters. "We're having a baby! There's no need to panic! We've thought long and hard about it and we simply decided that…-" his voice wavers. "We've simply decided that it was a good decision for us-"

Kayano nods, laughing slightly at Fumiko's crazed reaction.

"Nagisa's right," she says. "It's something that's been a long time coming… and… a stage we're excited for our family to enter. There's no need to panic, really. This is a good thing."

"I mean I know that-" Kiyoshi says. "But it's still... - this is completely out of left field! I mean- do you know when you're due? Do you have a name picked out? Who's even the one who did the dee…-?" He drifts off. " Not asking that, actually! C-congratulations, I guess!?"

"Oh my god! Why didn't you tell me, Akari!?" Fumiko exclaims. "I mean if you're not- if this is a planned thing then... that's awesome!" She takes her by the hands, jumping up and down. "I'm so happy for you! I can't believe I'm going to be an aunt!"

"Damn right you are!" Kayano replies. "Yeah… I'm sorry about not saying something sooner. A good chance just never came up. But yes, that is the plan in the future. And we'll be sticking with it."

"Does that mean…?" Kiyoshi looks down at his hands. "Am I going to be a cousin? I mean- I'm already a cousin… the E-Class has lots of kids, but… again? And- and to someone whose house I visit every day!? Ohmygod!"

"That's right," Nagisa says. "You're a part of our lives so you're bound to be a part of their life as well. Be on your best behavior. And that doesn't just go for you, Kiyoshi. They'll be seeing all three of you an awful lot. So try and be someone they can look up to."

Kiyoshi gives a salute. "Of- of course, sir!" He says, utterly shocked. "I'll do my very best to be a good influence! Someone they can- they can see as a role model! Like you guys have been to me! Thank you so much for placing your trust in me!"

He's close to tears. And although Nagisa at first assumes he's simply overwhelmed by the responsibility of being a 'cool older cousin' it's as he thanks them for placing their 'trust in him' that Nagisa finally understands why he's so honored to be a part of this kid's life. He's no doubt had a lot of trouble trusting himself these past few months. To be trusted with something as fragile - as vulnerable as a baby… well…

...That must come as a pretty big vote of confidence.

"Are you kidding me?" Karma says. "Of course we're placing our trust in you. You're the most reasonable one here."

"Yeah," Gakushuu says. "It's actually the other two I'm worried about."

"Hey!" Fumiko cries. "I know Makoto's like that, but what did I do!?"

"WHAAAA!?" Makoto yelps.

"You may appear more mature and collected, but I've seen you, Hisakawa. You once chased him around with a dictionary trying to hit him over the head with it simply because it was the heaviest object you could find. You're a little impulsive, too."

"Well I wouldn't do that with a baby," Fumiko huffs. "Besides, Makoto deserved it."

"Last I checked Makoto actually specifically asked her to do that," Kiyoshi interjects.

"I'm just still trying to figure out what it is I did to not qualify as a good influence on developing minds," Makoto admits.

"Maybe ask a lady to hit you with a dictionary?"

"First of all, I didn't ask her to hit me with a dictionary. It was a battle and I had a Nerf Gun. Second of all, I wouldn't tell a baby to do that, either."

"You sure?" Kiyoshi asks.

"Well… mostly!"

Nagisa laughs.

"You know Karma and Gakushuu are just messing with you. I fully trust all three of you to be a good influence." He smiles. "You may all be different, but I know who you are, and that's good people. Even if you're chaotic and more than a little impulsive I know you'll inspire our child to do what's right and be themselves. That's what's most important. As long as you're just yourselves, too, you've got nothing to worry about."

"You really think so?" Kiyoshi asks.

"Yeah," Nagisa says. "I know so."

"...Thanks, Shiota-sensei. That really means a lot."

Kiyoshi gives a bright smile.

"Well… I'm glad we're enough! We'll make sure to be as much of ourselves as we can," Makoto reassures, giving his own mock salute. "You still didn't answer Fumiko's name question, though, Kayano," Makoto admits, turning his head back towards her. "Have you still not come up with one?"

"We're working on it," she sheepishly admits. "We're still trying t-"

"Oh man! You should let us help!"

"Well I don't know about that…-" Gakushuu interjects.

"Why not!?" Makoto asks with a pout. "We'd be good at it, I swear!"

"It's not that I doubt you," Gakushuu says in the least convincing voice possible. "But I still think you should let this one stay between the adults."

"Well… if you say so," Makoto huffs. Though he soon returns to his usual jolly demeanor. "Either way… I'm really happy for you guys! I can't wait to meet your kid!"

"Yeah?" Nagisa asks. "Me neither."

He's feeling better and better about this decision. Initially, he was still a little hesitant when he first pitched the idea to his spouses… but after receiving so much support from them… seeing the trusting reaction of his family and friends… he really, really feels ready to do this. He's not scared anymore. He's…

...He's ready to let himself and the other people he loves have this.

"Still sort of crazy to me, though," Kiyoshi admits. "I mean… in the best way, but you guys caught me completely by surprise. I never would have guessed that you guys were planning to do this!"

"Well… you know how life is," Karma says. "Full of surprises. I never would have expected you to be a baby-eating supervillain, either. But here we are."

"H-hey!" Kiyoshi sputters. "I didn't eat…- I don't think I ate…-" he drifts off, burying his face in his hands. "This is targeted harassment."

"Welcome to knowing Karma Akabane," Gakushuu says with a snort. "He's right, for once, though. You kids don't get to call anything we do insane anymore. Not after blindsiding us with that."

"The whole reincarnation thing?" Kiyoshi asks. "Well… I guess it is pretty crazy, now that I think about it." He lets out a laugh. "Way crazier than you guys having a baby."

"For sure," Fumiko agrees. "I never would have seen any of this coming at the start of the year. I mean… neither of us even believed Makoto when he first told us."

"Ha!" Makoto says, pumping his fists in the air. "And look how the tables have tabled! Pot calling the kettle black much, huh?"

"Yeah, yeah," Kiyoshi says. "I know it's pretty ridiculou…" he drifts off. "Did you just say 'how the tables have tabled?'"

"Yeah?" Makoto asks, tilting his head. "What about it?"

"Uh… nothing," Kiyoshi replies, seemingly not having the energy to explain this to Makoto today.

As always: never deterred by Makoto's incoherent bullshit, Gakushuu continues onward. Stroking his chin he admits "You children truly are enigmas. If it weren't for the situation at hand I'd be hard-pressed to believe you as well. But here we are. And… I do. I suppose it just gives me a headache when I think about it on a deeper level. We still have no explanation for how or why this happened."

"Do we need one?" Makoto asks, curious.

"I suppose not," Gakushuu replies. "It just brings up… a lot of ethical, scientific, and religious queries. This sort of thing has never happened before, after all."

"As far as we know," Makoto admits. "I'm sure there's other people just like us out there… living their lives. Trying to set things right."

"It's a pretty nice thought," Fumiko admits.

"If it makes it any easier for you to sleep at night, Asano-san…" Kiyoshi says. "I always thought it could have something to do with Antimatter. Makoto was pumped full of it… I did some very stupid things with my veins and body, and Fumiko died while being cradled by a very rapidly mutating Antimatter monst-" He stops himself there. "...A very rapidly mutating Antimatter person. Some could have found its way into her open wound."

Gakushuu cocks an eyebrow.

"It's possible, I suppose… though it still leaves a lot of unanswered questions. Your explanation for Yukimura is flimsy at best and even if it were true that doesn't explain what became of other subjects such as 'The Second Reaper.'"

"Well… you can't figure everything out, I guess." Kiyoshi sighs. "Besides… I'm just spitballing. Really, I've got no idea. But it's neat to at least put something out there."

"Touche."

"I'm telling you guys," Makoto says. "I really don't think it matters. There are a lot of things we'll never understand. But that's okay, isn't it? We should just be happy to be here right now. We're not somehow guaranteed a next time. This might be all we have. And so let's not spend it dwelling on the past… let's enjoy it. Enjoy being ourselves, and enjoy getting to spend it together. It doesn't matter why we're here. It just matters that we are."

"Well put," Kiyoshi admits. "I'm done searching for answers to everything. All the answers I need are already right here."

With that, he returns to the couch. Fumiko follows after, carefully placing herself down beside him. She snorts, slightly.

"That is so saccharine," she comments.

"W-what!?" Kiyoshi asks. "It's true! And I'm not taking it back-!"

"I'm not complaining," Fumiko says, smirking. "I guess it's just… a little funny."

"Eh," Kiyoshi replies, giving a shrug. "Most of my life is."

It's as they chat… discussing existential things... and with such freedom, that Nagisa finishes up his work on the tie. He closes the final stitch and stands… brushing it off carefully before holding it up with pride.

"I think I'm done," he says, glancing back at Makoto. "What do you think?"

Makoto hurries to his own feet, looking over the tie. His face lights up as he does… and slowly he begins to bounce from foot to foot… because Nagisa's done good work. Because he's been gentle with it and he's picked out just the right colors you can hardly even tell it was torn in the first place. Maybe there's a little bit of scaring if you squint, but… but…-

"It looks just like brand new!"

Makoto wraps Nagisa in a hug, squeezing him as tight as he can. "You've gotta try it on!" he says. "I bet it looks awesome!"

Needless to say, Nagisa obliges. Carefully leaning away from Makoto, he reaches up towards his neck. Then… with shaking hands he does his tie. Smiles… tightens it… and steps away. Just once he runs his fingers over the stitches… and although they make him pause, the sense of tranquility in his chest never once fades. Because although these may be scars, they feel much less like a reminder of his mistakes, but rather a reminder he's allowed to forgive himself for them.

(A reminder that he can, and he will move on.)

Makoto stares at him before starting to clap. Kayano nods, telling him he's looking good, and Karma gives him a thumbs-up, saying it's about time he ditched the disheveled look. Gakushuu smiles. Fumiko laughs. Kiyoshi gives him a look of relief and Makoto reaches out to hug him. Clinging tight to Nagisa's chest, he says.

"Don't you forget this lesson, okay? I was really worried about you."

"Don't worry," Nagisa says, placing a hand on his head. "...I won't."

And for once... he thinks he really means it.

He's not sure whose idea it is, but someone suggests sparring. It's March 13th and there's no better way to celebrate than an attempted assassination! Why doesn't he get the rubber knives and the BB Guns out and they can try to 'off' him? Not for extra credit, of course, but…

"It's about time we best you," Makoto says with a smirk.

"You can certainly try," Nagisa replies. "But I'm warning you: I won't be going easy on you. Not even on your birthday."

"Oh trust me, Shiota-sensei," Kiyoshi says. "We know."

They head outside to set everything up. And despite themselves, Gakushuu and Karma end up joining in on the fun. Not on Nagisa's team, of course, but against him. Nagisa voices that this is totally unfair, but Karma calls that nonsense.

"You're a scarily powerful you, you know. We'll need everything we've got to best you."

A notion Nagisa sincerely doubts being faced with a man who's a whole foot taller than him, but ultimately Nagisa doesn't complain. He's happy to do something with his family. And besides… even if he's outnumbered he'll do his damn best.

He runs back and forth… listening to Kayano cheer him on from the sidelines and narrowly darting out of the way of Gakushuu's blows. It's as he hears Makoto, Kiyoshi and Fumiko laugh, however, that Nagisa tilts his head up towards the sky. And blocking Karma's blade with his arm… he smiles.

Because up in the morning sky sits the moon. And even if he squints... Nagisa can't spot a single crack trailing across it.