A/N: I apologize for being so late. Please read the end note.

Chapter Four: Great, Big, and Beautiful

With Sayaka Maizono

The Ultimate Pop Sensation brushed back a strand of her perfect hair, enjoying the way Makoto's eyes followed the movement of her hands. She giggled in her head, both at his lack of subtly and self-control. Of course, she knew how beautiful she was—after all, she was an idol—however, most guys at least tried to hide their shamelessness.

"So, where's this 'specific place' Monokuma mentioned?" She broke the silence between them, causing Makoto to look away in a start. "It must be somewhere you can watch DVDs, but..."

After the psychotic bear had made his announcement and left, Makoto had 'volunteered' to look for the alleged motive videos. Feeling bad for the not-so-lucky student, she decided to tag along and help. Unfortunately, she didn't really have a clue what they were looking for...

"The A/V Room," Makoto mused out loud. "That must be what he meant. I only popped my head in once, but I'm pretty sure there were DVD players."

Sayaka looked at him with slight awe in her eyes. "You're right! I completely forgot that room existed," she said, fluttering her eyes at him. "You're so reliable, Makoto. And I'm supposed to be your assistant..."

His face went red at her compliment, and he mumbled a 'thanks' under his breath. She smiled. It was so obvious that he had a crush on her—what was wrong with some harmless teasing?

"Lead the way." She gestured towards the tunnel that led to the school, and he nodded in confirmation. They walked in a comfortable silence, both occupied with their own thoughts. For Sayaka, the biggest thing on her mind was her idol group. Each day she was stuck in here, her worry only seemed to get worse.

'Have they gone looking for me yet?' She thought to herself as they walked through the checkered hallways. 'Surely someone must have noticed that I went missing by now...'

It wasn't that she was worried about her fans; in fact, they were the least of her worries at the moment. Most of them were so obsessed with her, if she told them to jump off a bridge to their deaths, they would. Not only that, they would do it with a smile on their faces, knowing that they were pleasing their favorite idol. No, losing her fans was the least of her problems.

The real problem was her bandmates...

Despite the façade of friendship and camaraderie they put on for their audience, her so-called 'friends' were always looking for ways to stab her in the back. Being an idol meant always looking for opportunities to rise above the competition, whether it be through talent or much less... ethical means. This meant Sayaka's position as 'top idol' was in constant jeopardy, especially from those that were near her.

'If one of them uses my disappearance to become the leader of the group...'

"...Sayaka? Are you alright? You look a bit pale..."

"H-Huh?" She suddenly realized where she was, standing in front of the A/V room. Makoto was staring at her with obvious concern in his eyes.

'I must have spaced out a little...'

"Oh, no. I'm fine," she tried to reassure the brunette, but her shaky voice seemed to do more harm than good. He gave her a look of uncertainty. "Really, I promise."

"A-Alright," Makoto said halfheartedly. "Let me know if something is bothering you."

She gave him a polite nod and smile. 'He really is pretty sweet...'

Turning around, Makoto opened the bright yellow door to the A/V room, and they stepped inside. Computers with built-in screens and DVD players were set up in rows all facing a giant projected screen. 'Now I know what they meant by government funding...' Sayaka thought to herself as she scanned the room for anything suspicious.

"Huh? What's this?"

Makoto walked past her and over to the nearest computer screens. Sitting on top of the monitor was a fairly large cardboard box. There was no writing on the sides or any other distinguishing markings. The lucky student picked up the box and opened up the flaps to reveal...

"...a bunch of DVDs," the idol pointed out. "And each one has a label on it with someone's name. This must be the 'video for each of us' he mentioned." Each one was stacked on top of another, the student's name written plainly on the see-through plastic case. She panicked. "I-I'd better go tell everyone!"

Makoto turned to stop her, but she was already gone. She ran out the door and into the labyrinth-like hallway, her heart beating faster and faster within her chest, like a bomb that was about to explode. She had to get out of there.

Once she rounded the corner, she stopped and leaned against the wall. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves. As soon as she had seen her name on the DVD, something took hold of her. Fear spread through her like a wildfire, and every bone in her body went into flight mode.

'I... I don't want to know...' She thought to herself as she stare down at the tiled floor. 'I don't want to see what's on that video.'

She couldn't explain where it was coming from, but some part of her was warning her, screaming out at her to avoid that tape at all costs.

It was as if her life depended on it.

'B-But that's silly, right?' She tried to calm herself down—tried to think rationally about it. 'Monokuma said it was about what was happening outside. Shouldn't I be curious...?'

The panic subsided, but she could shake the underwhelming fear that had taken root in her brain.

'Might as well tell the others...'

With unease, she pushed herself of the wall and began the slow trek back to the dining hall. Little did she know...

Her life would never be the same.

• • • • •

"GOD DAMMIT!" The lucky student slammed the desk around the computer monitor over and over again, his knuckles turning an unhealthy shade of white. "I have to get out of here!" His voice was frantic; spit flew out of his mouth. "I have to get out, right now! I need to make sure everyone's safe!"

With shaky footing, Sayaka slowly approached him front behind, gently placing her hand on his shoulder to let him know she was there. "Makoto...?" Her voice was soft but uneasy. "What happened? Make sure who's safe?"

The brunette turned around to face her, his eyes widening when he noticed everyone crowded around the entrance to the A/V room. They had all witnessed his outburst, but Sayaka was the only one who dared approach him.

"Wh-What's going on?" Aoi asked from the front of the group, her brows furrowed in confusion.

Makoto glanced between her and Sayaka, his eyes carrying a million emotions. Eventually, he hung his head and silently pointed towards the box of DVDs.

Leon pushed his way to the front of the group and walked over to the computer. "Is this what Monokuma was talking about?" He filtered through the box and pulled out a single DVD, the name 'Leon Kuwata' written on the side.

Seeing this, Taka also made his way over. "What's on them?" He picked up his own video, examining it in his hands.

One by one, each student rushed over to the box, eager to find their individual DVD; however, Sayaka stayed next to Makoto. She could see his heart racing in his chest, and his hands were clenched in tight fists. She had only left for less than ten minutes... What did he see on his tape?

Finally, the last of the ultimate students grabbed their DVDs and found a computer to play it on, leaving only one left sitting in the box.

"Sayaka," Makoto whispered to her. "You should watch your video..."

She gulped, but nodded. He was right; she couldn't put it off any longer. Cautiously, she walked over to the box and grabbed her DVD. It felt like lead in her hand. Turning to the nearest monitor, Sayaka placed it in the player, but didn't hit play. She wanted to—needed to find out what was on this tape, but she couldn't shake that feeling in the pit of her stomach. The feeling that made her run away before; the one that told her 'whatever's on this video will change your life forever.'

But that's stupid, right? She didn't even know what was on it; it could be nothing. And, even if it was something... she could deal with it. After all, she had Makoto to rely on.

With a determined glare, she hit play.

But nothing could have prepared her for what was on that tape...

• • • • •

With James Dorian Green

J.D. stared at the DVD case in his hands with slight annoyance. Written in large black letters was the name 'Jay Dee.'

'So... you have a sense of humor, huh?'

Brushing it off, he inserted the disk into the monitor and hit play. Immediately, the screen came to life, and an image slowly appeared. It looked like... some sort of field. Wheat grew from the soil and stretched on for miles in the distance. And, in the center of it all, stood a single red barn and a silo.

It looked...

Nothing like where he grew up.

'Good try, though,' he thought to himself, already growing bored.

Suddenly, the image changed. Instead of lively, healthy crops, the wheat seemed to rapidly grow and mature, until it withered away and died. Eventually, all the wheat disappeared from the field, leaving behind nothing but a barren wasteland.

"James Dorian Green." The voice of Monokuma began to float out of the speakers, and the image changed to a close up of the bear speaking. He cringed. "The Ultimate Seer, flown all the way from America to attend Hope's Peak. Unfortunately, it seems you have nothing to live for outside of this Academy. How... sad." The bear gave a deep sigh, and his voice sounded full of disappointment. "I know, I know. You're thinking, 'but how am I supposed to be motivated if I have nothing to live for?' Well, I don't know what to tell you." The bear hung his head in mock shame. "Honestly, I was expecting something better than this, but... I guess not everything has a happy ending." He sighed again. "Oh well..."

The setting changed for a final time—a black background with bright orange text reading 'Look for the answer after graduation!' Then, the video just ended, leaving J.D. forced to stare at his own reflection in the monitor.

He only had one thing to say.

"Well that was a waste of time."

• • • • •

With Mukuro Ikusaba

The Ultimate Impostor stepped up to the monitor with an overwhelming sense of dread. Last night, she had been expecting a visit from her sister. She had stayed up for almost two hours, sitting on the bed, waiting. However, no such visit ever happened. In fact, the night was oddly... quiet, calm even. So, not only was she extremely tired, but she was also unbelievably anxious. Never before had Junko waited this long to dole out her punishment, and Mukuro was starting to get worried.

'She's usually too impatient to wait...' She fidgeted with the hem of her skirt. 'Otherwise... She's planning something.'

That was never good.

Swallowing her fears, Mukuro put on a brave face and loaded the DVD into the player.

'Here goes nothing...'

The screen came to life, revealing something that Mukuro would have never suspected: Junko. Not Monokuma, not one of her "minions"—the real Junko Enoshima. Her sister.

The brunette's mouth dropped, and her eyes were glued to the screen. She hadn't seen her sister since the Killing School Life began, given that she always used Monokuma as a medium, and now, here she was just standing in her control room. Instinctively, she looked around the room. Fortunately, everyone else was also focused on their own screens, their headphones on. She looked back at her own video.

Junko smiled.

"Puhuhu… I bet you didn't expect to see me, did you?" She spun around in her office chair, the wall of monitors displayed scenes of the academy behind her. Mukuro felt her breathing become heavier. The only reason Junko would show herself like this is if she were really in trouble...

"Don't worry, I'm not here to punish you," Junko said casually, throwing Mukuro completely for a loop, and for a second, not a single atom in her body dared move. She smiled plastically. "I realized I was being too hard on you, so don't worry! I forgive you!"

As soon as she said those words, a weight was lifted off the brunette's slim shoulders. She let out a huge breath of relief, and a small smile even graced her lips. She looked visibly relaxed; she wanted so badly to believe in her sister's words. Despite this, there was still some base level of anxiety eating her away from the inside. It seemed to wash over her every time she made eye contact with the strawberry blonde...

"How could I ever hurt my dearest sister?" Junko smiled again, but this time it was far more... devilish. There was something hiding behind that smile, something sinister...

Not that Mukuro noticed, though. She was too busy savoring her own relief.

'Junko... forgives me? She's not going to punish me?'

The thought felt foreign to her. Junko was less of a... loving, affectionate sister and more of a rigid disciplinarian, but it wasn't her fault. Mukuro was always failing her... that was the problem. She needed to earn her love first.

"So rest easy tonight, my dearest Muku-bear! I have no more tasks for you, no more trials." She put her hands behind her head and leaned back in her chair. "Just sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.

"There's no reason to worry, Mukuro. Everything is under my control."

As soon as she said that, the screen went black.

• • • • •

With James Dorian Green

"You want to... drink tea?" Aoi motioned between Sakura and herself. "With us?"

J.D. Shrugged. "Sure, why not?" He looked at both of their apprehensive faces. Aoi's eyebrows were raised, "Unless... you have a problem with that..."

Her eyes went wide, and she put her hand up in defense. "No, no! That's not it!" She tilted her head, and a modest blush overcame her slightly tanned cheeks. "I just didn't think you'd wanna drink tea with the girls. That's all."

She looked a bit nervous, and J.D. almost grinned.

"My mother used to make tea." He said rather monotonously, not revealing any of his thoughts or feelings within his words. "Sometimes, we would sit on the porch and drink it together, and she would talk about... stuff."

He trailed off at the end—halfway on purpose—and the girls' curiosity was piqued.

"I have already begun the tea-making process," the powerful voice of Sakura Ogami spoke out. "You're welcome to join us if you would like."

"I would like," he said, giving them a forced smile without parting his lips. He didn't really like his teeth.

He limped past them, each of them stealing glances at his bum leg and funny walk. 'Human nature,' he figured.

He walked over to one of the tables they had chosen near the kitchen, their stuff laid out on top of it. J.D. sat down at one of the empty seats, a small, pink box in front of him.

"Sorry, I just need to sit down," he said to Aoi, who was currently looking over his shoulder.

"Oh, no, you're fine!" She said rather quickly, waving him off. She rubbed the back of her head, playing with her ponytail. "Sorry for staring..." She looked off to the side in shame.

"I also apologize," Sakura admitted, walking past the both of them gracefully. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to check on the tea."

As soon as she left, the Ultimate Swimmer took her seat beside him.

"No need to say sorry," he said. "I'm used to being stared at."

The brunette gave him a half sincere grin then looked away. She seemed more spacey than usual, which meant a lot when it came to Aoi. She was also fidgeting a lot, tapping her fingers against her thigh rhythmically.

"Are you okay?" He asked her, a little concerned.

"Yeah!" She responded immediately, a little jumpy. "I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"Well..." He gestured to her hands, and she quickly hid them in her sweatshirt pockets. "Is it because I'm here? I promise I don't bite."

"No! That's not it!" She interjected, afraid that he would think badly of her. "It's just..." She looked down at the floor. "Everything, y'know? The videos..."

"Oh." He responded.

"'Oh.' That's it?" She looked at him with huge eyes. "Aren't you scared? That video..." Her face went pale. "I'm just worried, okay?"

She crossed her arms as if to hug herself, and she looked even worse than before.

'Maybe I shouldn't have asked...'

"What was in your video?" He thought he might be pushing it, but he couldn't help his curiosity. "Mine was completely inaccurate..."

She hesitated, probably debating whether or not to tell him. "Uh..." She opened her mouth to speak. "I'm not sure if I should say. Sorry..."

"Ah, I see..."

'Guess I'll have to find out the fun way,' he thought to himself, smirking a bit. He closed his eyes. It was time to use his "gift."

It was easy for him; using his talent, that is. All he had to do was reach out, and...

"It's your sibling, isn't it?" He opened his eyes to look into hers. They were wide. "Either your brother or your sister..."

"M-My brother..." she stuttered incredulously. "Yuta."

"He was in your video, huh?" His eyes stared straight into hers, and her mouth seemed to hang open a little.

"Yeah... H-How'd you know?" She asked, awestruck and incredibly confused. She leaned a little closer to him, gripping the side of the table with her hands.

"Well..." He looked away from her baby blue eyes. "I'm the Ultimate Seer, remember? It's sorta my 'talent.'" He put the last word in air quotes, making sure she understood his stance on it.

"B-But..." She looked down at the table. "I thought that just meant cheap card tricks or whatever." She suddenly seemed much more interested, her anxiety turning into excitement. She looked back at him with a determined glance and spoke as fast as she could. "Does that mean you saw him? Is he safe? Is he injured?"

"Uh... That's not really how it works..." he said, hoping he wasn't disappointing her. "I don't really have visions or anything, and I can't 'see' where your brother is."

"Then how did you know about him?"

"Well—"

"The tea is ready." Sakura entered from the kitchen, holding a large tray in her hands. She walked over to the table, and Aoi shrunk back into her chair. J.D. sat politely as the Ultimate Martial Artist set down the tray with poise and took her seat. "I hope it is up to your standards, uh..." She looked right at him, a bit of shame on her cheeks.

"J.D."

"My apologies..." She said respectfully, which seemed to be her entire attitude.

"It's fine. It's English, anyway."

"I may be wrong," Sakura looked down at him, "but aren't those English letters? J and D?"

"Is that true?" Aoi asked him. "Why would your name just be letters?"

They each took one cup of tea from the tray, following Sakura's example.

"J.D. isn't my given name." He took a sip. "It's my initials." He set down the tea.

'Hot.'

"Well what's your real name?" Aoi looked at him, head cocked.

"Hm..." He hesitated for a second, but ultimately he realized it didn't matter. "James Dorian Green. Dorian is my middle name."

"Jay...mes...? Doh...?" Aoi struggled to pronounce the English name, her tongue so used to Japanese. "Wait, you have three names?" She looked really confused, scratching at her chin and cheek.

"Americans all have middle names," he explained. "Actually, most other cultures, too."

"Yes, I learned that when I visited the U.S. for a competition." Sakura took a sip of her tea, and the cup looked tiny compared to her broad stature.

"Coolio." Aoi smiled at both of them. "But why don't you go by your real name?" She asked him.

"Hm..." He took a slow sip, but it didn't taste like much. "I guess..." He didn't really wanna say the real reason. "Because it's hard to pronounce for people who speak Japanese."

"Oh." Said Aoi. "How considerate." She slurped down some of her tea, seemingly liking how it tasted. "Can you pass me the box of donuts?"

At first, J.D. thought she was talking to Sakura, and he didn't respond, still sipping at his tea.

"Hello! Jay Dee! Are ya there?" He snapped at attention. "Can you pass me the box of donuts?" She pointed to the pink box that had been resting in front of him.

"Oh, sorry." He past her the treats. "I didn't know those were donuts..."

"Huh!?" She opened the box and took a bite out of a strawberry-sprinkle. "How... did you not notice?" She said between bites.

"Well..." He put the tea down. "I've never had donuts before... Or seen them, really."

Aoi's eyes went so wide that J.D. thought she might burst a vein, and she looked at him with an expression of utter disbelief. "You've never had a donut!" She halfway thrusted the chocolate-glazed towards him in demonstration, and a couple of the sprinkles fell silently onto the table.

"No." He responded dryly, quickly wiping the sprinkles off the table and into his open palm. "I lived in a very... rural part of America."

"No donuts!?" Aoi's mouth hung open.

"Nope."

She took a generous bite of her doughy treat, chewing it to the fullest extent. "Well, I'm not sure if I could survive there... Not without my donuts!" She talked with her mouth open, and J.D. felt disgusted. The back of his neck suddenly felt a little hotter, and he gently rubbed it.

"I, for one, couldn't live without my protein." She took another delicate sip of her tea, and J.D. followed suite, shielding his eyes from Aoi's abominable habit.

"Oh," he thought back to when he would read the nutritional facts on his food. He only did it when he was bored. "Like, in meat and shit?"

"No, every morning I make myself a protein shake. It is awfully delightful." She set down her teacup. "James Dorian, if you don't mind, I have a question for you."

"Shoot." He felt the heat of his knuckles when she said his given name, but it passed quicker than it came.

"Do you plan on murdering one of us?"

"Sakura!" Aoi almost spat out her donut, and she looked up into the martial artist's eyes. "That's rude..." She sunk back in her chair, a bit humbled after her abrupt outburst.

"I am only curious because I fear for my safety..." She quickly stole a glance at the shorter brunette. "Our safety..."

"Still..." Aoi only sunk back further in her seat, but J.D. was relatively unfazed.

He drank the last remaining sips of his tea, which had quickly become lukewarm, then respectfully pushed his cup to the side. In his mind, he was busy thinking of the many directions this conversation could take, all the decisions he truly had. Ever since he'd come to Hope's Peak, he'd been absolutely fascinated with how easy it was to mess with people, how easy it was to fuck with them. He was like a child that just discovered the excitement of Christmas for the first time.

He rolled up the the sleeves of his plaid shirt, making a cuff with the extra fabric.

"What makes you say that?"

J.D. looked her in the eyes, and she seemed a little uncomfortable. Her body stiffened, and she rested her hands in her lap delicately.

"Well, it was a little suspicious, your behavior at the entrance ceremony." She looked at the spot just underneath his eyes. "When you asked if we could kill anyone."

"Ah..." He pretended to reflect on his behavior. "I do remember that." He continued to stare straight into her eyes, and he could feel Aoi's gaze creeping on the side of his face. "I guess I just... wanted to make sure of the rules." He gave her the best smile he could; though, it just looked awkward.

"I don't plan on killing anyone," he continued. "I just... was curious, I guess."

"Ah... I see..." Sakura looked completely unconvinced, but she was too polite to say otherwise.

"Sakura... Do I look like a murderer to you?"

The Ultimate Martial Artist finally returned his gaze. Her cool silver eyes stared directly into his, and she seemed to look even further beyond them. He did nothing to hide anything about himself, to conceal himself under her scrutiny. He laid himself out there for her to judge, completely unabridged.

"No..."

She looked away, and he nodded his head slightly.

"Thank you..." he said, but it was too far under his breath for either of them to hear.

Aoi, who had watched their whole exchange silently, cleared her throat. "Well... I think it's best that we trust each other." She played with part of her ponytail. "I think we can all be friends. And friends trust friends." She looked at J.D. and smiled brightly. "I trust you, Jay Dee."

He gave a mix between an exhale and a slight chuckle, looking towards her as well. "Thank you, Aoi. I trust you guys too."

They smiled.

J.D. stood up with some strain, grabbing the edge of the table as he did so. "I'm going to take my dish to the kitchen. Are you guys done?" They nodded, and he took theirs as well.

'Time to get to work...'

• • • • •

With Sayaka Maizono

The blue-haired idol sat at the small desk behind her bed. Her dorm room seemed darker than before; though, she couldn't tell if it actually had something to do with the lighting. In front of her was a blank, white sheet of paper, a pencil in her hand.

Tap, tap, tap.

She appeared to be a little hunched over, her eyes burrowing into the white void. Her brows her furrowed, and her eyes were wide. She looked like shit.

Tap, tap, tap, tappity-tap, tap.

She kept hitting the eraser-end of the pencil against the desktop. Her other hand, which lay on the other side of the paper, had fingernails chewed to the bone.

Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap—

She threw the pencil down.

"Ugh!"

Her hands clutched at her forehead, her elbows digging into the wooden desk. She couldn't do it; she couldn't do this.

'I-I'm... never leaving here... am I?'

Without her consent, she felt hot tears begin to flow down her cheeks.

'I can't... do it...'

She had thought it would be easy—Makoto was so naïve, after all. He... trusted her...

For some reason, this made the tears flow faster, and she flinched as one fell onto her paper, staining the bottom corner.

'Why does he trust me...?'

She thought back to their meeting this morning, after he had comforted her in the classroom. She could still remember what he said to her...

'"I'll be there for you! No matter what, I'm always on your side. I mean, you..."'

"'...are my assistant, after all...'"

She repeated the last part out loud, sick of hearing the words just echo in her head.

'I... I...'

She thought it would be easy...

'I can't... kill him...'

She had made her decision.

"But I have to get out of here..."

She said it out loud, partly for dramatic effect, and partly for reassurance. She couldn't rot here; she couldn't die here. She would not lose everything she worked so hard for, everything she sacrificed for to some lunatic bear!

With sudden determination, she wiped the tears from her eyes and grabbed her pencil.

'Yes, yes... That's it... Perfect...'

She began writing frantically, the words poring out onto the page.

She had made her decision.

• • • • •

With James Dorian Green

The kitchen looked as though it was made to feed hundreds of hungry students. It full of stainless-steel cabinets, industrial sized ovens, and more pots and pans than J.D. knew what to do with. It even had a large pastry counter inside; although, it was practically empty at the time. It would've been a nice place, if not for the situation they were in, which robbed any and all sense of comfort from them.

The blonde sighed, turning off the water and placing the wet dishes on the drying rack. He turned around so that his back was to the counter, and he leaned against the cool metal, taking the weight off his leg.

"Mmh..."

The pain was getting worse every minute, but he wasn't a pussy, as his dad would have said; he just had to ignore it.

For a few moments, he waited there, back against the sink, eyes scanning the kitchen. He just waited there.

'This is definitely the right place... the right time...'

He closed his eyes.

This was it. He could feel it; he could feel her desperation. She was at her breaking point, and he would be here... This was his chance, and he wasn't going to miss it. He could feel it.

He opened his eyes, and his ears perked up.

On the other side of the door, he could hear the mumbled voices of the three girls. He couldn't make out exactly what they were saying, but he figured it didn't matter. Quickly, he pushed himself off the counter, putting the weight back on his foot, and turned around towards the sink.

When she opened the door, he was cleaning the dishes.

"Ah!"

She took a start, clutching her chest in her hand. He put down the teacup and turned to her.

"Oh, Sayaka?" He looked at her with his head cocked. "Are you okay? You look a bit scared..." His acting skills had really improved these last few days.

She looked at him for a brief second before composing herself. "Yes, sorry." She gave him one of her practiced smiles. "I was simply shocked to see you here. I had no idea anyone else would be here at this time."

"Oh? Is it late?"

"It's almost nighttime." She said, still standing by the door. If J.D. had been any less observant, he would've missed her quick glance towards the wall, the wall where the knives sat on their shelf. But he didn't. "You don't wanna get locked in the cafeteria when Monokuma closes the doors..."

"You're right. I should probably get going." He placed the last dish on the drying rack and wiped his hands on a kitchen towel. Without looking at her, he asked, "What about you? Why are you out so late?"

She carefully walked to the wall opposite of her target. "Oh, me? I was just a little nervous after those awful videos..." He didn't have to see her face to know how pale it was. He wondered how she did that on command. "I thought I might get a glass of water before bed, to calm myself down, of course."

She spoke easily and with the grace and charm of an idol, but J.D. was not so easily persuaded.

"Well, don't stay out too late." He advised. "It can be dangerous at night. You never know who can be plotting or planning something heinous..." He trailed off, and she looked a bit uncomfortable. He furrowed his brow and tilted his head in mock confusion. "Are you okay? Your fingers look like they've seen war."

Confused, she glanced at her gnarly hand, immediately hiding it behind her back, embarrassed.

"Sorry... I'm just..." For a moment, J.D. could've sworn he saw her mask drop, "scared."

For a moment...

"It's a disgusting habit of mine," she admitted. "It only comes out when I'm nervous, which is hardly ever."

"Ah, forgive me for asking." J.D. looked off to the side, his eyes locked on the tiled floor. "That video... It really affected you, huh?" He voice was suddenly a lot more serious, and he saw her tense up a bit, her spine stiffening.

"Y-Yeah..." She looked down towards to floor, and she started playing with the hem of her sleeve. "Did yours not?"

"This whole situation is fucked..." He completely dodged her question. "I can't stand the thought of rotting away here..."

She looked at him with a strange expression, taking a step closer. "I had the same thought..." She stared at the countertop. "To be completely honest..." She sighed. "I don't know how much more I can take of this..." Now she really was pale.

"Well, don't do anything... irrational..." He looked straight into her eyes, and she starred back.

Her light blue eyes met with his, and for a moment, they connected.

'This is my chance...'

The air between them seemed thinner, the distance becoming shorter, and he reached out. In that one second, that one short instance of eye contact, he felt what she felt; he thought what she thought; he saw what she saw. Emotions ran through him, and thoughts filled his head faster than he could process adequately.

This was it; this was his moment. For once in his life, his "gift" might actually do some good...

'Sayaka...'

He let go.

The heavy burden of reality came back to them, and it felt like nothing had happened in the slightest.

The only hint as to what just occurred was a. brief twitch of the idol's eyelid after they broke contact. Although, she was none the wiser.

"I should get going," he said, beginning to walk towards the door. He didn't have to look back to know where her gaze was. Her feet stuck to the floor, afraid of moving until she knew he was gone. He reached out his hand to push the door open but paused at the last second.

He looked back at her.

"Good luck."

He left.

A/N: First of all, I apologize. It's been way too long, especial since I said I would update this story in... August. Whoopsie! Unfortunately, some things happened; life got in the way. None of it is really that important, but I will say that I am sorry about the long wait, and I promise to be more punctual in the future. Thank you for reading.