A.N: Hello again, everyone! Here's a new chapter for this story, taking place a few days after the two previous chapters. I hope you enjoy!
Chapter Twenty-Nine: Broken Wings
"Hey, what's the long face for?"
Byakuya entered the cafeteria and noticed Makoto staring at his cup of coffee, sitting alone at a table, even though Hiro and Toko were also there. Also, the Luckster's brown eyes that usually showed so much optimism were, today, surprisingly empty.
The Former Ultimate Lucky Student looked up. "Oh, it's you… Hey there, Byakuya."
"Hm…" The Former Ultimate Affluent Progeny frowned as he took a seat in front of Makoto. "It is rare for me to be in a better mood than you, actually. What's wrong?"
"N-Nothing. I'm fine, Byakuya," he assured him, smiling weakly. "Nothing's wrong."
Byakuya hmphed. "You are a terrible liar, Makoto Naegi," the Togami heir informed him, looking at him disapprovingly. "So, what's wrong? You should consider yourself lucky that I even care, honestly."
The young brown-haired man sighed. "I told you I was fine, didn't I…? Can you please drop it now?"
Whatever's wrong with this fool, it is making him irritating… Byakuya thought, his composure not wavering. He grabbed the newspaper Makoto was reading and balled it up in his hand. "Enough nonsense now. You are so evidently not doing as fine as you claim, even that idiot Hiro could notice it."
"H-Hey, leave me alone!" Makoto suddenly exclaimed furiously, getting the Former Ultimate Writing Prodigy and Ultimate Clairvoyant's attention. "Did you consider that I might not want to talk right now before coming to bother me?!"
The Vice-Director crossed his arms and looked at his temporary subordinate with unimpressed eyes. "Then you're free to leave if you do not wish for people to interact with you. This cafeteria is free for us to use, and we also have the right not to deal with your bizarre mood!"
"Fine, then!" Makoto stood up and looked at Byakuya with the angriest expression the heir had ever seen on his face. "Damnit, I never complain, and the only time I do, I have Mr. Byakuya Togami on my back!"
"H-Hey, what did you say about my M-Master, y-you…!"
Toko's voice reached both Makoto's and Byakuya's ears but did nothing to defuse the situation. The Former Ultimate Lucky Student powerwalked out of the room with the temporary boss starting to see red.
"Come back here this instant, Naegi!" he shouted, walking behind the Luckster. He heard Hiro and Toko following him, although he would have none of that. "The two of you do not move! I've had enough of his nonsense to deal with yours now!"
The Special Agent and the novelist gulped as Byakuya followed Makoto out of the cafeteria, only to see the elevator doors closing before he could reach it.
"C-Curse!" he swore, hearing the elevator leave the thirty-seventh floor. "Just what the heck is wrong with this commoner today?!"
Byakuya took a deep breath. Temporarily being in charge of the Division was no trouble for him as he was destined to become the leader of the most powerful family in the world. However, he quickly realized that it also came with something he wasn't used to: dealing with his subordinates' moods.
And Makoto can be stubborn! It can have its benefits, but now, it makes him someone totally different. And someone I won't stand for long. He thought, walking to the other elevator. I have all of Kirigiri's powers for now… Had it been anyone else, they would already be fired and on the streets, but…
He recalled holding up this gun and firing twice without hesitation through the head of the one who had dared to attack Makoto. The person who had attacked his friend.
The Togami heir had never had any friends before. He grew up competing for the title of Chosen One and didn't have time for frivolities such as friendship. However, the more he interacted with the Luckster, the more he understood that having friends could bring him something new.
He just had to notice how different his boss was now to convince himself of that.
Let's try diplomacy and see where this leads me… I've never been good at it, I'll admit, but I can't fire him, as annoying as he is today. He shook his head and entered another elevator, and pressed the button for the last floor. He probably went back to his apartment.
The Former Ultimate Affluent Progeny had noticed that his usually optimistic and smiling friend had been a little down the last few days. He wasn't as talkative as he usually was, and while Byakuya appreciated that it came with the fact that he stopped babbling nonsense half the time (which was always better than Hiro), it was odd for him.
Now, the Vice-Director knew that something was wrong. And he also had a pretty good idea of what it was.
Makoto leaned against the windowsill of his bedroom, staring into the nothingness. He sighed, unable to find the will to do anything productive. The Luckster wished he had not snapped at his friend in the cafeteria, but he also wished that people would be a little more careful about his feelings.
"Should I just go back to bed…?" he wondered aloud as a thunderstorm began outside. They had not yet seen a blue sky since their escape from Hope's Peak, and it did nothing to help with his mood. "I'm not in the mood to work or give orders today…"
*driiiing* *driiiing*
"Hm?" Someone's at the door… Guess I'll answer and hope they don't bother me… The Former Ultimate Lucky Student walked out of his bedroom and towards his front door. He opened it and noticed Byakuya on the other side. His shoulders slumped. "Oh, it's you."
"Indeed. I'm glad you opened your door, Makoto," the Togami heir told him. "May I enter?"
Makoto shrugged. "Go ahead. I usually wouldn't have the strength to prevent you from entering, and today's no exception, anyway."
He noticed Byakuya frown but nod and enter. Makoto showed him inside his small living room and gestured to a chair. The Luckster turned on the TV and put the official channel of the Future Foundation in the background.
"I'm sorry I threw a tantrum out there, Byakuya," Makoto apologized with a sigh. "I've just not been feeling well these past few days, and it's nerve-wracking for me."
"It does seem like it, indeed," the Former Ultimate Affluent Progeny agreed, glancing at the TV. "But you do not look sick, so I assume the issue is somewhere else, isn't it?"
Makoto stared down at the floor. Even his clothes were a mess: his suit wasn't ironed properly, his shoes weren't laced… His signature ahoge pointed downwards, and his eyes betrayed fatigue.
"I wish I was sick, believe me… It wouldn't be as bad," the Special Agent told him and let out a hollow laugh. "And maybe I'd be useful. Hmph, look at me, doing nothing while the entire Division is doing its best… For an Ultimate Hope, I truly am pathetic."
"Do you want me to be bluntly honest with you, Makoto?" Byakuya asked him, looking at his temporary subordinate with a perfectly neutral face. Makoto nodded nonchalantly. "You do look pathetic right now. There isn't that glimmer of hope in your eyes anymore, as if you had lost something important. A sort of bird with broken wings, if you'd like."
Makoto raised his head and looked at his friend in the eyes.
"And I think I understand you, believe it or not," he added, standing up from his chair and pacing around the Luckster's living room. "But you're not doing yourself any favors by acting like that, Makoto."
"I… I know…" the shorter of the two said, though the confession didn't seem to bring him any spirit.
"It's about Kyoko, isn't it…?"
"H-Huh…?"
"Don't look so surprised; anyone could have figured it out, Makoto," Byakuya noted, shaking his head. "You're afraid that she won't come back from her secret mission, and it's putting you in this annoying and unusual mood."
"Y-Yeah…" the Luckster admitted. "I try not to worry too much, but… after what happened in that armory, I can't not think that there's a possibility that she won't come back."
"Well, the possibility does exist, of course, but I don't think you're giving her enough credit, Makoto," Byakuya argued. "She's a skilled investigator and appears to be a strong fighter. She'll be fine."
Makoto sighed. "I… I know that…" Byakuya's right… Kyoko's absolutely amazing as a detective, so I know I shouldn't worry about her, but still… "But it's tough for me not to worry at all, Byakuya. I love all of you guys, so to know that I could lose one of you… I can't stand it."
"Hey, you aren't going to lose anyone any time soon, you idiot," Byakuya assured him, putting his hands in his pockets. "Besides, while I appreciate the compliment, don't even try to tell me that I matter to you as much as Kirigiri does. I don't believe that."
Makoto sighed. "You truly can't handle getting a compliment, can you…? I care for the five of you, and I don't want anything to happen, whether it's to Kyoko, to you, or to anyone else."
"Fine, then. But as I said: nothing's going to happen," the Togami heir insisted. "Trust me, if one of you had to die first between you and Kirigiri in this apocalyptic world, it would be you, Makoto."
"Thanks for that, Byakuya," the Luckster said with an amused chuckle. "Way to motivate me."
"You know what I mean by that, Makoto. Well," Byakuya's eyes narrowed on the Special Agent. "I think you must understand something, though. It is simple, so even a commoner like you should be able to get it."
Makoto nodded, prompting Byakuya to go on.
"The way you're acting right now… there is no way in hell that Kyoko would appreciate it. You showed her a better side of yourself than that, and the person she so obviously madly fell in love with was the Ultimate Hope, not the crybaby!"
"H-Hey, hold on a minute! K-Kyoko's not in love with me?!" Makoto said with disbelief. "Geez, I can't imagine Kyoko being in love with anyone, so definitely not with me!"
"Hmph. I don't have much trouble seeing it if you want my opinion," the Togami heir disagreed, crossing his arms and looking at him unimpressively. "And based on what I heard from Hiro and Hina, they don't either."
"Well, the three of you are imagining things. I am not in love with Kyoko, and she is definitely not in love with me either, Byakuya," he insisted.
The Former Ultimate Affluent Progeny shrugged. "Whatever you say. Just keep what I told you in mind and stop worrying. Come on, you're going back to work. An associate of a Togami can't allow themselves to slack off, especially with the title of Special Agent."
"Fine, fine," Makoto smiled. "I guess I've got to catch up on the work I missed these past few days…" he got up and tied his shoes. "Hey, Byakuya?"
"Hm?"
"I know I said it already, but… I'm really sorry for being so aggressive earlier. That was unlike me."
"Don't mention it. Just get to work, and I'll forget it."
The Luckster giggled. At the end of the day, it might not have been Byakuya's forte, but he had managed to reassure Makoto enough. And at least, it made the Former Ultimate Lucky Student realize something.
If he let his belief in his friends waver, he wouldn't be able to fight for hope as much as he wanted to.
Geez, couldn't Byakuya have asked someone else to fetch files for him…?
Makoto headed towards the archives in the basement, passing by a couple of agents and security members. There was some activity around, showing that the workforce of Division Fourteen was motivated and doing well.
And while any agent in the Division could have done it for him (which would have allowed not to take away a Special Agent from his work), Byakuya had insisted that the Luckster was the one to do it.
"That's your punishment for your misbehavior, let's just say."
The young man shook his head amusingly. This was a very Byakyuesque thing to say.
"Special Agent Naegi!"
"Huh?" Makoto turned around and noticed one of his agents running towards him. "What's wrong?"
"S-Someone's… asked to talk to you… at the front desk…" the agent said, panting. "A-Apparently… they're a new Special… Agent…"
"A new Special Agent?!" Makoto's eyes widened in surprise. "R-Really…?"
"Y-Yes, sir! T-That's how they introduced themselves, a-at least!"
"In a few days, Kizakura's Division is going to allocate a new agent to our Division."
Kyoko's words from a few days ago echoed inside the Luckster's mind as he quickly understood what was going on.
"Okay. Thank you for telling me."
"Y-You're welcome, sir! H-Have a nice day!"
With that, the agent saluted and walked away, leaving Makoto a little surprised and curious. Since the front desk wasn't far away, he decided to head there right away. It was strange that he'd been the one the new agent had asked for and not Byakuya.
Although I mainly wonder if they've got anything to do with the reason Kyoko left… He thought, walking pensively in the hallways. She left and gave Byakuya clear orders about them, so there must be a link there… But what exactly is it…?
He entered the front hall and noticed a person standing near the front desk. Most likely, this was the person who was looking for him. Their morphology looked somewhat familiar from afar.
Makoto walked over to them. "Good morning. I've heard that you needed to talk to me…?"
The mysterious person turned around, and upon noticing the Luckster there, smiled at him.
And there, Makoto had to take a step back to make sure his eyes weren't deceiving him.
"Y-You… Y-You're the new Special Agent?!"
To be continued…
A.N: You're going to hate me for this cliffhanger, I can feel it, haha. Promise, you'll get the answer as to who this person is soon! Other than that, I'll be curious to know if you liked how I wrote Makoto in this chapter. I wanted him to break character for once, but I have no idea if I've done this correctly or not. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter! Please leave a review, and I hope you have a nice day! :)