-This is made by Starrshard on Ao3 and Wattpad, please check them out. I have been given permission to upload this to, as they do not have an account on this website-

Denki awoke to a note at his door.

"'Come meet at the cafeteria ASAP. Therapy session. -Mirio'." Denki sighed and lowered his hands, the note crumpling in his cold hands. "I guess I'll go..."

He checked to make sure the blood-spotty bandages on his arms were concealed by the sleeves of his blazer, before walking down to the cafeteria. There were a few select people hovering around already; of course, the Big Three were seated at the table, while Yaomomo and Tsuyu paced back and forth together. He gave Mirio a small half-hearted wave, before joining the Detective. "Hey. Yaomomo."

"Mmh." Yaomomo looked up at him. "Good morning. You okay? You look... drained."

"Yeah, I'm fine," Denki muttered. "What's this meeting about?"

"I asked Mirio. He said we'd be having a group therapy session. Hope rally. Something like that." Her voice was hushed. She shot a look over to Mirio; Denki couldn't read what she was feeling.

"Anyway, we have nothing to do but wait. I'm with Tsu today. Give Nejire a break." Yaomomo glanced over at the frog girl, concern alight in her features. Denki followed her eyes, past where Tsuyu was pacing, to a certain Big Three member. Nejire was looking a little better, physically speaking. She seemed to have gained a bit more weight; her curves were a bit healthier looking, unlike her bony frame a few weeks ago. Her hair was brushed and silky-looking. She was fidgeting.

But Denki could recognize the look in her eyes, the lack of her trademark smile. Her cloudy gaze, unfocused cerulean orbs.

He'd seen that look before in the mirror, reflected in hazy golden eyes, eyes begging for death, begging for reason, a reason to live, and purpose in the everlasting loop of life, of death, of the horrors the Killing Game brought.

Eyes of sadness, emptiness, guilt, wishes, regrets, and despair.

He hated it. He hated it so much.

He looked away from her.

Sorry, Nejire.

It's not your fault.

But I don't think I could stand pitying you.

It'd be too much.

The scattered group waited a few minutes for the rest of the class to show up. Shouto had gone to get Hitoshi and Mezou, drag them down.

Which was precisely how Denki found himself sitting at the table, sitting awkwardly between Hitoshi and Yaomomo.

He hadn't spoken a word to the violette since Tooru's trial. He wanted to tell him he was sorry about Mashirao, sorry he couldn't do anything, sorry about his death. He felt terrible over the two deaths, but never said a word about it.

He didn't know how to say it.

So he stayed silent.

Awkwardly silent.

"Everyone's here, huh?" Mirio's voice was gentle. "That's good."

He stood up at the head of the table. "Now, the reason I gathered everyone today was so we could have a sort of therapy session, as you may have seen on the notes. We've been through a lot already. Six trials... but we've made it. We can't give in now. We all just have to agree to peace. We were all friends once, right? Let's try to get back to that again."

"Friends? You expect us to all revert to being lovey-dovey again, just like that?" Mezou scoffed.

"That's wrong. I don't expect everyone to magically bond again," Mirio corrected. "That's unrealistic. We could never get back to the way we were before the game, not when so much has happened. But that doesn't mean we can't try to befriend one another again. It'll be different, that's for sure; but it'll be okay. We'll escape, soon. And then, we can try to readjust to normal life."

"Well, how are we supposed to go about doing this?" Shouto inquired, monotonous.

"A therapy session," Mirio proposed. "Group therapy. Share our feelings, unload some stress."

"Absolutely not." Mezou immediately shot back. "Expose our weaknesses? Like I'd do that."

He got up and made to storm out of the room, but Shouto -who was sitting closest to the door- swiftly stood and caught him by the arm.

"Hm?" Mezou whirled around to glare at Shouto. "Let go of me." He made no move to yank his arm free, however, despite being perfectly capable of doing so.

"You have to trust in some people more," Shouto advised gently. "Let us in."

"Trusting is weakness. You'll only get hurt trusting." Mezou's voice softened on the last part. Ochako. Fumikage.

"But even if it hurts you... it'll help in the long run," Shouto insisted. Izuku. Yaomomo.

"No. Let go of me."

"Come on, Mezou, I beg of you... stay. Lighten up a little, please..."

At Shouto's continuous insistence, Mezou finally sighed and turned back around, nearly dragging Shouto in an arc. "Fine. I'll stay at this stupid therapy thing, if it would make you shut up."

Satisfied with that borderline agreement, Shouto gave him a small smile and sat down. "Good."

As Mezou sat down, Mirio also offered him a warm grin and stood up. "Now then, let's begin with a sharing of feelings. Even if you think you sound cheesy, it'll be okay, because chances are someone else also feels the same as you. Try to say something, even if you don't want to talk. Starting with you, Tamaki." He looked down to his boyfriend. Their relationship is the only one lasting.

All of the others have lost their loved ones already, to death.

I can't help but feel jealous.

"U-Umm..." Tamaki's eyes darted from side to side. "I'm anxious about our situation now... but I'm more anxious there will be one more killing before we escape. The air is still tense... even without a motive, someone might snap."

"Good job, Tamaki. You may be right in that things are still tense. Alright... Yaomomo," Mirio prompted.

"I'm fine," she muttered. "But I agree with Tamaki. Something'll happen. It doesn't matter if there's a motive or not... we're all human. When given a killing game to go wild in, it's bound for death to run amok until there's nobody left."

"Don't be so pessimistic, Yaomomo," Mirio gently reassured her. "As long as we work to escape, we won't be faced with the Killing Game. Then nobody else will die. Now, Denki?"

"Hm." Denki didn't want to answer. He didn't have the drive to, nor the energy to interact with other people. Just the thoughts in my head are enough. "I miss Kyouka."

Which was true; he missed the musical girl every living moment, whether awake or in a dream. But he didn't say anything more than that; none of his guilt, or pain, or sadness, or any of his feelings.

Do I even have feelings? It's all so intense...

Maybe I'm just empty, and I'm trying to fill up the space.

A beat of awkward silence. Denki put his head down to make it clear he wasn't talking.

"I miss Kyouka too," Yaomomo murmured, placing a hand on his back. Denki stayed still.

"I think all of us have lost someone we've cared for," Mirio said softly. "We'll all deal with it differently. It's okay, Denki. Grieve as you must, okay? Now, moving on," he continued, much to Denki's relief of being out the spotlight. "Hitoshi. We all give our condolences to you, even though I know that's not enough. Please, share some of your feelings."

Silence.

Denki turned him head in his arms to watch his friend with concerned eyes. Hitoshi sat there, staring blankly at the table.

"Hitoshi..?" Denki decided to speak out; quietly, gently.

"That's how I feel."

"Hm?" Yaomomo made a slight sound of surprise at the violette's words.

"Empty. That's all." Hitoshi's voice was flat; pained with grief. "After Mashi... it was just me. Alone. It's amazing I still have emotion left in me at this point."

His voice cracked. Denki searched his eyes for any show of feeling; they were red. Tears were beginning to pool in them.

I should've gone to him after the trial. Talked to him, comforted him or something.

But I didn't.

I'm a horrible friend.

A horrible person.

If I had died and Hitoshi were sad, Mashirao would've been at his side all day...

Why?

Why wasn't it me?

Hitoshi suddenly got up, his motions jerky. He pushed his chair in, and walked out the room. Nobody tried to stop him. Upon his departure, awkward silence bubbled in the room, before Shouto cleared his throat, making Denki jump unnaturally sharply.

"Come on," he prompted. "Let's not bother him and continue."

"Okay, Shouto. Your turn," Mirio said.

"I guess I miss Izuku. But he wanted us to move on, so I've done that. There's been something on my mind for a while, though," he added quickly, clearing his throat. "Mei's machine."

"Mei's machine? That girl's crazy invention?" Mezou scoffed. "You really thought that did something?"

"Yes. Mei's smart, even if most of her devices explode. I can't help but feel like we're missing something. Where did the device go? Tooru took it. Where could she have hidden it?"

"That's actually a good point," Yaomomo agreed. "We should investigate it later. For now, let's continue the circle. Mezou."

"I have no interest in sharing. You're all bound to be traitors and murderers, that's for sure. Broken promises and backstabbers." Mezou paused. "That is all I have to say."

"Um, alright..." Mirio said slowly. "Tsu?"

"Mmh... everything is all confusing for me," she began slowly. "I don't know why... I don't know what's wrong with me... but as long as you all have hope, then it should be okay. I wish you guys wouldn't worry about me so much, as well. It's fine to care for me, but don't go overboard." She looked pointedly over at Nejire. I'm glad she kept coherent enough to say all that, without going off the rails in the middle.

"Tsu, worry about yourself a little, please," she said, her voice soft. "I'm glad you care for us, though. I worry about you, that's for sure. I worry for all my friends."

Then she bit her lip and stopped. "That's all."

"Well, we're making progress," Mirio offered. "Personally, as long as I can help all of you, that would be enough for me. I've always cared for others, wanted to protect people. If I can do that, everything's okay.

"Now, we'll work on this, okay? For now, I think we should have a few people investigate the missing device, as Shouto said. It's possible it'll be useful, so this is worth a shot. Who wants to search for it with me?

"I'll go, obviously," Shouto said. "Yaomomo? You want to join?"

"Of course."

"I'll come along," Tamaki offered.

"I won't. I'm going to hang out with Tsu," Nejire said. She glanced at the Swimmer for consent.

"Sure." The jadette offered a smile.

"I'm going to my room," Denki murmured. He wondered if anyone heard. It doesn't matter anyway.

"And I'm heading to the gym," Mezou grumbled.

The group swiftly began to disperse. Denki got up and hurried out the room on heavy feet, eyes fixed to the ground, not bothering to speak even when he bumped into Yaomomo. Instead, he hustled past, despite her calling out to him.

I don't want to talk to anyone. Not today, not ever...

Kyouka... why did you have to go? Mashirao, too...

Please... I just want to go home...

I want to curl up in my room and cry.

I wish I would just die.