Togami left Naegi's room before the morning Monokuma announcement could sound, returning across the hall to his own room. Staying in Naegi's bed had been an attractive thought, but that would have meant leaving at some point during the day when the others were roaming around freely. Besides, he needed fresh clothes, after his had been crumpled on Naegi's floor all night. He could feel the wrinkles irritating his skin.
The announcement came just as he closed his dorm room door behind him. Good, that meant the water would be back on.
Standing under the shower, letting water pour over him, Togami took the opportunity to check his body for marks. He hadn't wanted to do it in front of Naegi – that would have felt too much like an admission of weakness, and who knew how the other boy would react to it. Togami wasn't sure if it would have been worse if Naegi had been smug or apologetic, but he knew he didn't want to see either.
He placed a hand over the bruise on his collarbone from the archive, knowing it was there even though he couldn't see it. It would be fading now, and fortunately it would be easily hidden beneath his shirt in any case. He didn't much care for the idea of the whole group knowing Naegi's mark lingered on his neck. Bad enough Fukawa had seen it.
There was another mark on his stomach, one he hadn't realized would remain. He touched the stark red marring his skin, remembering Naegi's mouth moving on his body. This one, even more so than the other, was a private memento of what they'd shared, even clearer than if Naegi had drawn a heart on his skin. However bold it might look against his pale skin, no one else would see what it declared. It was a message from Naegi to him, and it pleased some part of him to know that this was something the rest of the world wouldn't get to share. It was his.
Finally, a little nervous about what he would see, Togami let himself examine his wrists. He traced a finger over his skin where the restraint had been tied last night. It wasn't obvious, but looking closely, he could detect a faint pink indentation circling each wrist like matching bracelets. It looked as though it would fade by the end of the day, though, so that didn't seem like anything to worry about. He would just need to be careful not to let his sleeves ride up his arms if there were other people around.
Clean and satisfied that he hadn't been visibly marked, Togami stepped out of the shower and headed over to select a new outfit for the day. The neatly-buttoned shirt, the tailored slacks, and –
He flushed as he picked up a new pair of suspenders. They hung innocuously in his hands, mere pieces of fabric, but he couldn't stop thinking about the use Naegi had made of them the night before.
Slowly, clumsy in a way he would normally scorn, he slid the straps over his shoulders so that they crossed over his chest. His fingers stilled on the button that would hold them in place when he remembered Naegi's lips pressed to his skin just below it. He'd never been especially aware of the suspenders before, paying them no more attention than any other article of clothing, but now he couldn't ignore the firm pressure of the straps wrapping around his torso.
He closed his eyes, taking a long breath to calm himself. These were just pieces of fabric, the same thing he wore every day. He refused to give in to weakness and take them off. He was not going to alter his outfit in an obvious way just because of a few vivid memories that wouldn't stop replaying in his head. Even if no one else noticed, Naegi would – and he'd know why Togami couldn't handle wearing the suspenders today.
No. Out of the question. Togami did his best to force the thoughts from his head, moving on with his preparations for the day. He fixed his hair, cleaned his glasses, and picked up yesterday's clothing to move it to his laundry hamper.
His hands paused as yesterday's suspenders fell into the container on top of the other clothes. There really wasn't much point in putting those with the rest of the laundry, not when they'd been stretched and knotted in ways they'd never been meant for. They'd been ruined now, and washing them wouldn't do anything to fix that. He plucked them out of the hamper. He might as well throw them away.
He tucked them into a drawer beside his bed. He would think about the best way to dispose of them later.
Finally he felt he had restored his appearance to his usual armor of wealth and privilege, and checked the clock. The whole group would probably still be having their ridiculous breakfast meeting. He could go in now for the last few minutes of it, and at least give the impression that he hadn't deliberately chosen to attend. That would be a way to ease into it – he could build up his tolerance for them all gradually.
He opened the door – and saw Fukawa sitting on the ground outside his room, chin propped on her knees as she stared at his door.
Leaving his room to find Fukawa watching him wasn't entirely out of the ordinary, but she usually lurked around the corner or spied through the crack in her door. He'd never left the room to find her sitting there so openly. For a moment he worried that this might be the serial killer personality – but no, her eyes were their normal color and she seemed capable of keeping her tongue in her mouth.
Well, whatever was going on with her, he didn't have time to deal with her now. He turned to walk past without acknowledging her.
"You were in his room."
The words stopped Togami in his tracks, and he looked down at the girl on the floor. Fukawa's eyes bored into him with an almost physical force, and he had the strangest urge to take a step back away from her. He'd never felt the need to retreat when she stared at him normally, even when the amount of actual drool reached truly repulsive levels, but there was something about her current expression that he didn't like.
He could have denied it, but that would involve getting into an argument with her about it. "My whereabouts are none of your concern," he said instead, voice cold.
She didn't blink, eyes on him like a snake. "You were in his room all night."
Had she been watching? That was a disturbing thought. He really needed coffee before he could deal with her idiocy first thing in the morning.
"Go back in your room," he told her, an order that had worked in the past. It wouldn't keep her there indefinitely, but it would at least be long enough for him to get down the hall.
She stood, a slow unfolding of every muscle in her body as she stretched up to her full height – but she didn't turn for her door. A chill trickled down Togami's spine as she met his gaze.
"What were you doing in there?"
She bit out the words in a low voice, deeper than her normal tone, every word clipped and distinct. It made Togami wonder how fast he could unlock his dorm room door again, and what would happen if he wasn't fast enough.
"Nothing you need to know about," Togami snapped. "Stop talking."
A slow, terrible smile curled its way across her lips.
"No."
Icy fear flooded Togami's veins as he realized exactly what he'd done. This girl was a crazed serial killer who targeted men she found attractive, and she'd only stayed her hand because she'd had romantic delusions about him – and he'd allowed those delusions to shatter. Suddenly it wasn't at all comforting to know that this wasn't the serial killer, not with the way her eyes seemed to burn through his clothes to blister his skin.
He opened his mouth to say something – and she stepped closer.
"Go on," she said, and he couldn't stop himself from taking a step backwards each time she advanced. "Order me to do something. Tell me what to do. Try to make me listen."
"Leave me alone." He said the command with all the force he could muster, all the pride and arrogance he could inject into the words.
She reached out and ran a hand down his chest. He jerked back like she'd scalded him, slimy revulsion curdling in his stomach. She laughed, high and wild and shaky, sweat beginning to bead its way down her face.
"I thought you were untouchable." Her shoulders heaved as she spoke, breath coming so fast it rocked her whole body. "I thought you were perfect and beautiful and so high above me that I would crawl in filth if you told me to do it." Her eyes scorched him above the horrifying specter of her smile. "But now I can see the truth." Her hand snaked forward to grip his wrist, locking around the faint line where the restraints had been. "You're just as dirty as me."
Togami froze, wondering if this was it. He probably couldn't make it to the cafeteria even if he ran, but maybe if he shouted it would get someone's attention. Surely at least one of that lot would leave their stupid breakfast meeting to see what had happened before Fukawa could do whatever horrible thing she was planning. He tensed, preparing to tear away and scream, when –
Ding dong bing bong.
"Attention, students! Please stop what you are doing and gather in the gymnasium. It's time for a very special announcement!"
