The seconds Naegi stood outside Togami's door felt like they lasted for hours. Had he misunderstood? Had Togami changed his mind and left again, or decided not to talk after all, or –

The door opened, and Naegi couldn't help smiling to see Togami there.

"Well? Don't just stand out there." Togami jerked his head towards the room.

Naegi entered, looking around at the furnishings in surprise. He knew some of the other students had more in their rooms than his barebones set up, but he hadn't expected to see a red carpet stretching across the floor. He tried not to grin, but didn't quite succeed. "You – uh, I see you've been decorating."

Togami rolled his eyes. "It was like that when I got here."

"If you say so."

Togami crossed over to the chair at his table – why did his room come with a chair when Naegi's didn't? – and sat, looking at Naegi expectantly. After pondering a moment, Naegi decided to boost himself up onto the low bookcase next to the table. Sitting on top of it actually gave him a couple inches on Togami, which was a nice change for once.

"You wanted to talk?" Togami prompted, once Naegi was settled.

"Well – yeah."

"About?"

Naegi stared at him. "You know what I want to talk about. Monokuma's show yesterday!"

"It was unpleasant and embarrassing. What is there to talk about?"

Of all the reactions Naegi had thought he might get, he hadn't expected this matter-of-fact abruptness, and he didn't quite know how to respond to it. "I guess that covers it pretty well."

"Good." Togami nodded decisively. "I personally would like nothing more than to pretend it never happened. I can only hope the rest of those idiots will have the basic decency to ignore it as well."

Pretend it never happened? Ignore it? The words hit Naegi right in the stomach, knocking the breath out of him. He'd known that it was a possibility Togami would think that, but actually hearing it still came as a shock.

"Right. Ignore it." Naegi looked down at his hands, staring at them like they'd suddenly become unfamiliar. "I guess I'll do that too, if that's what you want."

"Obviously. I'd think you'd want the same."

"Yeah." Naegi wished he hadn't seen the note at all, that he'd been able to put this off just a little longer. He sighed and stood, turning towards the door.

"What are you doing?" Togami asked, sounding startled.

"Well, I was going to leave," Naegi said. "Since you said you just wanted to pretend it never happened."

Togami stared at him like he was speaking a foreign language. "What does that have to do with you leaving?"

"Well – if you're just going to ignore everything that happened, you can't really do that if I'm here, can you?" Naegi said.

"Ignore everything?" Togami frowned, narrowing his eyes. "Are you saying that you think that repulsive show could actually force me to change my mind?"

Naegi blinked. "Uh – well –"

Togami stood and advanced on him. "You think that I would be that easily defeated? That a few videos shown to a handful of acquaintances could deter me?" He bore down, pushing Naegi back onto the bookshelf again, leaning so close that his breath brushed Naegi's cheek. "You think I would let that bear keep me from something I want?"

Naegi's heart pounded against his chest, going mad with the awareness that Togami stood little more than an inch away. Any movement would bring them close enough to touch, and it was all he could do to stop himself from leaning forward.

"Does that mean I'm something you want?" he asked, looking straight into Togami's eyes.

Togami smirked – and leaned forward, pressing his whole body against Naegi's as he brought their lips together. Naegi surged into the touch, tilting his head back and parting his lips. He'd thought over the past couple days that maybe he'd just imagined the spark, maybe it hadn't been as amazing as he remembered – but no, with Togami's mouth hungry against his, with strong hands curling around his back and cradling his head, he knew he hadn't imagined anything.

With electric heat coursing through him from Togami's hands and lips, Naegi couldn't stop himself from reaching out to touch the heir in return. He slid one hand up into Togami's hair, treading his fingers through until the neat blond strands had become as wild as Naegi's own hair. His other hand managed to untuck Togami's shirt enough to trail directly over the skin of his stomach.

His thumb grazed over an unexpectedly rough patch, and Togami growled low in his throat. The sound was familiar – and Naegi remembered hearing it before as he sucked on that very spot until a mark appeared. He traced the spot again, deliberately, and was rewarded when Togami ground their bodies together.

That felt good – too good, enough that it was worrying. There was something he was forgetting, something he couldn't quite remember, but it was so hard to think when Togami touched him, just like it had been those other times, when –

"The cameras!" Naegi jerked away, nearly toppling backwards off the bookcase in his haste to get untangled.

Togami caught his elbows to balance him, looking annoyed. "Don't tell me you forgot about them."

"Well – yeah, for a minute there," Naegi admitted. "But so did you!"

"I didn't forget. I made the decision to ignore them." Togami might have said it in his most condescending tones, but it was a little hard to believe that act with his hair mussed and his clothing askew. He made a tempting picture, and Naegi really just wanted to lean forward again and continue where they'd left off.

"But what if the mastermind is watching again?" Naegi sent the camera a nervous look. "What if Monokuma shows it to everyone again?"

Togami didn't look very happy at the suggestion, but he shrugged. "Then he does. I told you, I won't be scared off."

Naegi narrowed his eyes. "Will you run off and hide for days again?"

Togami glared at him. "That's different. I wasn't hiding, I was avoiding the situation."

"And me."

"No, not you." Togami started to lift a hand, like he wanted to touch Naegi's cheek, but he quickly let it drop before it could get that far.

"What else is there?" Naegi asked, puzzled. "Everyone else?"

"In a manner of speaking." Togami grimaced. "Tell me, Naegi – has Fukawa said anything to you in the past couple days?"

"Fukawa?" That question seemed to come out of nowhere. Naegi frowned. "No – no, I don't think so. She's been pretty quiet every time I've seen her."

"Good." Togami looked at Naegi and sighed. "I would suggest that you take measures to avoid being alone with her for the foreseeable future."

"What do you mean?" Naegi didn't quite know how to take that statement. "Do you think she's jealous?"

"Something like that," Togami said sourly. "I shouldn't really have to spell this out, but don't go anywhere alone with her."

Naegi would have protested being told to treat one of his friends in such a way – but then he remembered Fukawa watching him from across the cafeteria, strange look in her eyes. Maybe Togami had a point.

"I can try to do that for a while," Naegi said instead, shrugging.

"Good." A hint of relief came into Togami's expression. "Then –"

The doorbell rang, cutting off whatever he'd been about to say. Togami shot the door an annoyed glare.

"Aren't you going to try to answer it?" Naegi asked.

"They'll go away eventually." Togami leaned his forehead against Naegi's. "You're finally a reasonable height when you sit like this."

"My height is –" The rest of Naegi's objection was drowned out by the doorbell again, louder than before.

"How long do you think eventually will take?" Naegi asked. Togami scowled.

The doorbell sounded again, a long unrelenting series of chimes, like whoever was outside had shoved their finger against the button without letting up.

Togami huffed out an angry sigh, tore himself from Naegi's arms, and stormed over to throw the door open. "What?"

Hagakure took a step backwards. "Oh, uh, hey, you really are here! I thought maybe the room was empty after all."

"If you thought the room was empty, why did you keep ringing the bell instead of finding something more useful to do with your time?" Togami demanded.

"Because Kirigiri said – I mean, because of an important matter of personal hygiene," Hagakure corrected himself.

"Hygiene?" Naegi asked, frowned. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"I wanted to make a suggestion," Hagakure said, the sudden odd note to his words suggesting that he was reciting them rather than saying them. "I would like to suggest that we all go to the bathhouse and enjoy a quiet, peaceful bath. With everyone. For extra cleanliness."

"Everyone?" Naegi glanced over at Togami, only to see the other boy looking far more serious than he'd expected.

"Very well," Togami said, much to Naegi's shock. "Personal hygiene is very important, after all." He headed out of the room at a brisk pace, leaving Naegi and Hagakure to trail behind him.

What was he thinking? Naegi couldn't tell. Togami never seemed to like spending time with the other members of the group, so why would he –

And then it hit him. The bathhouse. Alter Ego.

Naegi ran to catch up with Togami just as he entered the bathhouse. He really hoped he was wrong – but he didn't think he was.