Naegi looked at the picture of Asahina that Ogami held so gently, her thumb resting along the edge of the other girl's cheek. It was almost as though she wanted to reach through the photo to brush a hand along her friend's smiling face.
The thought made him avert his eyes, belatedly realizing that maybe this was a moment that Ogami wouldn't want anyone else to see. He couldn't do anything about the cameras, but he could at least allow her the illusion of privacy until she could collect herself. She'd been right when she'd said that he didn't really understand what that picture was to her… but he was glad it helped.
He wished that he could have taken the entire book of profiles, so that they could have had the reminders of all their fallen friends… but of course Monokuma would never have let him do something like that. He was probably lucky that the bear hadn't tried to confiscate this profile along with the rest of the book.
After a moment, a rustle of paper drew Naegi's eyes back to see that Ogami was carefully folding the profile and slipping it into her pocket. That was probably the best place for it — even Monokuma would have some trouble getting an object away from Sakura Ogami if she didn't want to let him take it. Once it was safely stowed away, she looked back at Naegi.
"Are you feeling well enough to try to stand again? If you're able, it might be best if you were on your feet when the others arrive."
Naegi could just imagine how upset Togami would be if he came into the waiting room to find him slumped on the floor. "Yeah… I think if you can help me up, I'll be able to manage."
Ogami eyed him suspiciously for a moment, then nodded. She slid an arm around behind him and carefully lifted him up, supporting him so that he hardly had to bear any of his weight by himself. Rather than letting go once he was upright, she helped him lean back against the wall again, keeping her hand on his good arm to keep him balanced.
"Thanks," Naegi said, a little more breathless than he'd expected to be. He shouldn't be quite so tired just standing up, not when he'd had to spend so little effort on it… but nevertheless, his body ached with exhaustion. He did his best to ignore it, though. He couldn't afford to be exhausted, not when the trial hadn't even begun.
"It's a small enough way to assist you," Ogami said dismissively. "Now, more than ever, I wish to aid you in any way that I can." She sighed, shaking her head. "It seems that every day I end up with more and more sins for which I must make amends."
"No, this was an accident," Naegi protested. "It's not a sin or anything like that!"
Ogami shrugged. "Perhaps not, then. But compared to the totality of my crimes against the innocent, it hardly makes a difference."
The innocent… That word echoed in Naegi's mind, reminding him of his cryptic conversation with Kirigiri about her plan to unmask the mastermind. Whatever she was doing, she meant for it to happen during the trial…
Naegi looked up at Ogami with a frown. "You said… you want to help? In any way you can?"
"If it is within my power, yes," Ogami said quietly. "Is there something you would like me to do?"
"Well… maybe, if you think you can do it." Naegi didn't know if he had the right to ask her for this… but he didn't like the guilt-ridden way she kept insisting she was so much worse than the others, either. "I'd like you to promise me that this time, in this trial… you won't throw away your vote."
Ogami stiffened. "You want what?"
"I'd like you to vote for whoever you think is genuinely the culprit in this trial," Naegi said, holding to his request despite her reaction. "Not for yourself."
Ogami looked at him for a long moment, and he almost thought she wasn't going to answer him. Finally, she whispered, "Why?"
Naegi knew he couldn't tell her about Kirigiri's plan. He didn't even know if her plan would involve votes, not for sure — but the vote was the only thing he could think of that would make a trial the right place to confront the mastermind. Anything else could be done more easily in another environment, rather than in the trial with their lives on the line. And if Kirigiri was counting on doing something with votes… then he wanted to be sure she had as many as she needed.
But even if he couldn't say as much to Ogami, that was only one reason. He'd had another purpose for this request, as well. He looked into her shadowed eyes and said, "I don't want you to keep blaming yourself for what the mastermind made you do. You aren't some hidden agent or guilty monster — you're one of us. You're on our side. And I'd like you to fight with us… if you can."
Ogami looked like he'd asked her to pluck a burning ember straight from a fire. "I… I don't know."
Naegi nodded slowly. "Okay. That's fine. It was just a suggestion. You don't have to if you don't want to. You have the right to vote however you want."
But a shiver passed over her face at those words. "Do I?"
Naegi blinked. "Huh?"
"Maybe you're right." She sighed, running a hand distractedly through her hair. "Maybe… if I truly do wish to be on your side instead of the mastermind's… maybe I don't have the right to abstain from voting as I have been doing. It was one thing when there were more people in the trials, but… now that there are so few students remaining… even one vote could make a critical difference."
Naegi didn't answer. Even if he'd known what to say to that, it seemed like he shouldn't push her one way or the other. He'd influenced her enough already — she had to make this decision on her own.
Eventually, Ogami sighed again, as if she were letting go of something she'd been clutching too tightly. "Very well, Naegi. If this is what you wish for… then I promise not to abstain from voting. I will vote for the person I truly believe to be guilty… just as all the rest of you have done."
Even though she was agreeing to what he'd asked of her, hearing Ogami's words filled Naegi with a surge of sadness. This was a terrible ritual he was insisting she participate in, one that would add another scar of guilt to her wounded heart. He knew that all the deaths were the mastermind's fault, that the "executions" were just murders by another name… but it still made him feel horribly complicit every time he voted to send another of his friends to their fate. And that was the burden he'd asked Ogami to share.
Maybe it was too much to ask of her. Maybe he didn't have the right to ask her to do anything else, after she'd fought against the mastermind to help them. After all, surely the other four of them could come to a conclusion on their own. If refusing to vote for the guilty party could make Ogami feel better, maybe he should take back his request. He looked up at Ogami, wondering what he ought to say.
Before he could decide, the heavy red door slammed open, hitting the wall with a metallic crash. Genocide Jill stood framed in the doorway, looking none the worse for wear even after being trapped in the hidden room overnight. And next to her, bracing himself against the wall with an annoyed scowl —
"Togami!" Naegi brightened, doing his best to smile at the other boy in spite of the pain still throbbing through his arm. Just seeing his boyfriend walk through the door, even clutching at the wall to stop himself from swaying on his feet, made the oppressive air of the waiting room just a little bit easier to breathe.
Once he made it through the door, Togami ignored Jill's eager attempts to take his arm in support and immediately zeroed in on Naegi and Ogami. Naegi tried to straighten and look like he'd just decided to lean casually against the wall, but from the way Togami's eyes narrowed, he didn't think he'd been very convincing.
"What happened?" were the first words out of Togami's mouth as soon as he got close, a little too loud for the space. His gaze dropped right to Naegi's lips after he spoke, dashing the faint hope Naegi had been harboring that maybe the other boy's hearing might have improved a little in the time they were apart.
"It was nothing," Naegi assured him, remembering to keep his words slow and clear. "I nearly fell again, that's all — but Ogami caught me before I could. I'm fine now!"
If the look of intense skepticism was any indication, Togami didn't seem inclined to accept this explanation. "You said you'd be careful."
"I have been!" Naegi insisted. "This was just an accident, that's all."
Togami scowled, looking as though he was thinking about pressing the issue further. But before he could, Jill bounded back to his side and leaned in towards Naegi, her tongue curling out towards him.
"I don't know what my White Knight's complaining about, Makyutie!" she said, raking her eyes up and down his body with a leer. "You're looking way tastier than the last time I saw you!" She laughed. "Gotta say, I've always been more into the hurt-torture than the hurt-comfort scene, but you're making a good argument for trying new things!"
By now, Naegi had spent enough time with the genocider that he was pretty sure he knew what she really meant. He smiled at her gratefully. "Yeah, I'm doing a lot better. But I know I wouldn't have been if you hadn't gone for help so fast."
Jill tossed her braids. "Aw, but there's nothing fun about an accidental death! Sure, you need some spontaneity to spice up the final product, but you've gotta start with a plan if you want real art!"
Which was much closer to an apology than Naegi had ever expected her to get. "Thank you."
Jill's grin curled into a leer. "Well, sugar, if you're really feeling grateful, then you and my White Knight could —"
"Haven't we been standing around here long enough?" Togami cut her off, glaring directly into her face. "We're here for a trial, not more of your nonsense."
"But we can't start yet," Naegi objected. "We're not all here."
"Wow, on the ball as always, huh?"
Monokuma bounced out into the center of the room, grinning up at them from just behind Jill and Togami.
"But you know, staying up there must take a pretty careful balancing act, don't you think?" He tilted his head thoughtfully. "Hmm. I wonder if you can keep it up?"
Togami looked momentarily puzzled as the attention of the room shifted, but he turned to look behind him before Naegi could explain what was going on. He didn't so much as flinch at finding Monokuma mere feet away from him, which Naegi had to admit was pretty impressive. The heir just crossed his arms imperiously and took a few steps to the side so that he could keep Monokuma in the corner of his eye while looking back at Naegi, eyebrows raised impatiently.
"He was just talking like always," Naegi told him, rather than trying to repeat Monokuma's babbling. "Nothing important."
Monokuma gasped, paws flying to his mouth. "So cruel! Who would have thought that sweet little Naegi had it in him to be so terrible? Why, I think my heart might break!"
Togami narrowed his eyes when Naegi didn't translate the words that went along with the bear's antics. "Stop whatever nonsense you're going on about and tell us — is it time to start or not?"
"Huh?" Monokuma tilted his head, looking puzzled. "But that's what I wanted you all to tell me! I mean, the bell's sounded, class is in session, but it looks like some of our brightest students are about to lose their perfect attendance records. If you're not careful, you might lose your spot on the honor roll!" He threw back his head and laughed.
Togami glanced from Monokuma to Naegi. "If we're not starting yet… there's only one person left who isn't present yet. And after going missing for so long, do you actually expect her to turn up?"
"Yes, I do!" Naegi couldn't stop the smile of relief that crossed his face. "Kirigiri's alive, I've seen her."
Togami stiffened, his face locking into hard, frozen lines. "You've seen her? In person?"
"Yes, and she's fine," Naegi assured him, though he couldn't share any details with Monokuma listening in and the cameras broadcasting every word. "I'm sure she'll be here any minute."
"Oh, really?" Even the slight dissonance of tone couldn't disguise the ice in Togami's voice. "Then why exactly isn't she here now? The announcement sounded — that means the investigation period is over. What else could she possibly have to do?"
"Now there's a student who knows what 'pencils down' means!" Monokuma said brightly. "He always plays by the rules, huh? Man, it looks like someone's angling to become the new teacher's pet!"
"She's on her way," Naegi insisted, doing his best to ignore the unnerving grin Monokuma was sending his way.
"But is that really good enough?" Monokuma asked thoughtfully. "I mean, maybe we should dock a few points from her participation grade. It would only be fair, right?" He grinned, the light gleaming off his pointed teeth.
"No need for that."
Naegi jerked over towards the door — to see Kirigiri standing there, arms crossed and a familiar smirk touching her lips. "I'm here."
Scheduling Note: And now, before we head into the trial itself, I'll be taking a quick break to make sure I have my trial outline in order. That means there will be no new chapter on Sunday, sorry! The story will resume next Thursday. See you then!
