Chapter 54: Day 47
It was the first time the two were late to breakfast, yet Togami didn't have the energy to care.
He sauntered in, as if nothing was amiss, and followed Naegi to the large table where the rest of the students were already eating. A few smiled and nodded in their direction as Naegi made his way to the kitchen to brew their cups of desperately-needed coffee. Togami took his seat and nodded to them, thinking of eating but deciding to wait for Naegi. Owada smirked cheekily his way, Hina blushed as if she wanted to say something, and Enoshima giggled almost maniacally at him. The rest were kind enough to keep their mouths shut, and Togami was determined not to look in Fukawa's general direction, knowing the insane author must have had her own delusions on why the two were tardy.
Once Naegi made his way back with two of the largest mugs of coffee he had yet seen in this hellhole, he nodded, took his mug, and drank a long, slow sip of the delicious brew. As he did, he peeked Naegi's way, noting that beyond the slow mannerisms, his boyfriend looked fine.
"So…"
Naegi took a bite of food, evidently avoiding Enoshima's bait. She continued giggling as both Togami and Naegi settled into their meals. Celeste sipped her tea and whispered, "Oh, hush. We're rather fortunate this is the first time they've been late to breakfast."
"No need to speak as though we're not here," Togami swiftly countered.
"Can we assume this yaoi reached a rather poignant climax?" Hifumi remarked with a gleeful smile.
"You can assume whatever you want," Togami retorted, taking another bite of his scrambled eggs. "Just keep it to yourself. Nobody cares about your bizarre fantasies."
"Fantasy…or reality?" Celeste mocked.
"Ya know, I really don't need to hear about those two fucking at breakfast," Kuwata argued.
"Rather polite of you all to assume that that's the reason we're late," Togami hissed. Yet as he did so, he glanced down to see Naegi blushing, giving away the game. Not that they had had sex that morning, but they were up late. Very late.
And of course everyone would know why.
"I propose we switch topics, then, to today's itinerary," Kirigiri stated. "After all, according to our e-Handbooks and the progress we have made thus far, we should be able to conclude our item search today."
"Which means that we can spend the next three days focusing on creating this Warlockuma," Taka observed. "A fine job we've done, everyone! Who could have imagined the progress we've made some 46 days ago?"
"Do you have the blueprint for this back-up prepared?" Kirigiri asked, glancing over to Togami as she spoke.
"I have an idea for it," he admitted. Pulling out his e-Handbook, Togami brought up his blueprint and passed it down to Kirigiri. "It's hideous, but that only means it should please Monokuma."
"H-How could a-a-anything you make b-be h-hideous, M-Master?" Fukawa asked with a sweet, syrupy voice that sent shivers down his spine.
Kirigiri nodded as she looked it over, ignoring Fukawa's remark. She smirked as she asked, "A bit colorful for you, isn't it?"
"With all the nonsense we had to collect for it, I figured we needed to use all of the items in some capacity."
"Fair enough." She shrugged and slid the e-Handbook back down to him. "Looks good to me."
"So what will we do once we're done collecting the items?" inquired Hiro. "This afternoon, I mean."
"I'd like to ask Naegi to assist me once more," Kirigiri stated. "I believe I may have solved our third riddle and need someone to help me. But I plan on having our answer tomorrow."
"You mean about what happened to administration?" asked Maizono.
"Precisely."
Taka nodded. "Then that will be all three riddles solved. One A guaranteed for us!"
Hina smiled and said, "Well, Sakura and I are collecting items, just like Naegi said. We've already got a bunch of supplies from the gym lockers! Outfits, swimming equipment, paddle boards, lifejackets–"
"You realize you're going to have to carry all of that, don't you?" asked Celeste.
"Well, yeah, but we can also bring some carts along, too!" Hina argued.
"It's not like we're walking through the jungle," Owada observed. "I mean, our school hasn't been teleported, as far as we know. We should still be in the city, right?"
"I do believe this is a good use of our time, though," Kirigiri added. "We can finish collecting all the necessary pieces today, then split off to continue gathering our resources for our eventual escape."
Everyone nodded, and soon the sounds of people finishing their breakfasts rang out. Togami and Naegi quickly scarfed down their meals before joining with the others. Togami's heart raced as he realized he would now need to tackle the problems he avoided the previous day, but he reminded himself it was just another challenge.
One that he, as the new head and sole survivor of the Togami Corporation, would conquer.
The sound of the locker door clicking open echoed in the otherwise empty room. He slowly pulled his locker open and inhaled a large breath of air. The pictures and books were just as he left them. He had brought the folder with him to review, deciding against examining its contents in his bedroom.
For a few seconds, he merely stood still, taking in the sight before him.
"This was my life," he reflected. "For over a year, I was a student at this school. And now… Now that's all gone." It was the shock that Naegi had failed to recognize. It hit Togami in that moment just what he had lost. "Memories just…gone. A vacuum in my brain. How did Monokuma do this to us? And why?" He recalled Kirigiri's words and nodded to himself. "And yet, perhaps there is a way our memories can fully return. Or maybe it will be something that comes with time." As he thought this, he pulled out a picture from the folder of himself surrounded by the other students while holding his violin. He frowned. "And yet…what if those memories are truly gone?"
He sighed, knowing he was asking impossible questions. "The only one who has that answer isn't going to tell us. And even if we knew, it still doesn't change the present." His gaze wandered to Naegi in the picture, and he couldn't stop the small smile from crossing his lips. "At least we got back together. That is what's important. I didn't lose him."
It was such a sentimental statement that Togami felt his cheeks redden despite being alone. Putting the picture back in the folder, he slowly pulled out what he was truly aiming for: Aloysius's letter. Merely touching it sent shivers down his spine, and he swallowed back a sudden wave of emotions. It wasn't just fear, though. It was…relief?
"When did I receive this letter?" He set the folder in the locker and opened the letter. "Read it, Togami. Face this. What did Aloysius send to you?"
His eyes began to scan the page as he slowly read:
'Young Master,
It is wonderful to hear from you again. I am pleased to read that your time at Hope's Peak Academy is everything you desired and more. I was certain that you would excel at such a prestigious academy, as you have in all things.
I also thank you for your trust in me. I know admitting such as you did must have taken great effort. Please understand, however, that as your servant, I suspected as much from an early age. Your behavior gave indications that you were attracted to the opposite sex. I have never judged you for this and will continue to serve as your guide and protector, regardless of who you find joy and love with.'
Togami blushed, realizing what the letter was actually about. "I… I told Aloysius…?" he thought in shock. "Did I tell him about…about Makoto?" His eyes darted forward.
'Part of my station within your family is knowing the Togami history, and I can confirm that the family head, in several generations of its long existence, has been homosexual. There are loopholes and ways of choosing heirs when a head of the family happens to be homosexual or bisexual. Your family, as always, considered every option and angle when determining the next leader.
However, with the chaos that appears to be brewing across the world, I would advise you not worry about that for the time being. Events and matters are worsening outside of your school, and I fear that when you graduate, you will be met with quite a number of trials and tribulations. Producing the next batch of heirs should be far from your mind for the foreseeable future. At least until things settle down.
As your servant, I would ask that you stay safe inside Hope's Peak Academy for the time being and take advantage of your time with your lover. Make sure he is prepared for the rigors of being with the next in line for the Togami Corporation. I trust your judgment in the matter and know you would not select a partner who is less than exceptional.
I will continue to keep you informed. But for now, I would advise caution in leaving Hope's Peak. Wait until you graduate. Then, when you return to the corporation with your new lover, you may rule as you were destined to.
Your Servant,
Aloysius'
Togami's hands shook as he read the letter twice over, searing each word into his mind. Emotions swam through his body: relief, shock, fear, joy, confusion. It all swirled in his chest, making him happy and nauseous at the same time. "I told Aloysius," he realized. "I told him about me…more than likely hinted about Makoto…and he accepted me. He told me it was all right. That there was a way. He said–"
Togami felt his shoulders shaking and the beginnings of tears. He didn't know if it was the memory of receiving the letter or the shock of reading it now, but he felt similar to how he felt in bed when he awoke from the nightmare. He was both feeling the emotions and reliving them. He inhaled a shuddering breath of air and grasped onto the locker door. Swallowing hard, he wiped the single tear away before looking back down at the letter. "But then again… There's more to it than that…"
Indeed, Aloysius's words brought both relief and discomfort. "He accepted me…but he also advised me against leaving this place. Just as Fujisaki's father had." He recalled the newspaper article and looked at the letter once more. "This had to have been sent beforehand. So… So he warned me before things were destroyed to stay."
"Should we really leave this place?"
The question was quickly shot down, and he shook his head and thought, "No. There is no backing down now. We have to see what's outside. Maybe we can regain our memories. Maybe we can reestablish order. But Monokuma, or whoever is keeping us here, didn't do this for our benefit. We have to leave this place. I have to claim the Togami Corporation and rebuild it…with Makoto at my side. I have to."
He glanced down at the letter once more. "Aloysius… I'll find you. I promise." Folding the letter, he placed it in the inner pocket of his jacket, then inhaled another large breath of air to steady his nerves.
After all, he had an entire locker full of memories to sort through. The letter, he knew, was just the beginning.