Chapter 20: Everyday Life with the Ultimate Fashionista
Hello again ladies and gentlemen; boys and girls; Ultimates of all ages! It's me, wesst1 back again, once again!
Wow, 20 chapters. I honestly never thought I would get to this point. I want to take a moment to thank all of you for sticking with me this long and I hope you'll stay with me until the end. I couldn't have done it without your support!
It seems only fitting that this milestone be centered around our favorite Despairful fashionista, Junko, doesn't it?
Ah Junko, we've all waited a long time for this.
But before we get started there are two artists that I highly recommend over on Pixiv. Check out the works of Jedash01 and Vergilsama92. Both do excellent works of art, focusing on our favorite Luckster, Makoto Naegi!
Now, if everyone is ready, let's get this show on the road!
Present Day
As Naegi and Enoshima made their way back to the dorm, Enoshima made sure to keep a tight hold on Naegi's arm. Part of it was to, as she said, keep "as much Hope near her heart as possible," but she wouldn't deny that she still enjoyed making Naegi uncomfortable and the other girls jealous. That's right bitches! Compare yourselves to me and despair! Maybe I'll share Naegi-kun if you ask nicely~, Enoshima thought with a smirk.
Junko-chan, behave! A similar voice to Enoshima's said inside Enoshima's head.
I'm not doing anything~! Enoshima shot back playfully, still smirking.
Naegi knew her well enough by now to know that Enoshima smirking was not a good sign. "Enoshima-san, what's the smirk for?" he asked.
"Nothing~!" Enoshima answered in a sing-song voice.
"Enoshima-san," Naegi pressed with a small glare.
"Mmm! I love it when you look at me like that," Enoshima told him.
Naegi held firm. "Junko-chan!"
"Okay, maybe I'm doing a bit of silent gloating, but that's all!" Enoshima assured him.
Naegi looked her in the eyes for a bit before saying, "Okay, I believe you."
"I wouldn't lie to you, Naegi-kun. Ryoko won't shut up if I do," Enoshima whispered the last part of that statement.
"You complain, but you know she only wants what's best for the both of you."
"I guess. And at least she's not bothering me as much these days," Enoshima noted.
Probably because you don't treat people's lives as expendable sources of entertainment anymore. I'm glad too, since you're no longer a danger to us or to yourself, Naegi thought.
I keep "bothering" you, so you don't relapse! We're both actually happy now and I'd like us to stay that way! a voice told Enoshima.
I won't, Ryoko! I'm happy even without despair. That doesn't mean I won't mess with everyone though~, Enoshima playfully countered.
Just don't take it too far. We almost didn't get this second chance; it was nothing short of a miracle that Naegi-kun managed to convince everyone to try to help us. The probability of us getting a third chance is rather low, "Ryoko" said.
I'll be good. Just as there's more to Hope and Despair than I thought, there's more to me than everyone thinks, Enoshima thought as she remembered how she learned this important lesson.
Third Week of Classes-Saturday
Hope's Peak Academy- Girls' Dorm
Enoshima was…well, she wasn't sure. She should have been annoyed that Maizono didn't try to destroy that upstart junior idol. She should have been angry that her plan failed for some lame reason. She knew Naegi gave some cliched pep talk about how Maizono inspired a new generation of idols and then as luck would have it, Maizono met one of those junior idols. She should have been bored by the happy ending. She wasn't sure what to feel but she both loved and hated it.
Well, she hated it. She could care less about the part of her that loved it.
And what's wrong with a happy ending you didn't believe could happen? You know Junko-chan, for someone who hates to be bored, you seem to be getting quite upset when something unexpected happens, that part of her pointed out.
Go. The fuck. Away, Enoshima ordered her…conscience? She never really identified that voice. It acted like her conscience, but Enoshima didn't really pay enough attention to it to find out what it was. She knew she wasn't what people considered sane, going deeper than that sounded boring to her.
You know Muku-nee was right. You're afraid of Naegi-kun. Or rather you're afraid he'll show you some uncomfortable truths.
I said go away! Enoshima ordered again before she went over the events that happened since she arrived at Hope's Peak Academy. Muku-nee is working against me and I was wrong about Maizono. Both times, Hope Boy was involved. Now is he the cause? Most likely. How did he do it? Is it his luck or something else? I need more data. I have a dorm full of guinea pigs, I'm sure I can collect data on Hope Boy and have some fun with the girls while I do it. With that in mind, Enoshima gave a Cheshire Cat smile before putting her analytical talents to work. Naegi had been spending a lot of time with Mioda, Enoshima could work with that. After going over all possible scenarios, Enoshima pulled up her social media accounts. Let's see… Blah, blah, blah. Some bullshit about how great Mioda's shitty music is and just a touch of #BlackCherryReunion, and send. How will you deal with this my little Hope Bagel?
Hope's Peak Academy-Old Building Music Room
Fifth Week of Classes-Saturday
Mioda's band reuniting? Check. Scheduling them at a hipster club, expecting the clientele to hate their music? Check. Mioda breaking down? Double check.
Everything had happened as Enoshima knew it would. Naegi and Yukizome had gotten ready faster than Enoshima thought that they would, but that was well withing acceptable deviations. Mioda had bounced back. Naegi's plan had worked, but Enoshima supposed there was no other way it could end, but there was still some valuable data to be found in that. It seemed that Naegi's luck did not factor in here, just his bond with Mioda.
All in all, it made Enoshima want to vomit. It was just so…happy.
Come on, Junko-chan! Dance! Enoshima's inner voice urged.
I don't dance to crap, Enoshima replied flatly. As far as her plans went, this wasn't one of Enoshima's better ones, but in her defense, she barely did any prep work for it. And my disappointing sister didn't help, either, Enoshima reminded herself.
"Did you have fun, Enoshima-san?" a voice asked.
"Hmm? Oh, Naegi-kun, yeah, it was great. I'm not much of a fan of metal, but I suppose there is something Mioda-senpai's music." I could probably adapt it for torture if I needed to, Enoshima thought.
That's not nice, Junko-chan.
Quiet you!
"Well, I suppose that's understandable. When you see how happy her songs make her, it's hard not to enjoy Mioda-senpai's music, even if it's just a little," Naegi said.
You're not trying hard enough then, it's actually quite easy to hate if you have taste, Enoshima thought.
Junko-chan!
"I guess," Enoshima said, not letting any hints of her inner conversation show on her face.
"Well, whether you're a fan of the genre or not, what matters is that you came. I know it means a lot to Mioda-senpai," Naegi told her.
Okay, enough about Mioda, Enoshima thought.
Jealous Junko-chan?
As if! Ugh, now I feel so dirty, Enoshima thought as she tried to suppress a shudder.
"Are you okay, Enoshima-san?" Naegi asked. He hadn't forgotten what Ikusaba told him about Enoshima, but Naegi still believed that he and Enoshima had just gotten off on the wrong foot. Although, even if Ikusaba had made it clear just how dangerous Enoshima was, Naegi would probably still try to come to some sort of understanding with her.
"I'm fine. Thanks for asking. You're so sweet, Naegi-kun!" Enoshima gushed as she turned on the charm. I wish I had brought a barf bag, she couldn't help thinking.
"I'm just doing what any friend would do," Naegi said as he blushed.
"Fuck yeah you are!" Enoshima exclaimed. There was something noticeably different about her. Her pigtails had grown wilder, and she sounded angry. Her voice had sounded a little deeper and she kept her tongue out. It was fitting for one of Mioda's concerts, but the sudden change caught both Enoshima and Naegi by surprise.
"Are you sure you're okay, Enoshima-san?" Naegi asked.
"I'm fine. We can talk later," Enoshima said as she fled the Music Room. What the hell was that? she asked herself.
A different personality, at least I think so. And the shift was involuntary. That's probably not a good sign, Junko-chan, the voice noted with concern.
This coming from a voice in my head, Enoshima thought sarcastically. Enoshima had shifted her personality before, but it was usually just between her fashionista and analyst personalities. This punk rocker one was new. Why did this happen? Would more show up? Questions for later, Enoshima thought as she planned her next experiment. Sonia, Owari, or Asahina were probably her best candidates. More would come, but for now those three would do. Their doubts and fears would give Enoshima plenty to work with at the moment.
Hope's Peak Academy-Girls' Dorm
Eighth Week of Classes-Tuesday
Enoshima Junko was annoyed. The despair of failure was fun every once in a while, but Enoshima was getting tired of it. It should have been simple: A sniper was taking aim at Sonia and Enoshima tried to make their job easier. It was a simple enough plan, all she needed to do was call Sonia over and get her talking.
It was all set up so perfectly, but then Enoshima's most and least favorite variable showed up to ruin it. Naegi-kun had called out to them before he tripped down some stairs in the main hall, causing Sonia to rush to his side and causing the sniper to miss their shot. To keep up appearances, Enoshima let out a shriek, and her peers were none the wiser. Except, of course, Ikusaba.
Enoshima had expected her sister to barge into her room at some point after everyone's shock had worn off, and Ikusaba did not disappoint.
Muku-nee not being a disappointment? That is new, Enoshima thought.
Are you really going to pretend you haven't missed her? the voice asked.
I can't miss her, she's always around. We live in the same building. Even if she was arguing with another part of her mind, Enoshima couldn't help but be difficult. She'd be damned if she admitted she missed Ikusaba being next to her 24/7. She would never admit that she resented that Naegi had turned her sister against her.
She's not against you! She just realized that the two of you can't keep doing this! It's wrong!
If you're going to side with Naegi-kun too, then why don't you go hang out in his head instead of mine? Enoshima asked.
The voice didn't respond, but it was just as well. Ikusaba had marched over to Enoshima and had begun to speak in the voice's place. "I'm not even going to bother to ask what you were thinking, I already know," Ikusaba began.
"Don't act like it bothers you. How many people have you killed with a sniper rifle?" Enoshima asked.
"This isn't about me. And I never tried to kill someone who thought I was their friend!" Ikusaba shot back.
"Not hard when you never had friends before."
"… You're right. But now I do, and I'll protect them from you and from anyone else."
"Is that all you came to say?" Enoshima asked.
"No, I came to warn you that if you keep being reckless, you'll get caught. Relying on a total stranger for your despair fix is a good way to set yourself up to get blackmailed. As much as I want you to stop this, I also don't want to see your life ruined," Ikusaba told her.
"Wow! You actually sounded like an older sister there. But all you did was lecture me? That makes me sad," Enoshima said as mushrooms somehow sprouted all over her.
"Junko-chan, what are you doing?" Ikusaba said, a bit unnerved by the shift in personalities. Naegi had mentioned it to her but seeing it was different. This wasn't Enoshima playing a role, this was something else.
Enoshima had shifted back before saying, "Nothing. I have it under control. You know how I get bored with my personality after a while."
"Yeah, those changes were never so drastic before. You changed physically Junko-chan, there were mushrooms growing on you," Ikusaba pointed out.
"I said I'm fine, now leave!" Enoshima ordered.
Ikusaba left, but the concern never left her eyes.
Outside the Novoselic Embassy
Tenth Week of Classes-Sunday
While everyone else breathed a sigh of relief that the hostage situation at the embassy was over, Enoshima was busy with an internal conversation.
Don't even say it! Enoshima ordered.
Say what? the voice asked.
You know damn well what you want to say! Enoshima shot back.
That you and Muku-nee saved Naegi-kun? Well, yes. I didn't expect that. I don't think anyone could have predicted that, the voice admitted.
Before the conversation could continue, Ikusaba approached. "I never thought you would save Naegi-kun, Junko-chan."
"Shut up!" Enoshima snarled. It was directed at the now giggling voice in her head as much as it was directed at Ikusaba.
"Why did you do it?" Ikusaba asked, ignoring Enoshima's words.
I'd like to know too, the voice added.
"Enough with your questions, Peasants!" Enoshima shouted as her personality changed. Her hands were on her hips, and she held a similar aura to Sonia when the princess felt the need to take control of a situation.
It was dark, but Ikusaba thought she saw something that looked like a crown. Where did she get that? Ikusaba wondered.
"Naegi Makoto belongs to us! We will decide his fate! Not some outsider!" Enoshima told her sister.
"Junko-chan, you're doing it again," Ikusaba said.
"No, I'm not," Enoshima said quickly. She knew she wasn't fooling anyone, but she wasn't going to admit that she was losing control.
"Junko-chan, I'm worried about you. I think you need to see Gekkogahara-san. Or at least talk to Matsuda-kun, he might know what's happening," Ikusaba said.
"Fuckin' hell! I said I'm fuckin' fine!" Punk Rocker Enoshima argued.
Ikusaba didn't reply, she just stared at Enoshima with a look seemed to ask, "Oh really?"
"W-when do we leave? I just need some sleep and I'll be fine," Enoshima said nervously.
It's okay to admit that you aren't in control, Junko-chan. There are plenty of people who will help, the voice reminded Enoshima.
I said, I'm fine! Enoshima replied, not that she really believed it.
Minato Inn
Eleventh Week of Classes-Wednesday
After spending time with Owari's family, Enoshima couldn't help but think, I really fucking hate kids.
The plan might not have been one of her best, she'll admit, but she always tailored them to her targets and kids weren't that hard to manipulate. Step One: Pretend to be talking on the phone when the youngest Owaris were close. Step Two: Make sure they heard about the test of courage. Make it sound easy and make it sound like it would prove that they were grown up. Step Three: Wait until they got hopelessly lost and then enjoy their sister's despair as her fear of ghosts prevents her from finding them.
Unfortunately for her, the kids decided to add a few steps of their own. Step Four: Leave the little one so Naegi knows to help them. Step Five: Get hurt and stay in one spot. Step Six: Be gone for over two hours but still somehow stay close enough to the inn to be found rather quickly.
We should be glad that they were found so quickly! And really Junko-chan, targeting children? Enoshima was sure that if the voice had a face, it would look disappointed.
I didn't make them go in there, Enoshima argued.
But you wanted them to. You put the idea in their heads. Despite what you say, you know as well as I do that your behavior makes you guilty, the voice shot back.
Before Enoshima could argue more, she was interrupted by Naegi. "Is everything alright, Enoshima-san?"
"I'm fine. Just thinking about what happened," Enoshima said.
"Yeah, Ataru-chan said he and the others overheard you talking to someone about tests of courage," Naegi said.
"Oh, I hope I didn't put the idea in their heads," Enoshima lied.
"Well, everything worked out, so there's no point in dwelling on it. Just be careful, you know how kids can get," Naegi reminded her.
"Don't worry, Onii-chan! Junko-chan will be vewry good fwom now on!" Enoshima said as a new personality emerged. Once again, Enoshima went through some physical changes. Her pigtails were smoother, her eyes were bigger, and her voice got higher. Naegi would have thought it was cute if the change hadn't been so sudden.
"'Onii-chan'? Enoshima-san, are you alright?" Naegi asked.
"Of course, Onii-chan! I mean, I'm fine!" Enoshima said as she went back to normal and left the room as quickly as she could.
Is this going to happen every time now? Enoshima asked herself.
It appears so. Muku-nee was right, Junko-chan. You need help, the voice told her.
I need a win is what I need! Enoshima shot back.
Downtown-Near Hope's Peak Academy
Twelfth Week of Classes- Saturday
Enoshima had snuck off to see how the date she set up for Asahina was going. She had picked Fukuyama Suzuki because he was the most obnoxious, self-centered, and insecure person Enoshima had ever met. To him, Asahina was just some arm candy that would boost his career. Enoshima didn't really care about that, she just wanted Asahina to feel despair from her insecurities.
That was the plan anyway, but Asahina had somehow managed to turn it around and make Fukuyama miserable. It wasn't her goal, but Enoshima was still enjoying that, and she wasn't the only one.
Perhaps it doesn't speak well of me, but I'm glad that jerk is having a bad time, the voice said through its laughter.
Enoshima didn't respond, she was too busy enjoying Fukuyama's meltdown when he got an ice cream stain on his clothes. While she was listening to Fukuyama rant, Enoshima was looking at Asahina hoping to catch the exact moment when her despair reached its peak. She even pulled out her phone to record that moment. Always prepare for despair droughts, she always said.
Shocked look on Asahina's face. Good first step, Enoshima thought.
Deep frown. Getting there.
Naegi showing up and sucker punching the prick before Asahina started crying. Wait…what?! Enoshima mentally screamed.
For all of her analytical prowess, Enoshima had not seen that coming. The idea of Naegi punching someone just didn't compute. Not that it wasn't entertaining to see Fukuyama run off with his tail between his legs, but Naegi stepping in had ruined a perfectly despairful moment for Asahina.
"Fuck…ow! Fuck…ow! Fuck…ow!" Enoshima cursed as she banged her head on a tree. Enoshima figured out what happened once she saw the grocery bags. Naegi was trying to do something nice for Asahina. Someone, probably Owari, finished off something Naegi needed and then he went shopping, Ogami volunteering to go with him. Those two were worried about Asahina and went to check on her. By chance, they happened upon the exact moment when Naegi could pull Asahina back from the brink of despair.
See, that's my problem. I'm smart. My plans never account for "dumb." Both Donuts Girl and the walking stomach with tits were involved with these last two plans, and it doesn't get much dumber than those two, Enoshima thought.
That's a terrible thing to say, Junko-chan! the voice told her.
"Quiet! I, Junko, am talking," Enoshima said as her personality shifted. Her appearance didn't change much, but much like her queen persona, this one gave off an air of superiority. Though if one were to compare the two, this one was much worse in that regard. "There were too many variables. Or perhaps this location was too close to school. I, Junko, must figure out what went wrong."
Enoshima shook her head as her normal personality regained control. Just how many of these personalities were going to show up? She needed to do something about them. Get rid of them, preferably.
Whatever. I can figure it out later, Enoshima thought as she considered what to do next. She remembered that she recorded the incident and smirked. Maybe this wasn't a total loss. What's a little character assassination among friends, right Naegi-kun?
Hope's Peak Academy-Girls' Dorm
Sixteenth Week of Classes-Sunday
Well, if this experience taught Enoshima anything it was that distance didn't matter when she placed her peers in despairful situations, Naegi's luck seemed to protect them no matter where they were.
She sent Saionji to a tea house that was a fair distance from Hope's Peak. Far enough that the others wouldn't stumble across Saionji by accident, or so Enoshima believed, but close enough that no one would wonder why Saionji picked that tea house in particular. It also helped that to get back to Hope's Peak, Saionji would have to pass through a dangerous part of town in the evening.
Did it work? Did Saionji have a despairful experience? No, of course not! How that lucky piece of shit couldn't find what he needed at a closer store is beyond me! There's luck and then there's cheating. Hacks! I call hacks! Enoshima mentally ranted.
What would you have done if Saionji-senpai had been… Had been- the voice tried to ask.
Before Enoshima could answer, Naegi approached her. Enoshima made a mental note to stop critiquing her own work in the dorm's hallways.
"Enoshima-san, are you okay?" Naegi asked.
"Why wouldn't I be?" Enoshima was genuinely confused by that question. Nothing had happened to her.
"Saionji-senpai mentioned that you were the one who made her a reservation at the tea house. I just wanted to be sure you weren't feeling guilty about what almost happened," Naegi said.
"Oh. Well, don't you worry about me," Enoshima said with a laugh. Guilt is a foreign concept to me anyway.
You don't think it's sweet that he worried about you too? the voice asked.
I think it's so sweet I'll need to vomit later, how about that? Enoshima replied.
"That's good. Saionji-senpai is okay. Hopefully she, Tsumiki-senpai, and Koizumi-senpai can sort things out. And you seem to be okay," Naegi noted.
"I feel a little bad though. It was my lack of research that led to this. I may have found a nice tea house, but I neglected to check if the surrounding area was safe. I will be more diligent going forward," Enoshima said as she shifted to a new personality. This one traded the pigtails for a ponytail and had Enoshima wearing glasses. This personality gave the air of an intellectual and an authority figure.
"Uh, okay then. Tsumiki-senpai told me to rest, so I had better head to my room. Have a good night, Enoshima-san," Naegi said as he headed for his room. He wanted to help Enoshima with these new personalities that kept popping up, but he didn't know what was causing them or what to do about them. He would let Ikusaba know and leave it alone for now.
Once he was gone, Punk Rocker Enoshima emerged and said, "Fucking hell, he's annoying. Not as annoying as whatever the fuck is going on, but…Fuck!" That last curse was in response to Punk Rocker Enoshima losing control of her right hand and being slapped by said hand. Reverting to her normal personality, Enoshima retired to her room thinking, They'll stop when I finally beat that lucky little shit. They have to!
Hope's Peak Academy-Outside the Old School Building
Seventeenth Week of Classes-Saturday
Enoshima was watching the show from her vantage point on a nearby tree branch. She hated to give anyone other than herself credit, but that girl, Fuwa Sato, she believed her name was, using the swimsuit and the gravel as a weapon was a stroke of genius.
I might have to remember that one, Enoshima said to herself.
You can still stop this, you know? She's going to kill that other girl if nothing happens," the voice informed Enoshima.
And? The key to inducing despair is in our peers' relationships and you can't make a despair omelet without cracking a few skulls, Enoshima replied cheerfully. She saw that the two girls in the building were shouting to someone. No.
The sleeve of a very familiar jacket had entered Enoshima's view. No no no!
As more of Naegi came into view, Enoshima continued to scream in her mind. Nononononono! Fuck! How and why?
"Hacksh! I call hacksh!" Enoshima yelled as a new personality emerged. This one sported thick nerd glasses and buck teeth. Nerd Enoshima also spoke with a lisp.
"Naegi'sh got bullshit main character powersh! It'sh completely unfair ish what it ish! He couldn't posshibly have known to come early!" she shouted.
I guess he's been picking up habits from the other girls. Sonia-senpai is always 13 minutes early, the voice mentioned.
*Crash*
Fuwa's murder weapon came crashing out the window interrupting Enoshima and the voice.
Enoshima was brought back to normal by the sound of the glass breaking and decided that there was no salvaging this incident. If anything, Naegi was going to probably get everyone out of trouble too.
"What a shitload of fuck," she grumbled. For some reason, she was tempted to see if Kizakura kept a stash of Rolling Rock as well as sake.
Hope's Peak Academy-Girls' Dorm
Eighteenth Week of Classes-Wednesday
Enoshima was done with trying to manipulate others into doing what she wanted, she decided that in order to get around any interference from Naegi, she'd need to be more involved in her attempts to cause despair.
Thankfully, an opportunity had landed right in her lap. Pekoyama was ready to give up on life and it was just what Enoshima needed. She had volunteered to watch Pekoyama with Ikusaba. She then excused herself and unlocked the door to Ikusaba's room. Once that was done, Enoshima stole the key to one of Ikusaba's weapons cases, and hid it where her disappointing sister would never find it while she snuck it into Pekoyama's room. Once they were called for dinner, Enoshima just left the key where Pekoyama was sure to find it and play the waiting game.
At least, that was how it was supposed to go. Pekoyama played her part exactly as Enoshima expected, but that stupid cat and Naegi got in the way. Again.
It's so stupid! Do I have to worry about that stupid cat's luck now too? Enoshima wondered.
I think it's cute. The cat Pekoyama loves so much helping Naegi save her, the voice said.
"Junko-chan, how did you hide that key?" Ikusaba asked.
"Does it matter? It didn't work," Enoshima said flatly.
"Junko-chan?" Ikusaba was worried. The new personalities she could deal with, but this was different. Enoshima wasn't showing anything. Her eyes were vacant, and her face was blank. Ikusaba had a feeling that Enoshima was getting to her breaking point.
"I don't know why you sound so worried. I'm not mad. I'm not really feeling anything, honestly," Enoshima said almost robotically before she walked away and went back to her room.
Ikusaba didn't know what would happen next, but she knew that one more failure would push Enoshima over the edge. She knew that she had better prepare for it.
Hope's Peak Academy-Girls' Dorm
Nineteenth Week of Classes-Friday
Enoshima's day had started out just as it usually did: her alarm went off, she got up, she showered and tamed her bed head, and she looked at her phone for any interesting news. When she saw today's top story, she felt like cheering.
"Ultimate Hero Saves Five: The Dark Side of Hope's Peak?"
As Enoshima looked at the story, she thought, Oh right, Naegi-kun's brats. He's been whining about them for a while now. Let's see… "Attempted suicide…"
*poof*
What was that? Well, whatever. "Prison time for the parents and involved staff…"
*poof*
"Towa Group bought out by the Togami Conglomerate…" Not all that interesting, but I'll take it.
*poof*
"Calls for investigation of Hope's Peak"…?
*poof*
Enoshima had finished the story and had started laughing. All of this was thanks to hopeful, little, Naegi Makoto. Hope Boy might have done the hard part for me! I'll need to do something nice for him. But first, find a way to keep this going!
Enoshima turned on her laptop and opened. Glad I paid for the "Hope's Leaks" domain name in advance. Let's see… No one will ever suspect that Madarai Besshiki, the Ultimate Hacker is really just little, ol' Enoshima Junko-chan! Maybe I should get that fucking nerd out here. Enoshima tried not to indulge her other personalities too much, but they had their uses, she had to give them that.
She's gone, the voice told Enoshima.
What do you mean gone?
Those "poofing" noises were four of your other personalities disappearing. You were right, Junko-chan, all you needed was for things to go your way and they would start to disappear, the voice explained.
So, four are gone? That's fine with me. Maybe I can get rid of the rest and you while I'm at it, Enoshima thought with a smirk. She thought she might miss Nerd Junko though, but she would honor that personality with the recording of the meeting Nerd Junko had managed to hack into between the Steering Committee and Yanagihori. Not much, but it would whet the public's appetite for more.
Add some bullshit demands that I don't give two shits about and…done! Enoshima thought happily.
As she closed her laptop and left her room, she came across Naegi.
Hope Boy seems to be feeling guilty. Good! Still, I guess I owe him something for all his hard work, Enoshima thought as she skipped over to Naegi and hugged him tightly from behind. "How's my favorite classmate today?" she practically purred as she rubbed her cheek in Naegi's hair.
"I've been better Enoshima-san. I knew something like this would happen, but I guess I wasn't as prepared as I hoped I would be," Naegi admitted.
"Well, I appreciate what you did. You get the Enoshima Junko Seal of Approval!" Enoshima told him with a wide smile.
Naegi remembered his conversation with Ikusaba from months ago and realized that having Enoshima's approval wasn't necessarily a good thing.
Hope's Peak Academy
Twenty-Sixth Week of Classes-Friday
Finding content for Hope's Leaks hadn't been as time-consuming as Enoshima had expected it to be. The rumors about the Steering Committee pissing away the tuition money Reserve Course students paid had been around for almost as long as there had been a Reserve Course, but Enoshima had actually managed to prove it. Of course, once she found that information, she had also come across the correspondence between the Steering Committee and the officials that they had to bribe to get certain Ultimate students in the school.
After that, Enoshima found some really juicy information. As it turned out, the Steering Committee was selling the research of the students. This year alone, some of Souda's blueprints and Fujisaki's programs had been found to have been sold to less than noble organizations. Not only that, but it had come to light that the Steering Committee had a history of tortious interference when Hope's Peak alumni wanted to work for companies and organizations that the Steering Committee found unacceptable.
Unfortunately, at least from Enoshima's perspective, this led to a rather anticlimactic end. The Steering Committee had been caught, but not in the way anyone had been expecting. It would seem that in addition to being greedy, old men, the Steering Committee was also made up of dirty, old men, as it had been discovered that there were cameras in the girls' locker rooms. When Fujisaki had traced the signal, it had led to the discovery of a member of the Steering Committee who then sold out the others.
Well, it was fun while it lasted, and those people I paid should keep the crowd in a frenzy for a good, long while. Paid agitators, a few ten thousand yen. The Despair it brings when people fear Hope's Peak will shut down? Priceless! Enoshima thought happily as she went to the courtyard. Seeing how demoralized the students and staff were had been the best part of the past few weeks for her.
"Excuse me!"
Enoshima saw Naegi trying to get everyone's made sure to pay close attention to him, failing here might be what finally broke him.
Good luck, Naegi-kun, the voice said.
It's a student against a mob! It would take a miracle for him to calm them down, and that's not counting the people I paid to help keep this going, Enoshima argued.
Before she or the voice could argue more, Ikusaba had helped Naegi get the crowds' attention. It wasn't long before Enoshima discovered that her efforts would, once again, be met with failure.
Naegi managed to get a laugh out of the mob.
No! Enoshima's hair had become wild, resembling her punk persona's hair.
The crowd was nodding when Naegi made his points.
Nooooooooo! Her eyes got bigger to match her cutesy personality's. In addition, mushrooms started popping up all over her.
More laughs, more nodding.
"No, no, no!" Enoshima begged in her intellectual persona's voice. A somehow, a crown and thick glasses appeared on her.
Naegi finished and the crowd began to cheer, "Ultimate Hero! Ultimate Hope!" She even saw the people she paid leave, believing (rightly) that there was nothing more they could do.
Nonononon FUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKK! Enoshima mentally screamed as she began to cycle through all of her reborn personalities. She did the only thing she could thing to do, she ran. She ran back to her room and locked herself in.
"WHY?!" she screamed. "I was so close! Everything was going my way! I, Enoshima Junko-chan, am not supposed to lose!" she ranted as she began to throw and break things in her room.
Junko-chan? Are you going to be alright? The voice asked.
Yeah. Yeah, I will be. There's just something I need to do first. As long as he's here, I can't win. It was interesting at first, but it's gotten boring. For Despair to flourish, Hope needs to die. Naegi Makoto must die, Enoshima "reasoned." It was obvious that she was close to her breaking point. Who knew what one more failure could do to her?
Hope's Peak Academy-Girls' Dorm
Twenty-Seventh Week of Classes-Sunday
For the first time in weeks, Naegi was sleeping soundly. Sakakura's threat from earlier in the day aside, things were pretty much back to normal. Well, as normal as it ever got at Hope's Peak, anyway.
There was one dorm resident, however, who was up and about. In fact, her fractured mind wouldn't allow her to sleep. Enoshima could no longer be alone without the other personalities talking over each other in her mind.
It's Makoto-nii-chan!
Little dipshit hasn't noticed us!
Early to bed on a school night, just like a good student.
SHUT UP! Enoshima ordered. She'd had enough of them. She was going to end her other personalities and Naegi tonight. She stole one of Ikusaba's knives and disguised herself in a white coat and a wrestling mask. If Naegi woke up, he would die not knowing who killed him. Not much, but it was enough Despair for Enoshima to get by and hopefully start putting her mind back together. She crept silently over to Naegi's bed, but before she acted, she had something to say.
"You just had to get in my way. You couldn't leave well enough alone and let me enjoy the Despair. And now it's come to this," Enoshima said as she lunged at Naegi.
Fortunately, or unfortunately for Enoshima's perspective, Naegi's luck saved him once again as he rolled over toward Enoshima. The knife was sticking out of the mattress, but other than that, it looked as though Enoshima had belly flopped onto Naegi.
The impact of Enoshima landing on him woke Naegi up. When he opened his eyes, he saw someone push themself off of him. While the white coat and mask did what Enoshima had wanted them to do, Naegi saw her hands and, more importantly, her nails. "Enoshima-san, what are you doing? And why are you dressed like that? And why did you attack me with a flying press? I didn't know you liked wrestling." Naegi's comments might have been odd considering the circumstances, but in his defense, he had just woken up and had yet to see the knife behind him.
"WHY!? Why is it that no matter what I try, you can stop me? I fed Maizono's fears! I set Mioda up to fail! I helped that sniper line up his shot! I ticked those brats into going into the woods! I set Asahina up on a date that was meant to fail! I sent Saionji to that tea house knowing she'd run into trouble! I convinced that girl to try to kill that yakuza bitch and frame you for it! I gave Pekoyama the key to Muku-nee's weapon case! And every time you save them! That's just impossible! And to add to this list of very annoying setbacks, I tried to stab you and you suddenly roll over in your sleep!" Enoshima screamed.
"Well, isn't that good though? I helped them and surprised you. Ikusaba said that you were bored. Granted, she didn't exactly say that you'd go to these extremes, but if I can surprise you, then you shouldn't be bored any more at least," Naegi said as he pulled the knife out of his mattress. He was really surprised by his lack of a reaction to the whole situation. I guess after getting shot, beaten up by thugs, and almost falling to my death by holding onto a metal fence as the metal cuts into my hand, a knife-wielding maniac trying to kill me just seems…underwhelming, and that's really disturbing actually, Naegi thought with a fleeting grimace.
"Silence!" Queen Enoshima ordered. As Enoshima shifted to her more dramatic personality, she declared, "I, Junko, am the Ultimate Despair! My plans are like me, perfect!"
"You can't really claim to be perfect, when someone as average as me can ruin your plans," Naegi pointed out.
Naegi never moved when he said that, but Enoshima recoiled as though she had been punched in the stomach.
"Actually, can you even claim you do things for despair? Failure wouldn't bother you this much if it was," Naegi said.
"No! Stop! Fail! Die!" Enoshima screamed in a panic.
"You're supposedly bored, but you won't allow anything to surprise you. Of course, you'll be bored if you only allow for controlled situations.," Naegi continued.
"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Enoshima half begged, half yelled.
"Now that I think about it, if people call me the Ultimate Hope and you can't predict me, doesn't that mean you've been wrong this whole time and that despair is boring?" Naegi wondered.
"RRRRAAAAAAGGHHH!" Enoshima made an inhuman noise, causing Naegi to stop talking.
"Enoshima-san, are you okay?" Naegi asked.
"DESPAIR! GUH! HOPE! RRR! TALENT!" Enoshima screamed as she took a swipe at Naegi. She missed. She missed completely and lost her balance. When she landed, she pulled herself into a fetal position and began to alternate between sobbing and muttering unintelligibly.
"Enoshima-san! I'll go get help, just wait here!" Naegi said as he ran out of his room to wake everyone up.
Once the girls were up, Naegi carried Enoshima, who by this time had ceased sobbing and stuttering and had become catatonic, to the common area and told the others what happened. "I don't think I did anything. I just started talking. True, I challenged everything she believed, but I was just trying to convince her to stop doing all of those terrible things she had been doing. I didn't want or expect this."
"It's probably safe to say you beat her if your arguments and questions did this," Saionji said. She, like Enoshima's other near victims, was furious to find out that the trauma she had endured started as a cheap source of entertainment for Enoshima.
"Naegi-kun didn't just beat her. He broke her," Ikusaba said as she looked at her sister in pity.
"What do you mean, Ikusaba-san?" Kirigiri asked.
"Obsession with despair aside, Junko-chan really is a genius. She can find anyone's weakness within seconds and plot hundreds of steps ahead. Her analytical abilities and charisma have made her a household name in the fashion industry," Ikusaba began.
The others nodded. Even if they still had a hard time believing just what Enoshima could do with her true talent, what Ikusaba was saying made sense.
"And then there's you, Naegi-kun. All the plotting, manipulating, and analyzing in the world can't beat you and it's been gnawing at her already tenuous grasp on sanity the whole school year. You managing to convince everyone that Hope's Peak Academy deserved another chance hit her the hardest. She loved snatching victory away from others but couldn't handle it when it happened to her. I don't know if it was the failures, the boredom, or if she really knew that you were right, but she just couldn't handle it. Her attempt on your life was a last-ditch effort to keep her sanity and that failed too," Ikusaba explained.
Never thought I'd feel bad about not getting stabbed to death, Naegi joked in his mind. "So, what do we do?" he asked Ikusaba.
"I say leave her like this. Psycho bitch could have gotten Mari and Ataru lost for days," Owari said.
"After what she wanted to have happen to us, she deserves worse!" Saionji added.
It seemed half of the girls in the dorm shared this sentiment. Enoshima had been a threat to them or to those close to them, so Naegi couldn't blame them for feeling that way.
"We can't leave her like this. She can't make up for what she did if she's catatonic," Naegi argued.
"Naegi-kun, we all know how forgiving you are, but from what we've learned, Enoshima-san doesn't sound like the type to regret her actions," Sonia said.
"You might be right, Senpai, but it's just not in my nature to ignore someone who is suffering. Plus, Enoshima-san is Ikusaba-san's sister. Even if I accepted that Enoshima-san deserves this, and I don't, I'd want to help for Ikusaba's sake," Naegi told her.
"I'm happy to hear you feel that way, Naegi-kun," Ikusaba said with a blush, "but I think we might need to leave this to the professionals for now."
Hope's Peak Academy
Twenty-Seventh Week of Classes-Monday
When morning had come, Naegi and Ikusaba sought out Gekkogahara for help with Enoshima. When they had explained what had happened to Enoshima, Gekkogahara suggested something she had been working on with Fujisaki and a student named Matsuda.
Matsuda Yasuke was a friend of Enoshima's from way back, so Naegi was optimistic about their chances of getting him to help. What happened instead was…
"Hahahahaha!" Naegi hadn't expected Matsuda to laugh his ass off at the situation.
"How can you laugh when your friend is like this?" Naegi asked.
"It's because I know her that I can laugh. I've known for years that something needed to be done about her. I've known that she's bad for just about everyone she comes into contact with. Since it's none of your damn business, I won't go into the reasons why I haven't done anything and just say that you saved me and everyone else a lot of trouble and grief, kid," Matsuda told Naegi as he looked back to the manga he had been reading.
"Matsuda-kun…" Usami's tone wasn't the normal happy one. Usami and Gekkogahara were both glaring at Matsuda.
"What? I was glad when she became his problem. She quit bothering me and now she can't manipulate people anymore," Matsuda said. The good thing about Enoshima obsessing over Naegi was that it gave Matsuda time to think. The bad part was that he realized that she was using him and anyone she could. She might actually care about at least some of the people she's using, but in a selfish way that ensures she always gets what she wants with no concern for what it did to those she claimed to care about. It was hard to swallow at first, but after a while, he was glad he figured that out. He'd have less reasons to grapple with his own conscience.
"We created the Neo World Program to help people. Now, are you going to help or not?" Usami asked.
"Sure, I'll put all of you in there. Knowing what she can do, and you still want to get her back on her feet? You're all insane!" Matsuda shouted.
"I'm aware of what she's done. And I'm also aware that she may not change. But I still want to try. If it works, Enoshima has a chance to make up for what she did and if not, she can face whatever punishment she deserves. Either way, I don't have it in me to leave her like this. If the worst happens, I'll take responsibility for it," Naegi said.
"As long as she's your problem and not mine. Just don't forget you said that kid," Matsuda said with a sigh as he closed his manga and went to work on a nearby computer.
"Bring Enoshima-san this way," Fujisaki told Naegi and Ikusaba. The tiny programmer led his classmates to a pod in the back of the lab. Once it opened and Enoshima had been placed inside, Fujisaki placed a headset on her.
"How long will this take?" Ikusaba asked.
"We don't know. Every treatment plan is different and Enoshima is a very serious case," Usami answered.
"Trust me, anyone who knows her already knew that," Matsuda added.
Ikusaba ignored Matsuda and sighed, "I guess all we can do is wait."
Hope's Peak Academy-Matsuda's Lab
Twenty-Eighth Week of Classes-Sunday
Waiting proved to be difficult for Ikusaba and Naegi. The past week, they had been getting progress reports from Fujisaki, and it had given them hope. Enoshima had been recovering faster than anyone could have predicted, at least at first.
Starting Friday, Enoshima's progress had stopped, and Fujisaki, Gekkogahara, and even Matsuda had no explanation why. Fujisaki had tried to reassure his classmates that nothing was seriously wrong, but Fujisaki being Fujisaki, he was unable to give answers that were both vague and satisfactory. Naegi had managed to convince Ikusaba to give Enoshima's recovery time to happen, but eventually Ikusaba's concern for her sister led her and Naegi back to Matsuda's lab to check on Enoshima.
"I know we need to give it time, but I went from getting proper progress reports to getting vague answers. I don't blame Fujisaki-kun," Ikusaba hastily added that last bit when she caught sight of how upset Fujisaki was getting, "…but Junko-chan is my sister and I think I have a right to know how she is." Ikusaba's tone seemed calm, but everyone in the room could feel the annoyance and frustration pouring off of her.
"Well at first, everything was fine. She was making steady progress, which was impressive because of how severe her condition was at the time," Usami said as she pointed toward a monitor.
On the screen, Enoshima was sitting at a desk working on a puzzle, the only source of light shining on her and the puzzle but illuminating nothing else.
"Is it supposed to look like this?" Naegi asked.
"The Neo World Program would ordinarily place patient avatars in place where they would feel safe, like an island paradise, with an overseer AI that would help them through the program. The problem is that, given Enoshima-san's condition, she couldn't interact with anyone. We had to rework the program and so we allowed Enoshima to construct a virtual space with her own mind. At first it was going well, the room she was in kept getting brighter as she completed more and more of the puzzle. Then on Thursday, she was working on her puzzle, but the room never got any brighter. We expected a few hiccups, but then she just stopped making progress altogether. Occasionally, we see her avatar move her arm as though she's pushing someone away, but if anyone is there, they're shrouded in darkness," Usami explained.
"In my completely expert opinion, as both a neurologist and as someone who knows her, I would say that she doesn't want to get better," Matsuda said, sounding bored as he turned a page in his manga. In response, Ikusaba threw one of her knives right through the page. "Don't get mad at me, she's the one not doing what she needs to do. While I'm at it, even if she gets better, why should we believe that she'll change?" Matsuda asked.
"We don't really have a reason. I'm doing this because Ikusaba-san is my friend and Enoshima-san is her sister. We both agreed that we should fix this and then act accordingly. If Enoshima-san changes, that's great, but if she doesn't, we'll do what we need to do to make sure she can't cause any more problems," Naegi answered.
"That all sounds nice, but all she needs to do is act better and then act out when you aren't paying attention," Matsuda countered.
"Enough!" It was rare to see Usami, and by extension, Gekkogahara, angry. "Matsuda-kun, you have a point, we don't know. I, as a therapist, and you, as a neurologist took an oath. 'I will apply, for the benefit of the sick, all measures that are required, avoiding those twin traps of overtreatment and therapeutic nihilism,' remember?"
"Do whatever you want," Matsuda spat. He knew he was being an asshole, it was kind of his thing, but he knew how dangerous Enoshima was and was fine being the bad guy if it prevented any more suffering because of her obsession and insanity.
"So, what do we do?" Naegi asked.
"Well, we can send someone in. We'd prefer that Enoshima-san recover on her own, but given the circumstances, it's probably the right course of action," Usami said.
Before Ikusaba could speak up, Naegi said, "I'll go. It's my fault she's like this, so I might as well fix it. If nothing else, we can clear the air without anyone getting caught in the crossfire."
"Naegi-kun…" Ikusaba began.
"Ikusaba-san, I'll bring Enoshima-san back to you. If the Neo World Program works as intended, you can finally have the bond you've always wanted. I think that's reason enough to do what we're doing here," Naegi told her.
Ikusaba turned scarlet but was unable to do more than wish him luck.
"This way, Naegi-kun," Fujisaki said as he led Naegi to another pod.
Naegi supposed he should be grateful for his avatar body, otherwise it would have taken his eyes longer to adjust from the shift from the well-lit lab to almost complete darkness. A dark void isn't really something I would associate with Enoshima-san. Before this, I would have expected that her mindscape would have looked more…colorful? Creepy and colorful? What's that word that people used decades ago…"psychedelic"? Kind of like if the school building was trapped in a modern art painting, Naegi thought. He shook his head to clear that thought away, he needed to focus.
He saw the spot where he could find Enoshima's avatar and ran toward her. The closer he got though, the more he slowed down. How was he going to help exactly? Enoshima was like this because of him, after all. Could he help ,or would he just make everything worse? His desire to help always was greater than his sense. He was here now though, so he might as well try. If nothing else, the fact that Enoshima broke down when he of all people challenged her might mean that Enoshima would consider what he had to say. Now if only he had some idea of what to say.
As Naegi walked up to Enoshima, he got a good look at the puzzle she had been putting together. It showed Enoshima and all of her personalities, but there was a section that Enoshima seemed to want to leave unfinished. She was going through the motions, but she wasn't placing any pieces down.
"Junko-chan, you need my pieces too," a voice that was the same as Enoshima's said.
"Who are you?" Naegi asked.
A figure stepped out of the darkness. She looked like Enoshima, but she had long, red hair and red eyes as opposed to Enoshima's strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes. "I'm really just another side of Junko-chan, but she's made it clear that I'm an unwelcome part of her. So really, I'm nobody important."
"'Nobody important?' There's no such thing. Who are you really?" Naegi asked with a kind, supportive smile.
"I started calling myself Otonashi Ryoko. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Naegi-kun," the now identified Ryoko said. She wasn't sure, but she felt confident that as just another part of Enoshima Junko, she shouldn't be able to blush and yet NAegi had made her do just that.
"I'm happy to meet you as well, Otonashi-san. What did you mean, 'another side'?" Naegi asked.
"You might have noticed how Junko-chan can act without any guilt? I suppose I started out as her conscience, but the further she fell, the more positive qualities she cast off until eventually I became self-aware. Junko-chan has an unusually complex mind, you see," Otonashi explained.
"See, you don't have a monopoly on my positive qualities." Enoshima had finally chimed in.
"Enoshima-san, it's nice to hear you speak again," Naegi said to her.
"Did you come here to finish the job? Or are you here to 'save the day' again? Sorry to ask but this puzzle has been my main focus for the past…however long I've been here. Not that it would matter if it wasn't, analyzing you has never worked, and I never figured out why," Enoshima said, never taking her eyes off the puzzle.
"I came to see why you weren't getting better. Ikusaba-san is worried about you. I am too, really," Naegi admitted.
"Why? Why are you doing this? Why do you even care? Did you really forget everything I've been doing?" Enoshima asked, finally looking at Naegi.
"No, I haven't. Just because I want to help doesn't mean I'm not angry. You've mistreated Ikusaba-san. You tried to manipulate Maizono-san. You humiliated Mioda-senpai. You almost got Sonia-senpai killed. You almost got Owari-senpai's brother and sister lost on purpose. You tried to embarrass Asahina-san. You sent Saionji-senpai to a place where you knew she'd be in danger. You did manipulate Fuwa-senpai. You tried to make Pekoyama-senpai kill herself. And we found out recently that you were the one behind Hope's Leaks and that you paid people to escalate things between Hope's Peak Academy and the public. Honestly, when you think about it, you really don't deserve another chance," Naegi told her.
"Then why are you here? If you're just here to tell me how evil I am…" Enoshima began.
"However," Naegi interrupted, "you're Ikusaba-san's sister. Any person she loves can't be a lost cause. If she believes in you, then so do I. I'll help you get that second chance, for her and for you."
Enoshima was speechless. She certainly wasn't expecting that.
Otonashi, who had been in quiet thought while Enoshima and Naegi were talking, suddenly spoke up. "Junko-chan, I've figured it all out. Why you can accurately predict the actions of someone half a world away, but you can't predict Naegi-kun. In every experiment, in every scenario, there is a factor of chance, the unpredictable-the variant or mutation for which you cannot prepare. That hiccup on the quantum level that throws everything off. Chaos, Junko-chan. Chaos. That's why you can't beat him or plan for him. But if Naegi-kun is the element of chaos, then maybe hope is what you've been looking for this whole time."
Naegi cut in, "I don't think so. I'm flattered that you both seem to think I'm something more than I am, but I'm just Naegi Makoto. I'm not hope or despair and I don't think you can look at hope or despair in such simple terms. Humans are complex, we don't fall into the categories of hope or despair. We experience both and any number of other emotions. I don't think you should be pure despair, but you don't have to be pure hope either. Just be Enoshima Junko, I think we'd all like to get to know her better. And if she needs a friend, she'll have me."
Enoshima started to tear up at Naegi's declaration. "I'm ready now, Ryoko-chan," she choked out.
Otonashi smiled as she handed her puzzle pieces over.
As soon as Enoshima placed the last piece in place, the puzzle began to glow and the image changed to show Enoshima embracing the other sides of her mind with Otonashi looking over her shoulder, frustrated but happy. As light continued to fill the void, Naegi, Enoshima, and even Otonashi felt themselves getting pulled somewhere.
Enoshima woke up feeling weak and stiff. She guessed she must have been out of it for some time. It's not hard to lose your sense of time in a dark void, Otonashi told her.
I thought you'd disappear, Enoshima thought, oddly relieved to hear Otonashi's voice.
Not just me, Junko-chan. I don't know if we'll fade at some point or if we'll stay. At the very least, it won't be boring, right? Otonashi asked.
Heh, I guess not, Enoshima laughed inside her mind. She was brought back to reality whenIkusaba pulled her into a hug.
"Junko-chan, are you alright? I was worried you'd never wake up." The relief in Ikusaba's voice was impossible to miss.
"I'm…sorry? Am I saying that right?" Enoshima looked around for advice. It might have seemed stupid to everyone else, but Enoshima Junko couldn't remember apologizing to anyone before. Naegi, who had by this time climbed out of his pod, nodded. "I'm sorry for making you worry, Muku-nee. I'm sorry for a lot of things, actually, but I don't think we'd live long enough for me to go through them all," Enoshima said with a shaky voice as she hugged her sister back.
Once Enoshima had said those words, Ikusaba pulled back and just stared at her. Not that anyone could blame the Ultimate Soldier, given her former position as the Ultimate Fashionista's favorite punching bag. Never in Ikusaba's wildest dreams did she imagine the day would come when Enoshima would apologize to her, not sincerely anyway.
Enoshima took in the look her sister was giving her and said, "Yeah, that was exactly the response I expected. I should probably get used to seeing that look."
Everyone in the lab laughed at that, before congratulating Enoshima on her recovery and congratulating Naegi on a job well done. Even Matsuda admitted that it appeared that he had been wrong. He had noticed a change in Enoshima when she woke up and allowed himself to believe that perhaps Naegi had indeed done the impossible. He took the opportunity to wish Naegi luck as well. Even though Matsuda was willing to believe that Enoshima was done with her despair obsession, he wasn't ready to believe that Enoshima would tone herself down. Still, whatever happened going forward, he had a feeling that Enoshima was Naegi's problem now, and he could live with that. Growing apart was probably best for both of him and Enoshima, as he had too many memories and would be too suspicious of her. This would be the fresh start that both of them needed, her with her new outlook on life and him without being influenced by her.
Once Enoshima could balance herself enough to walk, she, Ikusaba, and Naegi went back to the dorm. Enoshima wasn't looking forward to it, she knew the others knew what she had been doing all year.
It's like ripping off a bandage, Junko-chan. Best to get it over with, Otonashi said.
Might as well, Enoshima agreed.
Once Naegi had opened the door, the trio were treated to the sounds of party poppers and a chorus of "Welcome back!"
"Wh-what is this?" Enoshima asked. This was not at all what she had expected, not after everything she had done.
"What does it look like? It's a party," Koizumi told her as she pointed towards a nearby cake and a banner with the words "Welcome Back" on it.
"I don't understand," Enoshima said.
"A bimbo that can't understand the obvious, what are the odds?" Saionji asked.
"W-we d-didn't have m-much time to put it together, so it's nothing to great. I'm sorry!" Tsumiki wailed.
"Why though?" Enoshima asked.
"That's an excellent question," Kirigiri noted.
"We're not sure we're ready to forgive you just yet, but…" Asahina began.
"Naegi-kun had a point when he said that you can't make up for what you did if you're catatonic," Maizono added.
"We're still pissed at you," Owari said, answering Enoshima's unasked question.
"We'll be watching you very closely from now on, until we know we can trust you," Pekoyama told Enoshima.
"If you're going to try, then we can try to forgive you someday," Sonia finished.
Enoshima began to tremble. "I used to think despair was so amazing. That it was the only way to cure my boredom. I expected the worst from people and so that's what I brought out in people. I had forgotten about this. This kindness. This warmth. This beauty that was always right in front of me," Enoshima said with a teary-eyed smile.
"Hey, it's okay Enoshima-san. Just enjoy this party for now and worry about all of that later," Naegi said as he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Thank you, Naegi-kun! Thank you for being our hope. For being my hope," Enoshima cried as she hugged Naegi.
"I'm always here if anyone needs me. That includes you, Enoshima-san," Naegi said as he hugged her back. He might have missed Enoshima's meaning in being called "her hope" but no one else did. For now, the girls would grit their teeth, Sonia more than the others when she made Enoshima an offer later. Still, if Enoshima loved her darling too, Sonia supposed she could learn to put up with her.
Present Day
"I know I said this before…but thanks Naegi-kun. You know, for being my hope," Enoshima said with a blush.
"I'm always happy to help those in need Enoshima-san, especially when I caused their problem," Naegi said sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head.
"I mean it. It means a lot that you'd stand by me after everything I did," Enoshima said.
"It's just how I am. Have you and the others managed to work things out yet?" Naegi asked, changing the subject. Enoshima had been behaving herself, mostly. She did like to tease and annoy the other girls, the one's she hadn't tried to harm in any way at least, along with just about everyone else, but there was no malice or ulterior motives behind it anymore.
"Well, I'm not exactly sure how to start with that. We're still being civil with each other though, so there is that," Enoshima admitted.
Apologizing for purposely putting others in danger or humiliating them for one's own amusement isn't exactly easy, Otonashi added.
"How about your other personalities? Are they giving you any trouble?" Naegi asked.
"No. I can switch between them at will now and they mostly stay quiet. Ryoko-chan being the exception, of course," Enoshima explained.
"You could always ask Fukawa-san or Syo-san for advice," Naegi joked.
"And force myself to sneeze or zap myself with a taser? No thanks," Enoshima told him as she laughed.
Once they were back at the dorm, Naegi got to work on dinner and Enoshima went to her room. It might have been early, but Naegi wanted dinner to be special. It was a way to thank the girls for the memories he had and the many more to come. His everyday life with Ultimate Girls had just barely begun, after all. And maybe if he was lucky, they could help him decide what to do regarding what the headmaster had proposed.
And scene!
Hello again everyone! Sorry this took so long, things kept coming up. Let me tell you, I am exhausted after this. Would anyone mind if I took a break for a while? I really hope not, because I think I need one.
So, Junko is done for now. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I don't know if it was what you expected, but I hope you enjoyed it all the same.
I'm sure that some of you might wonder why I didn't invent a backstory for Junko. Honestly, the mystery of why she is the way she is is way more compelling than anything I could come up with.
I hope you all enjoyed Ryoko's appearance too. If anyone played the Batman: Arkham Knight Harley Quinn DLC, they know why I did what I did. Basically, Harleen is a voice in Harley's head telling her not to commit crimes or hurt people in that scenario. Needless to say, she failed. So did Ryoko until Makoto showed up.
Next chapter might be a while, but it will come. I promise you that. Also, the flashback format I've been using is gone going forward, mostly anyway.
A few more chapters and we can get to the V3 girls, Sakura, Toko, Ruruka, Seiko, Sato, Natsumi, and Miaya. Possibly Hiroko and Kanon if you all want them, but that will be it. I tried, but I just can't make myself want to include the disposable characters they made for the Student Council and people like Sayaka's group.
Also, would anyone want a lemon spin-off of this? I know we have those already, but this one just turns the dorm into Makoto's personal sex palace. It can either be its own independent story or it can be after they all get home after the island story Pupla and I did. Let me know what you want in the reviews.
Until next time, stay frosty!
