The bullet kept on flying until it hit its target-...
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The detonator. It shattered into pieces, but it didn't stop the bullet which penetrated Makoto's left hand right in the middle and continued its journey with a small splash of blood following it to the wall of the stage where it flattened.
Naegi fell down from the impact when all the glass pieces were already lying around him on the floor.
After a few moments, a lot of soldiers started to run on the stage with shields to take The Ultimate Hope back. They stopped Kyoko from getting on the stage.
The crowd started to panic and disperse.
An ambulance was already waiting behind the stage in case something like this would happen so Makoto got quickly put in there already lying on a stretcher.
"I'm going with him." Kirigiri entered the vehicle even though no one agreed for her to join him and the two medics.
"Disinfectant." One of the doctors requested and sprayed the liquid all over his wound.
"aaAAH- FUCK!" Their patient clenched his other hand into a fist. "It burns like HELL!" He yelled.
The other paramedic injected a syringe below Naegi's wounded hand. "It'll start taking effect in a few minutes, then the pain should go away." He said while bandaging the victim's lesion.
"Hey at least I'm alive and none of the glass hit me, that's surely a miracle." He tried to smile at her despite his suffering.
"They didn't kill you on purpose, they have just declared a war against you." She sat next to him.
"If they had just shot me down back there t-they would have already won, it makes no sense." Makoto stammered in pain.
"If that's the case then there must be outcomes better than your death for them." The Ultimate Detective noticed.
"Maybe we can talk it over later?" He suggested.
"Either way, this was the last time I agreed for you to do something so dangerous." She stated.
"Okay uh, fine mom?" Naegi joked.
"Don't try to be all cool and chill in a situation like this, my heart skipped a beat when I heard that shot." Kyoko complained with her voice more serious than usual.
"..Yeah okay sorry." He apologized.
After they reached the hospital a surgeon immediately performed an operation on Makoto's wound.
"Sorry for keeping you waiting." He walked out of the operating theater smiling with his left hand hidden under many layers of bandages.
Kirigiri instantly stood up when she saw her friend. "What did they tell you?"
"It turns out that I'm still a lucky student because the bullet missed most of my finger nerves. It'll be fine but I'll have to wear this dressing for a few weeks." He informed.
"Was it really worth it? Recklessly risking your life?" Kirigiri asked a rhetorical question.
"You can't even imagine this feeling when you cheer a million people up, I'll never forget it." Naegi assured.
"I'll ask you again when the anesthesia will stop working." She was very mad at him. "You better rest here for a few days."
"No need, we have to continue Kiri, people are dying as we speak." Makoto refused.
"You'll surely have a fever tonight so you won't be able to work anyway." Kyoko insisted.
He sighed. "Alright, just this night."
They left the hospital with medicines and were escorted to the only active hotel in the entire city. Because of the fact that it was the only one left, it was mainly for wealthy people that didn't lose their valuables during the despairful massacre, or for special guests, most often political figures.
"They gave us some pretty classy rooms, didn't they?" Naegi entered his apartment along with his friend.
Kirigiri didn't answer and walked up to the windows to close all the curtains. "Lock the door."
"Okay?.." He did as she ordered being a little confused. "Are you going to explain what are you doing?"
"I'm staying with you." Kyoko announced.
"But there's only one bed." Makoto chuckled nervously.
"I don't plan on sleeping tonight." She replied.
"And why is that so?" Naegi questioned.
"I heard one of the soldiers talking when you were giving your speech, this city is not safe, they haven't checked the sewers or the subway yet." Kirigiri explained.
"I see... Alright, but why are you staying in my room?" He asked.
"Because they might want to kidnap you. They shot you so you wouldn't fly away but rest in the hospital or here. It's likely that they know your exact location." Kyoko speculated.
"This is a possibility but I don't think that would get past security here you know?" Makoto took off his suit and lay down on his bed.
"I prefer to be on the safe side." She sat on an armchair and put her gun on the near table.
"We will change in guarding then. Wake me up in 4 hours." Naegi sat up and took a few pills that the doctor prescribed him.
"Will do." Kirigiri lied wanting him to recover.
"...Oh it's Byakuya." He double-tapped his earpiece. "Hello?"
"Why are you not on the plane?" Togami asked.
"It's nothing I just kinda got shot during my speech you know." Makoto replied with sarcasm.
"Really?.. I'm sorry to hear that. Best of luck with getting better then. Anyways there is a change of plans, you'll need to head to Africa next because their situation is getting a lot worse every day." He stated.
"We will be there soon." Naegi declared.
"Good. Until next time." Byakuya disconnected.
"Well then, enough work for today. Let's talk about something else now, shall we? He smiled at his former classmate.
"For example?" Kirigiri asked.
"Something nice preferably, maybe about our life after we come back?" Makoto suggested.
"I assume that we'll be continuing our school duties." She replied.
"But I don't mean work. I've been thinking about the summer holidays recently. We could spend them together with all our friends, on a beach, or in the mountains." He told her about his ideas.
"I didn't think about vacation yet." Kyoko admitted.
"It's about time then I mean, what was the last time we had holidays? Before the killing game? Quite a lot of time without a good reset isn't it?" Naegi noticed.
"I just don't need a vacation that's all. I never did, and I never even were on one, or I don't remember." She confessed.
"I can't believe it, how could you never been on holidays? That's ridiculous! It's decided, when the school year ends you will immediately go on a long relaxing vacation with all of us! No excuses!" Makoto stated.
"If you insist." Kirigiri smirked.
They kept on chatting about their potential vacation until Naegi has fallen asleep.
The room was dark but not pitch black so Kyoko could more or less see things around her, including her sleeping friend.
"Aww, so cute isn't he?" Junko complimented.
"Thanks for reminding me of my meds." She said in her thoughts and took out her tube with pills.
"Anytime!" Enoshima smiled. "I won't ship you with him today, it gets you sooo embarrassed like duh. Instead, I want to express how glad I am to see that you people fixed that stupid liberty statue! I mean seriously, liberty? Who the fuck cares am I right?! Now they can all admire me and my huge tits! Wait.. Do men get excited with copper boobs? Maybe? Get that hope lover up, we need to test it! Quick! Before they blow me up! Don't tell me that you're not curious like, come on!"
"Stay silent can you?" Kirigiri took a pill. "I am aware that you're way smarter than me and you can't hide it with some silly talk. It was your strategy with everyone wasn't it?"
"Maybeeeee? Haha alright alright you got me! My big-brained detective bestie aren't you? Ahh, I would soooo pat your head right now, mess with that perfectly aligned white hair." She giggled.
"My point is that when I forget my pills you could at least say something smart." Kyoko suggested.
"Am I really so intelligent? After all, you're alive and I'm dead, also my plan with the resurrection of mine has failed." Junko argued.
"And do you really think that I would believe that fashionista cover? You had to be some sort of scientist because you were the only person on the planet who knew how the human brain works am I right?" She speculated.
"Naaah not at all, don't get your brain so worked up girl! You need to relax like, obviously! You're more tensed up than 10 corpo-rats combined! Go ahead, cuddle up to your lovely hope prince, just for a second he won't even notice! He's all high on his drugs anyway." Enoshima proposed.
Kirigiri didn't respond.
"I get it you're just shyyy and you ran out of wooords, it happens! Or- oooh you don't like when someone's watching. That would explain..." She slowly sneaked away.
The Ultimate Detective was left with just the sounds of raindrops hitting the windows, her friend breathing in calm sleep, and the ticking of a clock mounted on the wall.
All of these combined were forming a perfect lullaby, making her heavy eyelids slowly close and drift her into sleep.
Just when her eyes were about to be completely closed, she heard loud knocking on the door.
"HM?-" Kyoko quickly grabbed her gun and aimed forward with both hands.
"Open up! Soldier of the land-based branch of the United States Armed Forces at the door!" He shouted.
Kirigiri didn't move a single inch.
"Open up!" He yelled but with no result. After a short wait, he forced the door with a strong kick and saw The Ultimate Detective aiming at him.
"What do you want?" She kept aiming.
"I wanted to check on you. We have caught several despairs with weapons, it turns out that there are still some remaining." The soldier informed.
"W-what's going on.." Makoto sat up and rubbed his eyes.
"Your assassin has been captured." He announced.
"We'll have a little talk with him." Kyoko put her gun back in her suit.
