A.N: Hello, everyone! Today is the second day of Momoharu Week 2022, and the prompt I've chosen to write for is Reunion. I hope you like it!


Day Two: School Reunion, Former Romance, And Seven Minutes in Heaven

Maki reapplied her lipstick one more time before stepping inside. The nerves were quickly getting to her for some reason, even if she was pretty aware of how stupid that was. There was probably no good reason to be so worried.

...right?

The young woman took a deep breath and pushed the doors open with a sigh. How could she regret her decisions when nothing had happened yet...? In any case, she was greeted with a long hallway and someone almost running to meet her.

"Hey, Maki! It's been forever!"

In front of her stood Kaede Akamatsu, Former Ultimate Pianist, and instigator of this whole thing. At first glance, not much had changed about her since the last time they had seen each other. She was still blonde, looked as foolishly enthusiastic as she used to, and the musical notes in her bangs were still there.

The only difference Maki could see was the forming baby bump noticeable through her pink dress, which was admittedly stunning. It forced a slight smile on the Former Ultimate Child Caregiver's lips, as difficult as it was for her to smile nowadays.

"Kaede. Congratulations."

The greeting may have been a little cold, but it was the best Maki could muster at the moment. If anything, it appeared to make the Former Ultimate Pianist happy.

"Oh, thanks a lot! I'm only four months into my pregnancy, so I still have a ways to go, but I already can't wait!"

Eight years had already passed since Class 79th's graduation ceremony at Hope's Peak Academy. Since that day, everybody had gone on their own path in life. Maki had never seen one of her former classmates again.

Not even once.

It wasn't for lack of opportunities, though. After all, Maki worked in Downtown Tokyo, the same as nearly everyone else. Yet, she had never seized these opportunities. She could count on the fingers of a single hand the people she had been close to in high school, and she had not wanted to bother them.

It was Kaede's idea to organize a school reunion after so long. She had reached out to Maki through social media and had somehow convinced her to come. At first, Maki had refused, telling Kaede that seeing Kokichi again was more than she could handle.

Whether this was a pretense, she didn't even know herself, but after countless texts from the pianist, there she was, dressed in her prettiest red dress. Her enthusiasm had been left at home, but there she was.

"W-Well, um... L-Let me walk you inside," Kaede suggested, feeling the awkwardness build up in the air. As she quickly found out, Maki had not grown more talkative with time.

The brown-haired woman followed Kaede inside the party room. Quickly, Maki realized her high-school friend had not half-assed things, to put it lightly. Indeed, the party room was large, and decorations had been set up on every wall. Also, Maki noticed appetizers and champagne flutes at the ready on the tables.

Last but not least, music was playing in the background. It went over Maki's head, but she wouldn't have been surprised if it was her Dubussy stuff again.

It was Debussy that Kaede loved so much, wasn't it? She couldn't remember. Whatever.

"Guys, Maki's here!"

Thoughts of how she didn't need to say that so loudly crossed Maki's mind, but she opted not to be a buzzkill and kept her mouth shut. Besides, could she really blame Kaede for being Kaede?

Furthermore, would she stop if Maki asked her to? Doubtful.

"Oh, Maki; it's good to see you again."

Shuichi Saihara. His voice was familiar, and he had not changed one bit either. Maki suspected he would be the father of Kaede's baby, given they were a couple in high school.

"Hey there. Haven't seen you in a while."

Rantaro Amami. They had never been close, but he still looked the same from what she could remember of him. It was good to see him again... kind of.

Before she could open her mouth to greet back her two former classmates, Maki's eyes met a pair of violet irises. It didn't last more than a split second, but she found herself absolutely frozen in place, unable to move a single muscle in her body.

It was difficult to explain, but the sight was a mix of glorious and terrifying. It was burning hot but, at the same time, also freezing cold. As if she needed to stare but also shouldn't.

Yeah, not coming because of Kokichi had most definitely been a pretense. It didn't take any longer for it to become apparent to Maki.

"Hey, Maki... I-It's good to see you again."

She discreetly bit her lip as the man's words reached her ears. Maki knew she had not sufficiently prepared for this. Even though she had known for a fact this would happen, she had not prepared for it. This was no one's mistake but her own, really.

It made the situation awkward, and she had just arrived. Awesome. The night couldn't have been off to a better start.

"G-Good evening."

Immediately after speaking, Maki desperately wished she could take back that damned stutter. She loathed sounding unsure of herself, especially around people she had not seen in ages. It made her look unconfident and put her in a situation of discomfort.

Not that she was confident or comfortable right now, mind you, but she wished she could at least pretend.

How could you panic while greeting people, dumbass?!

Actually, the former assassin regretted even coming to the party, but it was too late to leave now. All Maki could do now was make sure not to ruin the fun for everyone else.

Hopefully, she would just be left alone once the others got here. This was most likely a better outcome for everybody, herself included.

The short moment of silence that followed between the five former classmates seemed endless. Maki's eyes avoided Kaito's, and whatever conversation was going on before her arrival had come to a premature and impromptu end.

In the end, Shuichi was the one to speak up and break the silence. Kaede looked relieved, and understandably so. Maki was, too, albeit not for long.

"So, how have you been since graduation, Maki?"

Luckily, this was not a difficult question, and Maki was grateful. She could just give a brief and clear answer and get rid of all that attention on her.

"I've been working as a child caregiver."

"..."

"..."

"..."

The others all seemed to expect her to add something. However, she never did and simply waited for someone else to talk after her. They were sorely mistaken if they hoped for her to strike a conversation.

This was neither her intention nor a thing she was any good at. Never had been, and most likely never would be.

"O-Okay, then. I think everyone else should get here shortly, so let's wait for them. Let's just hope Himiko didn't fall asleep before coming here, h-haha!"

It was clear that Kaede wasn't wholly comfortable, as her voice didn't sound entirely natural, and her laugh even less. Everyone realized this was an attempt at improving the mood. Fortunately for the night's host, she got a lucky break.

Well, lucky may have been a strong word.

"Waaaaaaaaaahhhh! Tenko's being mean to meeeeeeee!"

The loud and high-pitched cry quickly caught everyone's attention. Moreover, it sent shivers of fright down Maki's spine. She was suddenly having a bad feeling about this.

Turning towards the entrance, the small group was surprised (or not) to see Tenko dragging Kokichi inside the party room by the collar. The Former Ultimate Aikido Master looked positively furious, as shown by the look in her eyes and the red on her cheeks.

She was red from anger, not embarrassment. Maki could sympathize.

Fuck, not him... What was I expecting, though...?

"That's because you were plotting something, you degenerate!"

Kaede, Shuichi, and Rantaro all sweatdropped and approached the newcomers. Maki simply stood in place, watching the scene unfold from afar. Interacting with the gremlin in any way was out of the question.

Things sucked enough as they were. There was no need to add a disaster on top of everything else.

As the seconds passed, Maki started begging in her mind for the man standing next to her to join the others. He probably didn't want to interact with Kokichi, either. Maki tapped her foot on the floor nervously, trying to control her breathing. The temptation to look on her left to see what he was doing was high, but she resisted.

She knew he was bound to say something.

He had to.

And whenever he did, Maki wanted to be ready for it.

"S-So, um... A-Are you doing well, Maki?"

There it was. To be honest, the hesitation in Kaito's voice was unusual. She remembered him to be the overconfident type, sometimes to a fault.

Can't you see how uncomfortable I am...?

Even though the words didn't leave her mouth, the former assassin could hear herself ask that question. It pained her to feel so uncomfy around Kaito, but she couldn't help it.

"I'm okay," she answered curtly, hoping this would satisfy him. She thought of turning the question for a second but ultimately chose not to.

"Well, that's good. I'm glad you're doing okay."

"..."

"..."

Awkward...

Maki grabbed a strand of her long brown hair cascading down her back and began to fiddle with it, praying for someone – anyone – to come and interrupt their talk. If it could even be called that. Maki was 99% sure it couldn't.

"Aww, look who's already back to being all lovey-dovey! My two best friends!"

And by 'anyone,' Maki had meant 'anyone but him.'

The young woman's eyes filled with frustration as she and Kaito were, in fact, approached by none other than Kokichi Ouma himself. In eight years, his shit-eating grin had not gotten any less infuriating.

When Maki thought things couldn't get worse, they found a way to. She was on one heck of an unlucky streak.

"Fuck off, Kokichi," Kaito immediately told the Former Ultimate Supreme Leader without the slightest bit of hesitation. Maki couldn't tell at first glance if he was being playful or not. His voice seemed to be on the serious side, though. "You haven't changed a bit, have you?"

"Why would I change, my dearest Kaito-chan?" Kokichi asked teasingly, not missing a beat and emphasizing this new nickname he had come up with.

Kaito shrugged with ease, not raising his voice. Well, this was new. The Kaito Maki used to know would have already been at his throat by that time. "Because you used to be a pain in the ass. Sounds like a good enough reason to me."

Kokichi shook his head, visibly disappointingly. Kaito's reaction – or lack thereof – was probably disappointing to him. He apparently didn't let this ruin his spirit and turned towards Maki, whose eyes were screaming 'don't you even dare talk to me.'

"So, my dear Maki Roll..."

She gritted her teeth. Somehow, the gremlin had found a way to piss her off in less than a minute. Even by his previous standards, this was impressive. Probably a new record.

Unfortunately for him, Maki's short temper had never left her. It may have actually gotten worse.

"Shut up! Do you want to die?!"

The catchphrase had never left, either.

"I'd rather not, to be honest with you," Kokichi replied casually, having probably expected it. He was fully aware of how much he was angering her. "So, when's the wedding? I can't wait to see you in that beautiful white dress, my bestie!"

Maki clenched her fist, just about ready to punch a hole into the brat's face. If he kept getting on her nerves like this, this wouldn't end well for him.

No matter how much she wanted not to be the one to ruin Kaede's efforts, there was a limit to how much of Kokichi's bullshit she could take. He was already getting awfully close to that limit.

"Hey, leave her alone!"

Kaito's outburst caught Maki off-guard. He stood in front of her and pushed Kokichi back slightly but with conviction. It caught Maki by surprise. After all, he had barely reacted when Kokichi had teased him earlier.

Also, it was an unimportant detail, but Maki took a moment to notice Kaito had grown a little taller. A small smile subconsciously appeared on her lips as she wondered if she would still beat him in a fight these days.

"Can't you tell you're making her uncomfortable?! What's your game, man?!"

"Fine, fine... Aren't I allowed to make harmless little jokes anymore...? Geez, Kaito-chan, you're such a killjoy..."

Kokichi gave the most exaggerated bow Maki had ever seen. His smirk never quite left his lips as he did so, either. She had to stop her hands from instinctively strangling him to death.

"You have my most sincere apologies, my dear Maki Roll. Pray forgive the discourtesy."

Without another word, the Former Ultimate Supreme Leader turned around and proudly left the premises, although he was quick to get chewed off by Tenko again.

Well-deserved, Maki thought resentfully. He had brought back some bittersweet memories.

"I'm sorry about him... He's still every little bit of the dickhead he used to be, isn't he...?"

Kaito let out a sigh, then a quiet chuckle, which Maki quickly understood was filled with nervousness. It seemed that he had not gotten any closer to the gremlin in almost a decade. Ironically, Maki thought their shared hatred of Kokichi was something they could bond over.

Or rather, bond over again.

"It's okay. I didn't expect anything else from an asshole like him."

The astronaut rolled his eyes. "Yeah, can't blame you for that. Anyway," his voice filled with more enthusiasm as he obviously tried to move on from the Kokichi episode. "It's good to see you again, Maki! I feel like I haven't seen you in decades!"

"Well, it's been eight yea-"

"Hey, Maki and Kaito! Could you please come and give us a hand here?! We'll have a dead body on our hands at this rate!"

The two former classmates turned towards the others as Kaede's desperate voice reached them. They noticed Tenko trying out her Neo Aikido on Kokichi, struggling on the floor. Shuichi and Rantaro were pulling, but they couldn't get her off him.

"I should have gotten rid of you at Hope's Peak, you degenerate male! You're even worse than before!"

Maki sighed. It was unfortunate her days as an assassin were behind her. Otherwise, she would have gladly given the martial arts specialist a helping hand.

"Let's just continue this later..."


"I understand that you want to kill him, but please show some restraint, as difficult as it is around him."

Tenko relented and nodded begrudgingly, letting go of Kokichi. She muttered something to Maki that Kaito was too far away to hear, but he was glad this minor incident appeared to be over.

They were fortunate to have someone as physically capable as Maki around, or they could very well have celebrated Kokichi's death tonight, too.

It probably wasn't the only incident Kokichi would cause tonight, but Kaito could still dream. And well, the prankster could cause all the incidents he wanted as long as they didn't involve Maki. The way he had talked to her earlier had seriously displeased him.

In any case, the small group was joined by Gonta, Miu, Keebo, Angie, Himiko, and Kirumi soon after. After a quick round of greetings, the party could finally start in earnest. Everyone seemed to be in high spirits, and the rest of the class would probably get there soon.

Kaito began to absentmindedly think as he took a sip of his champagne. He'd actually spent most of his time since Kaede had invited him thinking. Revisiting his precious memories of Hope's Peak was more fun than expected. Honestly, this was a part of his life he could and would never forget.

Also, the invitation had prompted him to think about Maki.

A lot.

Possibly more than was reasonable.

But how was he supposed to not think about her? The truth was, he had no idea.

"If this asshole causes more trouble, I'm sending him straight to the hospital."

The astronaut laughed heartily as he was joined by the young woman in question. It felt like he was listening to the Maki Roll of the good old days. Grumpy, pouty Maki Roll... She would glare daggers at Kokichi, and it would never fail to amuse Kaito.

...until he would eventually be the one she'd glare at. Then he would start fearing for his life.

If he was being honest – primarily with himself – Kaito had missed Maki. A ton. Eight years was a long time without seeing someone you care about. The man wished she would have texted him, if only once.

He may have been busy with life, but he would have made time to get coffee with her or simply chat online, no matter what. Ever since their break-up in high school, she had been distant. Post-graduation, it was as if she had downright fallen off the face of the Earth.

Kaito hoped that could change from now on. Regardless of what had happened before, Maki was his first love. Even if he tried, the astronaut couldn't just forget about her. It may very have been why he had never been in another serious relationship since then.

"I noticed you've changed a bit, Maki," Kaito said casually, hoping to get a conversation going that wouldn't make things too awkward.

Any more awkward than earlier was impossible, anyway, so that was good news. Now Kaito had to keep things going in the right direction.

For now, though, it was clear that Maki wasn't entirely comfortable around him. There could be a million reasons for that, but it's actually not what Kaito cared to know. And as much as it saddened him, there was nothing he could do about it except try to change that fact.

In reality, Maki had not changed that much, but anything would do to get the ball rolling. However, he couldn't help but realize she had grown even prettier than during their time as high schoolers. She looked more mature and feminine and was overall a lovely woman.

Kaito could feel she was making an impact on him. In his defense, he was sure she would affect any guy with half a functioning brain. Who wasn't gay, of course (that was directed towards Kokichi).

Maki rolled her red eyes, swallowing an appetizer. "I haven't changed much. Not as much as you, anyway. Good thing you still look like an idiot with your idiotic-looking goatee, even all those years after. It distinguishes you from the rest of the pack."

Now she was just being mean! He remembered extremely well telling her that his goatee gave him a glamorous celebrity vibe, and he still believed that, even now! Well, Maki would always be Maki, wouldn't she?

Besides, she had called him an idiot from day one, so he had no reason to be surprised, right? If there was anything Kaito was sure had not changed about Maki, it was her passion for – teasingly, he hoped – insulting him.

"It's the glasses, right?" Kaito joked, pushing his new frameless glasses up his nose. Maki simply nodded. "Yeah, my sight's kinda messed up nowadays, so I need them, or I can't see a damn thing. Happy to know I'm still an idiot, though."

"I don't think that could ever change, no matter what you did."

As Maki said that, faint traces of a smirk appeared on her lips. Kaito didn't show it, but he was delighted to see her grin at him like this. After all, if she started being an ass to him, Kaito figured she was getting more comfortable.

Maybe this reasoning was weird, but it worked when it came to the Former Ultimate Child Caregiver.

"Well, I might be an idiot, but I still got a job at JAXA! It's not NASA yet, but it's a good start, right? Soon enough, the whole world will know Kaito Momota, Luminary of the Stars!"

She seemed surprised, and he didn't know how to take it. After all, it's not because he'd been a goofball in high school that he really was an idiot! At Hope's Peak, he frequently had to remind his ex that he was an Ultimate, just like the others...

"You're doing surprisingly well for someone who cheated on the exams. I'm almost impressed."

"O-Oh, come on!"

Maki laughed, and it genuinely warmed Kaito's heart. Her laugh sounded just as adorable as it used to, and he could still feel how precious it was, even to this day.

Getting Maki to laugh took a near miracle. There was no secret formula, but Kaito had always felt like he had that extra something that amused her.

Whatever it was, the astronaut had made her smile. And god had he missed seeing Maki's smile. It was simple, and it looked like any other smile.

But unlike any other smile, it conveyed a ton of emotions. Immediately, Kaito wondered how he had managed to go eight years without seeing Maki smile. This was an addiction he would gladly entertain once more and for a long time if needed.

"T-Thank you for making me laugh, Kaito," Maki said, still giggling cutely. "I needed that."

Kaito flashed her his customary smile and a thumbs-up. It reminded him of the first time he had been able to make her laugh so many years ago. It had been an uphill battle, but one he had managed to win.

It put him on an impressive list: he was among the very few who had gotten a laugh out of Maki Harukawa. This was an accolade to be proud of for anyone who knew her. And unless someone had outmatched him in eight years, he was probably still ranking first.

"I guess I haven't lost my touch, have I?"

His goal was to make Maki more comfortable, but he was slowly finding himself more comfortable, as well. He dared to make a few jokes, and overall, he felt more liberated. Kaito never felt right when he couldn't speak his mind freely.

Maki shook her head amusingly. "Smooth as ever, you idiot. If I didn't know better, I would almost think you're flirting with me."

She grabbed a flute of champagne from the table. Kaito was thrilled to see her visibly more relaxed than before, even allowing herself a joke. Her muscles didn't look as tense, and she was clearly enjoying herself more.

Before she could bring the glass to her lips, he interrupted her, an idea in mind. "Let's drink to seeing each other again, 'kay?"

"Alright. Cheers, Kaito."

So far, everything had gone according to plan. Because yes, the astronaut had most definitely come to the party with the intention of confiscating his high-school ex. Maki was the one he absolutely wanted to catch up with, even if it meant not talking to the others as much.

He had gone to lengths to prepare some topics to talk about with her to lighten the mood. It wasn't his type to plan things in advance, but he felt he owed her that much. She wasn't just anyone in his life, after all. And thinking before acting could be a good idea, too.

For once in his life, Maki would probably add.

However, Kaito knew it would be unwise to bring up anything related to their former relationship. Not only did he have no idea if she wanted to talk about it, but it could make things awkward. As tempting as it was, he restrained himself.

But the heart often spoke before the mind did.

"Cheers, Maki Roll."

Shit!

He cursed himself for getting careless. Now, this was a risky move, especially considering the stunt Kokichi had tried to pull earlier. Kaito would take it back if he could, but all he could do now was hope it wouldn't ruin his efforts to make Maki more at ease with him.

He would understand if it did, but he was silently praying to every god in the sky it didn't.

"I... I had not been called that by anyone for a while... The other asshole earlier notwithstanding, that is."

Kaito bit his lip regretfully as Maki's face morphed with something he couldn't identify. It was equally likely to be melancholy, sadness, or nostalgia. Not knowing which was Kaito's biggest problem at the moment.

"I-I'm sorry, Maki, I didn't mean-"

"It's okay. I... I missed that nickname..."

Her other hand resumed playing with her hair as a pink blush colored her cheeks. At this moment, Kaito wanted to let out the most drawn-out sigh of relief ever. That had been way too close for comfort, but things had turned out okay by some miracle.

No one would hear him complain.

Not only that, but the way his heart skipped a beat was familiar and not unpleasant. Definitely not unpleasant, actually.

Maybe even addictive, now that he thought about it more.

Maki brought her glass to her lips and began drinking. Grateful that his carelessness had not cost him, Kaito did the same. He made sure to keep an eye on his former girlfriend, finding her more and more beautiful by the second.

What caused it... he wasn't sure (even if he had ideas, and it wasn't the alcohol – yet), but the Former Ultimate Astronaut knew he liked it. How could he not?

Yeah, I missed the nickname, too... Maki Roll...


"I'd like to state for the record that I believe this is a terrible idea!"

Maki could do nothing but agree with that statement. Unfortunately for the child caregiver, her (drunk) former classmates disagreed. Well, a majority of them, anyway. It happened that only her, Keebo, Kirumi, and Gonta were still somewhat sober. Oh, and Kaede, too, as she was pregnant.

This, in and of itself, was a bad sign. No one had thrown up yet, but it was bound to happen soon. As it turned out, you couldn't leave sixteen young adults with alcohol around for a few hours without most of them getting drunk as skunks.

Maki wished they had a bit more self-control. Of course, that was asking a lot out of her classmates, especially now that they were intoxicated.

Even when they weren't, it remained an issue. People would laugh if they knew they were Ultimates.

"Y-You're a pussy, Keebo! W-Where's the harm in a game of Seven Minutes in Heaven between friends?!"

It was a known fact that Miu was... libidinous, to say the least. However, when alcohol seeped into her bloodstream, the inventor became a machine coming up with the most terrible ideas in human history.

"The harm is that you're all drunk, Miu! I've known you to be more reasonable!"

We're clearly not talking about the same Miu Iruma... Maki thought ironically, observing as the blonde argued with her high-school best friend.

"Anyway, I've got a bottle here, and there's a closet over there," Kaede herself said, ending the argument. She produced a beer bottle and pointed to an ominous-looking door at the back of the party room. "Let's do five rounds, okay?"

Maki sighed. It was probably too late to back out now lest being a killjoy. Besides, they all seemed way too excited for her to try to convince them to reconsider. She remembered Kaito being an idiot, but she'd forgotten that most of them were, too.

How had she supported them for three whole years...?

"Well, let's get started, then! Does everyone know the rules?"

Everybody around the table nodded with varying degrees of eagerness. Unsurprisingly, Maki was on the 'definitely not eager' side. It counterbalanced the enthusiasm of others, who didn't care as much about the consequences, anyway.

They would have just forgotten by the time morning came.

Kaede spun the bottle for the first time as most of the others clapped. If you asked Maki, her former classmates' behavior was even more ridiculous than the game itself. That was saying something.

"And our first winner is... Kokichi!"

Oh god, no. Anything but that, I implore you.

Various reactions were heard as the bottle indeed stopped in front of the Former Ultimate Supreme Leader. It seemed clear that everyone feared that second spin, and for excellent reasons. Angie was already reciting prayers to Atua, and Maki could understand why.

"B-Before you spin the bottle again... I-I'd like to tell whoever has to go with me that they can freely fuck my ass! I-I'm all yours!"

Maki sighed and closed her eyes as the others gasped in surprise. She sympathized in advance with whoever would have to go inside that closet with the gremlin. Sober, he was a pain. Drunk, he was somehow even worse.

"W-Well, um... L-Let's spin it again, then!" Kaede said, obviously taken aback by Kokichi's bold statement. "Who's going to be our 'lucky' winner...?"

Maki crossed her fingers under the table. The world could not be so cruel to her. At least, she hoped so. She had lived through countless difficult times. Life had put many obstacles in her path, including her assassin days.

But the horror of killing innocents paled compared to spending seven minutes inside a closet with Kokichi Ouma.

The glass bottle spun and spun before finally designating a 'winner.'

"And the person who'll have nightmares tonight is... Miu!"

Oh my...

Maki had to stop herself from laughing in a mix of relief and amusement. She could still have some faith in the world, apparently.

"Ha! Don't mind if I do take you up on that offer, gremlin! You'll see what Miu Iruma, the golden girl genius, is all about, you fucking virgin!"

Maki didn't know if fate could be a good thing, but she realized at that moment that it could at least be a funny thing. Not only was this possibly the worst duo the bottle could have selected, but they all quickly realized that Miu had come prepared for the occasion.

"O-Oh, damn..."

Even Kokichi was rendered speechless as Miu took out a strap-on from her handbag as well as a bottle of lubricant, to everyone's shock. It seemed the prankster was beginning to regret his earlier words.

"You're coming with me, gremlin!"

Miu forcefully grabbed Kokichi's arm and yanked him to the closet, her toy in hand. No one said anything, but they all shared the same thought.

Serves you right!

"I suggest the next person the bottle chooses picks their words with a little more care," Kirumi advised, visibly overwhelmed by everything happening around her. Poor Kirumi, Maki thought. "For... their own sake, let's just say."

With a collective round of nods, the fourteen classmates waited for the seven minutes to pass. The closet was far enough that they couldn't hear a thing, and deep inside, they were all glad for that.

No one cared to hear that.

After time was up, Kaede went to get Miu and Kokichi back. Maki could barely suppress her laughter as the Former Ultimate Supreme Leader looked shaken.

"That'll teach you dickhead a lesson!" Kaito exclaimed, mockingly pointing at Kokichi, who struggled to walk straight. "You deserved to be taken down a peg!"

Yeah, a 'peg'... Maki rolled her eyes as the three rejoined them around the table. Kokichi was absolutely mute and looked nothing short of traumatized.

"W-Well, with this out of the way, let's begin round two!"

They had no time to recoup as Kaede spun the bottle once more. Just like before, it spun and spun with everyone holding their breath. After a few seconds that seemed longer than they actually were, someone had been nominated.

"Kaito!"

"Fuck..." the astronaut cursed under his breath.

Maki's eyes immediately glared at Kokichi in case he got any funny ideas. Fortunately for her, he seemed to still be out of commission, slumped in his chair. For the first time in her life, Maki was thankful to Miu. Her methods were... rather extreme, but they had finally found a way to shut Kokichi up.

"And our second winner is...!"

Once again wasting little time, the pianist spun the bottle. Maki closed her eyes and resumed praying to the gods. Kaito obviously wasn't Kokichi, but this would undoubtedly be awkward.

Granted, they had gotten kinda close again all throughout the party, but it was nothing compared to how close they used to be at Hope's Peak. They had only shared a couple of drinks and played catch-up.

"Ho, ho! It's Maki!"

Fuck me.

"Damn, that bottle's evil!" Rantaro said.

"Just as if it had been infused with fate itself!" Tsumugi added.

"Life indeed does humorous things sometimes," Shuichi finished.

Of fucking course. One in fifteen odds were approximately 6.7%. Out of the fifteen of them, that wicked bottle had to stop on her.

As of that precise moment, Maki officially hated life.

"Well, you know where the closet is, guys!" Kaede cheered with a smile that irritated Maki way too much to be healthy. The pianist was grinning in a way that strongly discontented her.

Kaito looked more than a little embarrassed at that moment, too. A faint blush appeared on his cheeks as he stood up sheepishly. Maki growled and did the same, and everyone could see how thrilled she was to do so.

Why did I even agree to this in the first place...?

Well, these would be seven long and awkward minutes. Actually, going inside that closet wasn't that big of a deal to Maki. After all, the rules didn't specify what they needed to do once they were inside. They could just chat some more and call it a day.

What Maki dreaded was her former classmates' imaginations. She didn't need their gossip and theories, thank you very much. Just thinking about it almost made her puke.

The Former Ultimate Child Caregiver followed her ex inside the closet without a word. She closed the door shut and made sure it stayed shut. The second she heard someone listening in, she was committing murder.

"Well, uh... that was unlikely to happen..."

She couldn't exactly disagree with Kaito on that one. On top of their bad luck, the closet looked as if it had not been cleaned in years. And, of course, it was pitch black as per the game's rules.

Maki could barely see Kaito in the dark. All the more reason to keep track of his every move in case he got bold and decided to try something. She didn't think he had the guts, but she could never be too careful.

"S-So, um... W-What do you want to do for these seven minutes, Maki Roll? I-I guess we can just talk if that's what y-you want..."

The young woman crossed her arms. What was she even supposed to reply to that? She was stuck inside a dusty dark closet with her drunk high-school ex she had probably gotten way too close to again.

She couldn't have imagined getting into a mess like this, even in her worse nightmares.

"You know... I've missed seeing you, Maki Roll. I was really looking forward to reuniting with you tonight. It's kinda the only reason I came, actually..."

Don't you dare, Kaito Momota.

The Former Ultimate Astronaut scratched the back of his head. "I know I'm drunk, so I must not be making a lot of sense right now, and maybe I'm saying things I don't even mean, but..."

He took a deep breath, and the air inside the dusty closet got hotter.

Don't you even try to say it, Kaito Momota.

"I've been thinking a lot about you since Kaede sent me that invite. I, uh... thought a lot about Hope's Peak and about how things ended between us, too."

Slightly hotter again. Subconsciously, Maki's breathing became heavier.

"I just wanted to apologize again. I know I was kinda dumb when we were high schoolers, and I think that's why it didn't work out in the long run. But, uh... how do I say this...?"

Don't say it. Just don't.

Why it didn't leave her mouth, Maki was clueless. Her mind was probably screaming, but her lips remained sealed tight. No matter how much she tried to speak, no sound would escape her throat.

"Well, I guess what I'm trying to say is that I really loved you, Maki Roll. A-And well, um... the more I think about it, the more I think I still do... y-you know...?"

Fucking dumbass.

They couldn't stay stuck in the past. Maki and Kaito had met each other more than ten years ago when they were still teenagers. There was no point in retelling history and what could have been.

They were both adults now, with a job and a life to live. After tonight, Maki would simply go back to taking care of children, and Kaito would go back to his astronaut things. There would be no need for them to meet again for another eight years.

That's how things had to be. Maki wanted to move forward, not backward. As precious as the memories of their time together were to her, she needed to move on. Not necessarily forget, but at least put a distance between herself and those memories.

If Kaito continued to appear in her dreams every now and then, how was she supposed to forgive herself for pushing him away for so long?

If Kaito refused to disappear from her life, how was she supposed not to feel guilty for breaking up with him in the heat of the moment?

If Kaito denied her the right to forget about him, how was she supposed to deal with her feelings that had never truly disappeared...?

"Fuck you, Kaito Momota. You're a pain in my ass, you know that?"

She grabbed him by the shirt with force and literally assaulted his lips with her own. Fuck this guy for being so endearingly dumb. Fuck this guy for having grown even more handsome than before.

Fuck this guy for never having left her thoughts for eight whole years.

Maki could feel his smile through the kiss. She could smell the alcohol, too. And as if this outcome didn't even surprise him, Kaito wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back, not without determination.

It felt familiar. Too familiar, maybe.

"You know, Maki Roll... If being a pain in your ass has that kind of result... I think I might just be a pain in your ass forever! Ow!"

She stepped on his foot with a furious blush as her eyes turned darker.

"Shut up and kiss me again, got it?!"

Maki didn't want to stay stuck in the past. There was no point in retelling history and what could have been. However, as Kaito's lips captured hers once more, the young woman realized that instead of continuing a past story, they could just start telling a new one.

And for that reason alone, these seven long and awkward minutes spent inside that dusty, dark closet really seemed like heaven.

The End.


A.N: I hope you enjoyed this fic! It was a ton of fun to write. Like, *a ton*. Well, please leave a review, and I hope you all have a good day!