This is another one of those chapters that don't really progress the story, and mostly focuses on Maki making friends. However, I'm much more proud of this one than previous ones, since I manage to sneak in a lot of hints to Maki's backstory, and we get to see her in a moment of weakness for the first time in... ever, really. Also, Albert gets a moment.

I hope you enjoy this chapter.


Chapter 18

Doing Better

The next morning, in contrast to the day before, everyone was in a much more lighthearted mood. Despite their situation, the knowledge that Fuyuhiko was alive was enough to bring most of them ease. There were actual smiles on the students' faces, and they engaged in small talk even before everyone had arrived.

When the whole group was together, Sonia spoke up. "Um... the day ended halfway yesterday, so let us try to put together our information about the new island."

"In the end, we couldn't even find a way to escape from this island, right?" Hiyoko said. "Seriously... you guys are useless..."

"But there's a music venue!" Ibuki argued.

"I got that but... what about the clues that we really need?" Nekomaru asked. "Clues like... information about this island... or anything that might help us understand what's happening to us?"

"In the town with all those machines, I found a clue contained within a file inside one of the laptops." Nagito explained.

"You... saw that, too?" Hajime asked.

"I... was told about that by Nagito, so I checked it as well..." Sonia added.

"I saw it, too." Gundham said. "It's about the fact that Hope's Peak Academy has already been destroyed."

"Huuuh!? Hope's Peak Academy has been destroyed!?" Ibuki shrieked.

"It's probably just another one of Monokuma's pranks." Nagito explained. "There's no way Hope's Peak Academy would fall. But... even if it is a prank, it's not something he should be allowed to do... A symbol of hope getting destroyed... It's not something you should even joke about...! Well, if you're still wondering about it, it might be better if you just confirm it for yourself."

"I-If I remember to do it, I'll give it a try..." Ibuki decided.

"So basically, on that island we found no way to escape, nor any useful clues this time around..." Gundham recapped. A smirk spread on his face as he added, "Oh hold on... It's "this time again," not "this time around." Kehehe..."

"You don't have to correct us each time!" Mikan cried.

"However, it is not all bad news!" Sonia added. "Fuyuhiko will be able to return to us!"

"Yeah, nice, but if we don't have a way out, all he's doing is essentially returning to a prison." Maki said. "By the way, how do you think his condition is, Mikan?"

"He's recovering extremely well so... I'm pretty sure he can be discharged from the hospital in one week. However... He's... probably lost the use of his right eye... forever."

"He totally deserves that..." Hiyoko spat.

"Eye for an eye..." Maki echoed dryly. "Still, he's lucky. There are a lot worse things you can lose than an eye..." Her tone made it sound as if she spoke from experience. Before anyone could question her, however, Akane spoke up.

"Maaaaan, I sure did eat! I'm stuffed today, too!"

"You certainly eat a lot, without even listening to what the others are saying..." Nekomaru said.

"...Okay then, since I'm stuffed, I should go train now."

""Train," you say? You hate training. How rare of you."

"If I don't do it, I won't get stronger... I have to do it." She explained. With that, she dashed out of the restaurant. "...By now!"

"She's like... really pumped up." Ibuki noted.

"Ha! I hope she's not thinking about doing anything bad!" Nekomaru mused.

With that, the rest of the students finished their meals and left one by one to continue on with their day.


Hiyoko sat in her cottage, doing her best to not think about how things were at the moment. It was hard. Her only real friend on the island was gone, and the one responsible for her death was alive and well. Worst of all, it seemed everyone had readily forgiven him, and were in fact grateful that he was still alive. She couldn't understand it. It made her angry. All she could tell herself was that everyone else was stupid as she shoved gummies into her mouth.

Suddenly, she was taken out of her thoughts when there was a knock at the door to her cottage. A familiar voice shouted, "Hiyoko, open up!"

"Wha-!? Go away!"

Either not hearing her or just not caring, the door opened as Maki peeked her head in. "I would've asked if you're decent, but I already know you can't dress yourself, anyway. Part of the reason I'm here, actually."

"Get out of here, you slutty nerd! I didn't invite you here! I don't wanna talk to you!"

"Well if I cared what you wanted, I don't think we'd even know each other's names. Besides, I don't want to talk to you, either, but I'm trying to be helpful here. I'm going to teach you how to tie a knot." She pulled an obi sash out of her lab coat pocket for emphasis.

"I-I don't need your help with that! I can do it on my own! Because... Mahiru taught me...!"

"Then show me."

Hiyoko was getting frustrated at this point. "I don't have to show you anything, you nasty bitch!"

Maki sighed. "Look, let's just clear the air. I don't like you, you don't like me. That's fine, but with Mahiru gone, you're going to start smelling again, and I don't want to put up with that. So I'm offering to spare you from future humiliation. Besides, I didn't do any favours for Mahiru, not that I owed her any, but I figure that the least I can do to pay my respects to her is to help finish the job she started. Again, I'm not asking you to like me, just to put up with me."

Hiyoko glared at her. On one hand, Maki was acting out of character from what she normally knew. On the other hand, she didn't know her very well, and Maki did seem sincere with her explanation. It would have been easy to just turn her away, but even if Hiyoko would never admit it, she did still need help learning how to tie a knot. She couldn't go without showering forever, after all. So she decided to play it safe and pick a happy middle ground, without revealing her ineptitude.

"Fine, whatever. It's not like I have anything better to do. Just don't touch me or my sash, got it?"

"That is why I brought this one, yes." She moved forward and knelt across the table from Hiyoko. "So, tell me, just how far did Mahiru's lessons go?"

"She... taught me how to do a basic knot. I've been practicing with string and stuff, so I can remember how to do it."

"Hmm... That's a good place to start, but an obi is much wider than a shoelace, which can make it a bit trickier. Do you think you can do it?" Maki slid the sash across the table.

Hiyoko stared at it for several seconds before she moved her hands, trying to recall the steps she went through with Mahiru. The process took several minutes, both due to the fact that she would occasionally mix up or forget a step, and that her hands were clumsy when she did anything other than dance. Through it all, she could feel Maki staring intently, almost bearing down on her with her creepy, heterochromatic eyes.

Finally, when she was done, she tightened the slightly sloppy knot, and passed it to Maki. "There. How's that?"

Maki inspected it, testing its strength. "Given that you only learned how to do it a couple days ago, I'd say you did pretty good. So let's step it up, can you tie it while also holding it against something?"

Hiyoko didn't answer, but averted her gaze.

"Alright. Now I know what skill level I'm working with. We can keep working on tying it on its own for now. Once you get quick enough, then we can work on tying it around something, and then yourself eventually."

Hiyoko looked back at her and finally just came out and asked, "Why are you doing this?"

Maki smiled. "To tell you the truth, I'm not entirely sure, myself. I guess I'm just in a helpful mood recently. We have to work together if we're going to get off this island, after all. Though sometimes, I wonder if that's even possible. Maybe I've attracted the attention of the wrong people..."

"How does teaching me how to tie a sash help us get off this island any faster?"

"It doesn't, but having trust does. And out of everyone on this island, I'd say my relationships with you and Fuyuhiko are the most strained. We're like a trio of disgruntled traditionalists with worldviews that aren't compatible with each other. Well, except that my family doesn't really have much of... anything, really. Anyway, with Fuyuhiko bedridden, he's not as high a priority, but I at least want to make sure there aren't any burnt bridges between you and I."

Hiyoko gave another skeptical look. This definitely wasn't the Maki she thought she knew. "...Didn't you just say that you don't like me, and I don't have to like you? Make up your mind."

Maki smiled again. "That's the thing, though. Trust has nothing to do with whether or not you like someone. In my... previous line of work, I had a lot of people who I trusted to have my back when I needed it, but didn't think of them as anything more important than coworkers. I just knew how they operated."

"And how do either of us know we can trust each other? We only met a few days ago!"

"Yes, but I'm observant. I may not know you, but I know your patterns. You're naturally distrustful of those around you, and you try to remain the alpha through whatever means you can, whether that be belittling those lesser than you, or making them pity you with your fake tears."

"Distrustful? Belittling?" She repeated. "I'm, like, nothing like that."

"I don't think being distrustful is an inherently bad trait. Only fools trust anything at face value. You just know well enough to ask questions that no one else will, such as "Is this person really my friend?" As for belittling, does the name Mikan sounds familiar to you?"

"Hey, she's totally not as clumsy or helpless as she acts. She's only doing that because it gets you guys to pay attention to her!"

"Be that as it may, it's pretty obvious she was a victim of bullying in the past, and making fun of her over something that clearly traumatized her isn't exactly a good look for you."

"...She's not the only one who has issues." She muttered.

"That's absolutely true. Perhaps, instead of putting people down to make ourselves feel better, we should all try and talk to each other like normal people. I know that makes us vulnerable, but it also makes us more unified, harder to divide. The exact opposite of what the mastermind wants."

"Well, what about you? What's your big secret? Don't act like you're Ms. Social, either. You hate talking about yourself."

Maki thought for a long moment. "You want a secret? Fine, I'll give you one. This isn't my first killing game. I played one before."

The statement hung in the air for a few moments before Hiyoko could respond. "...Wh-What...?"

"Of course, I don't want to broadcast that fact. Can you imagine how much the others would distrust me if they found out? So for now, how about we keep that our little secret?"

"B-But... what was your last killing game like? Was it just like this one? How did you survive? Did you find out who the mastermind is?"

"It was... certainly more brutal. The motives were more interesting, the mastermind liked to twist the rules, and a lot of the "reveals" were more depressing. I survived by living to the end, really. Once the mastermind's identity was revealed, that was the end. I do know who they are, obviously, but I can also say without a doubt that they aren't the mastermind of this game, so I have no reason to get into that with you."

"You... survived to the end?"

Maki nodded. "That's what I said, and that's what I've been saying. As long as all of us work together and don't let Monokuma come between us, we can beat them. It's just going to take a little time. And someone like you, who refuses to play nice, is just going to make it harder."

Hiyoko was silent. At least that explained why Maki never seemed scared of what was going on. She had seen these kinds of horrors before.

The Criminologist slowly stood. "You know, Hiyoko, for someone who doesn't know how to tie knots, you sure do know how to tie a noose around your neck." She chuckled darkly at her joke before adding, "Keep practicing. You're getting better. We're all getting better. Now, I have some other business to attend to."

She left Hiyoko's cottage, leaving the Traditional Dancer alone and confused.


"Mikan?"

The new voice suddenly snapped the Nurse out of her work. She turned and saw Maki standing at the entrance of the corridor.

"O-Oh, hello, Maki!" She greeted, forcing herself to be extra pleasant.

Maki, for her part, smiled back. "I was just wondering... if you needed any help? I don't have a medical license, but I've picked up a thing or two during my career."

"Um... Actually, Fuyuhiko has already been tended to. I was just about to head back to my cottage..."

"Is that so? A shame. If I stopped by tomorrow, would you mind having me around?"

"Oh, um..." Mikan was taken aback. "I-I guess not. But... I thought you hated Fuyuhiko. Wh-Why would you want to help him?"

"Heh, you guys just keep looking my gift horses in the mouth. I suppose that's a breath of fresh air, compared to usual." She paused, fiddling with her cat-ear hairband again. "While I actually do want to talk to Fuyuhiko and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid... The truth is, I guess I also wanted to get to know you."

"I see..." When her initial confusion passed, she started to feel giddy. "Um... I-I'm glad. If I'm not being too presumptuous, would you like to walk back with me?"

"I think I'd like that very much."

A minute later, Mikan had finished up what she was doing, and the two girls left the hospital. Silence hung over them for a good amount of the journey. Maki seemed to be thinking hard about something.

"Um... Did I do something wrong...?" Mikan asked.

"Huh? Oh, no, nothing like that. I just wanted to ask, uh... Did you give any consideration into what we talked about yesterday?"

"O-Oh... You mean about me needing a th-therapist?"

"Yeah... I know it sounds scary, to talk about yourself to someone, without hiding any of your feelings. But I can guarantee, it helps you feel better in the long run. I... I had someone like that, a long time ago. Someone I was allowed to be vulnerable around. It saved me, I think."

"But, why...?" Mikan asked. "Wh-Why are you going out of your way to help me like this...? Ah... I didn't m-mean to sound ungrateful! Y-You don't have to answer if you don't want to! U-Um, did you wanna draw on my body...?"

"That- That won't be necessary." She assured her. "You asked a valid question. I guess... If I'm being honest, you remind me of that person I was able to confide in. She... well, she was just like you. So I guess I just have a soft spot for you, in a way. I'm... sorry if that sounds weird to you?"

"Y-Y-You don't have to apologize. It's my fault. Ah, if you want, I could try acting different! I'm really good at pretending to be a pig..."

"I'm... not sure which idea disturbs me more, someone making you do that, or you doing it of your own free will. What's with all these... suggestions?"

"O-Obviously, I don't want to do that stuff at all, but... if it makes everyone not hate me and smile at me, then it's much better..."

"Is that why you act like this?" Maki pressed. "Because you think your only options are to be hated or ignored?"

The question caught the Nurse off guard. "I-I... Of course, I would prefer if everyone liked me, but that's impossible. Especially for someone like me... Th-That's why... it's much better for them to smile and laugh at me, right? Right now, no one is trying to hurt me, or make me do any of those things, and I'm glad, but... Wh-What if they're all ignoring me because they... really don't care about me at all!?"

"Stop it!" Maki snapped, grasping Mikan's hand in her own. Their eyes met. "Nobody's thinking that, and I won't let them! A-And... I don't want you to think like that either, okay? Please. If... If you ever feel that way again, just come find me. No matter what mood I'm in, I'll do my best to make sure you don't feel hated or ignored. I promise."

"P-P-Promise...?"

Maki wrapped her pinky finger around her's. "Mikan, do you know what this is?"

"A... pinky swear?"

"Right. So, I promise, no matter how you feel, I'll do what I can to make you feel better. It might not be much, but... it's what I have to offer."

The two girls stood in silence, Mikan unsure what to make of the display, before Maki dropped her hand and blushed. "I'm sorry. I got a little emotional there. I don't know what's coming over me, today."

"Um... if you need a checkup, I can help with that." Mikan offered. "It's basically the only thing I'm good at, anyway."

Maki smiled. "I might just take you up on that offer. For now, I'm mostly just not feeling myself, but I'll let you know the minute I start showing any symptoms."

The two enjoyed some normal conversation, at least as normal as they could get, as they arrived on the first island. When they reached the hotel grounds, they parted ways to go to their separate cottages.

When she was done with the extended farewell, Maki shut the door of her home, locked the door, and slid to the floor. She held her face in her hands.

"What the fuck am I doing...?" She muttered. "I'm not helping Mikan's problems, I'm just turning myself into a crutch for her. Just like-" She cut herself off, eyeing the surveillance camera in the corner of the room. "...Well, whatever. I guess it's like Pick Your Poison, remain dependant on abuse, or become dependant on me. Neither seems very good at a glance."

She smacked herself. "What am I saying, that's not the issue here. Why am I... getting so attached to these kids? I can't afford to become vulnerable. I can't let my guard down. If I do... If I do..." She clutched her head, the memories clearly torture for her. "No, forget about them. Leave them behind. They weren't your friends, you weren't one of them. Nobody can ever say you were. You're Maki Yugami now, a changed woman."

She slowly rose, and moved for her bed. It was hardly sundown, but she was exhausted.


I blinked slowly, rubbing the crust from my eyes. It took me a moment to gather my bearings. I was back in cottage 17, with all my stuff. I was fully-clothed, laying in bed with my blanket lazily spread over me. I reached over to my end table and found my only article that had been removed, my glasses, and shoved them on my face.

On the table in the centre of the room, Kameko chirped as she noticed my stirring. However, she wasn't the only one in the room. Chihiro stood over her bug box, passing her some leaves. He noticed me staring, and must've realized how odd it looked for me to wake up and find him in here, as he started blushing. "Oh, uh, I was just feeding-"

I raised a hand. "Don't care. Still half-asleep."

I slowly pushed myself up. I took great pleasure in stretching my muscles and working my joints. I don't think I've had such a good sleep in forever. "How long was I out?"

"Um, almost two days, I think. Sorry, did I wake you?"

I chuckled. "Not unless you can somehow purge tranquilizer out of people. No, wait... two days? The dose must've worn off a long time ago. So, if you did wake me, then thanks. I slept in a little too long." I raised my shirt and pressed it against my nose, taking a huge whiff. "Ugh, yep, that smells like two days of Albert. And Kameko."

"So... are you okay?" He asked. "You had a pretty bad freak-out before they put you to sleep."

I shuddered a bit as I recalled my last moments of consciousness. "...I had a hallucination. A bad one. Have you heard of shadow people?"

"No? But I can probably guess what that is..."

"Yeah. I saw a person who wasn't really there. It was pitch-black, whoever it was. Obviously, I know it wasn't real. I know that now. But at the time, it was so vivid... It doesn't help that my head suddenly started killing me. I... I probably should've been taking better care of myself. I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

He didn't meet my eyes. In a quiet voice, he said, "...You always say that, but you never actually do anything to fix it. Are you really sorry, or are you just saying that to get us to back off?"

I was surprised by his bluntness, and ashamed when I couldn't find an answer to his question. My eyes drifted to the floor.

"I-I'm sorry... You just woke up, you don't wanna hear this. I just... don't want another scare like that again. I wish I could do something to help. I-I'm gonna go..." He turned and headed for the door.

"No! I mean, no... No, you're right. This is my fault. There's something wrong with me. I'm my own worst enemy..." I slid off my bed and partook in a custom I wasn't entirely knowledgeable in, but was simple enough for me to understand: Bowing. I fell to my hands and knees before my friend. "I broke our promise. I know you don't have any reason to believe me, but I am sorry. I don't... I don't want to get to that point again. And I don't want you to see me like that again, either. I'll try to do better. I'll take care of myself. I'll even talk with Miaya about it or something. Just... please, don't give up on me. I'm just... I'm still trying."

I heard footsteps. Chihiro's shoes entered my field of view. I looked up, and he extended a hand down to me. I took it, and he helped pull me to my feet.

"...You've been working out." I noted.

He smiled despite our serious topic. "You should probably save that for Byakuya. Makoto made him help carry you here. And... of course I'm not giving up on you. I just want you to know that... I'm still here. That's what friends are for, right?"

"Right. Thanks. For everything." I went in for a hug, and he returned it. Hugs feel nice when you're emotionally exhausted. Especially when it's coupled with your friend letting you know he has your back. Kameko served as the sole witness to our total bro-ness (that's a word now) as I was now ready to take on the day.

Or maybe not. After a few seconds, Chihiro pushed himself away. "You're right, you do smell pretty bad."

"Yeah, I think my first task in taking care of myself should be to get a shower. And some breakfast. And a bathroom. And... You know what, just tell the others it's gonna be a hot minute before I'm in working order."

"I will. I'll, uh, leave you to it." He once again made his way to the door. "But if you break your promise again, I really will make you eat a pufferfish."

I chuckled. "Okay, Chihiro. I'll keep that in mind."

With that, I was alone with my stinkbug. She seemed fine.

I kicked my mind into gear as I went through my morning routine. Or, evening routine, I guess, since the sun was going down. Either way, there was a ton of questions I still had to answer, and with my refreshed brain, I was hoping I could see a new perspective.

Who was Maki Yugami? I didn't have a clue. Celeste believes her to be an extension of the Junko Virus, but she only has circumstantial evidence for that claim. There was never an Ultimate Criminologist enrolled at Hope's Peak Academy, which means her identity must be falsified. This is supported by Celeste's testimony, specifically that Maki has shown her tells whenever she states her own name. Maki also never appeared in canon. This is an important fact because anything that isn't canon is supposedly related to me. Which means I must've brought her here somehow. Butterfly effect might mainly deal in subtle changes, but for me to throw an entirely new person into the mix, she must've been someone I interacted with once or twice. It's a stretch, but...

As I finished dressing myself, throwing on a fresh new lab coat, I steeled my resolve. I wouldn't destroy myself like that again. I was going to find out who Maki was. The secret was hidden in my past. And there was only one person who could help me piece together the fragments of my time at Hope's Peak.

I opened the door of my cottage and stepped out into the twilight. This battle might've barely been half over, but I was determined to get through it without anymore missteps.

I, Albert Wright, was back in the game.


There we are. Maki has increased her relationships with Hiyoko and Mikan, two characters who are usually on opposing ends of tierlists (or sometimes, they meet in the middle somewhere), references her past a couple of times, and we see Albert rise from his bed. I mean, it was only a matter of time. He's a big guy, so it'd take a lot of drugs to keep him out for long, even with anime laws applied.

I've noticed that emotional moments seem to be the ones I struggle with writing the most, so I hope that Maki and Mikan's, and Albert and Chihiro's conversations didn't come off as too awkward. At the very least, I hope the spirit of their conversations were clear. I also like both parts because I managed to sneak in some small symbolism: When the sun goes down, so does Maki, but Albert chooses to rise instead. This was totally intentional and not just a coincidence because I needed Albert to wake up before people start to worry if he's gone comatose.

In the next chapter, something new will happen. Maybe Monokuma will reveal a motive or something, I dunno.