Mukuro wakes up after a surprisingly peaceful sleep from the futon on the floor. A dimmed table lamp was on as Makoto was mulling something over his computer. She rubbed her eyes as she sat up in her plain gray pajamas.

"…did I sleep in?"

He looks back at her from the glowing monitor. "Ah, no, I just happened to wake up before you. Though I think this is the first time I've ever seen you actually sleep soundly."

"Huh. You're right." She stands up and walks over to him. "Though being able to sleep at all lately has been a miracle."

"Were you even able to sleep during the killing game? I remember you always taking your food with you back to your room."

"I didn't sleep at all during that time. I…I guess I was really stressed out when it actually started."

"That would explain some things…"

The freckled woman looked over what Makoto was pondering over. It looked to be a list of familiar-sounding names with a short description under them. She scans through it and sees her own name listed among another select group of people.

Kyoko Kirigiri
Post Final Killing Game and no poison.
Her birthday is coming up soon, I should buy her a present.

Junko Enoshima
Same as during the First Killing Game, Third-Year HPA.
Where is she now?

Mukuro Ikusaba
Pre-Spears of Gungnir & also Third-Year HPA.
Do I buy two presents because of when her birthday is?

Sayaka Maizono
First-Year HPA.
Looks exactly like I remember her…

Kyosuke Munakata
A little bit younger this time.
I'm glad he has his eye back.

"Oh…you remember my birthday, Naegi-kun?"

"Well it's not easy to forget. The day before Christmas."

"Either way, I'm glad you remembered." She gives him a small smile. "What is this list for?"

"I was trying to figure out whether there was a pattern to how we all ended up in this reality. The survivors of Class 78 ended up as old as I remembered. Students of both classes in Year 77 look like they're back before the Tragedy like the dead members of Class 78…" Makoto rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I'm not sure about Hinata-san. There's been no sign of him anywhere. But as far as I can see, most of the people I've run into were 'reset' before your sister's plan went into action."

"But Junko-chan and I look like we were when the Killing Game started."

"Yeah. I would've expected you two to also be with Class 78 if anything."

"Maybe whatever happened wasn't perfected."

"Makes sense. It's not like I'd would fully grasp time travel or parallel universes, even if I were an expert in theoretical physics. But…"

Mukuro looked at him expectantly. "But?"

"Well, something's been bothering me for a while. It's when we found you."

"Oh?"

"If someone was trying to keep you there, they would've tried to bring you back. I don't think you were being kept prisoner there."

"Then what did they want to do with me?"

"I wish I knew, Ikusaba-san." A small frown showed up on the former lucky student's face. "But there were a lot of Monokumas and a strange robot I never saw before guarding where you were. At least that's what I think they were doing…"

Mukuro tilted her head slightly. "Where did the robots go?"

"They all disappeared when I got you out from the control room."

"Because of me, huh…"

Makoto leans back on his desk chair. "Yeah. They definitely were real and there. But there wasn't a sign of any of them when we were leaving. In fact, it looked like the Killing Game in there before I got to you. But then when we were leaving, everything started going back to normal."

"I wish I could help you out with this. This is all over my head."

"Me either." He laughs slightly. "But you helped plenty. I needed someone to bounce off my thoughts with. I might have come up with an answer, but I need more evidence."

"Glad to help, Naegi-kun."

"Ah, well, it's gonna be another long day today at HPA. Better load up on breakfast." He stands up and walks over to the kitchenette.

"Let me help you." Mukuro smiles with a gentle warmth.

Despite her bright attitude at the beginning, the freckled SHSL Soldier looked dejected as they arrived back at the Class 78 homeroom.

"Seriously, it's okay! Don't beat yourself up over it."

"B…But I burned the egg and the rice and…"

"Don't worry. Everyone has to start somewhere."

"I could've burned the whole flat down, Naegi-kun."

"Th-That's why I stopped you. Don't worry. You'll figure out cooking in no time. You just need to be more patient."

She sighs. "Okay. Next time for sure."

"They told you where to go, right?"

Mukuro nods. "I'll keep an eye out for my sister."

"Don't let them do anything weird, okay?"

"Okay. I'll see you later." She turns as her expression hardens for another grueling day of observation by the Hope's Peak researchers. Makoto watches as she walks off for a while after sighing to himself.

A soft feminine voice calls from behind him. "Good morning, Naegi-sensei."

He turns around and sees Sayaka with a smile. "Oh, good morning Maizono-san. Right on time."

"Ah, yes. I must be lucky today. Was that another student?"

"Oh, erm…sort of. The researchers say that she has a talent and want to study it. She's an old friend of mine."

"She didn't seem like your younger sister. She sounds like a childhood friend now that I think of it." Sayaka looks up with a thoughtful expression. "But it sounds as if you two were living with each other."

"Well…we are. She's been staying at my place for the past week or so."

"Goodness, Naegi-sensei. I didn't think you were that type of guy."

"Um. Wait, what?"

She giggles. "Ah. You needn't worry about it too much. Just a joke."

"R-Right…"

Makoto opens the door to the classroom as the other students look at both of them enter the room. The SHSL Idol takes her seat in the middle of the room while the substitute teacher makes his way over to the podium.

"It's the middle of the week so it's the one-hour weekly homeroom, hm…" He taps his chin. Kiyotaka raises his hand. "Yes, Ishimaru-san?"

"Naegi-sensei! I am looking forward to your lecture on our futures!"

"Er…" Makoto shook his head. "A lecture? Did you guys get in trouble?"

"Well, no, but it is a homeroom advisor's job to guide his students is it not?"

"Maybe in a normal high school, sure. But they kinda gave you a career path to stick to with your publicly listed talent, didn't they?"

Kiyotaka pondered for a few moments. "I…I suppose you're correct. Indeed, our SHSL titles do contain what society wishes for us to be."

"I certainly don't envy it."

Leon huffs. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Playing baseball forever. I mean, it's my talent and all but maybe I wanna do other things too! Right, sensei?"

The young adult Naegi smiles. "As for myself, I've been lucky enough to have been a lot of things in my short life. I suppose I'm satisfied with what I've accomplished so far and I'll accomplish more things in the future."

Chihiro looked impressed. "W-Wow…that confidence..."

"It's just faith, Fujisaki-san. I've failed a lot in my life, too. But as long as I'm alive, I can always put the effort in to make the next day better."

The SHSL Programmer gave a blank and dazed look. Celestia broke the silence with a small, somewhat threatening giggle.

"Well, then, Naegi-san. Since you are so hopeful, would you like to play a game of chance?"

"I'm very sure I can't wager money with a student. Even if that student is the SHSL Gambler."

"Ah. Of course." A small polite smile forms on her lips. "You are somehow very mysterious. If I win this game, you will submit to our questions for the entire period. And you will answer them all truthfully."

A small bead of sweat dropped from Makoto's forehead. "And if I win?"

"I suppose I can loan you my manservant, Yamada-kun."

"Er…" The teacher sighed. "I don't think I want a student as a servant, Ludenberg-san."

Celestia laughed with haughtiness. "I do not blame you."

"Celestia Ludenberg-dono!" Hifumi looked shocked. "Please, the only one I would serve is you!"

"Quiet, fool!" As if her words were the snap of a rose whip, Hifumi immediately shut his mouth. Makoto couldn't suppress his look of pity for the SHSL Doujin Artist.

"Well, the wagers should be somewhat identical, so if I win then you have to answer my questions about you truthfully Celestia Ludenberg."

An immediate look of shock appeared on the Gothic Lolita's face as the substitute homeroom advisor made no effort to show he knew something was wrong with her name. She snapped back to her composed self and then gave her most disarming, polite and close-lipped smile.

"Very well, I accept your terms."

Makoto immediately knew that smile was no good. Even if he wasn't her classmate previously, he was able to see through her masquerade as the "Queen of Lies."

"So, what are we playing?"

"I would have suggested mahjong, but I did not bring my set today. Perhaps it was your own devil's luck that prevented this. After all, I did win a half-insane billionaire's game of Russian roulette mahjong."

The class went completely silent at her boast. Some of the students' faces revealed they knew what exactly Russian roulette was.

"Well I've never played mahjong before, so it was probably for the best. How about a western classic? Poker."

"Very well." She uses some sleight-of-hand and reveals a deck of cards hidden on her person. She shuffles the cards for all to see. Ironically for someone who gambled with his life so recklessly, Makoto was never really a gambler in the traditional sense. He was watching her face and she seemed extremely confidence that she didn't bother to look over the way she was shuffling said deck.

Despite her looking down on him, it was going to be a fair game. Makoto stood across from her at her desk with the rest of the class watching in anticipation. She deals the cards evenly between them both and looks at her hand. Discarding two cards, she picks them up from the desk with class and simply waits for Naegi's move.

The former SHSL Lucky Student looked at her for a few moments even though her poker face would reveal no tells. He smiles and discards his entire hand, shocking the gambler for a few moments. Even though it was an extremely stupid and illogical move, Makoto just picked up a new hand from the cards.

Celestia smirked as she revealed a straight flush of clubs. Her hands were under her chin as she smiled. She knew the mathematical odds of beating her hand were astronomically small. After all, gambling was heavily reliant on luck but required a little bit of strategy. Makoto began laying down his hand card-by-card. A shocked expression only grew angrier as he revealed his royal flush of diamonds.

While the SHSL Gambler was astonished and appalled at the results, the substitute teacher mused in his how if he had lost it may have put the students in grave danger from what they would find out. After all, Makoto was a never good liar – the only way he mitigated this fact these days was to tell certain parts of the truth. But even with a small amount of information, some of the students could piece together the facts. He decided to go all in on his unwavering hope that the current members of Class 78 wouldn't have to find out about their alternate incarnations' deaths.

"Th…this is…" The Europhile was at a loss for words.

Mondo catcalled the results. "Damn. Devil's luck, huh."

Her famous temper welled up in her face, but she sighed in defeat. The results spoke for themselves – after all, she was the one who shuffled the deck. While she found him somewhat interesting, she wouldn't lose something she took pride in on purpose.

Finally bringing back her calmed expression back, she simply said, "It seems I have lost." She looked down. "Very well, you may ask your questions."

"I'll hold you to that, then. When we can talk in private."

Celestia's expression switched over to bewilderment. She had lost in a game of chance and yet she was being shown some sort of mercy. After all, Makoto was not the first one to have hinted that her name may be fake along with many portions of her own personal life she was willing to reveal. She just studied the face of the former SHSL Lucky Student who returned over to the classroom podium.

"Well, that was pretty fun. Was that all Ludenberg-san's idea?"

The other students snapped their attention back to him. Mondo rubbed the back of his neck. "Er…well…we figured it'd be a good idea to learn more about you. Though I didn't think your luck was like that."

Chihiro nodded. "Mmhm. I wasn't expecting Ludenberg-san to lose in a game of chance."

"Yes, but it certain makes him more mysterious, doesn't it? The wise old sage with a checkered past, here to right his wrongs by teaching the future!" Hifumi looked extremely proud of his genre savvy.

"I'm barely in my twenties, guys!" Makoto raised an eyebrow. "Also don't get ahead of yourselves. I'm not exactly your regular advisor. Hell, I'm not even qualified to be a teacher." A sigh escapes his lips.

Sakura crossed her arms at her desk. "Perhaps credential-wise. But your personality and practical knowledge make you seem very well-suited for the task. I suspect if you learned martial arts you would make an excellent instructor."

"I…suppose I'll take your word for it. Thank you. How has your afternoon training been?"

"Hina-san is an excellent motivator and instructor. I have always been seeking to reach the pinnacle of human strength, and she is certainly accelerating my progress. I am thankful."

"That's good. There's not a lot of people willing to spar with you, so…"

"Indeed. Intimidation has always been an issue." The SHSL Martial Artist sighs. "And the only two who are potentially strong enough will not spar in any circumstance."

Kiyotaka, in his perfect posture simply answered, "I mustn't allow violence to spread. Especially after what happened earlier this week. It is a responsibility we all bear as Hope's Peak students!"

"And I don't wanna fight a chick. Even you, Ogami. I ain't about to throw away my morals for it."

Sakura looks over to them. "Both very respectable reasons, albeit disappointing."

"Anyway, try not to rely too much on dirty tricks. You can't force someone to open up, you know." Makoto scanned the room as he addressed them. "There aren't any reliable shortcuts to getting close to people. No matter how charming you are."

Sayaka gives a sad smile. "That sounds like it comes from experience."

He looks back at her. "You can start to understand and bond with someone in a few days, but you can't really foster true trust between each other unless you really put the effort in."

In Makoto's thoughts he added an addendum. Or find yourselves in a life or death situation.

"I…guess that's my lecture for the day. Haha, and here I was saying I wouldn't give one."

Leon leaned back. "It's pretty good advice. You just dish 'em out huh?"

The bell finally rings, being heard throughout the academy.

"Anyway." Makoto started to walk away from the podium. "Have a good day, everyone. It's all about effort. Remember that."

Class 78 wished him well as he left the classroom.

Arriving in front of Kyoko's temporary office, he knocks a few times. There is no response. He tries to open the door but it is locked tight. More than likely, she was involved in some nonsense dealing with the headmaster. Defeated for now, Makoto leaves the administration building. Thinking of Mukuro now, he realized that he had no idea where her observation was at. The last thing he needed was to inadvertently show up in the middle of a firing range while live ammunition was being fired into targets. His thoughts then moved onto his former Future Foundation peers. He did not run into Kyosuke nor Juzo in the building and Chisa was most likely actually teaching some classes since she was a regular teacher on the payroll of the academy. Loitering on the premises was probably not a good idea either with how high alert the campus was due to recent events.

Not willing to hide away in some random classroom or office, he opts to continue with his own investigation. Looking around as he moves toward the North Quadrant, he eventually makes his way to the old school building. He checks the front doors and tries to open them. They're mysteriously unlocked. Makoto wonders if Kyoko is inside.

The building is still dusty and relatively untouched from when he was last in there. He closes the door behind him and begins his own search. None of the Monokumas are around, nor is any of the wreckage from last week. In fact, aside from the footprints implanted against the caked dust, it was as if nothing happened inside the building. Lacking Kyoko's key, he moves to find the staircases. They're all present as he remembers them. The only things he hears are his own footsteps – unlike in the game footage that he watched, neither during the killing game nor here did he have music to accompany him. He acknowledged the strange thought, somewhat bitterly laughing at himself that funky accompanying tracks would have possibly lessened the tension he felt every day back then.

Makoto eventually reaches the fourth floor. The windows and walls look normal – he remembered that the strange killing game-like look started to disappear when they were leaving. As he comes closer to the Data Processing Room, he accidentally kicks against a loose chunk of scrap. He looks over and sees the door still broken from the fight. Moving into the room, the Monokuma-colored doors were still parted open from his actions earlier. He continued inside and saw that the monitors weren't on anymore. It was just dark inside.

The inquisitive lucky teacher takes a seat at the mastermind's chair. Both despair sisters sat in this chair and it felt…uncomfortable. Not only in a figurative sense, but also in a literal one. Most likely for Junko's despair. He looks over the system to see if he can get it working or even just turned back on. As he continues to fiddle with the Monokuma mainframe, the chair is forcefully turned around and he looks up at the reason behind it.

A white, toothy, and Cheshire grin amongst the darkness.

"Enoshima?"

A sudden movement causes him to close his eyes in reflex. This would be the third time she's ambushed him – both times previously she knocked him out. After a few moments, he realizes he's still conscious as he opens his eyes again. Unfortunately, the person who disturbed his investigation was currently sitting on his lap, leaning across and looking down at him with a goofy and cutesy look.

"Aw, did you miss me that much Naegi-kun? Here I was, actually busy, and you actually came out all on your own!"

"W-Were you hiding out here?"

"No, stupid!" Her goofy look went to a more sinister smirk. "This would literally be the first place to look. I just happened to follow you here."

"How did you not get caught?!"

Junko flicks him on the forehead. "Oh, I don't know. How does the mastermind of The Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic Event in Human History manage to not get caught by an angry monkey and his blind idiot lackeys?" She giggles. "The fact that Kiri-iri-giri is so wrapped up in crap because she's the daughter of the headmaster really made it a whole lot easier to move around!"

"Ghk!" Makoto just grit his teeth while Junko caressed his face.

The former SHSL Fashion Girl just started poking at the unlucky Naegi's face. "Trying to get the Monokumas up and running? The system's disconnected. I mean, even if you turned it on, nothing would show up! Did you forget that there aren't any cameras around? Sounds like you came here for nothing. Such des-pair!"

He responded by narrowing his eyes. "That's not why I'm here."

"Oh? What were you hoping to find out from this thing? It's just there."

"That's the issue. It shouldn't be here. But it still is. Everything else is 'normal' but this area."

She simply rolls her eyes and huffs. "Geez, you shouldn't bother yourself with such boooring things! Especially when you have the despairingly perfect Junko Enoshima on your lap."

Makoto refused to respond to that, but Junko continued. "Gosh. Fine. I guess I can teach you something." She pats his head while he winces in response.

"The last time you tried to 'teach' me something, you were about to execute me! What was that all about?"

"Oh, the sex ed thing? I mean, it was supposed to be purple girl's execution you know. But I'm sure you needed the lesson too."

"No I didn't!"

"My analysis says you might need it. Perhaps…?"

"No way!"

She sticks her tongue out at him. "Anyway, you didn't piece it together? I thought you were smarter than that!"

"Piece what together?"

"Ah, ah." She wags her finger in front of his face. "A lesson will cost you. Can't let you take advantage of a lady like me, you know?"

It was like a frog was lodged in his throat, but he managed to sound the words out. "And…the cost?"

"Oh, I'll just redeem it after you're done with your little stint here. Deal?"

Making a deal with the devil was never advised. But Makoto needed a lead. He looked away for a moment. "Fine. Just don't…make me regret this."

He immediately regretted his actions as she simply started hugging the life out of him as she rejoiced.

"W-Wait, stop! I…I can't breathe!" His voice was muffed by whatever he was pressed against in the darkness.

"Oh, hush you. You're getting the privilege to be smothered by a goddess' bust!"

"Your WHAT?!"

"Shhhh…just embrace the despair…"

Perhaps Makoto was the only one in the world who didn't completely enjoy this situation – for good reason of course. Junko obviously knew this. She finally let him free after a minute or so with him blushing and trying to breathe. His hair was a mess, considering she kept stroking it as she pulled him into her "despair."

"Wow. Kiri really rubbed off on you. So averse to affection! It's really amusing."

"That's not it at all and you know it!"

"Aa~anyway. Think about it this way. Picture a drain in a bathtub full of water. Or maybe champagne? Everything around the drain will get sucked down first, right?"

"Okay."

"So let's say the bathtub was Hope's Peak Academy. Did you see a few things out there that were out of place?"

He immediately thought of the daisies. They were small in number, but they were there all the same. Those flowers were not there in the original HPA, but definitely in his rebuilt version of it. "Yeah. I did."

"But most things are just like they were before The Tragedy, right?"

"They are, yes."

"But here, you clearly see things out of place. The master control room. A huge chunk of the remains of Monokumasect. Pretty fishy, right?"

The gears began turning in his head. "So…Mukuro was some kind of…drain?"

"Well, she is a draining person to be around."

"Could you not?"

"Sheesh. So protective of your smelly wolf cub." She continues to look straight at him with her neutral expression. "She's not quite a drain, but more of a magnetic anchor."

"How exactly could she be an anchor?"

"The same reason you or me could be anchors. Multiverse theory operates on the idea that everyone's choices create nearly infinite alternate realities. But if we were to think that way, how could we tell them apart when many choices are inconsequential?"

Makoto simply looks at her while she lectures.

"What if we turned that thinking around and only counted individuals and decisions that could drastically change the outcome of an entire world? I mean, it's pretty obvious your average Joe isn't gonna change anything about The Tragedy or me trashing the whole damn place in general."

"So you're saying…like…if I had stopped you from going through with The Tragedy somehow…"

She smirks. "Or if I made you finally fall into the purest, ultimate despair."

"As if!"

"What? Isn't it natural to want your lover to become a little more ideal?"

"Lover? Since when?!"

There was a short and tense stare between them. Junko was reveling in being the sole target of his attention. The circumstances disallowed anything else to be.

Makoto suddenly remembered. Danganronpa IF.

"Maybe if Ikusaba-san were to rebel against you somehow..."

"Yes, my disappointing sister had that potential. Being betrayed by your own flesh and blood! That would've been interesting, even though the chance of it happening was astronomically low in the first place. How sad."

With a pondering expression, he ignored the last half of her statement and continued. "So whoever was responsible is most likely someone else who could be an anchor. And they managed to figure out how to pull stuff from different realities into this one using someone else as that anchor."

"Bingo! Not bad. Looks like you aren't a lost cause after all. Not like your beloved detective chick could ever come to that conclusion after all. She's too rigid in facts and logic." Her face lets out a silly expression with her tongue out. "Sometimes you have to be a bit more flexible. And amazingly perfect like me, of course."

Makoto rolled his eyes and sighed. "Are we done here?"

Junko just snuggled into his neck. "Nope! Never! I don't wanna!"

"Enoshima…"

"Are you sure, Naegi-kun? You're not exactly trying to push me away with all your might, you know. You try to act like a grumpy adult, but you really like being spoiled deep down."

"Seriously…I can't exactly stay here with you all day!"

"True. Annoying and boring people will show up eventually. Fi~i~ine. I'll let you go for now. You'll be coming back to me anyway." She smiles and kisses him on the cheek. "Thanks for the date, Ma-ko-to."

"D-Date?!"

She twirls her hair as she bashfully blushes. "Yeah, being in a creepy abandoned building while hugging and kissing the SHSL Hope. It's so gross! I loved it. You really know how to show a SHSL Despair a terrible time."

"I…may have to invest in a translator for you…because you barely made sense."

"Pshh. You act like you don't get it, but I know that you know what I mean. Besides, you did owe me a date since you stood me up that one night."

"I wish I didn't understand."

"Was that your hope, Makoto? Ooh, it's so nice to say your name like that."

"I don't like where this is going."

"For now." She finally stands up from his lap. "…for now."

Junko grabs Makoto by his hand and almost drags him out back into the sunlight singlehandedly. He could finally get a better look at what she looked like – her "normally" pink hair tied in a ponytail while dressed in a white office skirt with a black blouse opened to show her assets. She somehow was able to walk in heels without making a loud noise every time she took a step.

"L-Let me guess. You learned to be quiet from the SHSL Secret Agent."

"Yeah, well, might as well get something from that weirdo. Hah, the bread boy is a dead boy and by the same guy no less."

"Seriously, stop that!"

"Aww… trying to defend someone you didn't even know. That's so like you!"

"A-Anyway, how'd you re-dye your hair so quickly?"

"Who said I was using hair dye when I decided to run around as Ryoko for a day? Wigs, Makoto! Wigs! Did you forget that I was the SHSL Fashion Girl? I know damn well how to change my appearance."

Junko pushed open the doors back on the ground floor and took a deep breath. "Ugh. It's so peaceful and nice."

"Yeah. It is." He gives her a strained look. "I'm just glad that you're…behaving…I guess."

"Oh? Actual, genuine praise? Hummmm…" Her face goes to her neutral, emotionless state. "Here I was waiting for you to declare how you won't let me bring the world to ruin again."

"That goes without saying but…well, compared to what you were like…this wasn't all that bad."

Her face shows her trademark disgusted shock. "Hey, stop that! You're making this into some sappy moment. Ugh! It makes me want to puke!"

"The positivity won't kill you, Enoshima."

"Hah!" She gives off her genuine smile. "Can't let you gain too much ground on me. See you around, lover."

Makoto finally found a brief respite during lunch period, eating a pork bun while on the move. His little adventure into the old school building went long enough where it actually cut into it, not letting him even enjoy a meal while sitting. Finding himself back in the East Quadrant, he was moving back toward the administration building until he ran into the SHSL Gambler.

"Ah, Naegi-sensei."

He was a little shocked that she started to refer to him with respect. "Ah, Ludenberg-san. Headed toward your lab?"

"Yes. Though it is a bit hard to quantify the luck side of my talent. I doubt my assigned researcher will be in today. He mentioned something about studying a transfer student today."

"Oh, I see. Then maybe we can have that talk now?"

Celestia curtsied. "Well, I suppose there is no time like the present. Shall we?"

Makoto nodded and followed her to the Gambling and Luck laboratory. There were various chance-based activities around the room. The Victorian-esque teen looks pleased they're the only ones in the room. "Ah, good. There will be no irritating distractions today."

The former SHSL Lucky Student, however, was disappointed. He was hoping that he would run into Nagito today in order to do some questioning to him as well. The SHSL Luckster of Class 76 was also notably missing.

"Do the people you share your lab with not show up often?"

"As I mentioned previously, it is extremely hard to quantify luck. Perhaps they show up once and week for a check – possibly to see if luck can fluctuate naturally. Some luck is more dangerous than others." She shifts her eyes over to a burnt spot in the corner of the room. Celestia takes a seat in the middle of the room, some various types of dice scattered around it. Makoto takes his own seat across from her.

She smiles politely. A dangerous smile. "I've been able to mentally prepare myself for this. Go ahead."

"I've heard an interesting rumor about you. You apparently really enjoy gyoza."

A surprised look on her face showed up. She was most likely expecting hard hitting questions out of the gate. "Well, I cannot deny that. There's something enjoyable about its base vulgarity."

"Though you claim to be of European ancestry."

"Is there something wrong about enjoying Japanese cuisine?"

"Well gyoza is a working class food. I should know. I've eaten it a lot myself."

The phrase "working class" seemed to illicit a stir of emotions from her. She regains her composure while darting her eyes to the right. "I—I suppose you are correct. We all have our guilty pleasures."

"Is it really that guilty? It's just food. If something tastes good, then it's good right?"

"The only way true flavor is reached is by using high-quality and fresh ingredients. Gyoza tends to not use either."

"Well you can obviously make high-class gyoza but it remains gyoza all the same right?"

Celestia slowly realizes that she immediately fell for his trap. She prepared a ton of answers in preparation for any horrible question Makoto might have had. Especially ones regarding her name. She had grossly underestimated his intelligence as she had the assumption that he was a lucky idiot – casually tossing away your entire hand was a stupid move no matter how you painted it. Her pool of potential answers was quickly drying out into a shallow puddle.

She became angry, nearly jumped out of her seat and pointed her metallic-covered finger at him. "Your idiotic questions are illogical and nonsensical! I thought you wanted to learn the truth, not about my eating habits!"

Makoto immediately realized he struck gold. She was struggling to keep her dignified prose and almost slipped into the impolite language. Something she was doing while being cornered during her own trial. Despite a sharp potential weapon being pointed in his face, he remained unphased.

Mentally apologizing to her before continuing his onslaught, he smirks. "Am I really that scary, Ludenberg-san?"

"You bastard! You act as if you know me… moron!"

"I understand that you're supposed to be the 'Queen of Lies' but it seems all that lying made you forget how to tell the truth."

"Gh-! Just who are you, Makoto Naegi?!"

He stands from his seat and points his own finger back at her, as if he was back in his trial days. "You thought you could lie out of my questions. Mentally preparing your own answers for anything I could possibly ask while taking me to a comfortable location where you were normally in control."

She falls back onto her chair, some sweat dripping from her face slightly smudging her makeup.

"Damn…you're intense, you know that, Naegi?"

It seems he had finally cut through Celestia Ludenberg and reached Taeko Yasuhiro. For the moment, anyway.

"You like gyoza even though it reminds you of who you really are. I realized that in our short conversation."

She looks down as he doesn't let up. "Yeah, but who the hell wants to be a loser? I want to be a black and white wedding cake, not damn gyoza!"

"Taeko Yasuhiro, right?"

The SHSL Gambler looks up at him with shock in her eyes. It was like the final blow of his argument. "H-How…how the hell do you know that name?!"

"I'm a reporter by trade, remember. I tend to run into a lot of information."

"So then what was the point of all this? It's like you already knew."

"I wanted to get to know Yasuhiro-san. The one forgotten by Celestia Ludenberg."

Taeko was speechless. She had thought he had pinned him down as an insanely deceptive mastermind, one she could actually learn from and overcome, but he quickly steered into something else. Something even more interesting.

"What's there to know? I'm just some working-class gyoza wanting to dress up as a beautiful cake. That's it. It's boring, sad and awful."

"I mean, you may have fooled yourself, but I think she shares some of the same dreams as Celestia does. After all, you wouldn't have gone so far with this charade if it wasn't at least genuine on some level."

"My dreams, huh…yeah. I've always hated being plain and boring Taeko." She continued looking straight at him. "So Celestia's me, but way more aggressive. You gotta take life by the horns to get anywhere in life."

"I think that aggressiveness was always there. But when you're trying to compensate for your own weaknesses more than necessary, you might go overboard. Even do something you could never take back."

His words seemed to cause her some thought, taking them to heart. Briefly scanning the look on her face he was able to tell that she went back to being Celestia Ludenberg.

"That is an interesting point, Naegi-sensei." She still looked at him warily. "Hmph. I had considered something briefly due to how interesting you are."

"Considered for what?"

"To become a B-Rank. However, you are quite unruly and dangerous so I sadly must leave you at C-Rank."

Makoto waved it off. "That's fine. Do you mind treating Yamada-san a little kinder? He seems to be trying his best."

Quickly snapping back to Taeko she only responded with, "Not on your life."

The end of the day quickly approached and the class simply looked at Celestia and Makoto as they walked in around the same time for the closing homeroom.

"Ah, Ludenberg-san." Sayaka looked straight at her. "It seems you're quite happy today."

Celestia responds with her trademark polite smile. "Yes, well, Naegi-sensei is quite the conversationalist."

Leon's eyes widened. "Holy damn. Seriously? You even got her of all people to play nice? What kind of crazy voodoo magic you got man?"

"I'm sorry, Kuwata-san. What exactly did you mean by that?" A dangerous aura was around the SHSL Gambler.

Makoto stepped in between them. "Hey, let's not fight. It's already the end of the school day."

"Ah." The Gothic Lolita backed down first. "Very well. You are correct. I should not ruin a pleasant day like this."

The class was continued to be shocked at Celestia's immediate response to not escalate the conflict further. Hifumi looked with confusion and a bit of envy from his end.

Makoto walked over back to the podium. "So they've scheduled all your practical exams for Saturday. Well, you guys are the youngest class so I guess it makes sense. Gives you all the most time to prepare for them."

Mondo, Sayaka, Leon, and Celestia all brim with confidence. It gave some small comfort to Makoto's heart, he wasn't sure if his interactions were the reason why they were able to focus on their upcoming exams but if they were any part responsible for their new outlook, he was glad. He noticed that Chihiro looked to be skittish, perhaps pondering something to himself, Kiyotaka was giving him his full attention, Sakura looked to be meditating and Hifumi was looking at both Celeste and Makoto.

The bell finally rings, closing out classes for the day. "Alright. You heard the bell. Get ready for those exams, but don't forget to take care of yourselves."

Class 78 empty out the room while Makoto just leans forward on the podium. Between wondering where Kyoko gone, how Mukuro's observations went, Junko's machinations, what he figured out about the nature of the world, and worrying about Class 78's practical exams – there was no rest for the unlucky Makoto Naegi.

"Naegi-kun?"

He snapped out of his own thoughts and looked over. "Oh, Ikusaba-san. How did it go today?"

"The only things they didn't have were high explosive weapons."

"So I take it they were impressed?"

"Mmhm. They wanted to test my mental faculties next."

"O-Oh. Does that include a psychological evaluation?"

"Doubtful. That wouldn't really help their research."

"Well, it was a pretty long day for you. Wanna stop by Apricot with me and get a bite to eat?"

"I'd love to."

He walks past her while she taps his shoulder.

"Something wrong?"

"Naegi-kun, I can smell my sisters' perfume on you."

He had forgotten about that.

"Yeah, well, she found me again. But I'm fine."

Mukuro just kept her worried look on her. "What is she trying to do with you?"

"If I had a definite answer, I'd let you all know. Believe me."

"I know. But you shouldn't be so reckless."

"Haha…you're not the first one to tell me that. And I hope you won't be the last."

She stuck close to him until they left campus.

ANote

BlackCapPI: You know, I just realized something.

Shirokuma: oh?

BlackCapPI: Well… isn't Hope's Peak Academy a 3-year program?

Shirokuma: i believe so.

BlackCapPI: But you have to be attending a high school in order to be scouted.

Shirokuma: yeah, that's right

BlackCapPI: So if you went to HPA, you'd have been in high school for at least 4 years.

Shirokuma: well, just think of it this way. if and when you graduate from HPA, you are set for life. theres no need to go to college or anything, you just go and live your dreams out right away!

BlackCapPI: I suppose that makes sense. But what about the rest of us? We have to go to university or vocational school to get anywhere in life.

Shirokuma: it's so stressful isn't it? even if you don't wanna go to college in japan, your school life is still based around it. but maybe you and me can be SHSL students somehow…

BlackCapPI: You think? I don't think I was born with any SHSL talent.

Shirokuma: you don't have to be born with it, just look at ishimaru-san! he became SHSL because he was super hardworking.

BlackCapPI: Makes sense. Though I'm still a little hesitant.

Shirokuma: have some hope in your life for once! don't wallow in despair!

BlackCapPI: Are you being sarcastic?

Shirokuma: perhaps, but it's still good advice.