Makoto would occasionally get strange dreams. Thankfully it didn't mean he was suddenly afflicted with sickness. He figured it was a part of his imagination most of the time. Right now all he could see was the ocean. The sun, he assumed due to light, was right above him. He felt himself diving toward the darkness and extended his hand toward something. A hand came out from the overwhelming dark and grabbed his own. He tried pulling it up, but the hand kept pulling him down.

In the end neither side made any progress. At least that was what it looked like. He kept gripping onto the hand for dear life, but felt himself starting to float toward the top.

Eventually the ocean disappeared from his vision and he woke up to actual darkness. The bed he was in wasn't very comfortable, considering it was formerly a military vessel commandeered by the Future Foundation. Makoto could make out a figure off to his left. A figure stood there, watching him sleep. He could see the glint of steel near him. His eyes suddenly jolted open and he was about to scream out.

That is until the figure wrapped herself around him, causing his yell to be muffled.

"Goooood morning!"

"J-Junko, I thought you…"

"Thought I was going to try and stab you again, huh? Aw, that hurts! Why would I try doing that again?"

"Why are you in my room?!"

"Oh you know, I just got sooooooo lonely. Besides, it's not like you're pushing me away!"

"You're wrapped tight around me! It kinda hurts…"

"And they said Maizono was a snake. Upupupupu."

"Could you not crush me to death? I'd really appreciate it."

"Why not? Can't bear my hug, Makoto?"

"N-Now it's just even more painful."

Junko giggled without a care in the world.

"Would it kill you to be a little more considerate?"

"It just might, you know. Who knows how my body will react to such disgusting positivity?"

Makoto could only sigh in response. The pressure from her embrace shortened the length of it as he had to breathe in immediately after starting. Clearing his throat, he looked over at her as she refused to let go.

"Let me go back to sleep."

"Hush. It's really been forever since we've been together all alone."

"It's literally only been a few days!"

"See? An eternity. E-ter-nit-y." She buried her face into his neck. "Outside of sinking it, there's barely anything to do on this boring ass ship!"

"Hey!"

"Oh come on. We could probably swim the rest of the way! We'd be all separated. A perfect start to an island vacation, right?"

"It's not a deserted island."

"True. But Jabberwock Island is pretty big."

Realizing what she meant by this he groaned and moved his head away from her. Junko pouted as she moved her face back to where it was on him after she adjusted herself.

"So, when are you choosing, huh?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't be cooooy. When are you going to announce that you're my boyfriend?!"

"Huh? Since when?"

"It's fated, you know!" She whispers into his ears. "All paths lead back to me."

"You're just being overdramatic again."

"No, no. Think about it. In the normal sequence of events, you'd probably finally settle down with Kirigiri and have…ick…a peaceful, happy life. Or maybe if Mukuro decided to actually betray me, you'd be all in awe of her! Maybe even fall in love. But here…"

She pokes his cheek. "I'm right here."

"How's that supposed to change things?"

"Aren't you at least a little curious?" She smiles, sickly sweet. "Or are you that cynical now?"

"I'm not cynical at all. It's just…as you are now, how could I even feel that way?"

Her face falls to a neutral, emotionless look. "What? I'm still hot. Hell, I'll probably become even hotter as time goes on! Oh, pff. Here we go. The whole, 'but your personality' spiel."

"Am I wrong about that?"

"Didn't have fun the past couple of weeks, Makoto?"

"…I guess I did have some fun. Aside from the times I could've died."

"See? And honestly, I've had a ton of fun too."

"Really? I thought you'd got bored already."

She laughs loudly. "Me too! Seems like you keep subverting my expectations."

Makoto sighed again while she continued her laugh.

"Ah, maybe if you were more willing to stop being such a bore before, we could've had so much fun together!"

He closed his eyes. "I don't really think about that sort of thing. The past is past."

"Look at you. Trying to sound so cool!" She starts giggling as she hugs tighter. "And the worst part is…you really do believe everything you say."

His eyes open again and he sees that she's moved on top of him.

"Ack!"

Her face looked as if she's in expectant ecstasy. "Maybe it's finally time for a body to be discovered!"

"N-No! I decline!"

"You sure, Ma-ko-to? You don't have to be so scared." She learned forward, moving her face close to his.

"I'm pretty sure!" The panic in his voice couldn't be contained. "Thanks, but no thanks!"

"Awww…" Junko placed her hand on his chest. "That's a shame."

She made no further movements, only opting to embrace him while on top of him. Despite receiving a brief respite from her advances, he felt a bit more on edge.

"Please. Were you expecting me to push further?"

"Sort of."

"I'm not trying to get you to hate me."

"Junko…"

"But trust me, it's really taking a lot."

One last defeated sigh came from Makoto. He decided to try and get some more sleep despite the extra occupant in his bed.

Hajime found himself enjoying the sun beaming down on him as he sat on the railing on the deck. The ocean was a deep blue, he could see birds flying past them as ship continued to sail toward its destination. He could see Jabberwock Island slowly start to come into view as the day began proper. Chiaki and Nagito both arrived topside and he raised his hand momentarily to them. They both walked over.

"Hey hey. Good morning, Hinata-kun."

"Morning to you two."

Chiaki looked slightly worried. "Were you able to sleep at all?"

"Better than the other nights. Keeping an eye on Enoshima is really a headache."

"Hm." Nagito crossed his arms. "I still do not understand why we tolerate her existence. The fact that she continues to bother Naegi-san is also concerning. She should be dead."

"Well, the bad news is that woman is definitely Junko Enoshima in the flesh." Hajime responded. "But considering her own class has refused to dispose of her, I don't think we really have any right to decide whether she dies or not. After all, those guys don't have blood on their hands like we do."

Chiaki puffed up her cheeks as she began processing her thoughts, placing her finger on her chin. "Um…well, we shouldn't really be killing anyone in the first place. I guess."

Nagito smiled. "Then perhaps an unfortunate accident?"

"You're starting to sound like a yakuza, Komaeda." Hajime sighed. "Don't. She's not our biggest worry right now. Besides, brainstorming between Kirigiri-san and that crazy bitch – I think I've managed to make some headway here."

"Oh? What were you able to figure out?"

"This whole thing is messy. I mean, theoretical physics is messy enough already. Definitely wouldn't work one-hundred percent of the time. Every story where someone succeeds at time travelling or changing dimensions there's probably one-hundred thousand times more failures."

Chiaki nods. "So that means it has to be someone who's not afraid of failure."

"Yeah." Hajime sifted his eyes between his two friends. "Someone who's smart enough to realize what's going on and isn't afraid of failures."

"It sounds like this certain someone must be talented. But…have you figured out the reason behind the formation of this strange place?"

"I doubt we're dealing with some sort of omnipotent god or something like that. That would be too convenient. I doubt they made the world, but you've noticed that it shares a lot of similarities with our version of events."

"Indeed. Events leading up to the Tragedy still occurred at Hope's Peak." Nagito responded. "It's most likely close enough to our own which allows us to come here and replace versions of ourselves."

"Bingo." Hajime stood up from the railing, standing in front of them both. "Honestly, considering how peaceful it's been in comparison, I think the reason might be to just bring us to a less screwed up place."

Chiaki leaned forward and looked excited. "Yeah! I mean, you guys can move around freely, since you guys never became a part of Ultimate Despair. So I doubt we're dealing with someone like Enoshima."

"The only problem is that whoever is doing all this is disregarding the consequences of their actions. They're driven."

"Ah! I've never met this individual, yet I can already feel the hope in their motivation!" Nagito's face darkened as he continued to smile in adoration. "But the question remains…who is it?"

"No clue." Hajime stated with a flat tone. "Neither Nanami or I could check out Hope's Peak in person nor did you run into anyone suspicious. The person is really clever. But eventually, there'll be a breakthrough."

"Looking to the future always, Hinata-kun?"

Hajime smirked. "Well, I made a big deal about it before. My word would mean nothing if I didn't still believe in our future. Was the rest of 77-B really not our versions of them?"

"Unfortunately. Though we didn't have a change of physical appearance as drastic as Class 78, I could still tell that they were all untouched by our version of events. Yukizome-sensei was already suspecting me of strange behavior – to think that she was also like us!"

"Yeah, well, I'd better apologize to her." Hajime sighed. "She was a nice lady that got caught up in all of this. And I was part of the reason why she got brainwashed."

"You'll get your chance. I know it." Chiaki gave a comforting smile.

"Thanks. By the way, is everything working alright? I know sending you on a trial run versus the SHSL Soldier wasn't a great idea, but…"

"Everything is fine. I'm really grateful for this body you've given me."

"You helped us a lot back in the Neo World Program. It's the least I could do."

"She was formed from our love and hope, even in our twisted forms! Truly a worthy successor to the name Chiaki Nanami."

Despite the praise from Nagito, Chiaki looked down as she pulled up her hood.

"What's wrong?"

"Chiaki Nanami still exists here."

Hajime frowned at Nagito while the white-haired man could only look down and sigh in response.

"Well…I get that you'll feel a little weird about it. But that's what we know you as. Maybe you two have a lot of similarities for obvious reasons, but you're still you."

"I see. I'll try to take a note of it so my emotions don't run haywire."

"You may be an AI, but you really do have feelings like we do."

"I can only thank my father and my older brother for that." Chiaki sighed wistfully. "As well as all of you. Thank you."

Nagito smiled big and wide in response. Hajime blushed a little and laughed.

"We're here!" Komaru nearly leaped for joy as the destroyer docked itself. Others were in yachts or coming from cruise liners, giving strange looks to the group. Masaru and Jataro were also excited, while Kotoko and Nagisa didn't show much emotion to seeing the resort island.

"It's so hot. Ick. I can feel the sweat forming on the back of my neck." Toko complained. "I-Isn't it supposed to be fall right now?!"

Kyoko began to explain. "We are on a tropical island, which means we're a lot closer to the equator. Places like these tend to have their summers during our winters."

Hina looked cheery as she took in the sights. "Great! That means I don't have to look for an indoor pool to swim in."

The entire crowd of former SHSLs and their posse walked off the military-grade vessel and walked from the docks onto the beach proper. It was an idyllic sight, a perfect vacation spot not unlike Towa City used to be.

"It certainly brings back memories." Nagito felt the soft seabreeze through his hair.

Hajime broke out into a close-lipped smile. "Yeah. But it's different from both the simulation and our time on the real island. Can't you smell it?"

"All I can smell is fish." Komaru looked down in embarrassment.

"Yeah." Hajime nodded. "Things are still alive around here. And the air is naturally fresh."

"Oh! I see what you mean. It really is different."

"Hey, I have signal again." Makoto glanced at his cell phone, miraculously still in one piece. "A lot of missed calls."

"Yes, well, it goes without saying that we would be worried about you." Kyoko peered over. "Considering you were basically kidnapped."

"Oh please. We were just having ourselves some fun. Right?" Junko grinned.

Mukuro made no attempt at forming a response, only looking at her twin sister wearily. Makoto put away his phone and looked at everyone.

"I guess all we can do is find out if there's been anything strange on the island."

Monaca rolled out with an umbrella on a wheelchair while she was playing something on her Pretendo DS. "You really are airheaded, Naegi-san. You're just saying to just wander aimlessly in this place? Do you have any idea how big this place is?"

"I get that, Monaca-san. But we don't really have many leads. All we can do is keep a lookout for any people that are affiliated with Hope's Peak." Makoto kept his cheery disposition despite the sour look coming from the green-haired teenager.

Hajime nodded as he placed a hand on his hip. "It's all we can do for now. As inefficient as it is."

"Well, okay, big bro Hajime. I'll do my best to keep an eye out. Not like Hope's Peak students are normal people anyway!"

Nagisa raised an eyebrow. "Wasn't expecting her to turn cheery so fast…"

Junko glanced over at her former fan and Monaca didn't even look back at her. The fashionista ultimately didn't seem to mind and chuckled to herself.

"It sounds like we're going to be staying a while. Uh…" Komaru sighed. "We don't have to stay in the ship, do we?"

"Leave that to me. Or rather, leave it to Togami-kun." Kyoko responded.

"How's he doing?" Makoto asked.

"As irritated as ever. But compliant. Knowing him he'll handle our living arrangements. He owes a few favors."

"Whoa, what are you talking about? Did you two do something in the Future Foundation?"

"You misunderstand. He feels indebted to all of us."

"He'd never say that out loud."

"Of course not." Kyoko moved forward. "Though we have a mission to complete on this island, I'd suggest you not neglect your health. Such changing out of that full suit."

Makoto laughed nervously.

"You're always so stubborn about your clothing, Makoto-kun. You wouldn't take off your hoodie back in high school. Now you're stubborn enough to continue wearing that outfit in an extremely humid place like this."

"Okay, okay. I hear you loud and clear Kyoko-chan."

"Good. The last thing we need for you is to have another fever."

"I take better care of myself these days. No worries."

Junko grinned. "Well, then! Let the actual fashion icon help you out, Makoto…"

Makoto stepped back from the hungry glance of the SHSL Despair. "I don't think I need that kind of help."

"Please. Maybe you know how to wear a suit, but your fashion sense is still as plain as your cute face."

"I don't…really care about stuff like that."

"See! This is exactly why you need my help." Junko grabbed his hand and immediately dragged him into the seaside town.

Mukuro only sighed. Despite everything that happened, Makoto-watching was still her favorite "hobby." She looked over to Kyoko and Hina and went to go track the two from a distance. Komaru passed by with her entourage and waved at everyone as they went to follow their brother.

"Some things never change." Hajime sighed. "Poor guy."

Kyoko looked toward the former SHSL Hope. "I wouldn't worry too much about him, Hinata-san. Besides, splitting up is our best course of action."

"Yeah. But where will we meet up?"

The former SHSL Detective pointed at a familiar looking hotel. "Why not? The layout should be similar to the one you've stayed in."

"Trying to bring up bad memories, Kirigiri-san?"

"Of course not. But it's recognizable. And it would be able to house all of us."

"Aw, thanks Makoto!" Komaru admired the phone that was given to her and started looking for some new apps. "Oh, look, it's a Danganronpa gacha game!"

"What is a 'gacha'?" The elder Naegi raised an eyebrow in confusion as he was carrying a few bags. Junko was terrorizing a nearby store as they were waiting outside.

"A game where you can collect your favorite characters! If what you said is true about this world, then maybe I can get some versions of my favorite people!"

Toko frowned. "I-It sounds like it's trying to get your money somehow."

"Yeah, you can buy currency by paying real money for it."

"What a scam. I always knew anime didn't lead to anything good."

"More importantly." Makoto interjected. "Why would you want to collect people you know? That's really strange."

"It's fun! Look, look! Even I'm in it!" Komaru seemed overjoyed at seeing her own visage being monetized in some sort of event costume. "I should totally buy an outfit like that!"

A nervous laugh came from her older brother as he decided to let it be.

The four former Warriors of Hope exited the store in new clothes, replacing the dirty and worn out clothes they were wearing for who knows how long.

"Aha! I look totally adorbs in this. Big sis Junko always has good taste." Kotoko spun around in a bright sun dress complete with a sun hat.

Nagisa opted for something that looked like his old clothes but with rolled up sleeves, complete with his dusty yellow scarf. The collared shirt lacked a bowtie and his shorts were down to his knees to reflect his older tastes. Jataro went for a long-flowing shirt that went over his pants, expressing his desire to create more art. And Masaru went with a sleeveless shirt and no undershirt along with jogging pants, with his headphones around his neck.

"Really? Junko bought all those for you?" Makoto smiled a little bit.

As if on cue, the wild woman herself finally exited the store with a big grin. "What? I'm not completely heartless. They did pretty well in spreading despair. It's a just reward, right?"

Makoto's voice didn't hide his disappointment. "Right. Of course."

"Anyway, I'll be able to keep in touch with you now!" Komaru blurted out as she finally turned her attention away from the shiny rare characters she was trying to collect. "If you need me, I'll only be a text away."

"Yeah. We won't be too far from each other, though. You can always call on me if you need anything." Makoto smiled at everyone. "I know we're supposed to be finding clues, but we can have fun too."

Mukuro looked out from the corner, glancing at some clothes of her own. She tried keeping her presence undetected from the others.

"U-Ugh. Seriously, Naegi? I always knew you'd be a slacker." Toko groaned. "But it's probably not a bad idea. I just wish it wasn't so bright and hot out here. I'm probably going get sunburned."

"Don't worry, Toko-chan! We'll get some sunscreen, alright? SPF-100."

"Need some allowance?" Makoto asked.

"No, don't worry. The phone was already a huge gift. Besides, if I need some money I can always run some deliveries!"

Toko was not looking forward to riding on the motorcycle again.

"Naegi-sensei?"

The group turned toward the female voice those words originated from. A girl that was wearing a black-haired wig and some sunglasses looked at them. Makoto took a few moments and realized it was Sayaka in disguise.

"Maizono-san? What are you doing here on Jabberwock Island?"

"M-Maizono-san? The Sayaka Maizono!?" Komaru was barely able to contain her excitement. Toko looked even more displeased than earlier.

"Ah, well. It was proposed for our class to have our yearly class trip here because we had a 100% passing rate. We came to the island with another class."

"Someone proposed to send you guys here?"

"Yes. Unfortunately, I'm unsure who did so." Sayaka responded.

Kotoko eyed the SHSL Idol wearily.

"Ah, well, I wasn't expecting you to know who did that." Makoto attempted to cheer her up. "Are you enjoying your trip?"

"The class was excited for it. As for myself, it's a bit hard to move around. Though it seems Enoshima-san isn't as worried as I am about the public."

"Pssh. Like I care. I'm not an idol. I can be a little bit of a bad girl." She threw up a peace sign. "Besides, it's not like I didn't retire from the business recently or anything."

"It really sounds nice…to have that much freedom."

"It's great!" Junko grinned.

"Um. Umm…" Komaru was still unable to form a proper sentence.

Makoto noticed her sister was a bubbling mess. "Oh, this is my younger sister that I was telling you about."

"Y-Yeah! I'm his younger sister, Komaru Naegi. It's nice to meet you, Maizono-san!"

"Ah. It's nice to meet you too, Komaru-san. I should probably do what I promised your older brother."

"You promised him something?"

"Yes. He asked if I could autograph something for you some weeks ago."

"A-Ah!" Komaru smiled and blushed. "Yes. Yes! Could you sign this?" She held out her hacking gun.

"Interesting. Well, I'm sure we all have our quirks." Sayaka smiled in her practiced manner and signed the converted megaphone.

"Oh! Thank you so much." Komaru smiled with warm gratefulness.

"I'm glad I could make your day."

"This made my entire year! Ahhh!" She turned to her older brother. "Geez, first a nice phone and now Maizono-san's autograph? Thanks so much, Makoto."

"I'm supposed to be the older brother, right? Besides, I missed a couple of birthdays of yours."

"Aw. You know it's not your fault. But, thanks."

"Anyway." Makoto turned back to Sayaka. "You've been walking around town by yourself?"

"Mmhm. The others are famous too so if we stuck together we'd just be drawing crowds. While some of my classmates enjoy the attention, I generally like quieter ways to relax."

"Makes sense. Performing must take a lot out of you."

Junko placed her arm around Makoto's shoulders. "That's so interesting! But, I think Makoto and I should take our leave now. Wouldn't want to burn too much daylight before our beach date."

"Wh—" The former SHSL Lucky Student was dragged away from the group.

"Oh my." Sayaka blushed as she lifted her hand to cover her mouth. "Did I accidentally run into something scandalous?"

"Tch." Toko spat. "In Enoshima's dreams, maybe."

Komaru nervously smiled. "Is Makoto really that light? They're so far away already."

Mukuro exited the store with little fanfare, holding a shopping bag of her own and walking casually away from the area.

"Nah. That girl's freakishly strong." Toko replied.

"A-Anyway, I don't mean to bother you but do you want to hang out with us?" Komaru asked her idol, trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach.

"I wouldn't want to impose on you, besides I—"

"Yooo! Hey everyone. It's your favorite SHSL Baseball Star, Leon Kuwata!" Leon was smiling at the girls who were swooning over him along with the baseball fans who were cheering him on. "Hey, you're pretty cute, miss."

"Never mind. Perhaps staying in a group would be a good idea."

"You know, Hinata-kun, I must say that hearing you request my presence truly warms my heart."

"It's mainly because I know you'd be going after Enoshima."

"Whatever could you mean? I would rather stay away from that disgusting woman as much as possible."

"Yeah, bullshit." Hajime replied. "Did you forget who I am?"

"I truly do apologize."

"You don't really have much time to apologize for everything you've done. Eventually you'll…"

"Ah. My life is insignificant in the grand scheme of things. I have already contributed in bringing hope to your future, Hinata-kun. I would expire without regrets."

The man formerly known as Izuru Kamakura narrowed his eyes at his counterpart. "You still don't have any value in your own life?"

Nagito looked away, unwilling to return his intense look. "I'm simply giving all I can for now. I believe that's enough."

"The ends justify the means, right? Guess that part of you still hasn't changed."

"Once again, I apologize. But enough about me. I believe we have some familiar faces nearby."

Hajime turned his attention to where he was pointing toward, spotting Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu and Peko Pekoyama discussing something at the beach. They looked similar to how they dressed during the killing game.

"Dammit, Peko. Didn't I tell you to relax? That's the whole point of this place."

"Lowering my guard would be the last thing I wish to do. Even in a place like this, danger always lurks."

"The last thing I need for you is to get a conniption from stressing so much." Fuyuhiko sighed. "I've already lost Natsumi. Don't make me worry myself to death about you."

"I apologize, young master."

Nagito surprised them with his voice. "Ah, greetings Kuzuryu-kun and Pekoyama-san."

"What the fuck?! Where did you come from, Komaeda?"

Peko already drew her blade in response. She glanced over at Nagito before moving her eyes to Hajime. She kept on edge while fixing her glance at the former reserve course student.

"Apologies. I've been with my friend, Hinata-kun."

"First of all…you show up for school after being MIA for months and then just disappear again without a damn trace." Fuyuhiko's voice went from shocked to angry like a flip of a switch. "Now you show up with this guy with two eye colors. The hell kind of crowd do you hang around?"

"I'm not such a bad guy. Nice to meet you. I'm Hajime Hinata."

Both of the yakuza members continued to glare at him.

"I've known Komaeda for a while. He's a pain in the ass sometimes, so I apologize for any weirdness he's been up to."

Fuyuhiko softened his look a bit. "Yeah, well, he can do some real screwy things sometimes. If you're able to handle how nuts he is, you got the patience of a damn saint."

"I would not say I'm insane. I simply have a pure belief in the hope of the world."

"See? His speeches give me the damn creeps."

Hajime moved his look over to Peko. "You know, I know a little bit of swordplay too. Maybe we can spar sometime?"

She somewhat eased up in her stance but continued to be on guard.

"This guy's pretty easygoing. Think he's okay for now, Peko."

"But these two overheard us…"

"Well, no one's gonna listen to Komaeda anyway. And there's something telling me that we can trust Hinata."

The SHSL Kendoka lowered her weapon and sheathed it. "Your intuition?"

"I guess so. Plus, he isn't even in our class. Doubt he's from Hope's Peak either."

"You'd be right on both counts."

"Name's Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu. Just to make it clear, I'm keeping my eyes on you."

"My name is Peko Pekoyama. It is nice to meet you."

"I'm guessing you and your class are having a class trip on this island?" Hajime stated plainly.

"Yeah. The school figured they would treat us for not having a single one of us flunk our practicals. Honestly, they just want to look better to the public because of what happened."

"The riots, right?"

"Indeed." Peko responded before Fuyuhiko could. "It was all over the news."

"If I may interrupt." Nagito cut in. "I'd like to introduce Hinata-kun to the rest of our class. I'm sure meeting such talented people would be a treat."

Hajime glared back at the SHSL Lucky Student. "No, I don't think…"

"Well, teach's been looking for you. Would probably make sense to drag your ass back to her." Fuyuhiko replied. "Don't struggle."

"I don't intend to." Nagito smiled. "But I do insist you take Hinata-kun with us."

"Yeah, yeah. Would be best to keep him at arm's length just in case he tries to squeal on us."

Peko nodded in affirmation. Hajime sighed as he didn't intend to meet with Chisa this way, but there was no helping it. The two members of Class 77-B led the two back to the hotel where she would be waiting.

Makoto looked out at the ocean. It was the afternoon and he could see some other tourists roaming the beach. Despite that, the shoreline was fairly empty due to it being an offseason. It made sense why Hope's Peak Academy would send the students on class trips during this time as it was probably very cheap. The weather was still temperate and comfortable. He felt more comfortable than he has been for the past week. The sand was softer than some beds he's ever slept on.

"Yoo-hoo~" A familiar female voice called out to him. He turned toward it and saw Junko wearing a zebra-striped high-cut bikini that accentuated her physical features. "Well? Not bad, huh?"

He looks away from her natural assets. "Er, well…yeah. It does. You did a good job."

"Hmmm." The fashion girl looked slightly disappointed.

"What? I said it looks good."

"Not exactly the reaction I was looking for. Though you're looking like a snack."

"W-Wait, what?!"

"Let this carnivore girl eat up the herbivore man..."

"No thanks."

"You should probably look me in the eye when you say that. Or did I awaken something in you? Hee hee."

Makoto's face broke out in a blush but he continued to stay defiant. He saw off the corner of his eye another person approaching them. He turned to look which prompted Junko to as well.

Mukuro was approaching them with a self-conscious look all over her face. She opted to buy a more traditional sort of swimsuit. It looked like a tight-fitting all-black set of surf-wear that exposed her midsection. She didn't bring her own surfboard, so the look wasn't complete. Still, her well-toned body was in full display despite covering more than Junko's own outfit.

Makoto's blush did not subside.

"Hey, Ikusaba-san. Are you here to swim too?"

She shyly look back at him and her eyes opened wide when she finally got a good look at him. Makoto himself was wearing a spring-green short sleeved collared shirt and some white swimming trunks. The notable part of it was that his shirt was open. His shoulders were wider than she remembered and he was actually quite toned himself. She could not keep her eyes off him.

"N-Naegi…Naegi-kun…!" Those words were all she could utter before fainting.

"W-Whoa!" He ran over to her and knelt beside her. "Are you okay?"

She was breathing and her nose was bleeding a little bit. She did not respond to his calls, however.

"Is she sick?"

Junko buried her face in her hand. "More like she can't stop embarrassing herself."

Makoto carefully dragged her body to a nearby palm tree to shade her from the sun. "Hopefully she wakes up soon."

"She should be fine. Physically, at least. What a silly sister of mine. Trying to play a game she can't win like that."

"I'm not entirely sure what you mean, but would it kill you to be nice to her at least once?"

"U-Ugh. You really drive hard bargains, Makoto." The SHSL Despair bit her lip.

He sighed in response to her hesitation. He figured it was worth a try.

"Anyway, are you going to swim like that?"

"Swimming, huh…?" Junko looked thoughtful. "Well, that'd ruin all the makeup I painstakingly put on. That sounds perfectly despairing! Come on!"

"W-Wait!"

Junko grabbed him as he protested and threw him into the ocean.

ANote

To: Team Danganronpa Staff

From: [REDACTED], Executive Producer

cc: Shareholders, Legal

Date: 20XX/10/05

Subject: V3 Pre-Season

Congratulations to our newest full-time employee, Tsumugi Shirogane. Due to her exceptional work as one of the writers for V2 while as an intern, she has been named the Lead Writer for the upcoming Season V3. Please continue on with your good work. Also, please remember that this is the last season ordered by our parent company [REDACTED]. Do give Shirogane-san your full support for it! My only wish for this season is to be as memorable as possible for the Danganronpa series.

Here are the instructions for staff regarding all incoming contestants as well as general guidelines and policies.

* Make sure to have them sign every single waiver and contract.

* Do not leak any details about the game prior to them being placed inside the Neo World Program.

* Search each contestant for any potential signs of cheating or otherwise any unfair advantage.

* Double-check that the physical and mental evaluations have been properly notarized.

* They are not allowed to enter any area aside from the designated ones under any circumstance.

* Send a copy of the paperwork to legal guardians for their signatures and consent.

* Phones must be turned off while in work areas. No exceptions.

* Leaking any footage or information about the upcoming season is absolutely prohibited. Any employee found to be doing this will be immediately terminated and legal action will be taken against them.

* Any tampering of the game is also strictly prohibited. We don't play favorites.

* Ultimately all decisions must be passed through the lead writer and myself, Executive Producer.

Hopefully any questions you may have about the upcoming season or our studio policies have been answered in this memorandum. Should you have any concerns, you can contact me at [REDACTED] or speak with Shirogane-san yourself. The entire process should take a few weeks which should give us enough content for the season. The first few days will be making sure all pre-season preparations are complete while the actual footage will come from the remaining time. Make sure to keep our contestants calm and ignorant.

Remember our motto: Thrills! Kills! Chills!