After the gun threat or "club meeting" as Komaeda would likely call it on Friday, Tokuda made the decision to spend the weekend holed up in his dorm room. Admittedly, those had been his plans even before the whole fiasco, but now he was more determined than ever to keep to himself. The flimsy wooden door separating his room from the hallway was the only protection he had against the madness of Hope's Peak's students.

He did, however, end up taking Naegi's advice before barricading himself in his room. Once his nerves had settled and he no longer felt like his skeleton was going to leap out of his skin at every little noise, he sought out the ultimate nurse.

That encounter was almost as strange as the club meeting. Almost.

If he had thought Komaeda's self-deprecation was bad, Tsumiki's was flat-out uncomfortable. Apology after apology bombarded him the moment he had entered the nurse's office. Some of them were for things as innocent as having to put up with her existence. The medical professional acted as if she was a burden to Tokuda, which was confusing because hadn't he been the one to come to her in the first place?

Although Tokuda was half-tempted to point out that the apologies were unnecessary, he could tell that it would be more trouble than it was worth. Thankfully, after accepting the older girl's seemingly endless stream of apologies, her medical training appeared to have kicked in. She could have been an entirely different person as she dutifully examined his head and observed him for any signs of a concussion. She had also insisted on completing a routine physical as well to monitor his vitals.

Unsurprisingly, aside from a high heart rate, he was declared overall healthy. There was bruising on the back of his head from where he had hit the floor when he passed out, but he didn't appear to have a concussion. When Tsumiki had offered him something to help with the lingering pain, Tokuda nearly accepted, but ended up giving her a polite, but firm refusal. The manic glow that had suddenly lit up her eyes as she fiddled a syringe was enough to raise his steadily increasing heart beat. The unabashed look of disappointment with his refusal didn't make him feel any better either. He made a note to himself to limit any possible activities that would send him to the nurse's office in the future.

The rest of the weekend continued in a quiet and cautious manner for Tokuda. He was thankful that the dorm rooms had an ensuite bathroom with a shower. That, along with his rather impressive supply of instant ramen and other various junk food items kept him from having to venture outside of his room's safety. He had everything that he needed to survive. That being said, time still passed painfully slow during his survival.

With food, hygiene, and a place to sleep taken care of, Tokuda hadn't spared a thought as to how he would occupy his time. Homework should have taken up a good portion of his weekend, but since he went out of his way to avoid after-school activities with his classmates, most of his free time during the week was dedicated to his studies. As a result, he was unfortunately all caught up.

That left the internet for entertainment. It didn't take Tokuda long to settle down on his bed with his laptop and a bag of chips. Mindlessly, he clicked his way through various internet videos until he was fairly certain he could feel his brain melt away. It wasn't until he was forty minutes deep into a documentary detailing the process of soap-making that he shut his laptop with a groan. There had to be something else that he could do to pass the time.

He contemplated contacting some of his friends from his former high school, but eventually decided against it. No doubtedly, they'd ask him what Hope's Peak was like and want to hear all the details about the Ultimates. That was a topic, he didn't feel like talking about now or most likely ever. He'd made more progress attempting to reach his older sister, but ended up hanging up before the dial tone even rang. She'd likely be just as interested in Hope's Peak as his friends. So it was back to his laptop once more.

Twice over the weekend, someone had knocked on his door disturbing what semblance of peace Tokuda had managed to create. Each time, he froze briefly before rapidly clicking the mute button on his laptop. He imagined Komaeda behind the barrier ready to slip another note under his door to invite him to the next club meeting. It wasn't until he could hear the sound of footsteps retreating that he allowed himself to breathe again. To his relief, no notes appeared.

By the time Monday morning came, Tokuda had reluctantly come to a conclusion: He couldn't keep this up. His body felt horrible from eating nothing but junk food the past two days and his eyes looked dead even to him. It was a constant battle to resist the urge to pound his head against the nearest wall in an attempt to relieve his boredom. At this rate, if he had to spend the next three years of his high school experience locked away, the isolation might just destroy him before the Ultimates had the chance. It pained him to admit it, but attempting to make friends was the lesser of two evils.

Despite the many students at Hope's Peak, his options for friends were limited. On one hand there were his ultimate classmates and on the other, there were the reserve course students. Neither of the two options were very appealing. The Ultimates were, well, Ultimates and some of the reserve course students seemed a bit hostile for reasons he didn't fully understand. The club for the ultimate lucky students was supposed to have been the solution to this problem, but that hadn't been much help. Komaeda was definitely out of the question, but Naegi…

Naegi was...alright. As far as Tokuda could tell, he was normal. The brief encounter Tokuda had with the older student gave him a hopeful impression. Naegi wasn't as intimidating as the other Ultimates and his friendliness seemed genuine. He was like the calm in the eye of a storm, and that was exactly what Tokuda needed.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, stealing his resolve. Naegi was as good a student as any to attempt making friends with. But if he wanted to befriend the older student, he needed to take the initiative, which meant that he needed to act today or he likely never would. Without the club meetings, the only opportunity Tokuda really had to interact with the upperclassman was to catch him at lunch.

Tokuda's mind buzzed as he went over the best ways to approach Naegi that hopefully wouldn't involve him having to plop himself down at a table with other upperclassmen students. He still wasn't quite ready to deal with the Ultimates in his own grade, muchless the older ones. As he grabbed his backpack off of his desk, he caught his reflection in the mirror. The brown suit of the school uniform was no longer a surprise for him to see, but it still didn't look right.

He'd had to submit his measurements shortly after receiving his acceptance letter to Hope's Peak, and thus the suit was tailored to fit him perfectly. It was too bad that perfection still didn't fit Tokuda. He shook his head. As much as he tried not to think about it, he had three years to grow into it whether he wanted to or not. If Naegi or even Komaeda could wear it comfortably, maybe he could too in time.

…

It wasn't uncommon for the classes to mingle during the lunch period, but most students stuck together in their own grades and further divided into cliques from that point. Since the weather was still pleasant, many of the students—including Tokuda's own class—brought their meals outside to dine on the front lawn of the campus. Tokuda had hoped that the dining hall being emptier than usual would result in an easier time finding Naegi.

Luck apparently wasn't on his side today. Strong winds came rolling in throughout the morning classes, bringing in a storm by the lunch period. The dining hall was packed fuller than Tokuda had ever seen it and Naeigi was nowhere to be seen. Rather than wait awkwardly by the room's entrance, he grabbed himself a tray and slowly worked his way down the lunchline, throwing glances behind in hopes that Naegi would suddenly come walking in.

If there was one thing that he liked about Hope's Peak Academy, it was the food. Although he was only half-paying attention to the food he scooped onto his plate while his eyes scanned the room, the flavorful aroma of today's meal still managed to make his stomach growl. He'd expected that the prestigious academy would offer higher quality food than his previous school, but he was pretty sure that the meals served here could be swapped out with those at a five-star restaurant and no one would be any wiser. Even the home-cooked meals from his mother couldn't compare (though he'd probably never admit that to her).

The end of the lunchline came too soon, leaving Tokuda with a full tray and no idea where to sit. If Naegi didn't show up, he'd have to choose between finding an empty table or one with a classmate he recognized. In a last ditch attempt to seek the older boy out, he raised himself up on his tiptoes to peer over the heads of the other ultimates. "Where are you, Naeigi?" he muttered.

"Are you looking for someone?"

Startled, Tokuda dropped back down to his heels and turned to face whoever had asked him the question. His eyes widened and his lunch tray nearly slipped from his fingers. His breath caught in his throat. He'd recognize that face anywhere. "You!" he exclaimed.

Dark blue eyes blinked back at him. "Me?"

"Y-you're Sayaka Maizano," he managed to get out.

The girl tilted her head and offered a bright smile. "Yep!" she said. "That's me. Although, I don't believe we've met before. Are you a fan?"

Had it been anyone else asking that question, Tokuda would have vehemently denied it to save himself the embarrassment. It had been the course of action he'd chosen for the past few years. His older sister still teased him about his collection of the idol's CDs. But this wasn't just anyone asking that question, this was the ultimate pop sensation herself. He opened his mouth to answer, but to his horror, no words came out. It was all he could do to nod enthusiastically.

Maizano brought a hand up to her mouth, giggling at his reaction. "I'm so happy to hear that," she said. "It's always wonderful to meet fans. Without your guys' support, I wouldn't be where I am today. What's your name?"

"T-Tokuda," the boy stammered out. "My name's Keitaro Tokuda." He paused before hesitantly adding, "I'm the ultimate lucky student of class 79."

"Oh, so you're the newest lucky student! It's a pleasure to meet you, Tokuda-kun," Maizano said with a smile. "Please, there's no need to be so nervous. I may be a pop idol, but I'd much rather you treat me simply as another of your classmates."

"Of course!" Tokuda said. His voice was too loud and enthusiastic in his own ears. He could feel himself slowly dying inside as his brain kept alternating between being completely blank and racing with endless thoughts. Would it be wrong to ask her for an autograph right after she asked him to treat her like a regular student?

"I don't have any photographs on me right now, but I'd be more than happy to get you an autograph later, if you'd like."

Had he said that last part out loud? A blush spread across his cheeks, warming his face. He forced himself to meet Maizano's eyes, ready to confirm his fears.

The idol must have read his unspoken question, as she answered, "You were wanting to ask for an autograph, right?"

Tentatively, Tokuda nodded his head. So he hadn't asked the question out loud?

"Thought so!" She leaned and lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper, "It's not widely known among fans, but I'm actually psychic!"

The underclassman jerked his head away from the pop idol, eyes wide. She had to be joking. Psychics didn't actually exist...though if there was any chance that they actually did, Hope's Peak had probably enrolled them.

Maizano's giggles transitioned to actual laughter, though it wasn't mean-spirited. "I'm joking!" she exclaimed. "I just have good intuition. You wouldn't be the first student here to ask me for an autograph."

A breath Tokuda hadn't realized he'd been holding escaped his lips. Slowly, his nervous smile returned. "I guess that makes sense," he said weakly.

"I'll get you an autograph soon," Maizano promised. She pulled out a decorated cell phone, and typed out a quick message. "There, I just added it to my planner so I don't forget."

"Thanks!"

"It's my pleasure," the pop idol said, slipping her phone back into her school bag. "Now, you never answered my question. Are you looking for someone? You seemed a little lost."

"I was looking for Makoto Naegi," Tokuda answered. "But I don't think that he's here yet. Do you know him?"

"We're in the same class," Maizano said happily. "We actually got dismissed a little late today, so he should be here soon." She looked around the room searching for the familiar green hoodie and mess of brown hair. "There he is!" She pointed back towards the lunch line where said student was grabbing his cutlery.

Maizano grabbed Tokuda's arm, ignoring the way the younger student's breath hitched with the contact, and led him over to Naeigi. "Hey, Makoto-kun!" she called out in greeting. "I ran into one of your friends by the tables. He was looking for you!"

"Hi, Maizano-san," Naeigi greeted in return. His eyes moved from her to see the friend she was referring to and his face lit up. "Tokuda-kun!" Quickly grabbing a few napkins from the dispenser, he made his way over to the two. "I've been wanting to talk to you! I stopped by your dorm room on Saturday, but I don't think you were there."

So Naegi had been wanting to talk to him too. That was surprising to hear, but also reassuring. The apprehension that had been growing within Tokuda since deciding to seek Naegi out quickly burned away with the upperclassman's smile. "I must have been out," he lied. "I was hoping to talk to you too."

"We can have lunch together," Naegi suggested brightly. He turned to the pop idol. "Want to join us?"

Maizano shook her head and held up a to-go box she had packed her own lunch in. "I can't today," she responded. "Leon-kun and I agreed to meet up for lunch today. I'll leave you lucky students to your devices." Her eyes took on a mischievous light and she looked over to Naegi, adding teasingly, "Just remember to be careful. You don't want a repeat of last year's fiasco."

Tokuda looked over at Naegi and saw the boy's cheeks go pink. "You know that was an accident!" he protested.

"Of course," Maizano laughed. "But even if it was an accident, I don't think Tanaka-senpai would be pleased to have to hunt down all of those chickens a second time. It took him nearly a week to find them all across the campus."

"What…?"

"It's not important," Naegi said hurriedly before Tokuda could further question the pop idol. "Let's just go and find a table." He quickly urged Tokuda away from Maizano towards an empty table at the corner of the cafeteria. Sparing one backwards glance, Tokuda could just caught the girl waving goodbye to the two.

"I can't believe that Sayaka Maizano attends this school," Tokuda commented as he and Naegi settled into opposite seats at the table.

"I'm surprised," Naegi said. "A lot of the chat forums were buzzing with news when her attendance was confirmed last year."

"I must have missed the announcement," Tokuda said.. "I've never really been active on those sites to be honest."

"Really?" Naegi remarked. "Not even when you were accepted? I spent so much time researching all of my classmates when I got my letter." He paused before adding meekly, "I guess that sounds a little creepy when I say it like that."

Although Tokuda personally thought that devoting so much time into researching Hope's Peak's students was a little weird, he answered, "I think it's understandable considering the fame of each of the Ultimates."

He turned his focus from Naegi to the food he had loaded onto his lunch tray. He'd been so concentrated on trying to find naegi, that he hadn't really been paying attention to what he had grabbed. The bowl in front of him held some sort of thick stew filled with carrots, small onions, and a meat that he guessed was either beef or pork. It smelled delicious, but he didn't recognize it. He stirred his spoon through the liquid curiously before bringing it up to his eye level.

"What is this?" Tokuda wondered out loud.

"It's beef bourguignon," Naegi said, looking up from his own bowl. He motioned to the lunch line and pointed out a striped flag that had been hung above the serving trays. "Hanamura-senpai usually takes a few weeks out of the school year to experiment with foreign foods. This week is France."

Tokuda hummed in acknowledgement and brought a spoonful of the stew up to his mouth before taking a cautious bite. One taste was all it took for the flavors to melt him. Just as all of the other meals at Hope's Peak had been, the French food was delicious. Distracted with his own enjoyment of the stew, it took him a few moments to notice that Naegi had stopped eating. The older boy had set his spoon down and was looking at Tokuda thoughtfully.

"How's your head doing?"

"It still kind of hurts when I touch it, but it's feeling a lot better," Tokuda answered honestly. He lifted his fingers up to feel the bruise and winched when they grazed the tender flesh. "Tsumiki-senpai said that I don't have a concussion."

"That's good," Naegi said. The relief in his voice was unmistakable. After a moment, his face fell somber. "I wanted to say that I'm sorry about what happened the other day."

"You don't have to apologize," Tokuda said immediately. "You weren't the one who shot me." Some students must have overheard his casual remark because a few heads from nearby tables cast Tokuda curious glances that looked both puzzled and concerned.

Naegi didn't pay them any attention. "No, I really should apologize," he insisted, waving his hand as if he could physically wave away Tokuda's words. "I had forgotten that you—and probably the rest of your classmate—haven't had the chance to interact with Komaeda-senpai yet. "As you saw, he has a very...unique personality."

At the mention of Komaeda's name, understanding washed over the features of the other students and they quickly returned their focus to their own conversations.

"That's one way to put it," Tokuda snorted. "Although a more accurate way would be to say that he's completely insane."

Naegi grimaced. "He's different," he said in defense of the upperclassman.

"You could say that about any of the Ultimates," Tokuda pointed out. "But we aren't really Ultimates though. Us three are supposed to be normal."

"There's no such thing as a normal personality," Naegi said, wrinkling his nose. "We all have our own quirks that make us unique." He sighed. "That said, you're right about the rest of the ultimates having unusual personalities as well. But even if their quirks are a little strange, I can kind of understand it. Usually their background or their talent itself can explain the way that they act. What makes Komaeda-senpai different from them is that I don't understand it. At all. And neither do his classmates."

"Well, maybe he just doesn't like to be around other people," Tokuda said shortly. He was enjoying Naegi's company, but the topic of Komaeda was quickly overstaying its visit. He had purposely sought out Naegi during lunch so that he could avoid the white-haired teen. He changed his focus from the stew to his salad and began stabbing at the greens with a little more force than necessary. Even talking about the guy was somehow as bad as being around him.

"But he does like people," Naegi said. He paused and then corrected himself. "Some people. Kind of. It's complicated." He threw his hands up in the air and let out a noise of frustration through his teeth.

Watching Naegi was like watching a cracking dam finally breaking down. Tokuda could tell that the boy was starting to speak more to himself now than to him.

Meal clearly forgotten, Naegi continued on a rant. "From what I've been able to gather, he loves being around the Ultimates, but for some reason he doesn't think that he deserves to be around them. If it was just that, I think I'd be able to understand him. But it's not just that." He faltered, running a hand through his hair. The action gave Tokuda enough time to cut in.

"I don't understand why you're so fixated on Komaeda-senpai," Tokuda said exasperatedly. "If he keeps to himself as much as you say, I doubt that you'll need to worry about him. I mean, he's in a different grade and we're not continuing those club meetings of his anymore."

Naegi didn't respond, and Tokuda didn't think his words had the impact that he'd intended. He'd expected Naegi to reluctantly agree with his statement and move on from the topic of Komaeda. That's what he was supposed to do. Instead, Naegi was suddenly focused on his own salad as if it were the most fascinating thing on the planet.

"Naegi-senpai?"

Naegi's eyes flicked up to his own for a moment. "Um, I actually wanted to talk to you about the club meetings..."

The stew that had once tasted so wonderful churned violently within Tokuda's stomach. When Naegi had said that he wanted to talk to him over the weekend, he had assumed that it was to ask about his head injury. He had a sinking suspicion that that wasn't the only topic.

"Naegi-senpai, what exactly did you want to talk about?"

The older luckster now looked as uncomfortable as Tokuda felt and his cheeks blushed pink as he turned away. He muttered something incomprehensible.

"What was that?"

"I wanted to ask you to stay in the club."

Maybe Tokuda did have some serious damage to his head because he apparently wasn't hearing properly. Surely there had to be something wrong, because there was no way that the kind-hearted and reasonable Makoto Naegi was asking him to willingly hang around with Komaeda some more. His face must have betrayed his thoughts, because Naegi quickly started talking before he could get the words "absolutely not" out.

"Please, just hear me out before you answer!"

Tokuda was just as ready to deny that request as easily as the first, but the pleading look on Naegi's face stopped him. It would be kinder to kick a puppy than to say no to those eyes. With a mental groan, he kept his mouth shut and gave a single nod. It wasn't like Naegi could say anything that would actually change his mind.

Naegi breathed a sigh of relief and uttered a small thank you. He took a moment to collect his own thoughts behind closed eyes unaware that the younger luckster before home was slowly trying to save his last scraps of sanity as everything he hoped for crumbled around him. Naegi was supposed to be his one chance of having a normal friend at Hope's Peak, but if he was really asking him to stay in the club with the guy who shot him, then perhaps he wasn't as normal as he initially thought.

Maybe this was just what happens to the lucky students. There was no actual way to adapt to Hope's Peak insanity so the only hope of survival was just to join in it. That only meant that this must be his future as well and Naegi was already doing his part to lead him into that madness by the hand.

Completely oblivious to Tokuda's panicked thoughts, Naegi finally let out a deep breath and opened his eyes. Moving his tray aside, he turned his full attention to the underclassman.

"Okay, forget about Komaeda-senpai for a moment," he began slowly. "I wasn't lying when I said that I thought the club was a great idea. When I first came to Hope's Peak Academy, I was as overwhelmed by the ultimates as you are. I think I would have adapted easier if there was someone else that I could relate to." He paused, pursing his lips as if deciding whether or not to continue. "Maybe Komaeda-senpai would have adapted easier too."

That certainly hadn't been the direction Tokuda expected Naegi to go in, but he wasn't about to be swayed so easily. Ignoring the first part, he latched onto the last comment. "That doesn't excuse his actions," he said stubbornly.

"No," Naegi agreed, shaking his head. "But it's just a thought. Either way, I think that by setting up this club, we can help future lucky students who will be in our place when we're gone. Hope's Peak has a lot to offer its students, but something like this can only be offered by us." It was probably a trick of the light, but Tokuda swore he saw Naegi's eyes sparkle as he said this. "Sometimes offering friendship can make all the difference."

"That does make sense," Tokuda reluctantly admitted. "But even so, why can't we just start this club up next year after Komaeda-senpai has graduated?"

"Because everyone deserves to have friends," Naegi firmly said. "Even if they don't think that they deserve them. Komaeda-senpai is no exception." Naegi's shoulders dropped as if they had been cut free from invisible strings.

"I've talked with the other class rep," Naegi said, "And she admitted that even she and her other classmates have had trouble befriending Komaeda-senpai. He doesn't think he's worthy of it. Most of his classmates have shrugged off his presence by now since his behavior makes them uncomfortable, but Nanami-senpai really wants to include him more especially since it's their final year."

Tokuda propped his elbow up on the table so that he could rest his chin in his hand. "Look, that's very noble and all of you to want to help the upperclassmen," he said. "But maybe Hope's Peak just isn't the right place for Komaeda-senpai to make friends. If he's too starstruck when it comes to the Ultimates, he probably should try to make friends with some regular, non-Ultimate students."

"He's even worse when it comes to non-Ultimates," Naegi groaned. He brought his fingers up to his temples. "He acts like he's too good for them. I wouldn't be surprised if he's one of the reasons that so many of the reserve course students still hate us. That's a whole other issue though. The point is, I feel like if he had at least one friend, it might help him branch out to others. The difficulty is finding that first friend who he can see as an equal.

The realization hit Tokuda as gently as a brick to the face. "You mean us."

Naegi nodded, a hopeful smile pulling at the corners of his lips. "You understand, right?" he asked eagerly. "We're the only ones that he would consider to be on his level, so to speak."

In its own twisted way, it did make sense. It made enough sense that the familiar feeling of dread began to wrap around Tokuda's throat, keeping his breaths short. The pieces of Naegi's plan were quickly falling into place, and Tokuda did not like the picture that they were forming.

"But do you really need me to be involved?" Tokuda asked. The question dripped in desperation and came out more like a child's whine. He didn't care.

"I've tried to get close to him before, but it's like he tries to avoid me," Naegi said. "The only time he ever spent around me was just to compare our luck. That's why I was so surprised that he started a club in the first place."

Naegi leaned forward over the table. "The club is the only opportunity that we have for Komaeda-senpai to willingly interact with us. Every club is required to have at least three students: two officers and at least one member. Without you, the club will be disbanded, and he'll go back to distancing himself from everyone again."

"Isn't that kind of a low number of members for a club?" Tokuda couldn't help but ask.

"Those were the rules that were put down before they began allowing reserve course students to join last year. Before that, you can probably imagine how hard it could be to find three Ultimates who were passionate enough about the same activity. Besides, it's not like any other students would want to join a club based on luck."

Tokuda didn't comment on that. He was stuck in this school supposedly due to luck and even he didn't want to be in the stupid club.

"I'm not going to force you to stay in the club," Naegi finally said. His hand reached up to awkwardly rub the back of his neck. "I really do want to get to know both you and Komaeda-senpai better, but it's ultimately your choice."

His choice, huh? Nearly every fiber of his being screamed at him to turn down Naegi's request to stay in the club. It was the logical thing to do after all. Yet one small part of him hesitated. This was the best chance that he'd have to befriend Naegi. It'd also be pretty cool to be a founding member of the club that would help future lucky students. All of this came at the cost of putting up with Komaeda though. It wouldn't be possible to tell at this early stage if the pros outweighed the cons.

Tokuda heaved a heavy sigh of defeat. "Fine."

Naegi lit up like a Christmas tree. "That's great!" he said excitedly. "I was really really hoping that you would agree. Thank you for giving this a chance!"

"I have a few conditions," Tokuda hurriedly added before Naegi could get carried away. "First off, no more guns. Actually, no weapons period. I don't care if they're real or fake."

Naegi nodded. "Agreed. I already talked to Komaeda-senpai about that."

Good," Tokuda said. "Second, I'll participate in these club meetings, but I refuse to get involved in anything that has the slightest bit of potential to put us in physical danger."

"That's reasonable," Naegi said with another nod. "Anything else?"

"Uh…" Tokuda thought it over. Safety was his primary concern, and he hadn't thought about much beyond that. If he'd known that he would be agreeing to rejoin the club, he would have put some thought into it over the weekend. He supposed now was the only opportunity he would get to set these conditions. It wouldn't be wise to waste it. "I don't want to be alone with Komaeda-senpai."

Naeigi tilted his head in though. "I don't think that will be a problem since Komaeda-senpai wants to see how our lucks compare with each other. I can promise that I'll do my best to make sure you never get cornered by him though."

That was probably the best assurance that Tokuda was going to get. The only thing left was to attempt to gain some form of control over the club activities.

"One more thing," Tokuda said, raising a finger. "Even though I'm not an official club officer, I want to be involved with any planning."

"Of course!" Naegi said brightly. "I was hoping you would be involved anyway!"

"Then I guess that's it." Now that his demands were made and so easily accepted, Tokuda felt a little awkward. He crossed his arms and looked down at his tray. The food no longer looked very appetizing.

"Great!" Naegi said. The positive energy radiating from the older boy was nearly tangible. Tokuda was half-tempted to try and swat it away. "I'll talk to Komaeda-senpai about all this and then we'll go on from there. Thank you again for giving this a chance, Tokuda-kun."

A bell rang signaling the end of the lunch period. Tokuda managed an apathetic smile. Although the boy in front of him was exuding friendliness and smiles, he couldn't help but feel that he had just made a deal with the devil.

...

Edited A/N: It looks like this website had an issue with showing newly updated chapters. The link in the notification for my chapter update a few days ago led to an error page and could only be accessed through the app so I just wanted to repost this chapter for any one who missed!

A/N: For some reason this chapter was more difficult to write than I thought it would be. So this update ended up being later that I intended. I want to thank everyone for their support of this story through the likes, follows, and comments! I never thought that I'd write Danganronpa fanfic much less anything light-hearted considering the game's content, but here I am. I'm excited for the direction of this story, poor Tokuda and Naegi have no idea what they're getting into.

Also, Bobb1, I wasn't able to reach you through pms, but I wanted to say that I thought your idea of how Tokuda's luck might work was fantastic and I'd love to use it in the story if that's alright with you!