The next day, the entire group of students woke to a surprise; the gates to the second floor of the school had been opened. After a brief meeting in the dining hall, the twelve of them dispersed to investigate the floor, though Makoto filled them in on what to expect; the library, and the swimming pool.
Asahina was ecstatic and had to be convinced by Sakura to put off swimming until after they had thoroughly gone over the second floor to make sure Junko hadn't changed anything. Monokuma also reared his ugly head, advising them that if a boy tried to enter the woman's dressing room, he would get filled with bullets from the gatling gun mounted on the wall.
After a thorough sweep, the twelve students reconvened in the dining hall. As they did, a different announcement appeared on the screens in the school.
"Hem hem!" Monokuma said, "As a brief reminder, there are only 48 hours remaining before I reveal all of your deep, dark secrets! Do you think Naegi was being honest when he said you all already knew? Better make up your mind! And remember, give it your best shot!"
"Hmm," Byakuya hummed. "And you, you said Junko is camped out on the 4th floor?"
Mukuro nodded. So far, Togami had refused to call her by her name, but she wasn't particularly disturbed by the matter. The students, other than Makoto, still looked at her like she was dangerous, but they had done that for a long time anyway. "Yes. Though it won't be easy to get to her."
"Of course, if you're the mole, you could be lying altogether," Celeste replied, with a big grin.
"Bold claim for someone who's talent includes being a good liar," Kyoko said, evenly. Yasuhiro and Hifumi snorted with laughter.
"Well, what the fuck are we supposed to do if we can't get even get up there?" Mondo grunted.
"Junko, as the Ultimate Analyst, gets bored quickly," Mukuro replied. "If we resist the motives long enough, she'll get bored and try to keep things interesting. She's trying to break the last remaining beacons of Hope to prove a point to the world."
"Right!" Makoto chimed in, "We'll just have to prove to her she can't break us!"
"Our victory is assured!" Kiyotaka agreed, "None of us will be broken by despair again!"
Makoto raised his hand for a high five, which Kiyotaka returned. Mukuro couldn't help but smile; it was adorable.
"Yes, well, if you're done playing cheerleader, that doesn't get us any closer to getting out of here." Byakua said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He got up to leave.
"Where do you think you're going?!" Aoi cried, angrily.
"If you want me to just sit and play nice while we wait out an evil mastermind, I'll pass." He sneered. "I'll be in the Library, actually doing something productive."
After he left, Yasuhiro looked to Makoto. "Did he ever outgrow that rotten attitude?"
"Uh... a little," Makoto answered. It wasn't a complete lie.
"It can't be helped." Kyoko replied. "For now, all we can do is attempt to figure out a way to get to Junko. Keep your eyes peeled for anything unusual."
"Remain diligent!" Kiyotaka barked. "We're still students and the remaining Hope of the world!"
Taking that as a dismissal, Celeste left, followed quickly by Chihiro. Mondo shuffled out not long after that.
"Hey, does anyone want to go for a swim with me?!" Aoi asked, excitedly. "Makoto? Sakura? Um... Mukuro was it?"
Mukuro looked rather shocked. "Me?"
"Sure!" She exclaimed. "A refreshing dip is great for stress relief!"
Both Makoto and Mukuro remembered just what Aoi considered a, "refreshing dip." It usually consisted of breaking some Olympic swimming record. Still, it wasn't a bad idea.
"Sure," Makoto shrugged. "Might be nice."
The thought of a shirtless Makoto filled up Mukuro's mind as well. Normally, Junko would tell her something perverted now and make her uncomfortable. Instinctively, she felt that way... but...
"I'll um... I'll go too." Mukuro agreed.
"I'll pass," Kyoko replied. "I have some investigating I'd like to do on my own."
"I shall join later, I have a few reps I'd like to attempt," Sakura added with a nod.
Asahina, Makoto, and Mukuro left the dining hall to head up to the pool area. But as they did, Chihiro saw them from his dorm and came running up to them. Even the small jog seemed to leave the Programmer out of breath.
"Ah, Makoto!" Chihiro gasped. "I was wondering if you could help me carry some stuff from the A/V room back to my dorm."
Makoto paused. Part of him thought it was... weird that Chihiro singled him out. Asahina and Mukuro were both way stronger than him. Still, not one to be impolite to a friend, he smiled and nodded. "Sure thing. I'll be right up after you guys, okay?"
Mukuro looked unsure, but Aoi was already nodding. "You're so nice, Makoto! Come on Mukuro!"
Asahina grabbed the Soldier's hand and began pulling her towards the pool, the quiet protests of Mukuro falling on deaf ears.
Makoto couldn't help but smile. He'd always wanted Mukuro to find friends amongst the class.
Makoto was walking back to his dorm, and the crisp fall air made him shiver slightly. The school blazer didn't offer a whole lot of protection against the cold. He'd have to pack a coat for these autumn days. He was glad the dorms weren't too far from the class building for the Primary Course. He had just gotten a new manga shipped to him, and he was ready to delve into the latest murder mystery book that was all the rage lately.
"Hey Makoto!" A chipper voice called out to him. He turned to see Sayaka and Asahina waving him down from the steps of the class building. "Come here!"
Curious, he walked over them to see what he could do for the two of them. "What's up?"
"We were planning on putting together a class 78 movie night!" Sayaka said, cheerily. "We figured we could use the common area for our dorm on Friday nights."
In the last six months that he had been at Hope's Peak, he was glad that his class were growing very close with each other. Sayaka said Makoto was a big part of it, with his can-do attitude and his determination to include everyone in activities. He didn't really see her point of view, but he appreciated it. "That sounds like a lot of fun!" He beamed. "What can I do to help?"
"That's the spirit!" Aoi grinned. "Can you go see if we can use one of the projector's from the A/V room?"
He hadn't realized it was already Friday. "Oh jeez, this is last minute, huh?"
"Yeah, we had the idea at lunch," Sayaka giggled. "But that's why we need to go round everyone up. So we were hoping you'd get the equipment."
"Sure thing!" He pounded a fist against his chest, "Leave it to me!"
"You're the best!" Aoi beamed to him. The two girls took off. Makoto headed for the A/V room, and found girl from one of the classes sleeping at a kiosk.
"Um, excuse me?" He asked.
The girl lifted her head. It looked like she had fallen asleep while level grinding on Pokemon. "Hm?"
"Can I borrow one of the DVD projectors?" He asked.
"Oh, I'm not part of the A/V club," She yawned. "I just like to nap and game in here."
"O-oh." Makoto replied, awkwardly.
"I've seen people sign the stuff out though," the girl said. "It should be no problem."
"Ah okay. Thanks!"
Eagerly, Makoto found a sign out sheet at the front of the classroom, signed out he was taking a projector and a cart, and began wheeling them out..
As his luck would have it, he of course got the cart with a busted fourth wheel. Every few steps down the cart would jam and stop, nearly tipping over as Makoto pushed it.
It was a pain, but he figured it wasn't a long trip back to the dorms.
But as he got to the front door of the dorm room, the wheel jammed in the door. All his momentum carried him forward, tipping the projector forward...
... and into the arm's of Mukuro Ikusaba.
"Oh!" Makoto exclaimed. "Thanks, Mukuro! I'm so lucky you were there!"
"Well I was just about to leave," she mumbled, righting the projector and helping Makoto lift the cart over the door lip. "Just in the right place at the right time."
"Well, thank you," he said again. "You're always there to help me out."
When she looked at him, she saw his smile. She blushed, furiously. Every time he did that. It set her heart (and face) ablaze. "It's... not a big deal."
"Oh! Are you going to be at the Class Movie night thing Sayaka and Aoi are throwing?" Makoto asked. "They said it was for the whole class, they just had to tell everyone."
Mukuro kept her neutral expression. She knew Junko needed her to scout some members of the student counsel tonight in preparation for the Hope's Peak Tragedy. "I'm not sure I can make that."
Makoto frowned. "Oh... that's too bad. I was looking forward to watching a movie with you. I have lots of popcorn to share."
Mukuro's face had to be crimson now. "S-sorry, Makoto."
She left, hurriedly, to meet Junko. Makoto watched her leave, sadly. Class 78 was growing so close, but he felt like he was the only one getting close to Mukuro.
Makoto followed Chihiro, who handed Makoto a box of old parts. Makoto did his best not to strain under the weight. "What's all this for, Chihiro?"
"Just a few things on an A.I. I'm working on," Chihiro said. He had a small smile, but it looked... forced. "I um... actually asked you in particular because I wanted to talk to you about something."
"Sure, Chihiro, what's up?"
The two began walking through the hall back to the dorms. Chihiro kept a focused gaze looking straight ahead. "Well... about the secret's... you... already know mine, right?"
Makoto felt rather stupid; he should have known that this was what Chihiro wanted. "Y-yeah. I know you're... you know... a boy."
Chihiro blushed. "Y-yeah. So... I already told everyone? And they...?"
"They were all cool with it." Makoto assured him. "Even if Monokuma tells everyone in two days, it will be okay. We've all learned this stuff before, you know?"
Makoto followed Chihiro into his room and set the items down. "Thanks Makoto," Chihiro said in a sigh of relief. "That's what I wanted to know. I... I feel better knowing that I was able to do this once before."
"No problem," Makoto grinned. "And if you need anything, I'm here to talk."
"Thanks. But for now, I want to get to work on this AI."
Makoto waved goodbye to his friend and decided to catch up with the girls. He could only hope that everyone else would take the situation just as well.
He'd hoped that his knowledge of his friends feelings and tendencies would be enough to keep them together, to prevent any violence. But Junko's memory erasing was a powerful tool. A twinge of regret tugged at his heart; he wished he had said something sooner. Would have it helped Sayaka and Leon? Would it have prevented the episode with Jack?
He shook the thought out of his head as he approached the stairs to the second floor. This was Junko's handiwork, and she was a mastermind who could orchestrate a push for societal collapse. Beating himself up was what she wanted.
As he reached the pool, he was careful to make sure he used the entrance to the boys locker room. The gatling gun outside the girls room was hard to miss, but it still made him nervous he'd somehow use the wrong door and end up a piece of swiss cheese.
He was surprised to see someone else in the weight and dressing room. It was Mondo. He was sitting on the weight bench, looking like he was in deep concentration about something.
Makoto paid Mondo no mind and changed into his swimsuit, ready to soak his worries away.
"Hey," Mondo called as Makoto approached the door to the pool.
"What's up, Mondo?" Makoto asked. But he froze up as he turned and saw the biker was holding a dumbbell.
"Tell me..." Mondo said, not looking the shorter boy in the eye. "Tell me you don't know my secret."
"M-Mondo," Makoto stuttered, nervously. "Mondo, you know my story. We're friends, it's -"
"I would never." Mondo grit his teeth. "NEVER. Tell anyone about how weak I am." He clenched his free hand. "Let alone, let it be broadcast on TV."
Makoto opened the door to the pool and slowly tried to back out into the area, but Mondo matched his footsteps, his stride larger than Makoto's. "Mondo... I know about... your brother. We've all been there for you."
"THAT'S BULLSHIT!" Mondo yelled. Out on the floor of the pool, his shouts echoed. "NO ONE GETS TO KNOW ABOUT DAIYA!"
"Mondo, let's talk about this," Makoto pleaded.
It happened so quickly. Mondo said, quietly, "Sorry Makoto," and raised the barbell above his head. But before he could move further, Mukuro had ran over from the pool, locked one arm around Mondo's neck, and used her other hand to control the biker's wrist, making him drop the barbell.
"You've made a big mistake," Mukuro hissed in his ear.
Mondo tried to wriggle free from her grasp and punch the soldier, but she twisted with him, bringing both arms to the biker's head to snap his neck.
"Don't!" Makoto yelled. "Don't hurt each other!"
Mukuro met his panicked gaze. She realized he was right. If she gave in and killed Mondo, even in defense of Makoto, she was still giving Junko a killing for the game. Instead, she grabbed the biker's belt, and with great strength, threw him into the pool, leather jacket and all.
As the biker splashed and flailed his way over to the wall of the pool, Asahina shouted, "What the hell, Oowada?!"
Makoto's heart hammered as he watched Mondo hang onto the side of the pool. He half expected the biker to lose his mind and try to keep attacking, but instead, Mondo just sat there, staring at the water.
"Makoto, are you hurt?" Mukuro asked. Her eyes were blazing, still fueled by rage and adrenaline. She felt like she could tear through an entire battalion with her barehands.
"N-no," Makoto assured her, holding his hands up. "I'm totally alright. I-I think he's just worried about all the secrets airing."
Mondo climbed out of the pool and sat on one of the bleacher's staring at the pool blankly.
"What the hell, Mondo?!" Aoi repeated, angrily. "What happened to outlasting the mastermind?!"
Makoto bit his lip. While still terrified, he knew what Mondo's secret was; the death of his brother due to their drag race. It had tortured Mondo for years, and he'd only revealed it right before the Tragedy had begun.
"You don't fucking know," Mondo spat. "That secret was supposed to die with me, but if Naegi knows it, then we got a problem."
"The only problem here," Mukuro spat back. "Is that you would try to take Makoto's life instead of owning up to your past."
"Real big fucking talking for someone who got us in this mess in the first place!" Mondo hissed.
"STOP!" Makoto yelled, making all three jump. "We need to stop this! This is just what Junko wants!" He turned to Mondo with a fire lit in his own eyes. "And if you want everyone who knows your secret to die, then you'll have to kill your whole gang!"
Mondo's eyes widened. "The fuck does that mean?"
"After you told me, and everyone else," Makoto seethed, "We all convinced you that you weren't really the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader if you couldn't be honest with the Crazy Diamonds. So you told all of them."
Mondo looked at Makoto like he was speaking a foreign language. "Are you fucking kidding me?"
"No," Makoto huffed. "I'm not." His tone softed, though only slightly. "You're better than this, Mondo."
Mondo sat there, staring at the pool for minutes. Mukuro, Asahina, and Makoto all watched him, silently. As the biker stood up to leave, Mukuro immediately stood in front of Makoto to protect him. But Mondo just walked for the locker room. He did pause, briefly, in front of Makoto and Mukuro, and muttered, "Sorry, Naegi," before ducking into the changing room.
"Jeez..." Aoi sighed, sadly. "Swimming is supposed to be happy times, and Mondo had to come and ruin it."
"Are you sure you're okay?" Mukuro asked, turning to him once she was sure the coast was clear. She pat his face and shoulder's gently, looking for wounds. "I know sometimes with adrenaline one might not realize they're hurt until later."
"I am!" Makoto smiled at her. "You've saved me again, Mukuro. Thank you so much! That could have gotten really ugly!"
Mukuro still felt like she was in defense mode. It was unusual for her; she could turn that sort of thing on and off for herself when battle was over. I've never had this sort of feeling for anyone else, she realized.
"Hey." Makoto said, reaching out and grabbing her hand. "Mukuro, it's okay. He left. No one's trying to kill us right now."
"Ha..." she exhaled, trying to relax. "You could tell?"
"Y-yeah," he chuckled, a bit embarrassed. "When you're ready for combat, your eyes shift all over the place, like you're looking for all the things in the room that're hazardous. You first did it when we were in the bath house."
"And you still approached me to talk?" Mukuro asked, shocked. "I could have hurt you."
"I didn't think you would," was his simple reply, with his usual smile.
Once Mukuro's adrenaline wore off, she realized her heart was still racing because a shirtless Makoto was holding her hand and smiling at her. She felt very... exposed in her one piece bathing suit, her pale legs allowing her to stand a little taller than Makoto.
Makoto was noticing too, realizing what he was doing. Still wet from the pool, Mukuro's hair clung to her face, making her freckles more noticeable. He had to stop himself from looking down and staring at her chest or her muscular legs. He didn't want to pop a -
They also became painfully aware that Asahina was still watching them as she cooed, . "Aw! You guys are so cute together!"
The two of them stepped apart, both of them blushing "S-sorry." Makoto apologized.
"Well hey, why don't we break the tension with a race!" Aoi suggested. "Mukuro's actually pretty fast!"
"Swimming is a good way to stay in shape and also relax," Mukuro nodded.
"Heh, okay, but I'm pretty sure you guys will leave me in the dust," Makoto agreed, rubbing the back of his neck.
The three of them spent some time swimming in the pool, Aoi completely decimating them altogether, and Makoto falling painfully behind as he expected. Still, it was definitely needed to set his mind at ease.
Notes:
Alright, so... does anyone want a smut chapter of this eventually? Is it warranted? Do we not want it? Would it ruin the story? I dunno you guys tell me.