Sayaka's eyes filled with tears at Mondo's warning. She knew she was easy pickings. She knew her band needed her. Those girls were like family. They certainly cared more than her actual family…
She pushed Makoto off of her and ran off. Her feet sting from running so hard, but what else was there to do?
"S-Sayaka-" Aoi called after her, worried
"Let her go." Byakuya commanded, folding his arms
"I can't do that! She needs support in a time like this!" Makoto ran after her.
Taka looked to Mondo, worried "... Please… Don't do anything…" He begged
"I won't do anything yet, not unless I have to." Mondo murmured back, quiet enough for only Taka to hear
"Is that a promise?"
"..." Mondo turned away. He really can't make promises here. He can't afford to let down any more people than he already has, getting stuck in here.
Sayaka was curled up in a classroom, hyperventilating and rocking when Makoto came in. He sat down beside her quietly
"Sayaka, are you okay?" Makoto asked softly
"I'm f-fine-" She panted "... W-what did we do to deserve this, M-Makoto?"
"Nothing. Nothing at all." He ran his fingers through his hair, Sayaka's mood becoming infectious
"I want out" She wailed, pounding her fists on the floor "I want o-out of here r-right now!"
Makoto took her wrists carefully, his fingers getting squished while she thrashed "P-please Sayaka, calm down- We can't think clearly like this."
"How the fuck are we supposed to think clearly?! How can you be so optimistic?"
"Please stop yelling-" He winced "Someone's gonna notice everyone who went missing, I'm sure of it! The families of several Ultimates ending up… Missing… T-that's gotta be suspicious!"
"What if they forged stuff? What if they made it seem like everything's fine, Makoto? Aren't you scared?!"
"I'm terrified- b-but that can't stop us right now." He bit his lip, trying to fight back the onslaught of dread overwhelming him "Please, Sayaka. We need you. We need to work together."
"Like how we worked together to stop Junko from getting killed?" She asked, her pale blue eyes frantic and wide
That hit Makoto like a truck. The dream he had last night about her woke him up in a cold sweat. This was torture. "Th-there was nothing we could've done, then- It happened too fast to stop it!"
"What if more things come that happen too fast to stop? What if we never get out?!"
"I-if that happens, then… Then I'll get you out of here myself."
Sayaka collapsed into his lap, sobbing "Please help me… Please…"
Makoto stared off into the distance, holding her tightly "I'll do my best."
"Do you p-promise?"
"... I promise."
"Do you promise?"
"I promise." Makoto stood in the wings of Sayaka's first performance, the school's talent show.
Sayaka shook like a leaf, catching glimpses of all the people there. Her name was called. She kissed Makoto's cheek and nervously shuffled onto the stage. She looked to Makoto, taking the microphone. And she started to sing and dance.
She was a natural, her voice melodic, her dance graceful and fun. She'd catch glimpses of Makoto, hidden by the curtains. He was dancing too. He helped her practice.
Time went on and they grew distant. Calls every day turned into letters every few weeks, turned into nothing at all. But both never really forgot.
Sayaka wouldn't forget that promise. "No matter what happens, please… Always be there for me. By my side."
"Of course." He bumped his forehead against hers. "You wanna hang out in my room for the rest of the day? I'm not really strong, or much of anything special, but I can do my best to protect you."
She nodded, shakily sitting back up and getting to her feet. "I need to stop by the kitchen f-first, I need to get my blood sugar up."
Makoto nodded, heading to the dorm to wait.
"Oh they're so cute together it makes me sick!" She squished the Monokuma plush on her control panel "Doesn't it just make you wanna curl up and puke?"
"I suppose…? Ma'am, I hate to ask, but… Why did you kill your sister?"
"Hm? Oh! I love her, that's why!"
He adjusted his glasses, confused "So you impaled her repeatedly?"
"Everyone that I love should get a taste of this beautiful, drowning despair! And I love everyone! But I love her the most, that's why! And when she is re-activated after the Killing game, she'll thank me!"
His terror was only hidden by years of practicing hiding any emotion at all. He felt as though she might off him, but it was too late to back out.
Taka knocked on Makoto's door urgently, nearly punching the boy's nose when he opened the door "Mr. Naegi! Ms. Maizono is missing!"
"She's in here!" He pointed to his bed with his thumb where Sayaka laid, absently playing her otamatone.
Taka gasped "Are you two… Copulating?" He whispered accusingly
Makoto flushed bright red "N-no! No, sir!
Taka nodded, relieved "Oh thank goodness. Please continue not doing that." He patted Makoto's head
"Are you okay?" Makoto asked, making a face at the pets
"I am never okay, thank you."
"You wanna talk about it?"
"No." Taka turned around "Now if you'll excuse me I have to investigate Mr. Owada's dog pictures."
Makoto nodded slowly, closing the door. Taka must have been really shaken up, it seems.
"Who was that?" Sayaka yawned
Makoto sat on the foot of the bed "Taka. He was worried about you."
"Aw…" She felt a little guilty about running off. "Hey, Makoto? Could… Could I switch rooms with you tonight? I hate to ask, but… I'm really scared."
"Switch rooms…? If it'll help put your mind at ease, we could try it… But, aren't you worried I might do something to your room? I wouldn't, but..." But you seemed so worried earlier.
"I trust you, Makoto."
"In that case… It's a deal."
The monitor screen turned on, signaling the curfew was now in place.
"Oh shoot- See you tomorrow!" He hurried to get a change of clothes for tomorrow and head for the door, stopping momentarily
"The door on the bathroom's bad? Well, no worries!" Sayaka giggled before Makoto even opened his mouth
"How did you-"
"Like I said, I'm psychic!"
Makoto waited for her to say she's kidding
"... What if I wasn't kidding?" She smiled.
Makoto stammered "Then I need to stop thinking about the egg rolls I wanted to make tomorrow or you might steal them…"
Sayaka giggled again, setting the otamatone in a drawer.
Makoto tossed her his door key, and she tossed hers back to him, he fumbled to catch it.
"Thank you!" Sayaka smiled as he left, starting to pen a note.
Makoto shuddered at the camera and climbed into the bed. The smell of vanilla permeating his dreams.
Makoto awoke the next morning and stumbled out of his room to the dining hall, his stomach growling. He realized he forgot to eat dinner last night, staying with Sayaka.
"Mr. Naegi! Guess what!" Taka beamed, his chest puffed out "I was the first one here this morning!"
"Congrats" Makoto smiled softly
Taka's smile spread to Chihiro, who sipped her coffee "I feel much better after a chance to sleep. Reviewing the DVD, it doesn't seem to be real. If the mastermind could access a high-tech robot like Monokuma and this surveillance system, they clearly have the budget to do something convincing like this! I can't wait to tell Sayaka!"
"Good news, indeed. I trust your judgment, Chihiro." Sakura nodded approvingly.
Aoi clapped, a donut in her mouth. She wiped her hands on a napkin and wrapped up a little tighter in Sakura's jacket.
"Where is Ms. Maizono? She typically doesn't sleep in like this…" Taka pondered.
"She was doing really bad yesterday, she probably needed to sleep it off. I don't think she'd wanna miss the hot coffee, though…" Makoto grabbed a granola bar to tide him over while he went to find Sayaka.
"Please return with her soon!" Taka requested, waving to the newcomers to the cafeteria.
Makoto cheerily skipped down the hall, waving to Toko and Celestia. He knocked on the… Now, wait a minute… His nameplate was supposed to be on this door, but Sayaka's is instead? Worrying. He knocked on the door, no one answered. He tried the door. It opened, it wasn't locked. That's terrifying, just like what lay inside.
The room is scratched, the table flipped over, the decorational katana on the floor, out of its sheath. Feeling nauseous at the horrible smell of blood, he wearily looked into the bathroom.
And was greeted by Sayaka's corpse.
"Boo!" Sayaka giggled, her mother's white dress tripping her up.
Little Makoto jumped, tugging on his Yoshi costume's hat "D-don't scare me like that!"
Sayaka's thin, black painted lips were upturned into a grin "It's Halloween, silly! I gotta! I'm a ghost!"
"Really…?" The boy was certainly gullible back then
"Booooooo!" She flapped her sleeves
He squeaked, near tears
"It's just a joke! I'm still here, promise!" Sayaka hugged him
"Pl-please…" Makoto trembled, sniffling "Please say it's just a joke…" He waited, hoped irrationally for her to move, to smile up at him… Nothing. He didn't realize that he was screaming out.