Arc I Epilogue: Swear to Me

He waited on the roof for her, sitting and staring up at the soon-to-be night sky.

He kept tapping away, and not only due to the cold fog settling around his feet. Morgana had dozed off at this point, curled into black fluff amidst his clutter. Oversized rat.

He decided to let it be.

He glanced at his phone the sixth time in five minutes. I hope Prez didn't get cold feet.

He then heard the door open behind him.

He turned around to find Makoto, a small smile visible in the faint moonlight. That's promising, he mused.

She walked towards him, arms behind her, and propped up a chair next to him. "Thanks for coming."

"Seemed like the best thing to do. I felt bad having to leave you behind."

Makoto looked down at her lap. "You don't need to bend your back worrying over me. I'd...feel bad if you did anything drastic because of me."

"...You're beating yourself up again. You can relax. We did ok."

Then, the silence came.

A few minutes later, Makoto broke it. "Kobayakawa's resignation is more than assured. If it's not the students or the teachers, then it will be the board. And for all three scenarios, they will be in the face of incontrovertible evidence: Kamoshida's testimony."

He felt the flutters of anxiety in his chest...Well, Renren. How should you explain that away?

Makoto continued. "It's...all too much to comprehend. When I was in the infirmary...I was helpless. I was stuck, thinking of all of the ways we were going to fail. How I failed you. But this...it turned out so well. It's so overwhelming..." She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. "You have my eternal gratitude."

He felt flushed under the eyes. "Well, um...thanks. This was still your plan, though. Stop acting like you were just on the sidelines."

"I-I know, I just...wish things went smoother. When things go wrong...I guess it always feels like the problems occur because I do them."

His eyes locked on to hers. "...It's a bad habit for me as well."

Their eyes locked. Something about the moonlight coming in made staring at each other oh so comforting.

Makoto darted away. ...Best not to overdo it. Even if...his eyes feel so good to look at, after such a long day. "It'll be messy, these next couple of the weeks. They say the country's going to go through a rough time. They figured cutting back will mean that the volleyball team won't be coming back anytime soon."

"They should be disbanding it for other reasons," Ren bitterly muttered.

"I know. But I am worried about the team members. Some of them have been playing for a while. Having no team...that's going to be a change. Part of me wishes they didn't have to be collateral damage in all of this."

"I disagree about them being collateral damage. Perhaps stepping back will give them something better to look forward to. You can't always live your life under old Kamoshida's form of camaraderie. What would they fall back onto if they got a new teacher? Old habits die hard."

"It's hard to say; I just hope they're helped, regardless. I will admit, though, anyone who would be willing to be a volleyball coach or any coach at this rate, probably would need to be as desperate for results as Kamoshida was. Especially with the headwinds the school is facing."

"Yeah, well, when they find someone worth a damn, I'll be cheering them, for sure."

"There's another matter...starting today, you'll be a Student Council Member. Deputized, but it will last the entire year."

Akira knitted his brows.

Makoto groaned. "There's no need to look at me weird like that.

"I know...but why!?"

"We've stirred the pot a bit. I'm really sorry; I had a feeling the plan might put you under scrutiny. People are less likely to suspect the Student Council President had a hand in such matters."

Ren sighed. "...Continue."

"...To explain more, here were rumors. The teachers didn't know how to act in the face of Kamoshida and Kobayakawa's scandal, so they cut their losses, assumed you had a hand in leaking all of that, and wanted you overseen during your time. They wanted a faculty member to handle it...but I volunteered to handle it. My insistence made them say yes."

"You volunteered...to be like my probation officer?"

She smirked. "To them, yes. But in reality, no. I plan on being your confidant. At your side...always."

Ren beamed. "Good. Though...Confidant?"

"What about it?" she said defensively. "You...don't like it, don't you?"

"No no, NO. I..." Ren was hot under the collar. "I love it. Just...you don't usually wax poetic like that."

"I guess you're just a terrible influence, then," she cooed.

He suddenly didn't feel cold anymore after hearing her getting all sultry. "You know, I'm glad you freeish today. I assume you would be with your Sis enjoying yourself. Now, close your eyes."

Her eyes lit up. "Huh?"

"Please?"

"I-I mean...What are you planning to do?"

"...It's a surprise."

She had read the tropes too many times in her manga to think what else he could mean.

She closed her eyes expectantly. After all...it had to come to this. All of our bloodhounding...the fog. It's like in one of my movies. It feels just right. To be swept away.

She then felt something placed on her head. Something soft.

"Open your eyes."

She opened them and saw Ren wearing...A LIMITED EDITION CHRISTMAS BUCHIMARU BEANIE!?

"I was lucky to find two. Happy birthday."

She patted her head, realizing she too had one of those collectible beanies, shaped like Buchimaru's face. And with yellow, stuffed stars hanging down the sides to boot. "I...how did you find this!?"

"I looked around."

"Even with...all of the planning...but then, how did you know my birthday was today!?"

"Um...funny things happen when you leave out your wallet, Makoto."

And, from her eyes, the tears welled. "I...doing this..." She hunched down, a hand on her chest and her voice now a small whisper. "I...thank you. You don't know how much...just, thank you."

No, miss President...thank you.

She then reached for a hug. "Unfortunately, you don't have cake, so I will help myself to something warm. It is a bit chilly, after all."

Yes, please. "Alright then." He obliged her, and right when the chill started to pick up, making her tense and hold on to her tighter than she held him.

Upward, the night sky was clear. A dark abyss worth exploring.

He stared up, wondering if he might be lucky to find a twinkle. Just like those clear, still nights by the sea. "Hey...you don't need to go anywhere, do you?"

Makoto shook her head. "Sis is busy. Like...always."

"You mind staying here a while, then? Getting lost in the sky, I mean."

"I suppose..." she smiled with her eyes closed. "...I can't complain about that."

The two laid on the ground and looked upwards.

For Makoto, it was probably for the best. All of this staring...it's not good for my heart, I imagine.

The sky was now pitch black.

His mind wandered:

Sis.

It's been a while. Got distracted again. My apologies. I usually would do this properly at the butsudan...but this will have to do.

Make sure to send Mom my regards.

You know, I kept him safe. And others, like I promised.

But...I'm sorry.

I guess I'm still a selfish kid in a way. Believing in a future beyond the present. A "what could be" only gleaned from the window of my room...or from seeing someone discarded by the wicked.

But now, after all the time spent grieving and being guilt-ridden, and after all the time standing by while the world became an intolerable place to live in, I understand now.

I'm just bad at apologizing.

I should have apologized a long time ago by taking more pages out of your book. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, after all.

When you came back that summer, after getting expelled from Gekkoukan, you told me that being a normal student there was like being in a Sunken Place. A place of either your or others' creation. Where you just observe from a box separated from everything. Where you don't feel like a person.

Then, something bad happened. Something that forced you to get out of that Sunken Place: exposing that PTA scandal. Or, something like that.

I didn't get it then; I thought you were still upset about being expelled, and you were trying to be all poetic and failing at it.

I guess, now, I realize, for the longest time, I've been in a tug of war between "everything" and a Sunken Place.

And recently, after brushing up against so much injustice...the type that took Mom and you away, I teetered that line.

His hand started to shake.

But, I got out. Again.

Makoto held his shaking hand. That tremor in his hand...

It harkened back to their first moment on this roof. She imagined him holding back quite a bit then. And she imagined he still held quite a lot deep down.

Enough that the thought of what he was capable of in that state terrified her the same way she saw how Kamoshida fell to his knees.

"Ren?"

"Yeah, Makoto?"

"Swear to me."

"Huh?"

She stared deep into his eyes. "Swear to me that you didn't do anything reckless to force today to happen. If I knew that you forced Kamoshida to confess against his will..."

He was calm, even when faced with her pleading eyes. In the end...that smug doctor had a point. The best thing, when faced with any problem, is to fix it. No questions asked.

And when faced with a world continually devolving into shit and enforcing laws that further dehumanize us..

I have to try. In Mementos...even in the damn Student Council...I'll have to try.

That's my vow to the world. The law that I follow.

He put some of his fingers between hers. "I didn't force anything out of him."

That's how I'll stay away from the Sunken Place.

"I swear." Makoto...I'm sorry.

Her eyes quivered as she analyzed for the thinnest trace of insincerity in his resolute eyes.

And yet...

She let something give. And for her, she let herself give into hope. The hope that, in the face of the darkness brewing inside of him, he could still do the right thing. With her help, of course.

She figured, for tonight, she'd stargaze with him. "Ok."

ARC I END

Notes: HOO BOY!

Apologies for the delays. This part, and me combing over it, is why.

And so, Akira...Ren...whatever, earns a small glimmer of redemption, and Makoto learns to shut off her mind for a minute and enjoy the daisies.

Thank you guys for reading; it's been a long journey, and while I think there are some things here in my rendition of the Kamoshida arc I feel like I could improve on for future arcs...

I'm just glad I had the chance to write it all out.

As for the next arc...

Well, it's probably going to be two weeks before you see the beginning of that. Mostly since I'll be busy trying to frame things together in my mind, and the other being that I want to draft another small shot.

Either way, I hope you guys enjoyed what I had so far. And if you didn't...that's fine too.

11/10: Making some edits (I probably shouldn't write an epilogue in the middle of the night. Doesn't help with concentrating.)

(Also, AxelChakrams: Thanks for your reviews, as always! Particularly for the last chapter. I've noticed too that my editing has slipped unfortunately. Probably due to a hectic work schedule this week, so apologies for that.)

Stay tuned!