It was rare to see Kyoko with anything but a blank expression and a well put together dress, and yet there she was muttering to herself while pacing in her classmates room. Beyond just being a rare occurrence it was utterly unheard of. Of course her classmates knew that despite all outward appearances there was an actual person under the pile of detective cliches, but there was one person who could draw those out of her. It seemed only appropriate that said boy would be the cause of her current mood as well.

"Um Kyoko are you listening?" the small voice of Chihiro Fujisaki asked from his computer chair, eyes tracking as the Ultimate Detective made her way from one wall of the room to the other.

"It just doesn't make any sense." she spoke aloud, unable to keep her thoughts to herself at this point. If Mak-Naegi had found been secretly dating a girl she would have known it. Or she thought that she would have known it. After all the two of them were close friends...if she had ever allowed herself to think about the subject she would be forced to confess that he was probably the best friend she had ever had. If he was dating a girl she would have known.

A small part of her said 'it would have been me' but she buried that voice so deep that it might as well have been calling from the bottom of a mineshaft.

"Well you aren't wrong," the master programmer turned in his chair and looked at his computer screen, showing a number of flashing 'Access Denied' windows opened on the laptop he had placed on his desk. Ever since Kyoko had added him to her investigation he had been pushing deep into Hopes Peak's hidden files, having found one that was buried under what appeared to be dead code, but was actually a complicated wall meant to keep even the most dedicated of hackers away. But he wasn't an ultimate for nothing, and his digging had unveiled a file kept behind an equally complicated lock.

"This file has already burned through four computers. I've seen military files that weren't half as encrypted as this…" the young man paused for a moment and slapped a hand over his mouth. "I um...didn't say that."

Right the investigation, the very reason she has happened to see her best friend and his girlfriend who was a girl…

With a shake of her head Kyoko cast aside those thought to focus on the mystery hidden behind Hajime Hinata, the boy whose very existence had been utterly erased from the world. What made a student from the non talent portion of the academy so important that anyone would go so far? "So we still know nothing about what might actually be in the files I brought you?"

"Well I wouldn't go that far," with a few strokes of the keyboard Chihiro closed the various screens and brought up a single document, a header that held the words 'Project Hope'. "I can't break the full file open but I managed to pull a bit of it out using a program I developed. I was banking on the file holding a fragment of the password needed to open it, but all I could get was the first page of a text document."

Kyoko's interest peaked at the document title and stepped closer to examine it, eyes glancing toward what appeared to be a small black line at the bottom of the document just before above where a normal text document would end. "Whats that at the bottom?"

The programmer blinked and rubbed the screen of his laptop before hitting the zoom button as far down as his program would let him, revealing the line was actually a small series of what appeared to be scribbles, but we're close enough together to appear on anything but the closest of inspection to be just an error with the document. "Huh, maybe it's some sort of code." he turned to Kyoko and saw the girl's stone faced expression. "That's more your area. Want me to send this to you?"

Kyoko gave a nod and let out a small sigh. "Keep trying at the file, I don't want to stop chasing this lead until I know for a fact that it won't bear fruit."

Chihiro gave a small nod and watched as Kyoko turned around. "Um...forgive me if I'm prying but is something wrong?" the detective visibly cringed for a moment but didn't turn around to say anything. "It's just if you are having trouble you know you can talk to me right?" despite being more then a bit socially awkward Makoto had taught the young man to try and be more assertive with his feelings. Seeing his classmate looking so conflicted was enough for him to break out of his shell, if only a bit.

"Its nothing," the response was curt and before anything else could be said Kyoko was out the door and trying to hold herself together. It was plainly obvious that she had no idea what she was doing, and the longer these thoughts plagued her the harder it was going to be to focus on the case.

But to say that Kyoko was clueless when it came to her own emotions would be a drastic understatement. Not to mention how muddy her own thoughts became once they wandered to Makoto and his...friend. She was going to need advice from someone more knowledgeable about these subjects.

Obviously her male classmates weren't people whom she could talk to about this situation. Even if they were willing to help most had their own issues that would simply make talking about the situation unpleasant in its own unique way. Yet even among the girls she didn't know who to turn to for help in these matters.

But she couldn't allow the situation to get worse, so she picked the girl from her class who would have the most experience when it came to Makoto.

Junko woke up and found herself chained and blindfolded to a bed that felt different from the comfortable mattress that she ever so rarely used. A thousand thoughts ran through her mind at once, trying to figure out just how this had happened. Her first thought turned to stalkers, some lifeless shut in who spent their days rubbing themselves out to her photoshoots had managed to grab her and take her to some underground sex chamber from which she would be forced to endure all sorts of improper things.

One twist of her body proved that theory wrong, the chains that were holding her had been wrapped around her perfectly, just tight enough that she would be unable to move but without cutting off her circulation. The odds that a freak who chained people in their basements had gone through the trouble to hold her down but still ensure her comfort seemed a bit too ridiculous.

The sound of a door opening banished all thoughts of a fan as she recognized it as being one of the many she had installed in her underground facility. She refused to call it a lair on the grounds that losers and comic book villains had lairs, professionals have facilities. There were only four people in the entire world that knew about this location, one of whom hadn't been able to leave, one of whom would have literally zero interest in holding her prison, herself, and finally…

"So sis are we gonna like, talk about why I'm all pinned down like the start of a bad porno flick?"

There was no noise for her to pick up on for a moment, and then suddenly she could hear a chair being moved across the floor before a small movement let her know that the chair was touching the edge of the bed. It sometimes disturbed Junko just how silent her sister could be, a skill born from her talent that even she couldn't fully replicate.

"I need your help Junko," her sisters voice boomed like thunder in her ears after having heard nothing but silence since she had woken up.

Despite her situation Junko felt a sneer dance across her lips. "And you couldn't fucking ask like a normal ass human could you cow?" if she had free use of her arms she would have smacked her sister in the head.

There was silence from Mukuro was deafening before a soft sigh escaped her lips. "You wouldn't be willing to help me if you knew what I really wanted."

That seemed to get Junko's attention as her brain flipped through all of the possible things that her sister might want that were out of her reach before arriving at the obvious conclusion. "Oh...you are all hot and bothered about that scrawny little luck nerd aren't you?"

Despite not being able to see it Junko knew that her sister was no doubt sporting a blush that probably looked utterly unnatural on her hardened face.

"Well you aren't wrong, there is no way I would ever try and set you up with that hopeful piece of trash. Now untie me so we can get back to work." Junko's voice offered no room for argument and she waited expectantly for release.

Instead all that was offered was the scrapping of a chair and the closing of a door, leaving her in silence once more.

Sayaka Maizono had a tendency to disappear into her work for days on end, dipping into her room and simply losing herself in writing songs, practicing singing, or designing concepts for outfits for the next concert. Normally such things were handled by a group of people, but as an Ultimate she had a certain reputation to uphold and liked getting her hands dirty in her own work. She knew that eventually someone would get her when it was apparent she was so busy that she hadn't actually eaten in a day or more. Usually it was a certain boy that she liked having treat her to a meal.

A sudden knock on the door jolted her out of songwriting mode as she realized just how sore she was from laying on the floor and just how many scattered papers lay around her body. In any normal setting she would have never answered the door, but the last paparazzi that had tried to step foot on Hope's Peak outside of a scheduled meeting had been ejected. Violently.

The Ultimate Idol felt her lips twitch into a soft smile and walked toward the door, already having a feeling of who was on the other side. Makoto was always the first to be at her door with a bento or offer to grab some food if she ended up locking herself away, and already he could imagine a blush across his cheeks at seeing her looking disheveled as she was.

With a flourish she pulled the door open and smiled. "Hello Ma-" she froze as the figure on the other side of the door was revealed, not her childhood best friend but another classmate. "Kirigiri?"

The Ultimate Detective stood outside the threshold of the room with an unusual expression on her face, which givin her nature was the existence of any sort of expression at all. Her usual mask of disinterest had been replaced with a frown small enough for most to miss, and her eyes held a certain uncertainties to them. "May I come in?" her words still held their usual bluntness but with a soft undercurrent of something else.

Sayaka stood still for a moment, hands still on the door as an internal debate ran through her mind. While she didn't hold any direct animosity to Kyoko she also couldn't say that she particularly liked the other girl. She was often to serious and was difficult to talk to without feeling like she was trying to dissect you with her eyes. And of course there was another reason involving a certain boy, but that felt too petty a reason to simply send her off.

"Is something wrong?" the words came out a bit unsure from the Ultimate Idol, something was obviously rubbing Kyoko the wrong way, and if it was something dangerous Sayaka wanted to be far away from it.

Kyoko seemed unsure how to respond to that for a moment before simply deciding on honesty. "It's a matter of...personal importance."

"Oh," that was unexpected to say the least, normally Kyoko seemed well put together to the point where nothing could phase her. The fact she was hearing asking for advice on a personal matter was beyond the pale. "Come in, careful of the papers that aren't crumpled up."

With a nod Kyoko entered the room, carefully avoiding the paper on the ground as if they were mines on a battlefield. She stood awkwardly in one of the few pieces of floor not occupied as Sayaka went about picking up a bit of the mess in order to give them room to talk.

While Sayaka was occupied Kyoko took a moment to examine the room with a passing glance, which for someone with her skills was akin to memorizing even the little details. A few things instantly struck her as odd.

The room was rather bare, very few personal effects graced either the walls or her desk, and even the sheets were rather plain despite their high quality. While not able to go all out in changing their rooms Hope's Peak at least allowed for some modifications and personal pieces to bring life to the place. But the most she could see were a few pictures of Sayaka with three other women, a class photo from middle school, and a picture of her and Makoto making silly faces toward a camera.

Even in her own room she had a bookshelf and a few paintings hung up, but the threadbare nature of the room spoke to an aspect of Sayaka's personality that Kyoko hadn't known existed but in hindsight seemed perfectly clear. And idol spent weeks touring at a time during the busy periods of the year, so putting a lot of small bits here and there would probably be to much hassal for someone who wouldn't see much of them. So rather than lived in the room gave off a sensation of being more like a hotel room.

Sayaka finished placing her papers on a small desk next to her bed and took a seat on the bed itself before waving vaguely toward the chair for Kyoko. "So what was it you wanted to talk about Kirigiri?"

For a moment the Ultimate Detective seemed to fumble for a way to introduce the topic that had been weighing on her heart. "Its a personal matter…"

A smile graced Sayaka's lips, more real then the half hearted thing she had given before. "Don't worry I wouldn't spread around your secrets. Gossip is an ugly thing after all."

"Thank you," Kyoko closed her eyes for a moment before finally speaking. "I believe that I may have feelings for Naegi."

Sayaka felt as if a spear of ice had been thrust into her chest at those words, but tried to maintain a smile regardless. "Oh, that is...nice…" she rested her hands on her lap and took a calming breath. "But I don't see why that would be a problem."

Kyoko would of course beg to differ, as the processing of such mundane emotions had never been something she had been particularly skilled with. It was true that she could pick up minute details about others and was not wholly unaware of such feelings, but her ability to understand such things were limited. "I believe that Naegi has a significant other, and my feelings are...conflicted."

Yet another cold shock rendered Sayaka's heart as her hands balled into fists in her lap, her own nails biting into her flesh as she tried to quell the storm that was already raging in her heart. "Oh." was all that she could let out without revealing how conflicted she was.

It took a few moments in order to compose herself enough to speak, but eventually she was able to reply. "I can understand how that would be effecting, but I why would you come to me for advice on something like that?"

"You seemed like the obvious choice, after all as someone who is adored by so many people I felt that you more so than any of our other classmates would have more experience with matters of the heart." Kyoko's answer was rather blunt but seemed to hold water from her own perspective.

Sayaka simply looked blankly at the girl for a moment before a sudden laugh escaped her. Not the dainty laugh that she practiced for fans and interviews but something a bit more honest, and also a tad more dark then most would hear. Once the first escaped she couldn't help as more and more laughter rocked her body, sending her back on the bed as a mixture of emotions left her with no other ability to react.

Kyoko for her part didn't quite know how to react to the sudden display, simply looking a tad shocked at the activity and wondering what she had said to trigger such a reaction.

Finally Sayaka ran out of breath and simply laid back as she tried to fill her lungs again. "Sorry that was a bit rude wasn't it?" the question was rhetorical but she didn't really feel the need to apologize to the other girl. "Kirigi how much do you know about idol industry?"

Kyoko racked her brain for a moment before giving a shake of her head. "Very little, none of my cases have ever involved the genre and I prefer classical music."

Sayaka pulled herself back into a sitting position and wore a small smile on her face. "I see, that would explain that," the young woman drew in a deep breath and her smile slipped into a rather serious expression. "I'm sorry about my earlier display, but honestly it seemed like a bad joke at my expense. For an idol having a relationship is impossible."

"What do you mean by that?" Kyoko's interest was piqued at the new subject, and regardless of situation she wasn't one to miss out on the chance to learn. And beyond that by her expression and tone of voice this was something that needed to be vented. Let it not be said that she hadn't learned a bit about how to interact with people from Makoto.

Sayaka closed her eyes. "As an idol your fans are your very life, fans spend money to come to shows, buy merchandise, and keep the idol industry alive. The more dedicated the fan the more people they will inevitably draw in due to their dedication." she sighed and looked at Kyoko. "But then you run into an issue, because the more they give for you the more they expect from you. In essence I have to match the devotions of my fans."

"But fans don't see idol's as people, but rather beings that exist in order to comfort them with our words. Each song is sung for them even amongst a crowd. My love is for them, and if it was ever discovered that I was in a relationship…"

Understanding washing over Kyoko as those words came together. "They would feel betrayed, and you would lose those dedicated fans."

"Idol's have been unmade overnight by rumors of relationships, even as the Ultimate Idol my career probably wouldn't survive me having a boyfriend, even if there was someone…" she closed her eyes. "Even if there is someone like that."

Kyoko blinked as cold feeling washed over her, the kind that came to her when a hint was rearing its head during an investigation. "There is?"

Sayaka laughed, but there was nothing behind it, more a half hearted gesture then anything real. "It might be a bit petty of me, but I don't really like you Kyoko. But at the same time we are similar in a few areas, like our taste in utterly clueless guys who are too cheerful and helpful."

She couldn't help but smile at her description of Makoto, even in this situation just having him brought up could help. "When did you...know? I mean that you had feelings for him."

A soft laugh escaped Sayaka's lips as she thought of her old friend. "Well I've always been fond of him, ever since I saw him in middle school he seemed kind, but once I got to know him during our first year at Hope's Peak…" she giggled softly. "Getting to spend time with him, having him help me. I guess there wasn't just one moment, one moment he is just someone you know and then its like you are missing an arm when he isn't around."

Kyoko couldn't help but agree with that assessment, ever since he had started helping her on cases he had proved to be an invaluable assistant. He had an eye for details that she would gloss over, and often it was only when the two talked that she was able to make her greatest strides forward where she might have been stuck for days unassisted. "I can't say you are wrong on that count."

"But if you want a single moment, it was after my first band mates split from me. It was a pretty public thing and they were trying to raise their own prestige by striking out on their own, they spread some bad rumors but ended up sinking their own careers in the process. I was so sad I felt like I would never leave my room again. And then he came." her hands went to her heart.

"He had brought over a bento and some junk food he had managed to sneak in and we stayed up the entire night talking and listening to music. There was this moment when I had gotten something on the corner of my mouth and he was cleaning it off and more then anything I just wanted to lean forward and kiss him." a blush tinted her cheeks at that memory.

"Did you?" Kyoko asked in a quiet voice.

Sayaka shook her head. "No, I knew that if I did that it would end up hurting him. Makoto has a lot of good qualities but keeping secrets was something I don't think he will ever be good at. I could either have the love of my fans or him. I had already given up so much for my career, even if it hurt me I didn't want to lose the chance to bring a smile to those who depend on me."

"I'm sorry," the words held sympathy, and there was simply nothing else that Kyoko could say to the other girl. "I ended up dragging a lot of painful things out with my question. If you want me to leave I will."

Sayaka shook her head and brought her sleeve to her eyes to brush aside her tears before they could fall. "No it's okay. I'm a big girl and made my own choice so that's on me. You still deserve help."

Kyoko reached out her hand and placed it on Sayaka's, offering a small smile and a nod. "Thank you."

The idol nodded and thought for a moment. "So Naegi is with someone, that probably means that she ended up making the first move. For being so thoughtful he is actually pretty dense isn't he?"

Kyoko brought a hand over her mouth in order to mask a small laugh and simply gave a nod of agreement. "It's not an inaccurate view of his character."

"Regardless there are three things you could do, or well that I can think of," Sayaka raised a finger. "One, if you think the two aren't right for each other then you can stake your own claim and fight for his heart. Two, if they are really happy together you just need to be happy for him. It's...not an easy thing to do." she glanced at Kyoko for a moment and giggled. "I thought that was what I was doing when you two started to hang around together. Guess I wasn't exactly right was I?" she put up her hand and sighed. "Sorry that was mean. The third thing you can do...well regardless of anything you can fight for him. If you think you can make him happy then don't give up."

"That last option seems...ill advised." Kyoko could already see the potential pain that it could cause between the two of them if she tried some scheme against the two.

Sayaka simply gave a shrug. "I didn't say it was a good option, just an option." she rested her head back and looked up at the ceiling. "Whatever you do Naegi will still be your friend, and even if that hurts you shouldn't distance yourself from him. That would hurt even worse."

"I will keep that in mind," Kyoko rose and offered her hand to Sayaka. "Thank you, for listening to me that is."

Sayaka took her hand and shook it. "This doesn't mean that I like you. And if Makoto slips from this other girls fingers I might not just let you get him so easily."

The challenge brought a small smile to her lips. "Hm, I suppose that might make us rivals."

"May the best girl win." she gave a playful wink and Kyoko left the room. "Oh Makoto...you really are too much." Sayaka collapsed back on the bed and closed her eyes, humming a tune that had come to mind.

An idea had come for her next single, something to do with grabbing onto the love in front of you before it disappeared. Yeah, something like that seemed perfect in its own way.

The next time that Junko heard a noise it was the beating of boots against the ground outside of her improvised prison, followed by the door opening and the sounds of people entering the room. "Man sounds like a party." she said aloud, tilting her head toward the sound.

"Hm, so this is your sister. I somehow imagined something, more." a masculine sounding voice rang throughout the room and suddenly she felt hands at either side of her head as her blindfold was removed. The first thing she saw was her sisters face looking down at her with an unreadable expression, straightening back up to reveal two other figures.

One was dressed head to toe in combat gear, with even a mask covering their face. The other was an older looking man with the body of a linebacker and the expression of someone who would end your life for looking at them the wrong way. His outfit was business like, but the scar and milky white of one of his eyes gave the appearance of a battle hardened soldier.

"I wouldn't discount her sir, if what the little wolf said is true we might be looking down at one of the most devious minds since Genghis Khan." the voice that came from the fully covered one seemed lighter, a bit girlish almost.

"What little old me?" Junko's entire body language changed in the blink of an eye, showing herself as utterly defenseless to those around her where before she had been taunt and ready to strike. It was as if the girl had put on a totally different personality. "I wouldn't hurt a fly, its my sister who is the violent one."

"Hm, you are good," the gruff man looked her over and shook his head. "Your sister seems to believe that you could be of use on the mission that she has contacted us for. Are you willing to offer aid?"

Junko's mannerisms changed once more, becoming thoughtful for a moment before spitting directly into the man's one good eye.

The man related back and let out a few curses in a foreign language that Junko didn't recognize. The masked figure laughed a bit as Mukuro simply looked at her sister with a blank expression on her face.

"Dream on, the only one who gives orders around here is me!" Junko smiled in the same way one would imagine a shark would smile as it came across its prey.

"Unfortunate." was all the older man said once he had calmed down.

Mukuro walked up to her sister and sighed. "Junko, before when I was helping you I didn't really understand what it was you wanted. Despair meant nothing to me, I only sought to help you. But I think I understand now, how you feel," she put a hand over her heart and something happened that Junko couldn't believe.

Her sister smiled.

It wasn't an ordinary smile, no but all rights the smile on her face was one that she had only seen in a mirror before. Mukuro's hands wrapped around her body as the smile seemed to reach the limit that her face could convey. "When I saw Naegi and that girl kissing it felt like I was being stabbed, shot, and set on fire. It hurt so badly that it felt like someone had replaced my blood with broken glass." her eyes gleamed over with a sort of insanity that Junko knew were reflections of her own.

"You...felt Despair." Junko's lips twitched into a full smile. "Hm, that shitty anime nerd, his little program, even if I couldn't exactly replicate it your mind was open to further emotional changes. Seeing those two...oh that is too good!" a dark laugh flew from her. "How does it feel sis, the Despair that I know so well?"

"It's good," Mukuro purred, her voice shifting into something else, becoming closer to Junko's. "It hurts so much that it's all I can think of. Like white noise blaring in your ears."

"Like a glass shard being stabbed into the heart!" both sisters sang at once.

"So what are you going to do sis?" Junko asked, hungry for details.

Murkuro smiled. "I will drive him into despair, I will break him down until he is forced to love me more than anyone else in the world."

All at once Junko's smile disappeared. "That's it?'

For a moment Mukuro's smiled faltered. "What do you mean?"

"You finally get Despair and you just want to share it with one person?" Junko's eyes became manic for a moment. "No no no no you have to make the entire world understand."

"Oh Junko," her sister shook her head for a moment. "I wish that you could understand. I don't care about the world, I only have room in my heart for so much."

"What are y-"

Before Junko could finish Mukuro pulled out a gun and fired a dart into Junko's neck.

"I only have room in my heart for one person. But don't worry," Mukuro smiled brightly and laughed. "Even when you are gone you won't be dead," she placed her forehead against her sisters. "I'm going to take everything. All of your plans, all of your methods, everything you have set up will become mine. And when I go about my plan it will be using everything I have learned from you that will make Makoto mine."

Junko felt her entire body warm, as if hot iron flooded her veins. Despite herself she went to shout but couldn't make noise.

"The poison will kick in soon, just close your eyes and feel Despair. Despair that you were killed by your sister, Despair that none of your plans will ever come to be. But most of all," Mukuro leaned down and gently ran her hand along her sisters cheek. "Despair because all you are will become me." she ran her tongue along her lips and the final string of sanity in her mind snapped. "After all, we were like, planning to trade out anyway. So I'm gonna be the new Junko."

The last thing that the would be Ultimate Despair saw was her own face painted across her sisters. And she felt...wonderful.

Once Junko's eyes were closed Mukuro turned toward the other two occupants and smirked. "In order to hire Fenrir one must not only pay for the services but also be willing to give up that which they care most about in the world. Isn't that right?"

The old man nodded his head. "Of course, the last of our agents will be arriving within the week. As of now we are under contract."

"Good," Mukuro smiled and walked toward the door. "Now then, I have a meeting to attend to."

"With the Ultimate Hope."

Makoto looked up as the first drop of a storm fell directly into his eye, drawing a sharp hiss from him as he attempted to blink it out. That momentary distraction had cost him the game that he had been close to winning. Or at least as close as he ever got to victory when playing against Chiaki.

"Are you okay?" the Ultimate Gamer looked up from her screen in concern as her boyfriend rubbed at his eyes.

"Yeah I'll be fine, looks like the weather kind of snuck up on us didn't it?" Makoto looked toward the sky, surprised to see what he had thought was supposed to be a clear day had become rather dreary. Apparently they had been at their game for longer than either had realized. It was a day off which meant they were afforded a bit more time to spend together but neither felt exactly confident enough to be in either of their dorms with the other.

While their relationship wasn't a secret neither had exactly gone about yelling about it from the rooftops. Their friends were important to them, that much couldn't be denied, but neither of them were quite ready to share their time together with others.

"I guess so, didn't it?" Chiaki looked up with a frown. The last thing she wanted was to have to leave Makoto just because of the weather, but at the same time she didn't want to risk their gaming systems out of sheer stubbornness. "It is getting pretty late, it might be a good idea to head back in."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Makoto sat the system on his lap and placed his hand on top of Chiaki's. "Are we still good for dinner next weekend, Togami promised that this place had much better fire suppression systems."

The two laughed at their little injoke and Chiaki gave a nod. "Yes, through I am a bit nervous. I've never really been on a...date…" she began to fidget, thinking of the various dating sims and the disastrous ends that she found herself in. Dates had always been the places she messed up the most.

"Neither have I, so worst comes to worst neither of us will know if we screwed up."

Chiaki couldn't help but smile at his hopeful attitude toward the entire thing. Just being around him made it a bit harder to worry about things. "You're right, I think."

The rain began to patter down on the two, but neither wanted to be the first to get up. Finally they both rose together and Makoto dipped down and gave Chiaki a small kiss on the cheek. While both had kissed each other already both kisses had come off at highly emotional times. That and neither had any real measure of how much physical affection was supposed to be shown at one time. So mostly it was played by ear.

As Chiaki turned to go she felt Makoto's hand suddenly take hers, and when she looked back she saw her boyfriend blushing slightly. "Before we go there is um...something I want to say. But it's a little embarrassing so you don't have to say anything back."

She gave a small nod, feeling her heart tighten a bit in anticipation.

"I...love you Chiaki." the blush on his face was only equal to the one that darted across her own. "I know we haven't been together for long but...I do."

Despite the rain Chiaki brought herself closer to Makoto and placed her forehead against his chest. His arms wrapped around her in a gentle hug and suddenly the rain seemed the furthest thing from either of their minds.

"I…" she didn't exactly know how to respond. After all the girl had never had another relationship like the one she had with Makoto. Even her parents weren't entirely accurate as a measuring stick for when affection became love. But then her mind came to where it normally went as a measuring stick, her games. She remembered the first time she had ever been truly wrapped up in a game, the feelings it had summoned in her to master it.

With that comparision in mind she smiled and pushed herself up on her toes, placing a soft kiss on Makoto's lips. "I...love you to. I think." she smiled broadly and finally stepped away from the embrace. "See you tomorrow?"

Makoto could only nod in response as she turned to walk toward her own dorm, throwing his arm into the air and letting out a sound of utter happiness.

Chihiro had fallen asleep at his computer when the sound of a notification suddenly forced him awake. Once his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room and the brightness of his screen he saw that another file had been extracted, this time an entire folder full of text documents.

"I'm in," the young man smiled to himself at the cliche and extracted the folder through his own means, reading the title out loud. "Okay then, Project: Ultimate Hope. Lets see what is so special about you."

In a dark room not unlike a cell Izuru watched as the door opened to reveal Mukuro flanked by two masked individuals. The girl was wearing a smile so utterly twisted it seemed to have no place on the serious girl he had known before.

Deep in his heart he felt a sudden stirring and stood up. "Hm...interesting."

No excuses, just content. If you enjoyed the chapter make sure to leave a review. Until next time.