A/N: Well, if you think the last chapter was full of feels, then this one will fucking kill you. Welcome one and all to the newest chapter of the End of Hope's Peak Academy: Feels Edition. Where all of you will feel everything under the sun, Happiness, Joy, Anger, Despair, Sadness, it's all here folks, for the low low price of FREE! That's right, when you Follow and Favorite this story, you will be given alerts on new chapters filled with feels, feels that will make the deceased Junko Enoshima writhe with despair!
So, this chapter will introduce Takane Nishijima, originally she was going to be the Ultimate Beauty Pageant Contestant, but she has since gotten a talent change, as is now the Ultimate Astronomer, and before you ask, no she does not look like Takane Shijou from IdolM aster, I swear, she isn't based on her one single bit, not at all.
This chapter will include some tarot readings and horoscopes. I took a crash course on Tator readings literally an hour into writing this, so please don't flame. I think I did good, to be honest with everyone, and I have a deeper appreciation for Astronomy and Astral Readings now. So please, tell me if I did well, if you know how to read Tarots that is.
Also, big shout out to god's executioner REBORN, for giving me the new ship name for this fic. Daisuke x Hiyoko is now known as Diyoko and has been added to the summary of the story. So thanks a lot for that, you deserve my praise.
The next chapter shall be the last chapter Nagito Komaeda will be in before his suspension, and will also be the Christmas chapter. Expect it to be long as it will have a lot of information in it, detailing of course what Nagito did and Daisuke spreading holiday cheer into his saddened students. man, between everything that happens in this chapter and Nagito's suspension, no wonder everyone will be fucking sad. I am a monster. Perhaps I shall change my profile name to the Ultimate Despair? After all it is benefiting of me to do so...nah, My pen name has been the same for two years now, and I will never change it. Perhaps I'll add onto it...I digress.
Here is another bowl of feels coming right at your face holes, courtesy of me. Enjoy it with a nice warm glass of Despair, because after this, you'll be shitting logs...well...at least Nekumaru will.
The End of Hope's Peak Academy
Zetzubou-Hen
Chapter 13
New Student
a.k.a
The biggest most tragic event in Daisuke's life
Daisuke had been expecting an awkward conversation when he and Hiyoko finally got home, instead he found himself face first in Chisa's chest, the older woman apologizing to him for everything that had happened to him. He was a bit embarrassed, especially because he was virtually motor boating his teacher, something that seemed to annoy Leon and Kazuichi, for some reason. He had then decided to tell them all the story of how he and Sylvia had gotten together, and started dating, only for it all to end in despair for him. He didn't like telling anyone about the lowest point in his life, but he was glad his friends had been supportive of him. It had been a great thanksgiving dinner, and Mahiru got her wish of taking their picture. Daisuke was happy, and everything that happened during the party was forgotten.
Now, he found himself back in class, the short break had been over and done with, so he had gone back to school. Classes had at least been easier on all of them, so they were all thankful for that. November had finally left them, and now they were in the first few days of December, the school had started changing for the season again, now having snowflakes and Santa Claus's everywhere you looked. Garland had been placed in every room in the academy, and paper reindeer had been taped to every window. It had grown colder, making everyone start dressing warmer, and all outdoor classes had been moved into the gym.
Daisuke and his friends had also gotten closer, and he found himself hanging out with most of them whenever he wasn't working on a story or a new song for his channel. He had even started helping Tanaka with his animal blog, and the teen admitted to getting a spike in subscribers when he started helping him and Sonia out. Akane and Nekumaru had also been helping him learn to fight, with the Team Manager teaching him stances while the Gymnast helped him with his punching. On top of that, he joined Peko every day in the dojo, and she helped him with his kendo.
One might wonder why train themselves in so many fighting styles, well Daisuke honestly didn't know, but he felt the need to push himself to the limit, in mind, body and soul. His soul and mind were being pushed to their limits, but his body wasn't, so he took it upon himself to train hard. He had grown a bit taller in that time, and had gained some muscle on his arms, and his chest had become more toned. Thanks to Seiko's formula, he had already healed from his injuries, so he was able to train to the fullest.
Lately, he had decided to take a break, from everything but kendo, as it was almost time for midterms, so everyone had to focus on their given talents, so they could better themselves for the exams. It was a shame to see his friends forcing themselves to study. Some had it easy, like he and Sonia, who basically had to show everyone their abilities. Sonia was a capable leader, and her test was to be able to rally the crowd as if they were her citizens, for Daisuke, he had to tell a story and entrance the crowd, the written exams didn't count, but it was still good to take them. For people like Akane and Hiyoko though, it was a little harder, as they had to show their Gymnastics and Dancing abilities in front of big crowds, he knew they could handle it, but the stress was clearly visible on their faces.
The windows rattled a bit from the wind. The change in month had brought in the cold weather, and it wouldn't be long until the streets were covered in snow, something that Daisuke was both looking forward too and regretting at the same time. The snow was fun to play in, not so fun to shovel. He could already picture all of the kids having snowball fights and building snowmen, it at least gave him a reason to break out the Frozen soundtrack. The bell rung loudly, and the Physics teacher excused herself, giving them their homework for the day before taking off for her next class. Daisuke stretched, his back popping loudly.
"Man, that was one boring lesson, that woman needs to make her lesson plan suck less ass." Hiyoko muttered, closing her notebook.
"Please, it only sucks ass because you don't understand it." Kazuichi said.
"Oh and you do?" the blonde asked, looking at the mechanic.
"Course I do, I use physics all the time, whenever I'm building big machines, I have to envision what it can possibly do. I don't use it often, but it's good to have some formulas memorized." he said.
"I'm surprised Kazu, didn't expect you to be one to bother with that stuff." Akane said, picking her ear with her pinkie.
"Eh, whenever I'm bored and have no machines to work on or fix, I break out the physics book and take a crack at the material. Keeps your mind focused and working."
"Well said, we should all do the problems in our physics books and compare answers. Alright, we should have that all done for tomorrow." Sonia said, her voice full of encouragement. She instead got groans from everyone.
"Nice job asshat, now we have to do homework." Fuyuhiko snapped, earning a chuckle from Peko who was sitting behind him.
"Hey Chiaki, when are you going to Gamespot? I wanted to pre-order my copy of Pokemon Moon before it comes out, I know you're going to get yours so I wanted to tag along." Daisuke said, glancing at the Ultimate Gamer, who's eyes were firmly on her screen.
"I'll be going Thursday afternoon. Are you pre-ordering the limited edition 3ds XL that's being released?" she asked curiously.
"I might, I already have one so I don't feel the need to waste money on a new system." he admitted.
"Ugh, can you nerds stop talking about Pokemon already? Only kids play that." Hiyoko snapped.
"But Hiyoko, don't you play Pokemon?" Mikan asked curiously, her head tilted in thought. The blonde turned to glare at her, slightly shaking her head.
"Whatever do you mean?" she asked, teeth grit.
"Well, I saw you playing it a few nights ago. And I also saw your collection of Pokemon cards when I was cleaning the room. You have all the first edition prints of them. Oh right! I showed you my holographic collection and we traded a few extras we had." she said, a smile on her face.
"Pfft, you talk a big game little girl. And yet you can't admit that you like catching Pokemon." Kazuichi said.
"Shut the fuck up. No one was supposed to know that!"
"Guys lay off her. Sometimes it's hard for us to admit what we like and don't like. It took me awhile before I could tell people that I played Pokemon. But now I can just say it with confidence, and yes I still collect the cards and watch the anime, religiously. I even have cover songs of the best anime openings for it. I play a lot of other games too, one of my favorites being Bakugan." he said.
"Oh my god, I used to have so many of those as a kid. I always broke them though." Nekumaru admitted, rubbing his neck.
"Well of course you would break them, your big ass breaks everything in sight!" Akane joked. Nekumaru slapped her back, causing her to howl in pain.
"Did any of you have any Beyblades as a kid? I had tons of them, still do actually." Teruteru asked.
"Ugh...no, I thought beyblade was a stupid gimmick to sell high speed tops. A friend of mine broke a couple fingers with one." Daisuke admitted.
"The only thing I let rip was a huge ass fart in a Taco Bell bathroom. Bean Burrito night was killer." Nekumaru said, earning disgusted groans from his classmates. The door suddenly opened, and their homeroom teacher walked in, holding a clipboard in her hands, a bright smile on her features.
"Hello everyone. How are you all doing?" she asked.
"We're great Chisa, how are things with you?" Daisuke asked, leaning back in his seat.
"Things are as dandy as ever. Classes will be slowing down for the next few days to give all of you time to practice your talents for the midterms. I expect only the best out of all of you, even you Nagito, no more blind faith." she said, looking at the white haired teen.
"I'll try my best Miss Yukizome. Even trash like me relies on things besides luck, I'm sure I will be a stepping stone for everyones blinding hope!" he said.
"Jeez, he's in hope mode again." Akane said.
"Toss him a bagel, that will make him shut up." Kazuichi added.
"Ooo, Ibuki has some. Onion, or Cinnamon Raisin swirl?" she asked, holding the two packs of bagels in her hands.
"Why the hell do you have those with you?" Hiyoko asked, earning a shrug from her.
"I wasted my student check on a new computer, after that bitch Sylvia ruined my set up. This was all the food I could afford for the last two weeks." she said.
"I'll take a cinnamon raisin swirl please. I haven't eaten anything all day, you are life saver, Ibuki." Nagito said. The Ultimate Musician handed him the bagel, which he quickly bit into.
"Anyway, I came in because I have wonderful news, a new student has been assigned to your class! That means a new friend you can build a bond with, and I expect you all to be nice to her when she arrives." she said firmly.
"A new student? This late in the year?" Sonia asked curiously.
"Must be because the slots for 79 A and B have been filled, and they would have to wait another year until class 80 is set to arrive." Kazuichi said, slouching a bit in his seat.
"I sense a great deal of power emanating from the fourth floor of this institutional palace. Thou dost claim it to be the power of a demoness, sent to the mortal realm from the realm of Hades himself! I shall keep us all protected." Tanaka said, standing up from his seat.
"Sit down dumbass, she's most likely just a regular girl." Hiyoko snapped, popping some gummies in her mouth.
"Maybe she'll let me take her picture, I do need some for my portfolio, I have to build it before midterms start." Mahiru said.
"Why do we even have to bother with her though? We already struggled enough to form a tight nit bond, now we gotta let another person in?" Fuyuhiko snapped, opening a single eye.
"Fuyuhiko! I am ashamed and appalled at what you just said. Who cares if she's a new student or not, we should do our best to include her in our little family. We can't just abandon her, though with midterms around the corner.." Sonia said, loosing a bit of her pep.
"Don't tell me you've lost hope. Come on, remember when I was first here, and how much of an annoyance I was? I didn't want to have friends or talk to anyone, but I tried my best and look at me now, I'm one of the club now. We should all try our best, besides, it's December, the month of holiday cheer, we have to be happy and hopeful, even if it kills us." Daisuke said.
"Daisuke has the right attitude! Oh, I hear her coming." Chisa said, looking expectantly at the door. Everyone looked at her weird.
"Hear her? She must be fat...this is gonna be sweet!" Hiyoko said.
"Don't you dare make fun of her, there is nothing wrong with being a little fat." Mikan snapped.
"Of course there isn't, especially when all of your fat goes straight to your tits!" the blonde replied, slapping the girl's breasts, causing her to cry out in pain and embarrassment. The whole room grew quiet, the sound of an instrument filling the otherwise empty hallway. Daisuke strained his ears a bit, trying to make out the melody.
"Is that...the Saxophone riff from Inxs's Never Tear us Apart?" he asked.
"It is, it's just a bit extended." Ibuki said, also recognizing the sound. The song grew louder, until the one playing it entered the room. Her eyes were closed as she continued playing her Alto Sax, the melody filling the entire room, as her manicured fingers ran over each key.
This young woman stood at an even five foot five, and had long white hair, reaching down to her mid back. It was kept straight, though it curled a bit at the ends. She was wearing a black headband, two strands of hair coming over it to frame her face. She was also wearing a pin on her hair, depicting the Zodiac sign for Aquarius on her headband, which glittered a bright blue under the direct sunlight.
She was wearing a white sleeveless turtle neck sweater, with a bright green bow on the center of it. It had what looked like an emerald attached to the center of it. Around her waist, she wore a black belt, with what looked like constellations on it, it was a midnight blue in color, and each constellation glittered brightly. She wore a long black high waisted skirt, which reached down to just below her knees. The skirt had a ruffled hem, with embroidered words on it, which upon closer inspection, was the names of every Zodiac constellation. They were written in beautiful calligraphy, with golden thread. The skirt had the 88 known constellations sown onto it, along with the planets representing the solar system. Finally, she wore a pair of long black boots, with several belts and buckles on it, reaching up over he knees. Her eyes opened, shining a beautiful shade of magenta. She hit a sour note on her saxophone, cringing a bit as she pulled the mouth piece out of her mouth. She lowered it a bit, allowing the straps to take most of the weight.
"My apologies. It seems I have once again lost myself in the throngs of my music, I seem to have forgotten I was on my way to class." she said, her voice was low yet feminine, like one belonging to a woman of a sophisticated class, and yet, it was the voice of a teenager. Chisa smiled, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't you worry dear. It's alright if you want to play your music here, no one thinks it's bad...at least I hope not." she said, glaring at her students. The girl giggled.
"It's alright, not many like my music, after all I am not in this academy because of my musical prowess. No, I am here for another reason, one that deals with a subject not many have chosen to follow. Hmm, you there, in front of the silver haired woman, what is your birth date?" she asked, looking at Fuyuhiko.
"The fuck does it matter to you?" he snapped, earning a slap to the head courtesy of Peko.
"Trust me, it is quite important. At least to me...no need to be shy now."
"August 16." he replied. The girl nodded, loosing herself in throught for a moment.
"Ah, a son of Adam born under the Lion constellation. You are strong, proud, and caring, even though you let your attitude get the best of you, and you let your pride exceed you, you use that caring side to make the greatest of friends. You've been taking pride in your home life as of late, including traditions and customs. You have a desire to improve yourself which will take a lot of focus, but it is very welcome in your life." she said. Everyone remained silent, especially Fuyuhiko. Sonia cleared her throat, gaining her attention.
"Did you just...give him a horoscope reading?" She asked.
"Of course, I usually charge extra for those seeing as it's not truly my specialty, but since you are my classmates now, I don't mind giving you free readings from time to time." she said.
"Everyone, this young woman is known as the Ultimate Astronomer. Her name is Takane Nishijima, and she's gained popularity over the last few years for her very accurate horoscope readings, not only that, she's the youngest person alive to have her own planetarium, and she teaches collage level Astronomy at the local university. She got her astronomer's certification license at the tender age of ten. She was supposed to be part of Class 77A but her spot was given to another student, so they squeezed her into our class. Be sure to be friendly towards her." Chisa said, encouraging her students.
"If I may, I believe we would bond together if I teach you about my craft, I don't mind teaching anyone a little astronomy, it actually makes me happy when people take an interest in it. There are so many questions I want to answer, so many things I want to discover, who knows? I might even let you name a comet if you find one." she said, giving them a wink.
"Well, I for one wouldn't mind studying a bit of astronomy, it sounds like an interesting subject. My name is Daisuke Fuji, welcome to our class Takane." Daisuke said, giving the girl a bright smile.
"Mr. Fuji, I've heard quite a lot about you. I happen to be a fan of your stories, I never thought I would have the pleasure of meeting you in person. I hope we can become great friends, feel free to call me Taka, all of my friends do." she said, directing it toward the entire class.
"Alright Takane, why don't you take a seat? There's one available behind Gundam." Chisa said.
"You FOOL, you dare speak my name? Have you not learned the foul events that were to happen should the populace hear it? The world isn't ready to hear that name. The Dark Lord has sealed away his power for that very reason, all shall tremble under my name when the time of reckoning is upon us!" Tanaka shouted, holding his arms high into the air. Lightning struck loudly behind him, his Dark Devas chirping loudly. Takane looked at him oddly, turning toward her teacher.
"Um...should I worry about..."
"No." the entire class cried out. She gave a small nod, making her way to the back of the room, taking a seat behind the dark lord.
"Anyway, now that that's out of the way, I would like to encourage you to take up Takane's offer. Not only that, I want you all to show her around the school, and make her feel welcome. Due to our dormitories being filled up, she has elected to walk to school every day, so I would appreciate it if some of you could accompany her home as well." Chisa said.
"Oh, worry not about my transgression home. I shall be fine on my own." Takane said, earning a giggle from Chisa.
"No no, this is a learning experience. We are all here to make friends and build unbreakable bonds. You've missed a lot already, but it's never too late to bond with friends."
"Trust me when I say this girl, it's better that you agree with her, unless you want to be strung up on a flag pole like that poor sap that crossed her path yesterday." Hiyoko said, a smirk on her face.
"Jeez Hiyoko, you don't want to scare the girl. Don't worry, the boy was fine after we got him down." Sonia added.
"You aren't succeeding in making me feel better." Takane admitted, slightly frightened at what her teacher was capable of.
"We have a few minutes before the next class is due to start, so please introduce yourselves and make sure Takane feels welcome." Chisa said, turning back to her desk to look at some paperwork. Daisuke stood from his seat, stretching a bit to loosen his sore muscles. He was still a bit sore from all of the training he had been doing with Akane and Nekumaru, but he still felt happy about doing it all.
"Daisuke, may I have a word with you?"
The young man locked eyes with Peko, who looked a bit concerned about something. He gave her a nod, following her to the other side of the room.
"What's up? You seem stressed." he asked.
"I am a little, surely you know about all of the extra training I have been doing in preparation for the exams. I came to let you know that I cannot teach you anymore kendo for the moment. You've done wonderfully in the last few days and have picked up several stances and strikes that took me months to learn. After midterms are over, we can continue where we left off, please keep practicing, and keep your shinai with you at all times. You never know when you'll need it." she said.
"Oh trust me, I never go anywhere without it. Not after you instilled it in my mind." he said, pulling the bamboo sword from his messenger bag. Peko still didn't know how he fit the entire sword in there and still have enough space for everything else, she like all of his friends, decided not to think hard about it, especially after that one time he pulled out an entire rope ladder from inside.
"Thanks for letting me know that you can't continue. I don't want you to stress out over your own training and have to focus on me. I'll be fine for now, and I'll keep practicing the stances you showed me. Maybe we can have a duel soon, see who's better." he said with a smirk on his face.
"I doubt you can beat me of all people." she replied.
"Well, you know what they say, sometimes the pupil can beat the master at their own game...it would be an honor in itself if I could have a duel with you, so don't keep me waiting." he said, giving her a grin.
"Of course, when you are ready, we shall have our duel."
"Yo Dais, come here a sec!" Kazuichi called out, making the teen groan. He put his shinai away, turning back to Peko.
"I'll go see what he wants. I swear if it's another failed machine, I'm going to hit him with it." he said, making the stern swordswoman giggle. Daisuke looked around the room briefly, seeing most of his friends crowed around Takane, who had brought out some tarot cards from her small purse. It seemed they all wanted a reading. He remembered there was another person that did those in the school, his friend from class 78, Hiro...though his readings weren't always accurate. In fact, he said that they were right 30% of the time, which was pretty low in Clairvoyant terms. He stopped next to Kazuichi, who had been watching everyone intently.
"What do you think of the new girl?" he asked, after a few seconds of silence.
"She seems nice, though she has a weird way of talking. It's too...sophisticated for a girl her age." he said.
"I've been to her planetarium before, my mom took me for my birthday one year, to see the light show. I was only twelve at the time, and when I saw her walking around, I thought she was with someone else, didn't think she was the owner and operator though...she's grown up fine." he said, a smile on his face.
"I thought you were all about Sonia? What happened there?" he asked.
"Miss Sonia, while being the most beautiful girl I have ever met, is never going to like me the way I like her. I realized that when she told you her feelings." he said.
"You...heard that?" Daisuke asked, looking directly at his friend.
"Yeah, I did. It hurt, but she's right. I came on too strong, and looked like a stalker. I decided, to just let her go...besides she's into you. She hides it well, but she still looks at you sometimes. Unrequited love, it's the most painful one of them all. I just want to move on, keep my options open you know." he said, his frown turning into a sharp grin.
"Well Kazu, she's beautiful, if you think you can tame her heart, go for it, but remember not too strong, and for the love of god, wash your jumpsuits, and use some Tag or something, girl's like hard working men, but they don't like sweat soaked smelly men." he said.
"You're right, I'll be back soon." he said, taking off toward his dorm, most likely to take a shower. Daisuke shrugged, walking toward the window. Peeking outside, he saw a few students walking around the plaza, most of them bundled up for the weather, while others, like Sakura Ogami, and Aoi Asahina just walked around in their usual clothes like it was nothing. To not be bothered by the cold, it really must have taken a lot of dedication for them to continue exercising outside. His phone started vibrating in his pocket, and he groaned, shoving his hand in his pocket to retrieve it. He looked at the caller ID, seeing that it was his older brother Ryuji. He grit his teeth, narrowing his eyes.
"The hell does he want with me? Especially after everything that bastard did." he muttered angrily.
"Something wrong Daisuke?" Chisa asked curiously, gaining the attention of a few of his friends.
"Nothing, my older brother Ryuji is calling me. But I'm not going to answer it, especially after what my fuck head father did to me on Thanksgiving. Whatever he needs to say to me isn't important." he said, canceling the call.
"Hey, didn't you say you were going to city hall to have your name changed?" Hiyoko asked curiously.
"I'm going on Monday. My mother and father have to be present so I can take her maiden name, my sister is also getting hers changed, soon enough, I'll be known as Daisuke Del Rio, I think it fits me better than the name Fuji." he said with a smile on his face.
"Why are you getting your name changed?" Taka asked curiously. He shook his head.
"It's not a story I can tell in a few minutes, I promise to share it with you when I have the time." he said. The bell rung, and everyone started going back to their seats.
"I have to go kids, remember be nice to your new friend and make sure she feels welcome." Chisa said, bidding goodbye to her students, as Mrs. Mendeleev walked into the room, a sour look on her face.
"Oh great, another trouble maker. Please, if you are going to cause trouble with that horn on your lap, leave immediately." she said, glaring at Takane.
"My apologies madam, but I was told that we could carry our most valuable items with us throughout the day if we so desired. There is nothing against school regulations regarding instruments, and Headmaster Kirigiri allowed me to have my Saxophone with me. I am a well mannered young woman and will not be causing a disruption in class. So please, do not call me a trouble maker, I assure you I have not gotten in trouble in any previous learning institution that I have attended." Takane replied, with a firm tone of voice, though Daisuke picked up a slight annoyance in her speech.
"Hmm, well then...I wasn't aware that we had a Queen Bee in this class. Nevertheless, let us begin our lesson."
"Sinä sivistymätön lehmä." (You Uncultured Cow) Takane replied, earning curious looks from everyone except for Sonia who had broken out into laughter.
"What did you just say young lady?" Mrs. Mendeleev asked, glaring at the Astronomer.
"Oh, that is a greeting in my homeland. My family hails from Finland, we use that statement as a greeting to those we hold dear in our minds. The world lehma means beautiful." she said.
"Lehma?" the woman asked curiously.
"Yes, that's how you pronounce it." she said. The woman nodded, a smile on her face.
"I'll have to teach my other friends how to say it. Now open your text books to page 134. We will start where we left off yesterday." the woman said.
"What did she say?" Daisuke asked, tapping Sonia's shoulder.
"She called her an uncultured cow in Finnish, I know I shouldn't laugh but it was so funny." she said, biting her lower lip. Daisuke looked back at the Astronomer, who gave him a grin. Perhaps they would be great friends in the future.
It was once again break time, and Class 77 had decided to have lunch in the classroom as opposed to having it in the cafeteria. Teruteru and Akane volunteered to bring everyone's lunch for them, so everyone else just hung around the room. Kazuichi had returned, and had of course challenged Chiaki to a round of Mario Kart 8. Seizing his opportunity, Daisuke jumped at it, and challenged them as well. Thanks to the big screen television, everyone's screens were large enough for them to see, but not large enough to screen peek, though in Mario Kart, it didn't really matter. Daisuke had his teeth grit, eyes focused on his screen as he fought to keep his spot in First Place. Chiaki was close behind, playing as Link, on his special motorcycle. She sped past an item box, attaining a red shell.
"I'm sorry Daisuke, but first place is mine." She said, tossing it forward. Daisuke sped through an item box, his grip on his controller tightening.
"Come on damn it, give me a shell, a banana, anything." he pleaded. As if to answer his call, he ended up with a red horn, which he activated immediately, not only did it get rid of the red shell, but it also got rid of Kazuichi's blue shell. He passed through the finish line, the breath he was holding finally escaping his lungs.
"Ha! Who's the king of Mario Kart? This guy." he said, pointing to himself.
"Goddamn it Dais, you are such a cheater." Kazuichi snapped.
"Sorry, seems Nagito's luck rubbed off on me. Come on, we still have Hyrule Castle to go through." he said.
"Man this is ass, why the fuck did we pick 200cc?" Kazuichi asked, his tone of disappointment echoing through into their ears.
"We all agreed Kazu, if you wanted to lower the difficulty you should have voted." Chiaki simply replied. Their focus was back to the screen, as the next race started.
"Hey Takane, do you think I could get a horoscope reading?" Hiyoko asked curiously, looking at the Astronomer.
"I don't see why not. Incidentally, you are part of the Saionji clan correct?" the girl asked, pulling out her tarot cards.
"Um...I am, is something wrong with that?" she asked, her tone changing to one of anger.
"No no no, you misread my question. I was just asking because I see a great blessing in the stars aligning with your family name. Most of your family members happen to be born around early to mid March, making all of you either an Aquarius, like myself, or a Pieces." she said.
"Well, I was born March 9th, so that would explain a lot." she admitted. The girl nodded, and pulled out a card from the top of the stack.
"Reversed Tower...this is interesting." the girl muttered to herself.
"Uh...is that a good thing?" Hiyoko asked, looking a bit worried. Mikan stood next to her, glancing at the card herself.
"Hmm, Hiro from class 78 gave me a reading once and pulled that card out for me, if I remember correctly, it means you'll either avoid an incoming disaster, or you have a fear of changing who you are." She said.
"That is correct. Is there something on your mind that you want to change but are scared of doing?" Takane asked.
"No! Why would I want to change anything, I am perfect the way I am." Hiyoko boasted.
"Sweetheart, it's alright. We as humans seek to change ourselves for the better. In our hearts, we all believe that we are perfect the way we are, but sometimes we have to force ourselves to change, for the greater good, or for the sake of those who we love. Could you perhaps have a crush on someone close to you?" the white haired astronomer asked.
"Hell no! Who would want to date any of these losers?" she asked with a huff. She walked off, muttering things under her breath.
"She...didn't even wait until I was done with her horoscope. What an odd girl." Takane said, placing the card on the bottom of the deck.
"No no no, FUCK! Fuck you Kazuichi, fuck you with a 10 foot metal pole! You and that goddamn lightning bolt, fuck." Daisuke shouted, Kazuichi's laughter filling the room as he stole first place, winning the final race. Thanks to the loss of points, Chiaki was able to pass Daisuke and get the golden trophy.
"Alright, that's enough gaming for you Daisuzu, it's Ibuki's turn now." the Ultimate Musician said, taking the controller from the Ultimate Story Teller.
"Fine, I need a break anyway. Since everyone is getting a reading, do you mind if I get one too?" Daisuke asked, sitting down next to Takane.
"Not at all Daisuke, it would be an honor. Your birthday happens to be June 19th correct?" she asked.
"Yes, how did...oh wait...I had a birthday episode not that long ago." he admitted, rubbing his neck. She giggled, shuffling her deck.
"That would put you under the Gemini constellation. The twins...you know, they say that Gemini are the most intellectual beings to be born, they are wise, knowledgeable and very creative. Left handed individuals born in the Gemini constellation also lead very fulfilling lives. They are also excellent kissers." she said. Daisuke blushed, looking to the other end of the room.
"Um...well I don't know about that last one, no one has complained in the past." he admitted. He caught the glare Hiyoko was giving and shuddered a bit.
"That is just some background knowledge Daisuke, no need to worry too much about it. Would you like to pick the card?" she asked. He nodded, hand shaking a bit as he picked the card from the top of the deck. When he flipped it over, he cringed.
"Death?" he asked.
"Worry not. People see this card and start freaking out, thinking that they will end up in some horrible accident and lose their life. Allow me to explain. This card you have chosen means several things, the most prominent being transformation. A phase in your life will end, and another one will begin, and this card marks the end of that previous phase. A new fruitful phase will begin, it will mark a new beginning. Coincidentally, Death falls under the Scorpio constellation, the constellation of death, taxes, and sex." she said, giving him a wink.
"Um...alright then. I'm gonna pick another card." he said, grabbing a second card from the stack. This time, it was the tower. Takane's eyes widened a bit, as she took the card from his hand.
"The Tower, a card that means disaster, or the coming of disaster. A sudden change is about to happen in your life Daisuke, whether a fruitful revelation, or something else." she said.
"Takane, you are starting to scare me." he said. She giggled.
"Don't take this too seriously dear, I do this for fun. Tarot readings are just an added bonus that comes with studying stars. I'll pick the next one." she said, drawing the third and final card.
"Strength, representing strength, hope, courage. It will take a lot of courage for you to let go of the previous phase of your life, but you will find the strength within yourself to move on." She said.
"Hmm...how come I get the feeling that this reading is referring to my change in name? Could it be that by changing my name, I'll be letting go of my father and his hatred toward those with talent?" he asked himself.
"Could be, I have vast knowledge of what your father has done to you, through your Vlogs and stories on your channel. I am quite saddened at the fact that he does not believe in his son and his amazing gift. I did his reading once, and all I got was a heaping load of misfortune. Sometimes readings like this mean nothing, other times, Karma will come back to bite them." Takane said, grabbing the three cards and placing them back in her deck.
"Trust me, he'll get his comeuppance once of these days. Fucking bastard." he muttered angrily.
"Hey everyone, lunch is on!" Akane cried out, pushing a large food cart into the room, followed by Teruteru who brought a cart full of dishes and silverware. The smell permeated through the room, driving everyone's hunger on a frenzy. Takane watched curiously as everyone dashed toward the cart.
"What is going on?" she asked.
"It's Teru's food. He's the Ultimate Chef, so he cooks lunch and dinner for us every day. It's amazing, though I am convinced he puts drugs in it. Once you have some, you can't stop eating it until your full." Daisuke admitted.
"Perhaps I shall try his so called amazing cuisine. It cannot be better than five star cooking." she said, standing up from her seat.
"Girlfriend, Five star cuisine ain't shit compared to Teru's food." Akane said, three plates of food in her hands, somehow, she was holding a lamp chop and a pitcher of juice in her hand. Takane's eyes were widened in surprised, even more so when the Ultimate Gymnast started eating it all. Daisuke chuckled, handing her a plate of Chicken Alfredo pasta.
"Here, this is one of my favorites, I assure you, you'll love it." he said.
"I shall take your word for it Daisuke." she said, grabbing a hold of her fork. She twirled a bit of the noodles around it, looking up briefly to see everyone holding their phones up at her, with the exception of Mahiru who was using her camera.
"What are you doing?"
"Capturing your reaction for all to see." the Ultimate Photographer said, not taking her eye out of the view finder. Takane shrugged it off, and placed the forkful of pasta in her mouth, her eyes lighting up as soon as it hit her tongue, at that moment the classroom was filled with the sound of clicking.
"This is amazing, truly a delectable but simplistic dish. This belongs in a restaurant, no..this is too good to be in any local restaurant, this needs it's own restaurant. Teruteru, I believe you and I can strike a deal, I am looking for someone to cook fresh food at the Planetarium, and I think this would definitely bring some attention to it. You will be paid handsomely if you agree." she said.
"You flatter me dear, but I don't see myself working in a restaurant yet. This isn't my finest creation, I still have to hone my craft. Once I do, I shall take up your offer." he said confidently. A smirk on his face.
"And when I do, I shall show you how wonderfully juicy my smoked sausage can be. You'll be dripping with desire for it, and you won't be able to stop." he thought, his mind filling with nothing but images of the Ultimate Astronomer, laying naked on his bed. His nose dripped with pink blood, his face flushing.
"Is he alright?" Takane asked.
"Yeah he's fine, he's just being a pervert." Fuyuhiko said, slamming his fist onto Teruteru's head, knocking him out of his fantasy.
"I...I see." she said. She grabbed some more pasta, shoving it in her mouth. She needed to tell her fellow star gazers about this meal, it was out of this world.
"Hey Taka, do you still have your Milky-way Milkshake nights? My mom always got me those as a kid." Kazuichi asked.
"I'm sorry, we stopped serving those several years ago. Our milkshake machine broke, so we had to replace it with something else. We do have Galactic Ice Cream Fridays though, and the kids seem to like it." she said.
"Aw man, I used to love those. Whenever my mother got me a Milky-way Milkshake, I knew it was going to be a good day. She tried her hardest to keep contact with me after my dad and her split, but I haven't seen her in so long." He admitted.
"Hey, maybe she just doesn't know that you've been accepted into Hope's Peak Academy. You should go visit her, where does she live?" Daisuke asked curiously.
"Okinawa, she's in the Navy, so I did get to see her much as a kid, but whenever she was in town, she would always take me to see a star show. Maybe I should have become an Astronomer myself...nah, I'm too damn good with machines." he said, a smile on his face.
"Wow, I didn't think your mother was in the Navy, that's very cool Kazuichi." Sonia said, making the mechanic's smile turn into a grin.
Daisuke was about to say something when his phone started vibrating. He sighed, pulling it from his pocket to see the ID. He pressed the cancel button, shoving it in his jacket pocket.
"Your brother trying to call you again?" Hiyoko asked curiously. He hadn't even seen when she walked over to him. He gave her a nod, holding up a peace sign for Mahiru, since she had been taking pictures of everyone for her portfolio.
"Yeah, I don't know why but something tells me he got arrested again. I'm not gonna bail him out anymore, after all that bastard father of mine asked me to sever all ties with him and his family, so he's on his own." He admitted.
"Isn't that a little cruel though? Ryuji, Tami-Lynn and Megan did nothing wrong." Sonia said.
"Correction, Tami-Lynn and Megan did nothing wrong. For the last two years, Ryuji has done nothing but borrow money from me, never paying me back. It's always, let me borrow a couple thousand yen, or bail me out of jail, or dude I need spare parts for my car, please spot me, I'm sick of it. I blew half of my savings account just on him, the last 60,000 yen I paid to bail him out put me under my self imposed limit, and I have to earn all of that back by putting out a shitload of content on my YouTube channel and selling some more audio books, sorry, but to me it isn't cruel. He should just get a job instead of drinking the little money he gets away. Hey, dad wanted a real hard working man in the family, well make him work for ya, asshole." he said, crossing his arms.
"Perhaps you should follow that reading and just let that part of your life go. Once you do, you'll be a brand new person. The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb after all." Takane said.
"What the hell did you just say?" Fuyuhiko asked curiously.
"She means, blood spilled in battle make people have strong bonds. None of us are related by blood, and yet we consider each other family, that is what the Psychic one is saying." Tanaka replied. Daisuke's phone went off again, and he took a deep breath.
"You are right Takane, I'll just tell him to stop bothering me. If I don't, then he'll bleed me dry." he said, flicking his phone open. He pressed the call button, holding it to his ear.
"Ryuji, whatever you want to tell me, just know that I am not giving you money."
"Big brother, it's Megan!"
"Megan?" he asked curiously. Her voice sounded distraught, like something bad had happened.
"Please...I need you too..."
"Megan is something wrong? Why are you crying? Did someone hurt you?" he asked, concern filling his voice.
"No...big brother Ryuji...he...he."
"He what? What happened to Ryuji?" he asked. A sense of dread filled his body, his heart was beating for fast the others probably heard it. Everyone had become silent, looking at the story teller. Megan broke into sobs, pulling the phone away from herself. He heard shuffling, along with what he assumed were voices of other people.
"Daisuke sweetheart...we need you to come to the hospital."
"Tami-Lynn? Why do I need to go to the hospital, just tell me what's wrong." he snapped angrily. The woman remained silent, before finally answering.
"It's Ryuji...he...he's dead."
"Huh?"
He didn't even register what the woman had told him. Everything seemed to have stopped, as it all came crashing down on him. Ryuji was...he was dead...but..that...how...he couldn't even think, he just remained silent, eyes widened in shock.
"He had an accident a few nights ago, ended up slamming into another person doing 89 Kilometers an hour. He was drunk, but he made it out fine, the other person didn't make it. Ryuji was guilty, that man he killed had a wife, an infant son...he couldn't take it, so he shot himself in the head with your father's gun." Tami-Lynn said.
"I didn't know I...when...when did this happen?" he asked.
"About an hour ago. He called several people, the last number on his registry was yours. I'm assuming you were in class right?"
"Jesus Christ...I was but...I didn't answer him. Oh my god!" he cried out.
"Sweetheart, it's alright. This isn't your fault, just come to the hospital. Megan really wants you to be here with us. Your father is in a meeting and Cameron doesn't even know yet."
"Alright, I'll...I'll be there soon." he said, ending the call. He wiped some fresh tears off with his jacket, grabbing his messenger bag off his desk, slinging it across his shoulder. He took a deep shaky breath, looking at his classmates.
"Ryuji...he was in an accident, ended up killing an innocent person while he was drunk. The guilt got to him and he...he killed himself." he said. Gasps filled the room, upon hearing the news.
"I'm gonna go...they want me there. Ryuji called me earlier..he wanted to talk, and I ignored him...I could have...I need to go.." he said, walking toward the doors. It was deathly silent after he left, no one saying a single word. Takane looked down at her desk, slamming her fist on it.
"Damn it. It's all my fault!"
"What? Don't go blaming yourself for something that was out of your control idiot. This was no ones fault." Fuyuhiko snapped, pissed that the girl would even dare say something like that.
"It was his reading. A great disaster and change was going to be thrust in his direction. His reading became true!" she said, shoulders shaking a bit.
"Shut the fuck up! Don't you fucking dare say anything else. A young person just fucking died, and you go blaming yourself for it? Fuck that fortune and fuck the cards. None of this happened because you willed it to happen, and it frankly pisses me off that you would even dare take the blame for it." Hiyoko said, slamming her empty plate so hard on her desk that it broke right in half. She grabbed her phone from her desk and walked out of the room, hoping to catch up with her friend.
"I'm gonna find Chisa. Daisuke...he would want us to be there with him during these dark times." Sonia said, leaving the room shortly after.
"Such tragic events...perhaps Lady Luck has graced us with bad luck for the day. Such blinding hope, smothered by a blanket of despair. The world will be saddened, by the loss of another one of it's beautiful children." Nagito said sadly, looking out the window. While normally everyone would glare at him or tell him to shut up, this time they listened to what he had to say, because he was right. Someone's brilliant hope, had been extinguished by guilt and despair.
"Daisuke, wait up!" Hiyoko cried, finally catching up to her friend. He stopped, nearing the gate to the parking lot. His eyes were puffy and red from crying, but he had hastily wiped his tears away, though his look of utter sadness was something that couldn't be wiped away with the sleeve of his shirt.
"What do you want?" he asked, voice laced with sadness and anger. She knew he didn't mean it, she just wanted to be there for him.
"I...I wanna come along. I may have not liked him, but I don't want you to be alone when you...visit him." she said. He nodded, and gestured for her to follow. Quickly finding his car, they climbed into it, and drove out of the academy, the pregnant silence bothering Hiyoko every step of the way.
"He called me...he wanted to talk and I...I just canceled that call...If I had talked to him, I could have talked him out of it. I could have...saved his life." he said, shoulders shaking again. He braked rather hard, almost hitting the car in front of him. Hiyoko's grip on the seat belt tightened.
"Sorry...I just.."
"Pull over, I'll drive us to the hospital. We don't need to get there broken and cut up." she said.
"You don't have a license, and you can't drive." he said firmly.
"I may not have a license, but my daddy has been teaching me how to drive since I was eleven. Don't worry, I'm tall enough to see over the wheel and press the pedals." she said, giving him a wink and a smile. He nodded, turning into the next street, pulling over on the side of the road. He got out of the driver's seat, and walked around the car, briefly passing by the young dancer as they switch spots. She pulled the seat forward a bit, and lowered the wheel so she could see better. She took a deep breath, fixing the rear view mirror, before putting the car in gear. She took off slower than she wanted, but soon enough had sped up to match the speed of the other cars. Daisuke didn't say anything, but he was impressed with Hiyoko's ability to handle an imported car.
"You know, I've been in your situation before. Back when my grandfather passed away. He was like my dad, the only one who supported me and not the family name. He cared about me, read me bedtime stories so I wouldn't have nightmares, checked under the bed for monsters and tucked me in on cold nights. I remember balling my eyes out when the doctors told us he had passed away." she said sadly.
"How...how did he die?" Daisuke asked, quieter than normal.
"Pneumonia...he was out gardening and it started to rain down hard. It was sudden and he spent to much time putting everything away. He was old, older than my grandmother and his frail body couldn't take it. He slipped away in his sleep, so at least he didn't suffer. Daisuke, I am sorry, truly I am. I just want you to know, that I am here for you, everyone back at the academy is here for you too. Maybe not with us now, but all of us...we care about each other. More than we did last year at least. When you feel sad, we all feel sad. So please...if you need to talk to anyone, you can talk to me." she said, taking a hold of his hand. He blushed a bit, and nodded, turning to look out the window.
They arrived at the General Hospital shortly after. After finding a parking spot, they walked into the emergency area. Hiyoko decided to talk to the nurses, as Daisuke clearly couldn't talk at the moment. One of them decided to take them to where Ryuji was being kept. Hiyoko was still holding onto his hand, and normally she would be against letting a boy hold her hand like that, but she just...wanted him to know that she was there.
They were taken to the ICU, where Tami-Lynn and Megan had been waiting. As soon as the small girl saw him, she raced toward Daisuke, wrapping her arms tightly around him, bursting into tears. Tami-Lynn walked up to the two of them, a bit calmer than her daughter, but she was still crying.
"He has no brain activity. The doctor told us he was dead, but the machines are keeping him alive..I haven't told them to pull the plug...I wanted Ryusuke and Cameron to be here." she said. Daisuke nodded, pulling her into a hug.
"I'm so sorry Mom, please forgive me. I should have answered the call, I should have talked him out of it."
"It isn't your fault. You couldn't have known he was planning this, none of us knew. We were all still shook up about his accident, that we didn't even notice his change of behavior. Did no one tell you about the crash?"
"No, if I had known I would have come to see you. Who was supposed to tell me?" he asked. Tami-Lynn grit her teeth, glaring at the wall.
"You're father. I told that bastard that I wanted you and your sister to know about Ryuji's accident. He needed the support of all his family and friends. He told me you were too busy at the academy to show up, and that Erika was in Madrid with your grandmother." she replied.
"That lying sack of shit! Can that man do nothing but bring his entire family and those around him to misery?" Hiyoko snapped angrily.
"I hate him...I hate him with every fiber of my being. If I had been there, I would have talked to Ryuji...he wouldn't be dead. It was his gun that killed him, it was his gun that did this." Daisuke said spat, teeth grit with anger.
"Mom!"
Cameron burst through the doors, instantly latching onto her mother's arm, tears running down the sides of her cheeks.
"Please, tell me it isn't true. Big brother isn't dead right?" she asked.
"I'm sorry sweetheart. Your brother is brain dead, there is nothing we can do for him right now. All we can do is...be strong." the woman said, trying not to break into tears.
"It will be okay big sis, Daisuke is here with us too. We'll all be together and be strong." Megan said. She had finally stopped crying, and was holding onto Hiyoko's arm rather tightly. Cameron grit her teeth, walking right up to Daisuke.
"What the hell are you doing here? You don't deserve to be here, you aren't his family, you aren't his blood!" she snapped.
"Cameron! Stop this right now." Tami-Lynn snapped angrily.
"Why should I? This good for nothing loser has no right to be here. You heard what dad said, he's been disowned from the family. He isn't one of us anymore. So he and his little slut of a girlfriend should leave." she snapped.
"Hey fuck you! Have some goddamn respect, your brother just died, and you care about trivial things like blood relations? You are the most fucked up human being I have ever had the dignity to associate with." Hiyoko snapped angrily.
"Big sis Hiyoko, please don't scream. We don't need to scream." Megan said, hugging the dancer tightly. The short blonde grit her teeth, biting the inside of her cheek.
"I'm sorry if you feel that way Cameron, but Megan asked me to be here. I was the last person who Ryuji called when he was alive, and I made the mistake of canceling the call. He just wanted to talk to me and I..." he stopped, unable to continue. Cameron's hands shook as she looked at the young teen.
"You mean to tell me...he wanted to speak with you and you refused him that?" She asked, her blood boiling.
"Yes." Daisuke replied. A loud slap resounded through the empty hall, everyone's eyes widening. Daisuke didn't even react. His face hurt, and he was a little dazed but other than that he didn't do anything. Cameron's shoulders shook as she burst into tears, her legs buckling a bit as she dropped to her knees.
"You monster...he just...wanted to talk. You killed him, you killed my brother you son of a bitch!"
"Cameron, that is quite enough!" Ryusuke said, finally making his appearance. The man looked distraught, it was obvious that he had been crying. His hair was disheveled, and he was panting a bit, most likely having run into the hospital. He hugged his wife tightly, looking at Daisuke.
"I thought I told you to stay away from my family." he said.
"Daddy, I called him here. He needed to know, he needed to know Ryuji died." Megan said.
"Megan, what you did was uncalled for. This young man isn't part of our family, and he should keep to his own affairs. Ryuji's death to him is as meaningless as that talent of his. He has no right to be here." He said.
"Shut up! You bastard! It should be you who should be on that bed, not Ryuji. I can't believe you would do this to your own son. It was your gun that he used, it was you who was supposed to tell Daisuke about his previous accident, you are the cause of his death, not Daisuke. All of this is your fault." Hiyoko shouted angrily. Cameron slapped the blonde across the face, sending her sprawling to the floor. She grabbed a handful of her kimono, holding her balled hand upright.
"Alright you little shit. I am going to teach you a lesson you won't soon forget." she said, throwing the punch. A loud slam echoed through the empty halls, only it wasn't the sound of Hiyoko being hit. It was the sound of Cameron's fist making contact with a Shinai, Daisuke's shinai. Changing his stance, he slammed the bamboo sword into her arm, making her let go of Hiyoko. He spun on his heel, striking her three times in the chest. He pulled his sword back, slamming the tip of it into her neck, slamming her into the back wall. She coughed loudly, a glob of spit and blood hitting the ground.
"Don't you ever, Ever, touch her again, or I swear to Christ, I will do more to you than just this. Maybe next time, it will be a katana. Let's go Hiyoko." he said, firmly. He pulled his shinai away from Cameron, the girl falling to the ground coughing loudly, holding her throat as she tried to breathe.
"Let's get the fuck out of here, before I do something I'll regret." he said, shoving his shinai in his bag. Hiyoko was still stunned, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
"Did Daisuke really learn to use that sword in under three weeks? There's no possible way he could have learned all of that. What the hell has Peko been teaching him?" she thought to herself. As soon as they left the hospital, Daisuke's adrenaline turned into anguish. It wasn't long before he was crying. He brushed past everyone around him, all of them showing slight concern for him. They finally reached his car, and he just broke down entirely, placing his head down on the trunk, he just continued crying, not caring if anyone saw him.
"Daisuke...please don't cry...I can't..." Hiyoko said, trying to hold back her own tears. She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly.
"Don't cry Hiyoko, please...I don't want to see you cry again." he said.
"Stop asking the impossible from me. Seeing my friend break down like this, what else am I supposed to do?" she cried, burying her face into his jacket.
"Maybe you should let some of us shoulder that sadness."
The two of them looked up, seeing the rest of their classmates standing there, all of them having saddened expressions on their faces.
"You guys...came?" he asked quietly.
"Of course, we are your friends Daisuke. When you cry, we all cry." Chisa said, firmly. He nodded, unable to hold back his tears. Sonia was the first one to move, pulling him into a tight hug, followed by Mahiru and Akane. Chisa on the other hand looked back at the hospital entrance.
"If you guys are out here, I'm assuming he is here too right?" She asked, referring to Daisuke's father.
"He is. That bastard...he yelled at us. Cameron slapped him, she slapped me for defending him...and she was going to hit me, but he beat her with his Shinai." Hiyoko said, wiping her nose with her kimono sleeve, not caring if she got snot over it or not. She nodded, tightening her apron.
"Excuse me, Mr. Fuji and I need to have a word." she said simply, walking off.
"That guy is fucked. He's super fucked." Fuyuhiko admitted. He turned back to Daisuke, who had finally stopped crying.
"Hey man, I know you hate your father and everything, and you wouldn't dare do anything to help him, but it's obvious that you cared for your brother a lot more than you let on. So, I'm going to cover the funeral expenses. It's the least I can do, after all he deserves to rest in peace." he said.
"Thank you Fuyuhiko, I'll never be able to pay you back for this." he said.
"Don't worry about it. I never properly thanked you for saving my sister, so consider this my thank you." he said.
"We won't even be able to be there. What's the point?" Kazuichi asked.
"Don't you worry about that. I'll ask some of my men to act as our body guards. I'm making sure Daisuke gets to see his brother one last time, whether that man wants him to or not. Trust me, it's taking everything in my power not to blow him away." He said angrily. Peko placed a hand on his shoulder, calming him down a bit.
"I just...wish I was able to talk to him...if I had...he might have not pulled that trigger. He might have...lived." Daisuke replied, his voice a bit raspy.
"Daisuke, if there is anything I can do for you, please just name it. After all, it was my reading that did this." Takane said sadly.
"Are you still going on about that?" Hiyoko snapped angrily. Daisuke mustered a smile, wiping his eyes free of tears.
"Takane, don't you ever blame yourself. Like you said, I didn't take that reading seriously. This happened for an entirely different reason. No one is to blame, except maybe my father. As it turns out, the accident he had beforehand ended up killing a man, who had an infant baby and a wife. He felt guilty about taking a person's life, so he took his own, probably as penance for his horrible deed." he said.
"I'll...try to move on. I just feel like my joining your class has brought misfortune on all of you. I shouldn't be here." she said, stepping away from them. Nagito however shook his head, grabbing her arm tightly in his hand.
"You deserve to be here. You are part of Class 77B, our friend. Your shining hope combined with our own will turn is all into a brilliant star. A star that needs to guide Ryuji to Paradise. So please, stay with us." he said firmly. She nodded, looking at the floor.
It may be a truly sad day for Daisuke, but he was at least glad his friends were there. He was thankful for them being there, and he would never be able to repay them for everything they had done for him. Not now, and not ever. He looked at the sky, a single tear sliding down his cheek.
"I'm sorry Ryuji. If I had only talked to you, you would still be here...there is so much left unsaid, so much we didn't get to do...but...I'm sure you are in a great place. One day, we will meet again. Until then, rest in peace."