To the Future:
Luck
Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa or the characters used therein.
Note: I didn't plan to release this chapter so soon. I had planned to wait a few more days. However, after the overwhelming reception the first chapter received, I chose to update early. Enjoy!
It was a time of tragedy for the Future Foundation, as the chain of command had been nearly irrevocably broken. Without proper leadership, the entire organization would soon fall into chaos. Fortunately, with the likes of Byakuya Togami ready to lead in Kyosuke Munakata's stead, Makoto Naegi knew that everything would work out just fine.
The tragedy of the Final Killing Game was behind them…or so Makoto wanted to believe.
"…Kyoko."
Makoto stared at the blood stain on his hand, a reminder of the cost that came with their victory. The blood of Kyoko Kirigiri was still fresh on his palm, leaving him unable to truly appreciate this small victory. True to her nature as a detective, Kyoko had endeavored to solve the mystery of the Final Killing Game, leaving her findings behind in a notebook. And it was thanks to that forward thinking that Makoto and the others had been able to realize the Mastermind's plots and survive such a horrific ordeal.
And yet, to Makoto, it felt like such a hollow victory. His very survival had meant the death of the person closest to him. Kyoko Kirigiri was a strong woman, who was willing to give her life to protect what was important to her. And that's why, even as she knew her time was approaching, she never told Makoto her Forbidden Action. For if Makoto had to weigh his own life against hers…they both knew the choice he would make.
In the end, she gave her life in order to protect his. And it was a sacrifice that would never be forgotten…
As Hajime Hinata and the rest of Class 77 sailed away into the distance, Makoto tried to find solace in the fact that Kyoko had once again saved him. Only this time, he had no way to thank her. He would never get to tell her how much he valued her support…or how much he cared for her. He had wasted his last opportunity to tell her his true feelings, and that ate away at his very soul.
He held back his tears of sorrow, not wanting to disgrace her noble sacrifice by weeping. Instead, he needed to stay strong…because that's what Kyoko would have—
Suddenly, a noise from behind him drew his attention. Slowly, he turned around, expecting to see Byakuya or some other member of the Future Foundation needing to speak with him. However, his eyes widened and his breath caught in his throat as he swore he saw a ghost.
There, in the brilliant light of the morning sun…stood Kyoko Kirigiri.
It couldn't be true…he was hallucinating. She couldn't be there, no matter how much he wanted her to be. His mind was playing tricks on him, his distress was causing him to see things that just couldn't be possible. And yet, he so desperately wanted it to be true…
"Kyoko…" he said softly, daring to say her name aloud, even knowing how painful it was.
He turned and faced her completely, knowing that any moment, the illusion would break…and she would disappear from his life…forever. That is, until her voice broke through…
"…Makoto…I'm glad to see you're alright."
As her voice reached him, that soothing tone that he never imagined hearing again, Makoto finally noticed something immeasurably important. Her appearance…it was different!
She was clutching her left arm and only a faint hint of the poison lingered on her face! It even seemed to be gradually fading! A medical eyepatch was slung over her left eye and the blood around her eye had been wiped away completely. But more than anything else, Makoto was captivated by the radiant smile that adorned her pale face.
In that moment, Makoto knew this wasn't a dream or an illusion…it was real!
"K-Kyoko!"
Leaping down from his perch above her, Makoto ran over to her as fast as his legs could carry him. Without thinking, he threw his arms around her and pulled her into a tight embrace. As the warmth from her body mixed with his own, giving him definitive proof that she truly had returned, Makoto burst into tears, crying into her shoulder as he held her close.
As for Kyoko, despite the pain of her injuries, she managed to return his embrace, allowing him to sob into her shoulder as his body shook. For nearly an entire minute, they remained this way, relief flooding both of them. Then, just as suddenly, Makoto pulled his head back and stared at her, his eyes filled with so many questions.
"How?! How is this possible?!" he joyfully stammered through his tears, a mixture of unparalleled elation and confusion in his voice.
Smiling warmly at him, Kyoko slowly answered, "Before I explain that, would you mind if we sat down? I'm still feeling weak…"
"Oh, right!" Makoto immediately complied, leading her over to the ledge he'd been standing on, both of them sitting down and taking a well-deserved rest. At the same time, Makoto was far too impatient and couldn't keep from asking, "How are you…still alive? I thought the poison—".
"It did…" Kyoko answer solemnly, glancing down at her left arm. Rolling up her left sleeve, Makoto gasped. For the most part, her arm was still a disfigured shade of purple, and just below her wrist was a pair of sickening puncture wounds, both of which appeared to go deep into her arm. Makoto wince at just seeing the blackened injection points, glancing at his own left wrist and seeing a similar indent in his skin, though his were nowhere near as deep as Kyoko's.
"The poison erodes the skin, particularly at the point of injection," Kyoko explained, covering up the wound with her sleeve. "It seems to be designed to cause as much physical pain as possible."
"But then…how did you survive?" a worried Makoto inquired, feeling even more anxious after seeing her injury.
Taking a moment to collect her thoughts, Kyoko proceeded to explain exactly what happened after the end of the third time limit. As she relayed her story to him, from taking Seiko's medicine to how she prepared herself as the poison overtook her consciousness, Makoto stared at her with a mixture of relief and horror on his face, his hands clenched into fists.
"I suspect that you found my notebook, and used it to help solve the mystery?" she inquired upon finishing her story, hoping to get a little bit of information out of him.
"Actually, Asahina was the one who found it," Makoto told her, a bit embarrassed. "But yeah, it was thanks to that that we were able to stop the killing."
To his surprise, a relieved sigh escaped her. "Well…that's certainly a relief. I'm glad to know that all the detail I put into it didn't go to waste. It would have been a shame otherwise…"
Despite how relieved he was, a part of Makoto couldn't help but feel perturbed. She spoke so casually about her own brush with death, and then expressed relief that her efforts in the solving the case were put to good use…but the fact that she failed to mention anything about how her own survival made her feel frustrated him!
Why didn't she take time to worry about herself?! He knew she was a detective and prided herself on solving the mystery no matter what, but the least she could do was seem pleased that she'd survived!
"But I still don't understand…why didn't you say anything? Why did you keep this all to yourself?" he almost demanded, more than a bit hurt.
A stern expression crossed Kyoko's face as she answered, "…We both know what might have happened if I had told you what my forbidden action was—".
"I'm not talking about that!" Makoto insisted, trying to stay calm but failing. "If you had an antidote, why didn't you tell us about it?! Do you have any idea how much it hurt for the rest of us to wake up…but then you didn't?!"
For the first time, Kyoko flinched at his words, a look of guilt momentarily marring her features. However, that expression vanished an instant later, replaced by a firm visage.
"…There was no guarantee the medicine I found was going to be effective, and the likelihood that I would survive was incredibly low. After all, I wasn't even confident it was made as an antidote to the bracelet's poison. Taking it was a gamble, and I knew that. Besides, I didn't want to give you false hope…in case it didn't work."
As her reasoning washed over him, Makoto clenched his fists and said, "I…I know that you're right…but still—!"
"That's why…I said my farewells to you before the end of the third time limit," she calmly interjected, meeting his gaze with her only visible eye. Unfortunately for her, there was no way to hide the sadness buried deep within her lavender iris. "With no guarantee that I'd ever wake up again, I wanted to make sure that, regardless of what happened to me…you wouldn't give up hope."
A mixture of gratitude and frustration spread over Makoto's features. He was grateful that she held him in such a high regard, believing that he would be able to hold onto hope…despite her apparent demise. At the same time, her actions infuriated him…
"If that's the case…why didn't you write about it in your notebook?" he pointedly asked, to which she averted her gaze. "At least then we might have known there was a chance you were still alive!"
A somewhat guilty look crossed her face for a moment before she hardened her features. "…At the time, there were very few people I knew I could trust."
For a brief moment, her gaze flicked over to him, before looking away. However, Makoto happened to get a glimpse of that action, understanding her trust in him without her having to say it. And while it was reassuring, it didn't quell the storm of frustration in his heart.
"Ryota Mitarai, for example, had been with me since the start of the game, and I knew he was hiding something…whether it had to do with game or not, I'm still not sure."
Makoto flinched at the mention of Ryota's name, barely noticing that Kyoko was also gauging his reaction. There was no doubt in his mind that she desperately wanted to ask about her suspicions concerning Ryota, and yet she held herself back. It was quite unlike her. Perhaps she could sense that Makoto wanted answers from her just as badly, and was abstaining on his account.
Fortunately, with both of them alive and well, there would be plenty of time for Makoto to explain exactly what had occurred while she was unconscious. There was no rush, a fact that both of them could appreciate.
Clearing her throat, Kyoko regained his attention as she finished explaining her actions.
"In any case, if I had left a message of my possible survival in my notebook, and the Mastermind happened to see it, it would have made the attempt pointless, as I would have been unable to defend myself in that condition."
"…I suppose that makes sense," Makoto was forced to admit, albeit begrudgingly. Even so, he still wasn't satisfied. "But why didn't you at least tell us about the murders actually being suicides? What harm would it have done to let us know?"
As that question was posed, a shameful expression spread over Kyoko's features. Unlike all of the previous times, she paused before answering, "I suppose there wouldn't have been much harm. We were in a room with no monitors, so I knew you all would be safe. So…I suppose…I wanted to make use of the time I had left…"
For a moment, Makoto was perplexed. Then, as he recalled the events leading up to Kyoko's assumed demise, he suddenly began to piece it together. Just as he did, a soft sigh escaped Kyoko.
"I was torn between acting as a detective…or making the most of my remaining time." As she continued to explain, a light smile decorated her lips. "I hadn't expected to find you so quickly, or that we would get to have some time to talk before the end of the time limit. And even though I knew I couldn't tell you why…at the very least, I wanted you to know that I believed in you."
Makoto's breath caught in his throat as Kyoko's confession reached him. All of a sudden, all the frustration and resentfulness for her actions melted away, and he once again felt ashamed for misunderstanding her. He knew her well enough to know that she would act like this, putting his safety above her own…regardless of how much she knew he hated that!
"When I learned what my forbidden action was, I knew that it was only a matter of time before it was activated," Kyoko continued, still trying to sound reasonable. "I wanted to solve the mystery before the fourth time limit, but I knew that would be next to impossible. So, after gathering as much information as I could, I decided the best course of action was—".
In the middle of her speech, Makoto gently rested his hand on her arm. Stunned into silence by the physical contact, she was unable to react before Makoto softly spoke to her.
"Kyoko…when I thought that you were gone…when I thought that I would never see you again…I realized something," he said slowly, as if trying to find the right words. "You were absolutely right about me…but at the same time, you were wrong."
Shocked by his words, Kyoko could barely ask, "What…do you…?"
"You were right. That little bit of optimism I've always manage to hold onto was important, but that's not all. You said my optimism is what gave all of us hope…but that's not true!"
He inched closer to her, sitting right next to her with his hand still gently resting on her arm. Unable to turn away, Kyoko stared into his eyes as he poured his heart out.
"I've always drawn my strength from my friends, and I was able to continue forward because of them! But…more than anything else, the reason I was always able to stay hopeful was because you were always by my side! And when I thought that I had…'lost' you…I almost gave in…"
He paused, remembering the horrific tragedy that had befallen him when he'd tested the theory about the monitors. Deciding it was best not to reveal that he'd pulled such a reckless stunt when she wasn't around, he continued to push forward.
"My luck…has never worked the way I wanted it to. Honestly, a part of me has always hated the fact that my luck was only everable to save me. And when I saw you…lying there…completely motionless…I wished that…just this once…my luck would have saved you instead!"
A shocked expression overtook Kyoko's face for a moment before she let out a single chuckle. Initially stunned by her reaction, Makoto was about to question her when she slowly smiled at him and said, "I think…your wish was granted."
"What?" a genuinely confused Makoto asked.
Allowing herself to keep smiling, Kyoko explained, "When I awoke from my 'death', there was a girl tending to me. Mikan Tsumiki of the 77th Class. By the time I had awoken, she had already bandaged my wounds. It seems that she just happened to come across the room I was in, and upon seeing the medicine bottle, she chose to try and resuscitate me."
"Wait a second," Makoto interjected, thoroughly startled by this revelation. "Are you saying that…if she hadn't of found you—?"
"Most likely…I wouldn't have survived…" Kyoko solemnly concluded, her voice stern and sorrowful. "In fact, she said that if had arrived any later…I would have quietly slipped away in my sleep."
The very thought utterly terrified Makoto, and he couldn't stop himself from squeezing her arm. She winced a bit and Makoto flinched, feeling guilty for unintentionally hurting her. Releasing his grip on her, he slowly retracted his hand, missing the warmth already. At the same time, there was a burning question he couldn't get out of his mind.
"B-But! I thought the medicine you took saved you! Why did she need to resuscitate you?!" he asked, still unclear about the whole situation.
A melancholy expression spread over Kyoko's visage as she once again glanced down at her left arm. Almost unconsciously, her right hand drifted over and she rubbed the injection wounds on her wrist carefully.
"The medicine I took put me into a near-death state, but it didn't fully neutralize the poison. Fortunately, now that I'm awake, my body has begun developing antibodies to combat the poison still in my bloodstream. I suspect that it may take days…even weeks before I'm back to full health."
She paused, slowly lifting up her left hand before flexing her fingers carefully. As she did, she grunted in pain, gritting her teeth as she endured. Noticing her struggle, Makoto reached his hand behind her and gently rubbed her back. It was the only thing he could think of to try and ease her suffering, and apparently Kyoko appreciated the gesture, giving him a weak smile.
Apparently emboldened by his kind gesture, she managed to take a few deep breaths to help regain her composure.
"Perhaps some of your luck actually did rub off on me…" she said quietly, a light smile appearing on her lips. "It was pure luck that Seiko's antidote was so effective, not to mention that fact that Mikan managed to find and revive me before the poison could take full effect. If not for that…I wouldn't be here right now."
Realizing she might be right, Makoto shuddered a bit as he answered, "So my luck actually did save you? Is that what you're saying?"
Giving a light chuckle, Kyoko let out a breath as she answered, "I believe so…"
Her voice was strained, and with his hand on her back, Makoto could feel her muscles tightening. Her body was still fighting off the effects of the poison, it was a wonder she had made it all the way out of the underwater facility all on her own! And although he knew it was a bit inappropriate, he couldn't help but marvel at how resilient she was. No normal woman could have survived what she'd endured. Her will to survive was stronger than anyone else he'd ever known.
Her tenacity was awe inspiring…and a bit frightening.
Even so, it was obvious she was approaching her limit. And when he thought about how it was his fault this had happened to her…he couldn't help but feel guilty.
"It…must have hurt quite a lot. When you were poisoned, I mean…" he said nervously, immediately feeling stupid for practically stating the obvious.
As that question hit her, Kyoko took in a deep breath, obviously recalling the tragic moment when the poison had been injected. Taking an extra moment to collect herself, she closed her only visible eye and hesitated, as if unsure of how to answer.
In the end, just as he'd come to expect from her, she chose to be honest with him.
"It was incredibly painful," she said bluntly, resting her left arm at her side. "It felt as though half of my body was being torn apart. I could feel the veins in my body rupturing. And even though it only lasted a few seconds…it felt as though an eternity had passed before I finally lost consciousness."
As she recounted that fateful moment, Makoto felt her body slightly shiver. And even though he knew she'd never admit it, even someone as strong as Kyoko must have felt terrified that death had almost claimed her. The fact that she was able to hold herself together at a time like this only further proved how amazing she was.
At the same time, it was obvious that she had complicated feelings about her own survival…
"I can only imagine how much more painful it must have been for the others," she commented, unable to stop herself from analyzing her entire situation. "I was fortunate that the poison was being suppressed as soon as it entered my body, so the pain probably wasn't as excruciate for me as it was for them. Even so, I…I don't even know if I'll be able to see out of my left eye anymore."
Shame washed over Makoto as she told him that, feeling responsible for her being in this state. And that sense of responsibility led him to do something entirely foolish…
"…Do you want to find out?"
Before Kyoko could stop him, Makoto carefully reached his hand up and gently tugged at the medical eyepatch. As her eye was revealed to the world, Kyoko winced as light struck her eye, grimacing as she turned and glared at Makoto. However, less than a moment later, shock overtook her visage. Makoto hoped that meant she could see him clearly, considering she hadn't commented about her lack of vision just yet.
Taking advantage of the situation, Makoto leaned in closer to her, thoroughly examining her left eye. As he inspected her, he couldn't help but smile.
Most of the white in her eye was a deep crimson, most likely due to a few ruptured blood vessels. However, at the same time, her beautiful lavender iris seemed completely unfazed, staring into his own eyes with clear conviction.
"How is it? Can you see me clearly?" he boldly asked, anticipating a favorable answer.
"…It's fuzzy, but yes." Closing her damaged eye and replacing the medical patch over it, her features hardened a bit as she glared her good eye at him. "I hope you realize how reckless it was for you to do that. That little stunt could have done permanent damage to my eye—".
"I know but…I figured that since I'm now sharing my luck with you, everything would be fine!" he said with a bright smile, confident he'd made the right decision.
Judging by the elongated sigh she released afterward, he could only assume she had forgiven him. After all, his counter argument was pretty flawless, if he did say so himself. Regardless of how horrific they had been, Makoto couldn't deny that the class trials had taught him how to handle a disagreement. And ironically, Kyoko had been the one to remind him just how powerful his words could be…a fact that worked against her at this very moment.
Kyoko must have understood that because, instead of getting frustrated with him, she let a warm smile spread over her lips.
"Is that so?" she said swiftly, a hint of playfulness in her voice. "Let's hope that our luck holds out then…"
"It will…" Makoto immediately insisted, a determined visage overtaking him. "This time…I'm sure that our luck will hold out."
He felt a bit awkward saying that, but at the same time, he meant every word. As if anticipating that, Kyoko let her smile widen before gazing toward the ruins of the Future Foundation's headquarters, causing a deep frown to settle onto her face. Following her gaze, Makoto stared at the half collapsed building, the structure now serving as a gravestone for all of the lives lost during the Final Killing Game.
However, just as he'd promised years ago, Makoto refused to simply move past their deaths. Instead, he chose to carry all of their memories with him, regardless of the fact that they may not have wished for him to do so…
"From here on out, things will be pretty difficult," he admitted to her, shouldering the burden he'd promised to carry. "Things may have changed…but we still have to move forward. And now, I need to decide what kind of path to take…and how best to bear this burden."
"Indeed, but you don't have to shoulder the burden alone," Kyoko reminded him, a confident smile on her face. "But knowing you, you've already got something in mind, right?"
"Well…kind of?" he nervously admitted, still unsure if his idea would be any good. "It's not the best idea, but at least I think it might help in the long run…I hope."
Giving a light chuckle, Kyoko continued to smile at him as she reassured him, "No matter what you choose to do, I know that the future will be bright. And just like our 'graduation', I'm excited to see the kind of future your hope will bring."
As she smiled at him, he felt reassured but also terrified at the same time. Having nearly lost her once, Makoto couldn't bear the thought of ever losing her again. The faint hint of the fading poison, coupled with her obvious physical pain, reminded him that he needed to be more careful in the future. He didn't want to keep putting her into situations where she might be inclined to sacrifice herself in order to save him.
At the same time, he knew that was almost impossible, a fact that brought him great shame…
"Kyoko…I'm sorry," he hesitantly confessed, feelings of guilt for nearly causing her death plaguing him. "After we all woke up, and you didn't…I was convinced you were gone. I was so distraught that I didn't even bother to check your pulse or anything. If I had…maybe I could have done something more for you. Instead, I left you there…and if not for Mikan, I really would have—".
In the middle of his ramblings, something rough gripped his hand. Glancing down, Makoto's eyes widened as he saw that Kyoko had removed the glove on her right hand, and was now firmly grasping his left hand. Her scarred fingers laced in between his own, holding onto him as tightly as she could.
At first, he was overcome with shock, but slowly…he began to understand her intentions.
The charred flesh of her hand felt coarse against his skin, but rather than feel repulsed, he felt honored. This was the second time she'd chosen to hold his hand like this, and it felt even more fantastical than it had the first time. He could feel her trust for him in her grip, and he squeezed her hand gently in response.
The fact that she had removed her glove, the symbol of her reluctance to trust anyone, proved to him that she really did trust him…and that she truly considered him to be someone special to her.
As bright smile erupted onto his face, Makoto was shocked when she flashed him a genuinely hopeful smile.
"Makoto…don't you remember what I told you?" she asked pertinently, her smile growing warmer with each passing moment. "No matter what happens, don't give up hope…I will always be by your side."
As her scarred hand tightly squeezed his own, Makoto couldn't stop the moisture that built up in the corners of his eyes. That fact that she was here with him, alive and well, at least for the most part, brought him so much joy that it felt surreal. However, with her hand tightly clasped in his own, and seeing the radiant smile on her beautiful face, the former lucky student knew that this moment was real.
And with that thought in mind, Makoto knew he needed to make the most of it…
"Kyoko, there's something…I need to tell you," Makoto shakily said, gathering up all of his courage. Hearing that, Kyoko's smile faded as she listened intently to him. "After you…fell unconscious, I decided to confront Munakata. And we ended up having a bit of a fight…"
"Hmph, I figured as much," she concluded, glancing down at his war torn appearance. "You haven't had any medical treatment yet, have you?"
"Asahina helped patch me up a bit, but that's about it," he admitted, feeling embarrassed that she noticed so effortlessly. Then again, considering who he was talking to, he should have known better than to bring that part up. Not wanting to get too far off track, he continued, "A-Anyway, that's not what I wanted tell you…"
Unexpectedly, he paused. No, it was more that he hesitated. He'd built up the courage to express his feeling about her, but now that the moment was here, he faltered. Even though just a few minutes ago, when he'd believed she was gone, and he wished with all his heart for this moment to exist…now that he actually had the chance to tell her how he felt…he was incredibly nervous.
Kyoko must have picked up on his apprehension because, as he fell into silence, she patiently waited, not even giving him an expectant look. Instead, she quietly waited for him, somehow knowing that he would find the words. Oddly enough, even though she didn't say a word, her show of respect gave him courage…and he shook his head as he forced himself to tell her something he'd been holding in for years.
"K-Kyoko…I…I…" he hesitated for a moment longer before he proclaimed, "For as long as I live, I will always be glad to that I met you!"
As his words echoed around them, a hint of shock overtook Kyoko's face. An instant later, her expression softened, smiling warmly as she nodded.
"I'll hold you to that…"
Emboldened by her words, Makoto slowly closed the gap between them and placed a soft kiss on her lips. It was short, but also sweet, lasting for only an instant before they each pulled back. Surprisingly, before they even took another breath, they leaned in and shared another swift kiss, easing into each other gently. Slowly breaking apart again, they both opened their eyes and stared at each other, a furious blush on both their faces.
It was at that moment that something unexpected startled both of them.
"K-K-Kyoko!"
"Ahhhhh, a ghost!"
Together, Makoto and Kyoko turned to see Aoi Asahina sprinting toward them, with Yasuhiro Hagakure cowering in fear as he recited protective chants. Not far behind them, Byakuya Togami slowly approached, a cocky smirk on his lips.
Seeing their friends again, the pair glanced at each other and smiled before slowly rising to their feet, with Kyoko leaning on Makoto for support.
"Kyoko! Kyoko!" Asahina practically screamed as she reached them, throwing herself at Kyoko and wrapping her arms around her. Sobbing loudly, the former Ultimate Swimmer heaved and spoke through sobs, "Thank goodness! Thank…goodness!"
Grunting a bit from the force of Asahina's hug, Kyoko slowly patted the other girl's back. "Sorry to have worried you…" she said carefully, obviously feeling guilty for unintentionally upsetting her friend.
"Rin! Pyou! Tou! Sha! Kai! Jin! Retsu! Zai! Zen!" Hagakure shouted a chant used to drive away evil spirits, which was completely ineffective for multiple reasons. Thrusting his palms in Kyoko's general direction, he screamed, "Spirit! Find peaceful rest! Be gone!"
As one, Makoto, Kyoko and Asahina turned and glared at him. Taking a moment to realize that nothing had happened, Hagakure shrieked, "Why isn't it working?! I studied up just for this kind of occasion!"
"Cease your prattle, plebian." Byakuya's authoritative voice silenced the slightly panicking Hagakure long enough for the Togami Heir to walk past him, not even sparing him a second thought. Instead, he glanced at Kyoko and his confident smirk only intensified. "It seems I was concerned over nothing. Apparently the rumors concerning your demise were exaggerated—".
"D-Don't you dare!" Asahina cut him off, tearing herself away from Kyoko long enough to glare at Byakuya. "Don't you dare mock what we've been through! I thought…we all really thought that Kyoko—".
"Don't misunderstand me. I am not mocking any of you," Byakuya abruptly interjected, his expression turning serious. However, less than a moment later, a somewhat kind smile crossed his face. "I'm not fond of repeating myself, but it seems I have no choice. So please listen this time; the very idea of any one of you dying is beyond ridiculous. Well…aside from a certain idiot who was trapped outside, that is. It seems that he needed rescuing far more than the rest of you—".
"Hey—!" Hagakure tried to interject but was swiftly cut off again.
"All that aside," Byakuya continued, completely ignoring the fortune teller and instead focusing on Kyoko. "It's good to see you above ground."
"Likewise," Kyoko politely replied, obviously still feeling weak. "I'm glad to see all of you are alright."
"But how is this possible?! Did you get medical treatment or something?!" Asahina insisted, noting her friend's medical eyepatch and improving complexion. "Wait, if you were actually alive this entire time…" Gasping loudly, the former Ultimate Swimmer shouted, "Don't tell me I just left you to die in that horrible place!"
"C-Calm down, Asahina…" Makoto tried to reassure her. "We'll explain everything later. Right now, let's get Kyoko somewhere she can rest first. Alright?"
Immediately recognizing her own insensitivity, Asahina nodded fervently and said, "Right! I won't leave you this time, Kyoko! I promise!"
Carefully, she went to the other side of Kyoko and gently slung the detective's arm over her shoulder. At the same time, Asahina gave her friend the brightest smile anyone had ever seen. Kyoko reciprocated the gesture for a moment before refocusing her gaze and looking between her friends.
"…I know this may not be the best time but, would any of you care to explain what happened while I was unconscious?" Kyoko requested, feeling out of the loop for the first time. Glancing back at the destroyed skyscraper, she sighed, "It seems I missed quite a bit…"
Byakuya, who had already pulled out a radio and was calling for a medical team, turned away from the communication device and said, "Let's just say we've got plenty to discuss and leave it at that for now. An evacuation team will be here shortly. We should meet them at the heliport."
Satisfied with that answer, Kyoko nodded and allowed Makoto and Asahina to assist her as they all headed for the heliport. Hagakure, now convinced that the detective wasn't in fact a ghost, ran on ahead. Byakuya scoffed at the clairvoyant's behavior but otherwise seemed pleased with this outcome. Asahina continued to joyfully smile as she made sure to carry most of Kyoko's weight, which Makoto quietly appreciated.
As the survivors of Class 78 made their way toward the rendezvous, Makoto couldn't help the hopeful smile that broke out on his face. Turning toward Kyoko, he found her smiling gently at him, which only made him smile harder. His hand squeezed hers, and she squeezed back, their hands refusing to come apart.
It was the beginning…of their hope.
Concluded in…To the Future: Hope
…
…
Greetings again, my beautiful readers! This reunion was hard to write but one that I felt I needed to work on myself. I'm certain that other writers have taken a crack at this scene, considering I think we all wanted to see it during the final episode. However, that's why we have fanfiction!
Anyway, the last part of this series will be up very soon and I hope that you are all enjoying it to the fullest!
Please leave a review/comment to tell me what you think of this mini-series or if you have any questions about the story in general! I appreciate each and every comment/review sent to me, as they let me know that you're all enjoying the story!
As usual, having yourselves a great day, and keep on smiling, my beautiful readers!