One Step Ahead Towards Hope, Two Steps Back into Despair.

Why?

Out of all the possible scenarios…why did it have to be him?

Just why?

Why did Togami picked up a fight with Shigaraki of all people?

It was true that Kyoko had some theories that could explain the 'logic' behind the Affluent Progeny's actions, but even so…

This morning began on a relatedly good note. The sour humor originated from the admittedly complete lack of progress in finding a way out of what she was now more confident than ever being Hope's Peak was no longer tormenting the group, with everyone making their way into the dining hall on what she would even dare say it was an improved mood.

No one was at each other throats, with even some people further improving their relationships with their peers.

The grouping of Maizono, Leon, and Naegi was proving considerably more fruitful than what she initially expected.

Shigaraki and Enoshima were doing Shigaraki and Enoshima things while giving each other looks every now and then. Both of them had clear intentions of being discrete, but as everything regarding their 'Non-romantic…?' relationship, it was obvious to everyone but them.

Regardless, even with that strange incident with Celeste into consideration, everything pointed out toward today being a good day.

Then the Moral Compass made the announcement that Togami was missing.

Rather than concluding that something had happened to him, she first and foremost put herself in Togami's shoes and pondered about where he should go instead of the dining all. Following that, it wasn't hard for her to reach an answer, and Enoshima going around telling everyone that she knew where Togami was proved that neither it was for Shigaraki.

But be that as it may, when everyone finally made their way towards the library and confronted the Heir, that was when everything spiraled into a chain reaction of disaster after disaster.

His declaration of approval towards the Killing Game.

His crude way of dealing with the Ultimate Programmer's protest against his words and how that led to Owada finally having enough of Togami's…well, enough of Togami, period.

His bold 'To not call it any other way…' declarations of grandeur.

Terrible as all of this was, Kyoko couldn't really say she was caught off-guard by any of it. That attitude of his seemed to be the way he was groomed, so it was hard to expect anything else from him.

Indeed, she wasn't surprised at all…which is why she grew worried with each passing second, knowing towards whom his streak of arrogance was going to land if he kept at it.

Especially you, Assassin.

Because just as she feared, it eventually did happen.

Togami chose Shigaraki as his final 'victim' of the day.

Truthfully speaking, she wasn't precisely anxious about Togami's bickering at the golden-eyed boy. She had enough evidence to confirm that Shigaraki had a thick skin regarding those kinds of things. Ever since the first day, people have accused him, insulted him, shouted at him, called him names, gave him looks of fear, hate, and disgust and he had never done so as much as batting an eye at all of it. Heck, just yesterday Hiro asked him to die and it was Enoshima who got mad for the two of them.

And that was good and all 'Even if that incident with the Fashionista was concerning in its own way…', but her worries were never about him. Just as the sun is bright, it was a fact that if you involve Shigaraki, you were involving Enoshima too…just the same as if you involve the Fashionista, you involve Shigaraki, and you truly don't want to go that route.

As much as she was abhorrent of involving herself in these types of affairs, she reluctantly did so anyways because, whether it would be because of mere bad luck or because he would grow frustrated of not being capable of riling Shigaraki up, she knew that Togami was eventually going to step on the strawberry-blonde land mine.

Unsurprisingly, her warning fell on deaf ears, and neither the looks of panic that not even Celeste, good as she might be at suppressing it, could hide as Shigaraki wasn't subtle about being done tolerating his disrespect towards Enoshima did anything to stop Togami from pushing Shigaraki's only button 'As far as he knows…' that he should've never pushed, and, well…

"You are dead…" She can now only think of very few scenarios in which things could take a turn for the worse, the now more murderous than ever voice of their resident Assassin made her conclude that much.

Speaking of his voice.

Just like the day before yesterday, and doing honor to his apparent code name, it carried a looming shadow of doom, heralding nothing but perdition towards whoever was directed at.

It sent shivers down her spine; Kyoko had no quarrels with admitting that to herself, even less so when she could observe that, save for a single exception if her eyes weren't deceiving her, it was a similar case for everyone around the room. An understandable reaction, really, because it wasn't only the voice itself that was putting everyone on edge, but rather what he just said in combination with the fact that Shigaraki had just made use of that speed of his to appear just behind the Heir, holding him on one shoulder as he…

…Pressed his index finger against Togami's throat.

Putting aside…that, she doesn't doubt that even the densest of her classmates was aware of where this could lead, which was exactly why following the golden-eyed boy's declaration, the only thing anyone could do, was to stand there and observe, waiting each painfully slow second that passed, dreading the moment in which Shigaraki would make truth to his word.

Even the Heir himself seemed aware of that, being stuck in a similar state as the rest of them, doing nothing but stare at his possibly would-be headsman with what Kyoko could easily identify was fear for his life.

How much time did it pass? A minute? An hour? Half a day? She was sure they were only seconds, but it was hard to tell as it turns out that being a witness of what could possibly be a live execution could be bizarrely entrancing…and wasn't that some food for thought regarding their captor?

"…Y-You…" The Affluent Progeny tried to sound confident, but that initial wavering made it a futile attempt "…What did you say…?"

"I said…that you are dead…" Shigaraki's voice receded back into that calm yet slightly gloomy tone he usually goes with, but Kyoko didn't make the mistake of thinking he had calmed down even a bit. His scowling face was failing in concealing his contempt towards Togami.

But leaving aside that, once again the seconds ticked by, and dread began to mix with a growing confusion as even if Shigaraki repeated that sentence, Togami was very much alive. Togami for his part, seemed very much at a crossroads of what to do following that, receding back into a poor attempt of a staring contest with Shigaraki.

"Just a few moments ago…" It appeared that Shigaraki was finally done with the etching confusion he was infusing on everyone's mind "…You said that there was no way for you to die, but as you can see, you are dead…or at least that would be the case if what I had pressed against your throat was an actual weapon"

…

…Was he serious?

Sure, it was just a finger, and she was certainly expecting something else, like maybe a dagger hidden in one of those inner pockets he had, but she was confident that for someone labeled as the Ultimate Assassin, that finger of his was enough to end Togami's life.

Speaking of the Affluent progeny, his gaze became one of puzzlement as it slowly moved between looking at the golden-eyed boy and the digit pressed down his throat.

He kept doing that for a pair of seconds and as if liberated from a spell, his transfixion turned into a snarl, clearly far from amused at what Shigaraki was saying "You imbecile! Are you mocking me!?"

"Not precisely…" That wasn't a no, she noticed "…I was simply proving a point, which is that you are wrong. You are as vulnerable as everyone trapped in this place"

Togami didn't bother to reply to that, instead, he tried to pry himself off the Assassin, but as soon as he did that, Shigaraki moved his hand away from the Heir's throat to hold him by both shoulders. While Kyoko would assume that Togami wasn't precisely the weakest member of the group, the difference in strength between him and the Ultimate Assassin was like day and night, almost making it seem like a kid trying to get away from the hold of a wrestling professional. It wasn't a gentle hold either, as the more he struggled, the more his face shifted from discomfort to the earliest signs of pain.

In any case, that action in itself finally brought everyone out of their stupor.

"Shigaraki! While providing classmates with life lessons should be encouraged, doing so through violence is inexcusable! I implore you to let go of Togami right in this instant!" Kyoko will give it to the Moral Compass, he was dedicated to his talent.

For all his bravado though, Taka couldn't avoid jumping back a little when the displeased gaze of their resident Assassin shifted in his direction. She couldn't have it in her to blame him for that, as the last time someone dealt with a bitter Shigaraki was Monokuma…and said monochrome bear lost that battle.

Even so, Taka didn't back down from his request slash demand, with everyone nervously looking back and forth between him and Shigaraki.

"…Sure" Well, that resolved itself quite quickly.

…

…Or so she would say if he had actually released the Affluent Progeny the moment he said that.

Eventually, the rest of the group picked up on that, and the surprise of hearing Shigaraki's easy concession morphed once again into concern.

"…W-Well, what are you waiting for?"

At first, Shigaraki didn't reply back and was more than content with just shifting his eyes between the Ultimate Moral Compass and the Affluent Progeny, almost as if pondering about something.

"I will let him go…under one condition" That didn't sound reassuring to anyone within the group. If anything, Fukawa, who since the beginning of this upheaval had been glaring daggers at Shigaraki, was now straight up growling at him…though she rapidly shrank away when the golden-eyed boy gave her a look.

"A condition? Um, what kind of condition?" Nevertheless, Taka pressed ahead.

"An apology" The Assassin said as soon as the red-eyed boy finished his question.

It was sudden enough to catch a few group members off-guard, expecting something far more demanding, either because of whom they were dealing with or because of how annoyed he still looked.

Despite that though, the tension in the room began to gradually dissipate, just the same, a few were already relaxing while believing this incident finally was reaching an easy solution.

Kyoko wasn't among those.

"O-Oh, I see…so all Togami has to do is to apologize to you and we can―"

"No"

"No!?" The Ultimate Moral Compass shouted with surprise "B-But you just said…"

"An apology, yes…but not to me" That was all the group required to finally understand what Shigaraki meant "Togami has to apologize to her, and if she accepts it, then I will free him. That is my condition"

Among the ocean of uncertainty and worry that flowed within everyone, Kyoko saw that the indirectly mentioned strawberry-blonde looked surprised, though only for a moment before sending the golden-eyed boy a fond look, both unperturbed by what was happening and clearly touched by Shigaraki's gesture.

…

…Anyway, seeing that nonetheless Shigaraki still wanted nothing more than an admission of guilt from Togami, just for Enoshima instead of him, there was a collective sigh of relief. After all, that should be simple, right? It was just an apology, correct? Practically anyone in Togami's position would've been thankful for such an easy way out of this predicament, asked for forgiveness right away, and called it a day.

"…Mhmhm, do you truly believe that I would comply with the request of a low-life form such as yourself?" Much to everyone's dismay, Togami wasn't practically anyone.

She truly wanted to facepalm and say that she didn't see this coming…but she did. Kyoko knew that Togami and his pride as not only a member, but the very Heir of the most important family in the world, would make an apology coming from his mouth as easy of a task as convincing Monokuma to free them by just asking nicely.

"Togami-chi!?" Among the gasps following what Togami said, Hiro's was the loudest "What the hell are ya doing dude!? Calling Shigaraki-chi low-life now of all times is―"

"Pretty accurate" It wasn't Togami who said that.

Everyone, including the Affluent Progeny, gave the Ultimate Assassin a look of absolute bafflement, and Kyoko herself couldn't help rising an eyebrow when she saw the anger on the golden-eyed boy's face shifting into…melancholy.

Of all things she could've seen happening today, being in presence of such an expressive Shigaraki wasn't one of them.

"Saying that I am a low-life isn't…wrong" Before anyone had a chance of knowing how to react, Shigaraki took the opportunity of the silence to continue "Togami isn't wrong when he says that I am a tool either…"

"S-Shigaraki!? That's not―!"

"It is true" The fact that he interrupted Enoshima of all people did nothing but reinforce how important saying all of this was to him "For basically a decade, I've worked for a bunch of miserable, soulless, monsters who hide themselves on a noble cause when in reality, they care for nothing but making the most profit at the expense of others, one of the worst kinds of scum you could find. Day by day, I've been doing nothing but ruin life after life, biding to the orders of people I don't like and that I know they see me as a replaceable instrument for their whims…it is pathetic and lonely, isn't it? Being a slave of the hand dealt to you…it isn't something I would wish on anyone…"

No one knew how to process what he was saying…neither did Kyoko. She might not be capable of declaring she knows the Assassin well, but even so, she understood that what he was saying right now wasn't the sort of thing he usually opened to just anyone, less so to such a degree and towards what practically was, save for Enoshima apparently, a bunch of strangers.

Because of that, everyone did nothing but kept a mournful silence, whether out of solemn sympathy, or something else. Surprisingly, even Togami wasn't taking this as a bold '…And honestly stupid at this point…' chance to mock Shigaraki, rather…there was a curious look on his eyes, a glint of something within them that she couldn't figure out what it meant.

Although, when it comes to Shigaraki himself…once again, Kyoko was getting further away from getting a proper understanding of who she foolishly thought a few days ago was closer to figuring out.

"Shigaraki…we didn't know that, I…I'm sorry to hear―"

"The reason I'm telling you this isn't to get something as inconsequential as pity points with you guys, so I suggest you not waste it on me" The Assassin didn't give the Luckster a chance to finish what he wanted to say "Instead, I'm trying to make a point clear not only to Togami, but to everyone here: It is exactly because of how I perceive my own existence, that those few who get to fulfill my despicable self mean the entire world to me, so, precisely because of that…you all can think, say, and do the worst of things at my person, and even so, I can guarantee that I won't lay a single finger against any of you, but…" Crass, but she could see he meant every word of it. What truly bothered her though, was what said next "…If you dare lay a single finger to those I care about, I won't have any mercy, and I will make sure of whomever that fool comes to be, regrets it"

As he finished, his self-depreciation was gone, and instead, a mix of determination and a far from small amount of grimacing painted his features.

In response to that, a concerning thought was spreading through Kyoko's mind.

Is this the amount of power Enoshima has over him?

Sure, it was an intense, if clearly intimidating, speech in which he told everyone to not mess with his beloved ones 'Unintentionally hinting the existence of that other individual…', and Enoshima was buying it how it was meant, if that crimson-deep blush on her face was anything to go by. The thing is, though, that Kyoko couldn't avoid reading the in-between lines of it.

Shigaraki values Enoshima's life a million times more than he does his own.

Under normal circumstances, it could be perceived as a touching 'And weird, considering he has known her for just a week…' way of thinking about someone. The problem though was laying in the fact that in their current instance, being so open about it can be turned into a double-edged sword that can put the group in a precarious situation, or worse, work as first-rate material for Monokuma's motives.

Kyoko knew that boat already sailed when the golden-eyed boy saved Enoshima's life, but even so, for Shigaraki's and everyone's sake, she can only hope it doesn't come to that.

"…Hmph, nice speech and all…" Whatever magic was occurring between the Affluent Progeny and the Assassin with that stare of his just a moment ago, left without leaving a trace "…But it won't do anything to sway me into apologizing. As a Togami, I―"

"Oh, I know that you are a Togami, you don't need to remind me that" Kyoko wasn't a fan of the way Shigaraki said that "Although…are you interested in hearing something else that I know?"

The dreadful sense of foreboding as he said the latter half of that sentence was sending alarm bells to her head, but before she could make sense of the why, Kyoko suppressed her brows from rising in surprise as Shigaraki didn't wait for Togami's response and leaned closer to Togami's ear as he…whispered something.

As much as she stretched her ears to catch something of it, the golden-eyed boy made sure that even with no one else making a noise, no one but him and Togami heard what he said. More important than that though…

Whatever it was that Shigaraki told the Affluent Progeny, it made him lose his bravado as his eyes widened, with the tone of his skin becoming even paler than what it already was, if that was possible.

"Now, don't make me repeat myself…" The fact that those words alone were now enough to make the Heir flinch did nothing but exponentially multiply her curiosity about what Shigaraki muttered to him "…Apologize to her"

On Shigaraki's command 'Because that's what it was…', Togami turned towards Enoshima. He opened and closed his mouth multiple times, sometimes even as if he was going to back down on it "…I…" It was taking him a titanic effort, Kyoko could see, and even if she couldn't entirely believe it was happening in the first place in the end… "…I…retire what I said about you…"

Now that Kyoko saw it by herself, she could admit that even if it was a lame one, begrudgingly to the very end and with a look that told he hated every second of it, watching Togami of all people doing something like this was a substantially bizarre sight, and she knew everyone agreed on that based on Owada with his mouth agape and other various looks of disbelief.

…Seriously, just what did Shigaraki told him?

Meanwhile, Enoshima flickered her gaze between the now seemingly traumatized Heir and Shigaraki. Before anyone could grow concerned about Enoshima holding a bigger grudge than what one might expect, she scoffed "Fiiine, I accept his apology, though I hope this helped him to stop being such a prick…"

At that, everyone released a breath they didn't know they were holding, with Shigaraki giving Enoshima a nod before letting go of the Affluent Prodigy, and with clear signs of effort, the aforementioned forced himself to keep a dignified image as he did nothing more than throwing a scoff of his own and hurrying out of the library, with the Ultimate Writer hastily following him as she threw one last glare at the Assassin.

With this, a crisis was finally avoided…though Kyoko couldn't say she was particularly cheerful about how it did.

Honestly speaking, what just happened was no different from observing a roman emperor in charge of deciding whether the losing gladiator should be having his life spared or not.

Kyoko would like to say that that was a silly metaphor…but honestly? Now more than ever she wasn't sure that if Enoshima were to tell Shigaraki to kill Togami right here and now, he wouldn't dare do it, even if that meant his death on a Class Trial.

If she had to point out the next most abnormal detail about this whole ordeal between Shigaraki and Togami, was that the strawberry-blonde never seemed fazed with what was happening. Sure, she had now a frown of annoyance, but it didn't take a genius to notice that it was in regards to Togami rather than Shigaraki, showing to the latter nothing but concern the whole time.

Enoshima and the raven-haired boy were friends, and him being an Assassin had never been an issue for the strawberry-blonde, but even if that was the case…no, it was precisely for that reason she wondered, Ultimate or not, how was it that a Fashionista was capable of staying calm at a sight that affected even the most stoic members of the group? The possibility of her being a bigger expert at hiding her emotions than say, Celeste or Kyoko herself, was doubtful at best, laughable at worst considering that it was her very same incapacity to keep her feelings at bay that almost got her killed. There was also yesterday with how she acted towards Hiro, and if she put the time into it, Kyoko could begin to point out a whole lot of abnormalities regarding Enoshima.

Like, for someone who works in the fashion business, her personality was quite introverted. She could be loud from time to time…but besides that? Her whole repertoire of relationships within the class was of no one else but Shigaraki, when usually one would expect someone in her career to go around hanging out with everyone, even if it was only a formality of sorts.

On that basis…

…Was Enoshima hiding something far deeper than her emotions? Could it be that her image of a Fashionista was nothing but a cover of her true being? It was early enough to not make any accusations yet, but it wasn't for Kyoko to begin putting her mind to work regarding the subject.

For now, though…

There was the aftermath of this incident to deal with.

Saying that I was surprised at seeing the looks most members of the class were giving me would be a lie.

Speaking of them, the most notorious detail about the expressions on their faces was the amazement of me being able to make Togami of all people doing so banal as apologizing. Understandable, honestly. I, more than anyone within this group know how big of a deal was to get a Togami to do something like that…which is why I also knew that I had to recur to that.

In the best case, our relationship from now onwards will be a complicated one, though seeing how he reacted to what I told him…well, I wouldn't be surprised that in a scenario where both of us managed to escape this place, he would put at least half of his resources onto hunting for my head.

…

…Anyways, leaving those trivialities aside, now that things calmed down, all members of the class now had enough room to give me mortified looks, whether it was because of me temporally holding Togami hostage, my speech, what I whispered to the Affluent Progeny or a combination of the three, I wasn't entirely sure. What I was sure of, though, was that this stunt of mine cost my 'reputation' with the group.

As if that wasn't enough, it appears I was getting rusty. What I revealed to them in the spur of the moment, it…it was too much. I was supposed to only go back into repeating what they already knew about the Salvation Society to salvage the situation, but like I already pointed out, my own feelings got the better of me, making me vent out things far more personal than what any of them 'Save for her…' had any right of knowing. Worse of all was that it was in vain, as I was sure things were going back to how―

"Oi, is everyone gonna just stay there like a bunch of sloths the whole fucking day or what?" Owada's voice brought me, and I can see the rest of the class too, out of our stupors "…Hey, chick, can you let me go? I already got out of my stupid mode…this time for real…"

Ogami, who was indeed still holding him until now, looked at him for a few moments before giving the Ultimate Gang Leader a grunt in acknowledgment and liberating him from her hold.

While he was stretching his arms, a few people gave him concerning looks "Um, Master Owada, but about what just happened…?"

"What happened was called fuckin' karma, ya hear?" Anticipating the protests based on some looks he was receiving, he elaborated on…whatever it was he was doing "Tch…I'm not gonna say that what the dude just did was correct. Dammit, I am probably the last person who should be defending it after acting like fucking lunatic! But…" Even though it didn't appear he was going to back on this, a look of shame and regret replaced his features "…Look, how I acted was a shitty move on my part, I goddamn know…but it is exactly because of that that the bastard of Togami needed a good scare. He needed to understand that he isn't some shitty god to go around claiming to be immortal while spurting crap like seeing our bullshit of a situation as a game!"

I was admittedly confused for a moment about why he was taking my side on this, though I just had to remember that my intentions towards Togami were among the same lines as his to get an understanding of it.

That didn't mean the surprises ended with him tough.

"…I think Owada has a point" A voice that caught everyone with surprise spoke up.

"Maizono!?" To the Luckster more than anyone else.

Said Idol shrank on herself as she became the center of attention "I-I know I have a similar…no, I have less of a right than him to give my opinion on this or any other matter, but it is because I have firsthand experience on this…" Both Leon and Naegi winced at that part "…that I believe suffering the consequences of your actions can be eye-opening. That Togami had dealt with it this early, before spiraling into something far more volatile…I believe that in the long run, it can be beneficial, to us and for him too…"

There were some skeptical looks here and there, but I could observe that the majority of them preferred to give some thought to her words rather than discard them immediately.

"Yeah! Just like she and pompadour guy said!" She swiftly ignored Owada's protest at the name as she gave one last push on defending my integrity "A-And besides! Shigaraki did what he did to protect me…t-that has to count for something, yeah?" I mean, truthfully speaking and although I don't believe what Togami was saying was a small deal, she wasn't in any actual danger.

That didn't stop my head from turning a slight shade of red though.

"Shigaraki!" Though before I could become too distracted by that, Taka's voice came to my attention.

"Yes?"

He did nothing more than stare at me with a conflicted expression for a few seconds "…Your insight has been crucial in preventing multiple tragedies from taking place within our ranks. Because of that, and even though I categorically reject your method of dealing with Togami, I am inclined to agree with some of our classmates' opinions about having some leniency regarding your shameful behavior of just a few moments ago..." Judging by the look on his face, I can see Taka was having a hard time in going along with this "…Even so! Giving amnesty every time someone steps over the non-written rules, the very pillars that work as foundations of our small society within these walls would only lead towards anarchy! This is why I need you to guarantee me you won't make a repeat of this incident! Can I have your word on that!?"

There it was once again that determined look he had back when he requested me to let go of Togami, and while observing it, I involuntarily reminisced about the fact that just beside her and Naegi, more often than not, he had been the most tolerant of my existence, in his own strange way at the very least.

What a peculiar guy.

"…Like I said before, if nobody attempts to hurt her in any way, I can promise you that I won't lash against anyone here. I have attained to that promise since the beginning, and I will continue to do so until the very end" I lied as easily as I breathed.

Ignorant of that, the Ultimate Moral Compass gave me a sharp nod before turning towards our remaining classmates "I believe that for the sake of keeping the harmony between our community we can allow this incident behind us, thought just to make sure, does anyone here have any objections about it?"

Turns out there were none, whether it was out of them fearing I would retaliate or because they were convinced by the faith some of our classmates were putting in me…The cynic in me was inclined to believe it was a combination of the two at the very least. Hell, I was already having a hard time believing that more than a single person was giving me some form of support.

Speaking of said support…

Was it a shitty move on my part to abuse the trust that was being given to me? Absolutely. Was I feeling bad about it? Seeing that it involuntarily involves her…yeah, I was feeling terrible.

It wasn't personal and neither I wanted to, but if giving Taka and everyone else a false sense of safety would guarantee her safety, I would do so a million times over without a hint of shame. More so now that I know I could actually tell a lie here and there even with Celeste around so long as I keep my nerves under control.

"…Uh, so what now?" It truly tells you how abnormal was today that Hiro makes a valid point twice in a row.

What was supposed to happen now?

I for one had an idea of what my next steps would take me.

"As a group? There is nothing else to do" It seems that the same goes for Kirigiri "We already confirmed everyone is still alive, fulfilling the objective of the daily meeting we have every morning. For now, we all should be free to roam as we please. So, if you excuse me…"

The silver-haired girl turned on her heels and left the library without saying anything else.

"Geez, that girl sure loves those mysterious vibes she gives, huh?" Leon said with some hints of awkwardness in his voice.

Not like he was the only exception, though. Everyone was looking at each with some expectancy, wondering whether to go with Kirigiri's words or not.

In the end, the decision was made by Owada, who gave a grunt and a lazy wave of his hand before stuffing it in his baggy pants and leaving the room. Soon, everyone followed his example, either leaving the library one by one or doing so in small groups of two and three.

Until finally, it was only me and her, with nothing but uncomfortable silence between us. At least to me, it was.

I…I truly wanted to say something, it just so happened that I didn't know how. The logical side of my mind was aware that she wasn't repulsed by how radical I acted with Togami…but regardless of that, there was a lump in my stomach, sickened at the possibility of her no longer wanting to know more of me, thinking I was being too overwhelming to her. It might sound like a paranoid thought, but even so, I…I suppose I can only hope it wasn't the case. It's not ideal, but…well, it was something at least.

"I'm sorry…" That for sure wasn't how I wanted a conversation to start.

"Sorry? Wh…what for?" I couldn't prevent making my confusion clear to her.

At that, a look of shame that I had come to despise seeing on her. It was doing nothing but eclipsing those black specks of hers, elemental on adorning her face to reach its rightful perfection "…This kinda my fault, isn't it? The whole mess with Togami, I mean. I've been telling you to stand up against how disrespectful everyone was being towards you, you warned me why you wouldn't, but I insisted, and then today happened, and, a-and―"

"No" I've failed her time and time again from preventing that undeserving negativity from reaching her, but sure as hell I won't stand aside and let its roots get comfortable "You don't have any reason to blame you for that, even if you hadn't told me to be more assertive, I would've retaliated the same way I did towards Togami. Those actions were mine and mine alone. You don't have to feel guilty about them when the fault lies on no one else but me"

The fact that she wasn't protesting against my words felt like a step in the right direction.

"…Even so…" I could see she wasn't fully convinced "…It isn't fair…there were so many things that could've gone wrong, and all of them would've led to you being hated by everyone here…"

A thought occurred about how to deal with her dilemma, although I admit I had reservations about it.

"Do you hate me?" I suddenly asked her "For what I did? Or…" I swallowed my hesitation as I dared to be blunt with her "…For what I would've done, if…if things had gone wrong like you said? You would've hated me like the rest of them?"

"What!? N-No! I would never!" I felt like it was wrong to think this, but part of me was happy I didn't have to wait to hear her answer "But everyone else…"

"They don't matter, at all" I said without hesitation "As long as you believe in me, that's…" I gave her what I hope was a reassuring smile…while also hoping that the red tint on my cheeks wasn't making her uncomfortable "…that's enough. Having you by my side…that alone is everything I need"

While looking away from me, I saw she was trying…and terribly failing at hiding the smile that was forming on her lips as the tone of her face began to match my own "S-Sheez, if…if you keep sayin' stuff like that, I'm gonna end up, like, gettin' the wrong idea about it, y'know?"

The fluttering feeling in my heart momentarily faltered as I quirked an eyebrow at that "Eh? How so?"

My question was first responded with an even deeper blush, though she quickly changed that as she closed her eyes and gave a sigh of resignation "…No, it's nothing important" I was admittedly concerned about how she reacted, but if she wants to drop the subject, I don't have any right to force her on it "Anyways, now that that mess is dealt with, is there somewhere you wanna go?"

At that, my mood drastically dropped.

I truly loathed what followed next, but I knew that I had to do this sooner rather than later.

"Right, about that…" I braced myself for what was about to say "…There is one thing I need to do…alone"

"…I see" So she said, but seeing the disappointed face she was making felt like a thousand spikes pressing themselves on my back, though no matter how much it hurt, I needed to keep my will strong and― "So, um…see you later?"

The unsure way in which she said that was the last straw for me "I-I promise you I will take care of it as fast as I can! It won't be more than a single―No, just half an hour at most! I swear!"

"Oh, is that so?" I resisted the urge of sighing in victory when I saw that her gloominess was quickly replaced with an alleviated smile "If that's the case, maybe I can wait in the dining hall while I grab a quick snack, how does that sound?"

"Yeah, that sounds great. I will meet you there in half an hour" I immediately said.

Maybe if everything goes well, I won't even need more than fifteen minutes!

With that, she gave me a nod before departing from the library, leaving me completely alone…and already missing her company.

…

…She should be fine. If there was one good thing to take from this incident from Togami, was that now more than ever everyone 'Even the Affluent Progeny…' knows that the worst mistake they could make was to compromise her in any kind or form.

…

…

…

…I didn't regret what I did, not at all. At least I don't when it comes to the alternative I took at the last second. These people might've not noticed it, but…

It was only for a fraction of a second, but the moment I got behind Togami…I truly was about to kill him.

The way he was talking of her, the contempt, the moment he specifically called her…when he said she was a…that…

I saw red. I became blinded with so much fury and hate that, even if rational thinking won in the end, I was ready to separate his head from his body. Heck, I was still mad at the bastard and it was only because Enoshima gave him a chance that I conceded to leave him be.

If I hadn't all those years of reflexes developed and refined, I knew I would've given the group the first and possibly easiest Class Trial of all history. To make things worse, though…

…There was something else if I was honest with myself.

I…I believe that deep inside me, that intent to end the Heir's life was partially driven by what Monokuma told me. Not because it made me suddenly hold a grudge towards Togami, but rather…

…

…

…

…Sigh.

Five hours earlier…

"…Monokuma" Seeing the monochrome bear resting on my bed made it impossible for me to hide my disdain. It wasn't like there was any incentive to do otherwise either.

"Upupupupu, the one and only!" It appears he wasn't fazed by that regardless, if anything, I can tell he was relishing from this scenario. Even without that annoying trademark laugh of his, it would've been obvious.

"…" I didn't say anything as I showed nothing but contempt on the exterior. Internally, though, I was grimacing.

I had always understood the risks of these nocturnal explorations, more so considering that, whether he knows this wasn't the first one or not, he was aware I wasn't averse to the idea thanks to me standing guard an entire night during his first motive.

Even with that into consideration, waiting more time to check the secret room was out of the question, after all, someone else finding that location was a matter of when rather than if, and now I know of a certain Detective that no doubt will eventually become that someone else.

So, in the end, it couldn't be helped, this was a risky gamble that while it did bring results, it won't be without consequences.

"I would like to say that this is a beautiful night, perfect to take some fresh air, watch the moon in all its clear glory, and bath oneself in the moon energies or some mojo mumbo like that, but…not only there hasn't neither one of those in quite a while, we both know you won't be capable of that as long as you are here! Upupupupu"

"…" Again, I didn't reply to his provocations, even if I recognized some strange things in between what he said.

"Hmmm, you wanna give me the ice treatment, huh? You seriously aren't fun" Although it seems that did cause a reaction in him "But alright, I will get straight to the point…what the heck is your problem!?"

"…"

"Y-You…! Fine! If ya keep ignoring me I will make a rule that forbids you from doing so! Is that what ya want, huh!?"

Tch.

"…No, you don't need to do that"

"Ohohoho, now we are talking!" The monochrome cheerfully declared as he got up on my bed 'Great, now he was going to dirt it…' and raised his paws "Aren't two-sided conversations such a fruitful activity? Well…I'm sure a society reject like you would have a hard time understanding such a concept, seeing that you are a stab-before-asking kind of guy, but even so!"

It's been less than a pair of minutes, and I was already tired of dealing with him "…Whatever you say. Can you leave now?"

"Oh, sure. It would be bad for your health if I keep interrupting your sleep, wouldn't―As if! Do you truly believe I already forgot why I came here in the first place!?" Unfortunately, that didn't work "Four! It is past four in the goddamn morning! It's already enough of a chore to keep an eye on you and the other fifteen schmucks as you fool around all day…and now your telling me I have to deal with this!? Are you for real!?"

"…Who knows…" I can't deny that the idea of him genuinely being frustrated at this was exponentially improving my mood "…but if you see this as such a burden, maybe you shouldn't have trapped us here in the first place, don't you think?"

Instead of making an irking or dismissive remark about how talking him out of this was a futile endeavor, what I got instead was…it was something.

"Trapped you here? Well…Upupupu, I wonder about that…"

Huh?

"What do you mean?" Was he implying that there was more than a single way to get out of this place? That the gate at the main hall was a fluke? Or, was I thinking this through the wrong angle and, perhaps…

"Who knows? It's up to you guys to uncover the mysteries of this place, not me!" Disappointing, but I can't say I had any hope of him leaking anything of value. Besides, taking anything he says at face value wasn't a mistake I could allow myself to make "And speaking of mysteries…may I know what were you doing outside at such late hours, young man!?"

He finally asked that, huh?

"Why do you care? Doesn't your rules say that we are free to explore the entire school?" First, let's try playing dumb.

"Bzzzt! Wrong answer!" Well, so much for that… "Now I am more curious! If you don't tell me now, I'm gonna pester ya forever! I will even haunt ya even in your dreams, do you want that? Huh!?" No, I truly don't.

…Should I really keep playing around the question? I mean…I was almost certain that he was just messing around and that he already knows what I had been up to.

…

…

…

…I am going to regret this.

"…Fine, if this will get you off my back, I…" I'm truly going to do it "…I…I was in the girl's bathroom from the second floor…"

It was the most convenient lie I could come up with. It was already close to the truth, seeing that I DID visit a bathroom on the second floor, and I didn't even have to fake my reluctance at giving that answer because I genuinely DIDN'T want to give such a response. Although good as it might be, I know for sure that Monokuma knows I was lying about―

"The girl's…bathroom?" The monochrome bear said…with what I couldn't detect as anything else other than authentic confusion. I mean, even the expression on his face showed him caught off-guard by this question.

Wait, what?

He couldn't be for real about this, could he? "…Yeah, that place. I…I had poor results with the one for boys, so I thought about going with an option that most guys wouldn't usually think of. I'm aware that wasn't somewhere I could go check out on a plain day, so…I, well, that's…that's why I did it at nighttime of all times…"

Again, I didn't have to feign hesitation about this. It was coming naturally to me because I truly was agonizing about every word I spelled to Monokuma about this.

To humiliate me to this bastard of all possible candidates…and for what? Nothing more than extending a fabrication I'm sure he―

"Upu…Upupupu…" Huh? "Upupupu―Pffft! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh, man! Oh, man! This…! This is rich! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Y-You…of all places…you went and―HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA―!" That was everything he did for the next five minutes.

Laughing, cackling, and mocking my entire self as he was rolling on my bed. Usually, I would tolerate the humiliation on stride…but considering the subject, not even I could completely suppress the embarrassment this was causing me.

…Although, I admit that I wasn't distracted enough to not notice something about this whole ordeal.

Does he truly believe I was in the girl's bathroom?

Everything seems to point out toward him believing my lie, which is strange, I would've guessed that with those cameras around and with how cunning he appears to be, and even if he didn't see me during the moment I came out of the boy's bathroom, he was capable of pinpointing from I had been based on the observation of a few sectors.

But…if that wasn't the case, what kind of factor could've led to such a blind spot to happen?

As I thought of that, my eyes became fixated on the monochrome bear who was still having the laugh of his life at my expense. I ignored that. Instead, I focused on an interesting theory.

Considering how Monokuma was in my room, waiting for my eventual return…but also without having any certainty on my location…

…Could it be that our captor can't keep an eye on the surveillance cameras while they take control of the remote control machine?

"Hahaha…Ah~, I really needed that" Hopefully unaware of my inner thoughts, Monokuma finished his laughing festival with a content sigh "Seriously, though. I have always known that there was a weird bone on you, but to learn that you are such a deviant…My, my, that handsome face of yours doesn't hint at it, you know?"

"…Whatever" Truly, if what I was theorizing was true, then I for sure gained much more than what I lost out of this exchange, so I can live with the shame "You know where I was, and also had your laugh. Isn't that enough for you to leave me alone?"

"Hmm…yeah, yeah, this ol' bear had his fun. You can lay down on your bed and dream of whatever dirty fantasies you developed in your adventure through the girl's bathroom, upupupu…"

Screw you too… "Alright, then use the door, or that trick of yours to disappear and get out. Whatever gets me from not seeing your face the sooner, the more convenient it would be for―"

"Well, actuaaaaaally…" I see he had taken a liking to interrupt me. I suppose it was out of spite for what happened a few days ago "…there is oneeeeee last minuscule detail I needed to talk with you about"

…

I don't like where this is going.

"…You said that I could go to bed already"

"Yep! And still can, after all…there's still space and nighttime for the two of us~. C'mon, I know what they said about bears, but I promise to be gentle with―Hey, where are you going!?"

Does this piece of shit even had to ask? "What else? I'm getting away from a sexual predator like you"

Seriously, what the hell does this creep have with harassing me through promiscuous jokes eight out of ten times?

"Huh!? B-But…the rules say that you can't sleep outside your designated dorm area!" And he doesn't deny it…

"What of it? All I have to do is stay awake. It shouldn't be hard, seeing that there are only three hours left before the morning announcement hits" An idea came to me "Might as well use the time to keep watch and make sure nobody tries anything suspicious"

"Ughh! That crap is exactly what I want to talk with you about!" Just as I was about to leave the room, hearing that stopped me from turning the knob…only for a moment. I opened the door and― "Alright! Alright! I will drop the jokes and get directly to the point: I have a proposal for you!"

Much to my inner dismay, that did stop me for real.

In all honestly, I didn't want to hear whatever that thing had planned to spat out of his mouth "…A proposal?" However, if this could give me a lead on getting the upper hand against him, I can allow myself to feign being interested in this.

"Yep! A proposal! But not one of marriage, you hear? Although…if you were to invite me a dinner, perhaps―W-Wait, don't go! You must understand that I couldn't miss that one! No more gags from now on! I swear it this time, okay!?"

"One," I said as I once again stepped back into my room "One more joke from you and I'm out, you hear?"

"You got it, boss! You see…it has come to my attention that you not only don't seem interested in being a participant in this event I prepared for all of you guys to enjoy, but also are acting against its purpose. Which is why I―"

"No"

"No!? B-But―"

"I said no" I repeated, almost growling the words out of my mouth.

I knew where he was going with this, and I had zero intention of falling into this trap. If to do so, I have lost sleep for one day, then so be it.

"C-C'mon, don't be like that! All I'm doing is to put aside the bumps we've had in the past and offer you the olive branch to―"

"Offer me the olive branch?" I asked rhetorically with a deadly edge on my voice, and rather than leaving my room, I approached the monochrome bear so I could tower over him "No, no…you bastard threw the chance for that the moment you trapped me here. Put it on fire when you kidnapped my sister…" I knew that wasn't the case, but he doesn't need to know that "…and you made sure as hell of burying it the moment you tried to kill Enoshima. Nothing of what you could say can convince me of―"

"Even if I'm willing to give you exactly what you are looking for?"

…

…

…

…What?

Before I could question further what he was talking about, I felt one of my pockets give a slight vibration, signaling a notification from the E-Handbook. I gave Monokuma a look, but he was content with giving me a blank stare that couldn't tell me anything about what he was up to.

Knowing that a staring contest wasn't going to get me anywhere, I brought the device out, turned it on, and saw…

I saw…

Saw…

…

…

…

"…What's the catch?" Of all the possible things I could've told the Monochrome bear, that was the most urgent one I could think of.

"Ohohoho, is that interest what I hear?"

"Answer the question" I couldn't care less about his amusement on this. The only thing that mattered was That.

"Geez, for someone so introverted, you sure are intense sometimes…" I gave him a warning look "Fiiine, the truth is…there isn't any catch! I mean, what is written there is exactly what it is. Nothing more! Nothing less!"

Right, because that was so convincing… "And what guarantee do I have that you would truly go with this?"

"You seriously asking me this at this point?" The bastard was having the gall of looking offended at my question "If there's one thing you have already seen with your own eyes about me is that over all things, I play with the rules to the very end! Such is my reputation, that multiple zoos look to interview me about my good conduct on a daily basis!" That technically counted as a joke…but that was beside me at this point "Besides, if words alone aren't enough…a certain someone is alive precisely because I have abided by my honor, remember?"

I fought the urge of reacting at that, in favor of prodding for more urgent details "That is what you say…but you published thisin the E-Handbook, doesn't that mean everyone can see this?" And if that were the case, That might as well be useless.

"Oh, don't worry about that!" His regained bravado told me he already took my cynicism into consideration…I didn't like that "Your thoughtful headmaster already thought of a solution for that. You see, while what you just saw had been implemented on all the E-Handbooks so you don't accuse of me trying to pull ya a leg on this…" Right, that in itself was another one of my concerns regarding…That "…Until it comes to pass, and just like it already implies, what is written there can only be seen on your E-Handbook alone. If you would like, think of it as how those contracts of yours work nowadays within your organization" This guy…just how much he had infiltrated within the Salvation Society? "Sure, it is within the database of the system, but only the administrator and those with the right permission can get access to it. That way, we can keep the secretiveness about it in its totality! Pretty fitting for the Ultimate Assassin, don't you think?"

"…Mhm" What else could I say? He was right about that…although that didn't mean I was close to being convinced "Even so…doesn't this sound like too much of an advantage for me?"

"Well, it may look like that at first glance…but doesn't the other side have an even bigger reward for your head? Let's cut pretenses and be clear about it: This isn't altruism out of the goodness of my soul. All I'm doing is leveling the playing field by putting you back into the game, and both you and I know that what I'm offering you is the only condition you will accept, isn't that right?"

"…"

I didn't say anything, but I know that he knew what was my response to that.

"Upupupu, I understand I've left quite the pack to unload, didn't I?" Yeah…he truly did "Don't rack your brain too hard about it, yeah? I don't expect a yes or no right away. Actually, you don't have to say anything! Just do what you must and that's it…anyhow, I will leave ya to your devices, I'm sure you will need the sleep. Sayonara~"

And with that, he was gone.

Leaving me alone with nothing more than my thoughts, and…That.

Deep inside, I was aware that going with this would be the same as playing right into his paws, and I hated that possibility with every fiber of my being.

But…

Present…

But…

…

As the aftermath of that memory dissipated, I obliged the sudden urge to bring my E-Handbook out. Once I had it in my hands, I…just stared, looking back at the dark reflection of my face. Not allowing myself to get more distracted than that, I turned it on, navigated through its menu until reaching the School Regulations, and opened it, revealing the first rule within this place…

Then I gave it a swipe to move onto the next rule.

Another swipe towards the following rule.

Another.

And another.

And multiple more swipes until I landed on…That.

[Secret Rule: If Shizuka Shigaraki wins a Class Trial, Junko Enoshima will be liberated along with him, unscratched and alive.]

…

…

…

…First and foremost, I will look for the programmer and see what can he do with that laptop I secured. After all, it doesn't hurt to begin with that option, although…in the case the results of going with this path weren't what I wanted…

…

…It doesn't matter.

No matter the consequences, I would do whatever was necessary to allow her salvation, even if that involves everyone else's damnation.

For her sake.

For the sake of Ik―Enoshima.

A/N: Hey! Isn't Monokuma such a great pal? At the small price of killing his classmates, the monochrome bear is giving Shizuka the chance to leave along with the one and only Junko Enoshima! What's there to complain about such a great deal!? That is exactly what he's been looking for all this time, right!?

…Oh, right, never mind. Let's just hope the other option (Or anything else, really) convinces him of not going with it.