"Hope!" Normal Speech

'Despair!' People's thoughts

"Truth!" Flashbacks

Disclaimer: I have as much ownership of the Danganronpa series as you do dear reader.

AN: Thanks to both RWBYJNPR and Zephyrius29 for beta-reading this chapter.

AN2: Other tags for this story (since the site only gives you 2): Mystery/Friendship/Drama

Chapter 5

You Can Be More Than Just Lucky

"I think I understand now… I'll do my best then!"

"Sorry for the trouble, Naegi-kun!"

"It's fine, really!" It truly was, especially considering who the girl standing in front of him was. He truly doubted that by now he would ever be able to deny a request from her.

The response he got was a smile filled with happiness, alongside an energetic nod from the owner of said smile. Against such a thing, he was only able to smile back in response, already more than a little used to the ball of energy that could be his classmate and fellow Ultimate in front of him.

Energetic would be the perfect word to describe Asahina Aoi after all. Anyone that knew he would know that for certain, although if it was because of her love for sports or for the amount of sugar she ate daily it was anyone's guess.

Not like it mattered to him or anything. Aoi was simply Aoi to him, a person that he owed more than what he could probably repay in his life, even if she wasn't aware of that.

Truly, he could only smile kindly as he saw the girl release a small cry of motivation just before her blue eyes roamed on the room they were inside of with a pondering gaze, almost as if she was wondering how to tackle the subject at hand.

"Your presence here is already helpful enough, Naegi. Leave the heavy lifting to us." It was a voice that sounded a lot calmer when compared to Aoi that regarded him next, making him turn his focus to the intimidating figure that was now looking at him with her pale blue eyes.

"I would feel bad if I didn't help at least a bit, Ogami-san." He spoke as he looked up at the white-haired Ultimate Martial Artist, who could only nod slightly in understanding, even she preferred for him to not have to handle such work considering that he had been pretty much dragged here.

Speaking of which.

"You could have just told me you needed my help though." His voice came out once again, although there was no annoyance present on it as he regarded the last, and older, member of the group, who was already pilling more than a few boxes under his arm. "I wouldn't have minded."

"I apologize for that, but my students should have done this task earlier today." The Ultimate Wrestler answered with honesty. "Time was of the essence to us. Nidai-kun should be here too but… It seems he got lost."

The time-traveler could only chuckle at hearing that, now wondering what had happened with the pair of older Ultimates that he saw just in the morning.

Of course, Great Gozu decided to skip the fact that a part of the reason he had carried the Luckster here was to just move away from the library as fast as possible before the Ultimate Housekeeper got back.

Sure, if push came to shove he could make a hole in the wall by punching it and make a run for it. Anything would be better than facing Chisa after someone has taken her favorite student from her grasp, but then the damage would come out of his own paycheck…

…Again.

"I can't say that I don't understand." He meant that, especially considering the task at hand. Of course, it wasn't necessary for him to be here, but he knew it would speed up the process a lot.

Not because of his own physical capabilities mind you, since when it came to that he was clearly the weakest one considering the Ultimates surrounding him, but rather because of the signature that he was going to put on the paper resting on the clipboard in his hand.

The room they were currently inside was pretty much a warehouse. A special room used only to put away everything that was disposed from the Research Labs. Since just destroying the stuff or throwing them away was considered too much of a waste they were normally kept here until the end of the year.

The current system had the students of each class being responsible for whatever they wanted to put here to make more space in their own Labs. To avoid any sort of problem, a teacher or member of the faculty had to be present too in order to make sure everything was handled properly and to keep track of what was being left here.

In that aspect, with the Ultimate Wrestler being here, Makoto knew that he himself didn't have to be here and watch over the process. This week it was Aoi's and Sakura's turn to move things from the Research Labs of their class here, not his, but he more than understood why he had been dragged into it.

"If it you who approves of the work, then Headmaster Kirigiri should have no issues whatsoever." The masked man spoke in a calm tone, and with his words Makoto was able to notice how both Sakura and Aoi nodded at the same time, taking those words as nothing but the truth.

It might sound weird for them to want his approval, but considering what had happened a couple of months ago he truly couldn't blame them.

At least he was glad that they didn't question much about the fact that the Headmaster seemed to put a lot of trust in him. No one did, now that he thought about it, and while he was hardly the only student that did special tasks for the Headmaster he still found it weird that everyone else just went along with it.

Not that he was going to complain or anything, but he still found it funny.

With that in mind, he couldn't blame Gozu for wanting his help. It came down to the fact that a couple of months ago more than a few things had seemingly disappeared from this room, although considering that no one had any idea of who had taken them, he supposed that the word stolen would be more appropriate.

He could only sigh at that thought. The days after that had been quite the mess, especially for the masked man currently moving boxes from one place to another. The Ultimate Wrestler had been hired to improve Hope's Peak security after all, alongside the Ultimate Boxer, but even so, something like this had happened.

Even ignoring the pressure that such a thing must have left on the two former students of Hope's Peak, Makoto was still more than a little worried the things that had been taken. The headmaster had given him a list after all, and just looking at that had been enough to send a few shivers down his back.

His first thought had been that it had been Junko. That's how his brain pretty much worked by now, but that idea had been dismissed considering that he had been with the Fashionista at the time the stuff had been taken from the room.

He decided to not think of the details of that night though, mostly to avoid the flush of embarrassment that would probably cover up his cheeks.

Heck, the only reason he even knew at what time it had happened was because whoever was responsible for stealing from this room had also managed to hack into the security cameras that the school had to avoid being detected by them.

That fact had shortened the suspect list, but even he still had no idea who had done it, something that did little to calm his worries. Sure, he knew that the older Kirigiri was still searching for answers, and that he had probably tasked his daughter to help him, but after that day a seed of doubt had been planted in his heart, one that still refused to go away.

But even so, he was forced out of his thoughts by the distinct feeling of someone looking at him. He raised his gaze, with his frown quickly turning into a surprise expression as soon as his hazel eyes met a pair of worried blue ones.

"You ok there, Naegi-kun? You looked like you were trying to imitate Kyoko-chan or something…" The Ultimate Swimming Pro said with nothing but concern in her voice. She wasn't the only one looking at him though, since from behind her he could see that Sakura and Gozu were also focusing on him.

He cursed himself mentally for that, with the last thing he wanted to do being to worry his friends.

"Sorry for getting distracted!" He was quick to put a smile on his face, although said action only got Aoi's frown to become more noticeable. "I was just thinking about something, that's all…"

His words did little to sooth the tanned girl's worry, and he only got more nervous once he saw Sakura and Gozu sharing a look before nodding. In fact, the only thing that stopped them from saying anything was the fact that Aoi herself released a small sound of understanding, almost as if she had it all figured it out by now.

"You're worried about the Sports Festival coming up soon, aren't you?!"

He looked at the brown-haired girl for a few seconds before simply chuckling in response. He then moved to grab one of the boxes that were already piled up in the entrance so that organizing them would be easier, deciding that it was better to get the job done as soon as possible, even as he felt Aoi's mock glare at the back of his head.

"Sorry about that, Asahina-san, I'm just surprised you're already worrying about that since it is a month away." He honestly had completely forgotten about that thing. It wasn't like he didn't care or anything, he just had a lot of things in his mind at the moment.

He had not been able to participate in the last one anyway, so he wasn't that enthusiastic about it.

Well, maybe not participating was an exaggeration on his part, but he doubted being the final prize in a Treasure Hunt event counted. Why had the Headmaster himself planned that event was beyond him.

"Well of course!" Aoi spoke as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "We need to prepare already for it! Sakura-chan and I aren't going to lose to anyone this time!"

"Indeed." The mentioned silver-haired Ultimate followed up swiftly, almost as if the fact that she had around a dozen boxes on her shoulders meant nothing to her. "Losing isn't an option this time around."

The Luckster was even able to feel the fire burning in their eyes, as if the event itself had gone beyond just a school thing and became something more personal, which he understood slightly considering that their class had lost said event last year.

Truly, underestimating Nagito's luck was something that by now they had learned to never do.

He was once again caught by surprise though, this time by having Aoi point at him with her finger to the point she almost touched his nose.

"And you better be cheering for us that day!" Something told the Luckster that this was not going to be the last time he would get such a request from someone, but even knowing that, to such a heartfelt request from Asahina Aoi herself he could only nod with a smile.

"Of course I will! Who else would I be cheering-"

"Last year you were cheering for Akane-senpai and Sonia-senpai!"

Her words felt like arrows to his chest to the point that he almost recoiled back. He was sure that no one had noticed it on that day, but apparently, he had been wrong.

But it was just so hard not to when everyone gave you such expectant looks!

"That was just-"

"And after they won you ran off with them to celebrate God knows where!"

A part of him felt like telling that it was more that he was dragged rather than anything else but he knew it would only fall on deaf ears.

The other part of his brain was mostly processing his thoughts about how a pouting Aoi looked cute, while simultaneously doing its best to make sure it stayed inside of his mind.

He tried to find some sort of support by looking behind the girl, but the only thing he got was a smile and a nod from Sakura, which pretty much told him he was on his own for this one, and a thumbs up from Gozu, almost as if he approved.

Of what, he had no idea, but it felt good he supposed…

"I promise to cheer you on, Asahina-san!" He was finally able to say something to his classmate, but a doubtful was the response she gave him, her half-lidded eyes showing that she wasn't impressed.

It was time to bring the big guns, Makoto decided.

"In fact, why don't we celebrate a bit already?" His words got Aoi more than a little interested in what he was saying if the way she perked up was any indication.

"You have been training with Ogami-san, right?" Even if he ignored the excited nod he got from Aoi, he could still see the proud one that Sakura made from behind the Ultimate Swimming Pro. "Then we could have a small celebration for your hard work after we're done here. I'm sure the kitchen has already been re-stocked…"

The gasp that left Aoi's mouth told Makoto everything he needed to know.

"You think they have…!?"

"I'm sure they got more donuts, Asahina-san."

Truly, the face that Asahina Aoi was able to make as soon as the word donut left him could only be described as one filled with nothing but sheer bliss.

"Yosh!" With the fire in her gaze obviously re-ignited, Aoi left a high-spirited cry in her wake to move towards her own pile of boxes. "No slacking off then! Sakura-chan, Gozu-sensei, I'm counting on you!"

And while she moved like a girl possessed, Makoto, Sakura and Gozu could only give the Ultimate Swimming Pro fond looks before they once moved to continue their work, with the happy humming coming from Aoi's lips quickly filling the warehouse.

"Well… Everything seems to be in order." He announced from outside the room, and almost immediately he could hear the sighs of relief coming from the trio to his side.

Not that he could blame them, since the last thing anyone wanted was to get in trouble over some missing stuff.

"Thank you for your cooperation, Makoto-kun." The Ultimate Wrestler spoke in a tone filled with gratefulness just as he received the paper from the Luckster that detailed everything that had been stored. "I'll be sure to explain this to Headmaster Kirigiri properly."

"It's fine. I'll be sure to mention it too when I see him later." He responded back before checking the time on his watch. He still had some time before having to meet up with the older Kirigiri it seemed, which, considering that he wanted to go see someone before that, was perfect for him.

"I still don't get why someone would steal from here." It was Aoi the one that spoke with confusion in her voice and a frown on her face "Why would someone want any of that junk?"

Considering that the only thing she had in there were some swimsuits that didn't fit her anymore, it was hard to blame her for her words.

Makoto knew better though, since he knew from which Research Labs the stolen objects belonged to.

What the culprit would do with things from those particular Research Labs, he could only guess.

"I'm sure they will be caught soon enough." He said with a wry smile, part of him wondering if something like this happened on his first time at Hope's Peak and he just never knew of it. He truly doubted that, considering that by now back in his timeline everything had gone for the worse.

"I will be sure to keep my eyes open from now on." The Ultimate Martial Artist declared swiftly with her arms crossed over her chest. "You won't have to worry about any intruders, Asahina, Naegi."

"That's right." Sensing the questioning looks both Aoi and Makoto had, Gozu was quick to give a follow-up. "Headmaster asked for Sakura-kun here to join the night surveillances from time to time."

"Eh?! Really!?" The shock in Aoi's voice could not be mistaken for anything else, and even Makoto himself found himself surprised by that, considering that he didn't remember the older Kirigiri ever mentioning something like that.

"I couldn't deny such a request from our Headmaster, especially if it is the school in which some of us live that is in danger." Sakura explained easily, almost as if it was a natural thing for her to do.

"Sakura-chan…" Makoto could even hear the deep gratitude that laced Aoi's voice.

"If it is Ogami-san then… I don't think anyone else will dare to try and do something like that." He said with conviction, already more than aware of the strength that one Ogami Sakura held.

She was, after all, the same girl that had gone head to head against the monster that was Monokuma. If she could do that then, well, he was even starting to feel bad for whatever poor soul tried to cause more troubles around the school.

"Thank you, the two of you," The soft smile that appeared on Sakura's lips said enough about how touched she was by the trust they had in her. "We shouldn't retain you anymore though, since the two of you already made plans."

"Eh? You aren't coming, Ogami-san?" He could tell what the taller Ultimate had implied, but he was sure that he had made the invitation open for all of them.

"I have other matters to attend to, so I'll have to ask you to be with Asahina in my place."

"I mean, sure but…" In his confused state, he wasn't able to notice the thankful smile the Ultimate Swimming Pro gave her best friend, one that simply received another soft smile in response.

Supporting her friends in matters of the heart was, in her opinion, the least she could do, especially considering that she knew Aoi wouldn't have it easy.

After all, if there was something Ogami Sakura knew, besides her experience with the martial arts, it was how it felt to be a woman in love.

While for his part Gozu could only watch the spectacle in front of him while slowly shaking his head, the word youth leaving his mask silently enough so that no one would hear him.

"I'm sure she'll join us later, Naegi-kun!" The Ultimate Swimming Pro wasn't even going to let the Luckster question this too much. That and she had a feeling that if they wasted any more time something was bound to interrupt them.

Without warning, she was quick to take his hand in hers, with the action itself being more than enough to make the Luckster release a small squeak of surprise.

Sure, back at his timeline she had even carried him on her back, but even so, her grabbing his hand like that was enough to make him feel slightly embarrassed. It also helped that he just knew it was Aoi being her usual friendly self, and that being self-conscious about that would only make things unnecessarily awkward.

Suffice to say, he also missed the small tint of red that had appeared on his classmate's face as a result of her action.

Not like they were allowed to keep their hand lock for much longer anyway, for before Aoi was able to drag the Luckster away a mighty, almost metallic thud was heard from behind the group.

And after turning around to look, they didn't even know what kind of expression to make at such a sight.

It wasn't all days you saw a robot almost passed out on the floor, alongside a purple-haired young man, with the two of them looking as if they had run a marathon with the way they were sweating and gasping for breath.

How a robot was able to sweat was beyond them, but Makoto by now was used to the small details that gave K1-B0, better known as Kibo, the title of Ultimate Robot.

But even ignoring that aspect, it was still quite the weird sight, especially considering that Kibo wasn't alone.

"Y-Yo, Makoto!" And even as tired as the Ultimate to Kibo's side was, Momota Kaito was still able to greet the Luckster from his place on the floor, albeit in a more shaky way than normal for the Ultimate Astronaut.

"Are they…alright?" He heard Aoi ask at his side, but he honestly found himself just as lost as she was.

The only reason he didn't voice out his doubts was that he felt that the answers would come even if he didn't. It normally went that way when things got weird enough, and this time would be no different, which got confirmed once he saw another pair of younger Ultimates walking towards the fallen duo with obvious tiredness showing in their form.

The newcomers were also gasping for breath, albeit in a more calmer fashion than the Ultimates still on the floor. Heck, Kibo wasn't even moving at all, something that was starting to worry the Luckster.

"Akamatsu-san, Saihara-kun, Momota-kun and…Kibo-kun?" Voicing out their names, his eyes drifted from one another of the students from class 79. It wasn't particularly weird to see them together or anything, but if they were here like that it was most likely for something.

"Naegi-senpai…" The first one to speak was the blonde girl of the group, Akamatsu Kaede, also known as the Ultimate Pianist, who regarded him with a tired smile. "We need your help!"

"What seems to be the problem here?" Before he was allowed to respond, it seemed that Gozu's instincts were first to kick in as he asked them with concern just while Kaito was being helped by his hat-wearing classmate.

"W-well…" Said hat user spoke next, although it was hard to see where his eyes were looking at as a result of said hat. He was already used to that shy demeanor, if he could even describe it like that, coming from Saihara Shuichi, the Ultimate Lucky Student of class 79.

"We really need Naegi-senpai's help," Before said Luckster was able to say more, however, it was the Ultimate Pianist that beat him to the punch, with said blonde now also helping her white-haired classmate from the floor.

"Yeah, what she said." Adding his own two cents, the Ultimate Astronaut spoke with a grin now that he was back on his feet. "C'mon Makoto, we even ran all around the school just to find you!"

Makoto's own concerns for whatever reason the group of younger Ultimates could have to do something like that were increasing, while also starting to be matched by his other concerns about the tension that was starting to form with the Ultimates from his own class.

After all, he definitely noticed how Sakura had subtly moved slightly in between him and the younger Ultimates as if she was trying to shield him from them. And even if he hadn't noticed that, he certainly felt the grip that Aoi had on his hand becoming tighter to the point it almost became painful.

"How did you guys even know he was here?" The one that presented that question was Aoi herself, who looked at the group of four with suspicion dancing in her blue orbs. Sure, they said that they ran all around the school, but Hope's Peak was a massive place, and even ignoring that she wasn't so stupid to not notice that students from their class always seemed to be able to find the Luckster of her class with ease.

It wasn't fair, and she was starting to smell something fishy here. Whenever she tried to find him in the maze that was Hope's Peak the only thing she found was nothing or an angry classmate of hers.

"She did it without me knowing! I didn't consent to it, I swear!"

In the end though, both groups ended up moving their focus to the one responsible for the sudden outburst, with looks going from shocked to worried to outright confused.

And while he could normally handle himself in crowds just fine, Kibo still found all the attention he was suddenly having quite nerve-wracking. In his defense, he didn't mean to suddenly burst out, but the Swimmer's comment was enough to bring up some unsavory memories.

At least, the Ultimate Robot now knew better than to ever accept an invitation to Iruma Miu's Research Lab.

Still feeling more than a little embarrassment, Kibo ended up simply looking down just as his pale cheeks burned crimson, with even his ahoge deflating in response. Thankfully he was saved from having to explain anything further as a result of the older ahoge-sporting teen from the group.

"Why don't we hear what they have to say first?" Makoto spoke just as his lips formed into a friendly smile. "Besides, it is kind of my job to hear any issues they might have."

Those last words were mostly aimed at the two girls from his class, however said girls still didn't look convinced at all, after all, while they knew that Makoto was pretty much acting as class 79's caretaker, they also knew that said class wasn't strange of using that as an excuse to drag the Luckster away whenever they felt like it, even if they didn't actually need him.

Besides, just the fact that Makoto had to personally look over the whole class was more than annoying by itself. Things were hard enough as they were with just their own classmates, let alone their fellows Ultimate from class 77. There was really no need for anyone else trying to get Makoto for themselves.

"We… would prefer it if he would talk to you about it in private, Naegi-senpai…" Suddenly taking the lead since his classmates seemed to be getting nervous by the tense feeling the Ultimate Martial Artist was releasing, Shuichi was quick to explain in a soft tone "I hope it doesn't bother you, Gozu-sensei, but we feel more comfortable if it is senpai…"

"Worry not, I understand completely." The Ultimate Wrestler truly seemed not the least bothered by Shuichi's words, although the oldest Ultimate of the group was quick to change his focus to the brown-haired Luckster "Makoto-kun, while I understand you already had plans, I don't believe ignoring the pleas from your underclassmen to be appropriate."

Sharing that feeling with the masked Ultimate, Makoto could only nod in response before giving the Swimmer to his side an apologetic smile, with his own hand finally leaving her grasp as a result of the Luckster putting both of his hands in front of him as a sign of how sorry he was.

"Asahina-san, I…"

"Fine fine, I get it." With a frustrated sigh, Aoi ended up relenting, knowing by now that the battle had been lost for now. She knew the Luckster of her class wasn't one to ignore his duties after all, so asking him to just ignore the younger students would only end up backfiring on her spectacularly.

"I promise to make it up to you as soon as I can!" Even so, Makoto just wanted to be sure that he wouldn't be leaving an upset Aoi. Making the girl sad or angry was one of the last things he ever wanted to do, after all. "I promise I'll find the time somehow. I can even help you training if you want!"

"It's fine, don't worry about it." Feeling better knowing that he was willing to make it up to her, the brown-haired girl gave her classmate the best smile he could muster right before going behind him and pushing him slightly towards the younger group of Ultimates. "Now go before they start making another fuss about it."

And so he did after giving her one last thankful smile, more than glad that the girl understood the situation. He also said his goodbyes to both Sakura and Gozu, and before long Makoto had walked away with the group of underclassmen.

With another set of goodbyes, this time from the mask-wearing fighter, both Aoi and Sakura were left alone on the hallway, with one girl almost pouting angrily at the spot in which the younger group of students had been standing before they took away her Luckster, while the other simply smiled down at the pouting girl with amusement shining on her eyes.

"I am sure you will able to have your time with Naegi soon enough, Asahina." The Ultimate Martial Artist spoke in a smooth tone, already more than used to the smaller girl's frustration when it came to spending time with her not-so-secret crush.

"You think so?" Aoi spoke in doubt before releasing a tired sigh. You would think that in a school in which you weren't even forced to study it would be easy to spend free time with the boy you liked, but Hope's Peak really liked it to make it impossible to her!

Not like she was going to stop trying or anything, but she could certainly like it if the whole school could work properly without Naegi Makoto for at least just one day.

"Of course," Sakura spoke once more before putting one of her hands on the Swimmer's shoulder and giving it a comforting squeeze. "He promised it after all, didn't he?"

With those words the tanned girl could only smile slightly, her mind already thinking of what they would be doing once she got the Luckster all to herself.

She couldn't wait.

"Alright, so what's the problem?" He asked as calmly as he could, his eyes sweeping through the group with nothing but worry and curiosity shining in his brown orbs.

"I'm actually wondering about that myself." It was Kibo the one that spoke first with a raised hand and a thoughtful face.

Those words confused the Luckster a bit, and it seemed it showed on his face with the way Kibo quickly explained further.

"Momota-kun asked for my assistance without telling me about the matter at hand, but it seemed it was an urgent one and, as he put it, there was no time to explain." The white-haired Ultimate explained with ease, his eyes then going to the purple-haired Ultimate in question.

And while a part of Makoto wanted to ask exactly what kind of assistance Kibo had given Kaito, he closed his mouth once a shiver went down his spine at the thought. He had an idea about it though, but he felt that asking for confirmation would just end badly for everyone.

He moved his gaze towards the Ultimate Astronaut, who was standing right between the Ultimate Pianist and the Ultimate Lucky Student of his class.

They at least didn't have to worry about anyone interrupting them, since he honestly doubted someone was going to come to the Ultimate Pianist's Research Lab, and with the massive piano being the only thing taking up space in the room there was more than enough room for the group of five Ultimates.

"Momota-kun?" Moving his focus to the Ultimate Astronaut, the Luckster saw how the normally relaxed young man now seemed deep in thought, almost as if he was trying to figure out how to voice out his problem properly.

Something that he did notice though, was that both Kaede and Shuichi suddenly looked a bit nervous as soon as the focus was moved towards the Ultimate standing in between the two. For what reason, he could only imagine it, but something told him that the answer would come as soon as Kaito opened his mouth.

And sure enough, the moment Kaito grinned while pointing at both Kaede and Shuichi with his thumbs it sent the room into a state of confusion.

"These two are going to stress themselves out but keep saying everything's fine, so I'm leaving them to you, Makoto!"

His words left the room that was normally used for music in nothing but still silence, with Kibo still looking as if he didn't understand what was happening while Makoto moved his confused gaze from the grinning Kaito to the perplexed Kaede and Shuichi, who were too busy looking at the Astronaut as if he had betrayed them.

"You told me it was about Saihara-kun!"

"I thought this was about Akamatsu-san!"

Ignoring the outcries from his classmates, Kaito simply walked towards the older Luckster of the room, and once he got close enough the younger Ultimate ended up resting one of his hands over Makoto's shoulder, who simply looked at the younger man with confusion.

"I tried already but they're both stubborn as hell, so I'm leaving them in your hands, partner!" Makoto's confused face disappeared once the Astronaut flashed him a grin full of trust and a thumb up, to which the Luckster could only respond with a nod.

"Now c'mon, Kibo, let's give them some privacy." The purple-haired Ultimate was then quick to put his arm around the Robot's neck before pretty much dragging him away, with the obvious intent of leaving the room.

"Huh?! B-but I wanted to talk with Naegi-senpai…!"

"Same here but you don't see me complaining about it!"

And with one last grin and a look of shock, both Kaito and Kibo left the room, albeit reluctantly when it came to the latter, leaving three Ultimates alone in the room.

With them gone, Makoto's focus moved to the younger students remaining, his gaze moving between Kaede and Shuichi with the intent of trying to figure out who was going to say something first.

However, with the way both seemingly looked more than happy with just looking at opposite sides of the room. He could only sigh at such a sight, after all while he was used to Shuichi being reserved, the fact that Kaede was apparently having some sort of problem and refused to talk about it told him that it was something important.

Deciding on a course of action, the time-traveler decided to tackle on the one that he knew would open herself more easily, but for that, he needed information first.

"Please don't get angry with Momota-kun." He spoke in a friendly tone, wanting to first get a few things out of the way. "I'm sure he only meant well by this, and if he went through the trouble then it means he was worried about you two."

They both seemed to tense a bit after hearing his words, although they ended up relaxing a bit after that.

Soon enough his gaze ended up settling on the young man that also shared his own talent.

"Saihara-kun." After being called by the older Luckster, the grey-eyed Ultimate raised his head a bit to look at Makoto properly, even though the black hat resting on his head still did its best to hide his eyes from the world "It seems you think Akamatsu-san has some sort of…issue?"

From the corner of his eyes, he saw the blonde in question tensing a bit once more, and with the way she was even rubbing her arm with her hand it was obvious that it was a subject that she didn't want to talk about.

"Well…" The black-haired ahoge-boy started slowly, obviously more than a bit uncomfortable too. "It's just… Akamatsu-san seems to be having some problems when it comes to handling our classmates…"

Nodding in understanding at his underclassmen's words, Makoto was then quick to move his focus to the blonde girl, who could only sigh as soon as she heard Shuichi's words, proving to the older Luckster that what Shuichi had said was pretty much spot on.

"Is this about you being chosen as Class Representative?" He asked with his hands resting on the pockets of his hoodie, and with the response he got from the blonde girl being a small nod.

"I just… want everyone to be friends with each other." The ahoge-girl spoke in a sad tone, with Makoto even able to detect more than a bit of frustration slipping in her tone. "I mean, if we're going to study together for three years wouldn't it be better if we were all friends?"

The logic sounded good enough in Makoto's head, but he also knew such an objective was nothing short of challenging, and judging by the look Kaede had she came to realize that too.

"I've tried a bunch of things already but they all just seem to not care at all." Kaede continued while crossing her arms below her chest and with a frown plastered over her face "That or Oma-kun would just get everyone riled up with one of his schemes."

"That's…usually how it goes." Moving his gaze towards Shuichi for confirmation made the younger Luckster talk once more. "I don't think they're doing it on purpose or anything, excluding Oma-kun that is, but is more like most of them just prefer to do their things by themselves."

After hearing their explanations, the time-traveler couldn't say that he was surprised. In fact, he even expected it to some extent to the point that he honestly felt a bit bad about Kaede having such a position as Class Representative.

Then again, whoever ended up getting such a title would only have an uphill battle if it came to class 79. His own class, alongside class 77, was already chaotic enough, but he knew enough about the situation of the Ultimates in the year below him to know that class 79 could be a particularly hard one to handle.

And that was without taking into consideration one Oma Kokichi.

"I'm not going to give up or anything," Kaede spoke with determination once more, however, her deflated ahoge was enough to show her true emotions. "I'm just wondering if I was the right pick for the spot…You even make it look easy, Naegi-senpai."

Did he? He honestly thought it was the opposite way around but apparently, he was wrong.

"You are perfect for the job, Akamatsu-san." He was quick to answer her however, earning a curious look from the blonde. "Just the fact that you care and that you still refuse to give up already proves that, but even then don't forget that they chose you for it, and they wouldn't have done it if they didn't approve of you."

His words got a tentative smile from Kaede, however he still wasn't done.

"I have this senpai of mine…" He started with a nostalgic smile and with one of his hands moving through his hair "She also didn't know how to connect properly with her class, even though she was also supposed to be the Class Representative."

"She found her own way to do it though." He continued, knowing that he had both Kaede and Shuichi's complete attention. "And that was using what she excelled at the most: Her talent."

"Her talent?" Kaede asked, earning a nod of confirmation from the brown-haired teen.

"Yes, she used her love for games as a way to get closer to each of her classmates, and I think you can do something similar here, Akamatsu-san."

After speaking his feet moved him closer to the massive piano resting on the room, something that ended with him putting a hand over the surface of the instrument, with his fingers easily feeling the smooth material.

"I'm actually a bit jealous of you, Akamatsu-san." He spoke with honesty, earning a surprised look from the blonde in question.

"Me? B-but why?" She asked confused, honestly having no idea as to why someone like him would be jealous of her.

"Because with your talent I think you can reach out to them in your own special way." He explained with a smile "You once told me that the reason you played the piano was so that you could see everyone's smile. The fact that you can do that with your talent is nothing short of admirable!"

Smiling warmly at the girl, he realized he might have gone a bit over the top once he saw her blushing from what he assumed was only embarrassment from having someone praising her like that.

"But I mean, that's just what I believe." He was quick to try and get back on his tracks right while he scratched his cheek with his finger in a self-conscious way. "Just… if it is Akamatsu-san the one playing to them then, I'm sure even Oma-kun will understand where you're coming from."

Instead of embarrassment the ahoge-girl now seemed deep in thought while looking down. She was even chewing her lip, although her focused state only lasted for a few seconds before an excited, happy smile slowly formed on her lips.

Her eyes even started sparkling, something that by now both Makoto and Shuichi knew it happened whenever the girl got caught with thoughts about her art.

It beat seeing her down or frustrated though, so both Lucksters could only smile at such a sight.

"I think I understand…" She declared with a firm nod. "If it is with my music then… I won't fail this time!"

"That's more like it!" He certainly knew the type of power music could have over people, after all, it simply came with being friend with individuals like the Ultimate Pop Sensation and the Ultimate Musician.

"Thank you, senpai." The blonde spoke with honest appreciation towards the older Ultimate "I didn't want to bother you with this but… I'm glad for your advice."

He could only shake his head at her, with his brown orbs going from the Pianist to the other Ultimate in the room.

"It isn't me that you should be thanking, Akamatsu-san, but rather Momota-kun and Saihara-kun here." His words got the blonde to look to her side, or to be more precise, towards the grey-eyed Luckster. "They were the one that noticed you looked down and decided to help, after all."

"It wasn't really much…" It seemed it was now Shuichi's time to be flustered if the way he was trying to hide his burning cheeks was anything to go by.

"Thank you, Saihara-kun!" However, Kaede's heartfelt words only made it even worse for the younger Luckster, who was now trying to hide by readjusting the hat resting on his head. Said action only got a chuckle from Makoto and a small giggle from Kaede however, something that didn't help Shuichi's situation.

"And you aren't a bother at all, neither of you is for that matter," The time-traveler was quick to declare. "So if you ever need me for anything, please don't hesitate."

He truly meant that, after all while the thought of a whole class being dependent on him was more than a little scary, he had already grown too fond of the class to simply ignore them. That, and he would prefer it if he knew about anything that might be bothering any of them.

After all, an issue might start small, but you never knew from where Despair could be born.

"Now c'mon, Saihara-kun. I think Akamatsu-san here needs to focus a bit by herself." The Luckster continued before walking towards the boy that had the same talent as him, and while said boy seemed surprised for a second he quickly understood what Makoto was trying to do, to which he could only smile slightly.

It seemed Kaede understood too, or at least she knew that whatever the two would talk about was something only meant for the two Lucksters.

Sure, she knew that there was something that kept bothering her hat-wearing classmate, but she still didn't know any details about it. She definitely wanted to know in the future though, but right now she knew better than to force it out of the young man.

The only thing she was able to figure out was that as far as it came to one Saihara Shuichi, whenever his talent came into question he always seemed to dislike it.

She was just glad at least he had someone like Makoto to talk to. Of course she also knew about the other Luckster of the school but apparently Shuichi wasn't particularly fond of that one for reasons beyond her.

Komaeda Nagito seemed nice enough, to her at least.

"Good luck with your project, Akamatsu-san. I'll be sure to talk to Oma-kun too to try and calm him down a bit." And it was with those parting words from Makoto, alongside a small goodbye from the Luckster of her class that the young girl was left alone in her Research Lab with an enthusiastic smile on her lips and a mission on her head.

Time to do what she loved.

"You're still having issues with your talent, aren't you?"

It was a straightforward question that really didn't leave much room for anything else besides a straightforward answer, and normally he wouldn't be one to ask it in such an abrupt way, but by now he knew that sometimes the more forceful approach was best when it came so one Saihara Shuichi.

He knew this was a touchy subject for the younger Ultimate, which was why he had decided to move to a place where they could be by themselves. They were actually outside of the main school right now, in the outside hallway that connected both the Main Course building with the Reserve Course one, a spot which Makoto knew almost no one crossed, at least at this hour.

Leaning on the rail behind him and with his arms crossed over his chest, he could only give Shuichi a face full of seriousness. He was a patient one, and now that he had asked he knew the ball was now on Shuichi's side.

And to be honest a part of him felt more responsible about the Luckster in front of him than with the rest of his classmates. Sure, helping the class as a whole was his duty, but Shuichi was different from his classmates in that regard.

After all, not only were their talents the same, but there was also the fact that he had been the one to personally convince the young man of joining Hope's Peak Academy even after said young man had rejected the invitation not once, but twice.

"You…really worry too much about that, senpai." That ended up being Shuichi's response, with his grey eyes looking at everything except Makoto's eyes "Was Komaeda-senpai like this with you?"

"That's… different." That was honestly the only response he could muster, after all, thinking of his initial relationship with the older Luckster only brought an uneasy smile.

At least his relationship with said Luckster had now improved a lot. Maybe too much if he had to be honest though.

"And don't try to change the subject here, Saihara-kun." He quickly got back at the matter at hand though. "If even Momota-kun and Akamatsu-san noticed it then…"

Those words got Shuichi to wince a bit; honestly upset at himself by the fact that some of his classmates had apparently caught on his personal issues when it came to his title as Ultimate Lucky Student.

"I'm just... wondering if I really should have accepted coming here after all." Shuichi ended up muttering to himself, barely high enough so that Makoto could hear his words.

"I know having Luck as talent isn't the most glamorous thing, but…" The time-traveler started, but his words only got a shake from Shuichi's head.

"It's not that, I just…" Shuichi seemed to struggle with himself in order to find the correct words, his silver eyes still glued to the floor "I don't know what the point of me being here is. With Komaeda-senpai and you… Surely there has to be someone out there that has better luck than me."

A small silence covered the two after those words were spoken. Shuichi seemed more than just fine with looking down at the floor, while it took a few seconds for Makoto to find the proper words to address the younger Luckster.

"Saihara-kun, I honestly think that from the three of us you're the most exceptional one." His sudden declaration got a wide-eyed stare from Shuichi, who could only look at Makoto as if he had lost his head.

The brown-haired teen pressed on though, knowing that his next words weren't one that Shuichi would enjoy.

"You're right about Komaeda-senpai's Luck being more than impressive, I don't think mine can even compare to his… But when it comes to you, you have something even more impressive than that, don't you? After all, you're also-"

"Please don't!" Makoto was forced to stop himself, however, as a result of Shuichi's tired voice. "We both know that isn't true."

He could only sigh at his reaction. It wasn't a surprising one for he knew he had touched quite the subject, but even so, it wasn't one that he liked.

His response though, got him right where Makoto wanted him.

"If you want to keep denying that then there isn't much I can do about that." Makoto talked once more, his face still one of seriousness. "But then that just means that it was your luck that got you to solve those cases. Isn't that amazing enough? The fact that you can use your talent to reach the truth, that's nothing short of impressive, Saihara-kun."

"But is it even worth it?" Shuichi still seemed less than convinced, although at least now he was matching Makoto's stare, with serious brown meeting confused grey. "I was lucky and figured out a few crimes but… What's the point if figuring out the truth isn't worth it in the first place?"

"That's where you're wrong, Saihara-kun." It was now a smile that appeared on Makoto's lips, one that only got a surprised look from the detective-in-training.

It was a smile filled with pain and melancholy just while his eyes showed nothing but understanding.

After all, he certainly knew how one Saihara Shuichi was feeling. He knew how painful the truth could be.

To accept that the girl you trusted had tried to set you up as the culprit of a murder.

To find out that you had lost years worth of memories.

To learn that the world you knew had been turned into nothing but shambles.

And to time and time again having to figure out just which of his friends had decided to end the life of another one, all under the game of a monster bear and its twisted creator.

He knew how hard it was to learn the ugly truth. Sometimes you just wanted to close your eyes and pretend everything was fine and that it was all a lie. Sometimes you just preferred the happy lies over the harsh truth, and he couldn't blame Shuichi for preferring it that way.

But he couldn't accept such a mentality. He simply refused, for how was someone supposed to keep moving forward if he was blinded by his fears?

"I know the truth can be scary sometimes, and most of the times the result we get isn't what we were expecting." He spoke slowly while still doing his best to smile at the younger ahoge-boy. "But just ignoring the facts because we don't like them… That wouldn't be fair to neither you nor anyone involved."

"And I really do mean what I said," He continued before putting a hand on Shuichi's shoulder. "Either luck or skill, but unlike me, you can use your abilities to help others, Saihara-kun. That's nothing short of admirable if you ask me."

He watched as Shuichi seemed lost for words after his small speech, with the black-haired teen moving his gaze to look down at the floor once more, and while for just a moment Makoto thought that he would be ignored the fact that Shuichi raised his head to match his gaze ended up telling him otherwise.

The response he got from Shuichi though, ended up being nothing but a nod of acknowledgment. Sure, it didn't sound like much, but to him, it was enough to make him smile proudly without even realizing it.

Was he playing favorites when it came to his underclassmen? Probably, but was it so bad to want to make sure that the Luckster to come would be able to survive the craziness that was Hope's Peak Academy?

First of all, proper thanks to both RWBYJNPR and Zephyrius29 for helping me with this chapter! It would be a mess without them.

I'll admit that I don't feel particularly proud of this chapter. One of the reasons for that is that it is a bit rushed as a result of college finally starting and me wanting to put out one last chapter before that, since after this one chapter will start being a bit more different and more plot-related.

If the focus of this first batch of chapters was to show a glimpse of Makoto's current lifestyle, next ones will be a glimpse of his actions as a time-traveler.

Apparently, it was obvious enough but yes, Shuichi Saihara is the Lucky Student for his group, but I truly meant when I said that his original talent is not just forgotten since that will come into play at one point. One review said Rantaro though, so kudos to you since that was honestly going to be my original idea.

I apologize since this chapter doesn't have the same amount of comedy as the previous one, although I honestly didn't think the last one was particularly good on that aspect either but you guys loved Yasuke enough, which is great since I loved writing him.

Thank you all once more for having read this far and for all your favs/follows and reviews. I'll make sure for the next chapter to be better, especially since it is an important one.

Next Chapter: Izuru Kamukura Project.