"Hope!" Normal Speech
'Despair!' People's thoughts
"Truth!" Flashbacks
Disclaimer: I have as much ownership of the Danganronpa series as you do dear reader.
Before we go into the chapter itself though, I want to bring attention to a fic that I really recommend for everyone here that likes reading about Makoto and the ladies of Danganronpa: "Everyday Life with Ultimate Girls" by wesst1 is definitely a good read and I hope to see more of it in the future.
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 8
Resting is Optional
"It's Punishment Time!"
He failed.
He wasn't able to stop it.
Everything was his fault. They had left their hopes for the future in his hands and he had done nothing but to fail at protecting it.
And now he could only sit there and wait for it all to just end.
He could only wait as the feelings of the chains covering his body became tighter, firmly locking him in the wooden chair he was resting on.
His gaze was low, for he just couldn't dare to raise his head. He couldn't because he knew that the only thing he would see would be the faces of those that he had let down.
And if he did that, he wasn't sure he would be able to hold in the yell that right now threatened to escape his throat.
He knew he was being naïve though, for right now he wasn't in control of anything.
The only one with power in this room was him.
"Upupupupu, there's no need to be shy, Naegi Makoto-kun." He could only grit his teeth as a result of hearing that same damned voice. His blood became as cold as ice once he realized it would be the last thing he would ever hear. "Don't you want to say goodbye to everyone before you graduate?"
He wasn't going to give that thing the satisfaction of getting an answer out of his lips, but once more he was reminded of how futile it was to go against that monster in his own territory, once he felt something metallic tightly grabbing the back of his head before yanking him backwards, forcing him to look up at the source of his ever-growing despair.
And in response Monokuma simply sat there while looking down at him, with his red eye shining and his permanent smile present as always in his face. The black-and-white bear actually sat in silence for a full five seconds right before another demented cackle escaped him, which was followed by a shake of his head.
"I don't get why you're so surprised, Naegi-kun," Monokuma spoke in a friendly tone, one that honestly made him feel sick. "This isn't one of those fancy games with multiple endings, you know? It doesn't matter what you do, this will always be the final outcome!"
This time he wasn't able to avoid it, and he did his best to refute the bear's declaration. No sounds left his mouth however, even though his lips were moving.
The perplexed, wide-eyed look he had on his face as soon as he realized that was quickly matched by a chuckle from Monokuma.
"Yelling at your Headmaster isn't allowed, now I'll have to make your punishment worse!" Monokuma even went as far as to bring up his claws just so show how angry he supposedly was.
Almost as if the thing had heard the bear, a bright red button appeared right in front of the talking robot, one that Makoto recognized quite easily.
"Feel free to say goodbye while you can, although I don't think they'll be able to hear you right now." And then, almost to the point of being unceremonious, Monokuma pushed the red button with his paw. No fanfare, no hammer or even a laugh, almost as if it meant nothing for the talking bear.
He realized though, that it probably didn't. Monokuma had won a long time ago after all, and right now this was just a formality more than anything else.
And he could feel it, for just as that button had been pressed he could feel something going down at him from above with one obvious attempt. But every time the thing went down it suddenly stopped before going up once more, and then down again, only that this time it moved closer to its target.
Him.
He wasn't given the chance to ponder much about such a thing however, for Monokuma was a bear of his words and with the press of that button, he had also made his chair slowly spin on its place, allowing him to get a full view of the ones filling the spaces in the trial room.
His body refused to let him close his eyes, almost as if this was a punishment that he deserved. Something that was probably true, he decided in the back of his mind, but even such a thought didn't stop the trembling of his body or the tears that fell down his cheek.
The bruised, almost unrecognizable body of the Ultimate Baseball Star and the melted, now turned to butter form of the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader.
The corpses of both the Ultimate Doujin Author and the Ultimate Moral Compass, both with blood going down their head as they stared blankly at him.
The tied up form of the Ultimate Programmer alongside the still burning figure of the Ultimate Gambler.
The two best friends, the Ultimate Martial Artists and the Ultimate Swimming Pro stood alongside one another, one with an expression full of misery with blood dripping from her lips and the other with a knife penetrating her gut and a face filled with loathing.
Blood poured out of the body of the Ultimate Writing Prodigy as a result of the multiple scissors planted through her form, a mirror of the Ultimate Soldier who stood beside her with pieces of metal still impaled through her.
The blue, practically frozen form of the Ultimate Affluent Progeny soon followed in his sight, with the corpse of the Ultimate Clairvoyant following soon after, with vines with thorns surrounding him in a bloody torture.
And at such a sight he did the only thing he could do. He begged for their forgiveness in his mind. He tried to yell apologies but no sounds were able to leave him. He even tried to break free from his prison but it only made the bear watching over him to release another mocking laugh.
Finally the chair stopped moving, but it wasn't an act of mercy. He knew better. For right in front of him now stood two visages that had him all but wishing he could avoid what he knew was about to come.
There stood the bloodied form of the Ultimate Pop Sensation, still with the knife planted firmly in her stomach and a smile that he would have described as angelic in any other situation.
And of course, the Ultimate Detective was the one that stood by her side, blood dripping from the corner of her lips just as the consequences of the poison made themselves visible in her body.
'I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry' He repeated in his mind countless time, even though he knew it was futile to do so. Their lips parted and he knew what would come next, just as the thing above him got closer and closer each time it went down.
For Monokuma knew that his mockery wouldn't be able to break him.
But if it came from them? To hear from their lips that this was his fault?
It would be too much.
And maybe, true to his title, it was luck the only thing that could save him from such a fate.
For right before he was able to hear those condemning words coming from the ones he loved, he felt the massive object finally going down at full force.
In less than a second it met his body.
And then, Naegi Makoto was no more.
The next time he opened his eyes it was a forceful action, one that left him with his gaze wide-open and his eyes trembling as they were locked into the ceiling of his room.
His breathing came out in short, ragged bursts and his right hand ended up moving toward his chest in instinct, with the feeling of his ragging heart seemingly trying to burst out of his ribcage being the only thing he was able to feel through his sweaty palm.
His gaze moved wildly throughout his room just as nothing but cold sweat slowly slid down from his forehead, with only one feeling reflecting in those brown orbs of his.
Sheer terror.
Not knowing what else to do he pushed his slugged body to move, almost forcing it with how much strength he had at the moment, but even so, he was only able to roll about on the bed.
Luckily, or maybe unluckily depending on who you asked, his bed wasn't that big to allow much movement.
"Guh!" The sound of his body meeting the floor beside the bed was the next thing that filled the room, alongside his groan of pain.
The pain actually helped him though, for it was only with his body sprawled on the floor that he was able to leave the state of panic in which he had been caught not even a few seconds before.
His labored breathing became steadier with each second, while his hand that still rested on his raising chest clutched his white shirt with such force that he knew it might get ripped if he did any sudden movement.
"Just a nightmare, just a nightmare." He repeated under his breath almost like a mantra. His throat felt as dry as hell itself while the cold sweat still moved down his tired body, not unlike how he normally ended after one of the insane workout sessions he sometimes got caught in.
The only difference was that this somehow felt a lot worse than that.
It actually took him a few minutes to finally be able to settle down, and even after that he still refused to move, with half-lidded, clouded stare simply being aimed up just as he took deep, slow breaths.
But for as comfortable as the floor of his room was, he was more than aware that he just couldn't stay there forever, even if his body and mind were begging for him to do so.
So with one last tired sigh he raised his upper-body before using the bed as a support to get himself back on his feet. He quickly moved to sit in his bed however for he could already feel the beginning of a headache that was starting to form while his gaze stayed glued to the floor.
The frown that marred his face only became more pronounced as the images he had just experienced decided to replay themselves in his mind, forcing him to shake his head forcefully in an attempt to make such thoughts disappear.
Suffice to say it didn't work out. In fact, it only made the pain he was feeling in his head somehow worse.
He had grown used to such a thing however, for this was hardly the first time such a nightmare had plagued him ever since he had escaped the final Killing Game.
The Suicide Video was, after all, something that would become the last thing a person saw before they took their own life. And yet he had been able to survive it as a result of a certain Ultimate Boxer's sudden appearance.
But even so, those images had refused to just leave him. It had been pretty bad in the days following the death of the majority of the leaders of Future Foundation, and even after traveling through time of all things he was still plagued with those more often than he would have liked.
He did his best to hide it however, for there was no need to make anyone worry like that, not after everything that his friends had gone through back in his timeline, and certainly not here where everyone was free from the suffering that was Despair.
Heck, he could even stomach it most of the time, and honestly speaking he couldn't remember the last time it had affected him this badly.
But he knew why that was though, for this time it all felt so much real, so vivid to the point that he could still smell the blood, feel the condemning gazes aimed at him and of course, hear the maddening laugh of a teddy-bear of all things.
And he was also aware of the one responsible for that.
His brown eyes instantly moved to the object resting on the opposite end of the bed, exactly where he remembered throwing the damn thing the night before.
He glared at the device, almost as if blaming it of his current misfortune, but with another sigh leaving his dry lips he realized such a thing was nothing short of childish.
Don't blame the messenger, as they say.
His hand shook a bit just as he stretched to grab the phone, with his thumb moving in the recurrent movements he had to do to unlock the device in the first place.
His finger stopped right above the screen just a second later though, for if he pressed the icon that he had been aiming for he would be greeted by yesterday's message.
And as much as he hated to admit it, a part of him just wanted to ignore the message that he knew now rested in his phone. To act as if it had all just been a part of the nightmare, maybe even buy a new phone just to not have to look at this one anymore.
But even with such doubtful whispers in the back of his head he ended up simply biting his lip before pressing the message icon in his phone and moving forward until he found the culprit of his current state.
After all, with what face would he be able to look at certain underclassmen of his if he didn't follow what he preached?
And in less than a few seconds his gaze found what he was looking for, proving that he hadn't imagined it in the first place.
His hold on the phone became tighter with every word he read. The message itself wasn't very long for the fortune of the device itself, and so it didn't take long for the brown-haired Ultimate to simply read it once more.
And then twice, and thrice again.
And every time he finished he quickly jumped back to read it again, almost as if trying to find some sort of hidden message inside the rather short text.
But even after minutes of repeating the same actions almost religiously, Naegi Makoto was left with two simple questions.
Who and how?
Who could have sent him such a message?
And of course…
How could said person know such details about him?
Just those two questions by themselves brought along so many different thoughts and ideas that he actually found himself moving a hand through his hair in another failed attempt to put together the clustered mess that his brain was at the moment.
Suffice to say, trying to call whoever had sent him the message simply didn't work. He couldn't even send an answer, almost as if the number didn't exist in the first place.
And with another sigh leaving his lips he realized that this was another one of those moments in which he truly missed the comfort that was the help of a certain lavender-haired detective.
Of course, he could, in theory, get the help of said detective here too, she had made that abundantly clear by now, but that would open up a can of worms that he was most certainly not ready to touch.
"Future Foundation…game…Ultimate Despair?" His whispers revealed his inner wonders even more, although once that cursed title left his lips only one image appeared in his mind.
Enoshima Junko…
If it was Ultimate Despair then, who else could it but Junko herself? But even as resourceful as Junko could be, how could she have found out about his secret? The only one that was supposed to know that was…!
"Headmaster Kirigiri…" Had something happened to the man? No, he had been just fine yesterday, and the older Kirigiri was too alert by now to let Junko get a jump on him, but from where else could have Junko learned about the future?
His eyes widened just as another thought appeared in his head. His knowledge of the future had been his greatest weapon so far, but now imagining what Junko could do with such knowledge…
It was enough to send a shiver down his spine. That was one of the reasons that even after two years he still hadn't revealed everything to the Headmaster. He wasn't even supposed to tell the man anything at all in the first place, but desperate times had called for desperate measures.
But now though, it seemed that said decision had come to bite him.
What was he supposed to do now? If Junko had truly learned details about the future behind his back, what else had she been doing without him noticing? That doubt, combined with the fact that the message had been an invitation to a game of all things, was more than enough to make him tremble just as images of his nightmare decided to make themselves present once again.
He couldn't allow that to happen again.
No, he wouldn't allow it.
He had to do something; he needed to intervene before it was too late.
He needed to stop her, he just had t-
"Onii-chan?"
The sudden call of a soft voice from the door of his room was enough to bring him out of his erratic thoughts, with nothing but surprise showing in his face as he looked towards the person that was standing behind the half-opened door.
"K-Komaru?" His voice wavered just as he caught the sight of his little sister, who for her part sported nothing but a worried frown on her face, with her eyes showing nothing but concern just as she stood almost shyly behind the door.
"I knocked but you weren't answering…" The younger resident of the Naegi household spoke softly. "Mom told me to come and get you since breakfast is ready, but…"
It was more than obvious to the Luckster that his little sister wanted to say something, but she just wasn't able to find the right words. He didn't need to be a genius to figure out what was on her mind though, for he could only imagine how he looked right now.
Because for as little as he liked to use that kind of language, one of the phrases the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader used easily popped out in his mind.
He probably looked like shit.
He definitely felt like it, at the very least.
"Sorry…" He said just as he stood up with a smile on his lips, even if said smile didn't quite reach his eyes "I just got a bit distracted by something…"
Of course, he knew that he wasn't fooling her with just that, her face showed that much to anyone watching, but as far as he was concerned the further Komaru was from something like this, the better.
He even hid his phone in his pocket as quickly as possible, almost as if just having the thing out in the open near his sister was dangerous enough.
"I just need to wash my face really quick!" He continued without giving the ahoge-haired girl any time to say anything else.
"Onii-chan…" But even after leaving his room he could still Komaru's gaze making a hole in the back of his head. He still continued on though, acting as if he hadn't heard the concern dripping from her voice.
He truly had to force himself to not turn around, for knowing that it was him the one making his sister worry was enough to make him bite his lip in frustration.
But he forced himself to ignore her at that moment, for if he faced her right there he wasn't sure he would be able to hide the sheer terror that was slowly crawling back into his eyes.
"Son…are you sure everything is fine?"
It wasn't a question that surprised him, considering how he had expected to hear it from someone in the table sooner or later. In fact, the fact that they took so long to bring it up was the only thing that actually surprised him.
Expecting it didn't make answering said question any easier, however.
"Y-yeah…" He answered just as he looked up to see the concerned face of his father, while also kicking himself mentally for answering in such a shaky way. "I'm just… A bit under the weather today, I guess…"
It didn't take a genius to realize that his dad found his answer lacking if the frown he wore in response was any indication. The fact that he could also see his mother's worried expression from the side of the table didn't help either.
He tried to go back to his meal, but it was a bit hard to do so when you had four set of eyes looking at you like a hawk. Komaru hadn't stopped looking at him as if she was trying to decipher his very existence ever since they started eating their breakfast.
And even his pet dog was looking up at him from his side with as much worry as a puppy could show on his face. In the back of his mind he couldn't help but wonder how proud Peko would be if she saw how perceptive the little guy was.
But back on the topic of being the center of attention at the table…
"You can always rest for at least today, Makoto…" His mother's soft voice regarded him next. "You don't have to burn yourself with that school every day."
He could only nod silently at that, even though the reasons for his current turmoil weren't exactly on the academic end of things. He went back to his food, albeit with not much enthusiasm. His mother's food was good as always, but he simply found himself not really that hungry.
And of course, his mind found itself trapped on an endless set of questions that he couldn't answer by himself.
Meanwhile, both parents of the Luckster simply gave one another a worried glance. Of course, both felt more than pride and happiness by the fact that their only son was a student in such a prestigious place like Hope's Peak Academy.
They could still remember the sheer emotion that had filled them after finding out that their oldest child was going to study at a place that would guarantee him the best future anyone could ask for, but just like they had imagined keeping up with a place filled with geniuses was not an easy task.
And it showed with how tired Makoto looked most of the time, but while worried they still trusted their son to handle things at his own pace.
They were both a bit confused by the fact that Makoto spent even his free days at that place, but considering how…active, for a lack of better terms, his social life had become they supposed they shouldn't be that surprised.
But just like their daughter, they too could see that something was off with the Ultimate of the family, or at least more so than usual. It was easy to write off things before to stress, but this time it felt completely different.
Even their younger child was now giving them an almost pleading look, almost as if begging them to say something, and against such a look the patriarch of the Naegi household could do nothing but to cough loudly enough to gather the family's attention upon himself.
And with a serious look that was rarely on his aged face, he looked straight at his son, whose nervousness could be felt from a mile away. He thought about what to say properly before opening his mouth, more than ready to have a talk with his obviously ill-feeling child.
And he would have done so…
If it wasn't for the sound of the doorbell suddenly filling the table.
"I'll go!" And without even wasting a second, Naegi Makoto moved so fast from his seat that you would think the house suddenly got set on fire or something.
And with one blink it was only three Naegis that sat around the table alongside an empty seat and a plate of food almost untouched.
The soft pat on the back that the older Naegi got from his wife did little to alleviate the dejected way in which he hung his head not even a couple of seconds after that.
"Eh?! Shirogane-san, Nanami-senpai… Owada-kun?!" Even if one ignored the shock in his voice, the wide-eyed expression that had appeared in his face as soon as he opened the door of his house pretty easily told the world about how the Luckster felt about the situation at hand.
Of course, it wasn't like an Ultimate coming to his house was weird or anything in the first place, but he was pretty sure that such a thing wouldn't happen today, let alone with the specific individuals that were standing in front of him.
"Yo, Makoto!" The first one to greet him was his fellow member of class 78, Owada Mondo, who simply grinned at him from his spot to the right of the group.
"Sorry for bothering you like this, Naegi-senpai." In contrast to that came the polite voice of the younger Ultimate of the group, Shirogane Tsumugi, also known as the Ultimate Cosplayer of class 79.
"We came to check on you," And lastly, but certainly not any less important, was the oldest one there, the Ultimate Gamer herself, who did nothing but to offer a curious look and a tilted head. "Since you told everyone that you were too sick to go out today."
In retrospect maybe he should have thought of a better excuse, but in his defense saying that he had been close to having a mental breakdown didn't sound like the best thing to say through messages.
In fact, he could only blame himself for this right now. Normally he wouldn't mind at all, and while he truly felt grateful that they were so concerned they even came to check up on him, it was still a situation that he could hardly handle right now.
"You really do look like crap though." Not minding his words, Mondo spoke while crossing his arms over his chest and frowning. "I thought you were fine yesterday, that's how Kirigiri made it sound at least."
"He was." Chiaki followed up quickly, refusing to move her gaze away from the increasingly pale Luckster, who could only gulp for being at the receiving end of such a look.
"Maybe we should have really brought Tsumiki-senpai with us…" Tsumugi continued in a worried tone, for while she was used to seeing the Luckster tired he really did look like he shouldn't be out of bed in the first place.
"T-That's…!" Knowing that changing the subject at hand would be better than to let this continue, the time-traveler tried to search for a valid enough excuse. His nervous expression however, was quick to turn into one of confusion right before he moved his gaze around, trying to find something that obviously wasn't there.
Which was kind of the issue in the first place.
"It's just the three of you?" He asked worriedly, not wanting to sound as if he was expecting everyone to just leave everything that they were doing to come here and see if he was fine, but also knowing that such a thing wouldn't be that far-fetched.
Last time he had said something remotely similar it had turned into an international problem, after all.
He was sure half of his school was still not allowed to set a foot into Novoselic, at least for the foreseeable future.
…poor Makango.
"Well…" It was the blue-haired Ultimate the one that answered his doubt. "We didn't want to upset your family by bringing everyone here so, we thought one per class would be enough."
A quiet nod and a grunt of agreement were followed by the Ultimates to her side. The explanation was a bit short, but they had decided already to not share every detail of how they had gotten to that agreement.
Better to skip the part in which someone set a desk on fire.
And the broken window…
"I…see?" He certainly understood that it was a better alternative rather than having three whole classes in his rather modest house, although something told him that his parents wouldn't have minded that much if the writing board in their room was anything to go by.
He then blinked confusedly for a couple of seconds, trying to picture a peaceful discussion that his friends could have used to decide who got to come.
He found none, at least any legal one for that matter.
"But how did you…?"
"We played cards in our classroom," Mondo answered first this time while sporting a smirk, obviously feeling proud about being the victor over the rest of class 78.
And while that sounded alright in his books, wouldn't that mean that-
"We also made Yamada distract Ludenberg while the rest played," The taller Ultimate continued with a shrug. "So he's probably dead by now or something."
There was a second of silence for their most likely fallen comrade.
"We just drew sticks in ours," Tsumugi followed with a small hum. "We also tied Oma-kun to a chair and gave him the last one, just in case."
At hearing that he opened his mouth to say something, but he found himself simply closing it in silence and nodding in understanding.
"Convincing Kirumi-san to stay was a bit difficult though," She continued with a wry smile. "But she understood that keeping an eye on Oma-kun was a necessity too…"
That explained not having the Ultimate Maid already in his home, he supposed.
His gaze was then drawn to the so far silent girl, who without him noticing had moved closer to him. Whatever comments he had about that fact died in his throat however, as soon as he felt the cold sensation of the older girl's palm against his own forehead.
"We played Rock-Paper-Scissors. Komaeda-kun had to do something with Headmaster-san, or else he would probably be here instead." The Ultimate Gamer explained easily while moving her hand from his forehead to his neck, touching him with the back of her hand. "You don't seem to have a fever…"
He didn't, but with the light pink-haired girl moving closer into his personal space as if it didn't matter he was going to start burning up at any moment.
He could only hope that the older Luckster hadn't done anything to the point that it needed a call from the Headmaster, although he was most certainly going to ask the older Kirigiri about that as soon as he saw him.
At least it proved that the man himself seemed to be fine, which was at least something he could now take off his mind to the very least.
"We also wanted to bring Tsumiki-san to help, but…" The Cosplayer spoke in what he could only describe as a somber tone, one that had him looking at her with confusion.
"She was…busy." Mondo finished for her, and he could have sworn that he could hear something strange in his voice.
Was that…fear?
He could only wonder…
"E-Eh?! H-his heart rate is going d-down again! Kimura-senpai!"
"We are not losing you again today, Kizakura-sensei!"
"M-Matsuda-san, please keep him steady!"
"Can't we just give him a time of death already? I'm pretty sure the human body shouldn't be bending like that…"
"That's not funny, Matsuda-kun."
"I mean, what the hell did he even do to piss off Yukizome to the point of this…?"
"…"
"…"
"…It had to do with Naegi, didn't it?"
"…W-well…"
"Goddammit."
"But don't worry, Naegi-kun," Chiaki spoke with a confidence that wasn't normally found in her speech. "Tsumiki-san told us everything we needed to do."
The fact that her declaration was followed by Mondo cracking his knuckles and Tsumugi lifting the bag she had on her hands while chuckling in a definitely not disturbing manner did little to stop the cold sweat that was starting to go down his forehead once more.
"Onii-chan, who is it? You were taking too long and-"
The abrupt end of such a voice made the Luckster look behind him, with his brown eyes quickly catching on the frozen form of his little sister, who looked like a deer caught by a headlight, obviously as a result of the group of now waving Ultimates at her door.
It only took the ahoge-haired girl three exact seconds to recover proper functions of her brain however, and once that happened she did the only sensible thing she could muster.
"Mom!" Which, to Makoto's eyes, was apparently to bolt away as far as she could while screaming bloody murder.
"Komaru-chan might be sick too…I think." He could only hang his head at the happenings around him.
"What the hell?! It should be turning more smoothly than that!" Mondo yelled out in frustration while grabbing the controller in his hands so tight to the point everyone around him feared that it might actually break, with each second of the screen showing his character in last place only making things worse.
"I don't think they went with realism for this one…" Makoto replied with a wry smile. There was a green dinosaur on that bike, after all, so he was most definitely sure that they weren't going for a realistic approach for this game.
"Ne, Komaru-chan, why don't you play too?" Tsumugi asked the younger girl, who simply glared back suspiciously before grabbing her brother's shoulder even more tightly, earning just a chuckle from the Luckster.
If she played she would be forced to focus on the screen and that meant not being able to keep an eye on the Ultimates in the room.
Besides, she had learned to be wary of the Ultimate Cosplayer. Just remembering the last thing she wore for her was enough to make her both shiver and blush crimson.
"I'm good, thank you." She would not risk it. She could even imagine it already, just a blink and her brother would have even more unknown underwear below his bed.
"Guh…" As for the brother in question, he didn't know why his little sister was suddenly pinching his arm, but something told him that just taking it was the best choice.
"This was fun." Chiaki for her part simply enjoyed the experience of playing with someone else if the soft smile on her lips was proof of anything.
'Of course it was for you…' Everyone else though shared the same sentiment considering how the screen flashed everyone with a sign of defeat with the obvious exception of the Ultimate Gamer herself, who had shown them no mercy at all.
"We were supposed to take care of senpai though," Tsumugi spoke with a finger under her lip. "But instead we're just playing games."
"It's fine like this!" Considering what the alternatives had been, he definitely preferred to just sit and play video games rather than, well, whatever they had been planning on doing first.
He shuddered, remembering the object that the younger Ultimate had taken out of her bag after promising his parents that she, alongside Chiaki and Mondo, would be taking care of his health.
He didn't want to know what orifice that thing was supposed to go in.
"It's probably just stress anyway," The ahoge-haired boy continued as if it was just a small thing in the first place, while also putting up the best smile he could muster. "I'm sure I'll be better tomorrow."
He knew that was close to impossible unless this whole day so far actually ended up being just a dream, but his friends didn't need to know that part.
His words though, seem to do little to help if the frowns he received in response were any indication, even from his sister. He wasn't given time to say anything else to try and get rid of those frowns however, for the next thing he saw was the Ultimate Gamer to his left dropping her control and moving slightly towards him just before grabbing his arm with her hands.
"I know Kirigiri-san is already helping you, Naegi-kun," Chiaki spoke with a soft smile while looking up at the surprised Luckster. "But if you need help with your grades I remember everything they taught us last year…mostly."
The suddenness of her action was enough to catch him by surprise, leaving him with no words to use as a response. Before he was given the time to think of an answer though, he felt a rather big hand grabbing his shoulder tightly, forcing him to turn from the Gamer to the grinning Biker Gang Leader now kneeling to his right and slightly behind him.
"And if someone's bothering you…" With those words, Mondo raised his right fist while a threatening glint passed through his eyes. "Just say the words and I'll beat the shit out of them!"
"T-that's…" A part of him told him that he really needed to say something back to that, mostly for the sake of a certain blonde classmate of his more than anything else.
But almost as if they had planned this from the start, he was once again distracted before being able to give a proper answer, this time by the younger Ultimate of the group putting her hand on his free shoulder while sitting right beside the Ultimate Gamer.
"I talked with Akamatsu-san about this already…" The Cosplayer spoke slowly with a bright smile on her lips. "And you don't need to force yourself by helping our class all the time, senpai. I know that's supposed to be your job, but… we don't want to be a burden to senpai."
"I..." His throat felt dry all of a sudden, and whatever words that he wanted to say simply found themselves unable to leave his lips. He wanted to assure them though, to make them know that this wasn't their fault at all, and that just the fact that they were here talking, smiling, living was enough to put a bit of peace into the storm that was his heart at the moment.
But he knew that he couldn't do it properly, not without revealing more stuff that he would like. He hated lying to everyone, he truly did, but he knew how necessary it was. This was why he focused so much on hiding his emotions whenever a memory of the past, or rather future, overwhelmed him.
He wasn't the only member of the Naegi family with conflicting thoughts at that moment however, for just a bit away from the group sat Komaru by herself, having separated from her brother for just a moment after feeling that he needed some space.
And in less than a second that spot that she had left had now been covered by the Ultimates that had invaded their home.
Watching the scene in front of her eyes made her feel conflicted. She was more than happy that her older brother had friends that cared so much about him, he deserved it in her opinion after all, but watching them like that just reminded her even more that her brother was one of those amazing people known as Ultimate.
While she herself was just, well…normal.
She shook her head, not wanting to let the loneliness that was creeping into her heart overwhelm her. Her brother was her brother, and no matter how much time he spent at that school, with them, that fact that would never change!
…right?
She opened her mouth to say something, feeling the necessity of making her presence remembered to the group, just at the same time that the Luckster parted his lips, trying to find the way to reassure them that this was an issue that he could handle one way or another.
"Sorry if I'm interrupting…"
But almost as if having some sort of radar that knew whenever one, or in this case, both of her kids were having an issue, the matriarch of the Naegi household let herself inside the room of her son with a polite smile on her face.
"…but I need a bit of help downstairs."
And in less than a minute the brown-haired woman had ushered both Mondo, who found himself unable to deny a request from the pushy mother, and her daughter, who gave the remaining three Ultimates in the room a regretful look before the door was closed, leaving the Ultimate of the family alone with the two girls.
And while this was hardly the first time such a thing had happened, he still couldn't stop feeling a tad bit self-conscious about such a fact. The fact that he was just standing in the middle of the room in silence didn't help either.
"Naegi-senpai," He wasn't forced to say something to break the awkwardness surrounding him though, for the voice of the Ultimate Cosplayer was quick to gain his attention. "You dropped this just now when you stood up-"
"N-no!" And before he even realized what he was doing he had already taken the cell phone out of her hands in such an abrupt way that even he found himself shocked by his own actions, a feeling that was shared by the rest if the guilty frown he was receiving from Tsumugi, alongside the confused one from Chiaki, served to prove anything.
He cursed himself mentally, now truly thinking that he was going insane if he was starting to do things like that. Was he really that much on edge that just the thought of someone grabbing his phone was enough to alarm him?
Apparently so.
"I'm sorry…" He apologized just as he looked down, hating the fact that not only he was feeling like this, but that he was also making others feel worse. If he had looked up though, he would have noticed the shared look both girls had at that moment, alongside the determined nod that they gave each other.
"Naegi-kun worries too much, I think…" Chiaki was the first to break the stalemate while also moving behind the Luckster.
"He does, doesn't he?" Tsumugi followed up nicely, and it was only the sound of the blue-haired girl pulling out something out of her bag that finally made him look up, the result of said action being a wide-eyed look to the point that his eyes almost busted out of his socket "And I know just the thing that would help him relax!"
"Eh?!" And before he could even have a word in he suddenly had a pair of arms grabbing him from behind in a hold that left him unable to do anything but to move his arms wildly, with the soft sensation that was touching his back doing little to help him at the moment.
"G-guys…!?"
"Don't worry, senpai. This is one of Nanami-senpai's favorite characters too, so I know you'll fit right into it" The Cosplayer said just as she moved slowly with one hand carrying a set of clothes, which was the key reason for his sudden nervousness.
That and the suddenly deranged look the girl had behind her glasses, almost as if a switch had suddenly been turned on inside of her.
Remembering the last times he had worn clothes for her, he couldn't say otherwise.
"I am not putting on a skirt!" He declared in alarm, his face slowly going red and his ahoge standing up in fear. "…Again!"
"Don't worry, Naegi-kun. I'm sure it will suit you."
"That is not the issue here, Nanami-senpai!" He also felt like asking her when had she become so strong to the point that his attempts at escaping her hold simply ended in nothing but their bodies being pressed together even more, but he was distracted of doing that by the feeling of Tsumugi's fingers suddenly touching his stomach, earning what could only be described as a squeak out of his lips.
He was only wearing a white shirt after all, so the younger Ultimate didn't have to try very hard for direct contact.
"Senpai once told me he would model for me if I needed him." Tsumugi's words felt like an arrow going through his heart, for he very well remembered saying such a thing. "That was one of the reasons I actually accepted going to Hope's Peak, you know?"
The loving smile she gave him with those words almost blinded him. It was a smile that he knew was meant for the craft she adored so much, a craft that he had wanted for her to keep developing in the future, which was why he had accepted at cosplaying alongside her if she ever wanted.
Thinking of such a thing he found himself closing his eyes, deciding to do as he had promised, only hoping that this time no one would take any pictures much to his embarrassment.
…He was sure that there were a few of those still going around though.
However, whatever he had been expecting ended up never coming, and instead the only thing he got was a light giggle from the glass-wearing Ultimate.
"Seeing senpai acting so shy is much better than seeing him frowning all day." Tsumugi spoke while smiling sadly to the surprised Luckster "Even if it is just for a few seconds, if we're able to take senpai's mind off whatever's bothering you then, isn't that the least we could do?"
"Naegi-kun likes to bottle everything up inside." Chiaki continued almost as if the whole thing had been rehearsed before, which as far as he knew might as well had been the case. "Playing is fine from time to time too."
"You two…" He said with a sigh before a light smile appeared on his lips. It was probably his first real one in the whole day, he had to admit "Thank you…" He continued with as much sincerity as he could muster, because they were right.
Even if it had been just a couple of seconds, it still felt infinitely better than the alternative.
"But of course…" And with those words, the dangerous look came back to the Cosplayer's eyes, her hand slowly trailing upwards the Luckster's body while she grabbed the clothes tightly with her other hands "If senpai still wants to wear it then I would gladly help you with it!"
"Nanami-senpai, help please!"
…Why was the only answer he got a more fierce hold and a mutter of how she needed to take a picture for Kyoko?!
Luckily though, he was saved by the figurative bell, or rather by the door of his room being opened once again.
"Wh-wh-wh-wh-" The first one to say something was Komaru herself, who simply looked at the scene of her brother being grabbed from behind by a girl while another had her hand inside his shirt with a flushed face and erratic eyes, her trembling hand slowly going up to shakily point at the trio.
"My my… Your father now owes me a dinner too" The response of his mother in contrast was a lot more subdued, although he didn't know if that was a good thing or not.
And as for Mondo, who had apparently been forced to carry most of the trays to the room…
How was he able to give him a proud thumb up while still carrying things in both of his hands was simply beyond him.
"So? What is it, Makoto?" Mondo's gruff voice regarded him with curiosity just as the two stood alone in the hallway of the second floor by themselves, while even from there they could still hear the noise coming from downstairs.
While for his part he had his gaze glued down while he tried to come up with the right words to use with the taller Ultimate. He knew what he wanted to ask him, but he also knew that he needed to be careful with this.
In any other situation, he would not be doing something like this, but this was hardly a normal occurrence, now was it?
"Owada-kun…" He spoke as he raised his head with firmness in his gaze that Mondo knew by now meant serious business, something that actually made the taller Ultimate tense up.
"I need a favor from you." The Luckster continued without missing a beat. "I-I can't give you much detail but… I need your help right now, Owada-kun."
The small hint of desperation behind Makoto's voice just made Mondo's frown even fiercer, but after a few seconds the only thing he did was to give a small nod, truly wanting to hear what had his little friend like this and whatever he could do to help him.
"I need you to promise me…" And as soon as the words promise left Makoto's lips, Mondo had his eyes widened in surprise. It was no secret how much he valued that type of oath after all, so for Makoto to word it like that…
Whatever he had expected, it was not what came out of the Luckster's lips.
"That if something happens to me you will make sure my family is safe."
The tension that followed his statement could be even cut with a knife if necessary, with the grim determination that had appeared on his face being matched by Mondo's incredulous expression.
Of course, Owada Mondo wasn't one to be kept silent for too long.
"What the hell, Makoto?!" With as upset as he was, Mondo wasted no time in grabbing the time-traveler by the shirt and forcing him to meet his glare head-on, for whatever Makoto was implying with his request certainly didn't sit well with him "Why are you talking about as if you were about to die or something?!"
Would that be so much of a stretch though, considering what he was going to do today?
He understood by now after all, that just sitting and moping was going to get him nowhere. He had lowered his guard, he had underestimated Despair and now he was paying for it.
He was letting whoever sent him that message win just by letting it mess him up so much.
So he needed to act, to do something to stop this before it claimed its victim, and for that, he needed to go into the spider's web, so to speak.
He needed to meet her.
And if she truly knew about the future then… He couldn't go unprepared. There were already plans made in case something happened to him, but those were centered on Hope's Peak itself.
But with his family…
He would never forgive himself if something happened to them again. Just thinking of what his little sister had gone through and how his parents had ended up after the Tragedy… it was too much.
He needed to protect them, and with Hope's Peak being the center of everything he needed them as far away from there as possible.
And right now the only one here with enough influence on the streets to guarantee such a thing was…
"Please, Owada-kun." He begged just as he grabbed the arm that had a tight hold on his shirt, with his own gaze refusing to move away from Mondo's glare. "I know it sounds strange… B-but I can't explain it right now… Just, please, Owada-kun!"
The teen in question simply clicked his tongue before releasing his hold on his classmate, giving him more room to breathe. As for the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader, he simply glared to the side, obviously deep in thought for what felt like an eternity to the shorter Ultimate.
Mondo's eyes however, were then moved once again towards Makoto, and with the way his gaze narrowed Makoto truly thought for a second that his request would be met with a denial.
That is, until Mondo simply sighed in obvious frustration before scratching the back of his head, now looking so tired that it honestly made the Luckster worried.
"Geez, dude," The taller Ultimate spoke without any of his previous bite in his tone. "How do you even get into so much crap?"
And with another shake of his head Mondo looked at his friend with the most serious look he could muster, which was followed by a small grunt and a tense nod.
"I get it, I get it… There are some things that a man has to do by himself." His words of acceptance got a smile in return from Makoto, but said smile quickly vanished once Mondo took a step closer towards him.
"But you better promise me too then," And with those words Mondo raised his right fist, leaving it hanging in front of the Luckster "That whatever you're doing, you're not going to fuck it up, you hear me? I better see you tomorrow in class you squirt!"
Makoto could only stare surprised at Mondo's figure before a look of determination once more flashed in his eyes. He raised his fist too, and in less than a second it made contact with Mondo's.
"That's a man's promise then." Mondo declared with a proud smirk on his lips "You better keep it or else I'll kill you myself, brother or not."
He had no intention of breaking that promise.
"You sure I can take him for a walk?" Seeing someone as tall as Mondo acting giddy by the idea of taking his pet dog out for a walk was quite the sight, although it was obvious that the dog in question was enjoying the attention of not only the man holding him, but also from the two girls that were petting him from the sides.
"Sure," Makoto answered easily and with a smile, one that this time wasn't forced. "Just make sure to bring him early. Komaru will get worried otherwise."
"Really sorry for intruding today, senpai" Tsumugi for her part simply apologized, but her words only got a shake of the head from the brown-haired teen.
"It was fun, Shirogane-san," He said as he scratched the back of his head "And… I really needed it too"
"I'm glad then…" The relieved smile he then received from Chiaki only made him chuckle "We can do it again anytime you want, Naegi-kun"
He hoped that would truly be the case in the future.
And with a final set of goodbyes and waves, the three Ultimates left the Luckster alone by his house's entrance. Another sigh left his mouth as he felt his tiredness coming back to his body, but he knew that right now it wasn't the time for such a thing.
He looked up at the sun, which told him just how early it still was. Today had truly felt like an eternity to him, and as much he would have liked to call it a day right now, he knew that there was still something that he needed to do.
In a slow movement, he took his cell phone out of his pocket right before he observed the object in his hand with a narrowed gaze.
Not the time to start fearing inanimate objects of all things.
And with quick, practiced movements of his fingers, he brought the cell phone to his ear, with no nervousness appearing in his heart as he waited for the person at the other line to finally pick up.
Because if he was going to confront her, he couldn't just do it by himself.
Information was key, and right now he needed answers.
And if there was someone that he knew could give it to him, then…
"Hello? Ikusaba-san?"
Of course, thanks to Thanks to both RWBYJNPR and Zephyrius29 for beta-reading this mess of a chapter.
And with this, the for now called Investigation arc begins.
First of all, I just wanted to say that with the reception that Nagito's chapter received I will most certainly make others alike for the other Ultimates and for other important characters that a lot of you guys seem to want to know more about (aka Natsumi). I can't say when the next one would be, but I can guarantee that it will be someone from DR1 and a girl too. After that, we will have a V3 character and then I will let you guys vote for the ones you want.
As for this chapter, while I felt I might have stayed too long on Makoto's thought process, I felt that it was too important to simply skip it. Right now he's feeling that his two years of hard work and that the faith everyone put into him became for naught. I also always felt like something like the Suicide video would leave scars in anyone that watched it and actually managed to survive it.
A lot of people had been bringing up Junko in the reviews, and the best I can say is that most of your Junko related questions will be answered next chapter, kind off. Said chapter also won't be as long as this one, so with any luck, it will come out sooner.
Also, the lack of names for Makoto's parents really bugged me out with this chapter, so I might have to give them one next time at this rate. Monokuma's first appearance is here too, albeit in a dream. Does that count?
A few readers tried to figure out the motives behind the previous chapter, and while some got it close the proper answer will be shown in exactly 2 chapters.
As always thank you all for having read this far and for your continuous support. For everyone reading, following, favorite and leaving reviews, know that I really appreciate it.
On an unrelated note, anyone else loving the new opening for My Hero Academia? Probably my favorite so far.
Next Chapter: Enoshima Junko, Ultimate Despair?