"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.
Interlude II
Writer's Confidant
As someone with the title of Ultimate, you are one that is considered elite among the elite.
The youth that will guide the masses into a future filled with bright hope, such is the weight that Hope's Peak Academy gives to the title of Ultimate, and for you to carry such a title means that you know this very well.
I will admit, however, that I was a bit concerned about your...situation when considering your invitation into the school.
As Headmaster I shouldn't have allowed such a thing into these halls, which is something I can't deny.
Fortunately, you managed to ease my worries by keeping that in check, and while I am aware of how much that was your own will, I also know you had help with such an endeavor.
Specifically the help of a certain classmate of yours.
That's why you're here in fact, but I'm sure you already understood that much.
You, the Ultimate Writing Prodigy of class 78…
Tell me of your relationship with him.
M-My name is Fukawa Toko, and I'm the Ultimate Writing Prodigy of class 78 of Hope's Peak Academy…
This is dumb…why do I even need to introduce myself like this?
Formalities? I have other things to do, y-you know?
What things? That's private, how rude…!
A-anyway, you just want me to talk about him, right?
That's easy, but where should I start?
He's so kind, selfless, brave, handsome, humble and- why are you laughing?! I'm being s-serious here!
I-in l-love…?! I mean, guh…Asking that about one of your students is creepy!
…but what if I am, huh?
He's my only friend in this school… and he even accepted t-that part of me...I still can't believe it sometimes…
Of course you don't count, Headmaster. Y-you would lose your job if people found out…
Honestly, he's too good for all of those hussies that keep throwing themselves at him.
A-as if he would want a brainless bimbo like them! He likes s-smart girls, you know? H-he told me that himself!
…I don't like that look you have on your face for some reason…
I…really hate that part of me.
It's scary, but he somehow keeps her in check… I feel safer when he's around, sometimes I even forget about it completely.
I don't know how he does it…
I mean…I h-hurt him once…
It might have been her… but it was my fault… Just because I couldn't take the words of that b-bastard…!
There was so much blood…I thought he was going to d-die that day.
I don't know how he forgave me…I know I still haven't…
M-make sure he doesn't know that, alright?
I don't know how he can tolerate that b-bastard either…I was so stupid, why did I try to get that guy to notice me?
With how much he seems to h-hate us I don't even know why he keeps coming to this school…
I'm just glad…that Makoto-sama kept coming back after I tried to make him leave me alone.
W-what do you mean I'm getting ahead of myself? You told me to just talk!
O-our first meeting? Guh…I… M-must I…? I don't like remembering that day…
Ugh…F-fine…
It was the first day of classes actually…
"So noisy…" She muttered under her breath with her hands firmly planted on her lap and her face showing quite the frown, her sitting posture telling the world around her that she wanted to be noticed by absolutely no one.
Her purple eyes moved around the classroom she currently found herself in, with her frown becoming a notch fiercer each time her gaze fell on one of the individuals that were also in the room with her.
Wasn't this supposed to be a school for the elite of the elites? Because then she was far from impressed by her supposedly fellow Ultimates.
The obvious thug and the red-eyed boy were way too loud for her taste. Couldn't they keep their voices down?
The jock trying to hit it off with the singer honestly almost made her gag. If it was because of his lame lines or the obviously fake smile that the girl used in response, she wasn't sure. Probably both, she decided.
Not that the dark-skinned tomboy flaunting her chest around was any better, and the fat guy trying to describe his works as actual literature was almost insulting.
She could only grit her teeth in obvious frustration and annoyance. Why had she expected anything different? It was always like this back in her old school.
The first-day class ritual of exchanging cell phone numbers always left a bitter taste in her mouth, after all. In her eyes, it was just a way for dumb popular people to flaunt off the fact that they were, well, popular.
Of course she herself never bothered with such. As if she needed to waste her time mingling with obvious buffoons! She was fine by herself anyway. No one had come to bother her in her little corner of the room and that was just what she wanted.
And even if someone asked, of course she would have said no without missing a beat!
Not that she was the only one by herself mind you.
Or at least that had been the case after their teacher had left them to their own devices.
More than a couple of her fellow students had also opted to sit by themselves, but by now the only two that remained such were the lavender-haired aloof girl and the blonde hunk with glasses.
Even that black-haired girl with the scary eyes had started talking with the calm buff woman, and the one responsible for such a thing…
"Hi there, Fukawa-san!"
…was now standing right in front of her desk with a smile filled with so much happiness that she almost felt blinded just by looking at the damn guy!
She stared confusedly at the smiling boy with no small amount of suspicion dancing in her purple orbs. Sure, he looked inoffensive enough, but it wouldn't be the first time she had been tricked by such a thing.
"My name's Naegi Makoto." The brown-haired teen continued, seemingly unaffected by her lack of response. "Nice to meet you, Fukawa-san."
She didn't see the need to do an introduction if she had to be honest. They had all already stated their names when the teacher had asked anyway, and even if they hadn't, she definitely wouldn't have missed the name of this one.
The Ultimate Lucky Student, although why luck was considered a talent was beyond her, had certainly labeled himself in her head as the most impressive poplar guy she ever had the displeasure of meeting.
She had believed that if someone would become the top dog it would be someone like the fake idol or the blonde model, who had refused to move her gaze from the Luckster mind you, or at least if the blonde did then she definitely had missed it.
But instead, it was the boy with the ahoge that somehow managed to mingle among all the small groups that had been formed in the classroom. Heck, he had probably helped to form a couple of them, almost as if he knew exactly what to say to make them at ease around him, with a few exceptions of course.
Like the blonde Adonis sitting on the other side of the room.
Not that she would let herself be fooled like most of them anyway, so against such a friendly visage the only thing she could do was to glare spitefully in return.
"W-what do you want…?" She certainly didn't bother to hide her annoyance at his sudden introduction, that was for sure, but if her harsh tone bothered Makoto in any way he certainly didn't show it in his face.
"I just wanted to meet everyone properly since we'll be studying together for the next 3 years." His explanation came in the same friendly tone she was learning to associate with the guy.
Her gaze showed that she wasn't buying it, however, especially when she focused on the device resting in his right hand, something that Makoto noticed quickly, earning her an embarrassed chuckle from the boy.
"W-well, I was also wondering if Fukawa-san would like to-"
"N-no." She refused before he even got to finish his sentence, finally breaking Makoto's smiling visage and turning it into a small frown. "W-why would you even want my n-number…?"
"I just…" The Luckster seemed lost at words at her sudden question for just a second before another awkward smile appeared on his lips. "I want to get to know Fukawa-san more, I guess…"
His words made her blink confusedly behind her glasses for a whole five seconds, just for her gaze to turn into a glare once more. She wasn't going to let herself be fooled by the likes of him, for she had more than learned her lesson by now in that regard.
"You're lying…" She whispered with venom, earning a surprised stare from her new classmate. While she wasn't the best with people she was certainly no idiot, and even she could tell that there was something more. "You just want to make fun of me, don't you?!"
"W-what? Of course not!"
"Lier!" She even went as far as to point at him with her finger while gritting her teeth in frustration and sneering in anger. "I bet you would even make prank calls if I gave it to you!"
She could already picture such a thing on her head. The so-called nice guy inviting the dumb girl somewhere just for him to never show up, leaving her by herself for hours as she waited for someone that would never come.
How despicable.
He looked truly confused by her words, but it wasn't something that she cared about by now. In fact, this whole conversation had been a waste of time if she had to describe it anyway, so with a quiet huff she simply moved her head to the side, hoping that the boy would finally get the hint and leave her alone.
"Sorry…" Her wish came true after a few seconds later, with the defeated sigh that left Makoto's lips bringing her attention back to him from the corner of her eyes.
She didn't expect the rather sad smile that the brown-haired teen gave her before leaving quietly. It was almost as if he had expected her to reject his invitation from the start.
She just huffed once more however, deciding to simply go back to not-so-subtly admire the handsome blue-eyed blonde that was now her classmate.
Honestly, if Naegi Makoto knew he wasn't going to fool her in the first place then he shouldn't have even bothered!
She loved this place.
It was probably her favorite spot in the entirety of Hope's Peak Academy.
And that was saying a lot considering it had taken that spot away from her own Research Lab no less.
Don't get her wrong, she loved that Research Lab dearly, for it had everything she might have needed when it came to writing.
The fact that it was pretty isolated and no one except the occasional teacher or rude intruder would go to bother her there only made it even better. She even preferred to sleep there sometimes rather than on her own room!
However, this particular spot of the library had suddenly earned not only her approval but most definitely a special place in her heart.
It was quiet, peaceful, no one really came here even!
What made this particular location so perfect to her, however…
"Ahh…Byakuya-sama…!"
…definitely had to do with the wonderful view that she had.
Her whisper was accompanied by a hungry look on her face, with the adoration shining in her gaze aimed at the figure sitting by himself on another table resting on the opposite side of the library.
She never missed this time of the day in which her beloved would simply sit there while devouring the books that Hope's Peak had to offer with his eyes in silence. It was such a hypnotic sight if she had to describe it, one that she wouldn't mind getting lost to every single day of her life.
The focused, stoic look that she could see from her seat was enough to make her shiver in delight.
For Togami Byakuya was different from everyone else she had met. He was on a completely different level from the rest of the school, someone that actually did deserve the title of Ultimate.
The way that he handled their class was proof enough of that. Just seeing him putting them in their places was enough to make her sigh in content. He was able to see through their fake friendliness and easily crush it with mere words.
Not even the annoying so-called Ultimate Lucky Student could get past those beautiful cold blue eyes of her beloved, something that truly put him above everyone in the school considering how hung up a lot of their senpais seemed to be over their brown-haired Class Representative.
Seriously, what did they even see in that guy? Not like it mattered to her anyway, for as long as no one came to bother her special moment with one Togami Byakuya she couldn't care less for the rest of the students.
"Ano… Fukawa-san?"
Sadly, it seemed that a certain someone had not gotten the memo yet.
Her previously delighted expression had quickly turned into a sour one as soon as that voice reached her ears. She didn't even need to turn her gaze to know who it was after all, for she had certainly gotten tired of hearing to that same preachy voice day after day.
She still, albeit painfully, moved her gaze from the object of her love to the opposite side of her table, right where the annoying newcomer was now standing with his ever-present disgusting smile on his face.
Truly, wasn't Naegi Makoto too busy to even come to a place like this? Or at least that was the impression she got.
Not that she had personally cared or anything, but it even got her curiosity considering how her beloved himself seemed interested as to why someone like Naegi Makoto seemed to disappear into the Headmaster's office almost daily.
In her opinion, Byakuya-sama could spend his valuable time doing other things rather than to pay attention to an untrustworthy guy like this!
"W-what do you want…?" Even now her obviously annoyed tone was fully present when regarding the Luckster, for that was the perfect way in which she could describe one Naegi Makoto: Annoying.
Why did the brown-haired boy insist on trying to talk to her every day before or after class was simply beyond her. She had thought that by just ignoring him he would simply get bored and just continue to play around with his ever-growing fan base, but the fact that he was in front of her certainly proved that one wrong.
What upset her the most though, was that she just couldn't figure out his angle. She knew people could go to great lengths to make fun of others, but this boy was being way too persistent and stubborn for her taste.
Besides, anyone that took her time away from her beloved would get no favor with her.
"I just…wanted to study for a bit and I thought this would be a good place," Makoto explained before taking a seat in front of her while keeping his brown eyes locked with her own grey ones. "The course has been a bit harder than I thought it would be…"
She actually snorted after hearing that. Of course, everything would be hard if you wasted time playing popular with half of the class and every single senior out there.
"D-do it somewhere e-else then…" She said through gritted teeth before turning her gaze away once more, instantly feeling better as soon as her eyes once more landed on the perfect specimen that was her beloved.
She hoped that the Luckster would get a hint already and leave her by herself.
"Fukawa-san is really smart though!" Her wishes weren't granted, however, for Makoto certainly had no issues with just taking a seat, almost as if her words had never reached his ears. Was he now deaf or something?!
She didn't react to his praise either, for it wasn't such a big deal in the first place. Excluding her amazing beloved, the only ones that could brag about their grades besides herself were that quiet detective girl, the meek techno little girl, and that scary gambling cosplayer.
Flattery was going to get him nowhere though, so she simply continued to ignore him.
His next words were more than enough to get her attention though.
"I was actually wondering if Fukawa-san could help me a bit with that…"
Her eyes widened at the request, with an honest expression of surprise filling her face. Of all things Makoto had ever said to her, this one was a first.
"Never…!" It didn't take long for her to answer though, for the last thing that she wanted to waste her time with was with teaching Naegi Makoto. "G-go ask someone else."
"B-but… I really want it to be Fukawa-san!" It seemed her words would not be enough to stop the stubborn teen. Did he dislike her that much that he could only bother her with this? Was that it?!
"You're annoying!" She hissed at him with a harsh tone while still doing her best to ignore him. He was ruining her favorite part of the day! "D-don't you see you're distracting me? Just l-leave!" If she didn't treasure her alone time with her beloved she would have already left him by himself in fact!
He finally stopped annoying her though, although he seemed to not want to leave. It didn't matter then, for being able to watch over Byakuya-sama was more than worth having to tolerate Makoto's presence. As long as he kept his thoughts to himself, she was more than happy with pretending that the only people in the world were her beloved and her.
"You…really like Togami-kun, don't you…?" It was a weird tone the one that Makoto used to say those words. So weird in fact that it actually got her to look at him from the corner of her eyes, right on time to see him giving such a lost look at the direction in which their blonde classmate was sitting that it surprised her.
It was the first time she saw him not sporting either a dumb, apologetic or nervous smile.
But as soon as it came it was gone, and instead, it was replaced with a sheepish look while he scratched the back of his head with his hand.
"Of course I do!" She spoke without missing a beat, with a shaky smile appearing on her lips. "He's perfect and everything I could have dreamed of!" Her elation turned sour quickly after though. "Not that someone like you would understand…"
"I guess not…" At least he agreed with her on that regard it seemed. "I just…don't get it…."
"Not like it matters. Our love is simply too much for you!"
The boy seemed to fall into deep thought after that, almost as if he was thinking of how to go from here. Had he finally realized that she wouldn't be fooled by his nice guy act?
"Then maybe…" He started slowly while offering her a look filled with awkwardness. "I could maybe help you with…that?"
She actually ended up just staring at him after hearing that, trying to process what he was implying with such an offer. Was Naegi Makoto actually offering to help her with her love life?
…What kind of sick joke was this supposed to be?
As if she needed his help of all things!
"I-I mean…!" It seemed that the anger showed in her face if his reaction was anything to go by. "I know how…busy Togami-kun can get, so I just wanted to help Fukawa-san with that..."
She had to begrudgingly agree with Makoto on that regard, for her beloved was certainly a busy man, to the point that times like this in which she could just watch over him were extremely rare.
She mulled over his words for a few moments. While it was obviously just a trick, the actual possibility of getting closer her Byakuya-sama was also too good to pass up.
"H-how…?" Such a thought brought more than a few queries into the mix however, namely how exactly would someone like Makoto help her with such a thing in the first place.
"Well…" It seemed he himself didn't know the answer to such a thing, and she would have complained about wasting her time if he hadn't continued talking. "I think…maybe I could put the two of you together for a project…?"
He seemed uncertain about his own suggestion, something that did little to assure her of what he could actually do. Sure, she knew that as Class Representative he had some leeway, but was that actually allowed?
"Y-you can do that?" She asked with doubt, to which he seemingly nodded slowly while touching his chin with his fingers.
"Kizakura-sensei can be a bit…lax." It was painful to her how hard he tried to not badmouth their alcoholic Homeroom teacher if she had to be honest. "So I'm sure he would let me arrange everything next time it's a group project…"
She hated to admit it but it sounded believable enough. Wouldn't be the first time their excuse of a teacher had just let the Luckster do something that he should be doing, like calling for attendance.
But even so…
"W-why…would you want to help m-me…?" She found herself asking that without even realizing it, for even now she just couldn't get what his angle was. Was he just that bored? Was this still a trick just to humiliate her? Maybe he had made a bet with someone to see for how long he could upset her…
And in response, however, he simply looked at her with such an open gratefulness that she almost recoiled in response.
For whatever reason someone like Naegi Makoto giving her such a look was simply beyond everything she knew, especially considering how she had refused to help him just a few minutes before.
It didn't change the fact that it was the first time someone looked at her in such a way.
"I just…don't like to see Fukawa-san lonely… And if Togami-kun makes you happy then, I want to help."
She honestly had to move her gaze down just to escape the honesty that was on display quite clearly on his brown eyes. She didn't know what to say to that, and although some harsh words were already at the tip of her tongue, she ended up just gulping nervously instead, for this was the first time she didn't feel like snapping at him.
"S-sorry if I made you uncomfortable…" A hint of shame made itself present in his voice, but she still refused to raise her head to look at him properly. "I just want to help Fukawa-san…"
But even so, she kept silent, even after she heard him sigh in defeat. She just didn't know how to handle this right now, so maybe if she ignored him once more he would finally leave her be?
This time it worked, however, and in less than a minute, she found herself alone once more, her body slightly shivering. The sound of a chair scraping the floor and a last muttered apology from the Luckster made that one pretty clear to her even without raising her gaze to confirm.
Chewing her lip in clear annoyance, she didn't know who was upsetting her the most right now, Naegi Makoto for distracting her with empty words, or herself for believing for a moment that those words hadn't been empty promises in the first place.
"…Group 3 is going to be Fukawa, Togami, and Naegi." Their teacher spoke in a lazy tone while writing the names on the board.
And while normally she would have hardly cared for his words or the collective groans of disappointment that left most of her classmates, this time the announcement not only got her attention, but it made her stare at the board with her name on it with nothing but open shock.
A shock that was quickly replaced by nothing but elation and excitement.
Wasn't this the perfect proof of her love being a matter of fate itself? She was almost drooling in anticipation, for now she had an excuse to spend time together with her beloved!
Now he wouldn't be able to just push her away like he usually did! It was perfect!
In fact, the only reason she didn't move her gaze to smile at the object of her desire was the fact that her mind finally caught on the last name that the teacher both said and wrote.
Her whole body froze almost instantly after that, with her eyes widening behind her glasses quite a lot. She was no fool nor she was an idiot, so even though she wanted nothing more than to believe that destiny itself had put her in the same group as her prince, she was also easily able to put two and two together.
Especially considering the little conversation she had with the Luckster in the library, which still refused to leave her mind even days later after the fact. Why couldn't her brain just go back to fantasizing about the perfect future?!
But no, for instead of watching over her Byakuya-sama she now had the urge to throw a glance at the brown-haired boy that had said he would help her, something that she would have done quite easily…
"Sorry about that, Fukawa-san, but Kizakura-sensei insisted on the groups being made of three students."
…If the guy himself hadn't moved to sit right beside her while showing her an apologetic smile, one that had her eyebrow very much twitching.
Her face scrunched up at the sight of the smiling teen, only that this time it was a reaction mostly out of confusion rather than outright dislike.
And with his words, it certainly seemed that her suspicion had been proven correct, although even just admitting in her mind that Naegi Makoto had actually helped her ended up becoming quite the bitter pill to swallow.
"Y-you…" She started slowly, honestly not knowing what to say. Was she supposed to thank him right now? A part of her wanted to just go back to ignore him once more, but for some reason, such a thought left another bitter taste in her mouth.
What she did know, however, was that she didn't like to feel indebted to someone.
"Hmm? Fukawa-san?" The Luckster that was now plaguing her thoughts asked with a tilt of his head, for she could only guess that her inner struggle was showing on her face.
But with a small click of her tongue, she gave the boy a narrowed gaze, one that seemed to put him on edge for some reason. How rude! And here she was, actually trying to give him the benefit of the doubt.
"T-t-thank y-"
"Let's get this over with."
Her words ended up dying in her throat as soon as the commanding voice that could only belong to her beloved filled her ears. Instead, she just spluttered in embarrassment before quickly turning to look at her Byakuya-sama's blue eyes.
"O-Of course, Byakuya-sama…!" She was sure that her face wore nothing but a dopey smile, but she didn't care. Nothing was going to ruin this moment for her.
Not her beloved's slightly disgusted expression nor Makoto's awkward fumbling.
And certainly not the jealousy-filled look that she could see coming from that flossy idol from the corner of her eyes. Not her fault the girl had bad taste!
"That was perfect…!"
"I think that's a bit subjective…"
"The way in which he took control of everything was just m-marvelous!"
"That's…one way of describing it, I guess…"
"He was so dashing, so caring, so focused!"
"…Are we still talking about Togami-kun?"
A content sigh was her next response, for she couldn't care less if the Luckster walking beside her didn't understand the brilliance of her Byakuya-sama. It was better like that since she certainly didn't need competition for her beloved's attention.
Their first meeting as a group had gone without a hitch, and if she had to be honest even Makoto's presence hadn't bothered her that much. There were certainly worse people that she could have on her group, namely everyone else from their class.
At least Makoto tried to pull his weight, she supposed.
But the fact was that, even though they had just left the library where they had decided to meet, she already couldn't wait for their next reunion!
The project itself that they had to work on wasn't particularly demanding or anything since it was just about the history of Hope's Peak Academy, so she could even use most of that time to focus on her dear beloved…
The fact that Makoto seemed really informed about the school for some reason helped too in that regard.
Speaking of Naegi Makoto…
"W-why are you following m-me…?" Her daydreaming state was broken once she realized that the Luckster had been walking to her side through Hope's Peak halls every since they had left the library.
And since she was currently getting closer to her own room here in Hope's Peak she honestly had no idea why Makoto was still around her. She knew by now that the boy didn't live here like her and some of their classmates did, so what was he doing exactly?
"W-well…" It seemed not even the Luckster himself knew of his own reasons, but he was quick to masked it away with a wry smile. "I wanted to make sure Fukawa-san reached her room safely, I guess…"
He honestly didn't sound that convinced of his own words, something that made her give him a narrowed gaze. She ended up just huffing to the side however, simply labeling it as a habit for guys like him. He probably did it all the time with that Idol or Swimmer anyway.
"Y-you can leave already then…" She whispered, barely high enough so that Makoto could hear her, as soon as they reached the door of her room. It was getting a bit late after all, and the last thing she needed was unnecessary rumors that could make her beloved misunderstand something.
"Right…" Makoto answered slowly and with a nod before showing her a small smile. "I'll… see you tomorrow then, Fukawa-san."
She only nodded in response, getting a low chuckle from the Luckster before he started walking away from her.
However, without even realizing it she had moved her gaze to his retreating back, with a thought that had been plaguing her mind for a while once more making itself present in her head.
She…owed him a bit, didn't she?
This wonderful day with her Byakuya-sama had been a direct result of Naegi Makoto's actions, and while she still couldn't just believe that he was doing it just for the sake of helping, for she knew there was no one that would give a damn about helping her of all people, it didn't change the fact that he had helped her.
And she really didn't like feeling indebted to someone, for it opened a can of worms that she preferred not to touch. She could already even picture it on her head, for the Luckster to one day suddenly ask something from her that would get her in some sort of trouble and she wouldn't be able to refuse.
She would rather get rid of that possibility before it became a reality.
"W-wait!" So it was with conflicting thoughts that she called out to him before he walked too far, and while for a moment she feared that her sudden words had not reached him, such thing proved to be false once the Luckster stopped on his track in order to turn his head to look at her over his shoulder.
"Do you…" She started slowly with her gaze shifting from side to side, not daring to look straight at the boy. "s-still need help with the material…?"
She told herself that the heat that she could feel on her cheeks was born out of nothing but exasperation.
But once she didn't get an immediate answer, she finally moved her gaze up to look at his eyes, wondering if he hadn't heard her this time.
The only thing she saw though, was another of those smiles that threatened to leave her blind.
She was already regretting her decision.
"If that will be all then..."
"W-wait, Byakuya-sama…!" She called out to the raising blonde, who only regarded her with a raised eyebrow as a result of her sudden yelp, making her flush in consequence of being the sudden center of his attention.
"What?" He spoke in clear annoyance, actually making her gulp a bit in nervousness. She knew that her beloved was a busy man, but surely if someone could help her with her issue it was him!
"I-I…" She started slowly and with her eyes glued to the floor, with nothing but nervousness eating her on the inside. "I…wanted to a-ask B-Byakuya-sama for help…with my w-writer's block…"
She hated to admit it, but the fact was that she had not been able to think of anything she found good enough to write about. Every idea that came to her head just sounded too dumb, like one of those cheap light novels that the fat guy from her class kept ranting about from time to time.
It hurt her pride to not be able to do her craft, but surely if someone could help her, it was her Byakuya-sama! She knew she was being selfish by asking for his time like this, but surely he would understand!
The narrowed gaze she received from those cold blue eyes did little to ease her nervousness, however…
"Why would I bother with something like that?" Her Byakuya-sama responded in an aloof yet harsh tone, one that made her feel as if something had pierced right through her chest. "The way I see it if you can't even write by yourself, then you have no reason to even be in this school in the first place."
And with no more words between them, her Master simply left the library in with silent footsteps, leaving her helplessly sitting on her chair with her gaze down and her body shaking while her hands grabbed tightly at her rather long version of the school uniform's skirt.
Stupid stupid stupid stupid! She was an idiot through and through, a fool with no purpose! How could she even think that her beloved would have the time to bother himself with her issues? It was like he had just said, how could she be in a school for the elite like him if she couldn't even go past something as silly as a writer's block?
And yet, while she kept telling herself that he had been right… it still did little to change the pain that was coursing through her chest.
"Fukawa-san?"
Ah, right, she almost forgot that she wasn't alone right now.
"W-what?" She spoke while doing her best to hide the hitch in her throat, glaring at the third member of their group. "G-going to make f-fun of me n-now?" He would, wouldn't he? For even if Naegi Makoto acted like a nice guy, there was no way someone would pass up the chance of mocking her after witnessing such a spectacle.
"Of course not!" Makoto denied it vehemently however while looking at her with what she could only describe as sadness. "Togami-kun wasn't being fair with you…"
"What would y-you know…?" She murmured under her breath, only making the Luckster shake his head in response.
"Not much I guess…" He started before giving her a strange look that she couldn't describe properly. "But maybe…I could help you with that a bit…?"
"Y-you?" She blinked owlishly at her classmate with more than obvious doubt sipping into her tone.
"I know I'm not the best at this…" His words only made her snort slightly. "But I've already read Fukawa-san's work before so…maybe I could help you with something!"
Now that actually surprised her quite a bit.
"You read my w-work…?" She asked in open surprise, for never in a million years had she expected for someone like Naegi Makoto to have read her work. He was definitely away from the main demographic after all, and she just believed that most guys his age wouldn't even bother with something like that.
"Of course I did!" This time it was an enthusiastic smile the one that appeared on his face, one that for some reason had her looking at everything except him. She hated to admit it but knowing that Makoto had read it actually made her feel more embarrassed than what she would have preferred. "And it was amazing! My mom and sister loved it too, and I think dad liked it too but he just likes to act like he didn't…you're just that good, Fukawa-san."
Of course, she knew that her book, 'So Lingers The Ocean' had been extremely well received, but to hear such praise like this face to face was not something she was used to.
"Fukawa-san?" Suddenly going silent seemed to be enough to draw concern from the brown-haired boy, but she couldn't help it. For some reason she found herself being tongue-tied to the point that it took her almost a minute to recover herself enough to speak.
"T-talk then…" And even then her voice only came out in a quivering whisper. "Y-you said you w-would help…" Only then was she able to raise her head a bit to look straight at his eyes. "S-so I'm listening…"
She saw him blink at her twice then, followed quickly by a smile that her feeling tongue-tied once more for reasons she couldn't even understand.
"Why don't you just write about what you're actually feeling? Write from the heart I mean."
'Write from the heart' he had told her.
And as much as it shocked to admit it, Naegi Makoto had given her extremely good advice.
She couldn't deny it even if she wanted to, for the result of his advice was resting right in front of her eyes in the form of a stack of paper.
The words written in the papers were the proof of that fact because even if it had taken her a couple of weeks it didn't change the fact that her writer's block was gone.
She honestly couldn't believe it to the point that she had been staring at her new manuscript without even moving from almost ten minutes already.
She breathed a slow sigh after a while, truly glad that no one came to bother her here in her Research Lab.
Now that she had finished her work however, there was only one thing left to do now with her newly written piece of work.
"I should show it to that guy first…" She murmured just as she made a move to pick up on the manuscript, although she ended up stopping her hand inches away from the stack of papers, a sudden wave of nervousness hitting her out of a sudden.
…but would he like it though…?
She suddenly shook her head, doing her best to get rid of such thoughts. Of course he would like it, it was the best thing she had ever written! But even if he didn't, why was she suddenly worrying about that guy's opinion?
Shouldn't she show this to her Byakuya-sama first? Surely even he would praise her if he read such a thing!
But for some reason, she found herself a bit more excited about showing it to the Luckster though…
Was it because he had helped her in the first place? It had to be that, right? If so then, maybe writing some extra to show her…appreciation would also help!
But what to write? A short story? Or maybe a poem?
But did he like poems? Would he like her poem?
Maybe she could also-
Her mind stopped dead in her tracks, with a small gasp suddenly leaving her lips as soon as she realized what she was doing.
When had she started thinking so much about Naegi Makoto of all people?
She hated blonde girls.
It sounded awfully specific, that much she was aware off, but it was the only way of describing how she was feeling right now as she hid behind the corner of one of Hope Peak's hallways.
And the reason for her to be biting her thumb to the point of almost drawing blonde had to do with the smirking blonde model standing right in front of both her Byakuya-sama and Naegi Makoto.
Enoshima Junko…
She had found the blonde twat talking to her beloved Master on her way to the library, forcing her to hide on the corner to see if she could gather anything that the two were talking about.
The last thing she had wanted, after all, was someone else going after her Byakuya-sama.
The already annoying situation had become somehow stranger once Makoto had suddenly appeared and joined the conversation, although with the way he was standing in front of her Master one would think he was protecting him or something.
It was a very well known fact that Makoto wasn't a big fan of Enoshima Junko, and it was something that became extremely obvious considering how he interacted with everyone else besides the model.
She didn't know from where the animosity came from, but even from here she could tell that even her Byakuya-sama seemed a bit surprised by Makoto's behavior.
The fact that the always harmless Luckster suddenly grabbed Junko's wrist and started dragging her away only made his behavior even weirder if that was possible.
She was forced to move away from her hiding spot a bit, gluing herself to the wall to make sure that the incoming Luckster didn't see her. She didn't know why she was doing this, but for some reason, she just didn't want to be found by him right now.
It worked somehow though, Makoto certainly didn't notice her as he walked past her with a rather delighted looking Junko right behind him.
Enoshima Junko did, however, notice her though.
And she made that really apparent with the way she threw her a look and a grin from over her shoulder.
A gesture that, for reasons beyond her, sent shivers down her spine.
"Tell me, Naegi, were you aware of the fact that Fukawa Toko here is also known as the serial killer Genocider Jack?"
It was as if her whole world came crashing down right in front of her, and there was nothing she could do to stop it from happening.
A gasp left her lips just as her whole body trembled. She gave a step back, trying to believe that her ears had heard everything wrong, or that this was some sort of nightmare.
It wasn't, however, and she knew that.
"She has probably killed around half a dozen guys already." Her beloved, the only man that she had trusted her secret to, kept talking in a tone that left no room for mercy. "In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if she wanted for either of us to become her next victim."
No no no no no no no!
It wasn't her! It was never her! It was always that monster! Why, why was he doing this? She had trusted him with that secret, and he had told her that he would keep it as such between them, so why…?!
She would never harm him willingly! Not him and certainly not-
"But it seems you already knew that, didn't you? Naegi Makoto…"
Those next words made her feel as if someone had stabbed her in the chest, with shallow breaths leaving her and cold sweat going down her forehead. Her eyes were as wide as they could get just as she slowly moved her gaze from her Byakuya-sama to the third teen standing a few feet away from her.
And it was like he had said, for Naegi Makoto certainly looked surprised, but not as shocked as anyone should be after receiving such news. In fact, he looked almost resignedly defeated, as if he had expected this outcome but truly had hoped otherwise.
What was the meaning of this…?!
"If you come to bother me ever again, Fukawa, I swear I will reveal this to everyone. Consider this your last warning."
"Togami-kun!" Makoto's yell sounded hollow to her ears, and before she realized it she could already feel the wetness traveling down from her eyes. When was the last time she had openly sobbed like this? She couldn't remember, she thought that she had become strong enough to shy away from such actions…
"Fukawa-san," Makoto spoke slowly in an almost pleading tone, his gaze focused solely on her with such intensity that it made her give another step back without realizing it. "Please, let me explain first!"
No, she didn't want any explanation, she didn't know what was happening but right now she didn't care either.
She didn't want to hear anything else. Any more words would just break her apart even more. She couldn't take it, she couldn't take it from the man that she had loved and she wouldn't survive if they also came from the teen that she was starting to think off as a friend.
She needed to leave, she needed to get out here, now.
She put her hands over her ears before bolting out of the place as quick as possible, completely ignoring the cries of her name coming from behind her. In the back of her head, she realized that it was only Makoto's voice the one calling out her name in concern.
Did her Byakuya-sama care so little about her?
And to think that the sudden night call that she had received from her Master to come to the library would end up like this…
She ran as fast as her legs could take it, although the tears never stopped flowing from her eyes. Had it been her fault for putting her trust in her Byakuya-sama? Was she just meant to be alone forever, was that it?
A dark whisper in her mind, however, told her that she would never be alone.
Before she noticed she was already reaching the door of her room.
She pretty much barged in without missing a beat, but it was such an abrupt action that her feet got tangled in her rather long skirt.
She had no time to react before the front side of her body met the cold floor of her room, but even as she lied there the only thing that she could do was to let the tear flow down on the floor, sniffing every second and a sob leaving her throat whenever she tried to hold it back.
She could only guess how disgusting she must have looked right now…
No wonder her Byakuya-sama hated her so much, for who could truly even care about someone like her?
She opened her mouth slightly, a sudden urge filling her body. It was one that she always did her best to control, to avoid for the monster inside of her to dirty her own hands with blood.
But right now, as she lied there feeling like the biggest mistake in the world, she truly couldn't have cared less for whatever happened to them.
"Fukawa-san!"
A familiar cry of her name was the last thing she heard before the world went black, with the last thing she did being leaving out a small sneeze.
The next time she opened her eyes, it was the ceiling of her room the first thing that caught her gaze.
A small groan left her lips, knowing that she should move up from the floor but honestly feeling too tired to do so.
Before she had time to wonder how she had ended up there though, all the memories of the past half an hour filled her mind. Her being called to the library, her beloved revealing her secret and threatening her to do so again if she bothered him, the sorry state that such an announcement had left her and…
Makoto… and then she had…
A gasp left her soon enough, for it was only then that a rather familiar smell filled her nose, one that had her shaking in nothing but open fright.
She raised her body slowly, hoping and praying to every god above that nothing had happened.
"Fukawa-san…glad you have you back."
The only response that her pleading got though, was a sight that almost had her screaming in despair.
For on the opposite side of the room was the closest thing she ever had to a friend, Naegi Makoto, the Class Representative of class 78, kneeling on the floor, with what looked like scissors firmly lodged in both of his legs and one of his arms.
Crimson blood flowed through the wounds, turning the boy's clothes into red quite easily. Almost a dozen scissors must have been buried in his body, and it didn't take her even a second to know what had happened.
She put a hand over her mouth, as she could already feel the bile threatening to leave her stomach. Tears once more went down her face in response to the obvious agony that Makoto displayed.
"Fukawa-san…" The boy spoke through pained breaths right before trying to stand up. Keyword being trying though, for not even a second later an obvious gasp of pain left him just as he came tumbling down on the floor with a thud.
The sight of his bloodied body hitting the floor was enough to take her out of her shock, getting her to crawl as quickly as she could to where he was.
"No no no, this can't be…" There was nothing but panic in her voice as she came closer to him, but once she did she was quick to extend her hand towards him.
But as soon as she did, the only thing that filled her gaze was the red that was already covering her hands.
She knew what had happened, for she wasn't dumb.
But seeing it firsthand…
This time, nothing stopped the agonizing shriek that left her.
"Fukawa-san…?"
The sound of his voice was enough to make her raise her head from where it had been resting between her arms, a small gasp leaving her once her gaze met the confused brown eyes of the boy resting on the infirmary bed.
She opened her mouth to say something, anything, but nothing came out, not even the apology that she so badly wanted to give him.
Instead, she simply stared almost dumbly at the obviously tired boy, who only blinked in response before throwing a look around the room, his rather pale face telling her that he was able to put two and two together quite easily.
A small hiss of obvious pain left Makoto once he tried to raise his body from the bed, almost immediately forcing her to stand. She wanted to walk closer, or at least tell him to not force himself, but once more she simply couldn't do a thing.
She felt like she didn't deserve it. It was her fault that he was even in that state in the first place, after all. What right did she have to talk to him, let alone see him?
She had known this, but she had still forced herself to be here. She just had to know that he would be safe, that he would recover…that she hadn't killed her only friend…
Her lips quivered just as her whole body did. She was already expecting to see the hatred in his gaze, or maybe even fear. Heck, she could already hear him telling her to back off, threatening to tell the police if she even said a word to him.
Makoto's eyes finally landed on her form, and as soon as his lips parted she closed her eyes, already preparing herself for the words to come.
"Onii-chan!"
The sudden girly voice was not what she had expected.
She opened her eyes right on time to see a younger girl suddenly entering the room and pretty much throwing herself at the bedridden boy, who looked to be barely able to catch her.
"K-Komaru…?" She heard Makoto speak in surprise, although based on his expression it was pretty obvious that he was holding a hiss of pain. "W-what are you doing here?"
"They called from the school, said that something happened to you…" Even though the girl's voice came out muffled she was still able to hear it clearly enough."I called mom and dad, they're coming here already."
She could have sworn she saw the strand of hair resting on top of the girl's head moving by itself as soon as said girl raised her head to look at Makoto with obvious concern.
"W-what happened, Onii-chan?!" Who could she only assume was Makoto's little sister asked as she looked at the bandaged form of the brown-haired teen. This girl, Komaru, was not the only one going pale at the sight of the bandages.
"Well…" Makoto started before giving her a look and a smile, one that simply had her frowning in confusion. "It was an accident actually…but I think Fukawa-san here found help before it got worse…"
She had not expected to hear such words coming from the Luckster, but that surprise paled in comparison to the one she had next.
It wasn't every day you had a younger girl suddenly hugging you to death, after all.
"Thank you thank you!" Komaru repeated on her shoulder, although she wasn't able to give her any type of response. Instead, she could only give Makoto a bewildered look.
Why the hell was he smiling at them as if everything was right in the world?!
"It seems your injuries weren't as serious as they looked, Naegi Makoto-kun."
Another voice finally got the younger Naegi to release her hold on her, and it was the owner of said voice the one that became the center of attention.
Hope's Peak Headmaster stood by the door, with their Homeroom teacher standing right behind him.
Kirigiri Jin entered the infirmary in a calm fashion, and she could see how the man simply gave the Luckster in the bed a raised eyebrow before turning his gaze towards her, actually making her gulp with how pointed his stare was.
"I apologize for the abruptness, Naegi-san, Fukawa-san, but I would like to speak with my student alone for a moment." The oldest Kirigiri she knew then looked straight at Makoto, who seemed unable to meet his gaze. "I just want to get the…right facts of what happened."
This was how it ended for her, wasn't it? Makoto would tell everything that happened to the Headmaster, and then she would either be expelled or outright treated as the criminal that she was.
"Now c'mon young ladies," Kizakura-sensei spoke next with an easygoing smile, one that did little to ease her worries. "Let's see what we can find on this place while the adults talk."
And while it was obvious to her that Makoto's sister wanted nothing but to stay, the girl still relented after a few words from the Luckster himself.
She followed silently herself, knowing that whatever came to her it was probably what she deserved. She still gave Makoto one last look, fearing that it would only the last time she would see him.
The smile he gave her as she left though, somehow managed to calm her even if it had been for just a bit.
The wait felt eternal to her.
Her nervousness and anxiety left her unable to do anything but fear the worse, although by now she knew that the worse was pretty much the inevitable too.
She felt so tired too, exhausted even. She hadn't slept at all yesterday, instead just preferring to wait for Makoto to wake up.
Her body felt sluggish as she sat in the middle of her bed with her knees close to her body and her arms hugging them.
A shaky breath left her lips just as she raised her head from between her arms just a bit, only enough so that she could see something that was more than able to leave her in a cold sweat and gasping for breath.
Namely, the blood stain that was clearly visible close to the door.
She didn't know what was worse to be honest.
If being aware that she had been the one responsible for that…
Or knowing that the blood had belonged to Makoto himself.
She could still feel the warm liquid in her hands…
It made her feel sick, almost to the point that she felt like emptying her stomach right there and there.
Her feelings towards blood itself weren't helping either.
She grabbed her head with her fingers, feeling like pulling the hair out of her head in sheer frustration. Why, why did she have to be like that? Why did she have to have a monster inside of her?!
Would it be better if she just disappeared? To go as far away from possible to make sure that she didn't harm anyone else?
She was sure no one would miss her if she did. Her family couldn't care less for her, her classmates were sick of her, the love of her life pretty much despised her, and Makoto…
He probably wanted nothing to do with her by now.
Not that she would blame him…
"I kept knocking but you didn't answer, Fukawa-san."
Almost as if he had read her thoughts from far away, it was the Luckster himself the one that entered her room in a slow fashion before closing the door behind him.
She would have thought this to be a dream if her eyes hadn't instantly zeroed in on the bandages covering his arms and on the obvious discomfort that he had with each movement.
"I asked for Headmaster-san to give me his key, I thought you would try to lock yourself in," Makoto spoke while raising the hand that was holding what she could only guess was the Headmaster's card-key.
Before, she would have definitely complained about the sudden intrusion to her privacy, but right now the only thing she could do was to hide her head between her arms once more, already dreading what was to come.
"Fukawa-san…"
She knew the words that would come out of his mouth before he even said them. How could she not? She had already imagined in her head almost a million times.
But even though she already knew what was coming, it didn't make it any easier to hear.
"I'm sorry for what I did, Fukawa-san!"
…what?
She raised her head once more with nothing but confusion replacing her previous fear, her eyes landing on an obviously ashamed Naegi Makoto.
"I shouldn't have hidden the fact that I knew about your secret." He spoke with a frown, making her eyes go wide. "The Headmaster told me about it after I became the Class Representative… But I thought it was best if I didn't bring that up between us…"
Makoto had known about her secret long before they started spending more time together, then? If she didn't have so much in her head right now she would have cared about the Headmaster knowing too, but right now her thoughts were somewhere else.
But that didn't make sense! If Makoto knew about it then, why did he kept trying to interact with her? Wasn't he aware of the danger he was getting into?!
"W-why…?" Her voice came out hoarse, and it was only now that she realized just how dry her throat felt. "Why did you t-then…?"
"I just… couldn't imagine how you must have felt with your…condition." That was putting it too kindly, she decided. "And I didn't want for Fukawa-san to be alone because of that…"
The Luckster's words only served to confuse her even more if she had to be honest.
"I thought that, if being around Togami-kun made you happy then, maybe there would be a way for him to help with that too…" And with that, she saw Makoto release a defeated sigh, with even his shoulder sagging. "But I should have known…I should have done something to stop him before he said those things."
No, that had been her fault for putting her trust in him. She should have never revealed her secret to him, but now her belo-no, now Togami Byakuya could ruin her life anytime he wanted to…
"But I promise, Fukawa-san!" Makoto's sudden outburst almost made her yelp in surprise, certainly not expecting the sudden passion that flared in his brown eyes. "That I will do my best to keep your secret hidden from everyone else, and I'll make sure Togami-kun does the same!"
The fact that such a passion was being sorely aimed at her actually made her shiver on her spot. She had never seen Naegi Makoto sporting such a look, and for reasons beyond her, her heart actually skipped a beat at the intensity of his words. They sounded too good to be true, but was she allowed to believe in them just like that?
"I don't think it would be fair for Fukawa-san to not be able to make more friends because of something you can't control…" A sad smile appeared on Makoto's lips, one that was quickly replaced by an awkward-looking grin. "I even had to lie to the Headmaster about what happened since the school wouldn't be the same without Fukawa-san around."
Now that did get her eyes to widen somehow more behind her glasses. He had even…lied for her? After what she had done?
"W-why?!" This time she wasn't able to hold herself back, and her sudden yell certainly seemed to have caught Makoto by surprise. "I hurt you! I could have… I almost…why?! W-why are you p-protecting me?! Why are you still so n-nice?!" Her hysterical yelling ended up tiring her more than she would have liked, to the point she ended up just gasping for air before a last small whisper left her lips. "Why do you c-care so much…?"
She just wanted to know the reason for anyone to seemingly care so much for her.
And the response she received was such a faraway look from Makoto that it left her speechless. She didn't know someone could show both so much pain and gratitude at the same time.
"I owe a lot to Fukawa-san…If Fukawa-san hadn't been there, I don't think I would have been able to keep moving forward…That's why I want to make Fukawa-san truly happy one day."
And then he smiled at her, and for the first time, that smile wasn't blinding her. Instead, it was filling her with such a warmness that she could feel her heart threatening to burst out of her chest.
Not even the former object of her obsession had made her feel like this…
"I-it's a bit embarrassing to say it out loud." A chuckle left Makoto's lips just as he turned around slowly, and the sudden loss of that warmness that had filled her seconds ago was almost enough to make her whimper. "I just wanted to make sure Fukawa-san didn't blame herself for what happened since I don't blame you at all."
"I'll see you tomorrow in class then, Fukawa-san." The boy-no, the young man finished with a wave of his hand right before giving his bandaged arm a nervous look. "This is going to be a bit hard to explain to everyone…"
At that moment she had no shame in admitting that she had been filled with nothing but panic once she saw the Luckster moving towards the door.
Her next action was one she would never forget, for her next movement was a result of nothing but her sheer instincts.
"Hmm? Fukawa-san?"
And before she knew it she had moved so close to him that she had grabbed him by the sleeve of his white shirt, careful enough to not hurt him further but with enough strength in her grip so that he wouldn't just leave her.
She looked at him with her mouth hanging open, knowing that she had to say something but truly not knowing what to say at that moment. It was as if her brain had just decided to stop working properly, abandoning her to her own luck.
Something clicked inside of her though, and while she had no idea why that memory was the one that decided to pop up in her head now of all things, she wasn't going to ignore any help right now.
"D-do you…" She whispered to him, feeling her cheeks burning hot in both embarrassment and shame. "…still want my number…?"
It was dumb. It sounded so dumb now that she had said it out loud. She was left wanting to go and die in a hole to avoid the embarrassment.
But he didn't mock her for that though, and instead he just smiled radiantly at her once more, the warmness one again feeling her very being to the point she could feel her legs quivering under her.
"Of course!"
She knew it at that moment, that she would become addicted to that smile he kept giving her.
And it was something she wouldn't mind getting addicted to.
I-I still don't get what he meant that day… He also never told me what kind of l-lie he told you…
…fell down some stairs…?
And you b-believed that, Headmaster?!
You're a strange man…but thank you.
H-how would I describe him? I-Isn't it obvious? He's my Makoto-sama, what else do you need?
Something else? Well…
Y-you better not laugh at me.
He'smy… knight in shining armor."
This ended up being a lot longer than I anticipated geez.
Now I regret never really reading Toko stuff in this site. While not my favorite character I still hoped to be able to handle her well in such a chapter, but if I had to compare it to Nagito's and Hajime's chapter then this was definitely the hardest one to write.
Did I do Toko justice? I actually don't think so, but I hope the chapter doesn't insult any Toko fan out there.
Why did I decide to focus on Toko first? Well, I did it mostly because out of all the characters from DR1 she is someone I'm having act extremely OOC. Sure, everyone being obsessed with Makoto is already OOC, but to move Toko's obsession from Byakuya to Makoto is something I consider a really big change.
I'll admit I played with her character a bit here, after all, let's face it, canon Toko would have just bounced back into following Byakuya the next day, so I made her a bit less forgiving I suppose. Having her having a big falling out with Byakuya is the only thing I haven't read about Fukawa on this site, so I wanted to have a go at it.
The fun aspect of writing chapters like this is the things that are being left out since the chapter is being told from Toko's perspective. Take Junko's presence as you will.
With any luck, next chapter will come out sooner, with said chapter involving a bit of a time-skip. Nothing big, just of a couple of days so that things can progress in a better way.
Thank you all for your patience and for your support of this story. It had become a lot more popular than I ever thought it would so I can only hope future chapters continue to be of your liking. Thank you for all your follows, favorites and of course reviews!
Next Chapter: Sisterly Invasion.