"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.
Omake at the end!
Chapter 17
Always Read Before Signing
"That's why, I promise to take responsibility!"
Ah yes, that was his own voice, wasn't it?
"I can put it again if you want, just in case you didn't catch that." The youngest Kuzuryu he knew off spoke in a tone filled with mirth, and without even giving him a chance to answer she simply pressed the screen of her phone, allowing for the two to hear his voice coming out of it once more.
A bit of cold sweat appeared on his forehead at hearing that cursed tape. In his defense, he hadn't known she had been recording him that day.
"I-Its fine, Kuzu-" A glare from the blonde stopped him right on hid tracks. "N-Natsumi-chan…But, don't you think this is a bit…too much?"
"Huh?" The frown he received in response told him that she did not share his opinion on the matter. "I wouldn't have to do this kind of stuff if you weren't trying to avoid me, dear."
Now that was one heck of a glare if he could say so himself.
"But I wasn't avoiding you…" If only he had sounded convincing enough…
Maybe his rather…abrupt meeting with her older brother had affected more than what he would have liked to admit.
"Sure sure." Natsumi for her part spoke in barely concealed anger that had him gulping without even realizing it. "Next time I'll just make sure to stick to Hinata's ass since you certainly never miss him whenever you go to the Reserve Course."
In his defense… he had nothing.
"I'm sorry." He could only whisper in honest regret while frowning at the blonde, who simply kept giving him that same glare while she crossed her arms over her chest.
If looks could kill, he would most likely be dead by now
He always knew it would be a blonde the one that would be the end of him.
The Yakuza princess finally gave him some mercy though, for after what felt like an eternity the blonde had decided to just sigh tiredly while shaking her head.
"Whatever." She said with a shrug before openly smirking at him. "You're going to make it up to me today anyway."
And if it was any other day, he would have happily complied with that.
But today of all days…?
"A-about that…"
It was supposed to be an easy thing for her to do.
Make sure nothing weird happens to her Luckster. Simple, easy and a plan she wouldn't mind following along, even if it was her sister the one that had sent her in the first place.
"Make yourself useful and keep an eye on him while I deal with the smocks in our class. I'm sure even you can't screw that up." Junko-nee had said to her, and in her mind, she had believed it as such.
Apparently, she had underestimated the type of troubles that her Luckster could attract.
And here she had believed that being on the constant receiving end of a glare, courtesy of the Lil' Ultimate that Makoto had taken into his home, would be the hardest part of her day.
Not like such a thing had bothered with her attention being solely on the Luckster on question.
The fact that she was now running throughout the streets as fast as she could because the young man that she was meant to protect had been pretty much kidnapped right under her nose was enough proof that her day had gone south pretty quickly.
That girl better not even think of harming even a hair from her Luckster though, because she certainly will have no issue with getting rid of every single individual out there that was somehow connected with her criminal syndicate just as a punishment if she dared.
And in her head, that would be just a slap on the wrist for the blonde, but the Ultimate Soldier was very aware that any direct action wouldn't be approved by the Luckster of her class.
As long as she retrieved the brown-haired teen safely, everything else was a second thought to her.
And with her eyes finally landing on the black vehicle that had taken away the young man in question, her mad dash became somehow even faster. She ignored the surprised cries and looks from people, whether they were from the sidewalks or from other cars mattered little to her either, and instead moved like a wolf that had found her prey.
Too bad for them that she had memorized the license plate.
The tension inside the vehicle was almost strong enough to choke the frowning ahoge-boy to death, to the point that he almost regretted saying the words that had just left his lips.
"You…" The newly rekindled fire in Natsumi's eyes certainly told him what she felt about what he had just told her. "…sure have balls, I'll give you that much."
Something told him that right now, that wasn't a compliment.
"Anyone else in your position would be begging for their lives…" The blonde spoke through obviously gritted teeth, and Makoto was sure he was able to feel the sheer frustration oozing out of her. "And yet you have the gall to ask for a reschedule…!?"
It had sounded better on his head, to be honest.
"I promised Monaca-chan that I would spend the weekend with her." He tried to explain as best as he could, but his words were obviously doing little to cool off the infuriated young woman. "And she has been really looking forward to this, so that's why…" His voice trailed off quietly while he hoping that Natsumi would understand.
And if not, well… he could always just jump off the car.
He was sure that the trembling blonde would make him pay dearly if he did that, but anything beat being in a closed space with an angry girl like Kuzuryu Natsumi, especially with what he could see poking out of one of her socks.
He doubted that was a water gun.
So yes, jumping out of the car was sounding better by the second; then again he was sure any alternative would sound more attractive in such a situation…
He blinked a couple of times before his whole body shuddered at such an idea.
Except dealing with Junko.
He was still not that desperate.
At least he wasn't given much time to think of that particular alternative, considering how he was suddenly pulled by the front of his hoodie with such force that it made him squeak in surprise, a shock that wasn't helped by how close his face suddenly got to an obviously infuriated blue-eyed blonde.
Their noses were almost touching in fact, and in the back of his head a part of him was proud about the fact that the sudden nervousness that filled him was not because of his close proximity with a cute girl.
Well, he would be lying if he said that such a thing wasn't a part of it, but the fact that he knew Kuzuryu Natsumi could easily make him disappear without a trace was definitely what had him almost breaking in a cold sweat.
"Listen here, dear." With her tone of voice, it was more than obvious to the Luckster that Natsumi was doing her best to avoid using a more colorful language towards him. "I did not sacrifice time from my busy schedule just to have you giving me attitude. Last time you acted like a stubborn idiot Peko almost killed you, remember? "
He definitely did, he doubted his body would forget that day even if it had been two years already.
"And I would like to avoid a repeat of that day as much as you do, I'm sure." She kept hissing at him in a low, obviously threatening tone. "Which is why you are going to stop complaining, smile and enjoy our date today and if you're lucky I'll drop you off early enough so that you can continue playing charity with that girl, understood?"
The time-traveler was then pushed back by the girl who finished saying her piece, and with his back hitting the seat behind him Makoto's face turned into a lost, confused face while Natsumi herself simply crossed her arms below her chest just as she narrowed her gaze towards the boy.
And to his credit, it did only take him a full minute before his brain caught up with was she had said.
"…wait, d-date…?!"
Almost, at least.
"…You're so lucky I find you cute." Natsumi whispered under her breath just as she massaged her forehead.
At least they were already at their stop.
She was like a black blur, her form jumping from the roof of every car on the street with such a grace and precision that it almost looked inhuman in a sense.
But for the Soldier doing so, she couldn't have cared less about how she looked at the moment.
No, for the only thing on her mind was how close she was to her target.
It seemed that her objective itself had also realized that though if the rather irresponsible way the vehicle was now being driven was any indication.
The fact that they were now putting one Naegi Makoto on unnecessary danger was enough to make her narrow her eyes.
That wouldn't do at all.
So with a jump and a thud, her body landed straight on the roof of the speeding black car.
But even though it was moving a such a speed she had no problems with keeping her balance just as she stood straight.
And with a raised hand, she struck.
"I apologize for the delay, Ojou-sama."
"It's fine, I made you change cars halfway here anyway so I expected this much." Natsumi said so with a shrug, earning nothing but a grateful nod and a small bow from the rather scary-looking driver if Makoto was forced to describe him in any way.
"I… still don't get why we did that." The Luckster mumbled confusedly with a flushed face. He would have cared more about the details, but the fact that the fingers of his right hand were currently intertwined with Natsumi's left hand had him more nervous than what he would like to admit.
How could she keep such a straight face while holding his hand like this?!
"Call it a hunch." The blonde declared with a smirk right before she pulled him by the hand just as she walked towards the building in front. "Now c'mon, we don't have time to waste and this is supposed to be one of the best stores in Tokyo."
The fact that they were followed by half a dozen men wearing suits and looking like they could kill people with just a look, did little to help Makoto with his sudden bout of nervousness.
The driver screamed.
The man sitting on the passenger seat followed suit.
She just pulled her hand from the roof, tearing off a part of it as if it was nothing, and gave the obviously scared duo a fierce gaze.
"W-we won't talk…!" The driver declared bravely.
And in response, she just tilted her head.
Five minutes, a completely demolished limousine, a rope and a bucket of water later they were certainly doing a lot more than just talking.
"So? You think it would look good?" Natsumi asked in honest curiosity while she gave the jacket hanging from her hand a look full of appraisal.
He opened his mouth to respond, with the thing that his brain wanted to blurt out being how he knew for a fact that the blonde to his side would look good in pretty much anything, even the school uniform that she was wearing right now.
He closed it before he was able to speak however, deciding that it was better to be silent than to just splutter around like an idiot. He wouldn't have to worry about that if Natsumi hadn't decided that moment to move her thumb across the back of his hand just as she made the hold that she had on his hand even fiercer.
He gave her a glance from the corner of his eyes, hoping that his embarrassment wasn't that obvious on his face.
The smugness in her smirk told him that it was, in fact, that obvious.
"We would be here all day if you didn't wear your emotions on your sleeve." The amusement on Natsumi's voice was more than obvious, something that only had him groaning slightly.
"W-wouldn't it be easier if we weren't h-holding hands?" He questioned honestly, truly not understanding why even now their hands were still connected, besides the obvious joy that she got from leaving him flustered.
…He hoped that wasn't her only reason.
"Oh? And I bet you wouldn't miss the chance to escape if I did, now would you?" She said with a small frown, one that only had him chuckling awkwardly in response.
He would never say out loud that the idea had crossed his head already, but to do such a thing…
"E-even if I actually tried…" His words were followed by the young man giving the rather spacious and fancy-looking store a searching look. "I think you already got that covered…"
Suffice to say, the men that followed them, or rather the girl to his side, didn't exactly blend together nicely with the store's interior.
The fact that the people working didn't seem to care made him wonder just how used they were to having a small army like that inside their business.
It didn't help that they were giving him thumbs-up or waving at him whenever he stared at them, almost as if they were proud of whatever this was supposed to be.
"So you would just run off if you could, huh?" And now the Yakuza princess was giving him a look that told him she wasn't impressed by him in the slightest, however against such a thing he did nothing but to shake his head firmly.
"I w-wouldn't." He spoke firmly before using his free hand to scratch his cheek. "I mean… I couldn't just leave you alone…" It would be rude after all, and he had certainly been rude enough with the blonde for a lifetime.
"…of course you wouldn't." Luckily for him, Natsumi seemed satisfied with his answer if the smile that appeared on her lips was any indication.
The moment said smile turned way too sly for his taste though, was when the cold sweat started to hit in.
And with how she suddenly used the fact that they were holding hands to her advantage in order to twist his own arm behind his back, he would like to think that his worries were justified.
"Now c'mon, I think that jacket would suit you better than me." Natsumi's sing-song voice compliment his own struggled spluttering quite nicely, but every attempt that the Luckster did to escape her grasp was met with nothing but failure. "That way you won't go around with that damn hoodie all the time."
"W-what's wrong with my hoodie?" He asked, truly feeling offended that his favorite piece of cloth was being attacked, while also using his free hand to keep himself from being pushed inside the changing room that Natsumi was apparently very adamant on using.
"The fact that you think there's nothing wrong with using it all the time is the problem with it." And even though he wasn't able to see her face, he could feel the smirk that she was most likely sporting at the moment. "Now stop being a child and get in there. I'll even help you."
"That's kind of the issue here…!" That and he had seen the price of that thing.
There was no way in hell he was letting her buy something like that for him.
Luckily, or unluckily depending on who you asked, he was saved from going inside a tight space with a girl he could only describe as dangerous by one of the aforementioned scary-looking bodyguards coughing slightly to their side with the obvious intention of getting their attention.
"I'm sorry for interrupting your moment, Ojou-sama." The fact that said man, who easily towered over the two mind you, actually seemed to break into a cold sweat as soon as Natsumi's less than pleased glare landed on him, only served as a reminder of the blonde's status.
"What?" She hissed behind him, and for the first time she also finally released her grip on his hand in order to put both of her hands on her hips. "Someone better be dying if you came to interrupt us."
"W-well…" The man actually stuttered, to the point that the Luckster truly started feeling a bit bad for him. "W-we lost contact with the decoy group…"
Such words were followed by Natsumi actually growling, something that actually had the scary-looking man suddenly deciding to use something as a shield just in case his mistress decided to express his anger towards him.
"Eh?" Sadly for the Luckster, it seemed that he himself was the best protection against Natsumi's ire if the way the bodyguard was crouching behind him while grabbing him by the shoulders was any indication.
"I apologize for this, Young Master." There was nothing but honest regret in the man's voice. "But I have a wife and child back home."
"J-just please stop calling me that…" He whispered back embarrassingly to the man, who only shook his head slightly. Why had they all decided to start calling him that one day was simply beyond him.
"It would be too disrespectful to the future Young Master, Young Master."
"What do you mean-"
"Enough!" Natsumi's angry hiss was enough to make him shut his mouth tightly while the man that still had a hold on his shoulder trembled in response.
He was then forcefully separated from the still trembling bodyguard, who he could have sworn actually whimpered at being at the receiving end of Natsumi's heated glare.
"C'mon, we're using the emergency exit then." The Yakuza princess certainly wasted no time in reclaiming his hand as her own right before she started to guide him towards another section of the store.
"W-wait, why are we-"
"Shush you; I'm making a phone call." He ended up just giving the blonde a look filled with confusion just as she brought her phone to her ear.
"It's time." The fact that said call only lasted less than five seconds only managed to confuse him even more.
"I must take my leave, Young Master." The Ultimate Swordswoman declared just as she pocketed her cellphone, simply earning a raised eyebrow from the smaller blonde, who went quickly to check on the papers on his hand.
"It was Natsumi? Then yeah, sure." Fuyuhiko just waved his hand lazily, not knowing exactly what was going on, but having no issue with it if it involved his dear sister.
"Thank you, I shall be back shortly." And with a small vow, the silver-haired Ultimate moved to leave the Ultimate Yakuza's room.
"Wait." Fuyuhiko's voice regarded her just as she reached the door however, forcing her to look back at the frowning blonde. "You better not tell Natsumi about the surprise, you hear me? At least not until I get Makoto's signature in this thing."
His words were accompanied by waving a piece of paper, one that the Swordswoman knew perfectly well by now.
"I…promise to not say a thing, Young Master." And while Pekoyama Peko loved the Ultimate Yakuza to death, and would do everything in her power to protect him, she was also aware that he sometimes needed to learn his lessons by himself.
How the blonde had managed to get his sister's signature in that thing without her realizing it was still something beyond her comprehension.
"Good!" Fuyuhiko's voice came out with so much pride and confidence that it honestly made her feel a bit bad. "Can't wait to see the look on her face after I show her this!"
Then again, considering the look he was giving to that paper, Peko honestly had to wonder which Kuzuryu would love such a union the most.
Not that she had any room to judge though, considering how having the Luckster as a formal member of the clan honestly made her feel giddy on the inside.
"I'll be leaving now." She would just have to make sure her Master's little sister didn't beat him up too much for doing such things behind her back.
Something told her that any anger Natsumi might have after she found out would only be momentarily though, once she realized what it actually meant.
But right now, she had another type of conflict that she needed to intervene in.
"Oh no…" There was nothing but fear and apprehension dripping from his tone just as his brown eyes focused on the name of the establishment in front of him.
This…this was not good.
Out of all the possible places that Natsumi could have chosen, out every little store in the city, it just had to be this one…?!
Was it some sort of joke? Or was it just his luck acting up once more?
Maybe it was a punishment that the blonde girl had decided to inflict into him.
A quick look to his side proved that to not be the case though, or at least that is what he got from the confused frown that Natsumi was throwing his way, definitely a response to his sudden comment.
He supposed that he could only blame his luck on this one then.
That thing had certainly been working extra hours today it seemed.
"What? You don't like candy now?" Natsumi questioned with a narrowed gaze, to which he could only shake his head slightly in response.
He certainly wasn't against them. In fact, at one point he was sure his body had become actually addicted to the damn thing.
That was actually one of the problems though.
Especially considering that the one that had made him addicted in the first place was most definitely inside of the building in front of him.
A shiver went down his spine, for he knew for a fact that she wouldn't be alone.
She never was.
And in his mind, he just knew that he had to do something before this already chaotic day somehow became even more absurd.
But by the time his brain actually decided to function again, it was already too late, for his fate was sealed the moment Natsumi dragged him across that store.
The bell announcing their entrance ended up being the sound of his doom
"Welcome-Makoto…?"
"Ma-kun?!"
At least he could hope for things to not go that badly, right?
Right…?
Somehow, and contrary to his beliefs, things hadn't actually ended as bad as he had believed they could…
"Leave him alone, you delinquent!"
"I dare you to say that again, you bitch!"
No no, it had somehow ended worse.
Being used as some sort of make-shift rope in a sick game of thug and pull was already bad enough
The sound of metal clashing against metal only added more to his growing headache.
Looking at the bright side though, he supposed it was better to be between the princess of the greatest Yakuza gang in existence and the Ultimate Confectioner, than in the middle of the clash between the Ultimate Swordswoman and the Ultimate Blacksmith.
His positive outlook could only carry him so far though, especially with how his arms felt as if they were going to be ripped out of his body at any second by now.
"Yoi-chan, give me a hand over here!" It was the older Ultimate, Ando Ruruka, who yelled through gritted teeth just as she gave an exceptionally strong pull to his arm.
"In a second, Ruruka-chan." And in response, he heard Izayoi Sonosuke, the Ultimate Blacksmith, answering calmly while focused on his own endeavor.
Considering that said endeavor was to block a swing of Pekoyama Peko's blade with a pair of kunai, he could only assume that the older Ultimate needed all the focus that he could get.
The fact that such spectacle was giving the Luckster some really bizarre sense of dejavu was enough to make his already alarmed eyes grow even wider.
And it had only taken around five minutes for his situation to devolve into…whatever this was supposed to be.
His two former senpais recognizing him had been the first sign.
Natsumi's mean comment had been the second, followed by her refusing to let go of his hand was the second sign.
And with Peko's sudden appearance, which had almost give him a heart attack, to say the least, things had quickly turned into a hot mess.
"Hya!" He wasn't really surprised though, for Natsumi to end up being the strongest one of the two, since with another mighty pull he ended pretty much glued to the blonde with the way she was now hugging his arm while growling towards Ruruka, who had fallen on her behind as a result of the blonde's surprising strength.
"Seriously, why do you attract every weirdo in the area…?!" Natsumi whispered into his ear, and the part of him that felt actually offended at such comment had him opening his mouth to respond.
And he would have…!
…If the door to Ruruka's shop hadn't suddenly been opened with enough force to actually gain everyone's attention, even of the fighting duo.
Even the other clients ended up just moving their cellphones from the fight to the door, and while he would have thought that having people fighting with real weapons would have been enough to send the costumers into panic, apparently they were happy just enjoying the show.
He supposed someone should be happy right now.
Because once his brown eyes landed on the newcomer, he certainly felt like apologizing to Natsumi instead of complaining about her comment.
After all, he had no doubts that Mukuro's sudden appearance was a direct result of him being here.
The groan that Natsumi released certainly told him that she agreed.
He would give credit to the Ultimate Soldier though…
At least it took her almost half a minute to pull out her own knife before joining the fray.
And with the chaos unfolding in front of his eyes, he barely even felt as he got dragged by a very frustrated blonde.
Although at least, at the back of his head with whatever fraction of rationality was left, he did hope that Mukuro hadn't left both Komaru and Monaca by themselves…
"So…does this happen often?" Yasuke asked while slowly licking the ice-cream in his hand, for even if he preferred silence, the awkwardness surrounding him and the two girls sitting on the bench was way too much, even for him.
"…yes." The dejected girl with the ahoge answered, seemingly not the bit interested in the cone in her hand. "I just hope Onii-chan's fine."
"Knowing him, he's probably with a girl somewhere." Besides knowing that Makoto had been kidnapped, he honestly could only guess.
But based on the defeated way that guy's little sister lowered her head, he supposed he was correct on his assumption.
"What…did you say?" Said question didn't come from the Naegi though. No, it actually came from his right, to be more precise from the green-haired girl that had kept to herself every since he had arrived.
"Just that knowing the guy, he's probably sucking f-" He would have continued his words if the girl in the wheelchair hadn't suddenly smacked him right on his hand.
It didn't hurt per se.
But his cone of ice-cream falling from his grasp and meeting the ground with a wet thud certainly hurt him a lot more than what he would like to admit.
He gave the melting ice-cream a lost gaze before giving the green-eyed girl a look, one that was only returned by glare just as she took a bite out of her own ice-cream, almost as if daring him to even try something.
"Do you…want mine?" And as nice as Naegi Komaru's proposal sounded, it somehow only hurt whatever was left of his pride even more.
"Well…at least they're putting quite the show."
Those words were, in Makoto's opinion, way too much of an understatement.
He would admit that yes, seeing the Ultimate Swordswoman, Ultimate Soldier and former Ultimate Blacksmith crossing blades was definitely quite the sight.
The fact that he had been somehow dragged into a rooftop in which he would see the battle quite clearly only added more to the view.
That, however, only made him want to bang his head against the metal rail he was holding even more.
"We need to stop this!" He suddenly declared in a hurry before quickly turning around to move towards the stairs.
He was promptly stopped by certain blonde grabbing the hood of his hoodie, stopping him right in his track.
"And what will you exactly do, huh? Throw yourself at the middle and hope they stop before cutting you to pieces?"
"…w-well…"
"…Oh my god, I was just joking, you idiot!" With him being suddenly turned around right before Natsumi grabbed by the front of his clothes, he had to wonder if he was actually safer here rather than in the middle of three trained individuals using real weapons.
"B-but it worked last time…" He confessed, almost meekly
The way in which Natsumi's glare intensified told him that he should have just kept that little tidbit to himself.
Luckily, he was saved by the bell.
Quite literally, in fact, considering the jingle that suddenly came out from one of Natsumi's pockets.
And while Natsumi gained a confused expression, the Luckster's face only paled after hearing such a thing.
It was coming out from his phone, after all, one that Natsumi had confiscated after kidnapping him.
"Headmaster…?" He heard the blonde whisper after taking out his phone and seeing who it was, right before throwing the device at him. "It's for you."
And to show that he was learning from his mistakes, he wisely didn't add any comments to that, and instead focused on what he knew wouldn't be a pretty call.
"Hello? Headmaster-san?"
"…"
"Hai, I k-know…"
"…"
"N-no! I mean, I don't think- I mean I'm here but-yes they started fighting because… "
"…"
"…Hai, I'll do my best."
"…"
"I'll be sure to d-drop by tomorrow then…sorry."
A sigh filled with tiredness left his lips as soon as the man on the other end of the line ended the call, his shoulders sagging just as he gave the device in his hand a sad, almost defeated look.
That…could have gone better.
He didn't know what hurt the most, if the fact that the Headmaster's first assumption was that he was involved into this somehow, or that he had actually been right about that.
"You know…" Natsumi's voice filled his ears a few seconds later, but by her tone, he would get no sympathy from the blonde. "This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't ignored me for almost three weeks by now."
And against such a snide comment, Naegi Makoto's patience actually started to run thinner.
After all, today was supposed to be a relaxing day, one that he was going to use to start showing certain Li'l Ultimate that the world itself wasn't filled the terrible people like her relatives and that she didn't have to seclude herself, even from her friends.
He was even going to use the chance to patch things up with Komaru, after all having his little sister looking at him all the time with either disappointment or anger wasn't something he wanted to get used to.
But instead, here he was, now having to stop three of his friends from harming each other after being dragged around against his will.
And normally, he wouldn't have minded. Usually, he would have taken it in stride, for after years of being an Ultimate, he had learned that it was simply part of the course.
But today, he couldn't.
Because just imagining Monaca's disappointed face, alongside Komaru's betrayed expression was enough to make the hold he had on his phone so tight to the point his knuckle almost turned white.
And the one responsible for such a thing was now just blaming him of everything?
He wasn't one to get upset easily, but right now Kuzuryu Natsumi was really pushing it.
So when he turned his face towards her, it was with a frown, with his lips parting just as he was about to voice his feelings towards the blonde girl.
But as soon as his eyes landed on her form, his mouth ended up closing, his eyes blinking just as his frown became softer by the second.
Natsumi wasn't even looking at him, or even at the spectacle below them. No, instead she had her gaze set firmly on pretty much nothing, with her elbows set on the rail at the edge of the rooftop while her chin rested on both of her hands, her eyes set on a lost, faraway look that he had rarely seen in the girl.
And it was one that he didn't like one bit.
Kuzuryu Natsumi was a strong-willed, prideful and fierce girl, after all, one that had no problems with getting what she wanted, even if she had to fight for it.
She was the young woman who had the greatest Yakuza group under her, to the point that even her brother had once told him that she was the one best fit to lead said organization.
And with such a girl, seeing such a sad look on her normally confident gaze just felt…wrong.
For the last time he had seen her like this… well, it wasn't a pretty memory.
Even if it had also been the day he could truly say they had become friends.
It was only then that he truly thought of the words that she had said, and once that he did he found himself only being able to sigh slightly while scratching the back of his head, his previous anger suddenly being washed away by a sense of guilt.
She had been right, hadn't she? In the end, he had kind of ignored her for the past weeks.
He couldn't even say that he hadn't had the time to check on her, for he could have certainly done so every time he went to the Reserve Course.
He hadn't done so on purpose however, that much he was sure, but was it better just not noticing that he had ignored one of his oldest friends in Hope's Peak Academy?
After all, while back on his future he had barely known about the girl that was Kuzuryu Natsumi, here they had known each other for more than two years already.
Had the words of her brother really scared him that much, or had his hunt for this new Ultimate Despair blinded him that much? He honestly wasn't sure right now.
And while he was still more than a bit annoyed at her actions today, he just couldn't say that he wasn't at fault here too.
It was with such thoughts that he moved closer to where she was standing, close enough so that their shoulders were almost touching. The girl showed no reaction, however, and instead opted to simply keep looking forward, almost as if waiting for him to give the first step.
And as the older one of the two, he supposed that it was only right. They might look the same age, after all, but technically he was around six years older than Natsumi by now.
…That made him feel old for some reason.
"I'm sorry." He whispered, albeit loud enough so that the blonde would hear him.
And with how she was now looking at him from the corner of her eyes, he knew that he had her complete attention.
"You're right, I shouldn't have ignored you." His voice dropped with nothing but sincerity just as he kept his eyes forward. "You're my friend and…I wasn't being fair with you."
"It's just that, I…" He continued, right before closing his mouth, suddenly lost in thought. What was he supposed to say now? He knew any excuses that he could come up with would just fall flat, but saying the truth was either the last thing he wanted to do, or something that he knew would mean the same as stepping on a landmine.
And as much as he would like to think that he had learned how to lie better, he still knew that Natsumi would have no problem with calling him out if he even attempted to lie to her face.
"Ah!" Before he was able to come up with something though, a sudden bout of pain filled his arm, courtesy of the punch that the blonde had seemingly decided to land on his shoulder.
"You have that look on your face." Natsumi spoke calmly, just as a small smile appeared on her lips. "The one you get when you think too hard on a way to hide whatever is eating you up."
…huh.
Was he really that easy to read nowadays?
"To me, yes." And almost as if she had read his thoughts, the blonde continued with her words. "I also know that you're too stubborn to tell me whatever has been bothering…I'm not dumb, you know? I can tell something's upsetting you."
He gulped in response, honestly expecting an interrogation to begin right there and there.
Instead, the only thing he got was another punch to his shoulder.
"I also know that you're too stubborn to ask for help." The blonde said just as she started walking away from him and towards the door that led to the stairs they had taken to get here. "Honestly, you're somehow more stubborn than Nii-san, and that's a feat."
"But even so…" And just as the Reserve Course student was reaching the door, she turned her head to look at the Luckster from above her shoulder. "Just know that if you say the word, I'll have an army ready anywhere, anytime."
The scariest part was that, he knew she was not exaggerating even a bit.
"Now c'mon." She motioned towards the stairs with her head right before continuing her walk. "I told Peko to behave but we might as well stop this already and get you home before you get a stroke or something."
And then, her figure slowly disappeared as she opened the door and moved down the stairs.
However, to the time-traveler that was left on that rooftop, such ending was still not enough.
So it only took a second before his legs dragged him in a quick dash towards the open door, his hand grabbing the doorstep just as he reached it, with his brown eyes immediately going to the descending girl.
"N-Natsumi-chan!" His voice came out with more force than what he had expected, and he knew that it had been caught the young girl by surprise if the sudden widening of her eyes was any indication.
It didn't take long before she turned and raised her eyes to meet his brown eyes with her own olive orbs, an expression of bewilderment plastered all over her face.
"I promise to make it up to you." He declared as such, making her surprise become even more pronounced. "Next time, I'll be the one taking Natsumi-chan out, that's why…I…!"
"You mean like a date?" Natsumi's asked while blinking owlishly, right before a small grin started forming on her lips, one that, alongside her words, actually had him flushing in embarrassment.
That would not have been the choice of terms he would have used, but…
"S-sure…" Seeing that spark once more in her eyes was certainly worth the embarrassment.
And with the grin she was now sporting, he knew he had said the right thing.
It was his turn to be surprised, however, for Natsumi had then suddenly decided to extend her hand towards him, and with how close they were he knew he would have no problems with actually grasping it if he chose to do so.
It only took a couple of seconds for him to understand the meaning of her gesture, and while he knew his cheeks were probably more than a bit red at the moment, he still ended up just nodding slightly before grasping her hand with his own.
And in less than a second, he found their fingers intertwined once more.
This time though, he didn't fight it at all.
If such a thing was enough to make her happy then, who was he to complain?
Besides…
"Natsumi-chan, huh?"
"I-it just slipped…!"
He would be lying if he said that he didn't enjoy the warmness of her hand at least a bit.
"I'm so sorry for what happened." He spoke while bowing deeply, while only hoping that whatever punishment they saw fit wouldn't be permanent.
"I'm just glad you're back, Onii-chan." Well, whatever punishment Komaru came up with anyway, since Monaca was too busy trying to hug him from her position in her chair.
It would have been a heartwarming scene if it wasn't for the deadpanned expression Komaru was throwing his way.
Or the one that the Ultimate Neurologist was also throwing his way.
They were both even crossing their arms over their chest.
At least Komaru finally decided to take pity on the Luckster, for after sighing slightly she ended up just hugging him too, much to Monaca's displeasure.
"I'll make it up to both of you, I promise." He said towards the two younger girls, right before giving the older Ultimate a smile. "And senpai-"
"Shut up." He was, however, stopped on his tracks by Yasuke's cutting remark.
One that was followed by the obviously tired Ultimate pointing at him with his finger.
"You owe me an ice-cream." Makoto could only blink confusedly at that.
"And you need to put a leash on him or something." Yasuke then pointed towards Komaru, right before pointing at the green-haired girl who looked more than ready to bite his head off.
"…still not worth the effort." And with those partying words, the Ultimate Neurologist left with both hands on his pockets.
"…I think we should go home already." It was Komaru the one that voiced out such idea, to which the ahoge-boy found himself simply nodding in response.
"I agree." That answer, however, didn't come from him.
Instead, all three of the group ended up blinking before moving their heads to the said, their gazes landing on the owner of said voice, who also looked more than ready to follow them home.
They blinked once more.
Ikusaba Mukuro just tilted her head.
And just as Komaru moved to hide behind him while Monaca's frozen smile was followed by her right eye twitching, Naegi Makoto found himself just throwing out a tired breath.
Something told him that the dinner table would be quite packed today.
I'm now worrying that some readers might believe I have a bias towards blonde characters. I… probably do actually, not going to lie, but hey that just means more Junko in the future and that's always a good thing, right? (This is my way of saying there will be more Junko next chapter)
A part of me actually wanted to write a more detailed fight between the three Ultimates, but I might as well save some of that action for the future.
I think this chapter answers some questions about Natsumi, albeit just a bit. Mostly just a fun chapter with a side-character before going back into the fray that is Hope's Peak, so to speak. That isn't to say that this chapter won't cause ripples in the future though.
I know Sonosuke's and Ruruka's appearance was extremely short. For any fans of them, don't worry they will be back soon enough.
I might actually start a poll soon enough, one to know just how often you readers would like the character-focus/flashback chapters since I know plenty of you really want to read one with your favorite character.
There's still an extra chapter going out in 3 days, and while not a long one I'm using it to show a glimpse of something some readers have been interested for a while now. It might even answer some questions about the story too.
Thank you all for your continuous support. I never expected for this story to get so many favs and follows, and for that, I can only thank you all. Now I just need to find a way to beg for reviews without sounding desperate, maybe with a joke or something.
Next Chapter: Despair shall be your wingman tonight.
Omake
Guardian Dog: Cerberus
Towa Monaca was not pleased.
Not even a bit
As if being denied the chance to sleep in the same bed as her Onii-chan could leave her anything but upset in the first place.
But now, as everyone slept, she had almost accomplished her objective.
Now she just needed to open the door slightly, and she would reach her Onii-chan's room!
So without missing a beat, she did so very carefully.
And the first thing her eyes saw was white fur.
She blinked twice.
And in response, the owner of said fur just perked up its head from the floor.
She gave the dog a narrowed gaze.
Said dog only tilted its head to the side while its tongue darted out of its mouth.
She moved to open the door a bit further.
The dog picked something off the floor with its fangs.
And she swore that if it was some stupid toy she would-was that a knife?
She blinked, thrice this time.
The dog moved its maw, making the object in its mouth to shine a bit with the moonlight.
That… was a really big knife, Monaca noticed.
She then closed the door, right before slowly walking back to that dumb girl's room.
'You win this one' She thought just as she covered her body with a blanket.
Her greatest enemy to date had finally made itself know.