"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 RWBYJNPR for beta-reading this chapter.

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

Chapter 18

Heartfelt Emotions

Sleepovers were still a bit of an alien concept for one Naegi Makoto.

It wasn't that he didn't know the concept of one or anything like that, of course.

But rather, he just never had the chance to experience them that much as he grew up.

He never had that many friends growing up, at least not until he was admitted into Hope's Peak, and since during his first tenure at that school he had actually lived there, there wasn't really an opportunity for such an activity.

And with everything that happened after…suffice to say, sleepovers were the last thing that had crossed his mind during the more turbulent times.

His second time as Hope's Peak student brought several changes, though.

One of them being the fact that he now still lived with his parents, rather than just moving to one of Hope's Peak many rooms for the students that decided to take refuge there.

Maybe it had been selfish on his part, all things considered, but the last thing he had wanted to do after seeing his family reunited after years was to suddenly leave them.

Back on the topic though, another change that it brought was that his number of friends had increased, by a lot. He wasn't trying to brag or anything, but it was hard to describe it in any other way.

His parents also weren't against any of his friends staying at his home, for that matter.

So why then, were sleepovers such a strange experience to him?

To put it in just one word, it was fear.

Just imagining how any of his friends would react if he suddenly woke up screaming or soaked in cold sweat was enough to truly make him shiver. The fact that some of them weren't really good at keeping secrets only made it even more terrifying.

Of course, this didn't mean that he had never slept in the same room as other people. Sometimes, it was just an inevitable thing, after all, even if said moments were rare, and so far it was only sheer luck that he never had an episode in such situations.

And contrary to what his title might imply, he wasn't going to believe that luck was going to keep him safe forever.

Like before though, sometimes such situations were simply unavoidable.

And it was because of that fact that he had been rambling about sleepovers in his head for the past five minutes.

Well that, and the need to distract himself with something.

"Mmmm…" Monaca's soft mumbling brought him back to reality though, an easy feat considering her arms even squeezed him tightly too.

And honestly, if he didn't know better, he would say that she was even purring just as her unconscious form snuggled as close as possible to his right side.

Convincing his parents of letting the younger girl sleep in his room had been easy enough after he had explained her situation and his reasoning.

That had apparently been taken as an open invitation to anyone interested in the idea of resting in the same room as him.

And by anyone, he meant the Ultimate Soldier that had followed them home that evening.

And Komaru too, for that matter, who had been adamant about having to make sure nothing weird happened tonight.

The fact that his parents had no complaints about Mukuro's request, although at the time it had sounded almost like a demand, left him with more than a couple of conflicted feelings.

His room wasn't that big though, so the futons had to be brought out.

Monaca had looked so unpleased with it all that he could have sworn the arm-rest of her chair had started cracking under the pressure of her grip.

Still, someone had to take the bed though, and since he wasn't going to take it for himself, a game of rock-paper-scissors had taken place in his living room, a game that Komaru had actually won.

Although with how the three had looked, you would think Komaru had been the one that had lost.

An overcomplicated affair that had finally ended with their current arrangement, with him sleeping in the middle of his room while Monaca did her best to squeeze the life out of him as she slept, while Komaru slept soundly on his bed.

Ah right, and Mukuro just so happened to be sleeping to his left.

Thus, the need for him to distract his mind with anything at this point.

This was why he was currently just looking up at the ceiling of his room, while trying to ignore the fact that he had a classmate of his, one that he certainly found attractive, simply lying down right to his left.

He was sure his face was more than a bit flushed though, and he could only wonder if it was visible under the moonlight.

Suffice to say, sleeping was simply out of the question when the only thing he could do was to lie there awkwardly until sheer tiredness finally defeated his overworking brain.

But as if having someone like Mukuro like this wasn't bad enough for his well-being, the fact that he could feel her blue eyes making a hole in the side of his face wasn't helping either.

He was sure she hadn't even blinked so far, for he certainly couldn't remember a moment so far in which he hadn't felt her gaze zoning in on him as if his face held the meaning of the universe or something like that.

He knew that the Ultimate Soldier sometimes wasn't the best with social protocols, but even so…Surely, she at least knew that just staring at someone like this wasn't exactly the best, right? And that was ignoring how adamant she had been about being in the same room as him during the night…

That was a conversation that he would be having with her first thing in the morning, to say the least.

But right now, he really didn't even know if he was supposed to say something. What exactly could he say in the first place? Tell her that her gaze was making him feel more than a bit awkward and self-conscious? Something told him that wasn't the right thing to say in this situation, but he was running out of options by the second.

And Mukuro certainly didn't look like she would close her eyes and fall asleep any time soon.

At least Monaca and Komaru seemed to be comfortable enough because at this rate it was going to be one hell of a long night…

"Naegi-kun…"

The soft whisper to his left, however, was finally able to break the tense silence that had been covering the room.

His eyes widened a bit, for even though her voice was soft it was still able to surprise him. He slowly, and with honestly a bit of doubt, turned his head towards the owner of said voice, brown orbs instantly meeting blue once both Ultimates ended face to face.

And honestly, it only made the Luckster even more nervous since he was reminded of how close they were. Nothing like with Monaca since the green-haired girl was by now using his arm as a pillow for her head, but still close enough to the point he was sure he would be able to count the freckles splashed over her nose under a better light.

Still, he did his best to keep his gaze leveled on hers, waiting for the Soldier to finally regard him again, even though she kept her silent, intense gaze focused on him once more.

It would have made him gulp if he didn't know by now that Mukuro would never hurt him.

"Are you…" The black-haired teen started, seemingly struggling with her next words if her pursed lips worked as an indication of anything. "…alright?"

Her question only made him frown in confusion, with his mind trying to understand the meaning behind said question. He doubted it was about the sleeping arrangements, but she probably did notice how tense he had been so far.

"I-I'm fine, Ikusaba-san." He doubted stuttering was the best way of convincing her of that though. "I just feel a bit tired; I guess…it was a bit of a wild day."

That wasn't far from the truth, all things considered...

Even so, he could see that something was still off about his classmate, for even though Ikusaba Mukuro was extremely good at hiding her emotions, with time he had learned more than a couple of things about her.

Their current closeness also helped a bit.

"No…" Mukuro slowly shaking her head before sighing only helped make his frown even more pronounced.

Her next words didn't help in that regard.

"Junko-chan told me that someone was targeting you…"

His eyes opened as wide as they could, and the Luckster was sure that if it wasn't for Monaca's hold on him, he would have sat up quite abruptly after hearing those words, but instead he found himself only being able to do the best fish interpretation known to mankind, with the way his mouth just opened and closed.

It might have been something he should have considered in the first place, but for some reason, he never thought that Enoshima Junko would actually tell such a thing to Mukuro. The twin's relationship had gone south almost a year ago, after all, and while he knew for a fact Mukuro still loved and cared for her sister, he hadn't been sure if the whole thing was mutual in the first place.

Mukuro had been one of the first victims of the nightmare that was the Killing Game, after all, and all under Junko's own hands.

"That's…" The disbelief and worry in his tone were plain to hear to the world, followed by nothing but silence. This was one of the last things he had wanted, for one of his friends to even knows about something like this. What was Junko trying to do by telling Mukuro in the first place?

Junko knowing that there was a new so-called Ultimate Despair out there was already troubling enough as it was, especially since the blonde's reaction last time he had seen her had been nothing short of alarming.

Now Mukuro too though? He would need an explanation from the blonde herself at this rate. He wouldn't just let her do as she wished with the Ultimate Soldier, after all, never again, even if he had to-

"Ah…!" A sudden sound of surprise escaped his lips, killing his thought process before it could continue, and the reason for that being the sudden coldness that he felt in contact with his cheek.

Moving his free hand, he immediately touched what was now caressing his face softly.

Only now he realized that it was actually Mukuro's hand.

Her digits trailed slowly at the side of his head, almost touching his ear, while her calloused palm and thumb slowly caressed his cheek, with his hold on said hand only working to press it even more against his face without him even realizing it.

His original intent of prying the hand away died mere seconds later though, for even though the action itself was shocking enough, it was the look in the Soldier's eyes the one that left pretty much speechless.

Those crystal blue pools hardly showed the feelings of the black-haired girl, after all, for they were usually like a cold visage, ones that betrayed nothing of the owner. He knew by now Mukuro just couldn't help it, for she had been trained to be like that for years. The title of Ultimate Soldier didn't come without sacrifices.

Mukuro was far from emotionless since he knew the girl could certainly express herself, even if it was in a subdued manner. There weren't many that were allowed to see that side of her though, and he could only count himself lucky for the fact that she trusted him so much to let that cold mask crumble when she was around him.

But right now? This…this was different.

For in those normally steeled eyes, Naegi Makoto could clearly see the emotion emanating from them.

Fear.

"For someone to be targeting you, to the point that even Junko-chan is worried…" Mukuro's voice still came out as a whisper, but even as quiet as she was, nothing could deny the sheer worry and sorrow dripping from her tone.

"If something were to happen to Naegi-kun, I…" It was almost as if it was impossible for the girl to continue the sentence, as if just the thought was enough to paralyze her right on the spot.

His lips parted, for right there and there the only thing that he wanted was to comfort the young woman right in front of his eyes. He hated seeing his friends in pain like this, and he hated it even more when he was the source of said pain.

But once more, the change in Mukuro's eyes was enough to kill the words in his throat.

For now, there wasn't fear, but rather nothing but cold, sheer determination behind those crystal blue eyes of hers.

And in his life, he could say for certain that he had never seen such a fierce look in Ikusaba Mukuro's gaze.

In fact, said dedication was only matched by the feeling oozing from her next words.

"I will protect you, even if it costs me my life. I won't let anyone harm Naegi-kun."

He didn't like it.

He didn't want anyone sacrificing themselves for him.

He didn't want anyone getting hurt because of him.

But here she was, openly dragging herself into this mess just because she wanted to protect him. She had chosen him over Junko a long time ago, and now she was even choosing him over herself.

His throat tightened to the point he almost felt as if he couldn't breathe, and the only thing he was able to do was to keep looking at those eyes that were promising him nothing but a safe haven.

And even though her hand still felt cold against his skin, at that moment there was nothing but warmness moving through his very being.

For Ikusaba Mukuro was someone he also wanted to protect. She was the living proof that Despair itself could be overcome, and he wasn't going to let someone ruin this new chance that they both had.

"Thank you…" He whispered his own voice overwhelming with emotion. He doubted he would be able to say anything else at that moment.

Mukuro wanted to protect him even if the price to pay was her life.

He didn't want to reject her honest feelings. It wouldn't be fair of his part.

He would just have to make sure that it never came to that, then.

For as much as a part of him felt safer just by hearing her words…

That small, but genuine smile that she was now sending in his way was something that he too wanted to protect with his life.

"I recommend you revalue your priorities, Kirigiri. Tengan-san won't be able to protect you forever."

Those were not the kind of words one wanted to hear first thing in the morning.

At least, for Naegi Makoto, the last thing he wanted to see when starting his day was such an argument between two adults.

Especially such key members of Hope's Peak Academy.

Maybe coming to the Headmaster's office so early had not been the best of ideas, all things considered.

Sneaking out before Monaca and Komaru woke up had been an ordeal all by itself in the first place, and that was ignoring the issue of Mukuro wanting to follow him here, even though he was sure nothing was going to happen him on his way here.

He had been unable to convince her of that fact, which was why she was currently waiting for him outside of the office. That was the best compromise that he got from the Soldier.

At least the argument seemed to be over already, considering that the bald man that had been arguing with the older Kirigiri had then decided to just turn around and move towards the door.

He did his best to hide his own grimace once the man, Shidou if he remembered correctly, moved his eyes towards him.

And with the way Shidou's eyes narrowed, Makoto could only wonder if the man was trying to kill him with just his eyes.

The two didn't say a thing even as Shidou walked past the Luckster, and it was only once he heard the door closing behind him that the ahoge-haired boy left out a breath he didn't even know he was holding.

"You should learn how to deal with people like that, Naegi-kun. They come included with the position."

The words from Jin himself however, was enough to draw the Luckster's attention, although the man himself seemed more interested in the papers resting on his desk considering that he was simply reading and signing a few of them rather than looking at Makoto.

"Is that so…?" While the Ultimate himself could frown in wonder at such idea. The closest thing he ever had like that was most definitely Munakata Kyousuke back in his early days at the Future Foundation.

"Indeed," Jin confirmed with a nod, still focused on his work. "I'll admit it does help when my students aren't trying to kill each other in public."

"Guh..." He almost gave a step back, considering how Jin's words like a punch to his gut.

"Truly, imagine my surprise when I received several calls asking me how I allowed such a thing to happen in the first place."

"T-that's…"

"Such a stroke of good luck that you were right in the area…" At this, Jin finally stopped looking at his desk, with his gaze going up to simply regard Makoto with a raised eyebrow. "…don't you think so?"

"…sorry…" He ended just hanging his head down, his tone filled with remorse. It wasn't like things had gone the way they did yesterday because he wanted them to, but it was still hard to refute that he was the cause of such events.

"Don't stress yourself too much about it." Seemingly deciding to take pity on the time-traveler, Jin ended up just shrugging. "As long as no one gets hurt, I'm willing to give my students enough leeway for the sake of their growth."

"But even so…" This time though, the Kirigiri actually had to massage the bridge of his nose. "Please do warn me beforehand. Not everyone is as understanding as I am, and I would certainly like to keep my job too."

It wasn't like he had been given time to prepare himself yesterday either, but Makoto decided that it was best to keep that little fact to himself.

"…Is that why Shidou-san was here?" He asked while looking back at the now closed door, only earning a tired breath from the Headmaster.

"Do you think he would miss a chance to complain to my face? He would kick me out of this school by himself if he could." However, that same tired expression slowly formed into quite the little victorious smirk

It was honestly a bit scary if the Luckster had to describe it.

"…What did you do?" He asked in apprehension, knowing that said expression could mean an arrangement of things.

"Ho? Haven't you heard? Yesterday's little altercation was nothing but a publicity stunt, meant to start drawing the public's interest towards the Exams we're having in a couple of months." Jin explained, almost as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, earning a look filled with incredulity from the Luckster. "Having the Ultimate Spokesperson on speed-dial does have its advantages, I'll say."

He could only chuckle awkwardly at how proud with himself Jin looked at the moment. Last time he had seen the man with such a look, it was because he had done something that very few could boast about actually accomplishing.

Namely, making one Kirigiri Kyoko flustered.

It had been quite the sight, to say the least, one that he would prefer to not remember at the moment. He didn't need to add more to his current embarrassment.

Right now, though, he was just glad that Jin seemed free from any danger of losing his position as the Headmaster of Hope's peak. The man was an invaluable ally by now, after all, but even excluding that Makoto knew by now for sure that Jin only had the best intentions regarding the school and its students.

"Now, take a seat." Jin continued while nodding to the chair on the other side of his desk. "I believe there are some things we need to go over about your…involvement during the upcoming Sports Festival."

"We're still going with that?" He grimaced a bit at the thought while doing as he was told.

"Of course!" The dark-haired man answered swiftly and without missing a beat. "You have any idea how hard it is to motivate the teenagers of this school? You should feel proud of how invaluable you have become as a too- I mean assistant, yes, assistant."

He decided to just ignore that little slip and take the whole thing as a compliment, for the sake of his mental health.

He was doing that a lot lately, wasn't he?

"I'm sorry, Monaca-chan."

Of all things the Li'l Ultimate had expected to hear from her older brother, that was certainly not one of them.

She looked up from the manga resting between the two, her gaze showing nothing but confusion and concern.

The frown of obvious guilt on his face only troubled her even more.

"Onii-chan? What do you mean..?" She asked in doubt before blinking, her mind trying to think of something that could have upset her only family in all but blood like this.

She couldn't come up with anything.

In fact, everything had been perfect until he had suddenly apologized for no reason.

They were alone right now, after all. Without meddlesome Komaru ruining the moment with her mere existence, or that annoying classmate of her brother that had just suddenly appeared yesterday and now refused to leave his side.

It was a miracle that they were right now all by themselves, sitting at the edge of her older brother's bed.

This quiet, alone little moment that she could have with him was everything she was asking for. Even if the only thing they were doing was reading, she couldn't have cared less.

Truly a stroke of fortune for her that those two had things to do, with idiot Komaru taking the family's scary dog for a walk while the older girl had left to answer a phone call.

"It's just that…" Makoto for his part frowned down at his lap while trying to find the right way to voice out his thoughts. "I wanted this weekend to be special, but I don't think we really did anything like that…"

Those were his honest concerns, for besides the little incident yesterday, this past weekend wasn't what one would call…exciting.

It wasn't Monaca's fault though, for he could only blame himself for this one.

He had wanted for this outing to be a memorable one for the Li'l Ultimate, especially considering how this was the first time she had truly left the walls of the school in a long time.

But in his excitement, he might have failed in planning things properly.

They had spent most of the time just indoors, after all. He had known that Monaca wasn't a fan of crowds and that the girl preferred to keep mostly to herself, especially considering her secret, so he had decided to take it easy this weekend and just ease her into the idea of living in a new place.

But even so, he still wanted to make sure Monaca enjoyed herself during her stay in the Naegi household.

And while the girl had certainly never complained, he still would have preferred to give the younger Ultimate a more memorable experience than just watching T.V or reading manga.

He sometimes forgot just how ordinary his life was before Hope's Peak Academy.

That line of thought didn't manage to last for long though, considering that the next thing he felt was a pair of arms circling around his midsection.

He looked down slightly, expecting his vision to be filled with green colored hair.

Instead, what greeted him was the frowning, obviously upset face of Monaca.

It was quite the sight, considering he couldn't remember the last time the girl had looked at him in such a way.

"Onii-chan is being silly." Monaca declared in a tone that left no room for any argument whatsoever, one that only had the Luckster looking at her with a bewildered expression. "Onii-chan already did enough for Monaca… Monaca couldn't be happier right now!"

Her lips then turned upwards into a sweet smile, one with the purpose of easing her older brother out of anything that was upsetting him.

It certainly did the trick considering how Makoto's frown turned into a grateful smile to match Monaca's own.

It was in moments like this that Makoto was truly lost as to how anyone could mistreat someone like Towa Monaca.

But even if she said this was enough, in his heart it just wasn't.

"I promise that next time will be better!" The Luckster declared with conviction. "I'll have a month to prepare so I'm sure I can come up with something…"

"Eh…?" This time though, it was Monaca's turn to frown in confusion. Of course, she had known that her stay at her brother's home was just for the weekend, but with the way he spoke, he made it sound as if…

"Ah, I forgot to tell you that part." Makoto scratched his cheek in embarrassment while turning his head at the front, not noticing how Monaca's eyes darkened with each second. "I was planning on having everyone else coming here at least once first. Headmaster gave me the approval for it, so I was thinking of starting with Jataro-kun first."

And truly, after hearing those words, the Li'l Ultimate Homeroom had to do everything in her power to not show just how…displeased she was with that idea.

As such, she ended up just looking down while biting her lip in nothing but frustration, almost hard enough to even draw blood. A snarl was bobbling on her throat, but she did her best to kill it before it managed to come out.

Showing that to her brother would do her no good, after all.

Her older brother was just being his normal kind self. He probably couldn't help wasting his time in those that didn't deserve it.

This weekend had been almost perfect to her, with the only dents that had ruined her mood being the interlopers that had interrupted her time with her brother.

And as if that hadn't been annoying enough, now she just had to accept that her friends would be spending time like this with her brother?

Like a family…?

Unforgivable.

"Monaca-chan?"

Her brother's voice, however, was like a splash of cold water. She quickly looked up, no trace of her innermost feelings in her face. Instead, nothing but a smile was plastered over her lips.

One step at a time, she told herself in her head, one step at a time.

And right now, she would just enjoy her alone time with him.

She would need to have some words with her friends soon enough.

"Wow, you got here a lot faster than I expected!"

That voice did little to help him in his current state. In fact, right now it was like poison to his ears, with the only thing stopping him from throwing a retort being just how focused he was at trying to not die right now.

Figuratively of course. Sure, he felt like he was about to pass out, his legs were wobbling like jelly and he was sure he was about to throw up a lung, but still, no one could actually die from just running too much, right?

He truly hoped that was the case.

His raised his head slowly, for his previously hunched stance had his gaze and sweat-covered face aiming at the floor.

His annoyed brown eyes were met by such an innocent pair of blue eyes that it honestly made his eye twitch.

"You…" He spoke between labored breaths, with his hands on his knees while the glare in his eyes was still more than present. "What…did you…do?"

"Heh?" The strawberry blonde girl face sported such an honest confusion that he knew that if it was anybody else, he would have believed them. Said look of confusion quickly turned into one of realization, followed by the girl's fist going down on her palm. "Ah, that! It was just a joke, Naegi-kun!"

"A…joke…!?" He whispered harshly, relieved that what the Ultimate Fashionista said wasn't actually the truth.

He had gone through his fair share of pranks during the years.

Sending a message telling him that she had kidnapped some of their classmates was not what he would consider prank.

He almost had a damn heart attack after receiving such a message from Junko, which also told him that he shouldn't tell anyone about it and that if he didn't come to her room as quick as possible she might just get bored.

Bored Junko was a dangerous Junko.

Well, every Junko was a dangerous Junko but this was even more so!

So, of course, he had run like a man possessed here. Now, while he had definitely improved his physical condition, and the school wasn't that far away from his home, he still found himself more than a little exhausted.

The cold air of the night hadn't helped much, and the fact that Mukuro had not been anywhere to be seen had only alarmed him even more.

Fortunately, he knew his way around the school. Being aware of more than a couple of secret entrances certainly had its advantages.

So now he found himself here, glaring fiercely from the door of the Fashionista's room, while said Ultimate simply sat at the middle of her bed as she hugged a pillow to her chest, her head moving from side to side and a smile that many would call charming on her shapely lips.

"Of course!" Junko even went as far as to raise a hand and move a finger from side to side, as of to tell him just how silly he was being for even believing her in the first place. "I just wanted to spend some time with my dear Naegi-kun!"

"…What?" He could offer a dumbfound stare at the Fashionista, who was now even-why was she blushing?!

"I felt so lonely…!" Junko's hands were now on her rosy cheeks, while her eyes were closed and her whole body swayed from side to side. "And I wanted Naegi-kun to comfort me…I can't believe I said that! You shouldn't make a girl say stuff like that, Naegi-kun!"

Hearing no answer from her little performance, Junko opened her left eye slightly to see what kind of expression the Luckster was sporting.

And it was nothing short of a deadpanned one, an expression that would look a lot more natural on certain Neurologist friend of hers.

She could only pout in response.

"I bet if it was any other girl you would be a blushing mess right now…" She spoke sulkily, only earning an even more tired face from Makoto, which only made her pout even more pronounced.

"Fine…!" Junko drawled out, right before grabbing something from behind her and throwing it at the still huffing ahoge-boy. "I thought this might help!"

Makoto was barely able to catch the thing, with his eyes glazing over the small can now resting on his palm.

That judgmental look slowly moved from the beverage in his hand to the girl that had thrown it, who looked extremely proud of herself.

He did not hesitate before throwing it back at her.

"Hey!" She caught it easily, right before looking as if he had offended her in some way. "How rude! You think I poisoned it or something?!"

"…you said it, not me." He mumbled his response, only earning a huff from the direct cause of most of his suffering.

"It's not even open yet!"

"That has never stopped you before."

Only a fool would drink anything offered by Enoshima Junko.

"Fine!" She exclaimed loudly, right before quickly popping up the can and taking a sip from it, as if to prove that there was nothing wrong with her offer.

"There! Happy now?" Junko offered the drink once more while batting her eyelashes at the still clearly not amused Luckster.

Said Luckster looked at the offering for just one second before giving Junko a silent raised-eyebrow.

Instead of pouting though, this time the Fashionista gave Makoto a coy smile just as she brought the can close to her lips once more.

"Or is Naegi-kun too self-conscious about these kind of things?" She asked with a half-lidded stare aimed solely at the Luckster. "If it is with Naegi-kun though, I wouldn't mind doing it mouth-to-mouth-."

"I'm leaving."

"Wait!"

He had already turned around, completely ignoring Junko's attempt at…whatever she was trying to do, deciding that a headache just wasn't worth it.

However, just as he turned towards the open door, he found a pair of arms circling around his chest from behind him, keeping him in place and pushing his body backward.

If it wasn't obvious enough as to who was hugging him, the soft sensation on his back certainly made it so.

"You shouldn't leave a girl like me out of your sight, Naegi-kun," Junko whispered softly into his ear, only making him turn his head slightly to glare properly at her, and in turn, she only smirked back.

"What do you want?"

"I'm just trying to help you here, Naegi-kun."

"You could have fooled me…"

"Heh…and here I thought you would jump right at the chance of helping our resident walking-talking wet-dream."

He didn't know how to fell about the fact that he knew immediately who she was referring to.

"If you did anything to Asahina-san, I swear-"

"And as much as I would like to take you on that offer." The model drawled out right before resting her chin on his shoulder "I swear I haven't done anything to tits-for-brains."

"Stop calling her that…!" He whispered harshly, only earning a small giggle in response.

"Protective, aren't we?" Her hold on the Luckster only became stronger as soon as he tried to forcefully escape. "Don't think I haven't noticed how you look at her. Little Naegi-kun has a thing for Asahina-chan, hmm? I wonder how everyone would react if they knew."

He didn't react to her provocation, knowing that it would lead to nothing positive, so instead he simply gave her a pointed look from the corner of his eyes.

Junko's lips parted once more, for the blonde model was certainly not done. Instead of the sound of her voice, however, a small beeping noise what filled his ear, courtesy of a little wristwatch attached to Junko's wrist.

He looked down at her arm in curiosity, not remembering her ever wearing such a thing, but before he was able to comment on it she suddenly broke their hug, with both of her hands then landing on the back of his shoulders.

"You can thank me later for this." He didn't have to turn around to know she was sporting a grin. "I expect a good enough compensation though! Also, send Asahina-chan my regards!"

But before he was even able to voice out his confusion, he was suddenly pushed out her room with such a force that he actually stumbled out, almost meeting the wall on the other side with his face.

He turned around abruptly, just in time to see Junko waving her hand at him right before she closed the door of her room firmly, leaving him by himself in the hallway.

Or so he thought.

He gave the door with Junko's plaque an exasperated look before sighing deeply, truly not knowing what to make of what just happened not even ten minutes ago.

"Naegi?"

He wasn't given much time to ponder on that, however, considering the deep voice that had suddenly regarded him, forcing him to turn his head to the side, his eyes widening slightly as a result.

"Ogami-san?"

"I'm…sorry if this causes you any trouble, Ogami-san."

"If it was anybody else, I would be obliged to report it." The Ultimate Martial Artist spoke in a serious tone as they both walked, right before she offered the smaller Ultimate a small smile. "Since it's Naegi, however, I'm sure no one will really mind."

He could only smile gratefully after hearing such a thing, while also feeling lucky that it was Ogami Sakura the one that had found him during her patrol. If it had been the Ultimate Boxer, for example, he was more than sure that it would lead to quite the argument.

He was more than sure that he would still be getting some sort of reprimand tomorrow, but that wasn't' here nor there.

Right now, his mind was more preoccupied with the last thing Junko had told him.

Was something wrong with the Ultimate Swimming Pro? If that was truly the case then, he needed to do something about it…but why would Junko tell him such a thing? Dragging him into the school in the middle of the night just to tell him that?

This was a first, all things considered, and he didn't know how to feel about the fact that Junko was becoming even more unpredictable.

"I must admit my confusion though, Naegi." Sakura's words got him to look up once more, right in time to see the silver-haired woman give him a raised eyebrow and a piercing look. "I wasn't aware that you and Enoshima had…that kind of relationship."

It took almost a dozen seconds for his mind to properly process what Sakura was implying, but once his brain did so, the response was pretty much immediate.

What followed was five minutes straight of Naegi Makoto doing his best to explain to the Martial Artist how such a relationship between him and Enoshima Junko would be nothing short of a catastrophe.

And honestly, Sakura found herself simply nodding along to his speech, honestly impressed with how much passion her classmate was putting into his words just to tell her that Enoshima Junko wasn't his type.

Not that she didn't understand, and even in her head, considering what she saw every time the two interacted, a relationship between Naegi Makoto and Enoshima Junko just sounded…wrong.

And illegal too, just based on the kind of things Makoto was spluttering about.

She had just asked to be sure, and now that she had her answer she could only release a small, relaxing breath.

It seemed her best friend still had a chance then.

In fact, wasn't this just the perfect opportunity?

"-and I'm sure Matsuda-senpai would kill me if he-" Makoto's mumblings were interrupted once Sakura's hand firmly landed on his shoulder, earning a squeak of surprise from the Luckster, right before she gave his classmate a confused look at the sudden contact.

"Naegi," Sakura spoke in her usual calm tone; however, there was warmness behind her gaze that only served to confuse him even more. "Would you mind helping me with something before you leave?"

She was in the zone.

This…this was her area of expertise. The field in which her skills could truly shine, and in which she felt the most comfortable with.

Of course, sports were her passion, but just like her title indicated, this one, in particular, had a special place in her heart.

She took a deep, calming breath to try and control her raging heart. Normally, a few laps would do little to actually tire her, but since she had been doing what she loved the most for hours already, even her toned body was aching and asking for some sort of comfort.

But right now wasn't the time for that, not considering the favor she had asked for her best friend so that she could be here at such an hour.

For even though this place was also technically her Research Lab, she still didn't want any trouble by being out of her room so late. Things were a bit tense, after all, and the last thing she needed before the big event that was coming up was to get in some sort of issue.

The thought of that event though, was enough to make her suddenly open her eyes, her blue orbs showing nothing but the fiery spirit inside of her, just as droplets of water traveled down her face and suit, making a puddle at her feet.

And then, as if a mental signal had been sent to her brain, she moved her body into a familiar, by now instinctual position.

And a couple of seconds later, the sound of her body hitting the water of the massive pool filled the room.

Like a fish to the water, almost literally, all things considered, the young woman moved, her action creating ripples through the pool as a result.

Her movements were impeccable, nothing short of perfection itself. A flawless technique born out a combination of sheer talent and hard work that would leave anyone that knew about the matter nothing short of speechless.

Even those that didn't know would still be able to tell that there was just something…special.

Such was the ability of someone with the title of Ultimate.

And before she knew it, she had already moved through the entirety of the pool, with her palm meeting the marble on the end of it, signaling the end of her swim and allowing her to raise her head properly, with her breath coming out in labored bursts.

But even though the constant exercise was truly tiring her by now, there was no sign that she would stop any time soon in her gaze, for even though she enjoyed winning as any other person, it was this type of situations what she truly loved the most.

The hard work, the effort, and the dedication put to the sports she loved with the objective of breaking through her limits and improving herself…

That was the source of her pride above anything else.

She had to admit, however, just as she moved towards the stairs close to her floating form, that she certainly wouldn't mind winning the upcoming event.

That was the key reason she was doing this extra training, after all.

And while a part of it was her pride and the wish of taking the win this year, there was no denying that another big reason had to do with-

Clap.

Her line of thought died just as she reached the end of the stairs, with her whole body out of the water. A gasp left her lips, just as she turned her head to where the sound of palm meeting with another one was heard.

Almost immediately, her blue eyes zoned on the one responsible for that sound, with nothing but honest shock appearing on her face.

"N-Naegi-kun?!"

She watched him as he stopped clapping before standing up from his seat at one of the benches to the side of the pool, and while he started walking towards her, the Ultimate Swimming Pro could do nothing but stand there, frozen in place while looking like a deer caught in the headlights.

More than a couple of questions coursed through the head of the brunette, with all of them being about the Luckster now walking towards her. How was he here? Why was here?! Shouldn't he be in his home by now?

Wait…was this a dream? It wouldn't be the first time she had dreamed about the Luckster, after all, although just remembering that was enough to make her cheeks grow warm.

In fact, a lot of her dreams regarding him even started just like this too!

She would just have finished training or an important competition, and he would be waiting for her at the finish line, with a warm, prideful smile that always got her all fuzzy and fidgety, and a box of donuts in his hands.

Those had easily become her favorite kind of dreams.

Would this go like that too, then? She could certainly eat a donut right now, and maybe the Luckster would even feed it to her like that one time-

"Asahina-san?"

"Wah?" She mumbled absentmindedly at the hand that was being slowly waved in front of her face, which after a few seconds was actually able to break her out of her daydream, right before being replaced by Makoto's concerned frown.

"You're….drooling a bit there." Makoto pointed out, earning another gasp from Aoi, which complimented her mortified look quite nicely.

"I-I'm not!" She squawked out in obvious embarrassment, with even her face going red, and contrary to her own words she even went as fast to wipe her mouth with her arm. "I-it was just water from the pool!"

Fortunately, or else she truly felt like she would die right there, Makoto seemed to accept her excuse with a nod, earning a relieved sigh from the Swimmer.

And with everything settled now, she could now go back to-wait no!

"This…isn't a dream, right?" She still asked to be sure, while glaring suspiciously at the blinking Luckster.

"No…?" Makoto answered, more than a bit lost as to what his classmate was talking about.

She kept her narrowed stare at him for a couple of seconds, however once she realized he didn't have any box of donuts in his hands, Aoi relented, now accepting that this wasn't one of her dreams.

That just made this even weirder then!

Five minutes later, however, while the pair of students from class 78 sat by the edge of the pool, everything was now making a lot more sense.

"Sakura-chan…" Aoi whispered with a small, grateful smile on her lips. She did so low enough so that not even the Luckster to her side would be able to hear her, for even though they were sitting close there was still enough space between them so that she wouldn't accidentally soak him or something.

And right now, she was certainly glad of the small distance, for while she was certainly more than comfortable in her one-piece swimsuit, she was also feeling a bit too self-conscious right now.

"I'll admit I was a bit confused when she asked me to look over you," Makoto admitted with a sheepish smile on his face. "But now I'm glad."

"Glad?"

"Of course!" He stated without missing a beat. "I was able to watch Asahina-san swim again…it is still as amazing as always."

The sheer awe in Makoto's voice was enough to make her face go red once more, although a pleased smile did make its way onto her lips.

He was right after all, for she couldn't remember the last time she had practiced in front of him, a result of just how busy Makoto had gotten this year.

It had been hectic before already, but the Luckster had somehow always found time to spend with her every time she asked, but now that he also had to keep an eye on the new class? The last thing she wanted was to add more weight to his shoulders.

Still, it made her feel fuzzy on the inside to know he liked seeing her do what she loved the most. It certainly filled her chest with pride.

"Isn't it a bit late, though?" The Luckster asked in confusion.

"Well…" She drew her knees to her chest before hugging them softly. "I just wanted to practice a bit more…"

Maybe she had been a bit selfish, but she just couldn't help it!

"That definitely sounds like Asahina-san!" Makoto laughed a bit, only earning a pout from the girl in question. "Is it because of the Sports Festival?" He then asked, even though the answer was more than obvious to him.

"Of course!" Aoi declared with passion. Something that only made the Luckster smile even more. "I'm not loosing against Akane-senpai again this year!"

"And you…!" The Ultimate Swimming Pro then followed it up with a finger pointing directly at Makoto's face, while a small glare adorned her face. "Better keep your promise and cheer for me that day!"

He could only smile awkwardly against such a stare. That angry pout was hardly something he would consider intimidating.

"Of course I will!" He still answered quickly, knowing that he owed at least much to the brunette.

That line of thought, however, also reminded him of the other little promise that he had made to her that day.

"I also said I wanted to celebrate Asahina-san's hard work." Makoto's smile was quick to turn into one with disappointment. "But…I guess we never got the chance to do that."

"…its fine, Naegi-kun." She gave him an understanding smile, one that slowly managed to make him smile back in return. "I-we all know how busy you've been getting lately."

She would be lying if she said that she didn't miss how things were before, back in their first year. Those had been simpler times, like when she and her best friend were able to bring the Luckster into their training session.

Just thinking of Makoto trying to keep the same rhythm as them was enough to make her giggle.

"But still…" Makoto still spoke with shame on his voice. "Someone made me realize that I might be ignoring people that I care without even noticing it…"

She immediately opened her mouth to complain about such thought, but before she was able to speak she was stopped by the sudden look she received from the ahoge-boy.

It was an intense look, one that took her breath away from her out of sheer surprise. Those were the kind of looks he rarely sported, but whenever he did, it always made her fidget on her spot.

She liked his kind smiles…but she couldn't say that she didn't like this side of him too…

"That's why I want to make it up to Asahina-san." Makoto declared with a resolute nod, only earning a small, almost shy one from Aoi's part. "Then, after the Sports Festival, I want to go and celebrate with Asahina-san as I promised before."

She could only stare dumbfounded at her classmate for a few seconds while blinking absentmindedly, her mind working overtime at the moment.

But after that, a tint of red colored her cheeks quite brightly, to the point she looked like she was burning up. On her head, however, there was only one thought burning through her neurons.

'Like…a date?!' She screamed in her head, her complete lack of experience in this area truly showing, but still, with the way he said it, wasn't this just like a date?! He was asking only her and no one else, and that intense look he was giving her…

"Unless…you don't want to?"

"Of course I do!" She suddenly yelled, pushing her body forward towards the surprised Makoto, however, once she realized what she had done, a mortified look crossed over her face right as an embarrassed flush covered her cheeks.

She brought her hands to cover her face while silently groaning, right before peeking from between her fingers to glare slightly at the still confused Luckster; after all, it was his fault that she was acting like a fumbling mess!

But still…

"I would love to…" She spoke softly, only loud enough so that Makoto would hear her, right before offering him a reassuring smile, one that he returned with a small grin of his own.

She would have asked him if it was a real date, but she would most like die of embarrassment before being able to produce such a question.

But still, if before she was feeling motivated to win, now she was more than fired up. She would have to give Sakura a big hug for this, right before asking her for advice or anything that could help her!

This was already becoming better than any of those dreams she had!

…Exept, there was still one last thing that she always did in those dreams of hers, for it was only there, knowing that it was just a fantasy, where she could be honest with her feelings.

But maybe… if it was that day then…

"Ne, Naegi-kun." Her voice came out after taking a deep breath, and while her tone was quite even, Makoto was able to see the same spirit Aoi had whenever she was truly motivated. "Could you…promise me just one more thing?"

"Sure…?" He shot back without a doubt, something that made Aoi chuckle a bit. Always so reliable, wasn't he?

"If we-no." The Ultimate Swimming Pro then shook her head before nodding resolutely. "After our class wins…there's something I want to tell you…it's really important to me, so that's why…"

"If it is so important then, why not tell me now?" He frowned in doubt, to which once more Aoi could only shake her head.

"I don't think I could." Not as she was right now, at least, with how nervous and scared she was. "But that day… would you hear what I have to say?"

But if it was after winning the Sports Festival, after coming victorious in the field she loved, when her confidence was as high as it could get then…maybe she would be able to tell him how she felt.

Like in her dreams.

"Of course!" And just like that, Naegi Makoto sealed the deal with a smile, for while he couldn't say he understood everything properly, he still could tell that this was important to her. There was no way he would have said no.

"Thanks…!" She scratched the back of her head before giving him a sweet smile, with her blue orbs meeting his brown ones, the warmness of her own gaze only matched by his own.

A comfortable silence fell around the two students of class 78, to the point Aoi truly hoped no one would come and interrupt this moment. It was normally either their classmates or someone from another class the ones that meddled in the worst times possible, but since it was so late right now, maybe she wouldn't have to worry about such thing?

And a part of her had been correct, after all the interruption didn't come from any of the other students.

But rather, it came from the inside….

Of her stomach, to be more precise.

A sudden growl broke the silence, one that left both teenagers blinking in honest shock for a couple of seconds, right before they slowly moved their gaze downwards, towards Aoi's midsection to be more precise.

The Swimmer's face burned scarlet once more, followed by a small whine leaving her lips before another grown of defeat. She hid her face behind her the palm of her hands one more time, truly wishing the water in the pool would swallow her up right now or something.

Of all times to make an idiot out of herself!

"Asahina-san…" Makoto's voice, a mix of shock and reproach, only made even her ears go red. "Are you again on that diet thing? Because if you are…"

"N-no!" She cursed herself mentally for stuttering, but with the worried face Makoto was giving her she knew it was better than nothing. "It's not like that! I just…ended up skipping dinner by accident."

It was the honest truth; for she had actually been so focused on her practice that she had actually forgotten to eat.

"Asahina-san forgetting dinner…are you sure you're not sick?"

"W-what's that supposed to mean?!" She threw a barrage of light punches into his shoulder, to which Makoto only chuckle as he raised his hands in mock surrender.

He suddenly stood up, earning a questioning glance from the still miffed tanned-girl, right until he offered her his hand.

"I'm sure we can find a vending machine with something, even if it's late." He said, to which she grinned excitedly just as she took his hand.

"Lead the way then!" She said in an upbeat manner, not going to turn down an offer like that. She was hungry, after all, and while she would have certainly preferred if her stomach hadn't growled like a fricking lion, she couldn't deny the results.

But just as the time-traveler gave on step forward, it seemed that his luck had decided that it couldn't let things end in such a thing.

For the next thing he knew, Naegi Makoto actually slipped.

Quite the feat considering that this Research Lab had been made exactly to avoid that kind of incidents.

The sound of a body hitting water echoed in the massive room once more.

"Naegi-kun!"

The bubbles coming from the pool was her only response.

He sighed deeply as he rubbed his left arm with his right hand.

Was it wrong to say that he felt a bit naked right now?

Normally, it was either his school uniform, or his trusted hoodie, but right now, as he walked through the halls of the school intent on leaving, with only a white shirt and brown pants, he felt as if a key part of him was just…missing.

He was glad he always kept a set of clothes in his room here, just in case something like accidentally falling into a pool ever happened.

And while he would have preferred to take his hoodie and vest home, Aoi had insisted on drying it herself, since she was apparently feeling a bit guilty about the accident.

He didn't understand why, but he knew she was too stubborn to make her change her mind, which was why he walked with his hands empty and his hair still a bit wet.

At least the rest of the night promised to be a calm one, for right now the only thing he wanted to was to go back to his home, hit the bed and-

"Naegi-kun!"

-crap basket.

He openly groaned once a certain strawberry blonde girl that he knew very well appeared from right around the corner, sporting a grin that made her look like a kid that had gotten away with some sort of prank.

"Enoshima-san." He observed warily, wondering what she was doing away from her room at such an hour like this. That could lead to dangerous results, after all, but he doubted Junko would show herself like this if she was trying to play it sneakily.

"How did it go then?" The Ultimate Analyst asked, right before giving him a proper look over, with her then raising an eyebrow before her grin became even fiercer. "Ho? Maybe I underestimated Asahina-chan a bit…"

He ignored that comment, deciding that she would only enjoy herself more if he reacted to her provocations. Instead, he decided to get the answers to the questions that had been plaguing his mind for a while now.

"Why?" He asked directly. "You wanted me to see Asahina-san, I realize that now…but why? What are you trying to get here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Her tone came out as if she was talking to a small child. "I just wanted to help Asahina-chan a bit! She's one of our key members for the Sports Festival, so we need her at her best…." Her gaze then turned into a coy one. "And to get there she just needed a bit of an extra motivation."

"Last time I checked you didn't care about that…"

"True true." She walked slowly towards him with both hands behind her. "But I would prefer if we won this time, since it would let me keep an eye on you after it ends."

"We better win this though." Junko continued, just as she started circling Makoto like a hunter about to strike her prey. "Asahina-chan would get so disappointed otherwise…I mean, two years in a row? That must hurt a lot for someone like her whose only good trait is her body… especially with her self-esteem issues… Maybe I could give her a shoulder to cry on then…"

Junko would have continued without missing a beat, if Makoto himself hadn't suddenly turned to look at the Fashionista square in the face.

"I won't let you." It was a simple statement the one that escaped from Makoto's lips, however it carried such a force that it managed to wipe out Junko's grin for just a second, leaving resolute brown eyes to look at cold blue ones for just a second, right before a small smirk and a look full of mirth appeared on the blonde's face, before she went back to just move stroll around him.

"No need to stress yourself over that, Naegi-kun. I was just kidding there." Junko's laughter did little in the way of calming the Luckster. "Besides, I have a bigger pest in my sight right now."

"The message…" It wasn't hard to figure out whom she meant, especially remembering how she had reacted to that message last time he saw her, or how she had even told Mukuro about it.

"I suppose you haven't got a clue as to who the little shit that sent that thing is, correct?" Junko questioned with an edge to her voice that even the Luckster recognized, something that sent more than a couple of alarms ringing in his head.

"Even if I did..." He spoke slowly, watching as Junko walked slightly away from him. "I wouldn't tell you."

He knew how such a thing would end, for it would end like how it always did with Despair.

In death.

And he wouldn't allow that, never again.

"Hoh? Think you can protect them from me?" Her voice held nothing but mock and disdain, just as she turned around and started walking straight towards him.

She did so in silence until she was in arms reach of him, and even then she moved until their bodies were touching, although if she expected some sort of reaction from the Luckster, the only thing she got was a narrowed gaze.

"You don't need to worry about silly matters like that, Naegi-kun." She raised her arms slowly and moved them so that they circled the Luckster's neck, with Makoto's hand instantly moving to grab her arms, even though it did little to stop her. "Just let Junko-sama get rid of whoever is stupid enough to come between us…"

Her face then moved slowly towards him, but even so, Makoto didn't dare to look away from the blonde's eyes. She had that look once again, after all, one in which her blue orbs were now nothing but a pool of madness that was trying to swallow him up entirely.

"And then…" Her voice was husky, and with them being so close Makoto could even feel her hot breath in his lips. Just one little movement would all it took for their mouths to come in contact with the other, however Junko had no intentions of giving that one last step this time.

No, for what she wanted the most was for Naegi Makoto to openly want her, to desire every single part of her, to the point it would be him the one begging to close the minuscule distance between them.

Because that would mean he had been defeated. That would mean he was giving up, and that he was giving himself up to her.

And that meant he was giving his heart to Despair.

"We'll have all the time in the world to play with everyone…" That was as far as the Ultimate Despair got, however, for after finally deciding that this was more than enough, he managed to pry her arms off the back of his neck.

He gave her one last look, one that Junko returned with a wink, before he simply walked away from her. He wouldn't let Junko's words get to him, for they were only threats that he would never let her fulfill.

His objective hadn't changed, for even if there was a new Ultimate Despair out there with knowledge of the future, he still couldn't forget about the girl that had singlehandedly brought the world to its knees.

He would show her a Hope that not even her Despair could defeat.

But as he walked away from her, Enoshima Junko still gave him one last look over her shoulder, one filled with so many conflicting filling that it looked like a raging storm.

Hate, love, desire, loath, anger, longing...

And in heart, the only thing she wanted most in the world was for Naegi Makoto to share the same gaze as hers.

Even right there, it took every single fragment remaining of her self-control for her to not do something drastic.

Instead, she only rested her right hand over her chest, right over her erratically-beating heart.

That hopeful fool was the only one that could get her so worked up like this, and yet he dared to get himself distracted just by a stupid message?

No good, but she would pay him back in full, right after properly exterminating whoever had the balls to touch what was hers.

There was no point in bringing Despair to Naegi Makoto if he wasn't even looking at her and only her, after all.

But at the end of the day, she would never let such a little bug to ruin the only interesting aspect of her life.

She will turn Naegi Makoto into Despair, just like her, and then…

She'll watch gleefully as he does the same with Hope's Peak Academy.

She grinned widely then, showing a set of perfectly white teeth. Maybe she just needed a rather…different approach, then?

Her dear sister certainly had few words regarding certain girl that had seemingly made herself a resident at the Naegi household…

She had never bothered herself with it, considering it only another one of her Luckster's charity works, but…paying a visit to the Elemental Course sounded more entertaining with each second that passed.

And that's that. There isn't actually much that I can say about this chapter, besides just saying that I had fun writing it. Here is where my bias shows I suppose.

If you want to blame something for the delay in this chapter, blame Megaman X on the SNES and Xenoblade Chronicle on the Wii for taking my free time (that one is a personal favorite of mine, easily one of my favorite JRPGs up there with Chrono Trigger, Persona 5 and FF Tactics)

Like I said before, next flashback chapter has already been decided (V3 character and a dude). However, by next chapter I will most likely put a poll for the flashback that comes after that, featuring a character from DR2 that you will all get to choose.

I'm glad you guys liked the previous chapter, although I can't say much about the assumptions some of you readers have made. They are certainly fun to read though.

I would like to say that I'll be able to update before the year ends, but I can't make any promises. I would like to make a holydays chapter just for the fun of it, but I doubt I'll get the time so I wouldn't get my hopes up.

I probably sound like a broken record already, but thank you once again for your continuous support and interest in the form of follows, favorites, views and reviews.

Next Chapter: Work that body!