"Hope!" Normal Speech
'Despair!' People's thoughts
"Truth!" Flashbacks
Disclaimer: I have as much ownership of the Danganronpa series as you do dear reader.
Important Poll on my profile page! More details at the end of the chapter.
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 19
Bonds Through Hard Work
"Are we sure she's…fine?"
"No one said she was fine in the first place."
"You know what I mean…!"
"M-maybe it's a s-sport thing…?"
"Kuwata-kun?"
"No one on my team ever acted like that, that's for sure."
"If you're all so curious, why don't you just ask her?"
"Why don't you go, then? You're both girls and all!"
"I'd rather not have a headache so early in the day…Maizono-san, could you be a dear and help these simpletons out?"
"Hmm…"
"…is the room getting colder or is it just me?"
If there was one thing that the teachers of Hope's Peak Academy had to learn to accept if they wanted to be able to do their work, it was to accept the strange sights that could appear in front of their eyes each time they entered a classroom to do their work.
It was a necessity by now considering the reputation of the school, as simple as that.
But even after years of doing her job and learning what it meant to guide such unique individuals like the Ultimates, Yukizome Chisa still could only look in confusion at the group of her students that had gathered at one of the desks, with hushed whispers leaving the small huddle by the second.
She tilted her head slightly, for she had not expected to be greeted by such a sight as soon as she opened the door of the classroom. It seemed no one had noticed her entrance, however, based on how the majority of the students currently in the classroom were still too busy just whispering between one another while throwing not-so-subtle glances at the opposite side of the room.
She blinked confusedly at the gathered bunch of teenagers before tilting her head slightly, her gaze then trailing slowly towards the object of the group's attention.
"Ara?"
And she had to admit; even this one had her confused too.
She had always prided herself in the fact that she had come to truly know the students of this batch, just like how she had done so before with her previous group.
But even so, she still couldn't figure out why Asahina Aoi, the Ultimate Swimming Pro, was currently thrusting her arms in front of her with a bag on her hands, while her upper body was bent exactly in a 90-degree angle.
It didn't help that the tanned girl seemed to whisper something under her breath right before correcting her posture, then following it by writing something on a notebook on her desk, just to then repeat the whole thing once more.
It was almost a hypnotic sight, like a puppy practicing a new trick.
But as captivating as it was, it didn't mean that she could just stand there while looking at her students forever.
"Did…something happen to Asahina-chan…?" She asked in a whisper just as she walked closer to a huddled group of teenagers.
"Beats me, she's been acting weird since we got here." It was Mondo who answered absentmindedly with a shrug. It actually took a couple of seconds for him, alongside everyone else, to actually realize that the question hadn't come from any of them, but rather from behind.
"Y-Yukizome-sensei…!" Chihiro's voice came out with a surprised gasp, leading his classmates to turn and look at their teacher with different amounts of surprise.
"Good morning everyone!" She could only giggle slightly at their reaction, for it really seemed that they had been so focused on their classmate that they hadn't even noticed her coming in.
One of them was quick to exchange his surprised expression with a mortified one, however.
"What kind of behavior are we displaying to our teacher?!" Kiyotaka declared in a loud tone, earning nothing but a few eye-rolls and tired sighs from his peers. "I apologize, Yukizome-sensei, for not being in our seat even though you have already-"
"It's way too early for this crap…" Kiyotaka's words were suddenly turned into an incoherent mumble, courtesy of Leon planting his palm firmly over the Ultimate Moral Compass' mouth.
"It's fine since it's still early, Ishimaru-kun." The teacher of the class said so with a smile, her gaze then moving around the room quickly before returning another smile towards her students. "There's still time for everyone else to get here."
Not counting the ones in front of her and the Ultimate Swimming Pro still doing her little act in the corner, there was still half of the classroom missing.
It wasn't really strange considering some of the ones not here however, considering how Yasuhiro and Toko tended to arrive after everyone else. Kyoko not being here already probably had something to do with her father, she decided, although she was more than a bit surprised by Sakura not being here already.
As for the remaining ones, she could only chuckle awkwardly in response. Considering Makoto wasn't here yet, she could only hope he arrived on time, though she wasn't really surprised that neither the Ultimate Fashionista nor Soldier were here yet.
'At least Togami-kun is here this time...' She thought with a beaming smile that she sent towards a different corner of the classroom.
And the only thing she got in response was the cold shoulder of the Ultimate Affluent Prodigy, who simply sat by himself, ignoring everything around him.
'…Baby steps.'
Her focus though, should probably go back to a certain brunette all things considered.
"As for your question, Yukizome-sensei." Celestia took the chance to get the conversation back on track, with her fingers hiding her mouth just as she turned her red eyes towards the Swimmer. "We do not know what caused such behavior, and Ogami-san isn't here for us to ask her."
It was a pretty well know fact that if you wanted to know something about Asahina Aoi, then Ogami Sakura was your best bet.
But without her being here then…
"I bet Naegi-dono would know if he was here!" Hifumi declared with a confident huff, although it was followed by a slight flinch as soon as Celestia sent him a narrowed gaze from her seat.
"I suppose that's true…" The Gambler agreed, albeit a bit reluctantly, which only earned a relieved breath from the Doujin Author. Around the red-eyed girl, her fellow classmate could do nothing but nod in agreement, although it was a bit absentmindedly coming from Sayaka, who still had a doubtful look focused on the Swimmer.
It was also a fact that the former Ultimate Housekeeper understood very well, and one that honestly made her feel a bit jealous from time to time, for as a teacher one of the things she wished for the most was to get close to her new class, just like how she had done so with her first batch.
It wasn't an easy endeavor to say the least, especially with how head-strong or shy some of them could be. But that hadn't stopped Naegi from doing so, so there was no way it would stop her.
A spirited smile formed slowly on her lips just as the students in front of her kept throwing random assumptions between them. Maybe this was the perfect chance to deepen the relationship with one of her dear students? Asahina Aoi was always one of the more friendly ones after all, if not a bit of an airhead from time to time.
"Just leave it to me!" The orange-haired woman declared with a puff of her chest, only earning confusing blinks from her students, but before they could even say something to her, Chisa had already made her move by walking straight towards the Swimmer, with the eyes every other student, even the seemingly bored Byakuya, now focusing on her back.
The sight that followed only made the group of students even more confused, it that was even possible. The conversation had seemingly started slowly enough if Aoi's rather nervous expression was anything to go by, but after a few seconds, the tanned girl was pretty much chatting the teacher's ear off with a determined look on her face.
Her voice was still not high enough for the rest to hear, however, and considering that their teacher's reaction was to just nod with a smile on her face, it didn't leave much room for guesswork among them.
Their gazes grew more expectant and curious with each second that passed, right until Aoi gave a small bow to Chisa, which was followed by the former Ultimate Housekeeper turning around and retracing her steps from before, a perfect smile still plastered on her lips.
"You know…" Mondo started with a whisper, an honest look of surprise in his face after seeing that Aoi now looked a bit more relieved. "Sometimes I forget sensei is an…"
"Adult?" Leon offered
"Yeah, that."
"Well…" Celeste continued. "The other class loves her for a reason, I suppose…"
Their comments stopped once Chisa finally rejoined the group, once more becoming the center of attention among them.
They waited for a few seconds, assuming that she would explain whatever had happened to them at the very least. Instead, though, she just stood there with her eyes closed and the corner of her lips still upwards in a perfectly crafted smile that, for reasons beyond them, was actually just making them a bit worried.
After a couple of minutes of silence, that 'bit' easily turned into 'extremely'
"Yukizome-sensei?" Sayaka asked with obvious concern in her tone, right before she raised her hand to slightly touch the woman's shoulder. Before she was able to do that though, he hand froze in place as soon as a small giggle suddenly escaped her teacher's mouth.
And like one united front, every student surrounding Chisa gave one sharp and precise step back.
Sayaka actually gave two, for that was a sound she was extremely familiar with.
Fortunately for them, the target of her…emotions ended up being the unlucky fellow that had just decided to grace the classroom with his presence by sliding open the door right in front of them.
"Good morning, everyo-aaAAHH!"
"YOU'RE TOO YOUNG!"
The sight that greeted the rest of the missing members of class 78 as soon as they entered the classroom was of their resident Ultimate Lucky Student being shaken around by an almost hysterical teacher, while someone from the group that was trying, and failing miserably mind you, to separate them was also screaming about misunderstandings.
"-And that's why you should all wait until you're married!"
"Yes Naegi-kun, wait until your honeymoon, you dirty boy~."
"…shut up."
And as a response, she just poked him in the back with the eraser of her pencil.
At least Junko wasn't using the pointy end today though, he supposed, so there was at least that…
His positive thinking could only take him so far however, considering the not at all subtle looks he was receiving from pretty much everyone in the room.
He knew Hope's Peak Academy could sometimes be quite…liberal with how they handled some of their classes, especially when it came to Homeroom, but even so…
Wasn't a surprise lecture about biology and responsibility a bit, well, weird?
Especially considering what had transpired right before class started.
It seemed it would take a bit longer before he could ask for his hoodie back, considering how much he doubted asking for it in the classroom would end in anything good.
At least the bell was about to finally ring, and considering what his next class was, he was sure that he would be able to get his hoodie back soon enough without causing some sort of mayhem.
He was pretty much counting the seconds to escape Chisa's rather…intense look she sent his way from time to time, but it ended not being the bell what allowed him to escape such a thing.
No, for instead of that, it was the sound of the door being opened minutes before the bell ringed what brought an end to Chisa's lecture.
"Oya oya, seems you lot were having quite the fun so early in the day."
"Kizakura-san?" The surprise in Chisa's voice was to be expected, considering the last person she expected to see right now was her fellow teacher. Said look quickly turned into a doubtful one, however. "Don't tell me you ditched Homeroom again!"
"Your lack of faith wounds me, Yukizome… I just gave the kiddies a bit of extra time before their next class." Hope's Peak premier scout explained in an easygoing tone right before simply walking into the classroom, earning more than a couple of looks of suspicion and interest from the students present.
This wasn't what they would call a normal occurrence, to say the least.
"And what exactly brings you here, Kizakura-san?" It wasn't that she personally disliked her fellow teacher, especially considering how she had gotten her position with his help, but even so there was still more than a bit of doubt on her gaze. Something about this filled her with suspicion for some reason.
"You guys have P.E after this, right?" Instead of answering her, however, the blonde man simply threw his question towards the sitting students.
"We indeed do, Sensei!" Seeing as everyone else seemed reluctant to answer, it was the Ultimate Moral Compass the one that did so in a form tone, only earning an approval humming from the man in response.
"You could have asked me that…" Chisa mumbled under her breath, right before a piece of paper was pretty much thrust in front of her face. She simply blinked at it a couple of times before taking the paper in her hands, away from Koichi's grasp.
Her eyes swept over the paper carefully, absorbing every little word plastered over its surface. With each second that passed, her gaze grew increasingly wide while her hold on the sheet also became tighter the more she read.
The clear signature at the end of it though, had one of her eyes almost twitching.
"K-Kizakura-sensei?!"
"Now now, let's not make the kiddies wait. I promised them a surprise and all."
"Yukizome-sensei, do something!"
She had been so absorbed in her reading in fact, that she hadn't noticed the sudden uproar in her classroom until someone had yelled out her name, but by the time she had finally torn her gaze from the paper, it was already too late.
"I'll return him after P.E, Yukizome!" The laidback man declared airily just as he reached the door with a rather perplexed Makoto in tow.
And then, without even waiting for a response, the man simply closed the door as if it was nothing, leaving as quickly as he had come.
Only that now, the classroom was missing one of its students.
But judging by how a couple of her students, namely the Soldier and the Biker Gang Leader, were moving towards the door it was more than obvious that they weren't just going to let this go.
Sadly for them, she would have put a stop to that even if she didn't like what had just happened.
"He has the Headmaster's approval, everyone!" She spoke before releasing a frustrated breath, her words stopping those with the intention of bringing the Luckster back. If it was just Kizakura Koichi then it wouldn't be much trouble, but if the Headmaster was involved…
"Are you even sure that's true?" Cutting through the increasingly frustrated voices of his classmates, however, was Byakuya's cold statement, which easily earned him the attention of the class. "I wouldn't put it past that man to fake a document like that."
Chisa's eyes widened at such an idea, her eyes once more falling into the sheet in her hands. She re-read it once, and then twice, focusing more on the signature at the end.
It certainly looked like the legit thing, but this was the man that had no issue with giving alcohol to her cute little students…
"Sensei, if I may?" Chisa's attention moved away once more, this time to the purple-haired girl now standing to her side with her gloved hand extended towards her.
She just nodded slightly before lending the Ultimate Detective the paper, for Chisa was sure someone like Kirigiri Kyoko would have a better chance at telling if it was real or not.
She waited with bated breath as the girl's violet eyes swept over, for she was more than ready to burst out of this room and give her senior a piece of her mind if this was just a ruse.
And judging by the looks her students were giving the Detective, she knew she wasn't the only one with such an idea running through her head.
Sadly for them, their hopes ended up being quickly washed away from Kyoko herself.
"This is the Headmaster's signature." Kyoko declared after a few seconds, with a choir of disappointed groans, even from Chisa herself, following her statement.
"I don't get why you lot are complaining!" And as if it wasn't enough, Junko had decided to grace the classroom with her own two cents. "I'm the one that just lost my cute little P.E partner!"
That was, indeed, true considering Makoto always paired himself off with the Ultimate Fashionista in such regard.
It was a shame since no one else got the chance to be partners with him at such class, but considering it meant he kept Junko at bay, they could only applaud his sacrifice.
Now, however…
"I guess I'll just need a new one then." Junko's sing-song tone sent shivers down more than a couple of spines. "Mukuro-nee doesn't count of course."
The argument that followed such declarations was enough to drown the sound of the bell, and of the poor teacher trying to rein her students in.
"C'mon Shuichi, you're slacking off too much already!"
"E-even if you…say that…"
"You need to be faster than that!"
"Momota-kun says that, but…"
"…He isn't really going that fast either, is he?"
It was true, for in front of the eyes of the two Class Representative, Momota Kaito wasn't really running that faster than Saihara Shuichi.
Whether it was because he was just keeping the same pace as the Luckster of his class, or because this was also his limit… they decided to not delve too deep into that.
It didn't change the fact that they were one of the few that still hadn't finished their laps around the field, with the only other three being Kiibo, Himiko, and Tenko.
Although in Tenko's case, her reason for still being on the field certainly had little to do with her lack physical prowess.
As for the remaining members of class 79, and a certain ahoge-haired boy that had been dragged here, well…
"That's enough resting! Switch it up, set of twenty now!" And followed by those loud, strong words was the sound of a fierce whistle, courtesy of the Ultimate Wrestler watching over the students.
And while his attire might have changed for his position as a P.E instructor, his trusted mask was still firmly covering his face
And with such signal, half of the students started moving their upper bodies, slowly raising before moving back down and repeat in what could be seen as just a normal sit-up, while the other half sat in front of each one while grabbing their knees.
And in Makoto's case, it was the Ultimate Pianist the one paired up with him.
And while the Luckster did his best to complete the task at hand, Kaede was more concerned about a certain something that she had to ask the older Ultimate, or rather confirm.
And since she had been the one paired up with her senpai, it was her duty to confirm it with him it seemed; at least judging by the not so subtle looks she was receiving from the two sitting beside her, Miu and Tsumugi to be more precise.
And while she liked that her class was depending on her more as a Class Representative, she hadn't meant it like this!
But still…
"Ne, senpai…" She asked doubtfully, for while she didn't want to distract him right now, she was also aware of good this chance was.
Their teacher could be…problematic, to say the least, but he definitely pulled through when they needed him!
"Yes?" He spoke between breaths, honestly surprising Kaede with how well he was taking this routine. Her senpai just never struck her as someone that worked out that much, but he was certainly fairing well so far.
Sure, he wasn't close to the likes of Ryoma, Kirumi or Gonta, but she doubted many were in the first place…
"Akamatsu-san? You're staring…"
It was only Makoto's voice that took the blonde out of her thoughts, with a blush of embarrassment covering her cheeks as soon as she realized she had been just looking silently even though she was the one that called him out!
"I-I mean…" She would have couched into her fist if she wasn't using both of her hands to grab the Luckster's knees. "Kizakura-sense told us about the…the prize of the Sports Festival…"
"Wait…" Makoto stopped just as he raised his upper body, with an incredulous look on his face. "Kizakura-sensei waited until now to tell you guys about that?!"
With his voice coming out in a hushed whisper, the Pianist in front of him could do nothing but to nod with a tired smile, something that only made the Luckster groan in response.
Sure, he hadn't told them about it either, but that was because he had assumed their teacher had already talked to them about it.
He apparently had been wrong in assuming such a thing, however.
And now, the only thing he could do was to send a defeated look over Kaede's shoulder, for sitting on the stands on the opposite side of the field they were currently in was the teacher in question, sitting cheerfully with no worry whatsoever.
The small wave Kizakura Koichi sent back once he realized he was being watched by the Luckster did little to soothe his concerns.
"Ne, is it true then?"
His disappointed stare towards the teacher ended up being broken by the excited whispering to his left, with the owner of said voice being none other than the Ultimate Supreme Leader.
And honestly, the way Kokichi's eyes were sparking right now sent a small shiver down his spine.
Was the boy really already done with his reps?
"Ouma-kun!" Kaede's admonishing murmur followed suit. "We agreed I would be the one to-"
"You were taking too long." Whatever agreement they had gotten before was obviously of little importance to the purple haired Ultimate. "At this rate, Naegi-chan here is going to get captured and taken to another country!"
In response, the time-traveler in question opened his mouth…
He promptly closed it a second later though, while only lamenting the fact that his underclassmen already had such an opinion about him.
"So?!" Ignoring the insulted-looking Pianist, Kokichi continued his interrogation, his face moving right into Makoto's personal bubble to the point he had to move his head backward a bit.
"W-well…" His voice came out perplexed, not expecting such a spirited reaction from the younger Ultimate. "There's a special trip for the wi-"
"Not that!"
He didn't know what worried him the most, the fact that the Ultimate Supreme Leader was inching even closer or the fact that even Kaede was not-so subtly also leaning towards him, almost as if there was a chance that they would miss whatever he was going to say if they didn't move closer.
And if he hadn't been so focused on the two Ultimates almost making holes at his face with his eyes, he would have noticed how everyone else from class 79 had suddenly stopped moving halfway through their exercise, and were now sending pointed looks towards the trio of huddled Ultimates.
"I meant about you-"
Kokichi's voice died, however, as soon as a massive shadow was cast not only over him, but also over the pair of Class Representatives, whose wide eyes instantly moved up.
Kokichi for his part could only blink confusedly for a second, his mind wondering as to who had turned the sun off. He turned his head around slowly, with wide eyes and a frozen smile appearing on his face once he saw the individual standing right behind him.
Or, to be more precise, the crimson eyes of the bull mask resting on the person's face.
And everyone could have sworn at that moment though, that said orbs were glowing red.
"Slacking off like this, even though the Sports Festival is approaching..." The Ultimate Wrestler's voice was deadly calm. "Something like that… is nothing short of unacceptable."
And before anyone knew it, the man known as Great Gozu had already grasped the white shirt of Kokichi's P.E uniform.
There was only one second of warning for what came next.
"Repent!"
"aaaAAAHHH!"
For the next thing everyone knew was that Oma Kokichi had been thrown straight into the sky, the screams leaving his lungs becoming harder to hear with each second.
"Do not forget you will all be representing your class during that day… I shall correct anyone that doesn't put their all while their teammates do!" Gozu's declaration came out with nothing but passion
However, the only response he got was for the students to do their exercises with renewed vigor, although there was no denying that said vigor was mostly fueled out of the desire to not be the next one to be launched into space.
"You could have…warned him…" Between ragged breaths, it was Makoto the one that spoke, his words directed at the girl that had been paired up with the now missing Supreme Leader. He knew, after all, just how seriously someone like Great Gozu took his duty.
Sometimes too seriously if he had to be honest.
But the look he received from one Harukawa Maki told him that warning her fellow Ultimate was the last thing that had ever crossed her mind.
"They sure are a rowdy bunch, don't you think?" He asked with mirth while he rested his chin on the palm of his hands, a coy smile present on his lips as he watched one of his students being thrown into the clouds by his fellow teacher.
Ahh, the joys of youth…
And speaking of said youth.
"Not that I'm complaining or anything." His tone was relaxed, with his blue eyes slowly moving to the side. "But shouldn't you be in class?"
"My partner ran away." And in response, the Ultimate Detective sitting to his right answered with a small shrug. "Sensei told me to go and find her, but it seems she isn't here either…"
"Ho? I see…" Koichi's response came with a nod, although the smile on his lips seemed to grow just a bit. "I suppose your presence here has nothing to do with me faking Jin's signature then."
The fact that he got no answer besides a narrowed gaze was enough to make Hope's Peak's premier scout chuckle.
"Truly, I'm lucky of having such a cute goddaughter!" The man's voice was even followed by an attempt of patting Kyoko's hair, however his hand was not even half-way there before it was slapped away by the clearly not amused Kirigiri.
"I'll have to ask you to not say such a thing out loud."
"How cold~" If the teacher was honestly hurt by her cold words however, he showed no signs of that. "I can only wonder why you didn't rat me out when you could." He said so in a lax way, however, even then he was barely able to contain the shiver that coursed through his body just thinking of what Chisa might have done with him if she ever found out.
At least the school gave him good insurance.
"I needed to speak with someone, and it was easier without Naegi-kun there." The purple-eyed student said, with a small sigh escaping her lips, something that told the blonde man that said conversation had not been a pleasant endeavor.
"And?"
"I told you my partner ran away, didn't I?" Kyoko looked honestly upset at that, to which Koichi could do nothing but to whistle impressed.
A comfortable silence fell over the two soon after that, just as their gaze focused on the group of hard-working teens. They turned their attention right on time to see the bull-masked man catch the student he had thrown previously, and a certain Luckster fretting over said boy.
"Why?" The silence was cut by Kyoko's question though, and while the question could have been considered vague, it was definitely more than enough to the man to her side.
But even so, he still didn't give her a verbal response right away. No, instead he slowly stood up, earning Kyoko's attention, right before stretching slightly, with a small popping sound coming out of him as a response.
Then, he gave the girl a grin while adjusting the hat resting on his head.
"I'm still a teacher of this school, you know?" His tone was carefree; however, years of practice told Kyoko that he wasn't kidding in the slightest. "And so is my job to look out for my cute little students, even if they don't realize they need a hand here and there."
And with no more left to say, the blonde walked down from his seat, just to then march down towards the group formed by the students of his class, all the while Kyoko only watched him with a raised eyebrow, her gaze making a hole in the man's back.
He was a hard one to understand, after all. Her father was already quite the case anyway, so why was her supposedly Godfather also such an…unique individual?
She decided though, considering how honest his words had sounded in her ears, that he wasn't all that bad anyway.
"I…did not think this one through."
He hadn't, he truly hadn't.
It sounded like a good idea not even ten minutes ago.
And it was.
He just hadn't thought that much on the details of such endeavor.
So he could only mull over it now in his head, his face set in a frown.
Maybe if he…?
"Ugh…."
A sigh of frustration and the sound of a can meeting the ground was his only result, however.
Putting everything back together, he decided to go back to the basics in the hope that it would let him fix this mess.
He had two perfectly capable hands
He could also use his arms to get some leverage by holding some of them against his body.
He could put a couple in his pockets, but his lack of hoodie right now limited him a bit.
…maybe he could balance one on his head?
Another sad breath left his lips, just as he hung his head in defeat.
It had sounded easy enough, to just go back and buy some drinks for his tired underclassmen.
Said idea had come from quite the unexpected source, since he was sure no one had expected for Kizakura Koichi to suddenly appear while declaring that the kids, as he called them, needed something to cool off a bit.
He had even given him the money to buy them, and while Makoto had no issue with the idea before, now he found himself facing quite the dilemma.
Namely, the fact that he just couldn't carry all of the drinks by himself.
He had tried of course, but that only ended with him acting like a fool for ten minutes straight.
Thinking back, he should have probably accepted the offer of help from, well, most of class 79.
Sure, he could always make two trips but, with his luck, something told him that the beverages left behind wouldn't survive by themselves.
He could only hum with his eyes closed and his fingers on his chin, trying to see if his brain could come with an idea that could help him here.
"You won't be able to carry all of those by yourself."
"Yeah…"
"Already thought about how you'll do it?"
"Not yet…"
"Want a hand then?"
"That would be great, yeah…"
It was only then that the Luckster blinked, now realizing that he had not, in fact, been talking to himself.
He looked to his side, only to find nothing there.
A small cough forced him to look down.
And then, he was only able to offer an apologetic, awkward smile in response to the blank eyes, raised eyebrow and small smirk resting on the newcomer's face.
At the very least, he could feel proud about the fact that he wasn't going crazy.
"Sorry that you had to come and help me with this, Hoshi-kun." He apologized once more while doing his best to not drop any of the cans now resting in his arms.
"It beats having you getting stressed over a couple of drinks of all things." There was a hint of playfulness coming from the Ultimate Tennis Pro's voice, one that only made Makoto chuckle slightly. "Kizakura-sensei was going to send someone anyway, I just finished my work first."
"Wait, wasn't your partner-"
"She was, yes," Ryoma confirmed with a nod. "Toujo had quite the argument with sensei as I was leaving, something about her duty and title. The rest got pretty heated up after that." He decided to skip the part in which certain Supreme Leaded did nothing but puke on the sidelines, for apparently being thrown into the sky had left him more than a bit dizzy.
"I feel a bit responsible for that…" He knew how headstrong the Ultimate Maid could be when it involved what she considered her duty after all.
"I'll admit." The smirk resting on Ryoma's lips became just an inch wider. "That when I first saw you, you never struck me as the popular guy from school."
"I wasn't-" He tried to deny such a fact, remembering just how far from popular he was during middle school.
The sheer look he received from Ryoma however, stopped that idea right in its tracks. It was the type of look that told him that the younger Ultimate wouldn't believe any of his, as a certain Neurologist would put it, bullshit.
"That just means you're approachable though." And then, even though he had his arms busy, the smaller Ultimate still found a way to grab the stick that had been resting on his ear, right before putting it between his lips. "So don't take it as a bad thing."
"Hoshi-kun?" There was something about the forlorn look in Ryoma's eyes however, that forced the Luckster to stop his walk. Said action was followed immediately by Ryoma, who had started moving the stick in his mouth from one side to another one.
An action that the Luckster remembered quite well, for the last time he had seen the Ultimate Tennis Player doing something like that, it had meant…
"I have a favor to ask you, Makoto-senpai."
"You need to be faster, senpai!"
"Ughh…!"
He swung his hand, the racket grasped in his fingers just barely making contact with the ball.
"Your swing is lacking precision and power!" And in comparison, Hoshi Ryoma made it look like the easiest thing in the world. "Again!"
Having no time to rest, the Luckster ran to the opposite side as fast as he could while sweat poured down his forehead, his breathing hard and erratic.
"Ha!" Once more, he was barely able to connect with the hit.
"Watch your footing!" Ryoma's deep voice carried out through the room once more, just as he smacked the ball once more into the opposite side of the course. "The last thing you want is-"
"Ahh!"
"…well, that."
A groan left the defeated time-traveled, who could only slowly roll on his back so that he was facing upwards, his hand moving to rub his now sore nose.
That had been a nasty fall, after all.
But even after the pain had gone away, he still didn't dare to stand up from his position, honestly enjoying just resting there on the ground, his eyes closed and his limbs sprawled around.
Surely, a second of rest was fine, right?
The sudden figure that blocked the light from reaching his face seemed to think differently however.
The Luckster opened his eyes slightly, a hint of fear appearing once he saw the Ultimate Tennis Pro's serious look. Honestly, his whole body ached just by being at the receiving end of that look.
Luckily though, it seemed that Ryoma was willing to give him a break, for just a second later Ryoma's expression turned into a slightly amused one, right ass he extended his hand towards the ahoge-boy.
"Calm down, senpai." Ryoma's tone was a mix of seriousness and confidence. "You already helped me enough, and forcing you to keep up with more would be nothing short of uncool."
A relieved breath left the exhausted Luckster, who then grinned before grasping the offered limb.
And less than five minutes later, the pair of Ultimates found themselves sitting on the bench at the side of the court they had been using for the past hour or so.
Their current state couldn't have contrasted more too, considering how Ryoma simply sat there while moving a white stick between his fingers, while on the other side of the bench was Makoto with his head hanging low and a towel resting on his neck just as his right hand grasped tightly on an almost empty water bottle.
A comfortable silence had fallen between two, mostly so that the Luckster could recover properly, however the frown resting on Ryoma's face made it obvious about he was trying to gather his own thoughts.
"Sorry, Hoshi-kun." It was Makoto's tired voice that broke the silence, earning a curious look from the Tennis Pro. "I guess… I still make a lousy partner…"
"I should make you train some more just for that comment alone," Ryoma grunted out swiftly. "I picked you myself as my partner. Are you saying I have a bad eye for this?"
"N-no!" The Luckster would have even waved his hands if just raising his arms wasn't hard for him right now, for that piercing look he was receiving from the younger Ultimate wasn't a pretty one. "I just…w-wish I could keep up better with you…"
"Hmph…" Ryoma could only shake his head while adjusting his hat. "Don't talk as if you haven't improved already. Compared to how you were before, you aren't half-bad."
Makoto would have taken that as a compliment, truly he would have!
But considering how much he utterly sucked at the sport before…
Of course he had improved; he just couldn't have gotten worse in the first place!
"Besides…" The Luckster kept his mouth shut, however, just as Ryoma stood up from his seat. "Even if you were utterly hopeless with this, I still wouldn't pick anyone else as my partner."
It actually took Makoto a bit to process Ryoma's words, but once he did the effect was pretty much immediate with the way his whole face went red in embarrassment.
A reaction, mind you, that wasn't missed by the Ultimate Tennis Pro.
"Why are you blushing, senpai?"
"W-well, that's, I-I mean… Hoshi-kun just surprised me a bit…"
"…You're making this a lot more awkward than it has any right to be, you know?"
"S-Sorry?"
"Forget it."
The silence that followed the two was a lot less comfortable than the previous one, to say the least.
It reached the point in which the Luckster tried to find any topic to talk about just get rid of the awkwardness that wad, admittedly, his fault.
"Yosh! Time to put some effort, Shuichi!"
"I'm sure we already did plenty of that in the morning, Momota-kun."
Luckily for him, he ended up not having to do a thing thanks to the sudden appearance of a certain pair of Ultimates, ones that easily got the attention of not only him but also Ryoma.
"Momota-kun and Saihara-kun?"
"Eh? Hoshi-kun and…"
"Makoto too! Told you we would cacth up with them sooner or later, Shuichi!"
Makoto's expression turned into one of sheer confusion, for the last thing he had expected right now was for such a pair just pop in the Ultimate Tennis Pro's Ultimate Lab.
"Momota was pestering me about wanting to use my lab every since the start of the year." Noticing Makoto's confusion, Ryoma was quick to explain. "So I let him use it from time to time…I just didn't expect to see him today."
"This is perfect though!" Kaito's voice came out with excitement, not noticing the change in demeanor on Ryoma just as the smaller Ultimate started walking towards him. "I wanted to challenge you for a while now! Heck, we can even make it a 2 on-"
"I refuse." Such was Ryoma's response, so short and abrupt that it stopped more words from leaving Kaito's mouth "Go bother someone else with that."
"Hoshi-kun?" Even Shuichi was shocked, but even as he whispered his name, Ryoma simply walked past his two classmates, a racket still in his hand, with the obvious intention of leaving the room.
The pair of students from class 79 could only watch Ryoma's back in surprise as the owner of the Research Lab kept walking away from them.
In fact, the only thing that took the duo out of their shock was the pair of hands that had landed on their shoulders.
"I'll go talk to him." Makoto's voice was both firm and apologetic, with him giving the two younger Ultimates a nod before rushing behind Ryoma, leaving still two confused Ultimates in his wake.
"Wait, Hoshi-kun!" Makoto called out frantically at the retreating young man. While closing the door of the lab behind him, he was just glad that the owner of said lab was still on this hallway.
And it seemed Ryoma had heard him loud and clear with how he stopped walking almost immediately, right before throwing a look over his shoulder towards the Luckster.
"If you're going to try and convince me of having a match with Momota, you better save your breath." Ryoma's voice was as stoic as before. "We both know that's never going to happen."
The words in Makoto's throat died right there and there, however Ryota was far from done.
"In fact." This time, the Ultimate Tennis Pro seemed to struggle a bit with what he was about to say. "You should also tell the Headmaster that I won't be doing any public exhibition or anything like that."
And without waiting for a response, Ryoma just turned his head and started walking once more. He didn't want to see Makoto's face of disappointment, after all.
He had already disappointed plenty of people throughout his life, after all. He didn't want to see that same expression once again, especially if it came from Makoto.
"You're not disappointing me, Hoshi-kun!"
Instead of what he expected, however, the voice that came from behind him had such a degree of understanding that it honestly forced Ryoma to just look back in surprise, right on time to catch Makoto's sad smile.
"I understand that it's not easy for you…" The ahoge-boy spoke slowly, trying to find the right words to express what he wanted to say. "I really don't want to force you to do anything you don't want to."
"It's just that…" He continued, offering another smile to the younger Ultimate. "Whenever Hoshi-kun plays tennis… the way you move, the expression in your face, even the look in your eyes! All of that…I think Hoshi-kun looks the coolest when he's playing."
The grip Ryoma had on his racket became painfully tight to the point his knuckle was going white, but even so, his attention was still solely on the Luckster in front of him.
"And that's what I want everyone to see!" This time, the Luckster's voice carried a passion that made Ryoma's eyes widen in surprise. "I just…want everyone else to see Hoshi-kun in the same way I do!"
Was such a thing even possible though? Ryoma honestly thought it wasn't, after all for a while now he had been considered nothing short of a monster, a criminal at the eyes of society, someone that had betrayed everything and everyone that once stood by him, first for money and then for revenge.
And the one dearest to him had paid the price with her life.
Hoshi Ryoma had blood in his hands, a taint that he knew he would never be able to get rid of.
So when others looked at him with fear or disgust, he was fine with that.
When plenty of his classmates acted on edge around him, he understood that.
The fact that he couldn't leave the school and the area surrounding it without the approval of the Headmaster was something he had accepted too.
For he deserved all of that and more.
He should be rotting away in a hole forgotten by everyone.
It wouldn't amend his actions, but it was the least he deserved.
Playing the sport he loved in front of others, with other people…he had lost that right a long time ago.
So then…
Why was he allowing this?
Why did he allow someone like Naegi Makoto, who never gave him those looks of disgust, to be around him?
Why was he being so selfish?
How much of a hypocrite could he be?
He hated himself for accepting someone like the Luckster in his life, even though he didn't deserve it.
So then, why…?
"I know I didn't know her…but I'm sure she would have wanted the same, Hoshi-kun."
And then, like a splash of cold water, Makoto's words hit Ryoma with such force that he almost gave a step back.
Almost as if only now noticing what he had said though, the Luckster's eyes widened in horror not even a second a later.
"I-I' sorry!" The honest regret in his voice could not be mistaken for anything else. "I shouldn't have-I now I shouldn't have, just…"
Ryoma stood without even moving an inch however, his gaze glued to the floor, a blank stare that reflected nothing, something that only made Makoto regret his words even more, knowing how much of a sore subject it was.
"Sorry, Hoshi-kun." He could only muster one more heartfelt apology before slowly turning around, deciding that the Ultimate Tennis Pro not reacting was a sign of him wanting him gone.
The sound of the door to Ryoma's lab opening and closing once more was the last thing heard in that hallway, for as long as Ryoma stood there not even sound ever left him.
He had messed up.
Big time, extremely big time.
He should have known, how could he be so insensitive?!
He more than anyone else should know how it feels when something like that from the past is brought up, and yet he had said those things in the heat of the moment.
He almost felt like tearing his hair out, with the sound of Kaito and Shuichi practicing a bit being nothing but white noise to his ears right now.
He wouldn't be surprised if Ryoma hated him now. He knew he wouldn't blame the Tennis Pro if he did.
He just…hated seeing that look on Ryoma's face.
He saw it from time to time, the eyes of a man that had just given up on life in it's entirety.
He couldn't stand it.
He just couldn't accept it.
That hollowness… No one should have to live like that…
It just reminded him too much to what Junko stood for…
But still, that didn't justify what he had done, right?
This was the second time he had brought up that part of Ryoma's past, and he doubted the Tennis Pro would forgive him this time.
Damn it…
"Now I'll show you, Shuichi! My famous shot, you won't even be able to react to it!"
"You say that every time we play, Momota-kun…"
"You talk too much, Shuichi!" And then, the Ultimate Astronaut threw the ball in his hand up in the air, more than ready to do his serve. "Let's see if you can handle thi-"
"You're swinging too early!"
And in response to the sudden, fierce voice that filled the room, Kaito missed his short completely, the ball hitting his head instead of his racket.
The surprise in Kaito's expression, however, alongside Shuichi's, paled in comparison to Makoto's expression.
"H-Hoshi-kun?!" Makoto pretty much squeaked out in surprise, his eyes focusing on the Ultimate Tennis Pro, who was now walking closer to him while keeping his eyes on his two classmates in his course.
"Saihara! Watch your posture, you keep fidgeting too much!" Ryoma called out once more, just as he stood to Makoto's right. "If you're going to use my field, then you'll start doing it right!"
"Hoshi-kun? Why are you-"
"Playing with others might be out of my reach right now." Ryoma interrupted while adjusting the hat in his head. "But if it this then… it's easy enough."
"You…" Makoto didn't know what to say, for the last thing he expected was to receive a small grin from the brown-haired teen.
"Momota! What kind of way is that to hold a racket?!" Ryoma yelled once more, right before deciding to march straight towards the Ultimate Astronaut, whose face held a mix between disbelief and excitement.
"Makoto-senpai." However, just as he was leaving, he still gave the Luckster another look, this time the sharp expression in his eyes growing just a bit softer. "You're right about never meeting her…but sometimes you remind me of her way too much for my taste."
"Eh…?" And truly, the Luckster didn't know how to take such a comment.
"You're both extremely meddlesome, after all….not that I dislike such a thing anyway."
With seemingly no more words left to say, the shorter Ultimate simply walked towards his classmates, his intentions of helping them more than obvious in the time-traveler's eyes.
And as he saw that, Ryoma's previous word finally caught up with Makoto, a small, relieved smile forming in his lips at the thought.
'For now, he says…'
Ryoma was right.
Not everything could be fixed and forgotten in just a day.
But still…
Baby steps, right?
Excuses time everyone. I know the last chapter was 4 months ago, but as to why it took so long, well, I won't bore you with the details, but my country is pretty much going through the breaking point of a crisis, and it is something that stopped me from writing, either 'cause I didn't have the time or I couldn't find enjoyment in doing it with everything that's happening.
My lack of internet (and even just electricity) also stopped me from answering PMs and reviews, so I apologize for that. I'll try and get to them, both old and new, as soon as I can. Sad that I can't answer some of the Guests ones though.
Honestly, I wished that after so long, this chapter was more, well, impactful to the plot or just better overall, however I had to make this chapter like this since that was always the plan.
Starting with the previous one and now this one, next chapters will most likely focus on the more physically gifted members of each game. Seems fitting since this is pretty much just a prelude to the Sports Festival.
An important Announcement, however, I'll be putting up a poll on my profile page as soon as this chapter goes live, so go ahead and vote for your favorite DR2 character! This poll is for me to decide which DR2 character will get a flashback chapter next (after the V3 character one of course), so if you want a chapter like that for your favorite character be sure to vote.
I apologize for the delay, and while I would like to promise that the next chapter won't take as long, I know I cant.
Thank you all for your patience and your continuous support! I'll try to not disappear this time around! I'll throw a bone just to see who nails the character of the next chapter.
Next Chapter: In the eyes of S…