"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: Other tags for this story (since the site only gives you 2): Mystery/Friendship/Drama.
Chapter 21
A Deal With Despair
"That was too cruel, even for you, Oma-kun!"
"Not my fault that you believed such an obvious trap. I mean, you're supposed to be the level-headed of the group, Akamatsu-chan!"
The only answer that such words received, however, was a tearful glare from a certain pouting Ultimate Pianist, who was currently kneeling by the corner of the unused classroom, her ahoge deflated and her expression one of betrayal and crestfallen acceptance.
"I mean really, c'mon." On the other hand, the Ultimate Supreme Leader was simply sitting by the teacher's desk on the opposite side, his face a mask of superiority just as he lazily waved a piece of paper in his hand. "How could you even believe this stuff?"
The look on Kaede's face quickly turned into a mortified and embarrassed expression once Kokichi coughed loudly in his fist, his intention more than clear to the blonde Pianist.
"I know we haven't known each other for too long, but I honestly cannot imagine my life without you by my side anymore." He read off in a softer tone, trying to mimic certain senpai of theirs, much to Kaede's shame if the blush on her face was anything to go by. "Day and night I can only think of you, and how much it hurts not having you in my arms. I don't know if you'll ever feel the same as me, but I will not be able to rest until I tell you face to face just how much you truly mean to me. Please, meet me in classroom 153 after class, Kaede-chan. Yours truly, Naegi Makoto."
"Guhhhh." A pained whine came out of Kaede's lips, with her whole face crimson even to the tip of her ears, her hands coming up to hide her burning face from the world.
"Like, when have you ever heard Naegi-chan even say stuff like this?" Kokichi taunted with a laugh, almost falling over from the desk out of sheer laughter. "You have any idea how much it hurt writing something as sappy as this?!"
And then suddenly, without warning, the Ultimate Pianist was quick to get to her feet, her gaze lowered with a shadow being cast over her eyes, earning an owlish blink from her purple-haired classmate, who could only wonder if he had somehow pushed the girl too far.
His answer ended up being a strangled cry, almost sounding like a squeak, right before the blonde threw herself towards the Supreme Leader, who was now wondering if her red face was from either shame or rage.
Probably a combination of both, he decided, just while being flung around by the irritated girl as if he was a ragdoll.
"No one ever told you to not mess with a maiden's heart, Oma-kun?!" It honestly took almost ten minutes of her manhandling him before she was satisfied, with Kaede now simply crossing her arms over her chest while huffing, leaving a disheveled Kokichi to try and get his bearings back after being almost thrown out of the window.
"You'll be surprised." He answered back while fixing the scarf that Kaede had almost used to strangle him with.
"Whatever!" Obviously, still more than a bit ticked off, Kaede was quick to move towards the classroom's door. "Just don't do something like this ever again! It wasn't funny, Oma-kun!"
"Wait!" However, just as she was reaching the door, she was stopped by Kokichi's sudden yell. "Don't you want to hear what I have to say first?"
A snort from Kaede told him exactly what she thought about that.
"I'm not falling for anymore of your pranks-"
"It has to do with us winning the Sports Festival!"
Now that did stop her hand just as she was about to reach and open the door in front of her, and even while she had her back to him, Kokichi could still easily picture the conflict showing in Kaede's face.
"…What do you mean?" It was only after a couple of minutes that the girl finally spoke, her tone still more than a bit doubtful, but even that simple action earned a smirk from the Ultimate Supreme Leader.
"What I meant is that I really want to help us win this thing, Akamatsu-chan." Kokichi's voice came out with nothing but sincerity, his face one of innocence, a combination that would have convinced anyone that didn't know the guy to trust him.
Akamatsu Kaede, however, might have been many things.
But a fool was she not.
"Do you now?" She answered with sarcasm dripping from her voice while looking at her classmate from over her shoulder, not forgetting what he had done to her and not wanting to let her guard down knowing this could be just another trick.
She didn't like to be this distrustful of a classmate mind you, especially when the thing she wanted the most was for her whole class to become friends with one another, but considering what had transpired not even a few minutes ago, she would like to believe her guarded stance was more than a little valid.
"Indeed I do!" Kokichi replied cheerfully, with a smirk slowly forming on his lips. "And I know you do too! In fact, I'm 100% certain the whole class wants to win this for one reason or another!
The Supreme Leader decided to skip the part in which most of the said class would probably want to win for the same reason.
Or rather, the same person.
"But motivation alone won't get us anywhere! Especially when the other classes are as fired up as we are, if not more!" His voice grew in apparent passion with each word that left his mouth, earning a wide-eyed expression from the blonde. "They even have years of practice already! Don't you see it, Akamatsu-chan?! We're the underdogs!"
The Ultimate Pianist hated to admit how right he probably was.
"And so, Akamatsu-chan, I ask you now." Kokichi's tone then grew sharp, with one of his fingers now pointing straight at his Class Representative. "What do you think we need to win the Sports Festival?!"
Kaede could only blink confusedly at such a question, and even though she believed the answer to be more than obvious, she still ended up voicing it out after looking at Kokichi's expectant and demanding look.
"A good physical condi-oww!" Her answer, however, died the moment the shorter teen flicked her on her nose, making her yelp in pain and surprise while the Supreme Leader simply shook his head disappointedly.
"That thought is too naïve, Akamatsu-chan." Now his tone made it seem as if he was talking to a baby, something that only made the Pianist growl just as she rubbed her nose. "We already have enough meatheads as it is anyway. No! The keys to winning this are leadership and strategy!"
"A leader than can rally our ragtag group of rejects." Kokichi continued, earning a loud complaint from Kaede for calling her and their group rejects, which he promptly ignored. "And an infallible strategy that can overcome everyone and everything! A game like this can only be won if we work-"
"You just want people to do what you tell them to but you know they'll just ignore you if you ask them yourself."
"I'm trying to have a moment here, Akamatsu-chan!" The Purple-haired teen's previous superior tone broke away in less than a second, leaving him to simply pout at the deadpanned blonde. "And it sounds really awful when you put it like that, you know? I thought you more than anyone else would want everyone to cooperate!"
She wasn't able to argue that fact however and judging by the coy smile on the Supreme Leader's lips, he was quite aware of that too.
"Help me so that I can help you, Akamatsu-chan." It was as if something had switched inside the Supreme Leader, for whatever playfulness that Kaede had been seeing in his gaze this entire time suddenly vanished, leaving quite the intense gaze being aimed at her, one that, in combination with the smirk on his lips, was almost enough to send a shiver down her spine. "I'll help you get everyone under your banner, and then you just need to make sure they do exactly what I tell you to."
And before she was able to answer, Kokichi had already extended his hand towards hers, an open invitation if she ever saw any.
Her purple eyes danced between the stretched limb and Kokichi's gaze, a million thoughts racing through her head at that one moment. It was definitely true, after all, that the thing she wanted the most was for her whole class to get along, and with one of the most difficult individuals now offering to cooperate with her, wasn't it too good to be true?
But her instincts were also screaming at her, for she knew deep down, as much as she wanted to be friends with one Oma Kokichi, that any deal she made with him wouldn't come without repercussions. Even his current expression, which he didn't even try to hide, was making it more than obvious.
But could she even afford to reject his help? Sure, everyone in the class was fired up now for the Sports Festival, but would that be enough, especially considering who their opponents were? Even excluding the apparent victory prize, wouldn't this victory be the perfect bonding moment for Class 79?
It was one last stray thought, however, the one that settled her decision once and for all.
"Heh." A small chuckle left the Supreme Leader the moment the Ultimate Pianist's hand firmly clasped his own, his own smug expression mirroring her determined ones.
After all, the senpai she admired the most was someone that did everything in his power to help not only his own class but also the groups above and below his own year.
And towards such a conviction, this was the least she could accept, right?
"Games like this are better when everyone's playing."
"You really are useless, aren't you?" Those words came out with nothing but exasperation and venom, a glare sitting on the owner of said voice.
"Why you little…!" And in response, the person standing in front of her did nothing but to growl in anger with a matching glare of his own. Not that said glare did anything to intimidate the blonde girl mind you, who ended up simply giving her taller classmate a look filed with boredom.
"I mean, what's the point of having you around if you can't even help with this, huh?" The blonde girl continued on, not particularly caring about her classmate's increasing frustration.
Meanwhile, the other teenager could only stand there and glare, more than aware that if he even tried something that the girl thought was threatening he would have his face firmly pressed against the cold floor.
For such a petite looking girl she sure packed a punch, after all.
Not that it meant that he would simply take it with a smile and leave, however, for he knew that showing any sign of weakness in front of someone like her was the last thing a person could do.
"Or are you too dumb and didn't even realize that something is obviously wrong with him?" The young woman's glare increased in fierceness after saying that, for if that was truly the case then she was more than ready to beat some sense into the ahoge idiot in front of her.
Wasn't this guy, as much as it pained her to admit it, supposed to be Naegi Makoto's best friend?
"Of course I did!" Against such comment, Hinata Hajime was more than quick to snap, with his teeth pressing so hard against one another that it was a miracle they didn't just break right there and there. "How could I not?!"
"And you decided to do nothing about it? Nice call there, genius." Kuzuryu Natsumi however, was no more impressed than she had been before.
In fact, if he had noticed it but decided to just ignore it, didn't that make it even worse?
"…It's not that simple…" Hajime's voice came out as a whisper this time, for he didn't want to taste his luck. Sure, the classroom was currently empty, but with the previous shouting match they had, it was a miracle that no one had decided to check on them.
Then again, maybe they were just too used to them butting heads all the time?
"Makoto is a very… private person…" The taller Reserve Course student continued while trying to find the right words to describe his shorter friend. It wasn't like the Luckster went around lying to everyone or hiding everything about himself, in fact, the young man was probably one of the most open persons he knew.
Ironic considering their first meeting and subsequent friendship had been born out of deceit, but by now he had understood Makoto's reasoning at the time.
There was still the fact, however, that to Hajime's eyes the Luckster had always looked as if he was holding something back. What, he didn't know, even after years of knowing the guy, but there was definitely something.
And while he would have liked to know, especially if he could somehow help the Ultimate with whatever was eating him up, Hinata Hajime was also more than aware of how hard it was to completely open up to people, especially when it came to personal issues.
He didn't know what was bothering Makoto nowadays, but now he knew for certain something was happening with him. He had his suspicions before, the younger teen had looked even more tired than usual after all, but now Natsumi had pretty much confirmed it.
After all, if the Yakuza girl had decided to bring up the subject with him of all people then that just showed how truly worried she was.
"Understatement of the century…" While for her part Natsumi could only scoff in agreement, more than aware of what Hajime was talking about.
She didn't know what pissed her off the most, if knowing Makoto was hiding something clearly important from her, or the fact that his reason for doing it was probably to not worry her and everyone else in the first place.
Couldn't he see that it just made her worry even more?! She was sure that if he told her she would be more than able to get rid of the issue, but of course, the guy that she wanted to help the most just also had to be one of the stubbornest people she had met in her life.
And while that was one of the things she liked about him, right now it was infuriating!
Not that she would stand by just playing with her thumbs waiting for him mind you. Sure, she had told him that he wouldn't force an answer out of him, at least not yet, but that didn't mean she couldn't find her answers somewhere else.
Sadly, her Plan A seemed to be just as lost as she was.
And Plan B involved her brother, which probably came with more cons than pros considering the subject.
That just left Plan C then…
Which, sadly, also involved the guy now brooding in front of her.
"Here." Taking out a rectangular piece of paper from her pocket, Natsumi offered it to the now confused Hajime, who could only look at the offered object with no small amount of suspicion.
"Would you just take it already?!" After a few seconds of Hajime just staring though, Natsumi ended up pretty much forcing it in his hands, earning a grunt from the ahoge boy, right before he started reading what was in the pamphlet itself.
It didn't take long for his eyes to widen in surprise, his jaw hanging in open shock.
"This is…if this for real?" Hajime could hardly believe what he was reading.
"Well duh, who do you take me for? Not only we'll be able to keep a better eye on that idiot, but we'll also get closer to the Main Course." Natsumi explained with a smug smirk, clearly pleased for the idea she had come up with. "Two birds with one shot I'll say, so are you in?"
"…Why are you even offering me this?" Hajime had no doubt that there would be more than a handful of Reserve Course students that would kill to be included in this proposal, so he could only wonder why the blonde was offering it to him, considering how she clearly didn't like him one bit.
A feeling that was, of course, mutual
"Does it matter?" Natsumi just crossed her arms over her chest in defiance. "Just take it already if you want, and if you don't just say it so that I can stop wasting my ti-"
"Fine fine, I get it, geez." Deciding that getting chewed out by the girl wasn't worth it again so early in the day, Hajime ended up just sighing tiredly before nodding resolutely. "I'll do it."
"Good." Natsumi shot back before offering her hand to her classmate. "Let's shake it then."
Blinking owlishly, and wondering if this type of formality was even necessary, the ahoge boy ended up just shrugging before meeting Natsumi's hand with his own.
And not even five seconds later, he was already regretting his decision.
"Oi oi oi oi!" Hajime squeaked in pain just as he was brought to his knees, the reason for that being the girl now grinning down at him.
Or rather, the extremely painful grip she had on his hand.
He could have sworn he heard some bones breaking already!
"If this is all it takes to bring you down then we really have a lot of work to do, don't we?"
"You little-guh!" Whatever would have left his lips died the moment Natsumi applied even more pressure to her grip.
"But don't worry, by the time I'm done with you, your limbs won't ever be able to feel a thing!"
'Is that supposed to be a good thing?!'
"If we're going then we're doing it right. We are going to dominate this Sports Festival, you hear me?!" The girl declared excitedly, either not noticing or caring for how close her classmate was to passing out from the pain.
Probably both, Hinata Hajime decided, right before promptly, well, passing out.
He hated this.
It was a surprising statement for those that knew him, for truly hating something was not a thing he usually did.
This situation, however, was truly something that he despised for several reasons.
For just the sheer fact that it was happening in the first place.
For the fact that he hadn't been able to prevent it, even with his knowledge of the future.
And of course, also because he just knew his current emotions were being read like an open book right now.
Hiding his feelings was not his strong suit.
And in front of the girl that was grinning down at him? It was the same as if he was just outright telling her how he felt.
He supposed it made sense, after all, 99% of the things he has hated in his life were in some way, shape, or form related to the strawberry blonde blue-eyed Fashionista currently in his presence.
The fact that she was more than obviously enjoying his current state wasn't helping in the slightest.
He knew letting her get to him like this was nothing short of suicidal…
But even so…!
"N-Nii-sama…?"
It was only that soft, quivering voice to his side that had the Luckster breaking his rageful glare that had been aimed at his classmate, with the time-traveler moving his focus down to his right side, his brown orbs instantly meeting a pair of purple ones.
And in there he could see it plainly, the fear and anxiety in the Li'l Ultimate that had decided to attach herself to his sleeve. He could even feel her slightly trembling, making his blood boil even more.
Seeing this, the Luckster did his best to soften his gaze, for the last thing he wanted to do was to scare the Li'l Ultimate Drama even more.
He slowly moved to rest his hand on her head, right between her fake devil horns, with such actions slightly easing young Kotoko, even if it was just a little.
"Don't worry, Kotoko-chan." He reassured her as best as he could while his fingers slowly moved through her violet locks. "I won't let anything happen to Monaca-chan, I promise."
The girl's insecure gaze lasted for just a few seconds more, right before she made a slow nod, seemingly unable to talk more by now.
Following that, Makoto moved his gaze back up, only that this time he aimed it at the corner of the classroom they were currently in, or to be more precise, towards the small form huddled by said corner.
And such a sight did nothing but break his heart.
Towa Monaca, current Li'l Ultimate Homeroom, was sitting on her wheelchair, with her form hunched over, her green bangs obscuring her gaze while her hands rested to the sides of her head, almost as if she was trying to block any harmful sound that could have reached her. Her small body also seemed to be trembling, and even though he couldn't hear her murmurs he could see her lips moving.
And by the glistening droplets that he had seen falling on her lap, she was probably crying too.
It made him feel sick, looking at Monaca's current state and not being able to move in to help her.
Enoshima Junko stood like a massive wall between the two, after all, with her hands on her hips and a taunting grin on her lips, pretty much daring him to try anything.
"Kotoko-chan." And it was only after a few seconds that the Luckster called out the girl to his side, earning a curious upward glance from her. "Go tell the others that everything will be fine, ok? I'll finish this up in a second."
He tried to reassure her with a small smile, to which she ended up only frowning, and after a moment of what seemed to be internal struggling, the Li'l Ultimate ended up simply nodding resignedly, right before taking her leave, but not without throwing a last look at the four individuals that she was leaving behind.
The sound of the closing door was enough to make Makoto release a tired breath, a bit relieved that Kotoko wouldn't be here in case anything violent happened.
Now he just needed to address the fourth individual, who was still standing like a watchtower right to his left.
"Harukawa-san-"
"Don't even think for a moment that I'm leaving you and Monaca alone with her."
The cutting answer only made him shake his head, right before throwing the red-eyed girl a side-way glance, which was met with a glare that could have made a hole through steel with how intense it was.
He knew just how intense Maki's eyes could be firsthand, but it was the first time in a long time now since had seen such fire in those red orbs.
It would have brought a weird sense of nostalgia if their current predicament wasn't so dire.
"I said it before and I'll say it again, ignoring a girl is no good, Naegi-kun!"
It also didn't help that the one he was blaming for everything that had gone wrong right now had seemingly decided that now was the best time to finally speak up.
And while the glare he sent her way probably paled in comparison to Maki's own, it was the one that got a wink out of the Fashionista.
"Ohhh I truly just adore that look on your face." The Ultimate Analyst almost moaned out, a glint of outright wrongness shinning on her sapphire eyes. "If only you showed it more…we could both be so very happy, Naegi-kun!"
"You bitch…" The Ultimate Child Caregiver growled out with nothing but disdain, with Enoshima Junko already making herself the person she hated the most in this school.
And considering Maki went to classes with Oma Kokichi, such a thing was no small feat.
Junko's excited, crazed gaze went from the Luckster to the younger Ultimate, with said gaze quickly turning into one of boredom, and a groan of annoyance leaving the model's lips.
"You're still here? I thought you had left already…" Such words were followed by a shooing gesture from the Fashionista's hand, her tone being the one a person would use for an animal. "Shoo, shoo, you're ruining our precious bonding time."
After hearing that, Makoto could have sworn that Maki's figure had gained an aura of nothing but malice, with even her hair standing out, sending shivers down his own spine.
But even so, he moved before he was too late, grabbing Maki's wrist right before the girl moved to do something he knew would end in nothing but disaster.
"Oh please, let her." Junko's patronizing tone wasn't making Makoto's job any easier. "I wouldn't mind a playing with her for a bit, as predictable as she is…"
"Harukawa-san, please." The time-traveler pretty much begged to the increasingly furious Ultimate in his grasp. "This is exactly what she wants…!"
"Then I'll be sure to give it to her." Maki's voice was deadly serious, a tone that reminded Makoto just how dangerous the young woman could truly be when push came to shove.
"As if someone like you would last long enough in the first place." Junko's scoff wasn't helping at all. "Why don't you go find Nee-san? I'm sure you two rabid dogs can find a bone to fight over or something."
"Please." Makoto continued, hoping that his words weren't falling on deaf ears. "If not for me, do it for Monaca-chan. The last thing we need is a fight breaking out in front of her."
His harsh whisper seemed to finally go through her, with Maki's eyes going to the downcasted form of the Li'l Ultimate for just one second, taking in a deep breath and releasing it slowly, an act that made the Luckster smile in relief.
A short-lived one, unfortunately.
"How cute!" Junko's voice came out in a higher pitch as if she was gushing over something. "You just mention the kid and she goes all docile on you! Truly fitting the Ultimate Child Caregiver role, wouldn't you say?"
There was something in her tone that made alarms go wild in Makoto's head, forcing a weary look on his face as he regarded the smirking blonde.
"What are you-"
"I wonder though." And now Junko moved her finger to her lower lip, her head tilted and one eye closed, as if she was trying to figure something out. "What would the kiddies think if they knew just how much blood their dependable Hakuwaka-chan has in her hands, hmmm?"
…what
"What is it really? Ultimate Murderer?"
This.
"Ultimate Killer, maybe?"
Couldn't be…
"No no it is more like…Ultimate Assasin, right?"
Happening.
"Yeah, that's the one… a pleasure to met you, Ultimate Assasin-chan!"
It was as if someone had taken all the air on his lungs, leaving him gasping for breath, his face paling and eyes widening to comical proportions.
Such was his shock that this time, he wasn't able to stop the younger Ultimate before it was too late.
Not like he could have done so in the first place even if he had tried anyway, for the speed and force in which one Harukawa Maki suddenly moved was truly fitting for one with the title she held.
In the eyes of Makoto, she was like a red blur, one that no normal person could have any hope of stopping in its wake.
Sadly for Maki, Enoshima Junko was anything but normal.
"Too slow~"
A dry, smacking sound quickly followed, one born out of the meeting of Maki's finger with the book that Junko was now holding in front of her.
Said book was the only thing between the Ultimate Assassin's right hand and the Ultimate Analyst's slender neck.
"Tch…" Maki's red eyes, her face set in an ugly snarl, never left Junko's bored blue ones, even as she tried to move to retaliate once more.
Key word being tried, though, for as much as Maki wanted to continue her assault, she found herself unable to.
Her body simply didn't let her.
For people in her craft, there was only one thing they could truly trust when on the job: their instinct.
And right now, said instinct was screaming at her that there was no safe move to make. No openings to be taken advantage of, no road that would lead to her victory.
It was an overwhelming pressure, almost as if she had lost the battle before it even started.
She hated it.
She hated feeling as if every one of her movements were being countered before she could even think of making them, she hated how the blonde seemed more than aware of what she was making her feel if the glint coming from those blue orbs were an indication of anything.
And most of all, she hated how someone like that was apparently aware of her secret.
Luckily, she wasn't forced to look at those eyes any longer, for the Fashionista's attention quickly turned to the side just as a hand landed on Maki's right wrist.
"That's enough!" Makoto's tone was firm, his hold on Maki being a tight one, even as he knew she could easily throw him off. His own brown eyes were fixed on Junko though, just as the girl was giving him the fakest smile of innocence he had ever seen. "You…how did you know that?"
"Not even going to deny it?"
"Answer me." He knew denying it by now would be nothing short of futile, and with his mind going a mile per second there was only so much cheek he was willing to take from his classmate right now.
"I can practically smell the blood coming out from this one." She ended up answering with a shrug. "And her eyes, so expressive when she's threatened. She confirmed my suspicion right now with those cute reactions of hers."
"You bitch…!" Snapping her arm back from Makoto's hold, the younger Ultimate gave a step back, preparing herself for another attack, even if her body was screaming at her that this was already a lost battle.
However, this time the Luckster stood firmly between the two girls, his back to Maki while he faced the Ultimate Fashionista.
Towards such movement, the red-eyed girl was more than ready to voice out a not so kind set of words towards her senpai, but just as Maki's lips parted, the time-traveler turned his face around to give his underclassmen a side-look.
And it was the expression on his face that killed the words right on her mouth, for right now, the Ultimate Child Caregiver was facing the same smile that he had worn so many months ago.
A smile that was telling her that everything would be fine, one that was telling her that she could put her trust in him and he would not let her down, no matter what.
The only difference between then and now was that she wasn't holding him at gunpoint this time around.
Their eyes matched for what felt like an eternity to Maki until finally, she lowered her gaze, her tense shoulders sagging and a shaky breath leaving her lips, all of it followed by a small but firm nod from her.
He hadn't failed her before, against all odds, and if there was someone she could trust, then…
"Seriously, you should write a book or something. I have seen cults with fanatics less loyal than this." But sure enough, Junko had no issue with continuing edging on her fellow Ultimates.
"What do you want from me?" Now focusing solely on the one known as Ultimate Despair back in his future, the ahoge-boy asked without missing a beat, earning a raised eyebrow in response.
"Excuse me?"
"You obviously want something," Makoto explained with ease. "If not you would have used the information you have already, even if you weren't 100% about it. You want something from us which is why you're making this grand show…"
"But you don't want something from Harukawa-san or else you would have blackmailed her behind my back…" The Luckster continued, earning a few nods from Junko and a surprised look from Maki. "So I ask you again, what do you want from me?"
"Hmm, not bad Naegi-kun, it seems hanging out with Kirigiri-chan has its perks!" Junko giggled then, before slowly walking towards the brown-haired teen. "As to what I want, well…"
She kept her path until she was face to face with her classmate, her face then moving dangerously close to the impassive face of the Ultimate Lucky Student, much to Maki's growing fury.
It ended with her lips almost glued to his ear, the Fashionista obviously whispering something to Makoto that Maki wasn't able to hear from her position.
"…You're kidding me…." She was certainly able to hear Makoto's response, however.
"I never joke when it comes to this, Naegi-kun. You should know that by now."
"Of all things…really?"
"Take it or leave it. Even if her classmates don't believe me I just need them to start thinking about it for things to go downhill…you know how it works, after all~"
That last sentence almost forced Maki to have another go at throttling the blonde bitch that was the senpai in front of her, but another look and a shake from Makoto's head stopped her right on her track.
Said action was followed by the young man releasing a sigh, one so heavy it felt like it was made by an old man rather than a teen.
But then again, Makoto was feeling thrice as older as he had been once upon a time right now.
"…How do I know you'll keep your part of the deal?"
"You can't, but that won't stop you from agreeing, right?"
"Wait, Naegi-senpai!" This time nothing could stop Maki's voice from coming out, for she was already realizing where such conversation was heading.
"…Fine, you have a deal." Resolute in his answer though, the Luckster didn't falter, even when the Fashionista made an act of licking her lips.
"Can't wait then." And almost as if nothing else mattered, Junko moved towards the door, a smirk present on her face just as she passed a glaring Maki, pretty much daring her to try anything.
"Wait!" But just as she reached the door, she was stopped by Makoto's yell. "You haven't told me yet…what did you do to Monaca-chan?"
There was obvious anger in his voice that he didn't even bother to hide. It honestly took everything he had to not go running towards the girl on the corner, but even as much as he wanted to help her, he knew he needed answers as well.
"I meant what I said before. I only asked her a few questions and she suddenly has a mental breakdown right in front of me." Junko answered with clear annoyance in her tone. "And as fun as that was, it wasn't exactly what I was looking for here."
"And what were you looking for, then?" This time he turned completely, challenging Junko with his gaze, a challenge that she met head-on.
"I think you know very well what I was looking for her, Naegi-kun." Junko just chuckled slightly, finally deciding to leave the classroom. "I didn't know how cute everyone here was though, so maybe I'll check some other time~"
And with such dread filling words, she finally left, closing the door in her wake.
And not even a second later, Makoto was already moving, her aim being the muttering girl in the corner.
Embracing her without second thoughts, he could feel the dampness forming on his hoodie, and as he slowly stroked her hair he could only wonder if this day was going to get any worse.
Considering what had just happened, the calmness surrounding the room was almost surreal.
A multitude of different thoughts were fighting for dominance in his head, to the point he began to feel the start of a migraine coming up, with his right hand moving up to massage his forehead slightly.
All the while, his other hand kept slowly moving through certain Li'l Ultimate's green hair, an act that right now he wasn't sure if it was to calm her or himself.
Considering she was currently fast asleep, resting on the bed of her room, it was probably more for him than her by now.
A sigh left his lips while he wondered if Maki and the rest of the Lil' gang were doing fine by themselves.
He truly wanted to be with them right now, especially considering the demanding looks Maki had been giving him every since Junko left and just how scared and worried the Li'l Ultimates had been for their friend and pseudo leader.
But the idea of leaving Monaca by herself right now sounded extremely wrong to him, especially considering what Junko had said before leaving.
He knew more than well than everything Enoshima Junko said should have been taken with a grain of salt, but if even a part of it was true then…
"Yeah, there's the headache…" He whispered under his breath, a growing feeling of frustration bubbling inside of him by the minute.
Of course, he wasn't a stranger to some of the…episodes Monaca could have. For all the help she had been receiving, he was more than aware that Monaca, alongside Jataro, Nagisa, Kotoko, and Masaru, had issues that couldn't just be solved with a hug and a pat on their heads.
They were problems that would take time, and he had vowed to be there for them every step of the way, but it didn't change the fact that it wouldn't be an easy journey, let alone a quick one.
But there was that other possibility of course, and he knew that said possibility was what Junko had implied.
But to even think of it, the idea of this new Despair targeting these kids, his kids, was a terrifying thought.
"Onii-chan…You're here"
He was taken away from his thoughts once he felt pressure on his sides, said pressure being Monaca pressing her head against him just as her arms circled around his waist, her voice coming out as a mere whisper.
"Of course I am." He answered just as he returned the hug as well as he could given the position on her bed. "And I'm not going anywhere, you hear me?"
"You promise?" The doubt in her voice was enough to make his heart crack.
"Always." And he shot back with as much measurement as he could in his voice alone.
They laid there for a while, with Makoto sitting on the edge of the bed while Monaca hugged by from the side, neither of them talking, simply basking themselves in the comfort of each other's presence.
But as nice as the peace was, Makoto knew it couldn't just last forever.
"Monaca-chan…" So it with a tentative tone that the Luckster began. "Just what…happened?"
It took a few minutes for the girl to collect herself, with Makoto patiently waiting for the younger Ultimate to organize her thoughts.
"I…had nightmares." She finally revealed, much to Makoto's surprise. "I thought…you had forgotten about me completely."
"Monaca-chan…"
"I just-you said the others were going to your home and it scared me!" She suddenly babbled out with force, as if a dam had suddenly broken out. "I thought Onii-chan was going to replace me with one of them, that Onii-chan would throw me aside."
"I would never-"
"And then that lady showed up." Makoto's mouth clamped immediately mid refusal, knowing perfectly well who she was referring to. "And she started asking questions about you and it just reminded me of the nightmares!"
She was openly crying now, to which Makoto could only whisper soothing words in a vain attempt at calming her down, his mind trying to process the information he had just received, the implications being problematic, to say the least.
So she was feeling left out? In his attempt to help everyone in the group, had he unintentionally hurt Monaca to the point of leaving her in such a state?
But what could he do? He couldn't just ignore the others, that was simply not an option. What was the middle ground then? A way for everyone to be happy, what was it?
'Oh yeah, there's the migraine…' He thought lamely while biting his lower lips, once more a feeling of loss burning inside of him.
"…It's fine…"
"Eh?"
"The others…Onii-chan shouldn't ignore them… they should have their chance too…"
"Monaca-chan?" He spoke in bewilderment, not expecting such a change from the overzealous little girl.
But once she finally moved her head to look at him, she offered him a tear-strained smile, in what he could only assume was an attempt as reassuring him.
"It hurts but… as long as Onii-chan doesn't forget about Monaca…"
"I told you that's never happening."
"Then it's fine. Onii-chan doesn't have to worry about Monaca… I'm a big girl, after all."
Great, now he was the one being comforted here, just how much was he going to keep failing as this kid's guardians?
"Thank you, Monaca-chan"
"Is she fine?"
"As fine as one can be given everything…she's sleeping right now."
"Good…that's good."
"Yeah…"
A silence followed in the wake of the duo's conversation, one that had them both looking down in contemplation.
"How's everyone else? I should check on them soon."
"They're fine, just a little spooked…"
"That's…not good, but not the worst either."
"Aren't you supposed to be mister optimism?" Maki's words earned a snort from the Luckster, a small smile appearing on his lips before it went back to a frown.
"I'm sorry, Harukawa-san." He spoke with honest regret. "I vowed to protect your secret, and yet…"
"It wasn't your fault…" Maki whispered reassuringly just as she hugged herself. "You didn't say anything, but that woman….who the hell is she? Wasn't she supposed to just be a dumb model?"
"If only you knew…" he whispered, low enough for her not to hear him, right before sighing loudly. "Enoshima Junko is…dangerous, Harukawa-san. She's not someone you, no, anyone should be confronting."
"So promise me you won't go and try to pick a fight with her." Makoto continued, earning a glare from the red-eyed girl. "I'm serious here! Let me handle this, I'll make sure she doesn't tell your secret to anyone, even if it is the last thing I do, I swear!"
Such determination brought a wide-eyed look to Maki's face, one that slowly became a conflicted one just as she hugged one of her long twin tails.
"That's not the only thing that has me worried, you idiot…" She muttered, with Makoto now being the one unable to hear it, but before he could ask her, he was met with another fierce glare.
"And what were you thinking when you made a deal with some like that, huh?" She questioned as if he was the dumbest person in the world. "You just said no one should be messing with her and yet there you go walking headfirst into whatever crap she wants you to do!"
"I'll… admit I didn't think that one properly." He couldn't deny it in her face like that, but even then he still met her glare with a focused one of his own. "But I told you I would everything I could to keep your secret safe! The Harukawa-san that can now enjoy a normal life, that's something I want to protect!"
Once more it was the younger Ultimate who fell on the defensive, her face morphing into a surprised expression, soon followed by her cheeks gaining a rosy color, with her now being unable to meet Makoto's eyes for too long without suddenly looking down.
"I'm helping you…"
"What?"
"I said I'm helping you!" Maki repeated, her arms crossing over her chest. "You got into this mess because of me so I'm helping you with whatever the crazy bitch wants from you."
"I…don't think that's a good idea…"
"Why not?" She demanded, wondering why the older Ultimate was now the one unable to look at her in the face.
"It is…complicated?" His words weren't convincing anyone, to say the least.
"Then make it simple!" Maki snapped. "I'm helping you whether you like it or not and that's final!"
Realizing it was a lost fight, Makoto could only sigh in defeat. Of course, he could keep denying Maki's request, but knowing her as much as he did, he was well aware she would then just go out of her way to get herself involved somehow.
"Fine, just…promise me you won't overreact." So he would rather not have her going behind his back, although her reaction to what he agreed to do still worried him.
"Spill it already." And with such serious tone, Makoto relented it, revealing to the younger Ultimate was Junko had whispered to his ear, much to her growing shock.
Said shock quickly morphed into cold fury.
Suffice to say, it took quite a while for Makoto to calm Maki after that.
"Are you happy now? You made Monaca lie to Onii-chan right to his face." Certain Li'l Ultimate spat out in a harsh whisper, her teeth grinding against one another with such force they almost made a sound. "I'll never forgive you for this…!"
She then turned around, her harsh glare landing immediately on the small figure now resting on the other side of the room.
With said figure being a small, green and white colored bear, who was looking up at the girl sitting on her bed.
Monaca's anger only grew further when the tiny bear tilted his head to the side, acting as if it was innocent in all of this.
Then again, it wasn't the bear itself that she had a problem with, but rather the person behind it.
It didn't stop her from throwing her pillow at the thing though, hitting it without an issue, making her release a huff of satisfaction.
She had it all planned out, she just had to…convince her friends of saying no whenever Onii-chan brought up bringing them to his home.
Nagisa and Jataro would be easy enough, and she was more than able to guilt-trip both Kotoko and Masaru into letting her have all of the visits, for as much she knew they would all love such trips, if there was one thing she had learned as part of the Towa family, it had been to make sure people did exactly what she wanted them to do.
But then…yesterday happened.
It made her shiver to just think about it, and she had to calm her increasingly ragged breaths at the mere memory of what had happened last night.
Her fears though, quickly escalated into frustration and anger, her nails digging deep into her arms with every passing second.
An idea quickly morphed into her head though, once that had her grinning. It was hardly the same, but there was certainly something here with which she could take out her anger with.
Quickly turning her head around to look at the small bear again, the Li'l Ultimate Homeroom was more than ready to enact swift justice into the defenseless thing.
But any bravado that she had died the moment her head turned, her previous angry expression now turned into a terrified one, the blood draining from her face just as her green eyes shook, her throat suddenly feeling dry as dessert.
For the bear was no sitting in the place it had been just a few seconds ago. No, instead it was now standing directly in front of her, on top of her bead, since it had seemingly moved without even making a sound.
But even that wasn't what had her suddenly shivering.
Instead, it was the light.
The red shine coming out of the thing's left eye.
She couldn't move, it was as if the light itself was paralyzing her, freezing her in place with all the weight of the world on top of her.
She knew what it meant. It was a warning, a reminder for her to behave.
Or else…
She could only nod shakily, tears beginning to form from the corner of her eyes as memories of the day prior resurged once more.
Apparently accepting her offer of compliance, the small bear nodded back, right before the red light emanating from the eye slowly dimmed until it was no more, something that was followed by the bear jumping out of the bead and going back to hide below it.
But even after that, it still took a few minutes before Monaca could feel herself breathing again, her body suddenly collapsing on her bead, like a puppet whose strings had suddenly been cut.
She could only whimper against her pillow, the red light she had just witnessed slowly turning into something else in her mind, something that she had the displeasure of facing personally barely a day ago.
The eyes of a monster.
That was the only way she could describe the orbs belonging to whoever had sent her that bear.
The same monster that had threatened her with removing what she treasured the most in her life if she didn't start behaving.
And today, when she saw the same, yet oh so different eyes on the face of that blonde woman…
She had just snapped.
"Onii-chan." She whimpered once more, hoping that it would bring her the strength necessary to continue.
She had to, she was doing this for their sake, for his sake. She couldn't back off now.
And in the end, it would be all worth it…
Right?
I feel like my words are going to keep losing value if I promise that the next update won't take as long as this one did, so I better skip that part.
First of all, happy holidays and new year to all of you! I hope you at least had a few goods last weeks in the hell that was 2020.
Originally, this chapter and the previous one were supposed to be just 1 long chapter, but this half was actually in a place that was just…out of reach because of the pandemic, and I was only able to recover what I had written in this past couple of months.
Better late than never though, right?
This chapter was fun to write, we are in the last stretch of chapters before the Sports Festival finally begins, which will in itself take a few chapters to end.
I want to apologize to everyone for such a long wait, and thank you all for the continuous support. This story has surpassed the 1k followers mark and I find that shocking, I never expected such reception, especially with how bad my update schedule became in the past years.
I can only hope this, and future chapters don't disappoint.
So once more, thank you everyone for reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting this thing. Hope to see you all in 2021!
Next Chapter: In the Eyes of Korekiyo Shinguji.
Omake
Weapon of Mass Destruction
"Shi shi shi…this is going to be good." One Oma Kokichi muttered in low voice, silently watching the locker room of the school with rapt attention.
He was only paying attention to one locker in particular though, a grin forming on his lips as he waiting patiently for the owner of said space to appear.
He had let quite the…item inside of it, after all, and considering the reaction that certain Pianist had with such an item, he was beyond excited to see how this would play out.
"Hmm…? Wait…" He was suddenly filled with confusion though, once a person, definitely not the one he had been expecting, moved towards the locker before opening it.
Had he somehow mixed them? What a rookie mistake!
"Excuse me, Nagito-senpai?" Determined to get the fake letter back though, the Ultimate Supreme Leader moved to address his white-haired senpai, who was currently reading a piece of paper he easily recognized.
Oh well, he would just have to retrieve it quickly and-
"Yes, Oma-kun?"
His eyes were burning.
No, scratch that, his whole face was currently being burned to a crisp.
It was as if the sun itself was shining down directly on him with a burning vengeance.
It was the only way to describe just how blindingly shinning was the smile his senpai was currently wearing.
He could, quite honestly, feel his retinas getting incinerated by seeing such a thing directly.
He was forced to put on a set of sunglasses that he always had on his person, just in case, to not become officially blind.
"Hmm? Oma-kun?" Even his voice, god his voice. It was reaching a level of happiness Kokichi wasn't sure anyone should ever reach.
"N-nothing, Nagito-senpai…sorry to bother you…" He needed to leave this place, fast. This level of elation was almost enough to make him hyperventilate.
"Oh don't worry! If you excuse me though, I have something that needs to be framed and hanged on top of my bed. Bye!"
And with that, the Ultimate Lucky Student finally left-was he skipping as he walked?
Half an hour later, a trash bin, a lighter, and a set of fake letters, Oma Kokichi saw as everything he had built in the past couple of days burned to cinders before his barely working eyes.
"Better like this…" he muttered, for even someone like him had limits.
Some things were better left untouched by humanity.