Hospital
11:00 P.M.
Fuyuhiko's POV
We had managed to get Riki in the hospital after a long drive there. What was mere hours... felt like an eternity. We ran in the hospital, Riki on dad's shoulder and the nurse was immediately panicking. But we don't have time to explain everything at the moment.
"W-Whoa, what happened to him?!"
"There's no time to explain right now! Please, can you get him in a room right now?!"
"Of course! Girls, come help me!" The other nurses had managed to help him get in the stretcher, and he was immediately rushed to ICU.
Then, we played the waiting game again. This time, I could actually tell the time apart. It was well into midnight by the time we had gotten an update. Honestly, I could have told Peko and Natsumi to head home, but I know that they care for him deeply. So, I kept it to myself. Eventually, the nurse had came back to us after three hours.
"Thank you for patiently waiting. I've come to tell you that..."
...
...
...
...
...
"It was a really close call, but he will make it." We had a huge sigh of relief. That's great to hear.
"If you would have came any later, he probably would have died, given how much blood he lost. But, we managed to save him."
"That's great to hear. Is he asleep?"
"Yes. He probably won't wake up until the morning. I will say one thing though." That doesn't sound good at all. What could it be now?
"I know that I've said this before, but he was really close to dying. The cut was a mere inches off from piercing through his heart, and I mean it was REALLY close. And although we were able to patch it up safely, he will forever have that scar on his body for the rest of his life."
I felt really bad. Fuck, why did I choose to bring him in? If I had known it would come to this, I wouldn't have done it!
"But despite all of it, while we were performing surgery, he was smiling." That had caught my attention and I, who was really quiet up until this point, finally managed to spit out some words.
"H-He was smiling? W-Why?" I could tell it caught everyone off-guard, considering I'm acting a bit out of character here.
"I can't quite explain it, but it was like he graduated school. Do you ever really wonder what it really means to be human? That moment right there almost made me tear up a bit. It showed that despite all that's happened to him in his life, he never felt regret or sadness. Instead, he was happy. That's what I think is the definition of a strong person. And he definitely is the best example of it."
Wow. I couldn't help but tear up hearing those words while laughing a bit.
She's right. She's absolutely right. I knew that Riki was an interesting person of note when I first met him. I knew that I could immediately trust him to be around my sister. I knew that he was a reliable person that I could entrust some difficult tasks to. I knew that he would have my back no matter what happened in any circumstance. I knew that he had experienced some tough moments in his life; hell I've seen it up close just now with that battle with Ayaka.
...
...
And yet... It seems that I took him for granted. During all of that, he never complained, he never cried, and he never even backed out.
But most of all, he always looks out for his friends first. This guy is really something else.
"F-Fuyu Are you okay?" Natsumi was rubbing my back, consoling me. Peko was touching my shoulder, doing the same thing I assume.
"Yeah, I'm okay. It's just.. I don't think I've ever told him thank you. And I thought I would never get that chance. But, now I know that I will get to say it to him. Lucky guy." Both of them looked at me with passion. I guess they must have thought the same way I did.
"Y-Yeah, I was thinking the same. I really care for Riki; he's the main reason I'm still here after all, and yet I never properly thanked him." Aww, I know how you feel. I hugged Natsumi for comfort. But now...
It's time to start wrapping this up. I looked to Dad to let him take the lead from here.
"Does Riki have his phone on him?"
"Yes, I have it here."
"Did you call his parents?"
"Yes, both sets in fact."
"Wait, both sets?" Dad was confused by his statement.
"He has biological and adoptive parents, dad. It's a long story."
"Oh okay, that's good. Well, I guess let them take it from here."
"Oh, can me and Fuyu stay with him?"
"Uh.. Is that okay, nurse?"
"Of course it is. Just be mindful of your surroundings."
"Okay, I'll take Peko home from here. Be careful you two." Dad and Peko had went home.
After a little while, both sets of his parents had came along with their family members.
"I-Is my son okay?" The mom with black hair and green eyes had asked the question. I'm guessing that must be his biological family. We let them take it from there.
Wait, his adoptive parents are...
"Seiji and Ai Kei?" Natsumi had slipped up. Way to set the mood already there.
"Oh, you know who we are? I didn't think anyone would know us out here." Seiji was surprised by her comment.
"Yes, you two are amazing actors! I loved the movies that you two did together!" Yeah, Natsumi is into rom-com movies for some reason. It was something I never understood considering her personality.
"Oh, you flatter us too much! We just did our jobs."
Both sets of families were talking for a little while, introducing themselves to one another and even being friendly with each other. Natsumi and I had stayed silent to let them have their moment.
"Who are you two?" The biological mom had asked us this question after a while. I guess it's time to introduce ourselves to them.
"I'm Fuyuhiko. This is my little sister, Natsumi. We go to the same school as your son. Nice to meet you." We shook their hands, along with the other family.
"So, what happened?"
I was reluctant to tell them what happened, but they deserved to know. After all, if I was in this situation, I'd want to know too. So, I told them everything from start to finish. How we met, what happened, the meetings, the battle itself, and leading up to this point. After hearing the whole story, they looked at us with sad faces as I had expected.
"I deeply apologize not only from me, but from our entire family as well. If there's anything that we can do to help you, then please tell me. I'll make sure that my dad accommodates all of your needs."
...
...
"Are you really sorry?" The biological dad then came at me with this question.
"Yes, I am."
"Then, you don't have to worry about anything. We forgive you." Huh, really? I thought there was going to be a huge argument over this or something. What's with this reaction?
"I'm a bit surprised by your calm reaction sir."
"Honestly, everything you said has made sense. We've known of Ayaka's bullshit for a while. After all, she's been a part of his life for a while, and we didn't even know it for many years."
"Not to mention, my son would certainly do something reckless if it had meant helping one of his friends. He's always put his friends first before anyone else. I'm just glad that he's going to be okay."
"Same goes for us. He's really added a new meaning of life to our family, even though we've adopted him. He always helps out our children with anything, no matter the tasks."
It seems that his family deeply respects him, not only through blood, but also bond as well. I wish that I had that kind of love when I grew up. But that's for another story. Not to mention, both sets of his family finally got to meet even though it was on bad circumstances. So, I guess that counts for something.
After we all talked for a little bit, Natsumi and I headed back home on foot.
"Fuyu, do you think this changes everything?"
"Oh, it certainly does change everything. Riki's life isn't going to be the same, peaceful life after what just happened. The same goes for all of us too."
"Mmm... I guess we ruined it for him, didn't we?"
"C'mon, you know he wouldn't say that. Knowing him, he's going to find some way to put it on himself." I said that to make her smile, which it did work.
But she does make a good point. Who knows when he comes back to school? Who's going to tell his best friends, hell, his girlfriend? How are they going to react when they find out what happened? I guess I won't know that until he fully recovers.
But what really is still irking me right now is Ayaka's words...
("R-Riki, I-I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to do that! A-Are you okay?")
("I-I can't do this anymore! I don't want to lose, but I can't lose my Riki! W-We have to forfeit the battle.")
What the hell is she talking about? She didn't mean to do that, but then what was she going for there?! This girl is a fucking maniac!
...
...
Actually, I've been shitting on Ayaka for a lot of stuff she's done lately, but I'll give her some credit for once.
Maybe, she might have actually cared for Riki very much. It's also very likely Riki knew that fact as well. It might seem like I'm just hoping for that answer, and truthfully, I am. But I guess I'll never get the answer to that question for a while unless Ayaka confesses her true feelings and/or Riki decides to tell me more himself.
One thing is for sure, I'm just glad that all of this shit is over, and we can finally rest for the next school semester.
Hope's Peak Academy
Headmaster's Office
8:30 A.M.
Jin's POV
4 days until school starts back up...
"So, you're probably wondering why I've called you all here..." I had brought Chisa, Kyosuke, and Juzo into my office. "I'll get straight to the point. There's two reasons why I called you three here."
"Well, let's go ahead with this. I've got an appointment in an hour from now." Heh, Kyosuke sure likes his appointments. That got a bit of an angry face from Chisa though. I wonder why that is.
"The first reason is the new rule that I was talking about. I don't want any more incidents happening in this school. Each of you had an incident occur involving one of you. Kyosuke, you were too rude to a certain group of students, and they painted on our walls outside my office. Juzo, you have to stop committing violent acts on Reserve Course students, especially for no reason. And Chisa, you have done some rather... interesting acts during your break hours. But it's not just you three. All of the staff here need to be calmer. So, to make sure that happens, I've added more cameras around the building to track all of you. If I see an improvement, then I'll remove them. If not, they stay up. Simple as that."
"You mean, even the bathhouse?!" That's what you were worried about Chisa?!
"No. The bathhouse, and all of the bathrooms for that matter, do not have cameras. I made sure of that myself. Anyways, that's it for the first rule. Am I clear?"
"Crystal clear, sir!"
"Yes, I perfectly understand it."
"I'll try to make a better attempt at not using my fists to solve everything."
"Good. The other thing is... It's time for the drawing."
"Hm? Drawing? For the Ultimate Lucky Student? But we already did that last year with Makoto, didn't we?"
"Yeah, but the new class that we introduced this year complained that they didn't have one, so we have to do another one. But, there's a catch. We're pulling from Reserve Course students this time around."
"Huh? Is that even allowed?"
"Well, it checks out for me. Plus, it was a direct order from the board themselves. Well, let's see." I pulled out the machine to draw a name. I had pulled out a name, but the paper had fell from my hand and was blown out of the window by the wind.
"Oh, that sucks. Guess I'll go out and-"
"C'mon, there's no reason to waste your time to do that. Just draw another name!" Chisa was really impatient, wasn't she?
"Alright, alright, I'll pull another one." This time I closed the windows and drew another name. When I looked at it, I could only grin so much.
"Heh, it's Riki Aiuchi. Who would have guessed?"
"Yay! He's going to be in the main course!"
"I will say, he certainly is a good selection. He's very sophisticated for someone his age."
"This guy seems to be changing fate and he doesn't even know it."
"Well, I'll make sure to tell him. It's certainly going to be an interesting school year. That's all I wanted to tell you all. You're dismissed."
I said that, but Chisa had chosen to stay behind while the others had left. What does she have to say this time? I still think about what she had did earlier.
"Is there something wrong Chisa?"
"I guess this means my proposal has come true!"
"Hm? What proposal are you talking about?"
"Hello, did we not just have a meeting discussing this days ago? It's my proposal to make Riki a counselor here! Now that he is a Main Course student, we can begin our plans!"
"Well, it's not like I rejected your plan or anything. It was just a rule that Reserve Course students couldn't be involved in the proceedings. Hell, it took a lot from the board to even allow Riki in that meeting in the first place. The board definitely cut my pay after that." I put my head down in sadness, although it was a bit of a joking act. Chisa was looking happy still for some reason.
"Don't look so down! You did what you had to do. And my goals just so happened to align with yours."
"Chisa, you do know that he's still like the other lucky students, right? He's technically a Reserve Course student still, just with the talented people."
"Jin! You can't talk like that!"
"I know, and it pained me to say that. But I've been talking to Makoto and Nagito these past couple days. Nagito is... definitely in his own little world with his ideals. And even though Makoto is in a much better state now, he wasn't feeling so good about being here with these talented students at first. I'm just a little worried considering this new class is more dynamic than the others."
I kind of said that last sentence as a bit of a farce, but my worries do hold up still. This new class is very weird to say the least, and that's me being generous in a good way. I don't know how he's going to be able to adapt to his new situation, let alone if he is even ready for it. Now I'm just straight up curious who had gotten it first. I guess I'll go look for it when I'm finished here. It couldn't have gone far.
"Well, if we are done talking here, I'm going to go for a bit of a walk. Have a good day, Chisa."
"Okay. Bye Jin!" Chisa and I went our separate ways. I searched high and low for it, but it must be really gone now. I wonder who it could have been.
I guess some things are left as a secret.
Hospital
11:00 A.M.
Kiki's POV
It's been a while since we stayed at the hospital watching over Riki sleep peacefully. It's a really calming sight to see. His other family had left a little while earlier, leaving just me and my parents here.
"I wonder when he will wake up."
"Honey, it's probably going to be a while from now. It must have taken a big toll on his body not only physically, but mentally as well. There's no need to be impatient here."
"Yeah, I know that he's going to be alright. Say, mom?"
"What is it Kiki?"
"What are you holding in your hand?" I had noticed it way before we entered the hospital that she was holding something in her hand, but I had held off on asking until now.
"Oh, this is the picture that I have of you two being born!"
"Wait what?"
"Yeah, we had the doctor take a picture of us starting a new family. Well, that was before they told us about their experiment. But yeah, this is the earliest picture that we have of you both. And both of you took on your mom's genetics, from the hair to the eyes, although Riki has more of my facial features while you have your mom's."
"It certainly caught us by surprise when we went to see the ultrasound. We saw not one but two babies! I was very happy that we were going to start a family! Being that we had just gotten married around the time I was pregnant, it was a perfect start to our new life."
"Kiki, I don't think I've asked you this, but how were the first parents that you've had? I know about Riki's case."
"Well, they were actually really nice, but I felt like it was very forced. It was like they had to because they were being told to, not because they actually loved me. It definitely doesn't compare to Riki though, who wasn't so lucky."
"Hmm, I beg to differ actually. Maybe he was lucky in a way."
"What do you mean Naijo?"
"Well, if it wasn't for them, we probably never would have had a chance to meet Riki again under the circumstances. Maybe he would have realized after he got older that he looked nothing like them, but knowing him, he would have stuck it out with them, meaning we wouldn't have even seen him. It's a little selfish to say, but it did lead us up to now."
I guess it is in a way. However, I am glad that it happened like this as well. The same thing could have happened to me in that scenario. It's entirely possible that we might have never met our biological parents at all in an alternate world. Knowing that, it would be very traumatic for our parents, who worked so hard to get to where they are. I should thank Kokichi for what he's done for me as well, even though he can be a pain sometimes.
I do wish that I could go to school with my brother, but the expense is far too high for me to attend. Unless... Nah, that wouldn't be right of me to do. Besides, I do like the current school that I'm at, so I can't really complain.
Seiko's House
12:00 P.M.
Seiko's POV
My night was pretty good. Ruruka and I ended up staying up for a while, so we started the day a bit later than usual. Ruruka is in the kitchen making desserts as usual. Doesn't she ever get tired of doing that? Well, you could say the same for me though, so I guess it doesn't really matter what I say. A few minutes later, Sonosuke shows up at my house and we were chatting for a little while. I had called Riki to see if he wanted to hang out with us. However, he didn't answer his phone. That's when I noticed something was wrong. It didn't take me long to realize it either.
"Hey, i-is Riki okay? Have any of you been able to g-get in contact with him?"
"No, I haven't."
"Same here. No luck."
"Mmm... I'm worried. I'm going to call his parents." I called his parents and thankfully they answered rather quick.
"Hello? Who is this?" I could tell that it was his younger sister on the phone.
"Hi Mia. It's me, Seiko."
"Hi, Seiko! When are you going to come over again?"
"S-Soon, I promise. U-Um, is Riki okay?"
"Oh, you don't know yet?"
"Don't know what?" Now I was starting to get really worried.
"I think it's better if daddy answers this question. Daddy!" She called for her dad, and he ended up answering instead.
"Hello Seiko. Sorry to tell you like this, but it was last minute. Riki is in the hospital."
"W-What?!"
"Yeah, a lot has happened and I'm sorry that I didn't tell you sooner. But-"
"What hospital is he in?!" I didn't mean to interrupt him like that, but I want to see him right now!
"He's at the one near the park."
"Thanks!" I quickly hung up the phone.
"We're going to the hospital right now! Let's go!"
Sonosuke, Ruruka, and I ran to the hospital as fast as we could. I was in so much of a rush that I didn't even wear my mask that I normally wear. We got to the receptionist feeling very tired.
"What room is Riki Aiuchi in?"
"In room 137-"
"Thank you." I wasn't even looking people in the eye anymore as I just wanted to see him.
"Seiko, c-calm down-"
"I can't calm down Sonosuke! W-What if he is badly i-injured?"
"Look at me, girl! Take deep breaths, okay?" I listened to her, and I relaxed a little bit.
"S-Sorry, I'm g-good now."
As we made it to the room, we saw his family. Or at least, the one I thought I knew. Who are these people?
"O-Oh, hey. I didn't expect any visitors here. Did you Kiki?"
"N-No. I don't know who they are."
We didn't know what to do in this situation, so we were whispering to each other.
"Well, this is freaking awkward. Who's going to start the conversation?"
"S-Seiko, you do it."
"W-Why do I have to d-do i-it?!"
"Because you're the most important to Riki out of all of us! Now, just do it!" I sighed and just prayed that this goes well.
"U-Um, h-hi. I'm Seiko Kimura. T-This is Ruruka Ando on my left, and Sonosuke Izayoi on my right. W-We are Riki's best friends."
"You are forgetting something! Not only are we his best friends, but Seiko is also Riki's girlfriend!" Ruruka just straight up told them without no regrets or anything! I was going to bring that up later! I blushed so hard.
"R-Ruruka!"
The family was very confused; they didn't know how to respond at all. I wouldn't know either! After a little while, they finally spoke their thoughts.
"You must be the awesome friends that my brother was talking about! It's nice to finally meet you, although I do wish it was under different circumstances."
"Wait, Riki has mentioned you to us?"
"Yeah, he really wouldn't stop talking about you three and how you changed his life for the better. It was kind of fanboying in a way. Not that it was bad, haha."
"Well, it's nice to meet you. I'm his dad, Naijo."
"I'm his mother, Hikari. It's very nice to meet you."
"And I'm his adorable twin sister, Kiki!"
"So, let me get this straight. You are his biological family, correct?" Sonosuke asks the right questions at the right time.
"Right. You're also very smart for your age."
"Wait, he has two sets of families?" While Ruruka is just now figuring it out...
"It's a really long story that would take too long to explain."
"Fair enough. I would like to hear it someday though."
"Sure, just stop on by our house anytime. That goes for all of you, by the way."
"Yes, please come over! We can have a big party!"
Aww, his biological family is very loving and kind. I can see where Riki gets his kindness from.
"But enough of us, let's talk about you." His mom pointed at me.
"M-Me?"
"Yes, Riki always speaks great things about you. You're a really beautiful young woman, and I'm glad that you chose to date my son."
"Finally, my brother has a girlfriend! Yay! Are you really going to come over sometime?"
"S-Sure, if you w-want me to." Him and his sister are definitely alike. Not that it's a bad thing.
"Awesome!"
"It must have been fate that we met like this."
"Y-Yes, that's how I felt when I m-met Riki."
"How did you all meet?"
I told them everything, how we met and how we got along over the years. Of course, they don't need to know about... what happened on Christmas. That stays with us. Ruruka surprisingly didn't say anything that whole time.
"Aww, it's such a good story!"
"Yeah, it's so wholesome!" His mom and Kiki were giggling like little girls.
"Yeah, these two watch soap operas for a living." That got a "Hey!" from both of them. "But I'm thankful for you three. I was wondering what school he went to. Seems like it really is the famous Hope's Peak Academy. We have to thank Seiji and Ai the next time we see them."
"I'm just wondering about one thing though, did Riki ever complain to you guys about things?"
"Occasionally, but he would brush it off like nothing happened. He was really stubborn though."
"That sound about right. Heehee!"
"Oh, I want to tell you about the time that Riki-"
"O-Okay, I think t-that's enough e-embarrassment f-for me."
We all looked at who said that. Sure enough, it was Riki who had finally woken up from his sleep.
"R-Riki!" I walked up to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. I really wanted to hug him so much, but I know that he is still hurting.
"H-Hi Seiko. I'm sorry that you had to s-see me l-like this."
"I-It's fine. I'm just glad that you are okay. W-When you didn't answer your p-phone, I was so w-worried." I started to cry, but Riki wiped my tears.
"S-Sorry about that. My phone was off. It's okay. I'm here." He reassured me. His words always sooth me. It's a part of his charm. I smiled at him.
"H-Hey mom, dad, Kiki. Hey Ruruka and Sonosuke. Well, I'm glad you guys finally met each other."
"How long have you been awake?"
"For a little while, long enough for mom to call my girlfriend beautiful. Which is true by the way." I blushed really hard again. He just knows the right words to say to me.
"Yes, she really is beautiful!"
"Y-Yeah, she really is. It almost makes me wonder if I'm the right one for you."
"R-Riki?"
"I do wish I was more up to your level Seiko. Then maybe I could be the perfect boyfriend." That got a reaction out of everyone in the room. I didn't expect him to get sentimental like that. He looked at the window in embarrassment.
"H-Hey, i-is that how you really f-feel?"
"Y-Yeah." He looked at us now with a bit of a sad smile.
"H-How long have you f-felt this w-way?"
"I've been wanting to talk to you about it for a while, but y'know, I'm average. I'm nothing like Ruruka, Sonosuke, or you for that matter. Heck, I'd go as far as to say Kiki has more levels than me. I don't know, I guess I've been thinking a lot these past few days. I'm sorry, it must feel stupid to hear that coming from me, but I can't help it considering I'm just some damn average person!"
Riki... He's been really holding this in for a while now. All of us could just look at him in astonishment. I guess none of us ever knew that he felt this way and I felt really bad for not noticing it. But that's not important right now. Right now, I need to support my boyfriend in the best way possible.
"R-Riki, t-there's nothing wrong with feeling like that. B-But it's not stupid to v-vent your f-frustrations. "
"H-Huh?"
"Yeah man, you're hurting my feelings. You know your more than an average person to us. You are our best friend after all."
"Yeah, we're like the four musketeers! We aren't complete without you!"
"And you know that we love you no matter who you are or what happens."
"That's right son."
"Riki, I look up to you! You are the greatest bro I've ever had!"
He blushed in embarrassment. Everyone gave him their encouraging words. I looked at him in his eyes while smiling and blushing myself. I decided to be confident and give him the final push.
"D-Deep down, we all have our f-flaws. But that's what makes us human. Isn't that what you t-told me?"
"You r-remembered that?"
"Of course. It meant a lot to me. Your words always make me feel better. And it doesn't matter if you're average or not, you are the best boyfriend I've ever had! So, like you always tell me, please be more confident in yourself. I love you, Riki."
I gave him a soft kiss on the lips. He looked at me with determination on his face, and he was back to his happy self again.
"I love you too Seiko! Thank you everyone."
After that, the nurse walked in the room to give him something to help with his pain.
"So, nurse, when is he going to be able to leave?"
"We want to keep him here for a little while until he can make a full recovery."
"Will he be able to make it back to school on time?"
"When do you go back Riki?"
"Four days from now."
"Hmm... you'll probably miss the first day back, but you should be fine after that."
"That's fine with me. I want to make sure I'm back to full strength before I go back anyways."
"Well, that's all from me. Are you ready for your 30-minute walk?"
"Yes, I'm ready. Well, see you guys." The nurse had helped him up, although it was a little painful to see him with tears. "It's alright, I've clearly been hit with worse." He tried to make a joke, which didn't sit well with us.
"Not the right time, eh? I'm just kidding guys. Bye!" He walked with the nurse. I guess that means it's time for us to part ways. We all said our goodbyes and I was walking with Ruruka and Sonosuke again.
"Do you think he is going to be okay?"
"Y-Yes, let's believe in him."
"Yep, that's all we can do right now. Let's go back home."
We walked back to my house with a smile on all of our faces.
The Enoshima-Ikusaba Household
1:00 P.M.
Mukuro's POV
Damn it! I failed on my mission. I was supposed to keep Riki unharmed, but Ayaka fucking hit him! If only I was able to get there in time, I could have done something about it!
(Flashback)
I had went out there with weapons ready. That's when he showed up.
"Hmm? Wait, is that you Mukuro?"
"Hm? Oh, hello Fuyuhiko."
"What the hell are you doing here? On our side nonetheless?"
"I'm here on a... secret mission. I won't interfere with your war as long as you don't interfere with my mission. Deal?"
"U-Uh, okay. Deal."
As the bell rang, I quickly went over to Ayaka's base to spy on her. However, she saw me eventually and called for me to stop hiding.
"Haha, I see you Mukuro! Get your ass down here!"
"(sigh) What is it?"
"What do you think you're doing here? Last time I checked, your last name isn't Kuzuryu! Where's Junko?"
"She's doing her despairful acts again as usual. Nothing new. Now, what is your goal here?" I put a knife close to her neck. Her guards were ready to try to stop me, but she signaled for them not to do anything. They then just stood there.
"Heehee, what do you think you're doing Mukuro?"
"I'm asking for information. Now."
"It seems like you're threatening me though."
"I wouldn't call it that. It's more of a request."
"Well, what if I told you I could do this?" She knocked the knife out of my hand and then looked at me with her crazy face.
"Did you think I wasn't trained in any combat? I'm the queen, so of course I have tactics and stuff up my sleeve! That was just a normal Monday for me!"
"Hmph."
"Oh, are you mad? Don't be! After all, you're thinking about Riki right?"
"H-How did you-"
"Please, Junko has already told me about you and your fetishes with smiles. I bet he looked at you with his beautiful face and you fell for him instantly, didn't you?" I blushed, which was out of character for me.
"N-No, he's just a f-friend."
"That you want to be more than a friend. Girl, I've dated him; I should know when someone is trying to steal him from me!"
"You've d-dated him?"
"Yes! And I want him back now! Which is why, I'm doing this war anyways!"
"You're fucking crazy!"
"Yes I am! And I won't stop at nothing to achieve my goal! So if we're done talking here, you can go ahead and leave! Or I'll tell Riki about your fetish!"
Argh... she is too smart. I reluctantly "left" her base. I was still watching from afar though. I saw everything, from her strategy to trap any group, to Fuyuhiko, Peko, and Riki running over to her base, to her hurting Riki with a katana. I felt so deflated after that moment. R-Riki...
I'm sorry...
(Flashback over)
"Muky! Muky!"
Ryoko was calling me (or my nickname) over and over again. Oh yeah, she still doesn't have her memory back. It's been a while since that incident happened. When will Junko come back, dammit?!
"What is it?"
"You spaced out there for a while! Are you okay?" Ryoko was looking at me with concern on her face.
"Yes, I'm fine. I was just thinking about what our next plan is going to be."
"Plan what?"
"To figure out how I'm going to take over Hope's Peak Academy, of course. It's what Junko wants me to do."
"Where is Junko by the way?"
"She's gone off to America for a little vacation for a trip. I believe you wrote that down in your notebook there before." That was obviously a lie. "Junko" is clearly not in America, but I did tell her to remember that so she wouldn't forget it.
She checks her notebook. She has written a lot of pages on that little diary of hers. I'm surprised she still has lots of paper left to write on there. Well, Junko's handwriting was always pretty to me, so it shouldn't come off as a surprise that she inhabited that habit.
"Oh yeah, page 183. Sorry about that!"
"It's fine. Anyways, where is that boy of yours?"
"Oh, you mean Yasuke? He's probably getting ready for graduation this semester after all." That's right, he's in the same class as Ruruka Ando. Actually, he's a childhood friend of ours. Although, he's closer to Junko than me. Did Junko even care about him like that?
Anyways, I can't afford to waste more time. School starts back up soon and this will be the perfect opportunity for me to initiate the next step in this plan. It should be easy to infiltrate the Reserve Course basement. After all, that's where those scientists were at trying to set up Hajime and Riki. It should be, but there's a major problem with this plan...
...
If we don't manage to get it done perfectly then...
...
"Mukuro! You're doing it again!" Ryoko took me out of my thoughts again. I'll let it slide this time though because who knows what would have happened if I had continued down that line of thought?
"Sorry, I'm good."
Besides, it's still a while from now. And who knows when Junko will really come back anyways? Wait, why am I thinking like this? Is it because...
I actually have something I want to live for than just Junko? No way. That's definitely not the case...
...
...
But is it really just my imagination?
Chiaki's House
3:30 P.M.
Hajime's POV
Chiaki and I were back to playing video games like nothing, as per usual. We were playing some Smash Bros. Of course, I was losing but I think it's because...
I can't get what happened yesterday out of my mind.
(Flashback)
"Of course Chiaki. Now, with all this mushy-mushy stuff out of the way, let's play some games, okay?" I was looking forward to playing Gala Omega and try to beat her high score. I picked up the controller, but...
"Oh, we won't need that controller to play the game we're playing." She took the controller out of my hands and dropped it on the desk that she had it on. She had this seductive look on her face, and she was touching the button on her blazer.
"Then what are we going to be playing?"
"Let me show you as a token of my appreciation..." She locked the door and started to unbutton her blazer. Then, she pushed me on the bed.
"O-Oh, I t-thought we were going to be playing Gala Omega. W-What are you going to do?" Chiaki puffed her cheeks out with anger, although I could tell she was teasing me.
"Hajiiime! You don't know what game we're playing?"
"Well, you still haven't told me yet, but I'm assuming it's going to be like strip poker, right?"
"No! How dense can you be?"
"Then what are we doing?"
"Isn't it obvious? We're... going to... home base." I was blushing really hard, while she looked at me blushing too.
"S-So you remembered what I said that day?"
"O-Of course I did. I didn't give you much of a reaction when you said it, but I was really happy when you said it."
"And why is that?"
"Because I've been wanting to do this for a while. Hajime, I want to play this game with you." She was then fully naked at this point. I was trying hard not to look at her big... proportions, but she pretty much forced me to look at her.
"D-Do you not want to play with me, Hajime?"
"N-No, I want to! But is this something you want? You aren't teasing me or anything?"
"I promise that I'm being very serious about this. I want to have sex with you."
"Well, okay. I guess I'm ready then. W-Where should I-"
"Oh, I got it from here. You can relax, Hajime."
She had told me to get naked too (for some reason), then she was looking at me with malicious intent.
Oh... we're going to play that game aren't we? Well, let the games begin...
(Flashback over)
"Ha! I win again!" I was out of my thoughts as she beat me once again. Is there really any game that I can win on, like any obscure game that she might not know about?
"Heh, good game. That was just a bad matchup for me. Let's run it back. I'm going to defeat you with Mario this time!"
"Okay!"
I guess it doesn't really matter to me. As long as Chiaki is happy, then I'm happy too.
Come to think of it, I haven't talked to Riki since he met his "clone." I wonder what developed out of that. Should I call him after I'm done hanging out with Chiaki? After all, my birthday is a couple days away.
Hospital
7:00 P.M.
Riki's POV
I was still relaxing a little bit in my hospital bed after my 30-minute walk. It was a little painful, but it was well worth it if I want to recover as fast as possible. Seiko, Ruruka, and Sonosuke are praying for my full recovery; the same goes for my families, so I can't let them all down!
I'M GOING TO RECOVER FOR THEM!
...
...
Okay, now that I got my motivation booster for today (even though it's a little late for it), I decided to head out of my room to get some fresh air. I can still walk fine, although I do wince a bit if I walk for a little too long. Also, the nurses allow me to walk as long as I don't hurt anything. So, I decided to head to the garden that they have here. It's a great view, not to mention the awesome people that I've met here. There's this one person that I've met that has Alzheimer's, but she's the sweetest person I've ever met. She's in her late 60s and she is in a wheelchair. I was walking her to the garden, when we were talking as we were waiting for some kind of event to happen.
"Riki, can I tell you something sweetie?"
"Of course, what is it?"
"Even though we've only met for a couple hours, I can tell you that you are the best person I've ever met here. You're like the son I wish I had." Yeah, she is starting to lose her memories. She actually does have a son who goes to Hope's Peak Academy. Hm, I wonder who that is.
"T-Thanks grandma." (Yes, she told me to call her grandma, and I felt it would be wrong to deny her request.)
"Here." She hands me a watch.
"What's this?"
"This was my husband's watch. I've been holding it for a while. Unfortunately, he died a couple years ago due to a heart attack."
"I'm sorry to hear that. This must be a good memory of him, correct?"
"Yes. Now I want you to have something from me." I gave her the watch back, and she gave me a little heart back. It can go on a necklace or any kind of jewelry.
"Do you want me to put this on my necklace?"
"Yes please. I want someone to keep this for me as a memento for when I eventually die. I know that it's coming soon at some point; the doctors told me."
"R-Really?"
I couldn't help but cry a little bit. I know that everyone's time is coming, but it really is unfair that some people end up with diseases that rob them of their young life. Especially young people that have terminal diseases.
"Don't cry son. It's fine; I've prepared for that when it comes. But for now, I want to live my last days to the fullest. So, hold on to this for me so I know someone other than my family cares about me." She said that with a bit of sadness in her voice. I feel like she wanted to say something else there, but I chose not to pry anymore than she has already told me.
"Of course. I promise."
We were talking for a little while, when the person of interest finally came. She certainly looked carefree and exotic to say the least.
"Haha! Sorry to keep you all waiting! Now, let's paint some pictures!" We all had our canvas and paint brushes. Next thing we knew, we were having fun drawing whatever we wanted to.
She was very happy with us as she walked around to see our finished products. When she came to my painting though...
"Hmm... you have a great talent, sir! We should be drawing buddies!"
"Haha, it's that good? I just painted what I was feeling at the moment."
"I know! You're feeling motivated and pumped up. That's the feeling I got from this painting. We should always be positive and happy!"
"Right! I agree!"
All of us had fun with our paintings. Soon, it was late at night and it was time for us to go back to our rooms.
"Wait! Green eyes!" She had called me out and I had stayed back.
"Heh, green eyes? I've never been called that before."
"Sorry, sorry! I didn't know your name!"
"I know, I'm just messing with ya. I'm Riki Aiuchi. It's nice to meet you."
"You too! I'm Angie Yonaga!"
ANGIE YONAGA
Talent: Ultimate Artist
Age: 17
Height: 5'1
Weight: 90
Likes: Avocados
Dislikes: Humidity
Birthday: April 18
"That's a cool name, Yonaga-san."
"Oh please, just call me Angie, and I'll call you Riki in return! Okay?"
"S-Sure." Her positivity is really on another level! On the plus side, I can definitely see us being good friends after all.
"I was here doing some community service for the people in the hospital. Art is something that I am really passionate about. After all, artists deserve some love too!"
"By chance, do you go to Hope's Peak Academy?"
"Yes I do! Wait, do you go there as well?"
"I do. I asked because you seem to be the same age as me, not to mention you have excellent talent."
"Seems more like you have an excellent eye for talent! But of course, you are right! It's been nice to meet you, but I must be going on my way home."
"Yeah, see you at school Angie."
"Same to you! Bye-onara!"
That girl is certainly an interesting person to say the least. With that conversation done, I decided to head back to my room with high hopes for the next day. If everything goes as planned, then I'll be able to be back in time for the second day of school! So, I have to stay committed to this not just for Seiko and everyone else, but myself as well.
The Kuzuryu Household
10:00 P.M.
Fuyuhiko's POV
We were discussing what to strategize in terms of dissolving the Kiyama family for good, when I got a call from someone.
"Excuse me, I have to take this. Continue on with the strategy."
When I saw who it was on the phone, it was Hiyoko. Hm? What could she be calling me for at this hour nonetheless?
"Hello?"
"H-Hey. It's me, Hiyoko."
"Hello Hiyoko. It's not like you to call me at all. Usually, you'd text me something, not that you do that either."
"I-I know! I just wanted to ask you something."
"What is it?"
"Ayaka just called me a couple minutes ago and said that she was taking back her application and money to Hope's Peak Academy. Did you have something to do with that?"
Wait, she ended up rescinding her application to Hope's Peak? Yes! That's perfect! That means that we won't have to worry about her anymore! Well, at least for messing with Riki and us for that matter. Who knows what she is doing right now?
"Did she just now do that?"
"Yes. She told me that it had something to do with Riki. What happened?"
I had told her everything that has happened up to this point.
"N-No way! I-Is Riki okay?"
"Yes. He's recovering at the hospital right now as we speak. He should be making a full recovery and be back for the second day of school."
"Good, because if something had happened to him, I wouldn't forgive you!"
"Oh yeah, that reminds me. Has Ayaka done anything wrong to you or your family?"
"No, but I noticed that there were bodyguards always walking around me and my family. Was that you?"
"Yes. I did tell you that I would ensure nothing happened to any of your relatives at all, and I take that very seriously."
"T-Thank you Fuyuhiko. I r-really mean that from the bottom of my heart." That made my heart race a little bit.
"N-No problem. Anytime. Well, I have to get back to this meeting, so I have to get off the phone."
"Yeah, talk to you later."
"Same to you." That was actually a good conversation considering who I was talking to. Hiyoko might come off as an asshole but she does care for those around her. She even started to acknowledge Mikan as her friend.
"Fuyuhiko. The others are waiting for your decision." Peko had came up to tell me this.
"Oh, thank you." I ran back down to the others. We had pretty much finished up the strategy meeting at this point, until Dad decided to end it with this.
"Oh, one more thing everyone. The Kiyama family left us this letter for us to read." That got Natsumi, Peko, and I to perk up and actually pay attention this time around.
The letter read this:
Hello, this is from the Kiyama family. If you are reading this, then this means that you've successfully taken us down and we are now in your control. Congratulations to the Kuzuryu family from us. There are a couple of things that we want to explain before we accept defeat.
First, we truly never meant to harm anybody with our tea. You might not believe us saying this, and we would not blame you for this. After all, we had different goals from the beginning that we were never going to agree on. But, we had full intent to sell it to people and make a profit off of it. Unfortunately, we had gotten too greedy and added a little swig of a secret sauce that cause people to be hypnotized. Then we wanted to have everyone under our control and use them to lead us in the Underground War. It was all foolproof until that boy came into Ayaka's life.
This leads us to our second point. That kid named Riki Aiuchi. He wasn't even supposed to be in her life as much as he was, but she genuinely loved him, and we had grown to love him too. However, it wasn't mutual on both sides for us. We despised him, even hated him for it. But, we had to endure it for her, who would not let him go until we set him up. We used him in an incident where he "mistakenly" bought her the wrong gift for her birthday. She was really pissed off and still resents him for it. But she doesn't even know that we set him up! We still have the gift he was supposed to buy her in our room! And despite it all, she never lost any love for him. He ruined it for us.
What is the point of telling you this? Because we truly believed that we were on the top of the world, so we acted like we were. Our plan would have succeeded had it not been for you and that damn kid! As you are now reading this, we are now turning ourselves in to the police for our unlawful acts. We are being sent to solitary prison where we will probably never get out unless we get the death penalty. Ayaka was sent to a jail herself, but she only got community service compared to us. She will probably be out on probation in a year or so, barring she does good service. If you want any more information from us, you'll have to go to her.
But that's all from us. As much as we despise you, we also respect you deeply for being able to not only rival us but defeat us. Our forces are at your disposal whenever you are ready for them. Once again, congratulations from us and have a great life!
From, The Kiyama leaders, Aoi and Haruto Kiyama.
Now we got the full picture of what happened and why they chose to do what they did. But one question still lingers from me.
If Ayaka truly still loves and cares about Riki, then why the hell did she do what she did?!
After the meeting was over, the three of us were in the dojo. Peko was training on some dummies, while Natsumi and I were talking in the corner.
"It's just so weird. Is Ayaka telling the truth?"
"Hm? About what?"
"Caring about Riki."
"Hm, I don't know if she cares about him. Now, whether it was one-sided or not, I'm curious to hear what both Ayaka and Riki think about each other."
"Do you think he would get back with her?"
"No freaking way! He's perfectly fine with who he has now! Plus, he might not even like Ayaka anymore."
"I guess not. After all, that story with Riki pretty much proves it."
"Of course it does. But I do think we are missing one point about their relationship." Peko was finished with training and walked over to where we are at.
"I've known Riki long enough to know that he is a very nice and respectful person. Even though he might not like Ayaka romantically or even on a friendly level, I think he still cares about her to a high degree."
I disagreed at first, but as I was thinking about it, maybe there was some weight to that theory as well.
"You might have a point Peko. His last words to her prove it."
("R-Riki, I-I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to do that! A-Are you okay?")
("A-Ayaka? A-Am I g-going to d-die?")
"Huh? How in the world does that prove it? Also, weren't you just saying that Riki didn't care about her?"
"I admit, it is definitely a huge reach, and I might just be hoping this is the best answer. And yeah, I did say that. But if he really didn't care about her, then he would have said something much more different. He wouldn't have mentioned her at all."
"Well, maybe he was just believing he was going to die there."
"That's most likely the best answer there, but knowing him, he was probably more worried about everyone else involved. That's just the kind of person he is. Plus, Ayaka wouldn't have placed him on her lap in what could have been his last words. So..."
That's when I had finally placed the pieces together. Wow, so they truly did care for each other. I still have to talk to them to fully confirm it, but I'm almost certain this is what it is.
"There you go Fuyuhiko. It seems you've reached the same outcome I did."
"Yeah, I did. Nice thinking there Peko." I gave her a shoulder pat, which made her blush a little bit.
"T-Thank you."
"It's getting late; we should head to bed. We can go see Riki in the morning."
"Oh yeah! Good night everyone!"
We had went into our separate rooms and went to sleep for the night.
Jail Cell
12:00 A.M.
Ayaka's POV
3 days until school starts back up...
...
...
...
Well, here I am. Stuck in this shitty jail for at least a year. I guess I should be grateful for my parents convincing the police to let me go with a lesser offense, otherwise I would have ended up in solitary prison with them. I guess that also means that I'll never be going to Hope's Peak Academy after all; my parents had to take back my application there. But that's not even the worst part of this situation.
The last final moments of that battle will traumatize me for the rest of my life.
I might have just killed not only my best friend, but the love of my life.
Riki... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! If I could go back and redo everything that I've done, I would! I still loved you despite everything that has happened. I also want to truly believe that you were caring about my best needs. The first day that we met was the best day of my life. I'll never forget how you saved me from that bully with your amazing swift movements. I'll never forget how you walked me home to my house and entertained me the whole walk there. But most importantly...
I'll never forget the moment we kissed each other and made our relationship official.
I don't normally pray for those that I truly hate with a passion but...
Fuyuhiko and the Kuzuryu family... I really hope that you were able to save Riki. Not only for me, but for everyone else as well.
Riki has fully survived the fatal blow and will be able to make a full recovery sometime after school starts. Not only that, but a lot of other amazing things have happened during this time. Fuyuhiko and the others finally have a huge weight lifted off their shoulders, Hajime is preparing for his birthday coming up in a couple of days, and the new class has a new student! How will Riki and everyone else be able to adapt to the new changes in their lives? Will Ayaka be able to ever get over her actions on that day? Will Mukuro discover that her life truly has meaning? And will their plan to destroy Hope's Peak Academy actually come to fruition? Find out on the next chapter!
