Never Say Never

by hunterofcomedy

A single event can change the course of history. Circumstances change when the students of Hope's Peak Academy decide to stand together against the Mastermind. Massive spoilers for the entire first game. You have been warned.

11. Ch 2 Act 1

Never Say Never

Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa or the characters associated with it.

---

Chapter 2

Act 1

The nurse's office was quiet as Makoto and Kyoko neared the end of their long night. Peacefully sleeping in her bed, Sayaka hardly stirred in the slightest, her color almost completely restored and her breathing seemingly back to normal. The lucky student couldn't stop himself from smiling as he continued to look after her, tiredness barely nipping at him even after keeping watch all night.

The hours passed by rather quickly and, considering all that happened, Makoto was very thankful for it. And even though he should have been utterly exhausted, the resolve to make sure nothing happened to Sayaka seemed to keep him active. Which was great because Kyoko didn't seem to be particularly chatty, opting to stand by the door and keep watch in silence.

Not that he didn't appreciate her presence, of course.

It was just that, he kinda hoped to talk with her while they stood guard. There were some things he wanted to ask her about, like how she was able to deduce so much of what happened during the trial. She'd practically solved the entire case herself! He wondered why she didn't just come right out and tell them everything she knew at the beginning of the trial. Then again, if she had, Leon would have been executed before Junko could show up to save him, so it worked out in the end but…

Shaking his head, he decided that it didn't really matter anyway. Everyone was alive and since it was nearly 7AM, the others would be waking up very soon. Then, they could discuss what they should do about…Sayaka…

All of a sudden, his smile upturned into a frown and he lowered his head. He'd been so preoccupied with everything that had happened; surviving the trial, hearing of Sayaka's revival, ensuring Leon didn't get executed…it didn't give him any time to really think about what happened.

But now, in the silence of the nurse's office, his mind finally came back to a single question he needed to know the answer to:

"Did Sayaka really try to frame me?"

Of course he didn't want to believe it…even now—no, especially now that Sayaka was still alive. But the evidence was too concrete to refute, Kyoko and the trial had seen to that. And while he knew it was better to know the truth, a large part of him wished he'd never known.

It was hard to accept that someone he'd vowed to protect, the person he'd trusted the most, had been using him the entire time. Even with her wearily voiced apology, it didn't stunt the pain of knowing that she'd planned to use him to escape. And the most heart-wrenching thing was…Makoto wasn't sure that if she had succeeded in killing Leon, he would have spoken up and exposed her.

Squeezing his eyes shut, in a vain attempt to block those thoughts, the lucky student found himself falling deeper and deeper in anguish.

"She probably knew that…and that's why she chose me in the first—".

"—Makoto."

At once, the lucky student's eyes shot open and his head snapped up to see Kyoko standing over him. Her face was as stoic as usual but strangely, Makoto noticed a hint of emotion in her otherwise expressionless eyes.

"Y-Yeah?" he said nervously, unsure of how to really talk to her, especially since this was the first time they'd spoken since the others had left.

"You shouldn't rest your eyes just yet," she said, a hint of concern in her voice. "We've only got a few more minutes before the morning announcement. Once we meet with everyone, and get someone else to guard Sayaka, you can sleep for the rest of the day if you want. But for now, just concentrate on staying awake. Alright?"

"Oh!" he replied, more than a bit shocked, "Yeah, you're right. I'm fine. I was just…thinking about something."

At first, Makoto was kind of surprised by her concern. Sure, he knew she wasn't heartless or anything but she'd noticed that he'd closed his eyes and in only a few seconds, she was already encouraging him to stay awake. She was a lot more observant than he guessed. But then again, considering what happened during the trial, he really shouldn't have been.

Because of that, he shouldn't have been surprised when she suddenly crossed her arms and said, "You're thinking about how Sayaka may have betrayed you, aren't you?"

That comment completely caught him off-guard and for a moment, Makoto blankly stared up at her, his jaw hanging open as he struggled to find words.

"H-How did you…?" he began to say but quickly silenced himself, shaking his head and sighing. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised…after the way you handled the trial."

"I wouldn't say that," she corrected him, brushing off his compliment almost instinctively. "You did remarkably well yourself, once you had all the evidence. But that's beside the point."

Kyoko turned her gaze and fixated on him, making him shrink. She didn't even have to ask the question again, the way she stared at him demanded an answer.

"You're right," he solemnly admitted, knowing that denying it would only complicate things. "Honestly, I avoided thinking about it until now, but…"

As he trailed off, he heard the clicking of Kyoko's boots and he lifted his head to see her walk to over to Sayaka's bedside. For a moment, she merely stood there, watching the pop idol's rhythmic breathing without saying a word. Just as Makoto opened his mouth to say something, she cut him off.

"Makoto, do you remember what I told you, as we went into the trial?"

The question stopped him for a second as he had to think back to what exactly she'd told him.

"You mean about having to discover the truth for myself?" he asked softly, unsure if it was the right answer.

"That's correct," was all she replied.

However, even if she didn't say it aloud, he knew exactly what she was implicating. Lowering his gaze, he continued, "You wanted me to realize that Sayaka had betrayed me by myself, didn't you?"

As he asked that, he lifted his gaze up and was stunned to see the tiniest hint of a smile spreading over Kyoko's lips as she answered, "And you did. Honestly…you're a lot smarter than I initially gave you credit for."

A part of him wanted to be upset by her comment, because it meant that she previously didn't think he was very intelligent…but he hardly blamed her.

Gripping his pants tightly to hold in his self-loathing, he seethed, "No…I'm not. The idea that Sayaka would betray me…the thought never crossed my mind. I feel like such an idiot…becoming such an easy target like that. She played me…right from the very beginning—!"

"I'm not so sure about that."

Makoto almost froze as she contradicted him, making his head snap up to stare at her in bewilderment. Finally turning his way, Kyoko met his gaze head on as she continued:

"Sayaka did mean to double-cross you. That much we know to be true. But in regards to her manipulating you from the start, I don't think that was the case."

"Huh?" Makoto answered, completely dumbfounded. "How could you possibly know that?"

His tone was more stand-offish than he'd wanted but it seemed that Kyoko didn't mind as she said, "Up until the very end, I think she was indecisive about, well, everything really. More than likely, she doubted that she could really kill someone, doubted she could really deceive you…and doubted that she was going to survive."

The heavy implication in her words sparked a swirl of emotion inside Makoto but before he could act on them, she continued.

"And that's why, as she lay there, believing she was going to die…she was thinking of you."

Makoto froze as he heard her say that and on instinct, he replied, "She was…thinking of me?"

With a firm nod, Kyoko elaborated, "Her message to us…her dying message…it was meant to protect you."

"W-What?" he stammered, unsure if he'd heard her right. "T-That's crazy! Why would you think that?"

Slowly, he watched as Kyoko's features began to soften as she answered, "If she didn't care what happened to you, she never would have left that message."

"But…didn't she do that just to get back at Leon for trying to kill her?" he pointed out, still unable to believe that Sayaka would do such a thing for him.

"That's certainly one possibility," Kyoko admitted, nodding her head a single time. "But I don't think that's the case…considering her heartfelt apology."

More than anything else Kyoko had said, those words sank deep into the recesses of Makoto's mind as he replied, "You can't just say something like that…we don't know what she was thinking …especially with everything that's been going on."

To this, Kyoko shrugged her shoulders and said, "That's true. But fortunately for all of us, we'll have the luxury of being able to ask her about it once she wakes up."

For a few moments, silence grew heavy between them. Makoto didn't know how to respond to that, nor did her really want to. However, he knew that there was still one more burning question he just had to ask before he could feel satisfied.

"…Why are you telling me all of this?" he asked plainly, making certain that his confusion was evident.

Instead of replying right away, Kyoko paused but only for a moment before answering, "Because…you're the kind of person who can overcome this. Because you were able to move past the horrible things that Sayaka and Leon tried to do…and you keep moving forward. And without someone like that, the others will never be able to break free of this desperate situation."

The utter confidence in her voice, the faith she was displaying for him…it left Makoto utterly speechless. If it had been anyone else, he may have been unnerved by how he was being treated…but for some reason, when it was her, it didn't really bother him.

In fact, in a strange sort of way, he trusted Kyoko more than anyone else at the moment.

Makoto wasn't quite sure why…maybe it was because of how she acted during the trial; stopping him from attacking Monokuma, an act that probably saved his life. As well as guiding him through the more difficult parts of the trial, especially when he felt lost and afraid. Not only that, she defended Leon even after he was revealed as the culprit, because she somehow knew he wasn't the monster everyone made him out to be.

More than anyone else…Kyoko genuinely seemed concerned for the well-being of her classmates. He admired her for that. Mainly because, it wasn't exactly what you'd expect from the normally stoic young woman. In a strange way, her resolve and dedication gave himhope that all of them would be able to survive the horrible nightmare they'd fallen into.

Even so, he did feel that he had to correct her on one part.

"You were wrong about one thing," he told her, earning a raised eyebrow before he continued, "I'm not 'moving past' what Leon and Sayaka tried to do…I've accepted their actions for what they were and I understand them better because of it. I know their true feelings now…and I'll carry those feelings with me…for the rest of my life if I have to."

As his words echoed in the small room, even he thought he sounded really cheesy saying a thing like that. But he had to admit, everything he'd said, it somehow felt…right. He briefly wondered if that was true and got his answer in the strangest way he could imagine.

Staring down at him, with the tiniest of smiles stretched out on her lips, Kyoko said to him, "Well then, I have high expectation for you."

It was then that the annoying sound of a bell reached their ears.

*Ding–Dong–Bing–Bong*

"Ahem, this is a school announcement. It is now 7AM…"

As the obnoxious voice of Monokuma continued its morning ritual, Kyoko's faint smile faded and she turned to face the door.

"We'd better go. The morning meeting will be starting soon," she said, her hardened exterior returning faster than Makoto had wanted.

Stealing a glance at Sayaka, the lucky student protested, "But we can't leave Sayaka alone like that. What if someone—".

"Don't worry, I don't think anyone's going to try anything," Kyoko said reassuringly, looking over her shoulder back at him. "I've been watching the hall outside the office all night. At no point did anyone get past me. And even if they did, if someone didn't show up for the morning meeting, or at the very least, arrived later than us, they would immediately fall under suspicion."

Again, Makoto was left speechless as Kyoko effortlessly resolved his fears and put his mind at ease. She was almost like a manga heroine, always knowing what to do and never giving up hope. And each time she helped him, Makoto felt himself becoming more and more interested in getting to know her.

"Y-You're amazing…" he gently whispered to himself.

However, he must not have been quiet enough because Kyoko turned around with a raised eyebrow and asked, "Did you say something?"

From seemingly nowhere, Makoto flushed and he nervously scratched his head while averting his gaze. "N-Nothing…let's go then. We shouldn't keep the other's waiting."

Although it was obvious that she wasn't completely convinced, Kyoko seemed to let the matter drop, nodding firmly and answering, "Indeed."

Turning around, she headed toward the door, Makoto nipping at her heels.

---

For the first time, not a single student was late for the morning meeting. As the morning announcement rang through the empty halls, they all sat, gathered together in the cafeteria, in silence.

Once more the students had begun to group themselves. Mondo leaned back in his chair and stared up at the ceiling. Taka, as per usual, was standing instead of sitting at the head of the table. Chihiro sat between them, which was a strange thing for her to do, being surrounded by two men like that. Celeste seated herself just across from her, her hands folded daintily into her lap. Hifumi took up the space next to her, staring down at the table looking exhausted, probably because he didn't get much sleep. In contrast, Hiro was nothing but smiles that morning, muttering about his predictions or something. Hina and Sakura sat next to each other, chatting about healthy activities.

And then there was Junko, who sat beside them in utter silence, her usual smug attitude seemingly dented by her near-death experience the previous day. Also, while it seemed that she had put in the effort to put on make-up today, she obviously wasn't trying as hard as before, probably because she'd realized that there was no real need for it. The only reason she stuck out at all was because she'd changed out of her blood-stained clothes and into a white designer blouse that had a black ribbon in the center, accompanied by a dark blue skirt that hung down to her knees, her usual black boots adjourning her feet.

And, while most of the student sat at the long table in the center of the room, Byakuya and Toko decided to remove themselves from the others, with the former sitting at an adjacent table and the latter standing near said table.

However, Leon sat off to the side, alone at a table far removed from the long center table. He didn't have the heart to sit with his fellow students, not after what he'd tried to do. And the feeling seemed mutual, considering that his classmates had barely glanced at him since yesterday.

"I can't blame them. I'd probably do the same thing…" he thought to himself as he waited for the meeting to begin.

It was about five after 7AM now and the only three not present were, of course, Makoto and Kyoko, who were looking after Sayaka, who was still recovering.

"Everyone! Quiet down and listen!" Taka proclaimed, speaking mostly to the students seated around the long table. "I'm glad to see everyone was early for the meeting today, it boasts of your fortitude and dedication. And I hope that you all got a good night's rest, because we're going to need it today."

"Yeah, about that," Mondo spoke up, putting his feet up on the table and leaning back. "What the hell are we supposed to do now? I mean, I know we need to talk about who's gonna guard Sayaka but…"

"We also need to discuss what, if anything, needs to be done about both her and Leon," the slightly accusatory voice of Celeste pointed out, not even bothering to turn toward the baseball star as she spoke.

"What do you mean?" Chihiro questioned her.

An annoyed scoff came from Byakuya before he answered, "Isn't it obvious? We need to decide how we intend to deal with the two of them. Or do you want two potential murderers walking among us unchecked?"

"Y-Yeah! They tried to k-k-kill before! Who knows if they'll t-try it a-again?!" Toko swooped in and backed up the affluent progeny.

Leon's hands balled into fists and he knew that he should have taken offense to that but given his circumstances, he couldn't find the words to refute her. And even though he had expected this to be the case, it was even worse when he was confronted with it directly.

"Before any of that," Taka interrupted the conversation, gathering everyone's attention. "We need to send someone to fetch Kyoko and Makoto. It's not right to discuss this without them. Do we have any volunteers?"

At the mention of them, Byakuya visibly scowled and turned his head away from the others. He was obviously still bothered by how they usurped his authority yesterday but he remained silent on the matter. Not that anyone expected him to volunteer anyway.

"I can do it!" Hina abruptly announced, standing up and getting ready to leave.

"That won't be necessary."

Everyone turned to see Kyoko and Makoto entering through the double doors. And while Kyoko didn't show any signs of exhaustion from their long night of guard duty, Makoto had heavy bags under his eyes and looked half-dead.

"Good morning, you two!" Taka earnestly shouted to them. "Now, while you technically could be called late, your act as guards for Sayaka should be made note of! So, as a sign of good-will, I will graciously overlook your tardiness due to your good nature in volunteering yourselves! Haha!"

The overly pleased smile that Taka plastered over his face actually hurt to watch. But no one had the heart to tell him that his 'good-will' was migraine inducing, so they let him have his moment. Well, perhaps Byakuya did but he was far too busy being stuck-up to say anything.

As such, everyone waited as Makoto and Kyoko took their seats at the long table.

"Hey so, before we get to talking, I have a question." Everyone was kind of surprised to hear Hiro speak up but no one stopped him as he asked, "Sayaka's all alone in the nurse's office, right? Is that really okay? I mean, what if something happens to her?"

Again, the students were a bit shocked that, of all people, Hiro was asking a very important question.

"That's true…" Hifumi concurred, an eerie smile creeping over his face. "What if Monokuma were to return and decide that Sayaka is actually an animatronic outside of its exo-suit and has to be gruesomely stuffed inside a spare Monokuma robot, crushing her skull as it's forced into—".

"I don't think we have to worry about that."

Surprisingly, Junko was the one who spoke up and ceased Hifumi's ramblings, much to everyone's relief. Folding her hands across her chest, she continued, "Monokuma always follows the rules…if he was going to go against them, then he would have finished me off after I survived yesterday. And he wouldn't have allowed Leon to live after it was revealed that he wasn't a blackened student."

"But he let the both you live, instead of killing you himself. That's because he wants us to be responsible for any killings. As for his reasoning, I can't say right now." Kyoko chimed in, supporting Junko's theory. "Because of that, we can be assured that, at least for the time being, leaving Sayaka alone will be fine."

For some reason, it felt odd that Junko and Kyoko were working together to reassure everyone. Leon couldn't really say why it felt awkward, apart from them having very differing personalities, but still it was odd to see them collaborating. But in either case, it seemed to settle everyone's fears.

"Alrighty, now that that's been settled…what were we talking about?" Hiro said nervously, obviously not wanting to facilitate the conversation himself.

"We were discussing what needs to be done about Sayaka and Leon," Celeste said as they got settled in.

To this, Makoto raised a weary eyebrow and said, "What do you mean, 'what needs to be done'? Don't you think they've suffered enough? I mean, they nearly died, after all—".

"And you think that redeems them?" Byakuya interrupted, glaring daggers at his naïve classmate. "Just because they failed to 'graduate' once doesn't mean they won't try it again."

"That doesn't mean it's right for us to treat them like criminals," Makoto countered, unafraid to oppose the Togami Heir. As he spoke, the lucky student began looking around the table and paused for a moment. "Wait a second…where's Leon?"

Hearing his name being called, an awkward groan escaped Leon as he raised his hand and said, "Uh…over here."

As Makoto looked over to him, he seemed genuinely shocked that he was as far removed from the table as he was. "…Not that I'm questioning where you want to sit but, why are you all the way over there?"

Leon almost wanted to face-palm but held himself together. "I just…wanted some space, that's all."

Leon watched as his words reached Makoto, the lucky student's features hardening a bit, completely understanding why and yet not really being comfortable with it. And again, the baseball star's strange mixture of guilt and relief as he was once more reassured that the one person who should hate him the most was the only person who really seemed to be on his side.

"Don't get away from the discussion," Byakuya cut in, making everyone face him directly. "Once Sayaka wakes up, we need to decide how we plan to punish her for—".

"What?! Punish her!" Leon practically screamed, "I'm the one who tried to—!"

"Are you forgetting that she was the one who initiated everything? Because of her, our first attempted murder, as well as our first class trial, came to be. Like it or not, she started the game. And now, we have to play it," the Affluent Progeny countered, not even needing to raise his voice.

"Wha-?! That's…!" the baseball player stammered, unsuccessfully fighting to defend his classmate.

There was a heavy silence as everyone, especially Leon, found themselves unable to refute him. No one could deny that a feeling of dread had set in after the first case and it wasn't going to fade any time soon. It wasn't until a timid voice spoke up that the horrible silence finally abated.

"G-Game? How could you call this a game?"

Everyone turned to see a teary-eyed Chihiro struggling to meet Byakuya's accusatory gaze.

"Because that's what this is. A game. A game of life or death," he answered matter-of-factly, hardly dissuaded by his petite classmate's objection.

"B-But if we work together—" the programmer tried to counter but was ushered into silence as Byakuya turned to face her head on.

"We were already 'working together' and we all saw how that turned out. Worthless notions like friendship or camaraderie have no place here. Anyone could betray us at this point. Look what happened to Makoto, he foolishly trusted Sayaka and because of his naïveté we were the ones who nearly lost our lives."

Shrinking back a bit, Chihiro choked down a gulp as she said, "B-But, no one actually died."

"That's right!" Hina suddenly chimed in, obviously unimpressed with Byakuya's attitude, "If anything, now is when we need to cheer up! If we all stay united against the Mastermind, then I'm sure we can find a way out of—!"

"Haven't you been listening to a word I've said?" the cruel tone of the affluent progeny practically sliced through her statement, drawing all attention back to him. "'Working together?' 'Fighting a common enemy?' That kind of fantasy only happens in manga or other worthless fiction. It won't be that easy to oppose the Mastermind."

"Um, why do you say that?" a curious Hifumi inquired, seemingly unsure of who he should be siding with. In response to his question, the amused chuckle of Celeste caught everyone's attention.

"The mastermind's influence is far greater than we first thought. Taking over Hope's Peak, which was supposed to be an impossibility, and modifying it to suit their needs. Creating Monokuma, a highly advanced piece of technology. Not to mention providing for all of our needs, supplying food, water and…other comforts. Everything planned out to the most excruciating detail…there are very few people or even groups that would be capable of such a monumental feat."

She paused for a moment, letting her words sink in before finishing, "This is not the work of an everyday psychopath. Defying them, as we've seen, can be more than fatal."

Even though they all tried not to, the bulk of the students couldn't help but glance over to Junko, if only for a moment. The bandaged hand that rested on the table in front of her served as a reminder of their helplessness. And the Fashionista herself slightly hung her head at the mention of it.

However, much to everyone's surprise, Junko lifted her head and said, "There's something you're missing though."

"Hm? What would that be?" Celeste replied, half-surprised and half-intrigued.

"We've seen what the Mastermind is capable of, but we also know that they won't betray the rules that they've established, even though it would be more beneficial to them. As long as we don't break any rules, then there's nothing to worry about."

"I see. So you're finally starting to adapt to this way of life?" the gambler pondered, a sickly sweet smile spreading over her pale lips.

Reeling back a bit, Junko answered, "That's not exactly what I meant."

"Oh, that's a shame," Celeste half-heartedly replied, "And here I'd thought you'd begun to realize how foolish your previous actions were. It seems that history is doomed to repeat itself for you."

Junko's sky-blue eyes narrowed as the insult hit her ears, glaring fiercely back at her offender. "What I was trying to say was; as long as we don't do anything stupid, like provoking our fellow classmates, we should be able to find a way to escape."

Celeste didn't miss the insinuation Junko made toward her but instead of retorting, she merely twirled a strand of her hair and pretended to ignore the Fashionista's presence. Seeing how her comment had affected the gambler, Junko folded her arms and huffed before falling silent as well.

"So then, what's going to happen now?" the deep voice of Sakura asked, not letting the silence dig into them.

"Isn't it obvious?" Byakuya spoke up again, his condescending tone becoming more familiar by the moment. "Anyone who wants to escape…will have to follow the rules and play the game accordingly."

With another huff, Junko turned her attention over to him and said, "Why do I get the feeling that your idea of 'escaping' is vastly different from the one I was talking about?"

"You were the one who suggested that we follow the rules, isn't that right?" he chided with a confident smile that bordered on arrogance. "In this case, the only option is to deceive those around you and win the game…as dictated by those rules."

Byakuya's smile grew into a condescending smirk as he regained the authority he believed he was destined to have. Junko grit her teeth and quietly seethed, infuriated that her own words were used against her. Just as she was building up an argument against him, another voice, this one soft and frail, rang out to oppose him.

"N-No…!"

Everything seemed to halt as Chihiro made her proclamation, her eyes squeezed shut with unshed tears brimming in the corners of her eyelids. She looked like a frightened rabbit that had decided to face a predator head on. And it was this look that caused Byakuya's smirk to come crashing down, sinking into an annoyed frown.

"'No'…what?" he demanded, a bit thrown off by the turn of events.

As moisture slipped down her cheeks, Chihiro opened her eyes and stared at everyone as they looked to her.

"I-I…I don't want to live…if it means that I have to kill someone else to do it," she said as plainly as she could, choking back sobs. "I…I don't want to have to kill anyone again!"

The entire room seemed to flinch at her words, not expecting to hear something so horrific from their delicate classmate. Most were just shocked to hear such a thing from her, while others regarded her with instant suspicion.

However, out of all of them, it was Hiro who found the words to ask, "Again…? What, uh, what do you mean by that?"

Furiously wiping away the oncoming tears, Chihiro lifted her gaze up and her blood-shot eyes focused solely on one student in particular…Leon.

"We…we all voted to kill Leon! If not for Junko, he would have died…and it would have been our fault! It would have been no different than us having killed him ourselves!"

Openly sobbing into her hands, Chihiro leaned forward and laid her head down on the table. With her previous statement now becoming clear, the full weight of her burden was made known. Her disheveled appearance and self-loathing attitude began to affect the other students around her.

And none of them felt more at fault than Leon himself. He couldn't even look at her, clenching his fists and desperately wanting to disappear from the room. He couldn't even offer a comforting word for her, because he knew it would never be enough. He caused this and he had to accept the consequences of his actions.

While averting his gaze from the weeping girl, he noticed that Byakuya was glaring menacingly at him, as if to put all blame on him. This made the baseball star want to get up and ram his fist into Byakuya's smug face but he held himself back.

Just as he thought it would be better to try and excuse himself, a familiar voice spoke up.

"Chihiro…listen," Makoto abruptly spoke up, his voice breaking through her sobs. "You're not to blame. None of us are. Not you, not Leon, and not Sayaka."

Barely able to lift her head up, the programmer somehow managed to pull her gaze up to meet her classmates gaze. Even though he was showing obvious signs of exhaustion, Makoto held a determined visage that, even if only for a moment, gave Chihiro a hint of relief.

"The one responsible for all this is the Mastermind," he continued, not letting his condition get the better of him. "If they hadn't of put us here, and made us desperate, none of this would have happened. Isn't that right, Leon?"

At the mention of his name, the baseball star froze as everyone shifted their collective gaze over to him. A feeling of panic rose up in him, remembering when this had happened during his trial, and the subsequent punishment that had followed. Words caught in his throat, whether they were of encouragement for Chihiro or anger at Makoto for putting him back in this position, he really couldn't tell.

"Uh…um…well…" he choked out his gaze flicking around to everyone that stared at him. It wasn't until his eyes fell on the disheartened face of Chihiro that he finally stopped.

Tears stained her cheeks and her puffy eyes stared into his, as if begging him for forgiveness. As he drank in that sight, something inside of him seemed to well up. He wasn't quite sure what it was, but it was quickly dissipating the fear and anxiety that had been keeping him silent this entire time. Seeing Chihiro in such pain just upset him, for reasons that should have been obvious but at the moment, he just couldn't explain.

"Y-Yeah! Makoto's right!" Leon abruptly proclaimed, startling everyone as he stood up from his seat. "You guys didn't do anything wrong! Especially you, Chihiro! I would have done the same thing if I had been in your position! And in the end, none of us wanted this to happen!"

His heartfelt words seemed to penetrate the despair that had been quickly taking over Chihiro, her tears ceasing to flow and her breathing coming back under control. Seeing her begin to calm down, Leon felt his passion starting to wind down as he continued, "So…you know, don't beat yourself up over this…"

For a moment, Leon thought that he may have just made things worse, as Chihiro didn't say a single word and just stared at him with a vacant expression. He wasn't sure what else he could do, and just as he was about to turn away and sit back down, he heard a soft sniffling come from the programmer. Snapping his eyes back to her, he was certain she was about either start crying again but instead, she just stared back him, a strangely serious expression on her reddened face.

"S-So…you don't hate me…hate us…for what we almost did to you?"

Her voice was shaky and full of fear, as if his answer would determine whether she lived or died. It honestly hurt Leon to hear her ask that but given everything that had happened, he understood why she needed to hear it straight from him. It was very…Chihiro, Leon briefly thought just before he answered.

"Hell no…" he abruptly said, before realizing he sounded a bit too aggressive. "I mean, I'm still alive so…it all works out, right?"

The last thing Leon expected his words to bring were more tears from Chihiro but that's exactly what he got. As if a dam had burst, moisture poured out of the programmer's eyes and the baseball star was certain that he'd seriously screwed up again. But then, he heard the tiniest of laughs coming from the weeping girl and he realized her tears were no longer sorrowful.

Chihiro furiously wiped away her tears and, mustering up the biggest smile that she could, she said, "T-Thanks…"

Against his will, Leon felt his face flush and he laughed nervously, pushing away any thoughts of embarrassment. "Y-You're, uh, welcome…?" he muttered, not knowing what else to do.

Either way, both of them felt much better. Then again, it wasn't just them. It seemed that almost everyone was less on edge than they'd been a few moments ago. And even if no one else realized it, Leon knew it was all thanks to Makoto. The lucky student was smiling as he saw the two of them make up, despite the tiredness that plagued him.

Leon really didn't know what it was but Makoto just had this…thing that he could do. And whatever it was, they certainly needed it right now. However, little did the baseball star know that there was one student that had had enough of their happy-go-lucky attitudes.

"Hmph, 'it all works out', huh? What a foolish way to look at things." Again, the arrogant tone of Byakuya interrupted them but he didn't give them time to react before continuing, "Or are you all forgetting that we still have to decide what to do with the two attempted murderers?"

"We haven't forgotten, but I do think it's unfair to decide such a thing right now." Much to everyone's surprise, Kyoko finally chose to speak up, effortlessly meeting Byakuya's stern gaze. With a firm glare of her own, she turned her attention over to the affluent progeny and said, "It's only fair to wait until we hear what Sayaka has to say. After all, we never got to hear her side of the story."

"I would like to hear what she has to say as well," Celeste surprisingly chimed in, a dainty smile on her face. "Understanding Sayaka's reasoning might prove useful in adapting to living here, wouldn't you agree?"

"And what's the point of that?" Byakuya instantly protested, "It won't change the fact that she betrayed us."

With a smirk of her own, Kyoko countered, "…True, but that doesn't mean that we have the right to punish her without at least hearing her story. If we did that, we would be no better than Monokuma—".

"Did I hear someone call for the Ultra Spectacular Headmaster?"

Before any of them realized it, Monokuma materialized near the entrance to the kitchen. Paws placed on its hips, the bear stood in a heroic position as the students sharply turned to glare. At once, everyone was on guard.

Mondo and Sakura sprang up from their chairs and rushing in front of everyone else, prepared for whatever the bear might try. Taka stood just behind them, prepared to negotiate with the bear if need be. Makoto also stood up, but got dizzy and almost fell back into his seat, exhaustion finally beginning to overwhelm him. Byakuya, Celeste and Kyoko all stared angrily at the automaton, small beads of sweat beginning to form on their foreheads. Toko quickly ducked behind the closest table, muttering about keeping calm.

Chihiro flinched and hid behind the wall that the braver students had formed. Hina also got up from her seat and instantly went to stand just behind Sakura, ready to support her friend however she could. Hiro and Hifumi stayed exactly where they were opting to remain as still as possible, in the hopes of not being noticed. Behind all of them, Junko glared menacingly at the bear, her fists clenched so tight her knuckles turned white.

Far in the back, Leon began to tremble almost uncontrollably. Just seeing Monokuma brought untold fear to him, knowing that his death had almost come at the bear's hands. He tried to will his body to stop shaking but it was no use. He tried to fight the memory of the bear wielding the baseball bat as the bone-shattering baseballs had crashed into his abdomen, but he was unsuccessful. His hand instinctively clutched the spot where he'd been injured, for protection, and it was all he could do just to remain standing right now.

"No one called for you, you piece of shit bear! So get outta here!" Mondo shouted, cracking his knuckles menacing.

Hearing this, Monokuma lowered its head in mock sadness as it said, "What? Am I not cool enough to be invited to your little tea party?" Suddenly, the bear's head shot up and it howled with laughter, "Eyohohohoho! Not that I care! I'm more of a coffee drinking bear anyway!"

As Monokuma continued to jeer at them, Sakura took an aggressive step forward and said, "Do you have some business with us? If not, then leave us in peace."

Strangely enough, even Sakura seemed just a tiny bit shaken by the bear's sudden appearance. But no one seemed to notice it, or perhaps it was simply understandable considering all they'd witnessed. In either case, Monokuma didn't seem too bothered by her words and continued on.

"How rude!" the bear shouted at them, it's face flaring up and it's claws extending out. "I took time out of my beary busy schedule to come out here and get you all instead of using the intercom and this is the thanks I get? At the very least I expected a bit more respect for coming here personally."

"If you have a message for us, then out with it. You're wasting my time," Byakuya said curtly, his frustration from before leaking into this conversation as well.

"Fine, fine, fine," Monokuma said carefully before clearing its throat. "Ahem! Attention! Attention! Please gather in the gym at your earliest convenience…meaning right now! That is all."

As the bear finished, a sense of confusion washed over everyone. Without another word, Monokuma turned to leave but was quickly stopped as a stoic voice called out.

"Hold on a moment," Kyoko inquired, causing the bear to halt. "If you have a message for us, why not just tell us here? Why make us go to the gym?"

"Oh, now you wanna chat, huh?" Monokuma said, followed by a heavy sigh. "Well, I suppose I could tell you now buuuuuut…" He paused for but a moment before whirling around and shouting, "Since you all seemed so eager to get rid of me I figured I'd make you work for this new info! That's what you get for being so standoff-ish when your headmaster graces you with his presence."

"New info? Just what do you—?" Makoto tried to say before the bear snapped at him.

"I already told you…go to the gym if you want the info! Kids these days…can't even follow simple instructions…this is why unemployment is up…"

Taken aback by Monokuma's abrasive attitude, no one moved as the bear stormed off into the kitchen, presumably disappearing into some dark hole somewhere. Left standing in their now, awkward positions, the students semi-relaxed as they realized the bear was truly gone, if only for the moment.

"We had best do as he said," Celeste interrupted the silence, "Besides, I'm rather curious as to what this 'new info' could be."

"It could be a clue to help us find a way out of here!" Hina hopefully proclaimed, trying to cheer everyone up.

"I doubt that," Junko disagreed, trying, and failing, not to sound negative. "It's not like we really have a choice anyway."

"True, but if Monokuma called us all personally, it probably has something to do with our school life," Kyoko asserted, one hand resting on her chin. "We should put all other discussions on hold until we see what he wants."

"Agreed!" Taka shouted, trying to take charge again. "We can debate what to do with Sayaka and Leon afterward if we must. But for now, let's all head to the gym! Single file, please."

Knowing that there wasn't too much else they could do about it, they all prepared to depart.

A stern expression came over Byakuya's face, as he must have realized that now was not the time to continue their earlier debate, especially since they knew how dangerous it was to defy Monokuma's will. Besides, it probably didn't really matter to him what they decided to do, his mind was already made up.

As everyone began to file out of the room, hardly anyone realized that Leon remained rooted in place, unable to move. He was still trembling with fear, despite how hard his fists were clenched. He couldn't move, he was too terrified of what might happen. What if he reversed his decision and decided to execute him? Or worse yet, what if he decided to punish Sayaka instead?!

When he thought of that, Leon didn't know if he had the strength to take even a single step forward. His head hung down so low he though his body was going to being to droop down to the floor. That's when a soft voice invaded his ears.

"Hey, Leon?" The baseball star suddenly snapped his head up to see Chihiro standing in front of him, a concerned expression clouding her features. "I know it can't be easy for you but…try not to worry…okay?" She paused for a moment before giving a nervous smile and saying, "I mean, you said it yourself, you're still alive right now so…everything will be okay!"

For a moment, Leon stood there, frozen as Chihiro did her best to cheer him up. Her words sank in and little by little, he felt his strength returning. Before he knew it, he discovered that he wasn't shaking anymore but that wasn't the strangest part. Oddly enough, this all felt so nostalgic for him, as if this wasn't the first time she'd cheered him up like this. But there's no way that could be possible. After all, they'd only met a few days ago and this was the first time they'd really ever spoken to each other.

Pushing away those thoughts, Leon instead focused on his petite classmate and said, "Y-Yeah…thanks."

It was obvious that he was still pretty freaked out, but at the very least, he felt that he could at least head to the gym with everyone else. Chihiro must have noticed this because she went to his side, patted him on the back, and ushered him forward as she said, "Alright then, we need to catch up to everyone."

"Right, let's get going," Leon agreed, walking beside her as they made their way out of the cafeteria.

Unbeknownst to either of them, standing in the darkness of the kitchen, Monokuma glared at them with a furious expression.

"No way…the degradation of the procedure couldn't happen that fast…can it?" the real Junko Enoshima pondered as she watched Leon and Chihiro through the bear's eyes. "If this keeps up…how long will it be before…?" she trailed off finishing her sentence in her head but not aloud.

Abruptly standing up, she gave a quick stretch before yawning audibly.

"Eh, who cares?" Glancing over to a pile of folded papers, each bearing a student's name on them, she chuckled to herself. "After I get finished with them…the whole world's gonna see the true face of despair!"

---

"Okay! Lift your arms up and down! One, two, three, four!"

Mukuro fought the urge to roll her eyes with all her might, giving in just as the bear decided to stretch up then reach down and touch its toes. Even more annoying was the fact that, out of all of the students present, the one who was supposed to be their "leader" was actively going along with the physical training.

"One! Two! Three! Four!" Taka practically shouted as he swept his arms from side to side and bent over to reach his toes.

An exasperated sigh followed Mukuro's fated eye roll as the soldier was forced to endure her sister's attempt at increasing tension through means of peaceful activity.

It was rather ingenious really. Everyone had such a negative and fearful opinion of Monokuma that it didn't matter what he did, they would be cautious and wary of him. Even just calling them there to exercise was viewed with the utmost scrutiny, when in fact, that's all the bear truly wanted from them. At this point, the ruthlessness of Monokuma was too well-known for any of them to see the animatronic in any other kind of light. Hell, even if the bear offered them the escape switch at this point, more than half of the students wouldn't trust the gesture, even if the gift was genuine.

It was a cleaver tactic, one that Mukuro had seen on various combat campaigns. Doing something horrifying immediately followed by a kind gesture, it sowed the seeds of confusion amongst enemies and made them more susceptible to deceit. In this case, it was used to put everyone on edge even more than they already were, to push someone closer to actually committing murder.

And if Mukuro hadn't seen the effectiveness of the tactic first-hand, she wouldn't have been so fearful. However, knowing that every move her sister made was to provoke them all into making a fatal mistake, the soldier couldn't fight the uneasy feeling she got as the bear's exercise regiment finally came to a halt.

"Ahhhhh! Doesn't that feel great?!" Monokuma panted, sweat somehow leaking from its fur. "Being stuck inside like this means you really need to take care of your health!"

"Y-You're the one k-keeping us inside," Toko muttered barely above a whisper.

"Details! Details! That's not important right now! You need to relax a bit more, embrace life—!"

"Wasn't there a purpose you've called us all here for? Or did you intend to exercise some of us to death?" Byakuya openly mocked, sending a swift glance over to Hifumi, who hadn't even attempt the routine.

A part of Mukuro almost reeled in disgust at the affluent progeny's hurtful insults. He had always been aggressive when he was working toward a goal but never like this. And while he certainly could be a heartless bastard, he never took it as far back when they were in school together. It seemed that being forced into a life or death situation had activated his self-preservation instincts.

It was the exact opposite of Makoto…speaking of which, he seemed rather quiet.

Stealing a glance over his way, Mukuro saw him glaring fiercely at Monokuma…or what a physically exhausted person's could consider a glare. His eyes were reddened and his eyelids sagged. Legs wobbling and fingers digging into his palms to try and stay awake, even a child could tell that he wasn't going to last much longer.

"Urgh, fine! Listen up, kids!" Monokuma shouted, stealing Mukuro's attention away from the fading boy. "I called you all here today to let you know that, because you completed a class trial, a whole new world has just opened up for you! Even if the trial didn't quite go as planned…"

As the obvious disappointment in Monokuma's voice echoed in the gymnasium, a look of shock spread across each student's face, but none of them were more shaken than Mukuro.

"W-Wait a second! Junko can't mean…she's opening up the second floor!"

Staring, almost completely wide-eyed at the bear, the soldier honestly questioned if what she heard could be true. However, Monokuma, or Junko rather, had never lied to any of them since the killing game had begun. And while Mukuro knew there was cause for Junko to lie to them, no one else could possible know that the Mastermind was taking a huge risk.

The only real question was 'Why'? Why did Junko decide to do this now? Could it be that her boredom was getting worse and she wanted stimulation? Or perhaps she wanted to give the students more opportunities for murder? It would make sense but it was a pretty risky venture, because there could be clues to what had happened to them on the upper floors.

"Then again…the rules are absolute to Junko. And she did say that after each class trial, the next floor would be opened up. She never specified that an execution needed to take place, just a trail. Does that mean that…Junko isn't so much taking a risk as she is following the rules?"

It made sense but there was a single flaw in that logic. Until this very moment, Monokuma hadn't mentioned the rule about opening up a new floor to any of them. The only reason Mukuro knew was because of her previous involvement. There was actually no need to follow through with a rule that hadn't even been given yet.

Unless…

"Junko…you're playing the game too. You're doing it in your own way but you're still playing the game, the same as us. Which means…you only get to leave if you murder someone and don't get caught—!"

Mukuro's breath hitched in her throat and her face paled. A fearsome truth was revisited upon her as she lost the will breathe.

"Is that…is that why she decided to…betray me?!"

The horrible truth was even more despair inducing then she had ever imagined. From the very beginning, she was never meant to leave this place, Junko hadn't told her the entire plan on purpose. The Despair loving twin had put them both in the game, probably planning to murder her own sister all the while. And since Mukuro would never intentionally bring harm to her sister…she may have even let Junko kill her in order for her sister to survive the game.

And if Makoto hadn't stepped in and saved her, Junko would have become a blackened without anyone being the wiser. As the numbness of this revelation began to wind down, Mukuro clenched her fists and glared menacingly at the bear.

"Was that it? Was this what you wanted all along Junko?!"

As if to mock her, Monokuma briefly glanced in her direction and even if it was only for an instant, she could have sworn that the bear's toothy grin widened. Just before the soldier felt she was going to be overtaken by anger, a new thought invaded her mind.

"Wait…but if that's the case, then Junko failed and…she isn't a blackened. Which means…!" Mukuro's gaze abruptly shot out to take in the view of the rest of her classmates. "She still needs to murder one of us…"

It was all becoming clear now. More floors meant more opportunities, not just for the students, but for Junko as well. It leveled the playing field, in a way.

Of course, all of this was going off the assumption that Junko was truly playing the game and wasn't like Mukuro could just ask her about it, not anymore. After all, it was possible that Junko may stay out of the game entirely…but chances of that were slim, especially with Junko obviously increasing boredom.

Opening up the second floor presented a number of advantages for both parties, and at the same time, it gave Mukuro the advantage as well. There was something on the second floor that could be the key to saving all of them.

"The hidden archive in the boy's bathroom…"

---

"Have fun exploring your new surroundings!" Monokuma danced elatedly as it sank behind the podium on the gym stage, completely disappearing from sight and presumably going back into its hole.

Just as quickly as the bear appeared, he departed, saying no more about what he meant by 'A whole new world'.

Leon wasn't at all displeased to see the demented bear go. Standing far in the back, putting as much distance between himself and the bear as possible, the baseball star was practically rooted to the floor, sweat trickling down his neck. He'd been so terrified that Monokuma might reverse his sentencing that he barely heard the automaton's words.

However, the other students were already discussing what the bear's words could mean.

"'A whole new world'? What the hell does that mean?" Mondo questioned everyone, trying to make sense of it.

"Could it possibly mean—?" Celeste began before she was abruptly cut off.

"An exit!" Hina shouted, earning the smallest of huff from Celeste in the process.

"That seems…unlikely."

"Well we won't know until we look!" Mondo furiously objected, almost making the gambler flinch. However, she merely scoffed and twirled her hair with her fingers.

"At any rate, it would seem that we should organize another search of the school," Sakura suggested, trying to ease everyone's tension.

"Right! Everyone split up and investigate the school! We'll meet back in the cafeteria once we're—".

"H-Hey! Hold on!"

Leon found himself calling out before he even knew what was happening and he instantly wished he hadn't. The accusatory glares of the class trial were revisited upon him as everyone turned to listen to him. With their gazed all fixated upon him, the baseball star's throat seemed to swell shut and his voice refused to cooperate.

"What? What do you want?" the harsh voice of Byakuya dug into him, causing him to pant for air.

"W-Well…uh…" he stammered, almost not able to remember why he'd interrupted Taka in the first place. "We…we still haven't decided who's gonna watch over Sayaka."

His voice wasn't as strong as it usually was, and at first, he wasn't even sure if anyone had heard him. However, a slow murmur from the other students caught his attention.

"That's right. We never did decided what to do about that," Hina remembered, scratching her head nervously. At the same time, an annoyed scoff came from Byakuya as he looked away from Leon.

"Hmph. Honestly, I don't think we need to have someone watch her at all." Although they shouldn't have been, most of the students were surprised by Byakuya's snide comment. The affluent progeny smirked as he continued, "In fact, if someone did decided to kill her, it would make the game that much more interesting."

All of a sudden, all the apprehension that Leon felt dissipated as he saw red.

"Interesting! You call leaving someone defenseless to die interesting!" Leon's screams echoed in the room and he clenched his fists tightly. Just before he was about to do something reckless again, a new voice joined the fray.

"How dare you!" Everyone spun around to see Makoto, barely standing, pointing angry at Byakuya. "Even if she did try to kill one of us, she's still our friend! She made a mistake and you just keep on punishing her for it!"

Completely ignoring Leon for the moment, the affluent progeny turned his full attention over to Makoto.

"And what's wrong with that?" he jeered, making Makoto flinch. "Criminals should be punished for their crimes. Just because she was a classmate doesn't excuse her."

"But she apologized! She…she apologized!" Makoto sputtered before almost doubling over, panting for breath.

"Makoto!" the voice of Junko rang out, the Fashionista speeding to his side, followed quickly by Hina. Labored breaths came from the semi-conscious boy as he fought off what was probably a wave of dizziness.

"Idiot. He shouldn't try to argue when he can barely stand," Byakuya scoffed and turned around, unknowingly coming face to face with Kyoko Kirigiri.

If the affluent progeny was surprised, he didn't show it, staring down at her without so much as blinking. For a moment they just stood there, fiercely glaring at each other menacingly. But then, almost without him realizing it, Kyoko gave a disappointed huff and slipped past him, as if she didn't acknowledge him as threat. And although it shouldn't have bothered him, it was clear by the furrowing of his brows that Byakuya felt more than insulted by the silent gesture.

"Don't worry, he's just exhausted from being up all night. He needs rest." Kyoko told everyone, slowly approaching the circle that had formed around their collapsed friend. "Will someone help carry him to his room?"

When the question was posed, Leon instantly felt like volunteering. He owed Makoto, not just for backing him up now, but for defending him over and over whenever Byakuya insulted him or Sayaka. However, he didn't get the chance to offer.

"I'll do it." Mondo abruptly, and surprisingly, spoke up. He walked over to his exhausted classmate and said, "And after I get him back to his room…I'll go and watch over Sayaka."

"As will I," the deep tones of Sakura concurred, folding her arms and nodding sternly.

"A pointless endeavor—," Byakuya was barely able to utter before a steely voice cut him off.

"You call ensuring the life of a fellow student pointless?" Kyoko said calmly, not even bothering to turn and look at him. Another annoyed scoff sounded from Byakuya's throat before he shifted his feet and headed for the door.

"If you all want to waste your time protecting a murderer, then go ahead. I, on the other hand, have more important matters to deal with."

No one made a move to stop him as he left, allowing him to exit the gym without any further delays. A dense quiet hung over them for a few moments after he'd departed. Tension was rather high and they all knew what it could lead to…

"H-He's not e-exactly wrong…" Toko said abruptly, fidgeting with her hands as she spoke. "S-Sayaka chose to b-betray us. We don't kn-know if it won't happen again."

Almost as one, the remaining students sent angered looks at the writing prodigy. Not because she'd spoken up, but because they all knew it to be true. Time seemed to grind to a halt as everyone unwillingly let the Affluent Progeny's words invade their minds. In truth, Byakuya was being the most logical of all of them and that's what made it so difficult to refute him. Even so, his attitude was doing far more harm than good, both for himself and the rest of them.

"For now, let's just concentrate on searching the school. We can deal with the other issues after we do that." Kyoko's stern voice washed over everyone, seeming to lessen the tension just enough for time to resume for all of them.

Slinging Makoto's arm over his shoulder, Mondo lifted the semi-conscious boy up enough for his feet to be dragging along the ground. "C'mon, man. Let's get you to back to your room. You gotta be tired after watching a murderer all night."

Makoto barely was able to lift his head and the displeased look on his face was expected, but he didn't have the energy to refute, simply allowing the biker to slug him along and toward the doors.

Leon watched as they exited the room, briefly reminded of their first day here, when he'd helped Sayaka carry the unconscious Makoto to his assigned room. He recalled Sayaka's kind offer to help him become a better singer, remembered how vibrant her smile was and how her presence filled him with energy. He'd been smitten with her amazing talent and wonderful personality…

But that image was now shattered, not only by what he'd done but because of the realization that, probably right from the start, he and Makoto had been played by her. Well, honestly, Leon wasn't sure if it had all been a lie or if it had just ended up that way. In either case, her actions didn't warrant a death sentence and what he'd almost done was far worse than what she'd attempted.

It was almost unbelievable…that he had almost taken her from the world completely.

"Hard to believe it was only a few days ago that we talked about changing my title…" he quietly thought, his head lowering and his hands balling into fists. "How could everything have gotten so fucked up in only a few days?!"

Before he had time to self-loath any more, an authoritative voice shouted to all of them.

"Alright then!" Taka once again stepped up, trying to make sense of this chaos. "Once we finish investigating, we'll meet in the cafeteria! Dismissed!"

With little else he could do, Leon followed everyone out of the gym to begin their investigation.

---

"Well, this is fan-fucking-tastic…" Mukuro sat alone in one of the stalls of the second floor girl's bathroom, seething. "What was I thinking?! 'Oh, I'd better go check the bathroom'. Like that was going to get one of the guys to check out the boy's restroom."

Upon arriving up on the second floor, Mukuro thought that, if she decided to investigate the girl's room, then one of the boys would undoubtedly do the same. Unfortunately, as she headed into the restroom, out of the corner of her eyes, she saw all of them walking away without even glancing back.

She even thought she heard one of the guys say, "She must have been holding it or something."

Apparently, she had vastly overestimated the intelligence of her male classmates. Then again, a part of her had to be reminded that, even if they were in a live-or-die situation, not many of her classmates could pick up on subtle hints…or even obvious ones.

"Then again…I have no idea why I thought this would work," she muttered, leaning to the side and resting her head against the wall. "This is gonna be harder than I thought."

Everyone had split up into groups to investigate the new developments in the school.

Taka decided to stay on the first floor to investigate if anything on that floor may have changed, with Mondo and Sakura keeping watch over Sayaka. Hina, Celeste and Leon headed off toward the direction of the pool, with this being confirmed when Mukuro heard Hina's elated shouts all the way in her stall. Kyoko, Hifumi, Toko and Chihiro were traveling as a group and had headed off toward the library. They were probably there now. Hiro was probably wandering around aimlessly, ducking into a classroom or something.

Byakuya had probably ascended to the second floor after he left the gym, and probably had found the library by now. He spent so much time there even when they were in school together, so she wouldn't doubt that's where he'd be.

The second floor didn't have much there, compared to the other floors, because the pool and library took up so much space that there wasn't much room for anything other than a few small classrooms. At this rate, the investigation would be over rather quickly…and Mukuro may lose her chance to help one of the boys "discover" the hidden room in the boy's restroom.

"Uhg…Why the hell can't they just go in there and look around?! I know they have no reason to but there isn't much I can do! It's not like I can go in there! Junko's gonna be watching me like a hawk. The only way I'm getting in there is if a boy…takes…me…"

As her words trailed off, she pushed away from the wall she'd rested against, an uncomfortable look on her face.

"If I can trust what Junko once told me, the only time a boy takes a girl into a restroom…is for sex! Anything can happen during sex! I can suggest going to the far back, and when I decided to get a little rough…we'll accidently find the hidden room! That's it!" she exclaimed, pleased that she finally had some kind of plan.

However, it took all of two seconds for her mind to register exactly what she just planned, and when it did, she almost blanched.

"…I don't know anything about sex!" she horrifically realized, slapping her palm against her forehead.

Mukuro was a tactical genius when it came to combat and self-preservation, but because of this, she had never been physical with anyone. She'd never kissed or initiated sexual activities with someone. Hell, she'd never even hugged her sister before! Then again, Junko was never a huggy kind of sibling. Yeah, Mukuro was a soldier and was quick on her feet when she needed to be but this was a whole other kind of "close quarters combat"!

Not to mention that, despite being in a mercenary squad with a number of physically appealing men, she had absolutely no interest in pursuing sexual activities. In fact, she was the only member of Fenrir who didn't prefer to cool down from a life-threatening mission by "relieving tension" with another squad mate. Many of the other female members did but she preferred to exercise or clean her equipment instead. She never imagined that refusing to learn sexual techniques would be what stopped her from being able to complete this mission!

"And there's a lot at risk, too." Mukuro hung her head and sighed heavily. "Even if I'm able to do this properly, because I have to pretend to be Junko…I can't be as aggressive as I would like. Which means, I may not be able to forcibly 'discover' the hidden room! And if that happens…and I really do go all the way…with one of the boys…"

That thought alone was terrifying, not because she thought her male classmates were unappealing, but because it could be dangerous in this kind of scenario. She'd need protection but there was no time to go and search the nurse's office for it…which was currently occupied. Plus, knowing her sister, the only rubbers that she would have stocked were the eerie Monokuma condoms with the Monokuma headed tips that had a 90% fail rate! Which Junko had been so proud were released before The World's Most Despair Inducing Event had taken place.

Mukuro considered that she could do it raw but then the idea of getting pregnant was a major factor and she was not going to let that happen!

"Junko always said that pregnancy was a whole different kind of despair that even she wasn't ready for…"

However, if Mukuro didn't at least attempt to seduce any of the boys, they may never be able to find the hidden room in the boy's restroom. This mission was turning into a nightmare that she wasn't sure she could handle! This is why she preferred to be a soldier who followed orders rather than one who came up plans!

Shaking her head furiously, she paused and slapped her cheeks with both hands.

"I can't just give up before even trying! This is the best chance I have and I can't let myself worry about this kind of thing right now! However…" she grew quiet as the most difficult part of this plan had yet to be decided. "If I have to do this…w-who should it be with?"

Mukuro suppressed a shudder as all of her choices flashed through her mind, weakening her resolve slightly as she was forced to go through them one by one.

"Byakuya will never trust me…and…just no. Even if he was the Byakuya from before, there's no way." She crossed him off her mental list and continued, "Mondo wouldn't be a horribly bad choice…except that if I prove I'm stronger than him he'll know something's wrong and that could lead to issues..." Scratching him off as well, she moved on. "Then there's Taka…but there's no way Mr. Honor Student's gonna go for that! Even if he did…he'd have to take off those god-awful boots before I get anywhere near him—oh, god now I'm sounding like Junko!"

A twisted feeling of disgust wormed it's way through Mukuro but she managed to fight it off. With three candidates down, the soldier plugged along with her remaining choices.

"There's always Chihiro—wait, they still don't know she's physically a boy. Dammit, she was one of the better choices!" she seethed as she was forced to move on. "And then there's Hiro….." A bit of bile leapt up in her throat as she decided to keep pondering. "Hifumi would be far too interested in the 2D to actually go through with it…though if I cosplayed…no, I don't have the time for that!"

Her options were seriously winding down now. And so, with only two possibilities left, she finally came to the choice she wanted to make but knew she couldn't.

"Makoto…I'd be willing…more than willing actually but, he never would be. Besides, he's asleep and I'm not waking him up for my stupid plan!" she unfortunately surmised, leaving her with only a single option remaining.

"With what happened with Sayaka, I doubt that Leon would be willing to go into a room alone with me. Then again, I did save him from execution…perhaps a little bribery for coming to his rescue is in order…"

As her words echoed in the small bathroom, Mukuro had no idea of the miniature microphone that was hanging from the ceiling.

---

Far above her, shut up tight in the camera monitor room, Junko was practically giddy as she listened to her sister's "plan". Stuffing her face with popcorn and sipping a large soda, the Ultimate Despair girl couldn't stop herself from roaring as Mukuro continued to prattle on.

"S-She has no idea…I'm putting this audio in the broadcast! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

---

The second floor was far more spacious than the first but that was to be expected of a higher floor, especially considering there were two larger rooms making up half the floor.

Leon wandered through the hallway past the pool area, having poked his head in to see Hina practically begging Celeste to join her for a swim. He left before they really noticed him. As much as it disheartened him, he knew keeping his distance from everyone was best for now. Traversing down the open corridor next to the library, he pondered what he should do next.

Hearing voices from within the library, he decided to steer clear for the time being, especially since he was pretty sure he heard Byakuya's condescending tone coming from within. Moving to the end of the hallway, he opened up the doors to both of the classrooms but found all the windows sealed, just like on the first floor. With nothing left to investigate, he returned to the large corridor outside the library, pacing back and forth for what seemed like hours.

Growing tired of pacing, he glanced over at the metal plates on the wall, moved over and knocked on them a couple times. Just for good measure, he placed his fingers on the edge of the metal sheet and pulled, but it didn't budge in the slightest.

"There's no way we're getting through that…" His sullen voice echoed down the hall, sounding defeated for several reasons.

A multitude of chairs were lined against the wall and, tired from all his "exploration", the ballplayer sank down into one of them, resting his head against one of the window blocking plates. Staring up at the ceiling, Leon could help but feel more alone than he'd ever been before.

"That's to be expected though…considering what I tried to do," he whispered to himself, letting one hand rest over his face, fingers rubbing at his tired eyes.

"Hey, Leon?"

A familiar voice called to him, bringing him back to attentiveness. Leaning forward, he turned toward the voice to see none other than his savior, Junko, heading straight for him.

"Oh…hey Junko," he answered almost on reflex, "What's up?"

The Fashionista held a weary look on her face as she marched over to him. For a second it seemed that she had something to say to him but as she got closer, that notion appeared to vanish as she looked him over. The once over she was giving him sent waves of embarrassment through him, so he averted his gaze to keep from showing his flustered appearance. Besides, he could only imagine how pathetic he looked at that moment.

"What are you doing out here by yourself?" Junko suddenly asked, her soft tone almost startling the ballplayer. He lifted his gaze up to see her nervously smirking down at him. "Finished 'exploring' already?"

Her tone was light and if they hadn't been in such a horrific situation, Leon almost would have thought she was kinda flirting with him. However, despite telling himself it probably wasn't the case, the baseball star felt that she was only talking to him out of pity, which agitated him even more. His sullen look shifted to frustration as he jerked his gaze away and said, "Yeah, something like that. So, what do you want?"

The sound of a shifting chair reached his ears and on instinct he turned back to see Junko pull up a chair right next to him. Plopping down in the seat, she crossed her legs and stared up at the ceiling. Neither of them said anything for a good fifteen seconds before the Fashionista let out an exasperated sigh.

"You know; if you've got something to say, just spit it out."

Leon noiselessly gasped as those words reached his ears. Not only because of the bluntness but because her tone had shifted dramatically. It was just like the time he and Hiro had been holding her up outside the cafeteria. She sounded…stronger? He wasn't quite sure how to really describe it. It was almost as if she was letting out some kind of inner personality, one that she was rarely able to use. Or possibly allowed to use.

"Bottling things up will only make it harder on you, ya know?" the Fashionista continued despite his shock, her voice still radiating strength and power. It was so overbearing that Leon almost felt unable to respond.

"What's the point?" he finally muttered, hanging his head to avoid looking at her. "It's not like anything I say really matters at this point—".

"Don't be so naïve," her sharp tone cut him off, forcing his gaze to shoot back up to her. "Just because you made a mistake doesn't mean you don't have the right to talk about it. Believe me…there are a lot, and I mean a lot, of things I want to say to a bunch of people…but I can't now. Even if it doesn't make sense or you think I won't understand, just say it anyway."

For a long time, there was a thick silence between them. It was so quiet that they both heard the light ringing of silence in the air. Gripping the edge of his chair, Leon was about to blow her off and walk away when she caught him by surprise.

"Trust me, talking about it will make things easier for you. And if I'm the only one who's willing to listen, then I guess now's the best time to do it. So, like it or not, I'm not going anywhere until you get it all out. Got it?"

Glancing over to him, she let a reassuring smirk overtake her features, proving that she meant it. As if her words themselves were penetrating him, Leon felt his pent up aggressions and regrets beginning to burst through, and before he knew it, he just began speaking.

"I…I just don't know what to do anymore! I've done something that no one should forgive me for! And at the same time…I do want to be forgiven for it!" he seethed but kept his voice low, so as not to draw the attention of any nearby students. "But I know that there isn't anything I can do about it! I feel so hopelessly powerless! I don't know what I should be doing!"

He paused for a moment to catch his breath, and when he did, moisture began to accumulate in the corners of his eyes.

"And the worst part is…a part of me agrees with that bastard Byakuya. Even now…I can't see myself as anything less than a murderer. I tried to cover up my crime and, even though I had no idea it could get everyone else killed, when I did find out, all I cared about was my own survival. And I…and I…"

Squeezing his eyes shut, tears slipped down his cheeks only to be furiously wiped away by his sleeve. Taking a few deep breaths, he managed to compose himself enough to continue.

"I…I just…don't know what to do anymore…" he finished, not knowing what else to say.

His heavy breathings echoed in the long corridor and it was fortunate that no one had decided to come their way. Not only was this probably the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he'd broken down in front of Junko of all people, the girl that had saved his life. Still wiping away tears from his reddened face, he slowly shifted his gaze over to see the Fashionista again staring up at the ceiling, a stoic look on her face.

"Get it all out?" she abruptly asked, still not turning toward him.

"H-Huh?" he sputtered for a moment before clearing his throat and thinking about it. "I-I guess…"

"Good," Junko said sharply before folding her arms and glaring at him. "Now let me tell you why you're wrong."

Visibly taken aback by her blunt comment, Leon almost fell out of his chair as Junko swiveled over to face him directly, staring him square in the eyes.

"But first, let me ask you a question. Who was it that saved Sayaka?"

The question startled him more than her previous statement and he struggled to answer, "W-Wha-? Well, you obviously—".

"Wrong again."

Her tone was only the slightest bit condescending but it was enough to snap the weary Leon out of his pity party, his fists clenched as he glared furiously at her. "And what the hell do you mean by that, huh?! I wasn't the one who carried her to the nurse's office or did the transfusion thing—!"

"But you were the one who tended to her and bandaged her right after she was cut!" Junko spoke over him, practically jumping to her feet and glaring down at him. "If you hadn't of reacted so quickly, she would have bled out long before I got to her. The reason she's alive is because of you. Not me…You."

Leon's eyes widened as Junko forced her opinions on him. He wanted to argue with her, wanted to tell her that even though what she was saying was true, he just couldn't bring himself to believe it. Frozen in place after hearing that, he was unable to stop Junko from continuing.

"No matter what you think, no matter how hard it is for you to believe…You are not a murderer." He flinched as she emphasized that but didn't stop her. "Murderers don't try to save their victims, and they don't feel regret for what they did or feel responsible to those around them for it."

"B-But! I tried to cover it all up! I was only thinking of myself!" Leon tried to counter but only received a scoff from the Fashionista.

"And you think that none of us would have done the same in your position? We're human, we do that when we're scared," she said before a light smile graced her lips. "Besides, by my count, you've saved more people than you've killed."

"But…But…!"

Before he knew what was happening, Junko's hands landed on either side of his shoulders. As her nail dug in slightly, Leon found himself staring up at her, unable to look away.

"Honestly, we've all been pretty lucky. If just one thing had gone wrong for any of us…we'd all be dead now. You, me…and Sayaka."

She paused for a moment, as if trying to block out the horrific memory that came with such a statement. However, it appeared that she was able to push it away as she turned back to him and said, "Even so, we're all still alive. And we need to focus on what we can do now. And not just you, me and Sayaka. Everyone's in the same boat here. We're all just trying to do our best to make it through all this bullshit."

Although unaccustomed to hearing such vulgar language from her, something about the way she said it didn't bother Leon. In fact, it felt almost natural for her to speak this way, though he couldn't understand why. Instead of worry about it, he chose to stay quiet and continue listening as she spoke.

"I know it's not easy…but you have to get it through your head that none of this is your fault. We're not here because we want to be. You didn't hurt Sayaka because you wanted to. And you didn't betray us out of spite or anything like that."

Junko's voice was as stern and strong as it had been before but this time, there was a hint of concern in it as well. Each word, each syllable she spoke, they resonated with him as he was unable to turn away.

"We need to work together to survive whatever the mastermind has planned. Learn from what happened to you and Sayaka to make sure it doesn't happen to anyone else. It's the only way we're gonna make it out of this alive. Understand?"

An eternity seemed to pass as Leon's crystal blue eyes stared up at the Fashionista, his mind barely able to comprehend everything she was telling him. His body felt lighter than it ever had before as she forced him to realize the depths of his own self-deprecation. Her words were so…hopeful. Never in his wildest dreams would he ever have thought that Junko Enoshima of all people would be the one to help bring him back from the edge of despair.

"Then again, she was the one who saved me…Oh!"

An unexpected laugh came bubbling up from his throat and he chuckled nervously as finally he let a weak smile spread across his features.

"You know, I've been a bit of an asshole to you. I've had plenty of chances but I guess I've been putting it off," he said with another light chuckle. Now it was Junko's turn to be taken back, raising an eyebrow as he continued, "I never thanked you for being coming to my rescue yesterday. If not for you, I wouldn't even be here right now. So, yeah…Thanks!"

A puzzled look overtook Junko's face but it only lasted a moment before she let out a laugh of her own.

"See, was that so hard?" she chided with a smirk. Releasing his shoulders and giving him a light slap on the back, she plopped back down in her chair next to him, grinning all the while.

Staring at her unmatched smile, Leon felt all of tensions slowly slipping away. It was only now that he realized just how little he'd really known about Junko, or any of his classmates for that matter. It was also the first time he recognized forming a bond with any of them. Sure, he'd spoken to Makoto about his dream of quitting baseball but this was different.

He felt a connection to Junko, like he could actually believe in her and trust what she was saying. Not just because she'd saved him, but because it seemed like, out of all of his classmates, she was the first one to completely forgive him for what he'd tried to do. And he didn't know how, but someday, he would return the favor.

"Seriously though…I owe you for saving my life. You're a great friend, Junko."

The instant those words came out of his mouth, Junko tensed. It was as if she just remembered something incredibly important just now. And less than a second later, the way she looked at him changed.

"Really?" she said, almost too sweetly. "Well, I know a way that I can be an even better friend to you…"

Her smirk returned but this time it seemed wider than before…Leon wasn't quite sure but there was something a bit mischievous behind it. However, he reminded himself that, despite just discovering that she could be serious when she needed to be, the Fashionista did have a bit of a sarcastic streak.

Rubbing the back of his head nervously, he chuckled as he replied, "You saved me from being pounded with baseballs to death. What better of a friend could you be?"

The tiniest of groans came from Junko, so slight that Leon wasn't even sure he'd really heard it.

"Well, you know, I could do more kind of friendly like stuff for you…if you want," she offered, uncrossing her legs and turning toward him with an expecting glance.

"Hmm, I don't know," he pondered aloud, trying not to sound ungrateful. "I mean, sure it'd be cool to hang out more but I'm into video games and punk-rock and stuff. Not exactly the kind of thing you'd be into."

Now Leon was sure he'd inadvertently upset her because Junko took in a deep breath before letting it out slowly, more than likely offended by something that he'd done. Even if he had no idea what it was, it didn't really matter. Instead, he decided that whatever she said next, he'd agree with, just to be safe.

As luck would have it, Junko carefully lifted one of her manicured hands up to her blouse and unbuttoned the very top button, giving a better view of the lacy bra underneath. However, because this wasn't entirely abnormal for her, Leon hardly noticed it.

"Ah, is it just me or is it really hot up here on the second floor?" she asked him, fanning herself while sneaking glances at him.

Even though he didn't think it was very hot at all, in fact it was a bit cold, Leon decided to stick to his plan and immediately complied, "Oh, yeah! It's like sweltering hot! Must be because of the pool and it's humidity…and stuff…"

The sound of a slap reached his ears and Leon looked over to see Junko palm had slapped against her forehead, a deep groan sounding from her throat. The baseball star slowly leaned away, unsure of what he'd done to upset her so much.

"Seriously, what did I do?" he questioned mentally, not wanting to ruin the newfound friendship with her. "I've never been good with girls…unless they're screaming fans but I didn't have to actually talk to most of them."

Just as he was about to suggest looking around some more, Junko sprang up to her feet and turned completely toward him. Her hands rested on her hips and she leaned down to look him in the eye.

"Leon, I know this is sudden but will you take me to the guy's—".

"Everyone! Please come quickly!"

---

"…Sorry but the way it is now, it can't even power on."

Chihiro sat at one of the desks in the library, a blank screened laptop resting before her. Peering over her shoulder, Kyoko pressed a hand to her lips and sighed.

"I'd have hoped to find some useful information but it seems we're out of luck," she expressed aloud before nodding appreciatively to the programmer. "Anyway, thanks for trying."

"Not a problem…" Chihiro answered softly, her eyes still focused on the dead laptop.

The sounds of Kyoko's footstep alerted the programmer that she was now alone with the computer, her mind already running scenarios about how and why it wasn't functioning…and what could be done to restore it.

"I do have the toolkit in my room," she considered, her hands running over the dusty keys of the board. "And if the battery is still good, then maybe—".

"Everyone! Please come quickly!"

As a deep voice echoed throughout the upper floor, the petite programmer's heart practically leapt into her throat as she shot up from her seat, a feeling of terror consuming her thoughts. Looking around she found that the other students, led by Byakuya, who had made the library his dominion, were already heading out the door and into the hallway, from which the frantic shout had originated.

Not wanting to be left behind, Chihiro sped around the side of the desk but came to a grinding halt. Slowly, she turned her head around to gaze at the lifeless laptop…

---

The Fashionista froze as a deep but feminine voice shouted down the hallway. As one, both she and Leon turned to see none other than Sakura racing down the hallway. If Taka had been there, he'd have been writing her up for running but now wasn't the time to worry about that!

"Sakura! What's wrong?!" Junko immediately questioned, stopping the martial artist in her tracks. Sakura turned to them, only now noticing they were there.

"Ah, Junko! Leon! We need to gather everyone together as soon as possible! It's Sayaka—!"

Untold fear had already gripped Leon at the sight of Sakura's flustered and rushed appearance, knowing she would never abandon her post unless it was truly an emergency. And the instant the Pop Idol's name left her lips, Leon leapt up from his chair and shouted, "What is it?! What about Sayaka?! Did something happen to her?!"

Sakura must have seen the sheer panic on the ballplayer's face and it made her hesitate for an instant before she answered, "Sayaka…she's—".

"What's going on out here?!" an unmistakably authoritative voice called out. The three students turned to see the door to the library abruptly open and none were surprised to see it was Byakuya that had called out to them. Lingering just behind him were Kyoko, Hifumi, Toko and finally Chihiro.

"Is there a fire or something?" Hiro's lazy tone came from the other side of the hallway, an open classroom door showing where he'd been.

"What is all the fuss about?" the calm voice of Celeste now intruded onto the scene. Coming from the pool hallway, she walked toward the group with Hina rushing past her to greet her friend.

"Sakura! What's going on?!" the swimmer asked, a hint of fear in her voice.

"That's exactly what I'd like to know," Byakuya demanded again, "Why are all of you out here and why is Sakura—?"

"EVERYBODY JUST SHUT UP!"

All at once, everyone was quiet as Leon practically screamed at all of them. Even Byakuya was shocked into silence as the Ultimate Baseball Star whirled around and shouted at Sakura again.

"What's happened to Sayaka?! Tell me!"

His strained voice held more fear than any of them had ever heard from him before. Not even his tearful pleas during the trial sounded as despairing as his tone did now. And in that moment, no one, not even the condescending Byakuya, could refute the idea that Leon was genuinely worried for Sayaka.

Realizing that she had caused a panic, Sakura immediately composed herself and answered, "Do not fear…she is alright."

Letting out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, Leon couldn't stop the overly joyous smile from spreading over his face. He was too overjoyed to even ask why Sakura had come running to them with such haste. Luckily, someone else was ready for it.

"If you don't mind, I'm still quite lost as to what's happening," Celeste said plainly, glancing over to Sakura with a curious expression. "Has something happened that we are unaware of?"

"Hm," Sakura confirmed with a firm nod. "Just a moment ago, Sayaka regained consciousness."

A wave of shock washed over all of the students for a moment but they all quickly recovered. However, one of them was already off and running the moment he heard the news.

"Sayaka!"

Leon tore down the hallway without any regard for anyone else, practically leaping down the stairs the instant he got to them. Byakuya groaned and was about to complain when someone else left the group as well.

"L-Leon! Wait up!" a stammering Chihiro called out, following after him. Again, no one made a move to stop her and simply watched as she headed down the hall toward the stairs.

"H-Hey! Don't leave us here like that! Come on, Sakura!" Hina shouted after Chihiro, gripping the martial artists arm and pulling her along as they headed off as well.

"Hey! Wait for me, guys! I wanna go too!" Hiro called after them, obviously not wanting to be left out.

"It's like herding chickens…" Byakuya quipped, rubbing his eyes under his glasses.

"Indeed…" Celeste agreed, letting out a sigh of her own. "We haven't even finished investigating the second floor yet."

"Given the circumstances, we should put the investigation on hold," Kyoko calmly advised, ignoring the stare the gambler was giving her. "For now, we'd better go and see Sayaka."

Without another word, Kyoko's heeled boots clicked along the ground as she departed.

"…I, unfortunately, must agree with her. Besides, I have some things I wish to speak with Sayaka about anyway," Celeste conceded, slowly making her way toward the stairs.

"As do I…" Byakuya added, narrowing his gaze as he also departed.

At this time, no one noticed that Junko was still standing by her chair next to the metal plated window, her fists clenched and her eyes downcast.

---

"Fuck…" Mukuro seethed as she realized she was the only one still there. "I guess I ran out of time. Dammit, I almost had him! I never thought that Sayaka would wake up so soon! I mean, I'm glad she's awake and all that but if she had just stayed asleep for a few more minutes…"

As the reality of her failure loomed over head, the soldier couldn't stop the frustration from boiling over inside her.

"Dammit! Why couldn't Leon have just gotten the hint?! I did everything I could think of get him to realize I wanted sex! I left subtle and not so subtle hints, I spoke sweetly to him, I even uncrossed my legs right in front of him and everything!"

Her crimson nails dug into her palms as she seethed, trying not to let out her fury.

"And what's worse, because he didn't get the hint, I failed my mission! This is the first mission I've ever failed! My perfect record is now stained with defeat!"

Without warning, she slammed her fist into the metal plate next to her, leaving a hardly noticeable indent in the metal. Letting her hand fall from the plate and hanging limp at her side, Mukuro realized how foolish her idea really way.

"I need a better plan…" she said quietly, sounding a little defeated. "But that can wait for later. I need to go and see Sayaka before the others realize I'm not there."

Taking deep breaths to keep herself calm, she only now began walking toward the stairs, her boots practically slamming down with each step. Just before she reached them, she stopped just in front of the boy's restroom. She was more than tempted to go inside and just make up something later about why she was in there but she knew it was pointless.

"I'd look too suspicious…and if I accidentally reveal myself," she muttered quietly, her voice lower than a whisper. "Besides, I can't be gone too long or else they'll get suspicious anyway. Guess I'll have to give on it…for now."

Regrettably resigning herself to failing the mission, Mukuro trudged down the stairs, unaware of the camera that had been watching her every move.

---

Meanwhile, back in the control room on the upper floor, the real Junko silently watched as her sister descended the stairs. Slurping down the very last of her soda, Junko let out an exasperated sigh as she watched her sister's pitiful attitude upon her inability to seduce Leon.

Another deep sigh escaped her as she said, "Mukuro, Mukuro, Mukuro…don't you know anything? The most powerful weapon at her disposal is built-into her and she doesn't even know how to use it!"

Putting her feet up on the table, she stretched her arms up before putting them behind her head and continuing, "I know that I told her before but…women have the almighty vagina. Therefore, we make the rules. If she had just said, 'Hey Leon, let's have sex', she'd probably already be in the boy's restroom fucking like rabbits…"

Tossing away her empty soda can, the Despair loving girl giggled to herself as she watched everyone gather in the nurse's office. A twisted smile spread over Junko's lips as she prepared for the ensuing despair.

"Oh well, at least this little reunion should be good…"

---

To Be Continued…

Greetings, my beautiful readers! Sorry for the wait but I hope this extra long chapter makes up for it! Been busy with real life stuff, so I needed a bit of a break. But I'm back now, so it's all good!

So, what do you think will happen with Sayaka's awakening? Will the others condemn her or will they be able to forgive her? And how will Leon react to finally being able to confront her? You'll have to tune in next time to find out!

And just to let you know, there were quite a few in-jokes for future events in this chapter. So, if some of it doesn't make sense, now you know why. Also, I have to credit my beta for Junko's line of the "almighty vagina", which inspired that last scene.

As always, please leave a review if you've got questions or insight on the story, or if you just want to say how much you're enjoying it. Either way, let me know what your all think and have a great day, my beautiful readers!