Never Say Never
Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa or the characters associated with it.
Chapter 3
Act 7
A few days came and went under Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishimaru's reign. For the most part, it wasn't that different from when Monokuma had been their overseer. As long as no one violated a rule, Taka wouldn't appear out of nowhere and enforce his 'justice'. At the same time, it didn't change the fact that everyone was becoming more and more frustrated with his self-appointed position. Many pink slips were written, mainly for Junko who couldn't keep her mouth shut when he confronted her about her 'indecent' fashion choices.
Unfortunately, suspicions against Taka grew with each passing day. His endorsement by Monokuma, coupled with his aggressive actions against most of the students, not to mention Celeste's outright accusation of his character, had put everyone on edge. Hope was beginning to wane under Chairman Ishimaru's dictatorship.
However, it seemed that, somehow, a few of the students were able to find time to enjoy themselves…
"We should have done this sooner…" Leon whispered with a husky voice, anticipation clear in his voice. "We've put this off for too long…"
"For once…I have to agree…" Sayaka was barely able to respond, concentrating on finishing. "Leon…I'm almost there…just…a…little…more….annnnnnd there! It's perfect!"
As she finished speaking, Sayaka put the finishing touches on what could only be described as the most delicious looking sandwich anyone had ever laid eyes on.
"As promised, Leon…I present to you…'The Super Double Meat Triple Decker Sandwich'!"
Three toasted hamburger buns slathered with butter sat atop, below and in the middle of the massive sandwich. In between those heavenly buns were all different kinds of meat; sliced ham, turkey, and chicken breast, all piled high in a triple stack. Condiments such as honey mustard, mayonnaise and vinaigrette dressing were equally distributed on all three stacks. And the pièce de résistance was the toothpick that held an olive, for visual aesthetic, piercing the top of the magnificent sandwich!
Taking a step back from its majesty, Sayaka allowed herself a moment to recover. The kitchen was an utter mess from all the preparation to make such a masterpiece but the pop idol definitely felt that it was worth it. Even if she was a bit short of breath due to moving around the kitchen so much while preparing the sandwich she was still feeling remarkably better, all things considered. Her recovery was proceeding smoothly, even though her right wrist, fresh out of its sling, ached a bit from putting the sandwich together. And while she didn't have complete use of her right hand just yet, Junko had told her that it should be safe to start using it again, as long as she was cautious. Additionally, she was standing completely upright without the assistance of Leon or a table to hold her up. She could stand up and walk completely on her own again, a feat she hadn't realized she'd miss so much. Of course Leon was always beside her, just in case she lost her balance, but that didn't bother her in the least…not anymore.
Speaking of the baseball star…
Leon's mouth wasn't watering…it was crying tears of joy as his tearful eyes surveyed the masterpiece that Sayaka had created for him. At the same time, the Ultimate Pop Idol smiled to herself as she looked at his overjoyed expression, allowing his infectious happiness to overtake her as well.
"So, what do you think?" she asked with a true smile, one that she'd only been able to produce for him since being trapped in the school.
Without hesitation, Leon responded, "I think I'm in love…" As soon as those words left his mouth, both of them flinched. Sayaka's eyes widened and she felt her face flush but was too stunned to say anything. Leon, trying to catch himself, sputtered, "…with the sandwich! That's what I meant! Yeah, i-it's amazing! If this sandwich was a woman…I would marry it!"
Upon hearing that, Sayaka tried to stifle a laugh, but failed. "Pffft! Hahaha! You wanna marry a sandwich! For real?!"
As she continued to laugh at him, the baseball star's face burned with embarrassment as he replied, "W-Why not?! If it's the most amazing sandwich in the world, why wouldn't I want to marry it?!"
Barely able to hold back her laughter, Sayaka snickered at him with a confident smirk and said, "You do know that means you can't eat the sandwich, right? You'd just have to look at 'her' until she got all moldy and gross."
Not backing down and with a proud smile of his own, Leon answered, "Well, that's what divorces are for."
"Hmph, what a gentleman…" the pop idol sarcastically replied, a half-smile on her face.
Seeing that, the baseball star let a cocky grin overtake his lips as he finally shrugged off her comments and said, "Whatever…"
Without further ado, Leon reached for the sandwich she'd created for him but was stopped when Sayaka's hand thrust in front of him, keeping him from reaching the delicious mass of bread and meat.
With a betrayed glance, he stared at the pop idol's smiling face as she asked, "What was our deal?"
Immediately, Leon's memory clicked and he let out a deep sigh as he replied, "…You get the first bite."
Sayaka almost felt a bit sorry for him, looking at his utterly dejected face. However, she also knew how much this sandwich meant to him…it almost meant as much to her as well, but for very different reasons. Of course she'd taken note all the times he'd failed to get his sandwich over the last few days and really wanted to ensure he got one. So, she offered to make him her signature 'Super Double Meat Triple Decker Sandwich' in order to lift his spirits. Not to mention that…it also helped ease her conscience as well. And even though it was a relatively small gesture, she still wanted to do something to make up for everything she'd done to him…
And so, instead of taking a large bite, as she'd originally intended, she carefully picked up the gigantic sandwich and took the tiniest of bites from the side of it. The flavor of her creation hit her taste buds immediately and she couldn't help but let out a pleasurable moan. At the same time, Leon stared at her with utter disappointment that he wasn't enjoying what she was enjoying at that moment.
Seeing that, Sayaka decided to mess with him one last time before letting him have his prize.
"Mmmmh…" she moaned, emphasizing how orgasmic the sandwich truly was. "Now this is an amazing sand—".
Suddenly, she ceased speaking as she glanced around behind Leon and saw someone standing in the kitchen doorway. Her breath hitched in her throat and she lost all will to speak as she saw none other than Makoto standing there, holding a tray of dirty dishes in his hands.
Instantly, she forced herself to scowl at him and averted her gaze, unable to even look at him out of shame. During that time, Leon, who was utterly confused by her sudden silence, turned his head to see the lucky student, his attitude also dampening. However, he immediately picked himself back up and smiled toward his classmate.
"Yo, Makoto! What's up?" the baseball star said cheerfully, trying to cut through the obviously thick tension that had just enveloped the room.
"Uh…not much," the lucky student said with a nervous laugh. "I was just, uh, finishing taking food to Mondo when I heard the two of you talking but didn't want to interrupt—".
"You're not interrupting anything," Sayaka sternly cut him off, sending a quick glare his way. "Go ahead and just leave the dishes in the sink, we'll get them. We gotta clean up our mess anyway."
"Oh…that's okay, I'd rather just do it myself and get it done with," Makoto said slowly, a hint of disappointment in his voice.
"Uhg, fine. Just be quick about it, alright?" Sayaka forced herself to sneer at him, her heart aching with each word.
The lucky student then walked past them and over to the sink, slowly placing each and every dish in the sink before turning on the water and beginning to wash them. As he did that, Sayaka continued to send him a hostile glare, her hands clutching Leon's sandwich so tightly some of the contents fell out. However, she didn't seem to notice, she was too busy silent wishing that Makoto would leave faster, so she wouldn't have to be reminded of the horribly atrocity she'd put him through.
She was so focused on mentally wishing him away that she didn't notice the awkward and concerned look that Leon was giving her, and not because she was partially destroying his sandwich.
Eventually, Makoto finished washing and set the dishes on a nearby drying rack. Drying his hands with a towel, he was shocked when Sayaka abruptly said, "You're done, right? If so, please leave."
She saw his head snap up and glance at her, obvious hurt in his eyes. At the same time, Sayaka had to fight off the pain she was causing herself by pretending to be cold to him. It certainly wasn't easy to lie to someone she'd respected so much…but it was precisely because she held him in such high regard that she felt she needed to lie.
"This is how it has to be. After everything that I did, I don't deserve to be called his friend. It's better if he just stays as far away from me as possible. That way, even if it's not on purpose, I can't hurt him anymore—".
"A-Actually, Sayaka…I was hoping we could…talk for a minute?" Makoto abruptly asked, a hopeful glint in his eyes.
Again, her breath caught in her throat and the pop idol didn't quite know how to respond. However, she managed to recover fairly quickly and replied, "I've got nothing to say to you. So please leave."
Makoto visibly flinched at her words but somehow decided to press on regardless. "Well…I-I was just wondering…how you're feeling these days? You don't have your arm in a sling anymore and you're walking on your own—".
"Yes, I'm feeling much better," she sternly interrupted, mustering the most hurtful glare she could manage. "If that's all you want, then leave already. I don't want to talk to you right now."
Finally, it seemed that her harsh comments sank in and Makoto reluctantly fell silent, lowering his gaze slightly.
"Oh…okay then. I guess I'll…see you guys tomorrow…" he said quietly before heading for the door. Both Sayaka and Leon watched as he slowly made his way out of the kitchen, stopping only for a brief moment to glance their way before departing into the cafeteria.
Once he was gone, the pop idol let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, almost dropping the Super Double Meat Triple Decker Sandwich at the same time. However, she caught herself and managed to hold onto the massive sandwich, extending it out to Leon a moment later.
"Here…enjoy it."
Almost reluctantly, Leon reached out and took the delicious sandwich from her. She took a step back and waited for him to take his first bite, hoping to regain the feeling of joyfulness they had been experiencing before Makoto had arrived. She watched as Leon, who held a strangely conflicted expression, slowly opened his mouth to take a bite. However, much to Sayaka's surprise, before his teeth even got close to it, he stopped, pulling his face away from the meaty breaded delight. She was even more shocked when the baseball star suddenly groaned and set the sandwich down on a plate next to him.
"Okay, I'm sorry but…what the hell was that?!" Leon almost shouted, thoroughly surprising the pop idol.
Taking a moment to think, Sayaka hesitantly responded, "Uh…I handed you the sandwich you coincidentally also want to marry?"
A massive groan escaped the ballplayer as he face-palmed. "Not that! Makoto! What the hell was with you?! Why were you being so…so…I don't know?!"
Almost reflexively, Sayaka scowled defensively at him, not appreciating being questioned like this. However, she knew that she couldn't possibly tell him the truth, which only meant that now she had to lie to him, too…which was not something she felt comfortable with.
With a firm gaze, she replied, "I told him we would take care of the dishes since we'd have to do that anyway—".
"Yeah, and then told him to get out!" Leon cut in, making her scowl deepen. "He was just trying to do the freaking dishes and you snapped at him!"
"That's not what happened. I talked to him the same way I do everyone else," she defended, trying to keep from getting angry herself. After all, she wanted to avoid having this argument as much as she wanted to avoid contact with Makoto.
However, Leon didn't seem too keen on letting it all slide, evident when he scoffed and argued, "Don't give me that! You got all up in his face for no reason! He was just asking how you were doing and you got all pissy!"
Narrowing her eyes, Sayaka chose to keep her voice even as she replied, "I didn't 'get in his face'. I asked him to go once he was done because I wanted to spend time with you. Or is that a problem?"
"No! I mean, yes! Maybe?!" Leon fumbled, trying to get out of the hole he'd just dug himself into. "We both know that it has nothing to do with spending time with me!"
"Oh, is that so?" Sayaka instantly replied, giving him an angry sideways glance. "So, are you saying that you don't enjoy spending time with me? Is there something wrong with wanting to spend time alone with you?"
Even Sayaka knew she was playing dirty now, insinuating that her spending time with Leon had anything to do with her attitude. Plus, even though it had only been a few days, they had grown rather close due to all their time together. Implying that being nasty to Makoto was only to continue to be alone with Leon was a backhanded tactic that she wasn't proud of…but it was easier than admitting the truth…a fact that proved to her that she was right in keeping Makoto away.
And just as she'd unfortunately predicted, her tactic had the desired effect, as the baseball star stumbled over his own words, struggling to get back on topic. The pop idol could see through him just as easily as ever and she could tell that there was something he wanted to say but was keeping it bottled up.
And honestly, that kind of scared her. She needed to find a way to get off this subject before either of them said something they'd both regret. After all…she didn't want to lose another friend to her own incompetence.
"Never mind…" she said before Leon could muster the courage to say whatever it was he'd been thinking. Turning her back to him, she finished, "I'm gonna get this all cleaned up. Go ahead and eat your sandwich…"
"Forget about the stupid sandwich!" Leon surprisingly insisted, pushing the plate away from him as emphasis. "I wanna know why you're being such a bitch to Makoto!"
Hearing that offensive comment froze Sayaka in her place. However, it wasn't out of anger that she'd stopped. The truth was…it's because she knew that he was right. She'd been an outright bitch to Makoto ever since she'd survived her failed graduation attempt. Even so, she was still convinced that, no matter how guilty or horrible she felt about what she'd done, there was no way she should be forgiven for what she'd done to him. She knew…knew that Makoto would forgive her…and she didn't want that. She didn't want to be forgiven for what she'd done to him…but she didn't want to be 'punished' either.
Sayaka didn't know how to feel about their situation…it wasn't as if she'd ever been in this kind of position before! She deserved to be punished but feared it, and she didn't know how to make amends either! It was too hard for her to figure out on her own…and she didn't want to drag anyone else down to her level…
In the end, it was easier for all of them if she just avoided Makoto…perhaps she should have done the same with Leon, too. She'd tried…but somehow he'd managed to break through her cold attitude…and gave her a reason to smile again. She'd let him in…opened up to him…but now it was only serving to hurt both of them. He didn't deserve that, not after all she'd put him through.
Maybe it was time to distance herself from him too…
"It's got nothing to do with you," Sayaka finally replied, not bothering to even turn and look at him. She heard him gasp, and a twinge of pain ached in her chest, but she ignored it and continued, "If you don't want to spend time with me, then just leave me alone. Go and spend all of your time with Makoto for all I care. I won't stop you."
Even as those words left her, she regretted them. She didn't want him to go…she didn't want to be alone…again. However, she also knew that it was the right thing to—
"That's…! That's not the issue, dammit!" Leon shouted at her, thoroughly startling her.
Slowly, she glanced over her shoulder at him, her eyes widening as she could see in his eyes that he'd come to a difficult decision…and there was no way for her to stop him. Before she could even muster a response, the baseball star audibly groaned and hung his head.
"Look, I know that you're feeling guilty about tricking Makoto and everything, but treating him like crap and pretending to be angry with him so he'll stay away from you won't—!"
"Stop it!"
Sayaka found herself shouting before she knew what was happening. She didn't want to hear the truth…the honest, unavoidable truth that she'd managed to keep hidden as best she could…until now. In her mind, as long as those words remained unspoken, then it wasn't true. However, now that she'd heard them herself…she couldn't deny them…but she couldn't let Leon know that!
"I'm not pretending anything!" she practically screamed, turning to fully face Leon, fighting back tears all the while. "I used him! I planned to use him from the moment I saw him! He was just a gullible idiot that I could manipulate!"
"That's bullshit!" Leon fired back, getting right in her face. "I'm not stupid, you know! I can tell that you're just feeling guilty for what happened!"
"That's not true!" she insisted, shaking her head fervently.
"Yes, it is!" he continued, not letting up in the slightest. "You think that I don't feel like shit every time I see him! That I don't want to apologize to him for everything that I did! I tried to make him take the blame for my murder attempt—!"
"This doesn't have anything to do with you!" Sayaka shouted, meeting his gaze once more.
"Like hell it doesn't! I'm involved whether you like it or not!" Leon shouted back, his eyes locking with her. "And I know you're lying because I heard you crying after he came and talked to you that one night!"
Suddenly, Sayaka's eyes widened as she realized that, despite how much she could deny it, Leon already knew the truth. Not only that, if it was true that he'd overheard them that night…then it meant he already understood…everything. However, almost against her will, her rage suddenly began to burn through as she narrowed her gaze at him.
"So, you've been eavesdropping on me, huh?! Are you trying to be like Toko and be the world's best stalker or something?!" she fired back, her anger overriding her better judgment.
Leon flinched but didn't seem ready to back down, instantly replying, "It wasn't like that!"
"What was it like, then?!" she snapped, pounding her uninjured hand on the counter.
"I was on my way back to my room when I heard the two of you talking! You left the door open and I was worried!"
"Oh, so that means it's okay for you to spy on me, huh?!"
"That has nothing to do with how you've been treating Makoto! You're just avoiding the issue and you know it!"
Unintentionally, she flinched, knowing that he'd caught her. For a moment, her determination waned and she did her best to meet his gaze with as firm a visage as before…but she just couldn't. Feeling defeated, she resolved to just back away and head out of the kitchen and back to her room to try and sort everything out.
"Forget it, I'm done! I'm going back to my room! Move!" she told him firmly, adjusting her footing to prepare to move past him.
This turned out to be a mistake as, unlike how she'd predicted, he didn't back down, stepping directly in front of her and blocking her path. She couldn't help but gasp at his sudden aggressiveness. A chill ran down her spine as she was unintentionally reminded of their fateful encounter so many nights ago…for he had the same determined look in his eyes now as he had back when he'd followed her into the bathroom. Fighting to keep herself calm, she slowly took a step back but he grabbed onto her shoulder to keep her from retreating.
"Listen, Sayaka! You and I both know that he'd forgive you—!"
"Stop it! And let me go!"
"—if you just talked to him about it! I know that—"
"Shut up! Shut up! Let go of me!"
"—you want to be friends with him again!"
"I SAID LET GO!"
With all her strength, she pushed him back and away from her, making him stumble backward and barely catch himself on the countertop. On instinct, Sayaka's left hand reached for whatever was closest to her to defend herself with…which happened to be the plate that the sandwich was sitting on. As she lifted it up, the Super Double Meat Triple Decker Sandwich splattered to the floor as she raised the plate above her head. Then, with all of the strength she could muster, she chucked that plate in Leon's general direction.
The second it was released from her hands, she knew that it was going to go off target, and a part of her was okay with that. What little bit of rational thinking was still function told her that she didn't actually want to pelt Leon with the plate. After all, considering the method Monokuma had planned for his execution, it would be rather traumatizing.
Fortunately, her aim was very off, flying upward above Leon's head, making it obvious that the flying disk wasn't going to get anyway near him. Unfortunately…that didn't mean that her aim was completely off either.
*CRASH* *CRINK*
Both of them froze as the sound of the plate smashing into metal reached their ears. As one both of them shot their gazes up to the corner of the room…only to see the security camera for that room bent to the side, a large dent in the side of it. Fragments of the shattered plate scattered all around, and fell to the floor just beneath where the busted camera hung.
Sayaka's complexion paled as she was forced to realize that she'd just destroyed one of the school's security cameras…an offense punishable by execution.
Both of her hands flew over her mouth as she gasped, unable to tear her eyes away from the destruction she'd caused. Her eyes dilated as panic quickly began to set in, her mind racing as she struggled to keep from screaming. Her entire body began trembling as she recalled Monokuma's words from just after she'd awoken in nurse's office following her incident.
…
I am your delightfully vigilant headmaster, and as such, I feel that it is my duty to keep you all safe and sound while you're in my school. And if there are any, shall we say, concerns that you might have about another student…I may be persuaded to discipline them…
...
Sayaka had been on 'probation' ever since returning to the class. One mistake, one tiny little rule breaking could cost her life…but this wasn't a tiny rule breaking…it was a monumental one! Destruction of school property was against the school regulations, tantamount to a death sentence! Even someone as harmless as Makoto wouldn't have been forgiven, even if it was accident! There was no way a 'pervious offender' like Sayaka wouldn't get punished, regardless of it being an accident! And with how blood-thirsty Monokuma had been recently, there wasn't any doubt that punishment is all that awaited her…
"No…please…no…!" she whispered as the weight of her situation hit her. "I…I don't…I don't want to…"
"Sayaka!"
The pop idol's vision suddenly focused and she was startled to see Leon was standing right in front of her. She hadn't even noticed him until now. He placed both hands on her shoulders before looking her right into her eyes. As their gazes met, Sayaka's heart furiously thumped as she drank in his determined visage.
"Sayaka, listen! It's gonna be okay!" he tried to reassure her, despite the clear panic exuding from her.
"No…no, it's not! I'm…I'm gonna…I'll be…executed…" she mumbled, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.
"No! I'm not gonna let that happen!" Leon exclaimed, shaking her a bit as he spoke.
"There's nothing you can do!" she insisted, feeling all the more hopeless. "I'm…I'm…"
"Just be quiet and listen to me!" he shouted, shaking her to get her attention. When she finally returned her gaze to him, she gasped as she read his intention through his eyes. "I've got a plan! When Monokuma shows up, we're gonna tell him I did it! I threw the plate! Not you, me! Got it?!"
Shock overtook Sayaka as those words sunk in and for the first time since her panic began, she fully registered what he'd said. As his words echoed in her head and she fully processed them, an overwhelming fear rose up inside her. Almost instantly, she forgot about her own anxiety and scoffed at him.
"No! You can't!" Sayaka insisted, grabbing onto his shirt and shaking him. "It won't work anyway! The camera—!"
"Couldn't see where we were when the plate was thrown!" Leon spoke over her, trying to get her to be quiet before pointing at the dent in the side of the camera. "We were in its blind spot! Otherwise it would have hit the lens and not the side!"
A moment of relief hit Sayaka before it was replaced with utter terror, her mind already piecing everything together.
"No…no! That only means that you'll be executed instead! Leon you can't—!"
"Yes, I can!" he suddenly cut her off, a look of pure guilt on his face. "Listen…I am not gonna let you die because of me…not again!"
All of a sudden, everything Sayaka questioned was being pieced together. The look of guilt on Leon's face…the crushing feeling of hurting someone you care about…knowing that you would do anything to take back what you'd done…unbeknownst to her, Leon had experiencing the same feelings that she had held for Makoto since she'd betrayed him.
Not only that, it was obvious that he blamed himself for their current situation. And while it was true that him suddenly grabbing her shoulders led to Sayaka losing her temper and throwing the plate, she knew that it wasn't his fault. After all, he hadn't meant to startle her, he was just trying to help…just like the time…he'd broken in the bathroom…because he was worried about her…
Sayaka had thought that the guilt she felt for almost killing him had been unbearable…but it paled in comparison to the crushing anxiety she felt now. Once again, Leon had only been trying to help her…and she'd condemned him to death…for a second time.
And, despite his brave words and fearless expression…she could feel that Leon was shaking. He was just as terrified as she was, perhaps even more so. After all…he'd been on the chopping block once before, but this time, there wouldn't be anyone who could save him.
However, in spite of all that, it was obvious that Leon wasn't going to let that stop him. He was preparing to sacrifice himself…for her! For the person that had betrayed and hurt him…the person who didn't deserve to be forgiven for her actions…he was going let himself be executed…for her?
Just who the hell did he think he was?!
"Like hell I'm gonna let you do that!" she abruptly screamed, startling him as she shook him. No…No, Leon! You're not going to die for me, you hear me?! I won't let you! It was an accident! I caused it and I'll be the one to take responsibility for—!"
"Dammit Sayaka, it's the only way!" the ballplayer shouted over her, making her fall silent. "We don't have much time! Just tell Monokuma—!"
"Leon, shut the hell up!"
The pop idol's usual melodic voice became hoarse as she shouted, breathing heavily from overexerting herself during their exchange. More than her language, the sound of her raspy voice silenced Leon, his eyes widening as she gripped his shirt harder and forced him to meet her gaze.
"I'm not going to let anyone die for me! I'm tired of making the people I care about suffer because of my mistakes!" As she said that, she couldn't keep her body from trembling but she forced herself to continued. "I'm scared…no, I'm terrified…but at least…I can finally be punished for what I've done to—".
Suddenly a voice from out in the cafeteria shouted to them…and both of them recognized who it was.
"Leon! Sayaka! You guys alright!" Makoto shouted, making both of them whirl around to face him.
As expected of him, Makoto came barreling through the kitchen door, stopping only when he hit the countertop on the other side of the door. Taking a second to look around, it took the lucky student a few moments to realize what happened. He glanced to the pieces of the broken plate on the floor, looked up and gasped at the bent and dented camera and finally turned to look at the horrified expressions on Leon and Sayaka's faces. However, before he could ask them anything about what happened, another voice shook the room.
"What has happened in here?!" Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishimaru shouted from the kitchen doorway, surveying the mess with his enflamed eyes. "I come to discipline Makoto for running in the halls and this is what I find?! Someone…explain to me what transpired!"
Surprisingly, Sayaka was a bit relieved to see Taka instead of Monokuma. Then again, anything was better than dealing with that two toned psycho…wait, where was Monokuma?
Sayaka had been so panicked by what had happened that she'd failed to notice that the bear hadn't instantly appeared to punish her. But that didn't make sense, even for Monokuma. Surely the bear would appear to deal out justice itself, considering that a serious rule violation had occurred.
Unless…could it really be true?
Had the bear completely given up its rights to discipline and gone on 'vacation' just as it had told them? Monokuma had said that it would only appear again if another class trial incident occurred, and since this wasn't class trial worthy…did that mean that the bear wasn't going to punish her? Did her fate truly lie in Taka's clearly unstable hands?
As if mirroring her, Leon seemed to have come to the same conclusion, glancing around the room and looking just as perplexed as she was. However, there was no way for either of them to know if their assumption was correct…especially when Taka continued shouting at them.
"Well?! I'm waiting for an explanation!" Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishimaru demanded, shouting at all of them. "If no one comes forward then I will have no choice but to punish all of you—".
"It was me!" Makoto abruptly interrupting, much to everyone's shock. "It, uh, it was an accident. I slipped and accidently sent my plate flying into the camera. I'm really sorry!"
Giving the Disciplinary Chairman a deep, apologetic bow, Makoto fell silent as he waited for his punishment to be decided. At the same time, both Sayaka and Leon were stunned into silence, almost unbelieving that Makoto had decided to take responsibility for their mishap.
As horrific as it was, fear kept them silent as their friend once again defended them from execution. It was a sickening feeling and it made their self-loathing deepen.
As that feeling began to sink in, Sayaka lifted her gaze up and wasn't surprised to see Leon staring at her with a great determination in his eyes. Seeing his resolve burning deep within his crystal blue eyes, the pop idol felt her own resolve welling up inside her as well. Her visage hardened and the two of them shared a stern nod. Gathering their courage, they finally felt strong enough to speak up and refute Makoto's false claim.
However, before they could utter a single word, a hearty laugh came from Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishimaru.
"Ah, I see! Well, I must say this is refreshing!" the white haired, burning eyed Chairman said to all of them. "Normally, no one is brave enough to admit to their failings! But you, Makoto, always seem to own up when you're at fault! It's rather commendable! Besides, I'm not too fond of those cameras anyway! Hahaha!"
Leon and Sayaka were so shocked by Taka's sudden approval that they completely forgot that they had meant to interject and refute their friends claim. That small moment of hesitation was all Taka needed to continue on with his judgment.
"Even so!" Chairman Ishimaru said, his voice suddenly becoming stern. "As an authority figure, I cannot ignore the fact that school property was damaged! Therefore, Makoto Naegi, your punishment shall be…to serve detention with me!"
"What?! Detention?!" Makoto shouted in utter confusion. "We have detention now?!
And he wasn't the only one. Both Sayaka and Leon held surprised expressions as the Moral Compass announced his judgment. However, more than anything a feeling of relief flooded all of them. Considering that usually they'd be looking at a possible execution for such an offense, a simple round of detention seemed like a god-send!
"Indeed we do, Makoto Naegi!" Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishimaru said cheerfully, ignoring the perplexed visage of his classmates. "I came up with the idea just this morning! For major offenses committed, the offender shall serve a one-hour detention with me in the cafeteria an hour before nighttime! How fortunate you are, Makoto Naegi, to be the first to test if this new system will help prevent further rule violations!"
"Yeah…lucky me…" the Ultimate 'Lucky' Student answered half-heartedly.
Pleased with how everything had proceeded, Taka gave a hearty laugh and headed for the door, stopping momentarily to look over his shoulder and say, "Report to the cafeteria as 9PM for detention! Tardiness is not acceptable! Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to return to my room to gather materials for detention!"
After that decree, the Disciplinary Committee Chairman departed the kitchen, undoubtedly to prep for the first 'detention' the school of mutual killing had ever seen.
A long silence followed Taka's absence, as the three left behind still feared that a certain half and half bear might suddenly appear and dispense their own judgment. However, as a few minutes slowly passed, and Monokuma failed to materialize, it became clear to all of them that, somehow, they had been spared the bear's wrath.
However, Sayaka, instead of feeling relief at this knowledge, couldn't stop herself from glaring angrily at Makoto.
"Well…I'd say we got off easy on that one!" the lucky student joked, a nervous smile on his face. Once he caught a glimpse of Sayaka's glare, however, he gulped and tried to sound reassuring. "G-Good thing Monokuma decided to be on 'vacation' or whatever. That could have been pretty bad—".
"'Pretty bad'…'pretty bad'?! Is that all you have to say for yourself?!"
As the pop idol screamed at him, Makoto shrunk back a bit as he took in the infuriated expression warping Sayaka's face. Her face reddened from anger and she tried to take a step forward but found Leon still holding onto her shoulders.
"Sayaka! Calm down—".
"NO!"
As she refuted him, her hands slapped away the arms that held her, making the ballplayer take a step back. Leon, too shocked by the fact that she'd pushed him away, couldn't react fast enough as she marched over to a now very afraid Makoto.
"You goddamn idiot! What the hell were you thinking?! Pretending to be the one who broke the camera!" she shouted in his face, her teeth grit and her eyes wild. "You could have been executed! Ex-e-cu-ted! Killed! Dead! Never coming back! Is that what you wanted?! Huh?!"
Surprisingly, the more she screamed at him, the calmer the lucky student became, listening carefully to every word she shouted without interrupting…as if letting her get everything out.
Noticing this, Sayaka only flew into more of a rage and continued, "You're such a naïve little idiot! You always think things will just end up alright if you try hard enough but they won't! Just like with me, you put too much faith in people and it only gets you hurt even more! Why do you do that to yourself?! Why can't you understand that other people would be sad if…if…"
Sayaka trailed off for a moment, her voice hoarse and raw from so much screaming, but also considering what she'd just said in her fit of anger. Just as she'd feared, saying it aloud forced her to accept her true feelings. As much as she wanted to deny it, if anything happened to Makoto, she'd be more than devastated. After all, in her mind, she hadn't really apologized to him for what she'd done…or for how she'd treated him since. And that guilt was eating away at her soul…
A few feet away, Leon looked on quietly, knowing better than to interrupt, especially now.
Slowly, Sayaka felt her rage dissipate and her drive to scream at him completely vanished. Instead, it was replaced with a burning desire, a need to understand his actions. Slightly hanging her head and averting her gaze down to the floor, she took a moment to take in a few deep breaths.
"…Why? Why would you do something like that?!" she quietly questioned, her voice cracking as she spoke. Choking back unshed tears, she forced herself to say, "You could have…died. And it…would have been my fault…so why did you…?"
At that critical moment, her voice failed her and she lost the will to speak, hanging her head so low that her bangs covered her eyes. Just as she felt the silence digging into her very being, Makoto gave his answer:
"Because you're my friend, Sayaka…"
His answer was short…simple…and a very Makoto-like…there was no room for misinterpretation or misunderstanding. To him, a friend was in danger and he was just doing all he could to help. It was exactly like the time she'd seen him help that swan trapped in their middle-school…he was the same person that she'd put her faith in…the person that had promised to help her escape from this horrible school…he was Makoto…her most cherished friend.
Before she knew what was happening, her mouth began to say the words she'd desperately wanted to say to him ever since that night she'd ridiculed him in her room.
"I…I'm…I'm…!"
As she fumbled with her words and tried to respond, she suddenly felt moisture trail down her cheeks. The instant she realized that she was crying, it was like a dam bursting in her mind. Her legs buckled and she fell to her knees, her hands shot up and covered her eyes, and loud, heaving sobs escaped her throat. Through that painful sobbing, she barely managed to take in enough air to shout.
"I'm…I'm sorry…!"
As that apology finally left her mouth, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her and pull her into a warm embrace. Her blue eyes snapped open to see Makoto kneeling in front of her, holding onto her as tightly as he could. Instantly, she returned the embrace, pressing her tear-stained face into his shoulder and crying audibly.
Just then, a second pair of arms wrapped around the both of them, but neither Makoto nor Sayaka had to look up. Leon pressed himself into the hug as well, holding onto both of his precious friends as tightly as he could, as if to say 'I'm never letting you go'. Slightly adjusting, the three of them came to embrace one another, each of them shedding tears that had long needed to be shed.
For the next few minutes, the three of them sat there on the floor, comforting each other. Very slowly, the sobs and heaving came to an end, and they all carefully pulled away so that they could look at each other.
Leon had a goofy grin on his tear-stained face, Makoto managed to hold onto his hopeful smile even though all his tears, and although Sayaka's make-up and hair were a mess, she looked happier than either of the boys had ever seen her before. For another few moments, they simply sat there in silence, drinking in each other's relieved visages.
However, when that silence began to become uncomfortable, Leon took it upon himself to say, "…So, who talks first? Do you guys talk first? Or do I talk first? I've never done this before…"
His cheeky smirk and lame joke was enough to get both Sayaka and Makoto chuckling.
"I don't think it really matters," Makoto admitted, wiping away his tears as a radiant smile lit up his face.
"Me neither…" Sayaka almost embarrassingly concurred, her smile a bit nervous but undoubtedly genuine.
"Great!" Leon suddenly said to them, rising to his feet and offering them his hands.
Without any hesitation, they both grabbed a hold and he pulled them to their feet, both Leon and Makoto ready to help Sayaka if her injuries inhibited her. When they were both up, the three of them shared another pleasant smile, a warm and comforting feeling spreading through all of them.
It was then that the baseball star grinned widely and said, "Alright then! To celebrate us becoming friend again, we're making sandwiches! And not just any sandwiches, oh no! We're gonna remake Sayaka's patented 'Super Double Meat Triple Decker Sandwich'! One for each of us!"
Leon fist pumped as he shouted that, to which Makoto also shouted in approval and raised his fist. However, the baseball player instant noted the minor look of panic on Sayaka face, a foreboding feeling replacing his previous joy.
"Actually, Leon…" she began, her expression already confirming his worst fears. "You see…I kind of used up all of the meat we had just to make the first one, so…we won't be able to make another sandwich of any kind at least until the fridge gets restocked tomorrow…"
Sayaka's words were like a knife that pierced through his heart and all of the joyous feelings he'd had only a few moments ago suddenly disappeared, replaced with a hollow, depressing feeling. His mouth hung open and a gurgle of disappointment sounded from him, his mind unable to conjure words to express his sadness.
Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around the depressed Leon and he looked down to see Makoto giving him a comforting hug. And although it felt a bit awkward, the baseball star couldn't stop the slight smirk that spread out over his cheeks as he returned the hug. Watching the scene, Sayaka couldn't help but giggle to herself before walking over and wrapping her own arms around the both of them, holding them just as tightly as they had held her previously.
"…Thank you," she whispered, knowing they could both hear her.
"Okay…this hopeful crap is getting on my nerves…" the real Junko Enoshima seethed as she tapped a large red button with her fingernails, not daring to actually push it though…even though she really wanted to.
That red button was used for sending out a message to the entire school, this one detailing how someone had broken the rules and would be punished for it. Junko had only had the pleasure of hitting it twice since the game began, once for Sayaka's 'body' being discovered, then for Mondo's 'bullying' of Chihiro…which was far fewer than she'd predicted or would have liked!
What killed her was that she'd been so excited when Sayaka had thrown the plate and smashed the side of her kitchen camera. Well, she wasn't entirely sureit was Sayaka, since the camera wasn't facing her or Leon at the time, but since she had heard the pop idol screaming and then a plate being thrown, it certainly seemed that it was her. And then, since audio on the camera still worked, she heard Leon planning to take responsibility for it! That made her mouth water, imagining the despair Sayaka would have to live with after he was executed for her stupid mistake!
History did tend to repeat itself after all…
But then, just as she'd reached for the button…she was forced to stop herself. Her own promise of not letting Monokuma enforce the rules until it was class trial worthy echoed in her ears, as if mocking her. And, because there would have been no class trial here…she was forced to stay her hand and let dopy Taka give out a freaking detention sentence rather than a death sentence…which wasn't entirely unexpected.
After all, it's not like she was counting on Taka to start handing out death penalties left and right. If he did go bug nuts crazy and executed someone, props to him! Otherwise, he'd fulfill his role of increasing tension and hatred amongst the students until it boiled over and someone found him drawn and quartered. And it would be worth it to see that happen! Only problem was…it required Junko to be very…very patient.
"If I interfere now…the despair they feel won't be strong enough!" she had told herself, still utterly infuriated. "They need to turn on each other completely! Until they start actually killing each other, I need to stay out of it as much as possible!"
For the sake of her mission to gather the greatest amount of despair, and showcase it to the entire world, she knew that she had to keep her word and keep Monokuma away. She knew first hand that directly causing despair wasn't nearly as tantalizing as manipulating others into causing their own despair. And so, instead of pressing the button, she continued to tap her bright red fingernails atop it, pretending she was pushing it over and over again.
It wouldn't have been so bad, honestly…if Makoto hadn't showed up and made the situation a despair-induced wet dream!
When the lucky student had tried to take the rap for both Leon and Sayaka, the potential despair of executing him for his good nature skyrocketed! It was a perfect chance to execute the little goody-goody two shoes and severely decrease morale among the remaining students! She knew that Mukuro, in particular, would have been devastated, and it could have possibly forced her sister back into the despair that Junko loved so very very much!
But nooooooooooooo! Taka had to be a rule-obsessed, non-bloodthirsty dictator and simply assigned detention! And to make matters even more bat-shit infuriating, even though she couldn't see what Leon, Sayaka, and Makoto were doing after Taka left, just by listening she could tell that their hope meters had been restored and were approaching dangerous levels!
In fact, there was only one little consolation prize that Junko could do to keep from tearing her own hair out!
"I'm not restocking the fridge tonight…he can go without his fucking sandwich…"
Leaning back in her chair, Junko already felt her 'anger' fading. Then again, it wasn't really anger at all. Just like despair didn't truly give her 'joy' and her constant failings didn't bring her real 'sadness'. In fact, all of these emotions she often expressed…were completely fake.
In this moment of silence, she questioned why she even bothered to pretend that she was experiencing these emotions, especially since there was no one around that she needed to convince she had them anyway. Sure, it was mostly done out of 'boredom' but even that emotion wasn't exactly real to her.
"It's not like I actually feel anything away…" she said aloud to herself for unknown reasons.
Ever since she was a child, Junko Enoshima had known she was different. Not because of her incredibly high intelligence, her otherworldly beauty, or even her ability to read people with a single glance. No, the thing that separated Junko Enoshima from the rest of the world…was that she didn't feel anything.
Even at a young age, she surmised that something in her brain was different, not wrong by any stretch of the imagination…just different. She just couldn't feel things, and since it was all she'd ever known, it was completely normal for her.
However, she also knew that other people would find it distressing, and not wanting to disrupt her 'normal' life, she chose to simply let them believe she was the same as them.
She was told what happiness felt like, but had never felt it. She had been shown what anger was, but could not express it herself. She had seen sadness on other people's faces, but it could never be seen on her own face. She understood what people meant when they said they were bored, but she couldn't understand if she was actually bored or not.
Because of that, for the first few years of her life, she simply mimicked everyone around her, pretending to know what anger felt like, what it meant to cry when she faked being sad, and how to smile when she knew everyone wanted her to display joy.
To a lesser extent, Mukuro had been the same way…except that she could actually feel those emotions, she just didn't understand what they were. Mukuro had been withdrawn, preferring military magazines to dolls and dresses, but at least she could feel something. If Junko had been capable of feeling jealously, she might have felt it for her sister. But since she didn't, Junko treated her sister the same way she treated everyone else…pretending to have emotions and feelings while she quietly observed.
As far as Junko was concerned, people were just creatures for her to observe. Discovering how people worked and why was a favored pastime, mostly because nothing could hold her attention. It stayed that way until one day, she got an idea.
At the time, she had been 'friends' with a boy named Yasuke Matsuda, mostly because he seemed interested in being around her, for reasons she couldn't fathom. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that, after his mother's death, she told him that she could be the most important person in his life. The notion was mainly proposed as a way to distract herself, never imagining that he would develop a kinship with her.
Regardless, she chose to experiment with his emotions, to see if she could manipulate them. It was a simple experiment, one that she had never expected would change her life.
She spent nearly every day for an entire month going to the beach with Yasuke, each day putting a lot of time and effort into building a sand castle replica of the Sagrada Familia Church. With each passing day it became more elaborate and awe-inspiring, just as she'd planned. And considering that the real Sagrada Familia was never finished, she proudly proclaimed that she would finish it in sand castle form.
But then, the night before she would have finished it, she snuck out of her home, made her way to the beach and completely destroyed the sand castle herself.
Seeing all of her hard word completely wasted…she felt a twinge of something, but ignored it. Even so, on her way home, she noticed that she suddenly felt lighter…and had more energy. However, she wrote it off as adrenaline from being in such a hurry, dismissing any other possibility.
Then, once the run rose and she and Yasuke went to the beach, and they came across her destroyed sand castle, Junko once again pretended to have emotions, and forced herself to cry. At that moment, Yasuke flew into a quiet rage, desperately seeking the person who had destroyed her hard work.
All the while, Junko watched him growing more and more distressed as he failed to find the culprit, without him ever realizing that she had done it to herself. And once again, she felt that strange twinge of something stir deep inside of her, but continued to ignore it, believing it to be hunger or some other inconsequential thing.
Later that day, when Yasuke had finally given up on trying to find the culprit, Junko read his expression and saw something that she'd never seen before. And instantly, recognized it as that strange twinge that she'd felt so many times that day!
Despair…she could see the despair on Yasuke's face as he realized that he'd failed his friend…and then…stronger than ever before, that strange twinge of something slowly began to grow stronger! It was unlike anything Junko had ever experienced before! Her body felt warm and light at the same time! Blood rushed to her face and a feeling of euphoria spread through her body! Her entire world brightened and she felt sensations that she had never imagined existed!
In that moment…for the first time in her life…Junko Enoshima felt completely ALIVE!
Nothing she'd done before had ever created that kind of feeling in her! Hell, it was the first time she could actually identify that she was feeling anything! At long last, she understood why everyone made such a fuss over having so many emotions! This feeling of being alive, this is what everyone else had felt! This was the feeling that she'd been denied since birth! Even that very notion sent a wave of pleasure through her as her body trembled with joy. It was like her life had finally begun! After living in a shell for almost her entire life until that point, she felt freed from her imprisonment!
And then, when she admitted to Yasuke that she'd been responsible for the sand castle's destruction, and he subsequently asked why she'd done it…she could proudly answer him:
"I just wanted to get you out of your house. You've been so lonely lately…"
It wasn't a complete lie; she had wanted him out where she could observe him. But moreover, the lie served another purpose. The expression on Yasuke's face, the look in his eyes…the instant Junko saw that, she knew that she had been successful in her mission. She had manipulated another human being into delivering her exactly what she wanted…and the guilt from hurting her friend with her deception…brought such lovely despair!
Ever since that moment…Junko Enoshima had lived for nothing but despair…in any form…be it on herself or anyone else. It was the one thing that made her feel like she truly existed, that she wasn't just here to observe the world and leave it without doing anything! Despair became her purpose, her raison d'être, her entire existence.
As time went on, her desire for despair deepened, and just like a drug addict, it soon became difficult to enjoy low-level despair. Soon it became harder and harder for her to even register normal levels of despair. She needed high grade—no, weapon's grade despair to even feel anything at all! And she would do anything to have it!
And the peak of despair had come…when she'd murdered Yasuke Matsuda. She put months of planning into his death, spent various resources to ensure that her scenario would go as expected…and just as she planned, the despair from having killed one of the two people she truly cared about was more than orgasmic!
Nothing before that even came close to how much despair she inflicted upon herself! Even as she cursed herself, dealt with self-loathing over having purposefully killed someone so important to her, ultimately she didn't care as long as she could taste the tantalizing despair one more time!
Despair was love, despair was life, despair was joy, despair was sadness, despair was…despair! And it didn't stop there!
Junko Enoshima had ended the world, caused the apocalypse, trapped her former classmates in a school and forced them to try and kill each other…purely in pursuit of despair. Everything she did was just to get another taste of that heavenly despair!
…And right now, she wasn't getting anywhere near enough of it!
At that moment, a thought entered her mind and she decided to act upon it. Reaching over and opening one of the drawers of the desk she sat at, she carefully reached inside and pulled out a battered and worn notebook. Wiping the dust off of it, she grinned as she read the words printed on the cover:
Ryoko Otonashi's Notebook
"Hmmm, let's see…" she whispered as she flipped through the pages, skimming through obscure notes and informative one-liners.
Finally, she settled on the page that had been a source of great despair for her. Several crude illustrations of Yasuke Matsuda littered the page, all painstakingly drawn during the time Junko had erased her own memories. As she gazed at the images of her now deceased friend…she felt…nothing…absolutely nothing…not even a twinge of emotion sparked inside her.
Junko frowned as she glared at the illustrations. "It's been too long. The wound's closed. Yasuke's memory doesn't even bother me anymore."
It used to be that every time she even looked at that notebook, her heart would ache and she would get to experience the lovely despair that she'd inflicted upon herself. However, just like everything else, she had grown bored of her own despair over Yasuke's death. And even though she knew that she could still feel something akin to 'pain' just by looking at his portrait, it still wasn't enough to satisfy her lust for despair.
Despite that, as she stared at the illustrations, Junko subconsciously found herself reliving the moment when the most important person to her had died.
Yasuke… Yasuke… Yasuke… Yasuke… Yasuke… Yasuke… Yasuke… Yasuke… Yasuke… Yasuke… Yasuke… Yasuke… Yasuke… Yasuke… Yasuke… Yasuke… Yasuke… Yasuke… Yasuke… Yasuke… Yasuke… Yasuke… Yasuke… Yasuke… Yasuke… Yasuke… Yasuke…
…Yasuke…
"…Nope, nothing…"
That was all she uttered as even the precious memories of her deceased love failed to make her fall into despair. If she could feel disappointment, she would have felt its throes at that moment.
In the past, just looking at the notebook physically hurt her, the memories kept within and the reminder of what she'd done…it all made her want to burn the damn thing just to forget!
But that's why she had kept it! Each time she looked at it, despair overwhelmed her! However, with each instance she viewed it…the feeling of despair lessened. And she feared that, just as the saying goes, 'time heals all wounds'. She was slowly becoming numb to the knowledge that she'd murdered one of the two people closest to her…which is why she'd decided to involve her classmates in her killing game.
It wasn't anything close to the feelings she had once held for Yasuke, or even her sister Mukuro, but she still felt a kinship with her classmates. They were important to her, more than just lab rats or experimental subjects, she actually viewed them as people. And while most people would find that though horrific, for Junko Enoshima to see you as something more than just a means to attain despair, that meant something.
Then again, she was using them as a means to get despair, so perhaps it wasn't all that special for her to consider them people after all. In any case, she chose them because she knew them. She knew their goals and dreams for the future, what they all held dearest, and what it would take to break each and every one of them. Above all, because she was close to them, she could intimately identify with their suffering and revel in the despair their deaths would cause.
That's why she kept them alive…for the despair of watching more people she cared for perish.
Returning the worn notebook back into her drawer, Junko slowly turned her gaze back to her classmates…wondering if their deaths would ever be able to give her the same despair-induced satisfaction that Yasuke had given her. Then again, she was still hopeful that it might be the case…
"'Hopeful', huh?" she chided herself, a grin seeping onto her face. "That's really ironic…despairingly ironic!"
A slight shiver went down her spine as the tiny bit of despair hit her…but it wasn't enough…not nearly enough to satisfy her!
"They'd better find my little surprise soon…or I just might have to do something desperate to get my despair," Junko muttered to herself as she glanced down at her control console.
In particular, her eyes focused on a button that was far removed from the rest of them, with a label that read 'CAUTION' sitting just above it. That button…was the shut off switch for the air purifier. Her last resort…her trump card…the instrument that would bring her and her classmates' lives to an abrupt end…in a fit of heavenly despair!
Junko Enoshima didn't care if she had to die to get it…she would do anything to feel her despair…anything…just to feel alive one more time.
To Be Continued…
Greetings, my beautiful readers! Such interesting developments on both sides this time! What do you think Junko's 'little surprise' might be? Will things finally start getting better for Leon, Sayaka and Makoto? Will Leon ever get his sandwich? You'll have to keep reading to find the answers!
Well, this is a milestone…30 Chapters down…I have no idea how many to go!
You may have noticed that I posted this chapter early, that is because, due to unforeseen circumstances, I need to take a quick hiatus. I don't think it'll be that long, possibly not even a few weeks, but there are things that I need to take care of. It's nothing horrible, so don't worry, I just need some time to get myself in order. Hope you all can understand.
So, some of you may be wondering about the fact that there were no veggies or cheese on Leon's sandwich, only meat…this is because, when I wrote this chapter, I had just returned from visiting my brother, who is vegan, and thus had not had meat for several days. Don't get me wrong, vegans are awesome people, but I need my meat! So yeah…I hope that explains that.
Also, my beta wanted everyone to know of a grammatical error I made while writing. At one point, I had Sayaka comment that there was "A Makoto" instead of just Makoto. This has inspired an in-joke of 'a wild Makoto appeared' and now I am ashamed for making a Pokemon reference. In addition, when Junko talked about Leon, Sayaka and Makoto's hope approaching dangerous levels…my beta and I had to keep ourselves from saying "Nagito levels of hope!"
Oh, we've begun work on the Danganronpa IF dub but I have no idea when it'll be out. As promised, I will keep you all updated and if you want to hear my dulcet tones as Byakuya Togami, then I encourage you to check it out when it becomes available!
As always, reviews really make my day and inspire me. So, if you have any comments or questions that you want me to address, feel free to ask! Until next time, keep on smiling, my beautiful readers!