Never Say Never Ch 3 Act 10, a dangan ronpa kibou no gakuen to zetsubou no koukousei fanfic

Never Say Never

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

Chapter 3

Act 10

"Taka, we can explain—", Makoto insisted, only to be cut off mid-sentence.

"I have no use for your excuses!" the Disciplinary Committee Chairman refuted, emphatically waving one arm in a gesture of silence. "Do any of you realize how many violations you've just broken?! Merely being in the same room with a member of the opposite sex is suspicious enough, but in a room where people are meant to disrobe?! How can you all live with yourselves after such a display of indecency! Do you not realize this is…"

Much to everyone's chagrin, Taka appeared to be in no mood for conversation, continuously spouting regulations at them, with seemingly no end. Their ears deafened as he continued to drone on and on, his mouth going dry as he verbally assaulted them with regulations and restrictions that some of them were convinced only existed in the mind of Taka. Nevertheless, as he berated them, all of the students shared a look of understanding, knowing that this outcome was far better than the crazed Rule-Nazi discovering their new 'acquaintance' in the changing room.

Even if some of them might need to procure hearing aids after such an onslaught, the cost to their hearing would be well worth the price if Alter Ego could uncover the mysteries they all desperately desired to be unearthed. Even Byakuya understood that this was an ordeal that needed to be dealt with quietly, as he stood with the rest of them, taking the verbal abuse without the slightest hint of annoyance.

At the same time, standing close to the back of the group, Celeste clenched her hands into fists as the unending scolding continued…her patience beginning to wear thin.

As Mondo stepped out into the hall just outside the bathhouse changing room, his eardrums were assaulted by almost unintelligible shouts. Being taller than most of his classmates, it didn't take much for him to peer above them, his eyes widening as they fixated on the image of his Bro.

Junko had warned him that Taka had 'transformed' but he hadn't thought she meant literally! Those black locks that had been stained pure white, the merciless flames that spouted forth from those once determined eyes, the malicious aura that radiated in all directions…it…it just couldn't be true…that couldn't be…Bro…

As his retina's burned the newfound image of Taka into his mind, a single thought consumed him:

"…This…I did this…this is because…of me…"

Amidst the shouting, the biker found his feet carrying him toward the front of the group. It wasn't until he stood face to face with the furious demon that had once been his Bro, that Mondo realized just how deeply his betrayal had cut into his friend.

"…grounds for expulsion! How could any of you allow this to happen?! Not to mention that I specifically—!"

As though a miracle had been bestowed upon them, Taka's verbal assault ceased as his fiery gaze caught sight of Mondo standing directly in front of him. Unbeknownst to him, the intimidating aura that altered Taka's appearance flickered, traces of his jet black hair and extinguished eyes momentarily returning to view.

For a few brief moments, Kiyotaka Ishimaru once again stood before the class, a look of fear and anguish contorting his features. It had been so long that some of his classmates found it odd to see him reverted back to his old self, but for Mondo, it felt entirely different. It was almost as if…Taka was silently pleading with him. The way his Bro stared at him, a mixture of confusion, anxiety, and frustration in his eyes, it was the same look that many of his biker gang fledglings often gave him…like they wanted to ask for help, but just couldn't…

Then, almost inexplicably, Kiyotaka's visage was swallowed up as that menacing aura returned, whitening his hair and setting his eyes a flame. In place of where his Bro once stood, Mondo found the Disciplinary Committee Chairman angrily glaring at him, any trace of his friend seemingly extinguished from this world.

"Mondo Owada…" Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishimaru said slowly, almost cautiously. "How strange to see you out here…abandoning your post and leaving Chihiro vulnerable to attack!"

Unintentionally flinching, Mondo struggled to answer, "Wha?...I-I…I didn't…"

He didn't even have time to explain before Taka interrupted, "It was decided that you were to act as Chihiro's guard as atonement for your crimes! And yet, here you are, betraying our expectation once again!"

Sharp pain stung Mondo's chest as each accusation hit him, but he fought it off and managed to reply, "T-That's not it! I didn't abandon Chihiro! I was just trying to help—".

"Oh, but of course, trying to help yourself!" the Disciplinary Chairman countered, sneering all the while. "You never consider the consequences of your actions! What if something has already happened to Chihiro—".

"No, that's wrong!"

As that familiar phrase was spoken, everyone turned to Makoto, who slightly flinched as attention suddenly focused on him. Despite that, he shook off his apprehension and continued, "Sayaka and Leon are standing guard outside the nurse's office. So, I'm sure that Chihiro is fine."

"Hmm…I see," Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishimaru said with a huff. Abruptly snapping his glare back to Mondo, he shouted, "So, not only did you abandon your post, you manipulated others into being your scapegoat in case something happened to Chihiro!"

Taka's hateful words seeped into everyone's ears, sending chills down most of their spines as he relentlessly insulted his former friend.

From inside the group of watching students, Mukuro visibly trembled…not from sadness or fear, but rage. With her teeth gritted tightly and her fists clenched, she couldn't keep herself from frowning as Taka continued to berate his 'former' friend. With that infuriating display right in front of her, everyone around her knew it was only a matter of time before she stepped in.

However, before she could take a single step, a stern hand grasped her shoulder. Snapping her gaze around, the soldier scowled harder as she traced the hand back to Byakuya Togami.

"I suggest keeping your temper under control," he whispered, his voice stern and authoritative. "I doubt that our Disciplinary Chairman would be the least bit forgiving if you interrupted him again. Or do you wish to have an added sentence in conjunction with your 'house arrest'?"

Mukuro's sky-blue irises narrowed with each word, her anger quickly rising. However, ultimately she knew that his warning was valid, which was the only reason she gently pushed his hand off her shoulder…instead of breaking all of his fingers. As she readjusted her gaze, helplessly watching as Taka continued to insult Mondo, she heard Byakuya murmur behind her.

"Besides…" Even though she wasn't looking at him, she could hear the malicious grin in his voice. "You wouldn't want to ruin their 'reunion', now would you? After all, entertainment like this is hard to pass up."

It took everything Mukuro had not to slam him into the pavement and beat his smug face until he was an unrecognizable lump.

"N-No! It's not like that!" Mondo tried to defend himself, his usual defiant attitude stunted by the harsh words of his friend. "I wasn't abandoning Chihiro or anything! I was gonna head right back! You gotta believe me, Bro—!"

"SILENCE!"

Taka's voice strained as he vigorously screamed that word, ushering everyone into a state of quiet. No one, not even Celeste could hide the surprise that shout had created. The sound that had erupted from Taka's throat almost didn't sound human, as if he thought his voice alone could negate the words Mondo had spoken to him. After what felt like an eternity, the Disciplinary Committee Chairman tilted his head upward, glaring down his nose at the biker.

"Don't…ever…call me that again…" Taka's voice seethed and rumbled, his volume low and menacing. "I won't allow you to fool us again. We all know that you can't be trusted. Chihiro…paid the price for your betrayal. We won't make the same mistake twice. So…no matter how much you claim to regret your actions…it doesn't change the fact that you tried to have us all killed just to keep a promise to a dead man!"

An abrupt gasp was all Mondo could respond with, his mind far too shocked to achieve much more. A twisted expression of guilt overtook the biker's features as his crimes were revisited upon him, the images of his brother's death and his attack on Chihiro flashing before his eyes. And no matter how hard he tried to will them away, he just couldn't keep them from appearing in his mind, with Taka's words taunting him as they replayed for him…over…and over…and over…and over…

"That is quite enough, I think."

Making her way through the crowd of students, all present were surprised when Celestia Ludenberg approached, standing before Taka with a sweet smile on her lips. The Disciplinary Committee Chairman immediately eyed her suspiciously but said nothing, affording her an opportunity to speak.

"I don't believe there is a purpose in constantly reminding Mondo of his past transgressions," Celeste calmly stated, her smile never faltering. "While it is true that he committed a heinous crime, that does not mean that he is not doing all he can to redeem himself. There is little that can be done to reverse what he caused, but at the very least, he has taken strides toward atonement. Is that not admirable in and of itself?"

Shock was all the students could register as Celeste came to Mondo's defense. The biker himself couldn't stop staring at her, confusion warping his features as his mind tried, and failed, to comprehend her involvement. It was certainly out of character, considering she'd been a key antagonist for the better part of their time together. However, none of them had forgotten that only a few minutes ago, she readily came to Hina's defense during their conversation in the changing room. Not only that, she'd been noticeably kinder to Sayaka and Leon lately. It hadn't been anything miraculous, at least not until now!

The way she actively put herself out there in front of everyone, her confidence when dealing with Taka's recent reign of terror, the conviction she'd displayed when opposing said Disciplinary Chairman's attitude…it was almost as if she was becoming an entirely different person. Some of it may have had to do with the fact that she seemed to believe that Taka was the traitor, thus why she was acting more hostile only toward him. However, that had nothing to do with how she'd been slowly warming up to her classmates…especially since the last class trial.

And while some of the students, such as Makoto and Hina, welcomed this side of her…others such as Byakuya, Kyoko and Junko, were decidedly more skeptical.

However, at the moment, her attitude was having an undeniably profound effect on Taka and his insults, which is why even those skeptical of her chose to remain silent. At the same time, Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishimaru undoubtedly disapproved of her sudden involvement, evident when he turned his body to face her entirely, glaring at her with flames burning fiercely in his eyes.

"Celestia Ludenberg…" he began slowly, never taking his eyes off her. "I find your newfound sympathy for our classmates surprising. Were you not the one who distrusted both Sayaka and Leon? Did you not condemn Mondo for his actions against the class during the last trial? And did or did you not vote for all of them to be executed when given the choice?"

"Indeed, I did." Her answer was swift and concise, with no remorse of hesitation behind it.

Further scowling, Taka continued, "Why then would you suddenly defend them? Do you not distrust them as much as the rest of us?"

Contrary to what he imagined, Celeste's smile only seemed to widen as she answered, "I would be lying if I said that I had complete faith in them." Before the gazes fixated on her could sour, she continued, "However, I also will not discount the fact that they seem to be honestly working toward our survival. Leon, Sayaka, and Mondo…all of them have done what they could to contribute to our struggle. And while I have not forgotten what they tried to do…I do not blame them for their transgressions. After all, none of us chose to be put into this place, forced to play our captor's twisted game. In that respect…they are the same as the rest of us."

As she finished her explanation, Taka's brows furrowed and he calmly retorted, "Unfortunately, you are wrong, Celestia Ludenberg. They are not the same as the rest of us. They made the choice to disregard our lives for the sake of their own. That cannot go unpunished—".

"Have you never made a mistake in all your life?" Celeste abruptly questioned, her smile ever present.

Taken aback by her statement, the Disciplinary Committee Chairman took a moment to ponder before answering, "Of course I have. No one make his way through life without making a few mistakes."

As he said that, a distinctive huff from Byakuya echoed, as if silently refuting that claim.

Ignoring the Togami Heir's non-verbal interjection, Celeste chose to respond, "Not even I am immune from the occasional mistake. I can admit that the way I have been treating my classmates recently was undoubtedly an error in judgment on my part. What is more important is realizing those mistakes and working to better yourself."

Swiftly averting her gaze away from Taka and glancing back toward her classmates, Celeste's smile finally faded, changing into a serious frown of sorts.

"Therefore, who are any of us to say that Mondo or Sayaka or even Leon are without redemption? Should we not foster feelings of forgiveness instead of rejecting them? Do you not think that constantly reminding them of their crimes might, in fact, spurn them into committing them again?"

Again, everyone was stunned to see Celeste actively appealing for leniency on behalf of not only Mondo, but now Sayaka and Leon as well. What's more, her sudden shift in behavior seemed to utterly perplex Taka, who was flabbergasted by her suggestion.

"Such thinking is beyond dangerous!" Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishimaru protested, his aura flaring up. As Celeste turned to look back at him, he stepped forward and shouted in her face, "We cannot take such a risk during such a delicate time! If we allow ourselves to be taken in by their lies, we will surely be—".

"On the contrary," she effortlessly interjected, her sweet smile returning. "Only by working together and adapting to our situation will we find the means to survive this ordeal. If it means putting unconditional faith in all of my classmates, then…it is a gamble that I am more than willing to take."

Taka's face contorted in fury as her words breached his eardrums, echoing in his head regardless of how much he wanted them to stop. All the while, Celeste continued to bravely smile at him, her unflinching determination seemingly too much for him to overcome.

However, it didn't take long for Taka to regain his fervor, snapping back at her, "And what, pray tell, has inspired such a change in you, Miss Ludenberg! Were you not one to always be cautious instead of foolishly disregarding obvious dangers?!"

At this, Celeste honestly seemed take a moment to stop smiling and ponder. However, after only a few moments, her smile spread over her lips again as she answered, "As I have always said, 'if you cannot adapt, you will perish'. After witnessing two class trial…I must say that it would be more foolish to continue as I have been. Instead, I believe that by adapting, and by that I mean learning to place my trust in others, it will increase my chances for survival—".

"Aha!" Taka cut in, pointing an accusatory finger at her. "So you admit that your desires are purely selfish! How can you allow yourself to—?!"

"The same way that you allow yourself to be ruled by selfish impulses, I suppose." Celeste's harsh words stopped Taka cold, his mouth hanging open in utter shock. Without giving him a chance for repose, she continued, "I admit that my shift in attitude is for personal benefit. However, as long as it does not negatively affect anyone else, is it truly a problem? And, unlike yourself, I am not allowing it to overrule my judgment, as it is obvious that you harbor a great deal of aggression toward Mondo for his betrayal. And you often take that aggression out on the rest of us, due to being unable to deal with them appropriately—".

"B-Be silent!" Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishimaru screamed, gesturing emphatically as he continued, "That is certainly not the case! I am impartial in my judgments! I would never stoop to allowing my person feelings to influence my decisions! Such an act would make me unfit to be called the Disciplinary Committee Chairman!"

As the two of them continued their 'discussion', little did either of them know that someone else found their stand-off enthralling.

No matter how much he tried, Hifumi couldn't stop all of the feels that rose up from within, threatening to consume him entirely. The way that Celeste had opposed Taka was straight out of the manga he'd always dreamed of writing! He could envision it now…oh how he wished he had a fresh piece of paper to inscribe their epicness!

[The Heroine (Celeste) stood her ground against the evils that were brought about by the Evil Overlord (Taka). The Heroine (Celeste) was a changed woman, no longer cruel and evil as she'd once been. Instead, she chose to rebel against the injustice of the Evil Overlord (Taka) and eventually defeated him, thus saving them all from certain destruction!]

As he stared at her back, a look of pure admiration in his eyes, Hifumi awed as he whispered, "She's just as amazing as Pudgy Princess Piggles…oh, if only she were 2D."

While it was true that Celeste dressed and spoke almost nothing like his manga idol, the way she took command of this situation, stood up for what she believed in, and didn't relent in the face of adversity was exactly the way Pudgy Princess Piggles handled herself in all of her manga volumes. Heck, even the way she mistreated Hifumi reminded him of the way Pudgy Princess Piggles tormented a side character in the anime. It had been added for comedic effect but that didn't mean that Celeste embodied his idol less!

As he felt his admiration for Celestia Ludenberg grow…he felt resentment for Kiyotaka Ishimaru begin to stir.

A part of it certainly had to do with the fact that Taka would undoubtedly take Alter Ego away from him—err, them! But that wasn't the only issue. Over the last few days, he'd quietly watched as the Disciplinary Committee Chairman had fallen deeper and deeper into madness. The way he spoke out against the class, constantly tortured all of them with pink slips, and insisted that his view was the only correct one…it created a hostility that Hifumi had never imagined possible.

And although Hifumi definitely didn't want to hurt Taka, he certainly wouldn't mind putting the stuck-up jerk in his place! After all, he was openly shouting in Celeste's face, quite rude for someone who claimed to be member of the Disciplinary Committee.

"How dare he treat a lady like that…" Hifumi angrily whispered as Taka continued to shout in Celeste's face. All of the fanfic creator's chivalric tendencies began to boil to the surface but they quickly died down as Celeste effortlessly refuted all of Taka's idiocy. Watching her defend herself, the fanfic creator felt the tiniest bit embarrassed. "…Perhaps she doesn't need my help after all."

Nevertheless, as he continued to watch them argue, Hifumi held out hope that, if she really needed help to deal with Taka, he'd be there to take down the Evil Overlord and become more than just a side character in Celeste's story!

Just as the argument between Celeste and Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishimaru seemed like it would escalate, a nervous figure approached both of them.

"C-C'mon, guys! Calm down, this is all a big misunderstanding!" Makoto tried to reason with both side, only to have both of them glare at him.

"Misunderstanding?! How could insubordination be a 'misunderstanding'?!" Taka turned to shout in Makoto's face. "Furthermore, none of you explained why you were all coming out of the bathhouse together!"

Makoto couldn't be sure, but out of the corner of his eye, he could have sworn he saw a strange glint momentarily sparkle in Celeste's eyes.

"I believe that we offered to explain when you arrived," Celeste chimed back in, her sweet smile radiantly returning. "If you would like, I would be happy to explain how the girls and I were about to leave for tea, while the men enjoyed the bath."

A wave of surprise overwhelmed the entire class as Celeste outright lied directly to Taka's face. In particular, all of the men shared worried glances, completely caught off-guard by such a predicament. The girls, however, immediately saw this as an opportunity to dissolve the situation.

"Yeah, it totally sucked too!" Junko abruptly affirmed, faking sadness as she continued. "We had a rock, paper, scissors contest but we ended up losing! Makoto and his luck won the day for the boys!"

As she finished, Makoto noticed the suggestive glance she gave him and he just barely managed to pick up on her intentions.

"W-Well, it's not like I wanted to compete! The guys chose me to represent them, that's all!" he insisted, hoping Taka wouldn't see though his nervous lie.

"Y-Yup, we sure did!" Hiro chimed in, doing his best to run with the lie. "I sure am glad we chose Makoto. We probably would have lost if we'd have gone with Byakuya!"

Immediately, Hiro felt a cold stare of death from beside him, not even realizing that the Affluent Progeny was standing right next to him. Suddenly, Hiro's clairvoyant talents told him that even if he survived this killing game…his life might still be in danger.

"If anything, victory would have been assured had I been selected," the Togami Heir said, deciding to back up the false story. "It was simply luck. In that respect, I suppose we were destined to win, regardless."

No one was quite sure how to take Byakuya's backhanded compliment, so they chose to just move on without acknowledging it.

"Damn it all," Junko falsely complained, drawing attention back to her. "I really wanted a nice soak before having to be cooped up in my room."

Suddenly reminded of that, Taka sputtered a bit as he said, "J-Junko Enoshima! You should have reported back to your room by now! Why were you with them in the first place?!"

"You never said that she needed to report back to her room immediately," Kyoko answered, the tiniest hint of a smile on her face. "We tried to use that as leverage against the boys but they insisted on using the bath first."

"Ah, but of course!" Taka surprisingly concurred, much to everyone's shock. "It would be unfair just to give up on bathing just because of something trivial like that!"

"…Trivial…?!" Junko menacingly whispered, barely managing to hold herself back.

"Anyway," Celeste interjected, seeing Junko almost at her limit. "Having lost, the girls decided to share tea together while we wait for our turn. That is when we encountered you…I suppose you now know the rest of that story…"

It took Taka a few moments to process everything, and although he had quite the skeptical expression on his face, his eyes showed that he regretfully accepted their story.

"I see…" Taka suddenly quieted down, the intensity of his aura somewhat lessening. "It does indeed seem that you truly were just deciding who would use the bath first."

"That is so," Sakura told him, her dedicated tone the final nail in the proverbial coffin.

"I feel so ashamed…" Taka seethed to himself before snapping his head up. "Very well then! In penance, I shall join the men in the bath to wash away my disgrace!"

All of the boys flinched as they quickly realized the situation that Celeste had unwittingly set them up for. Chief among them, Byakuya sent a quick glare her way, to which she smiled overtly back at him, obviously having hoped for this outcome. At the very least, there was one among the boys who seemed somewhat excited for this venture.

"A-Alright then! Let's hit the bath guys!" Mondo tried to encourage everyone, carefully approaching Taka at the same time. "I can…uh…wash your back for ya, if you want Bro—".

Without bothering to look his way, the Disciplinary Committee Chairman interrupted, "I believe I said never to call me that again, Mondo Owada."

"Oh…right. A-Anyway, we can still—", Mondo tried to continue only to find that Taka had already begun walking away, heading straight for the bathhouse ahead of all the other boys. And as he left him behind, the biker felt his heart sink deeper into depression.

Celeste held onto her sickly sweet smile as the boys passed her, heading to their forced bathing with the Disciplinary Chairman.

"I do hope you enjoy yourselves," she 'kindly' said to them, enjoying the feeling of power and control over their situation.

Mondo's shoulders slumped and he exhaled deeply, passing by her without even looking her way. Makoto nervously smiled as he walked next to the biker, patting him on the shoulder. Hiro didn't seem all that bothered with being a scapegoat, happily heading for the bath without a care in the world. Hifumi trailed behind the others, his gaze flashing toward Celeste momentarily before heading off to join the other men. Finally, with a glare that could almost kill, Byakuya slowly walked by her, his expression showing visible contempt for her actions.

However, Celeste paid him no mind. After all, this too was a part of her plan.

"Taka's stand-offish attitude will undoubtedly piss off the other boys. Sure, they may not be pleased with what I've done, but once they have to spend time, naked in a bath with Mr. Rule-Nazi himself, I'll look like a fucking angel by comparison!"

Within moments, all of the boys had entered the steamy bathhouse, leaving the girls standing in the silence off the hallway. Barely managing to hide a grin at her success, Celeste turned only to be met face to face with a bright-eyed Hina.

"Wow, Celeste! That was awesome!" the swimmer shouted, obviously impressed. "You totally saved us all with your quick thinking! And the way you stood up for Mondo and Leon and Sayaka…I never would have thought you'd do something like that!"

Doing her best to take a polite step back, her ears ringing from Hina's shouts, Celeste put on her best face and replied, "It was nothing special. After all, I am used to having to 'think on my feet', so to speak." Hanging her head slightly and donning a sad expression, she continued, "As for your other comment…I'm not surprised you'd feel that way. I have been rather insufferable since we became trapped here."

Surreptitiously glancing up, the gambler saw that her words had instilled a feeling of guilt in Hina, just as she'd expected. The swimmer's bright visage softened, obviously feeling ashamed.

"N-No…it's my fault too. I never really gave you a chance," Hina admitted, averting her gaze shamefully. "I always invited the other girls to hang out…but never invited you. I'm really sorry about that!"

Hina abruptly bowed apologetically, a sight that made Celeste feel even more empowered. She already had the swimmer wrapped around her finger, which meant that she could now focus on the reason for befriending the enthusiastic athlete.

As if premeditating Celeste's desire, Sakura suddenly stepped forward and placed a hand on Hina's shoulder. The swimmer pulled herself upright and glanced up, smiling as she saw the martial artist. Returning the gesture, Sakura turned toward Celeste with an inviting smile and said, "I believe that I have also been quite rude to you, as I also did not give you the benefit of the doubt. I let preconceptions of you inhibit my judgment, and for that, I do apologize."

"That is not a problem. I am used to people judging me for my appearance and attitude," Celeste responded, secretly pleased that the martial artist was already becoming ensnared. "I also avoided the both of you due to preconceived notions. However, it seems that we have a great deal we can learn from each other."

"Indeed," Sakura concurred, folding her arms as she smiled. "With that in mind, would you like to spend time with us today? I know that you are not fond of training, so may I propose having tea?"

Instantly, Celeste purposefully brightened her expression and replied, "That would be lovely. After all, I was not lying when I said I wanted to have tea with all of the girls. In fact, would you mind if we invited—".

"I'm afraid I need to be going," Kyoko abruptly cut in, making Celeste gasp in surprise. The gambler carefully turned her gaze over to see the lavender haired girl suspiciously staring at her. However, less than an instant later, she continued, "I appreciate the offer, but I'm afraid I have more important matters to attend to. Goodbye."

Without giving any of them time to protest, Kyoko's heeled boots clicked along the ground as she headed back toward the dorms, presumably back to her room.

Kyoko's departure filled Celeste with a mixture of relief and annoyance. It was obvious that the lavender haired girl was skeptical of the gambler's change of heart. In some ways, that played into Celeste's favor, as she only needed to gain a majority of the class' approval. Once she had over half the class dancing in the palm of her hand, it wouldn't matter what one or two skeptical idiots thought.

At the same time, Kyoko was clearly disrespecting her and that really pissed her off! Unfortunately, there was no way for her to get back at Kyoko at the moment, at least not without making herself appear suspicious. To that effect, Celeste simply decided to ignore Kyoko's rudeness and focus on earning the other girls' trust.

With that in mind, she glanced over to Junko, who was definitely the most influential female in the group, only to see the Fashionista slap her hands together apologetically.

"Sorry but, I'm gonna have to decline too," Junko said to the three of them. "I've gotta head back to my room before Taka comes out of the baths. I'll see you girls later!" Turning and heading toward her room, she briefly looked over her shoulder to call back, "If you need me, my door's always open!"

Celeste internally winced at her bad joke, recalling that Junko had promised to leave her door open in order to listen for Alter Ego. However, the gambler didn't find her exclusion to be much of a hindrance either. For even though the Fashionista had proven herself very capable, Celeste couldn't shake the feeling that she was hiding something from all of them. She knew a thing or two about keeping things under wraps, and the gambler could tell that Junko was keeping something very important to herself.

However, as long as she didn't get in the way of her vengeance against Taka, then Celeste really couldn't care less. In fact, as long as she got her castle…and Taka's head on a fence post, she really didn't care what happened to any of her classmates. If they died, that was unfortunate. If they survived, that was fine. If they needed to be sacrificed in order for her plan to succeed…then it was a sacrifice Celeste was willing to make.

"In the end…I can only rely on myself…"

"Aww, that's too bad," Hina sadly commented, glancing around at the now empty hall. "I guess we're the only ones getting tea then."

"Wait a moment," Sakura suddenly said, drawing attention as she glanced around the area. "I don't see Toko anywhere. Did we not want to extend an invitation to her as well?"

Absorbing that comment, Celeste and Hina also scanned the room, surprised to see that the martial artist was correct. Raising an eyebrow, the gambler answered, "She was here a moment ago. Where could she have gone?"

"Who knows?" Hina said with a shrug. "I've tried inviting her before but she never accepted."

Quickly regaining her pleasant visage, Celeste smiled at both of them and said, "Well then, I suppose it will just have to be the three of us then."

"It would seem so," Sakura said, a bit disappointed but smiling nonetheless.

"Very well then, shall we go?" Celeste offered, gesturing toward the cafeteria.

Sakura nodded to her and began heading toward the cafeteria. However, before Celeste could start making her way, Hina nervously said, "Actually, would you two mind going ahead? I, uh, need to grab something from my room."

Celeste and Sakura shared a slightly confused look but ultimately shrugged and nodded to her.

"Thanks! I'll meet you in the cafeteria in a minute!" Hina shouted to both of them as she dashed toward her room.

"…Oh, this is gonna be epic!" Hina said to herself as she snuck back toward the bathhouse.

…

Only moments ago, she had watched from around the corner as Celeste and Sakura had headed into the cafeteria. She hadn't been lying to them when she said she wanted to get something from her room. She had wanted to go and get some of the special candies that she and Sakura loved so much, the ones she had taken from the storage room to keep just for herself.

However, before she even got back to her door, her hand had slipped into her pocket and rubbed against something. Grabbing onto it, she pulled her hand out to discover her fingers wrapped around the Kokeshi Dynamo she'd won the other night! She hadn't even taken it out of her jacket pocket, let alone thought about using it since acquiring it!

However, with it now firmly in her grasp, her face suddenly flushed and she had to shake her head to regain composure.

"Get ahold of yourself, Hina!" she told herself, quickly glaring at the slender Dynamo. "Why did I bother keeping this thing anyway? I need to get rid of it! But…how am I supposed to do that? I can't just throw it away and I don't want to keep it in my room! And I definitely don't want to be caught with it…"

Just then, a loud shout from the bathhouse startled the already frazzled Hina, with the swimmer placing a hand on her chest as she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Jeez…that scared the crap outta me!" Hina said quietly, glaring toward the bathhouse. "Dumb boys…why do they have to be so loud? Someone oughta teach them a lesson—".

Suddenly, inspiration sprang up from within as Hina glanced toward the bathhouse. Her vision trailed down to the Kokeshi Dynamo in her hand, an idea bubbling up in her mind. A mischievous smile spread over her lips as she let her imagination run wild.

"Alright, I've got it!" Hina quietly said to herself, speaking her plan aloud to reaffirm her own thoughts. "I'll sneak into the changing room and leave this creepy thing right where they'll all find it! They'll all think that some perverted ghost left it there and they'll scream and panic…just like I did when I thought I saw Chihiro's severed head!"

Hina giggled at the image of the boys running scared from the Kokeshi Dynamo. She could see it now:

Hiro would constantly chant scriptures to ward off the evil spirt. Byakuya would offer it money in exchange for his life. Taka would threaten to give it detention and possibly confiscate it…which was creepy. Mondo would threaten to punch it. Hifumi would be scared that something 3D was coming after him. And Makoto…probably wouldn't be all that freaked out but he'd be embarrassed!

Imagining all of that playing out in front of her as she and her friends watched, Hina chuckled to herself as she prepared to set her plan in motion.

"…Oh, this is gonna be epic!"

That's why she waited until she saw Celeste and Sakura heading into the cafeteria before carefully making her way back toward the bathhouse. If she could pull this off, she'd have one hell of a story to tell her them once she got back! Cautiously glancing around, Hina pushed the door cloth aside and headed into the bathhouse, the Kokeshi Dynamo clutched firmly in hand.

Once Hina was out of sight, Sakura and Celeste made their way into the cafeteria. Just as they arrived, the gambler had a sudden thought and said, "Oh, I believe I have been struck by brilliance."

Giving her a surprised glance, Sakura asked, "And what would that be?"

Smiling pleasantly, Celeste continued, "I have some special tea leaves that I have been saving for a special occasion. I believe that now would be the time to use them."

For once, Celeste was being completely honest. The tea leaves she had were very expensive and hard to come by. She'd planned to have them as a form of celebration once she escaped from the school, but figured they could be better utilized here.

"…If that is what you wish," the martial artist commented, gesturing toward the kitchen. "I'll begin preparing the water. I will let Hina know if she arrives before you."

"Thank you," Celeste said politely before turning and making her way back into the hall just outside the cafeteria.

However, the instant the gambler stepped into the hallway, she stopped as she saw Hina, with a peculiar object in her hand, heading into the bathhouse where the boys were currently bathing. True surprise struck Celeste, her eyes widening and a tiny gasp escaping as she immediately understood what Hina was doing.

At the same time, a dastardly smile crept over her lips as another ingenious idea consumed her mind.

"…Maybe this wasn't such a good idea," Hina whispered to herself as she stood in the steamy changing room of the bathhouse.

At her feet, scattered all over the place, were articles of clothing the boys had carelessly thrown to the floor. Just seeing their clothes on the benches or in Byakuya and Taka's case, in one of the clothing baskets, made the swimmer flush, her mind unable to keep from imagining what each of them looked like without their clothes.

In particular, she noticed Mondo's jacket had been tossed aside, immediately imagining all of his rippling muscles being on display. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that douchebag Byakuya's tie hanging out of his clothing basket, wondering if his ego had anything to do with the size of his…what the hell was she thinking?!

"…I need to get out of here…" she concluded, slowly turning to leave.

Before she got far, however, she then caught sight of Taka's perfectly folded uniform, unable to keep from pondering if he was muscular or lithe under all those clothes. And to top it all off, there was Makoto's hoodie, sitting on one of the benches, which made her curious as to how 'lucky' the Ultimate Lucky Student was…girth wise…

"…Oh God, what am I thinking?!" Hina whisper shouted to herself, shaking her head fervently. Glancing down at the Kokeshi Dynamo in her hand, she suddenly scowled at it. "This is your fault! You made me come in here! I just wanted to leave you in here to scare them! Make them think a perverted ghost had been watching them! I…I didn't…want to…peep…"

As she said that, for the first time since sneaking in there, Hina's mind contemplated doing exactly that. Her face turned a deep shade of red as her eyes subconsciously turned toward the door leading to the baths. Then, almost against her will, the images from before suddenly came back, raising her curiosity to its peak—

"No, stop thinking about it!" Hina aggressively whispered, clenching her eyes shut. "I didn't come in here to see all those naked men in the bath…despite how muscular they might be…and how big their…things might—oh, god what am I saying?!"

Her face burned and her breathing slowed to a husky pant as this newfound desire slowly began to consume her, despite how ashamed she felt. Every time she looked at the plethora of clothes surrounding her, the more her mind envisioned the greatness underneath those clothes.

Never in all her life had Aoi Asahina been tempted to peep at anyone. Sure, she was attracted to naked pictures of Jason Statham, but what action loving girl wasn't?! But…it's not like taking a quick little peek would hurt anyone…right? She could take a quick peek…leave the Dynamo for the boys to find…and absolutely never mention this to anyone for the rest of her life!

"…Y-Y-Yeah…th-that's totally…totally…fine…"

Even as that shaky logic coursed through her mind, Hina found herself slowly hesitating. After all, she wasn't a perverted girl. Jason Statham aside, she never really looked at…suggestive images and rarely ever…relieved stress! She just wasn't that kind of girl! Not that she thought it was particularly wrong for other girls to get excited and do that kind of stuff, but for her, it just wasn't something she even figured she'd be comfortable with!

However, standing here, surrounded by her male classmates' clothes, holding the Kokeshi Dynamo in her hand…she found herself unable to resist the temptation that she knew most girls would jump at the chance to have. By now, only the faintest hint of hesitation invaded her mind, quickly being drowned out by the burning sensation her entire body was experiencing.

And by this point, she couldn't blame the steam for her body's sudden change in temperature.

Slowly, Hina inched her way toward the door separating her from the boys…her heart began thumping wildly as she neared closer and closer to her new goal.

…

…thump-thump…

…

"…Just a…"

…

…thump-thump…thump-thump…

…

"…Quick peek…"

….

…thump-thump…thump-thump…thump-thump…

…

Her face was literally inches from the crack in the door, light from the other side hitting her face as she inched close enough to see through…

…thump-thump…thump-thump…thump-thump…thump-thump…

…

"…Oh, you're quite bold, aren't you?"

Suddenly, a voice from behind registered in Hina's ears and the swimmer tried to gasp but found a hand firmly clasped over her mouth. For a moment, she struggled against the hand, until the soft voice continued.

"Now, now, dear…we wouldn't want the boys to hear us…"

Recognizing that tone, Hina managed to turn her head enough to see that it was Celeste who had snuck up on her. Once she noticed that the swimmer had seen her, the gambler slowly took her hand away while making a 'shhh' motion with her other hand.

Obviously not wanting to be caught, Hina did her best to stay quiet…but she couldn't keep herself from furiously whispering, "What are you doing in here?!"

A look of surprise crossed Celeste's face before she whispered back, "I could ask you the same thing…"

Hina opened her mouth to object but quickly shut it…her already flushed face tinging a deeper shade of crimson as she realized she'd been caught. However, rather unexpectedly, Celeste let a mischievous grin spread over her lips, the likes of which sent shivers down Hina's spine.

"Please…do not hesitate on my account," the gambler suggestively said to her, gesturing toward the door Hina had just been about to peep through.

"W-What?! I wasn't gonna…" Hina embarrassedly whispered back, only to have Celeste delicately place a finger to her lips, silencing her.

"There's no shame in it…any healthy young woman would do the same in your position," the gambler tried to assure her, which only exacerbated the situation.

Pushing her hand away, Hina held up the Kokeshi Dynamo and said, "I wasn't peeping, I was going to—".

Just then, as she caught sight of the dynamo gripped in Hina's hand, shock overtook Celeste's face for a moment before she smirked, "Oh…I had no idea I was…interrupting…"

Hina raised an eyebrow at Celeste before glancing to the dynamo, then back to Celeste, then the dynamo again…until a look of pure horror engulfed her features, a silent gasp escaping her.

"No! No, no, no, no, no!" she furiously whispered, shaking her head all the while. "I was not doing that!"

"I am aware…" Celeste suddenly conceded, making Hina look to her hopefully. However, all the hope vanished as the gambler continued, "I interrupted and you never got the chance to—".

"NO!" Hina said, slightly louder than a whisper, which made both of the girls freeze.

As one, they quickly moved toward the door and listened intently for any signs they had been noticed…

Fortunately for them, all they could hear was, what they assumed, pleasant bathhouse conversation between the men. A bit of splashing could also be heard but that didn't seem out of the ordinary, considering it was a group of rowdy young men bathing.

Drawing in a huge sigh of relief, both of the girls turned and stared at each other once more.

"…Well, want to take a peek?" Celeste suggestively asked, remembering to whisper. Before Hina could answer, the gambler cocked her head toward the door and winked at her, further frustrating the swimmer.

"I…No, I don't!" Hina fervently denied, her face returning to a lovely shade of pink.

Celeste took a moment to evaluate Hina's expression, which made the swimmer feel all the more embarrassed. However, after only a few moments of inspection, the gambler seemed satisfied and merely gave a weak huff.

"…You shouldn't lie to yourself, dear…It's bad for your complexion…"

All at once, Hina felt her frustration turn into anger. Narrowing her gaze, the swimmer seethed, "I'm not…" She paused to quiet herself. "I'm not lying to myself…I really didn't come in here to peep…"

Listening to each word, Celeste nodded slowly and replied, "…I can believe that…You're not the type to enjoy this kind of…activity…"

"…Exactly!" Hina loudly whispered.

"However," the gambler abruptly continued, a smile creeping over her face. "Now that we are here…are you sure you don't wish to partake in the view? After all…chances like this do not occur often…especially in this school."

Again, Hina opened her mouth to object but this time, no words came. She wanted to refute, she wanted to say that she really had no intention of peeping…but they both knew it was a lie. In a moment of weakness, Hina had succumbed to her lustful thoughts and almost became as perverted as…as…as Hifumi!

It was so embarrassing that she could just die!

On the other hand…Celeste didn't seem all that bothered by any of this. Not the peeping, not the Kokeshi Dynamo, and certainly not about the fact that she had just caught another girl trying to sneak a peek at the boys! Heck, she even seemed eager to get a look in herself!

Why was that? What made Celeste so…so…confident?

It was like Celeste just knew that they wouldn't be caught, like she knew that even if they did such a disgusting thing like peeping…it wouldn't really change who she was. Celeste offered no apologies and didn't make any excuses. Celeste did whatever Celeste wanted and did it without fear. And on top of all of that, Celeste was a strong, independent woman who didn't take crap from no one…not even Rule-Nazi Taka!

And honestly…Hina really admired her for that.

Hina had always been concerned about the fact that she wasn't very feminine. She'd never had a boyfriend, even though she knew she was fairly attractive, and she knew it was because she didn't act like a typical girl. She hated make-up and didn't care that spending a great deal of her time in the sun had tanned her skin so much. She wasn't into dresses or other girly things like shopping. All she had cared about was being the best athlete she could be, even if it meant she was still single…despite wanting a boyfriend.

Heck, Sakura had even gotten a boyfriend before her! The martial artist hadn't talked about him much, but during the night when Sakura had stayed over in her room, just before the first class trial, she had mentioned at least having a boyfriend before coming to school. And considering how sad she'd looked while mentioning it, it probably hadn't ended well…

Celeste, on the other hand, had enough confidence in herself to get whatever she wanted. It was something that Hina had always struggled with. She knew she was a talented athlete but beyond that, she didn't really feel all that confident or special. And while she was sure that Celeste probably had fears and doubts of her own…at least she didn't let them stop her from going after what she wanted!

Hanging hear head, Hina suddenly felt ashamed. She was…jealous…jealous of how amazing Celeste really was. Sure, the gambler had been pretty cruel to her and her friends in the past, but at least she had the courage to try and be a better person, right? Why couldn't Hina do that for herself? What was stopping her from doing exactly what she wanted to do right now?!

"I'm…I'm not a coward! I can do it…it's just a peek! I'm not a bad person for peeking!"

"…Well?" Celeste suddenly said, interrupting her thoughts. Snapping her head up, Hina's eyes locked onto the confident smirk the gambler wore as she continued, "…Shall we take a peek?"

For a few moments, all Hina could do was sit there, breathing heavily as the weight of that question bore down on her. However, after taking in Celeste's cool and calm visage, there was one thing that Hina couldn't deny…she didn't want to lose to her!

And so, regardless of the danger involved…Hina proudly answered, "…Alright…let's do it!"

"N-Not so fast! Y-You cow titted h-hussy!"

Hina and Celeste quietly gasped as a new voice suddenly assaulted them. Fortunately, the owner of the voice was trying to be as cautious as they were, their tone just barely above a whisper.

"D-Don't think that I-I'll let you get a-away with peeking on M-Master!"

As soon as the voice mentioned 'Master', both of the girls recognized whom their secret observer was. Glancing around the room, the two girls finally caught sight of a petite figure standing behind a large potted plant in the corner. Actually, the more they looked at it, the more embarrassed they felt for not noticing her sooner, as the figure wasn't even properly hidden behind the tall plant. They could easily see their classmate, Toko Fukawa, glaring at them from her 'hiding' place.

"T-Toko? What are you doing here?" Hina instinctively asked, her brain already piecing the answer together. However, as she thought about it, the writer's earlier comment finally registered, making the swimmer scowl. "Hey, who are you calling a hussy?!"

"Oh, what an…unexpected surprise…" Celeste off-handedly mentioned, her tone anything but shocked. In fact, it almost felt as if the gambler was a bit…perturbed by the fact that she'd failed to notice such an obvious sight.

Ignoring Celeste's comment entirely, Toko continued to menacingly stare at Hina, glancing down at the swimmer's chest before gritting her teeth angrily.

"H-How dare you!" the writer angrily whispered. "Trying to s-seduce Master Byakuya with your ugly m-milk sacks!"

All at once, Hina felt a mixture of embarrassment and rage as she was verbally assaulted. "What the heck?! Why would you even say that?! And why would I ever want to seduce that douchey four-eyed fop?!"

As her insult flew back and hit Toko, the writer's furious expression deepened. "You b-bitch! How dare you m-mock Master's perfection!" As she spoke, Toko stomped out from behind the plant and marched over to Hina, who effortlessly stood her ground and returned the writer's glare. "I w-won't allow someone as p-perverse as you to see the grandeur that Master has been b-blessed with!"

Realizing what she meant, Hina fought off a blush as she quietly countered, "I don't want to see his…grandeur! I didn't plan on peeking in the first place! And who are you to call someone else perverted! You were hiding in here first, ya know!"

"O-Only to protect the in-innocence of Master Byakuya!" Toko fervently protested, her voice slightly raised. "And it s-seems I was right! Master Byakuya's p-purity was in danger of being t-tainted by your f-flabby fun-bags!"

Despite herself, Hina felt her rage boiling over at being insult not once, not twice, but three consecutive times! Besides, it's not like she wanted to be graced with large breasts! And it's not like she could control the fact that men lusted after her for them either! In fact, she kind of wished she did have smaller boobs! Hers kept getting in the way when swimming and she had to work extra hard so that they didn't hinder her during sports meets!

But then to be insulted for having been born with genetics that made them slightly larger than most other girls…that was the final straw!

"Listen you, I've had just about enough—!"

Before she had a chance to shout, a hand slapped over her mouth, silencing her. Hina's eyes widened as she turned her head to see Celeste, her hand firmly over the swimmer's mouth, smiling pleasantly at her.

"…If the two of you wish to take this outside, I have no objections. However…" Her tone was as eloquent as always, but as she continued, both of the other girls felt an unavoidable fury radiating from the gothic enthusiast. "As long as we are all in danger of being discovered here, I would prefer that the two of you keep your voices low…got it?!"

Her last few word came out as a growl, her face momentarily flashing a furious expression.

As her demand washed over Hina and Toko, both of them fell into utter silence, too afraid to even dare whisper an answer. Then, as quickly as it had come, Celeste's angry visage vanished, once again replaced by her sweet smile. Hina shivered at the very sight of her swift mood shift, forced to acknowledge that there was far more to Celeste than she had ever let on before. At the same time, the swimmer also found herself impressed as well, considering that the gambler was able to compose herself so quickly after obviously being flustered. In fact, Hina was the tiniest bit jealous that she didn't have as much control of her own emotions, just saying or doing whatever first came to mind all the time.

"Maybe…I should try to be more like Celeste?" Hina mentally pondered, unable to comprehend how to accomplish such a feat.

Just then, Celeste took her hand away from Hina's mouth and slowly turned to Toko, a manipulative glint in her eyes.

"Now then, Toko…" the gambler began, making the writer flinch as all attention was focused on her. "I realize that you have certain…attachments to Mr. Togami. You do not wish for his honor to be sullied, a noble task I must admit. To that end, allow me to offer a proposal…"

Wary of the gothic Lolita girl's words, Toko gave her a skeptical look before answering, "W-What kind of proposal?"

To this, Celeste could only smirk as she quietly conveyed her proposal to the other girls.

…Meanwhile, inside the bathhouse…

Makoto had found himself between a rock and a hard place. He sat on one of the few stools in front of large mirrors, various bottles of shampoo resting just within reach. A spray nozzle in hand, the lucky student couldn't help but curse his 'luck' as he found himself sandwiched between two men.

On his right, naked save for a towel around his waist, was Mondo. The biker's large muscles constricted and retracted as he carefully washed his hair, which for the first time since the game began, was let down and framed the biker's face. As he rubbed shampoo into his hair, Mondo occasionally snuck a glance over past Makoto, guilt building up in his eyes.

And Makoto knew why, for on his left, nude except for a towel, sat Taka. Even in this environment, the Disciplinary Committee Chairman's whitened hair and burning eyes blazed fervently, making it hard for Makoto to concentrate on washing himself. Unlike Mondo, however, Taka didn't even spare a glance toward his former friend, opting to instead instruct Makoto, and only Makoto, on the proper way to wash one's hair.

"…and then, after we have applied both shampoo and conditioner, we may use the nozzle to wash away the impurities that our hair has gathered! Like so!"

With one hand, Taka effortlessly rinsed off his shimmering hair, his skin practically glistening as the water crawled down his surprisingly toned body. Afterward, he ran a hand through his hair, slicking it back as his smoldering eyes passionately turned to his classmate. A confident and heartfelt smile overtook his lips as he nodded firmly, the powerful aura around his body almost too overwhelming to withstand.

Honestly, Makoto had been rather shocked to see that the Disciplinary Committee Chairman had such a defined physique, but quickly realized that since Taka was committed to all forms of excellence, it would make sense for him to have athletic prowess as well as academic.

"…and there you have it! Our bodies have been cleansed and we are almost ready to enter the bath!" Taka loudly announced, glancing toward Makoto just as the lucky student finished washing his own hair.

"Uh…thanks," Makoto nervously replied, not wanting to admit that, considering his age, he already knew how to wash himself.

"Think nothing of it!" the Disciplinary Committee Chairman shouted, slapping Makoto harshly across his back. The slap rebounded off all the halls and made Makoto groan as the impact stung his lithe body. Not even registering that he had injured his classmate, Taka continued, "I would gladly offer my services to any fellow student who asked it of me! Ahahahahaha!"

As he made the proclamation, the sound of someone clearing their throat echoed, and Makoto turned his gaze over to see Mondo nervously glancing their way.

"H-Hey bro! Do you think you could…uh…show me the best way to wash my hair?" the biker asked, his longer hair still bubbly with suds and a hint of hopefulness in his eyes.

Without even acknowledging the question, Taka continued to speak only to Makoto.

"Now that we have finished washing ourselves, we must now show integrity by washing each other's backs! Makoto, I would be honored to wash your back for you first! Here, let me get behind you!"

"Huh…?"

Makoto gasped, having heard Mondo's question but was then immediately assaulted with Taka's request. His gaze shifted back and forth, from the biker to the moral compass, with Mondo looking utterly dejected and Taka appearing ferocious and demanding.

"Uh, well…" he tried to say, continuing to look between the two of them. "I don't really need to have my back washed…but I think that Mondo might—".

"Out of the question!" Taka abruptly shouted, pointing furiously at the lucky student. "I cannot allow your back to go unwashed! What kind of role-model would I be if I didn't assist you in your time of need?! Now, please be silent while I work on you!"

At that, Taka abruptly stood up and began circling around behind a very terrified Makoto. Instantly, the lucky student protested, "Hold on, I really think that Mondo—".

"Don't worry about me, man." Mondo's usually powerful tone seemed dull and lifeless as he interrupted Makoto, prompting the lucky student to shoot his gaze over to the biker. The look in Makoto's eyes practically begged for help but Mondo didn't seem to realize that, too dejected by his former friend's attitude to notice. Slowly, Mondo turned away from both of them and said, "I can take care of myself. Makoto…you, uh…you just enjoy it…alright?"

Rinsing the suds from his brown locks, the biker somberly stood up and prepared to head for the bath. Just before he left, Mondo glanced over his shoulder, the hurt and guilt in his eyes almost unbearable.

…There was no greater time that Makoto wanted to shout, 'No, that's wrong!', but knew in his heart that, just as there was no way to deny his fate, nothing he could say would be effective in encouraging the biker.

An instant later, Makoto heard Taka place a stool just behind him and heard him sit down. Almost instinctively, he squeezed his eyes shut and prepared to face punishment for interfering in their business. However, as luck would have it, just as he felt he was going to collapse under the pressure of trying to help those two reconcile, a new player entered the game.

"How long do you three plan to play out this trite little act?"

"Whoa…Mondo's just as manly as I thought…"

Hina whispered as she peered through the crack in the bathhouse door. She was crouched low and had to glance upwards but since she was kneeling, it wasn't uncomfortable for her. Her eyes bulged as she took in Taka's wet appearance, feeling a thumping in her chest as he sprayed water down his surprisingly toned body.

"Look at the muscles on Taka! I thought brainy kids were supposed to look skinny and boney…kinda like Makoto…"

"It is indeed a shock," Celeste momentarily concurred before shifting her focus to glance around the room. The gambler stood next to Hina but leaned in and peered through the crack just above her head. "However, I do not find Makoto's lacking physique completely unappealing. At the very least, I would not feel threatened if he tried to resort to violence."

"M-Makoto wouldn't do something like that!" Hina protested, also adjusting her gaze to glance at the lucky student. "I mean, yeah, he's boney and stuff but it's what's on the inside that counts!"

"That's j-just what ugly p-people say!" Toko suddenly inserted herself into the conversation, growling a bit as her eyes darted, searching only for her Master. She stood on the other side of Hina and was peering through the crack above the spot where Celeste was viewing. "B-Besides, who would want s-someone as pathetic as M-Makoto…"

"Hey, you take that back!" Hina instantly defended, looking away for a moment to glare at Toko. "Yeah, he doesn't have a rock star figure but at least he's a lot nicer than that jerk you're fantasying over!"

"Hmph, w-whatever! Just d-don't forget your promise!" Toko felt the need to remind them. "If M-Master Byakuya c-comes into view, you b-both have to look away!"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it."

Hina held in a sigh, now the slightest bit curious to see if Byakuya's half-naked glory would be as miraculous as the rude writer claimed. Then again, the swimmer didn't want to take the risk of even being physically attracted to that bastard. So, for her, it was an easy promise to keep.

"But of course," Celeste quickly acquiesced, remembering her own proposal. "However, if he elects to stay out of view, then it should be no problem to—".

"There he is!"

Almost without realizing it, the man of the hour walked into their line of sight. Reflexively, both Hina and Celeste managed to pull themselves away, but not before sampling a view of the Togami Heir's masterfully crafted abs. Sparing only a moment to look away and guarantee that her classmates had kept her word, Toko immediately pressed her face into the crack, trying to get as close to her Master as possible.

Hina sighed as she and Celeste were forced to avert their gazes, with the swimmer angrily glaring up at Toko…who was actually drooling over the sight of that heartless asshole's half-nude body! Celeste didn't seem as perturbed as Hina had expected, merely smiling pleasantly as she waited. If she was frustrated, it didn't show at all as the gambler patiently bided her time by twirling a finger through a few strands of her hair.

Slightly shuffling away, so that Toko's saliva wouldn't drip on her, Hina began to consider leaving. After all, she'd accomplished her goal and felt a lot more determined because of it. It had been an adventure, one with risks and unexpected twists. And even though she still felt a bit ashamed to have peeped, she was 100% confident that, if the situation was reversed and the girls were the ones bathing, at least some of the boys would have attempted to peep…well, maybe not Makoto, he seemed too upstanding to resort to that kind of thing. Regardless, Hina couldn't deny that she didn't feel quite as bad about peeping as she had at that start, especially since she hadn't been caught.

Just as she was about to get up and depart, she heard Toko's husky voice whisper, "Oh…Oh god…I w-wish I had…my t-t-toothbrush…!"

For some reason, that statement startled Hina greatly and she couldn't stop herself from asking, "…Why would you want your toothbrush?"

Hina instantly regretted asking as a perverse grin overtook Toko's face and her hand slowly began to reach down toward her nether region. And then, in a voice so filled with lust that she could barely respond, she answered:

"…It's electric…!"

For a moment, Hina just sat there with a puzzled expression. However, as her mind quickly began to piece that statement together, her face slowly tinged a bright shade of pink as she connected all the dots, her jaw dropping as the realization of that comment hit her.

Before she could be horrified by that statement, however, a loud shout and a ferocious splash startled all three of the girls.

"How long do you three plan to play out this trite little act?" Byakuya Togami, the unexpected answer to Makoto's prayers, suddenly made himself known.

As with everyone else, the Affluent Progeny was clothed in but a single towel. His glasses, however, had been left behind, somehow giving him an even more menacing appearance. As expected of someone of his lineage, Byakuya's body was also fairly toned, though it seemed to be more sculpted and refined than that of any other man in this bathhouse.

Makoto had never been happier to be interrupted by Byakuya, evident by the expression of utter joy that overtook his face as Taka turned away from him and instead chose to address the Togami Heir.

"And what exactly is that supposed to mean, Byakuya Togami?!" Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishimaru shouted, clenching his fist and gesturing emphatically.

"Hmph," was all the Togami Heir muttered before narrowing his gaze at Taka. "If you want to have your little lover's spat, then that's your business. However, I, for one, am tired of being subjected to your childish antics while trying to enjoy the baths."

"'Childish antics'?! How dare you accuse me of such frivolity!" Chairman Ishimaru spat back, pointing furiously at the Affluent Progeny. "One must fully devote himself to his duties each and every day! That includes time spent bathing! And when I noticed that Makoto did not know the proper cleaning method, I graciously—".

"And again, you continue to act like nothing more than a spoiled child," Byakuya harshly countered, stunning and silencing the Moral Compass. "Your constant chatter makes it impossible to enjoy the baths in peace and quiet. Even the rabble have managed to keep quiet, for once in their lives."

As he said that, he glanced over his shoulder and sneered. Following his gaze, Taka peered around him to see Hiro and Hifumi pleasantly enjoying the large bath, although they had paused in order to watch the confrontation between the Disciplinary Committee Chairman and the Affluent Progeny.

"The point is, you are disruptive." Byakuya's harsh words cut deep into Taka, who flinched at being told off. Seeing that his words were having effect, the Togami Heir continued, "If you cannot learn to respectfully control yourself, then perhaps you should vacate the baths—".

"Hey, leave the poor guy alone!" Both of them stopped and turned to see Mondo, already cracking his knuckles, glaring at them. Well, he was actually just glaring at Byakuya but it was hard to tell with his long hair framing his face. However, as the biker drew closer to them, he towered over the Affluent Progeny and said, "If he wants to shout and make a scene, that's his problem. If you can't take it then maybe you outta be the one to leave, asshole!"

Rather than being relieved, Taka's expression darkened as Mondo came to his aid, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists. His intense aura flared and just when it seemed that he was about to explode with disciplinary rage, a nervous voice cut in and stopped him.

"Look, let's all just calm down, guys!" Makoto finally entered the conversation, trying to defuse the tension. "We came here to enjoy the baths. Not to fight!"

"Tell that to the bastard who hangs their classmates by a fucking electric cord!" Mondo couldn't stop himself from shouting, his anger finally reaching its peak.

Byakuya didn't initially respond to Mondo's threats, instead deciding to viciously narrow his gaze at the biker. However, after a few moments of evaluation, the Togami Heir unexpectedly smirked and shifted his gaze back over to Taka.

"How quaint. It seems that the Disciplinary Chairman needs to have thugs fight his battles for him. It's unfortunate that you are so powerless that you need traitorous scum defending you—".

"How dare you…" Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishimaru seethed. "How dare you make such an accusation! I have no need for help from lowly and pathetic delinquents who cannot understand how much they have wronged us!"

As those words hit him, Mondo felt as if all his strength left his body. His legs shook and he struggled to keep standing. His eyes widened and became unfocused. Taka's harsh words echoed though his already war torn psyche, and the biker couldn't find the willpower to even deny such a statement. And the horrible thing was, he didn't even want to refute it. No…it was more like he didn't feel that he had the right to…

Mondo was so affected by Taka's words that he didn't notice Byakuya triumphantly smirking at him, feeling accomplished for tricking the Disciplinary Committee Chairman into destroying the biker for him. Just as he felt that his victory was assured, a relaxed voice suddenly called out to them.

"Uh, guys…it's kinda hard to enjoy the bath with all that shouting," Hiro spoke up from his spot in the bath, keeping his hair out of the water as much as possible, which everyone counted as a blessing considering he refused to wash it beforehand. Standing up and heading toward the end of the large bath, Hiro displayed his below average physique for them, a towel wrapped around his waist. "I mean, yeah, we're all a bit on edge but c'mon guys! Let's all just enjoy the bath together!"

"Indeed!" Hifumi instantly concurred, pulling himself out of the bath and walking toward them. His large and bulbous physique truly stood out amongst the other boys, his man-boobs jiggling with each step he took. "Now is not the time for arguing! Now is the time for—whooooooooa!"

Suddenly, Hifumi slipped on a small puddle of water. He tried to steady himself but ended up falling over to the side. Fortunately, the overweight student landed back into the large bath he'd just exited. Unfortunately, however, it caused a huge splash to shoot up, with water flying in all directions. One particularly wide line of water came barreling directly toward Byakuya.

With a slight huff, the Togami Heir side-stepped and easily avoided the oncoming water, letting it splash onto the floor without so much as touching him. Turning back to glare at Hifumi, he openly scoffed and said, "Perhaps you should have paid more attention to where you were going instead of meaninglessly—".

Just then, Byakuya felt an odd breeze…down below. Very slowly, he glanced down to see that, to his embarrassment, his towel had come loose during his evasion of the water. As that white drying sheet fell to the floor, he couldn't stop the foreboding feeling that suddenly overtook him.

"What's going on?! What's happening?!" Hina furiously whispered to Toko, whose eyes bulged at the sight just beyond the door.

However, the perverted writer couldn't find the words to speak, she was lost…no, mesmerized by the once in a lifetime view that she had managed to claim. After so many sleepless nights imagining her Master's majesty…she could now finally include that part of his physique in the 'novel' she was writing based upon Byakuya and his greatness!

"Finally…" she whispered to herself. "I have seen Master's f-fat stack for m-myself…"

Unintentionally overhearing her, Hina's eyes widened and her face flushed as she realized what must have happened. And even though a part of her was really tempted to look, she kept herself at bay for the sake of the promise she'd made.

Toko's glasses slowly began to fog up, not from the steam, but from her intense panting. Even though it was hard to see, she could still make out the entirety of her Master Byakuya's figure…including his newly revealed area! And it was for her eyes only! No one else would be able to claim that they had—

"…Well, it seems Byakuya's ego is well founded."

Reflexively, Toko flinched as she heard those words. Slowly turning, her teeth gritted tightly all the while, she was horrified to discover that Celestia Ludenberg had resumed her position below her, peering through the crack in the door with a mischievous grin on her face.

"How DARE she defile Master Byakuya with her filthy eyes!"

Fighting to keep her rage from bursting forth, and possibly getting them all discovered, Toko seethed through gritted teeth, "Y-You promised! How could you b-break your w-word!"

Without looking away, Celeste answered, "As promised, I did avert my gaze. However, we never discussed for how long I would need to do so…"

Toko felt a vein in her head pop as she realized how much of a fool she was being made of! However, before she could even come up with a retort, Hina loudly gasped, drawing both girl's attention.

"Toko…whatever you do…don't touch your nose…" Hina quietly warned, scooting as far away from her as quickly and quietly as possible.

Celeste instantly turned and saw exactly what Hina had meant. Her crimson eyes widening, she also calmly encouraged, "…Perhaps it is time for us to depart. Now. Quietly."

Unfortunately, their insistence only enticed Toko to reach a hand up and touch the area just under her nose. To her shock, she felt something warm and sticky there, but it didn't feel like mucus at all. Lifting her hand up to eye level, Toko's eyes widened and then immediately dilated.

"…B-Blood…?"

Before she even realized it, her body was already tumbling to floor…

To Be Continued…

Greetings, my beautiful readers! How was that for fanservice?! But what will become of Hina, and Celeste now that a certain murderous fiend is on the way? Will the boys discover their peepers? Will Makoto ever get his back washed?! You'll have to tune into the next chapter to find out!

So…DR 3 episodes keep getting delayed and I'm sure we're all pissed about it. But let's remember that mistakes happen…and Japan had a nasty storm that caused the delay. Hopefully we won't have to wait for the next episode on the day it's to be posted!

Also, I wrote a short one-shot not long ago! It's about Hina participating in a historic event! If you're a fan of Hina, be sure to check it out! It's called 'Diving Donuts'.

As always, reviews/comments are very much appreciated and inspire me to work harder and help me smile more! Thank you to everyone who reviews/comments and to everyone who has favorited, followed and more! You all are the reasons I keep going so don't hesitate to let me know what you think about how the story's progressing!

Until next time, I hope you all continue to enjoy the story and keep on smiling, my beautiful readers!