Disclaimer: I do not own any of the material appearing in this story. The OC's belong to their respective owners.

While the Battle of Garreg Mach Raged On

"I think that went rather well." Mukuro said, walking back home.

"Easy for you to say." Junko mumbled, having ink all over her body. "I still don't know how you managed to dodge all that ink while I was the one who got covered in it."

"Just dodge better?"

"Oh ha ha!" Junko rolled her eyes as Mukuro grabbed the hose and started to hose her down.

"On the bright side, you did manage to apologize to Sayaka."

"Yeah, but the way how she said she couldn't bear to look Makoto in the eye and just rather hide out in Inkopolis and sing with her new Inkling and Octoling group… it kinda tears at the ol' heartstrings." Junko shook her head. "What did she say her popstar group was called again… the Inkettes or something?"

Mukuro finished hosing her down as she then pulled out a comically large hair dryer and started to dry her off. "I didn't quite catch it, honestly."

"Eh, whatever it may be, the fact that she doesn't want to go and apologize to Makoto for setting him up… I don't really blame her, yet self-exile isn't the way to go."

"Didn't you do that too?"

"Yeah, but I've made steps to hang out with the others. Sure, some of them still don't trust me, but what can ya do?" Junko shrugged.

"Anyway, we found Sayaka at Inkopolis, we found Leon at one of the baseball diamonds-"

"I still don't know how he managed to hit a Bob-omb with the baseball bat… I thought for sure he'd blow himself up…"

Mukuro turned the blow dryer off once Junko was dried off. "He said it gives him a thrill…" Mukuro shrugged. "So, anyway, all that's left to find is Kiyotaka and Hifumi."

"Uuuugh, that perverted creep…" Junko grumbled. "Hey, speaking of Makoto, have you ever talked to him yet?"

Mukuro blushed. "Um… well, Sayaka's not the only one who can't bear to look him into the eye…"

Junko put her hands on her shoulders. "Aw, come on, sis… you gotta talk to him eventually."

"But I-"

"Yes, I know… but come on, you gotta rip the bandaid off eventually." Junko pointed out and then gave her a soft smile. "I know it's hard, trust me, I can relate… but if you want to, I can go with you."

"…For support?"

"Yes!"

Mukuro sighed. "Alright… let's do it."

"Alright! The Hope Sisters are raring to go to Toad Town!" Junko exclaimed as she walked off, but then turned her head to see Mukuro walking the opposite way. "Uh… sis? Toad Town is that way."

"I just want to take the scenic route first."

Junko rolled her eyes and grabbed her wrist. "Come on, no need to beat around the bush." She said, dragging her away.

"Oh, these are new shoes too…"

Meanwhile, at the Future Foundation…

"Let's see… if I add this to that…" Toko typed on her keyboard. "Finally! The website is launched!"

"You could've had Chihiro helping you." Byakuya pointed out.

"I-I could have, b-but he's too busy helping out Futaba, a-and I wouldn't t-take all the c-credit, Master Byakuya…" Toko stuttered while blushing heavily, likely fantasying something between her and Byakuya again. "But if you want, I-I could help her out f-for you…"

"Get your filthy mind out of the gutter." Byakuya demanded, which made Toko blush more. "And did you not pay attention in our last meeting? Makoto mentioned that we're all on standby in case if Futaba needs more help."

"Right, right… he does feel bad for her." Toko nodded, and then the doors opened up.

"What's up, party people!" Junko exclaimed.

"…Great, it's TweedleDespair and TweedleDespairer." Byakuya grumbled while Toko instinctively brushed her pigtail over her nose.

"Achoo!" She sneezed, and then right on cue, Genocider Jill (Or Jack, if you prefer) was immediately up in Junko's face with scissors close to her neck.

"OH GOODIE, I'VE BEEN MEANING TO SCRATCH THAT ITCH LATELY!"

Junko casually waved with a smile, seeming undeterred by Jill. "Hey Jill, hey boring dude."

"Boring dude?" Byakuya quietly mouthed.

"Have you two seen Makoto around? Mukuro over here wants to chat with him."

"WHAT'S IT TO YA?! YOU HAVE FIVE SECONDS BEFORE I GORGE YOUR THROAT OUT!"

…How the hell is she able to talk with her tongue sticking out? Come to think of it, has she been genetically altered into a lizard/human hybrid? The length of that tongue is incredible… Mukuro thought.

"Jill, stand down…" Byakuya ordered as Jill stood back, letting out a grumbling "Why can't you let me have my fun for five minutes…"

"Still on a leash?" Junko teased.

"If you must know where Makoto is, he's not here. He's on a business trip with Kirigiri."

"Oh, that's too bad." Mukuro said, breathing a sigh of relief. "Oh well, we tried."

Yasuhiro peeked his head out of the corner. "Hey, has Makoto and Kyoko come back with the ice cream and doughnuts yet?" He asked, hearing Byakuya facepalm. "What? …Oh."

"Great timing…" Byakuya groaned.

"So they're at the store! Come on, sis!" Junko dragged Mukuro away again.

"W-wait! Don't I have a say in this?! You're wearing out my heels!"

"I swear, Makoto and Kyoko just need to fuck already." Jill said.

Byakuya sighed in annoyance, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Why must you insist on being lewd?"

"Is that an invitation for something? Because I'll gladly accept if it's with you, Master Byakuya~! KYHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Jill laughed hysterically, causing Byakuya to shake his head.

"I'm surrounded by weirdos."

At the store…

"Hmm…" Makoto rubbed his chin. "Cookie dough or Neopolitan?"

"Either's fine, honestly." Kyoko said as she was looking at the doughnuts. "Hmm… Asahina would definitely want sprinkles, she's kinda in a sprinkle mood." She said to herself.

Junko and Mukuro walked into the grocery store, where the duo would spot Makoto looking through the ice cream. Mukuro blushed a deep red. "O-oh gosh…"

"Heeeey, now's your chance~!"

"Um… c-can we just walk up to him in a natural way?"

"Of course." Junko nodded as the two of them walked over. "Yoohoo, Naegi~!"

Mukuro paled. "Not like that!" She grimaced as Makoto turned his head.

"Oh, hey Junko." He waved. "Who's that behind you?"

Junko turned his head, seeing Mukuro was hiding behind her. Oh dear. She thought as she side stepped out of the way as Mukuro stiffened, blushing like crazy.

Eep!

Makoto's eyes widened. "Mukuro? Is that you?"

"U-Uh… h-hi… Ma-Makoto…" She stammered while Junko casually leaned against one of the freezers, giving her a thumbs up and a wink.

Makoto smiled. "Hey, it's good to see you!"

Mukuro's eyes widened. "Y-You… you would smile at me and be non-chalant…?"

"Well, yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

Mukuro looked away shamefully. "…After what happened at Hope's Peak…"

"Oh, that… well, to tell you the truth, I'm just not that worried about it anymore. Let bygones be bygones, ya know?"

A shadow was cast under Mukuro's eyes. "…But why?" She asked, her body mildly trembling.

"Huh?"

BGM: Welcome to Despair Academy (Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc)

"If you really did regain your memories then… you already know what I did, right?"

Makoto frowned. "Well, yeah, I do know. But you only did that for your sister. Junko is the only family you have left, you just want to make her proud of you and she used that against you. Even if I couldn't forgive you for what you did, I can never blame you for why you did it. If it were me and my little sister, maybe I would have done the same. And even then, you weren't the only one under Junko's control. Class 77-B were under her thumb too when they were Remnants, and despite that, I managed to save them."

"Only because they weren't in the right mind. They were brainwashed into becoming Despair, I chose to be and was even involved in their mind control in the first place! I was involved with bringing our world to despair, helped set up the Killing Game that killed most of our friends… I even held your family hostage!" She revealed her eyes again, filled with tears. "And that's not even half of what I've done! I should be nothing but a hated traitor to you! Why… why would you smile at someone like me…?" She asked, tears falling from her eyes.

"Then… you must not have known about what I did afterwards. Not long after we escaped, we joined an organization that was dedicated to ending the Tragedy and Ultimate Despair."

"That was Future Foundation…"

"Right. And during that time, I ran rescue missions while part of the Foundation's fourteenth branch. Also during that time I ran into fellow alumni, former Hopes Peak students. I could tell that they were Remnants of Despair; they killed people, driven our world into darkness and chaos. But also that they were human, as normal as you and me. They had a chance if they hadn't met Junko. But there was a way to save them; a virtual rehabilitation called the New World Program. It was a cutting edge treatment I used to restore their memories to a time before despair. Things didn't go smoothly as I hoped, but it worked in the end. But in order to do any of that I had to go behind Future Foundation regulations, who ordered Despair to be executed on sight, and they weren't happy when they found out what I did…"

Makoto grimaced at the thought. "Because of what I did, I was accused of treason for harboring the Remnants of Despair. I would have been put on trial had it not been for a trap that placed us and the Foundation into the Final Killing Game."

Mukuro let out a horrified gasp. "You were put into another Killing Game?!"

"Yes… I won't go on the full details, but we lost many of the Devision Heads from it, and Kyoko nearly lost her own life… But even with all that was happening, I was still seen a a traitor by most, and in the end Future Foundation would have fallen had it not been for Class 77. So in a way, I know what it's like to be a traitor."

Another tear ran down Mukuro's cheek. "Except you were wrongly accused when you just wanted to bring hope to others. I was well aware that I was bringing despair." She looked away from him. "What we did aren't the same…"

Makoto frowned sadly. "Well, I guess you're right." He would smile shortly after. "But you also saved my life many times during the two years before the Killing Games at Hopes Peak, and more importantly, you're my friend." He said as Mukuro's eyes widened in surprise while Junko simply smiled at this. "We all spent time with each other. It's great that you're looking for a different path other than despair, you and Junko… which reminds me-"

"We're now the Hope Sisters." Junko reminded him.

"Right, the Hope Sisters!" Makoto smiled. "If you and Junko need any help, I'll be there."

"Do you really think I can walk a different path at this point?"

"I don't know what you can do… or what I can do… but I think it's more important to look for that path instead of actually finding it."

End BGM

Mukuro closed her eyes. "That reminds me of something long ago…"

BGM: Heartless Journey (Danganronpa V3)

Mukuro, disguised as Junko, sat down on the edge of the bed where Makoto was lying on. "Honestly, I'm kind of sick of things the way they are. Like, people said I was good at what I do, and I let that get to my head, y'know? I just… stuck with that one thing, but, I'm kinda… I guess, wondering if that's what I really want." She looked away.

"You mean, you're not sure if you want to continue being a model?"

"…Aren't dreams supposed to like, change as you grow up? The dream you had in preschool isn't the same one you had in elementary school, middle school, high school… but for me, it's always been the same one. I've been chasing the same dream I had when I was a kid." She clasped her hands together. "I've never… not known what I've wanted to do."

Makoto leaned forward. "That's a good thing, isn't it? Shows your dedication, your focus."

Mukuro turned to him. "That's what I always thought to, but like… isn't being unfocused where opportunity comes from? Expandig your horizons and all that…" She lay on her back. "I've… never done that." She turned to her side, her back facing Makoto. "I've… only ever followed the dream I already had-" She traced a circle on the cover of the bed. "Only ever knowing that small sliver of the world. It's kinda like…" She moved to face the ceiling again. "I dunno… not that I'm not sure if this is what I want… but maybe there's more that I can do."

"I'm the same way. I'm still trying to figure out what it is I want to do. And sometimes I feel like I'll never find it… I feel like maybe I'll spend the rest of my life looking for it… I'm not sure it's even about finding it or not finding it… But maybe it's more important to look for that path instead of actually finding it."

Mukuro looked at him, blushing while giving him a smile. "Makoto, that was… actually kinda cool."

"You really think so?"

"Yeah, so maybe getting lost could be a good thing. As long as you're looking for it, maybe that's enough to be happy... Thanks, Makoto, I really needed that."

Makoto smiled. "No problem, it's what friends are for."

"Yeah, friends…"

End BGM

Mukuro opened her eyes once again, getting emotional once more. "Makoto, I… you take on contract work, right?"

"Hmm? Oh yeah, of course."

"I… I was wondering if we could do a few together… alone, if that's alright with you." She blushed.

Uh oh… Junko thought, grimacing.

"Alone? Well, uh… about that-"

"I was wondering who you were talking to." A voice said as Kyoko approached. "Hmm? Oh, Mukuro. Nice to see you."

"Hi Kyoko." Mukuro greeted. "I was just catching up with Makoto and-" She immediately saw Makoto and Kyoko softly blush while looking at each other, her eyes widened as her heart shattered. Oh… he's found someone else… She thought.

Crap, this is bad… uh… Junko immediately thought of something. "Heeeey, about the four of us go get milkshakes? I've heard they've converted Sea Salt Ice Cream into a milkshake and I've wanted to try it out!"

"Oh, well, actually… we were on our way back to the Future Foundation with doughnuts and ice cream." Makoto said.

"We do appreciate the offer and-"

"Number 42!"

"Oh, that's me." Kyoko walked off.

"W-wait, you're gonna leave me alone with-" Makoto already saw Kyoko round the corner. "These… two…" He sweatdropped.

"So… you two are dating?" Mukuro asked.

"Noooooooo! Of course not, we're just good friends and-"

"That's the longest "no" I've heard from you. I think it was a little high pitched too." Junko pointed out.

"Whaaaaat? High pitched? I don't go high pitched, what are you talking about?"

Mukuro's heart shattered even more. "I see…"

Makoto rubbed his head before patting her on the shoulder. "I… uh… yeah, it's been great catching up with ya."

"Same here…" Mukuro said, instinctively hugging him. "You two make a cute couple." She whispered in his ear and walked off in a hurry, trying her best to hold it together.

"See ya." Junko walked after her.

"…Okay, that hug was weird." Makoto said.

"All set, got two baker's dozens all ready to go."

"Two bakers dozens?"

Kyoko smiled. "One for Asahina, and the rest are for us." She said, playfully winking at him.

"Aaaah, right." Makoto chuckled. "Hey, uh… did Mukuro seem weird to you by any chance?"

"Not that I know of." Kyoko shrugged as the two walked to a register together.

Outside, Junko walked around. "Mukuro? Mukuro, where are you? Mukuro!" She called out as she heard sniffling nearby. She walked further along and looked up, climbing up a tree and found Mukuro in a fetal position on a tree branch. "Aw, sis…"

"You heard him… he and Kyoko are together… not that I blame him, both of us were dead and… he moved on. Of course, he never did catch on how much I liked him."

"It still hurts, doesn't it?"

"Yes…" Mukuro nodded. "Do you think we'll find anyone… especially after what we did?"

"I'm sure we'll find someone. Plenty of fish out in the sea."

"But what if you want to… reel up the same fish that you caught once?"

Junko reached over, hugging her as Mukuro teared up and cried softly into her chest. "SHhh… it's gonna be okay." Junko whispered, rubbing her back. "I'll be right back…" Junko hopped down as Mukuro remained in the fetal position.

"I'm going to die alone…" She mumbled to herself.

"Mukuro?" A softer voice called out to her as Mukuro looked down to see Kyoko looking up from the tree.

"Oh… hi." She said as she buried her head again, and felt movement as she looked up to see Kyoko having climbed up on the branch.

"Hey, so… I kinda get what you're going through. At one point, I, too, felt alone. It felt gut wreching, yet when I met my classmates, there… there was just something about Makoto that pulled me out of the darkness, and so did the rest."

"I totally understand why you and Makoto are dating. I was dead, so he moved on… of course, the romance was one sided, who was I kidding? He'd never be interested in a girl like me."

Kyoko gave her a soft smile. "But he sees you as a friend. After all that you and Junko put us through, Makoto's willing to forgive you, and I know better than to not trust his judgement."

Mukuro gave her a small smile. "Yeah, you were distant from everyone when we all met… though I'm pretty sure he made you more socialable."

"Yeah, let's put it like that." She chuckled. "But listen, I know it's heartbreaking that your crush is, well, out with someone else, but look on the bright side, he still considers you a friend. So that should could for something, right?"

"I… I just never thought the so-called "Friendzone" was actually real. I thought it was just made up… apparently, you don't know it's real until you experience it…"

Kyoko nodded. "Right."

Mukuro sighed. "I don't even know what to do now…"

"Well, if you ever need someone to talk to, aside from your sister, you can always hit me up. I'm a lot more free than you might think."

"What about all the paperwork?"

"Mmm, I just hand it over to Byakuya when he's not looking. He hasn't figured it out yet." She let out a chuckle.

Meanwhile…

"Ugh… why is this all here? I could've sworn I did all of this." Byakuya said, looking at the stack of paperwork.

"I'll take care of it for you, master!" Genocider said enthusiastically. "Cut up or filled out?"

"If you have half a brain, you should already know my answer."

Back with the girls…

"That's devious of you."

Kyoko shrugged. "Hey, even I have my limits when it comes to that stuff. At moments like these, I'd rather hang out with Bowser or see if Makoto's free."

"Understandable, I suppose."

Kyoko smiled. "Just to let you know, I'll be there for you. In fact… what's your phone number?"

Mukuro blinked in surprise before pulling out her phone herself. "Oh right…" She and Kyoko quickly exchanged numbers.

"There we go. I'm just a call away now." Kyoko chuckled. "Oh, and you won't die alone. I'm confident you'll find someone. Heck, Asahina and I could help out with that." She winked at her.

Mukuro blushed. "Oh, Kyoko…" She brushed a few strands of hair from her face.

Kyoko smiled. "As I said, we'll be there." She turned around to hop off. "Oh, and by the way… Hope Sisters has a nice ring to it." She said and hopped down, walking away while giving her a wave.

"…She's actually not that bad, honestly."

A few moments later, Junko climbed back up. "Here we are, Sea Salt Milkshakes! Sorry it took so long, apparently this one ice cream shop had a broken ice cream machine, could you believe it?" She laughed.

Mukuro chuckled. "That sounds familiar…" She said, taking a sip. "Salty, sweet… they managed to keep the flavoring."

"Oh yeah, totally!" Junko nodded. "…You look rather chipper all of a sudden, what's up?"

"Oh, nothing… just had a nice talk with a friend."

"I see. So, you wanna head home now?"

"Actually… why go home right away? I wanna see what kind of doughnuts they bought."

Junko smiled. "Well, alright then! Let's go crash that party!" She said as the two of them hopped down and walked back to the Future Foundation, with Mukuro noting her shoulders feel much lighter than usual.

So this particular Gaiden was collabbed between Wyvern and Flash!

Ibuki: Teamwork!

Yup!