Disclaimer: This story is a sequel to my fanfiction Danganronpa: Lucky Shots, and takes place after the events of Dangan Island: Huge Panic at the Heart-Throbbing School Trip? (Island Mode from Danganronpa 2: Goodbye, Despair!). Please read Lucky Shots first before starting on this story.
This story contains heavy spoilers relating to Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, Danganronpa 2: Goodbye, Despair!, Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls, and of course the Danganronpa 3 anime. Unless you're already finished with all of these, read this story at your own risk.
"Seiko, hurry up!" Ruruka called over her shoulder.
"Coming, Ruruka!" panted Seiko as she chased after her friends as they ran down the sidewalk.
But Seiko couldn't catch up. She had to stop and catch her breath. As she was panting heavily, she noticed something laying on the pavement next to the road. On closer inspection, it was a hardcover photo album of a scantily-clad teenage girl with long blue hair and blue eyes. This must be Sayaka Maizano, the teen pop star that all the students at Hope's Peak Academy talk about.
"Watch out!" called a voice in front of her.
Seiko felt someone bump into her. She almost fell to the ground, but she was caught just before she would've made an impact. She felt an arm around her waist, and looked up to see a young man silhouetted against the sun.
"Sorry." said the boy. "Just my luck."
He helped her stand upright, then he let go so that Seiko could get a good look at him.
"It's no…problem…at…all." stammered Seiko.
She found herself facing a teenage boy in a brown school uniform. He was slightly younger and taller than her, had a slim body, and had fluffy white-blond hair that reached out on the sides in tentacle shapes, not too different from her own hair. He also had a pale complexion, though not as pale as hers. Seiko wondered if perhaps she wasn't the only albino student at Hope's Peak Academy after all. She was already starting to feel deeply attracted to him.
"Hi, my name is Nagito Komaeda." he told her in a nonchalant voice, as if he was talking to just any other person.
"H-hi, Nagito." Seiko blushed, putting her hand to her mouth and turning her head slightly so that Nagito could only see her bangs. Her tendril-like hair started moving around. "So you're a student too, right?"
"I'm the Ultimate Lucky Student." said Nagito. "I just started class this year. I'm in the 77th class, if you're wondering."
Seiko lowered her hand, and her hair stopped moving.
"I'm S-Seiko Kimura, from Class 76." she replied, nervously. "Class 77, you say? I know the Ultimate Chef is in that class. I just finished helping him with his Doping Corn Soup a while ago."
"What did you say your name was?"
"Seiko Kimura. But uh…my name…d-d-doesn't matter." said Seiko. "All you need to know is that I'm the Ultimate Pharmacist. I run the school pharmacy here at Hope's Peak. Well it's not really a pharmacy, more of a lab. If you ever need help with finding the right medicine, please come in. You don't even need to bother k-knocking…just p-please don't surprise me if I'm in the middle of working on something. It could have…uh, disastrous results!"
"Okay, I think I will." said Nagito. "I was actually having problems with…well, my bowel movements."
"Okay, I could get started on a laxative for you." said Seiko. "Just swing by later, and I should have it done before you arrive."
She wanted to ask him out, but she was bound by her duty to maintain a professional attitude at all times with potential customers and clients. And also, she had never felt so shy in her life. She didn't think someone as cute as Nagito would be interested in a girl like her. And she always wore her mask, so she was never one to worry about making herself look pretty. Then she thought about the album in her hands. Nagito was about to keep on running, but she was able to stop him in time.
"Wait, N-Nagito." she said. "I have something for you."
"Really? What is it?" Nagito turned around.
She handed him the photo album.
"It's Sayaka Maizano." she told him. "She's really popular at this school. I thought you might like it."
Nagito looked at the pictures in the album.
"Well she does look very pretty." he told her. "And I get a genuinely hopeful vibe just looking at her. Thanks, Kimaru."
"Kimura." corrected Seiko.
"Right. Sorry." said Nagito. "It was nice meeting you. I have to catch up with my class though. Bye."
Nagito ran off, leaving Seiko behind. She stared after him, blushing intensely under her mask. She chuckled awkwardly as she stood there fantasizing about him. Then she heard Ruruka's voice.
"Seiko, what are you doing?!"
Then Seiko snapped out of her trance, and ran off to join Ruruka and Sonosuke.
Director Seiko Kimura woke up to the sound of purring. A small orange cat with a cast on its front left leg was bunting against her head.
"Nice kitty." she muttered sleepily, as she patted it on the head. "Sorry, but I think you're in the wrong room."
The cat climbed over her and slowly jumped off the bed. Kimura got out of bed shortly afterwards, and then turned the lights on. She walked over to the desk on the far side of the room, and opened a drawer. Hidden away in the drawer was a photograph of a handsome young man with pasty skin, fluffy tendriled white hair, and green-gray eyes. He was wearing a black leather jacket with a striped sweater underneath, dark gray jeans, a striped oven mitt on his left hand, and a metal collar with a chain around his neck. It was the most recent photo she had of him, taken years ago by a Future Foundation double agent.
"Oh...I miss you, dear." she whispered. "It's been so long, and I feel so lonely without you. If only that damn woman didn't get to you."
She felt the cat stretching itself between her legs, and then curling around the right. When she put the photo back and shut the drawer, Kimura changed out of her pajamas and into her suit, mask, and gloves.
After she put her long stockings on, she felt a sharp pain in her spine, causing her to hunch over slightly and involuntarily curse under her breath. She had been dealing with chronic back aches for the past few years. She hoped she wouldn't have to use a cane, since she was only twenty-three years old. Thankfully she had medicine in the kitchen to keep her back problems under control.
The first thing she did when she left the bedroom was open the next door down the hall.
"There." she whispered to the cat as it hobbled inside. "Now go to bed."
After peeking into the darkness of the room, Kimura went into the kitchen to take her medicine. It was still a little early, but she didn't mind at all. After she swallowed the pills, she straightened her back as best as she could.
Suddenly, her phone rang. She picked it up.
"Yes?" she asked.
"Good morning, Director Kimura!" said a smooth, calm voice that was almost devoid of emotion.
"Vice Chairman Munakata?" asked Kimura. "What's going on?"
She looked at the clock on the stove.
"It's five in the morning, sir." she told him. She wasn't upset, just a little exhausted.
"This isn't a social call." said Munakata. "Chairman Tengan has called a meeting. The entire board of directors is going to be there."
"Everyone, sir?"
"Everyone."
Kimura groaned.
"Give me a few minutes, and I'll call you back." she said reluctantly. "I just woke up."
"Fine." said Munakata. "But I expect you to be on a chopper in two hours."
"Understood, sir. Bye."
Kimura hung up, then called another number.
"Yes, director?" said a voice.
Kimura yawned, and then took a deep breath.
"Listen up, Ken." she said. "There's important business at headquarters. I'm making you acting director until I get back."
"Wow, really? So I'm going to be running the entire branch? That's a huge responsibility."
"If you don't think you're up to it..."
"No, it's okay. I've got you covered."
"And I'm going to need someone to watch my living quarters while I'm gone. Can you spare one of your men?"
The voice on the phone laughed happily.
"Spare one of my men?" he repeated. "Hell, I'll do it myself! I'd do anything for you, boss! And I'm good at multitasking."
"Oh, good." said Kimura. "Thank you."
She looked at a nearby bottle of pills.
"Take good care of Tetsuo, and make sure he gets his medicine." she said.
"Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to that little scamp." said Ken. "I'll swing by in twenty minutes. See you then, director. Uh, just so you know...I'm allergic to cats."
"That's fine. I keep anti-allergy medicine in my kitchen for guests. It's the little blue bottle with the red cap. Bye."
Kimura hung up and then called Munakata's number back.
"Okay, I have everything taken care of." said Kimura. "So what is it that this meeting is about?"
"It concerns the Ultimate Hope." said Munakata. "Naegi claims that he's successfully reformed the Ultimate Despairs."
Kimura's eyes widened with shock.
"He's what?" she whispered breathlessly. "But how is that possible?"
"You'll find out when you arrive at HQ." said Munakata. "Naegi is bringing one of the Remnants with him as a representative."
"W-which one?" asked Kimura.
"..."
Kimura's heart jumped, eyes widened, her tendril-like hair started squirming around excitedly for the first time in years, and she dropped the phone on the floor.
Nagito Komaeda was seated on a helicopter, fitting a glove onto his left hand, which was slimmer and thinner than his right. He was also wearing a black suit and tie, and he had some of his white hair tied back into a small ponytail, though he still had many loose tendril-like locks on the sides and top of his head. Sitting across from him was a younger and shorter brown-haired man in an identical outfit.
"How's the suit?" asked Makoto Naegi.
"It's absolutely magnificent!" said Nagito. "Do these come standard for you people?"
"Oh, yes." said Makoto. "To tell you the truth, though...we usually only reserve the outfit for full members. But I figured that we'd dress you up good to show the Future Foundation that you're a team player. But if it all works out, the suit's all yours."
"Ah, that would be fantastic." said Nagito. "I can't wait to meet them!"
"Just promise you won't tell Toko Fukawa you got a free suit, or she'd never let me hear the end of it." chuckled Makoto. "She's still an intern and has been dying to get herself a proper uniform. Aren't you nervous at all?"
"Nervous?" asked Nagito. "I would never be nervous around my beloved hero, the Ultimate Hope himself!"
He clasped his hands together and sighed blissfully.
"This is truly the happiest, luckiest day of my life! And to think that you, the Ultimate Hope, are another Ultimate Lucky Student just like me! It's so...relatable!"
Makoto chuckled.
"Well, I'm glad you're enthusiastic about it." he said. "You seem happier about this than I am. We're going to be meeting the people in charge of Future Foundation, and we don't exactly see eye to eye. But if everything goes all right, then we might be able to get you and your friends a spot in our organization."
"Don't worry, Naegi!" said Nagito. "I won't let you down, no matter what! This will be the chance for someone as putrid and pathetic as me to finally prove himself!"
He shook both of Makoto's hands at once.
"Ah, you have such soft hands." Nagito sighed, blushing slightly. "I can feel the hope resonating from them like static electricity!"
"Just settle down, Komaeda!" said Makoto.
"So what did we do to grace us with your presence?" asked Nagito. "I need to know everything."
"Hold your horses, please!" Makoto held up his hands. "I'll explain everything when we get there!"
"Can you at least tell me about this Future Foundation?" asked Nagito.
Makoto was bewildered. Nagito was like a child that refused to go to sleep without a bedtime story. He took a deep breath.
"They're the last, best hope for humanity against the Remnants of Despair." said Makoto. "They rescued me and my classmates after we were trapped inside Hope's Peak Academy by Junko Enoshima. We've been with them ever since. Even my little sister Komaru's helping them out over in Towa City."
"Towa City, huh?" repeated Nagito.
"I believe you might've...heard of that place?" asked Makoto, hesitantly.
"No, but it still sounds strangely familiar to me." said Nagito. "Like something from a dream."
Makoto looked nervously at Nagito, even more so than he already was. Ever since Makoto mentioned Junko's name, Nagito started staring at his left hand.
"Look alive, folks!" said the pilot. "We're approaching HQ very soon!"
Makoto and Nagito disembarked from the helicopter and found themselves standing on a helipad attached to a tall metallic tower on an island made almost entirely of rock. The sky overhead was a dreary black and red. There were military helicopters flying around, patrolling the skies. If Nagito didn't know better, he would think this place was some supervillain's evil fortress.
"Well, let's get going." said Makoto.
As they approached the entrance, they were met by a pale-skinned woman with long purple-tinted silver hair and purple eyes, a blue-eyed tan woman with dark brown hair tied in a ponytail, and a spectacled man with tan skin, brown eyes, and a massive bushel of dreadlocks that were tied back.
"Nagito Komaeda, allow me to introduce you to my classmates from Class 78." said Makoto. "Kyoko Kirigiri, Aoi Asahina, and Yasuhiro Hagakure. They're the Ultimate Detective, Ultimate Swimming Pro, and Ultimate Clairvoyant, respectively. Kirigiri also happens to be the head of my branch."
"Nice to meet all of you." said Nagito.
"How's it hangin'?" asked Yasuhiro. "Welcome to the good fight, my man!"
"It's really nice to meet you, Komaeda!" said Asahina, the tan woman.
"Makoto, we're running late." said Kirigiri, the pale-skinned woman. "Komaeda needs to come with us right now!"
Makoto, Kirigiri, Asahina, and Nagito walked inside together, while Yasuhiro stayed behind outside. They entered the lobby, which was brightly lit and futuristic-looking. Nagito felt excited, as if he had been thrust into a spy film. It made him expect the board of directors to be a bunch of grizzled, battle-hardened men and women in black suits and/or military uniforms, and he would be briefed on a mission, and be outfitted all sorts of flashy gadgets and firearms at his disposal once the meeting was finished.
The board of directors was in a heated debate over the fate of the former Remnants of Despair. Kimura sat idly in her chair, thinking about the representative that Makoto had chosen. She was too stunned to contribute to the conversation.
"This whole thing could be a trick." said one board member. "Just another ploy by the Remnants to catch us while we're off-guard."
"Which is why I think this whole meeting was a dumb idea." said another. "We could all get wiped out if this turns out to be a trap. Bringing the enemy to our own secret headquarters is basically advertising for all of us to get butchered."
"Nonsense. If Makoto Naegi was able to turn them around, I have faith in him." said a third. "After everything he accomplished, I have no doubt that he can reform our enemies and make them our allies."
"They don't deserve to be reformed." said the first. "They deserve to be executed. Lined up in front of a Future Foundation firing squad. I wouldn't trust them if my life depended on it, and neither should any of you."
"With all the attacks we've suffered, morale is low and our numbers are dwindling." said the third. "If we had some fresh faces around here, it would benefit both."
"Maybe you're right, Gozu, but I have my doubts. If Naegi's bringing who I think he's bringing, then we're going to have a real problem on our hands." said the second. "I've had run-ins with this specific Remnant before, and he was a nutcase even before he joined Enoshima. What could he possibly have to offer the Future Foundation?"
"Why don't we wait until we see for ourselves what the former Remnants have to offer?" said a fourth. "Once our guest arrives, we should treat him like we would any other visitor. As far as he's aware, he's done us no harm. It's best if we treat him like one of our own. In fact, I think I hear our guest approaching us right now."
The door to the boardroom opened, and in walked Makoto, Kirigiri, Nagito, and Asahina.
"Sorry we're late!" yelled Makoto. "Makoto Naegi, Branch Fourteen! I'm here to report that my plan to...well, you know...was a success."
"Ah, and I see you've brought our new recruit! Ladies and gentlemen, let's give our guest a warm welcome." said Chairman Kazuo Tengan, an elderly bearded man with upward-swept gray hair. "Welcome to the Future Foundation headquarters. Sitting before you are the entire board of directors. Well, except for the director of Branches Ten and Thirteen, who sadly weren't able to make it."
"That's why I came instead." said Asahina, whispering into Nagito's ear. "Thirteen's my branch."
Nagito looked around the room, which was almost completely dark except for a long table in the middle that was glowing with a blue-green light, along with a large computer monitor all the way in the back of the room that showed a Japan-centric map of the Earth. The board of directors was probably the strangest group of people he had ever seen. They were absolutely nothing like he expected at all, other than that some of them were indeed wearing black suits like the ones that Makoto's group were wearing.
There was a large muscular man with a long dark brown ponytail, wearing both a metal red-eyed bull mask and a black business suit; a lean dark-haired man in a fur-collared bomber jacket; a purple-eyed albino man in a white suit; a shifty straw-haired fedora-wearing man that looked like a con artist; a short blue-gray-haired woman in a wheelchair, whose mouth was covered by a large scarf; an orange-haired woman with a massive ponytail; another orange-haired woman with a bob cut, wearing a pink fur-lined coat, boots, and yellow knit cap, with a blond-haired man in a red overcoat resting his head on her lap; a large dark-skinned man with an afro, beady black dot-like eyes, and large chattering teeth. He was wearing what appeared to be a farmer's work clothing; then there was a creepy-looking young woman who had pale gray skin and matching hair that was short, wavy, and looked like a series of tentacles curving upwards like horns on the sides, and purple eyes—only the right of which was visible, as the left was hidden behind her side-swept bangs. She was wearing an outfit that included a black jacket, miniskirt, and stockings, along with a white collared shirt and purple belt, studded respirator mask, Mary Jane shoes, and gloves.
"So you guys are humanity's last, best hope?" asked Nagito.
If Nagito didn't know better, he would think the Future Foundation board of directors was a troupe of circus performers, but he was still taking them just as seriously. He was just a couple seconds away from laughing, more out of amusement than mockery, when he heard one of them call his name.
"Nagito!"
The gray-skinned woman, who had been sitting between the dark-haired man and the wheelchair-bound woman, got out of her chair and approached him. On closer inspection, she appeared to be almost ten inches shorter than Nagito. While Nagito didn't recognize her, she seemed extremely happy to see him, even though three quarters of her face were concealed by either her hair or her mask. But she was one of the only members to feel that way. Nagito felt nervous as she approached him, and in fact felt his heart pounding. She had her gloved hands clasped together in anticipation, and was panting excitedly.
"My dear Nagito!" she said, in a deep husky voice. "After all this time, I thought I would never see my man again!"
Her hair-tendrils started moving around like a swarm of snakes. She hugged him in front of the Class 78 survivors and the entire council, but Nagito didn't hug her back. She was so scrawny and frail that Nagito felt like he was being hugged by somebody's grandmother. But despite the skinny body, sickly complexion, slight wrinkles around her exposed eye, and gray skin and hair, she couldn't be more than two years older than Nagito.
"Um, hello." he said, confused. "I don't believe we've met."
"Huh?" the woman let go, and backed away. Her hair stopped moving and reverted to its original shape. She looked into his eyes, just as confused as well as downtrodden. "You don't…remember me?"
She had the saddest, most pathetic look in her eye.
"I honestly don't know you." said Nagito, trying to be as polite as possible. "It's possible you have me mixed up with someone else."
Makoto approached the woman, and whispered something into her ear. She turned to look at him and stood there for a moment, letting whatever he told her sink in. She tilted her head down in Nagito's direction.
"Oh. My apologies, Mr. Komaeda." she said, sullenly. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Seiko Kimura, Ultimate Pharmacist and director of Future Foundation, Branch Four."
"Oh…nice to meet you." said Nagito. "I actually think I read up about an Ultimate Pharmacist before I went to Hope's Peak Academy. You're supposed to be able to make all sorts of miracle drugs. And you seem very nice too."
"Yeah. Whatever." she muttered. Nagito couldn't tell if she was bored or depressed.
Director Kimura turned around and spoke to the woman with the ponytail, who also looked excited to see Nagito. In fact, she was the only other person that looked remotely happy about it. After receiving a comforting pat on the shoulder, Kimura walked away sulking.
"Nagito!" the other woman said to him, with a very mellow voice.
She walked up to him. She had a very weak smile and moved stiffly.
"You may not remember me, but I am Chisa Yukizome, Former Ultimate Housekeeper and director of Branch Five. I was your homeroom teacher at Hope's Peak Academy, Class 77. Well, assistant teacher anyway; Kizakura here was your main teacher."
"How's it going, boy?" said the man with the fedora, waving his hand. He seemed very bored or indifferent. "Long time, no see!"
"And oh my god, am I happy to see you." said Chisa. "I thought you had been lost for good. Oh, you've grown so much since I last saw you. And you look so handsome in that suit!"
Now it was her turn to give him a hug. Despite her stiffness, she was so warm and comforting to the touch, and had a sort of loving motherly aura around her that Nagito's own mother didn't have.
"Uh, it's nice to meet you too." said Nagito, with a genuine smile. "I don't remember ever meeting you either, but you seem like you would've been a really nice teacher."
"I was." said Chisa. "At least, that's what the class always told me. In fact, I taught your entire class, which includes every single one of your friends that are still on Jabberwock Island. Well, except for Hajime Hinata. He was in the Reserve Course."
"Oh, so that's why I never found out what his Ultimate-level talent is..." said Nagito. "How disappointing. Anyway, I'm honored to meet you, Miss Yukizome. To tell you the truth, the only teacher I remember meeting from Hope's Peak Academy was a little white rabbit with wings. That sounds silly, doesn't it?"
Chisa chuckled a little, glancing briefly at the girl in the wheelchair.
"I think I know who you're talking about."
"But tell me, who was the other woman? Director Kimura?"
"Seiko tells me that you…" she said hesitantly. "Well, I don't think I'm the right person to tell you that. It seems awfully personal. Maybe you can ask her later."
"But what was it that happened?" asked Nagito. "Who is she, and why don't I remember her?"
"Uh, we'll explain later." said Makoto. "Right now, the board of directors has some important things to talk about. Why don't you go downstairs and get a drink or something?"
Nagito looked at Director Kimura, who had returned to her seat at the table. She had her head in her gloved hands and looked very depressed. He felt guilty seeing her like this, even though he didn't know why. He kept looking at her, even as he walked out of the room. As he left, his heartbeat was nominal again. As soon as Nagito left, the white-haired man stood up.
"Makoto Naegi, I must remind you that you still acted against Future Foundation orders by harboring our enemies without our authorization or awareness."
"You tell him, Munakata." said the dark-haired man.
"But Vice Chairman Munakata, it was a success!" said Makoto. "The whole thing went off without a hitch."
"Whether or not that's true has yet to be decided." said Munakata. "Until further investigations are made, I'm placing you under arrest and confining you to this room. And I'll have Komaeda placed in a holding cell."
Kimura almost jumped out of her seat in surprise, to the dismay of the woman with the bobcut and the blond man in the red coat.
"Wait, what?!" yelled Asahina. "Why? Naegi wouldn't lie to you!"
"Sakakura, put him in handcuffs!" said Munakata, ignoring Asahina's protests. "And then send a security detail to detain Komaeda."
"With pleasure!" smiled the dark-haired man.
He walked up to Makoto and bound his hands together. All the while, Kimura sat there nervously. Munakata turned his head in her direction and shot her a stern look.
"As for you, we need to have a private chat."
Munakata and Kimura went out into the hallway and entered the nearest empty room they could find.
"Sir, I really think..." Kimura began, but Munakata cut her off. He used no words or hand gestures, but instead the subtlest change in expression and the position of his head.
"Now listen, Kimura." said Munakata. He had a scolding tone in his voice, like a father to his daughter. "I know you and Komaeda have a history together. Director Andou explained it to me."
"Oh, did she?" groaned Kimura, shooting a glare at the door.
"I want to make one thing clear:" said Munakata. "You are a member of Future Foundation, and your former lover is a Remnant of Despair! That makes him your natural enemy. He could betray us at any moment, so keep an eye on him. And I don't mean ogle him like a horny schoolgirl! This isn't Hope's Peak Academy anymore. This is real life. It is your duty to represent nothing but the best qualities of Future Foundation. Is that understood?"
"Yes, sir." nodded Kimura.
"And as I'm sure Naegi told you, that Remnant doesn't even remember a thing about you." said Munakata. "So don't bother trying to catch up with him on past events. Whatever happened between you two is a distant memory for you, and absolutely nothing to him. So between me and him, who will you choose to side with in this of war of hope and despair?"
"You of course." said Kimura, with a hint of reluctance in her voice. "You're Future Foundation's best hope, and I owe you my life."
"And you will remember that, to the very end." said Munakata. "Yukizome, Sakakura, and I didn't take you in and give you a high-ranking position in our organization just to let you throw it all away over a high school crush. Do you agree with this?"
"I agree, sir."
"Good. I'm not saying any of this to be cruel to you." said Munakata. "I'm sure seeing him again means a lot to you, but it's incredibly risky to try digging up old memories. If Komaeda remembered you, then there is a chance that he would also remember something...less desirable."
"Of course, sir." Kimura nodded slowly. "Yes, I understand what you mean."
Though she agreed with Munakata's reasoning, it didn't make it any easier for her to accept it. She was so close to the person she desired above anyone else, yet she still felt worlds apart from him. It was convenient that she was wearing a mask, since it meant that Munakata couldn't see the frustration and disappointment growing underneath.
"Now that we have this straightened out, let's return to the others." said Munakata.
Kimura bowed her head and walked back into the boardroom, which was in an uproar. Sakakura and the man in the bull mask were grappling with each other, while standing over an injured Naegi. There was also a kunai knife embedded in the wall.
"What is the meaning of this?" demanded Munakata. "Sakakura! Gozu! Explain yourselves!"
"Sakakura just attacked Naegi unprovoked!" said Asahina.
"He had it coming." said Sakakura. "He disobeyed orders and brought one of those Despair scumbags to our secret headquarters. I wanted to give him a friendly little warning not to go behind our backs again."
"But you didn't have to hurt him!" said Asahina. "Especially since he can't even protect himself with those handcuffs on!"
"I agree." said Gozu. "Though he went against our orders, he still had noble intentions of showing mercy to those who don't deserve it, so it would be prudent to show mercy to him until the review is complete. The former Ultimate Despairs could still help us."
"They won't help us, they'll kill us!" said Sakakura.
"That has yet to be decided, Sakakura." said Gozu.
"Be that as it may, Naegi is too injured to contribute to the performance review." said Kirigiri. "I would like to request that he receive medical attention and time to recuperate before we continue."
"Permission granted, Kirigiri." said Munakata. "Kimura, give Naegi some painkillers and then escort him to the infirmary. I'll have Yukizome check up on him later."
"But sir, I'm the medical practitioner here." said Kimura. "Shouldn't I be the one checking on him?"
"Don't argue with me." said Munakata. "And besides, Yukizome told me that she wanted to speak with Naegi in private. Now get going, and return here after you're done. Don't make any detours."
"Yes, sir." Kimura nodded, who pulled out a bottle of pills and immediately went to work.
After Kimura escorted Naegi out of the room, Munakata turned to the man in the red coat.
"Izayoi, why is one of your knives sticking out of the wall?"
"He threw it at me when I tried to tell Sakakura to stop hitting Makoto!" said Asahina.
"She was giving me a headache with her whining." said the woman with the bobcat. "So I had Sonosuke throw it over her head as a warning."
"I expect better behavior from you two when Mr. Komaeda returns to this room." said Tengan. "Treat him like you would any other fresh recruit to our organization."
"Fine." the woman crossed her arms. "I guess I will."
"Meeting is suspended until a later date." said Munakata. "Everyone else can take a breather."
Nagito sat in his cell, awaiting his fate. He was very calm, and in fact didn't feel the slightest bit worried about being caught at unawares by security guards and forced into a cell without even a satisfactory explanation. Whether or not there was a good reason why he was brought here, he didn't care. Experience told him that something good was going to happen eventually.
He had been given a plate with some junk food and a bottle of Dr. Hopper for his lunch. He ate the chocolate bar, but he still had a bag of chips left.
After a while, he heard footsteps. At first, he ignored it since he figured that it was common to hear guards on patrol. Then he heard a woman's voice, followed by a man's voice briefly responding. Then more footsteps leading away. The light coming from the cell door was eclipsed by a small figure standing on the other side. It was Director Kimura. She had already ordered the guards to leave them alone, so she was the only person present besides Nagito. As she looked at him, she was inhaling and exhaling heavily underneath her mask, as if she was having trouble breathing. Nagito thought this was a little scary, but he thought it would be foolish not to investigate it. He stood up and walked up to the door. Once he reached the door and was mere inches from the bars that were dividing the two, Kimura gasped a little and she took a step back.
Nagito and Kimura stared at each other, making abnormally intimate eye contact, as they thoroughly studied the color, shape, and size of their eyes. Every flaw, every feature. In Nagito's eyes, Kimura saw confusion, vacancy, and curiosity. In Kimura's eyes, Nagito saw conflict between forced anger, guilt, and a deep longing. But it soon became clear that she had no intentions of hurting him. Nagito actually felt a little disappointed by this. But for what felt like minutes, neither of them said anything. Their hearts started beating harder and louder, though neither of them noticed.
"Can I help you with something?" Nagito finally asked.
Kimura looked at him morbidly, with her arms crossed. Their heartbeats returned to normal.
"I was just…checking to see how you were doing in there." she said to him.
Despite her low monotone growl, she sounded unusually friendly.
"Well, it's a little dark and cold in here." said Nagito. "But they told me I wouldn't be in here long. Thanks for checking up on me though."
"I meant that I wanted to make sure you didn't try escaping, Komaeda." Kimura recovered, quickly. "Try not to resist, and be cooperative with Future Foundation, and you won't have a problem."
"Well now that you told me to, I guess I will be cooperative." Nagito smiled.
Kimura sighed, and shifted uneasily in place. She seemed to hate the awkward tension between them.
"I'm going to come in there, so stand back." said Kimura.
"Why?" asked Nagito.
Kimura looked around nervously, as if checking for eavesdroppers or surveillance cameras.
"I can't say too much right now." said Kimura. "Vice Chairman Munakata doesn't even want me talking to you; I was only supposed to escort Naegi to the infirmary and then come back immediately, so I'm already taking a big risk just by being here."
"Wait, what happened to him?" asked Nagito. "Is he sick? Did someone hurt him?"
"Don't worry, he's fine." assured Kimura. "I gave him my best medicine before he went in. Yukizome is looking after him right now. Now stand back."
Kimura called a guard back inside, and had him type a code on a keypad on their side of the door. Once the door opened, she went into the room. She and Nagito sat down together on a bench. Nagito looked at Kimura's legs, which she had crossed as she sat there.
"For a short woman, you have some long and skinny legs." he said, observantly.
"Yes, I've...noticed." responded Kimura, half-muttering.
"So what do you want me to do?" asked Nagito. "Have dinner with you? Sorry, but I'm afraid that all I have in here is a bag of chips. But I'll split it with you, if you want."
Kimura blushed under her mask, impressed and flattered by how polite he was to her. She shook her head.
"No." Kimura said frigidly. "I'm going to give you a quick check-up, free of charge."
"Thanks." said Nagito.
Kimura opened her medicine bag, which she brought with her.
"So you're a doctor?" asked Nagito.
"Pharmacist." corrected Kimura. "The Ultimate Pharmacist. Well, I'm technically the Former Ultimate Pharmacist, but I never stopped making medicine. In fact, my branch specializes in medical advancements. But I digress. I can still make sure you're healthy enough for the meeting. Do you feel sick at all? Any cold or allergy symptoms? Have you had any recent headaches? Seizures?"
"Not really." said Nagito.
"Hold still, please."
Kimura stuck a thermometer in Nagito's mouth with one hand. Then she removed a glove and pressed her bare grayish-white hand against his forehead. Then with the other hand, she held the thermometer in place. Her hand felt so cool and buttery smooth against his skin, and Nagito found her touch both comforting and strangely familiar.
"Ninety-nine degrees." Kimura muttered, taking her hand off of him. "Not too bad."
Kimura frowned and looked at Nagito. She was so close to him, and yet due to his amnesia and her loyalty to Vice Chairman Munakata preventing her from re-exploring their relationship, their reunion was bittersweet so far. The check-up she was now giving him was hardly her idea of a date, even if she did find some satisfaction in being able to help her former boyfriend with his health. She longed to hug him, kiss him, or make any sort of intimate contact with him. At the very least, she got to be up-close to him and stare at that cute boyish face that she fell in love with all those years ago. Despite the change in attire, he looked just like he did in that photo she kept in her bedroom, only with a little more emotion and life in him.
"I wanted to ask: Are you sure you don't remember me?"
"No." said Nagito. "But it might help if you take that mask off."
Kimura froze up but eventually complied, though she seemed almost embarrassed to remove her mask in front of him; she was blushing, breathing uneasily, and had her teeth clenched. But in truth, she was more than happy to do it for him. She almost wanted to ask Nagito to remove her mask for her just so that he would touch her face, but she managed to show an exceptional amount of self-control. However she felt though, Nagito could now see that she had braces.
"You don't look very good, Kimura." said Nagito. "I bet you haven't eaten anything all day. Maybe you should have some food."
Nagito went up, grabbed the bag of potato chips, and offered one to her.
"Go on." he said. "Have one."
Kimura looked behind her, but the guard was still facing away from the door, and nobody else was there.
"Well, I haven't had much of a breakfast." confessed Kimura. "Okay."
She accepted the chip and ate it. Though one salty potato chip could hardly satisfy her appetite, she felt a little better. She took a couple more, and then Nagito followed suit. Now her visit felt more like a date.
"Thank you, hon."
"No problem." Nagito smiled.
"You're sure you don't remember me?" Kimura asked him.
"Positive." said Nagito. "I've never met you until today. Or at least that's what it seems like. Why do you wear that mask anyway? Is it to hide the braces?"
"No." said Kimura. "I have a few reasons for wearing it though. One of them is that I don't like people being able to tell what I'm thinking, so I keep my expressions hidden from them."
"Aww, so you're a shy little violet." smiled Nagito. "Well you don't need to be shy around me! I'm nobody to get nervous around."
"I'm not shy, I just have...boundaries." Kimura shook her head. She was starting to get flustered. "I also have some health problems that make me nervous about being in close contact with others. And for God's sake, I'm on the board of directors! I'm one of the most powerful women you'll ever meet in this organization, so you'll do well to show me some respect!"
"Okay! I apologize if I upset you." said Nagito.
Kimura sighed, and then put her mask back on.
"No, no. It's fine. But if you're sure you don't remember me, then I'm just going to tell you that they're going to be calling you up soon."
"If you at least told me who you are and why I'm supposed to remember you, then maybe I could remember." said Nagito.
"I'm sorry, but I really need to leave. I spent too much time here as it is, and I don't want to get on Munakata's bad side." said Kimura. "I wanted to give you these before I go."
She held up two lime-green pills in her gloved hand.
"What are those?" asked Nagito. "Some kind of truth serum?"
"No, I regrettably didn't have any truth serum prepared for this meeting." said Kimura. "They're antidepressants. For your dementia. Hopefully, they'll stop you from saying or doing anything that would get you on their bad side."
"Well, thanks for thinking about me." said Nagito, accepting the pills. "But how did you know that I had dementia?"
"Never mind that!" Kimura whispered urgently. "Just swallow those pills now, and please don't tell anyone that I gave them to you! I need to go now. Good luck with the meeting. If it goes well, I look forward to working with you in the future."
Kimura got up, ordered the jailer to open the cell door, and walked out. The other guards returned soon after and shut the door. Nagito got up, walked to the table, and washed down the pills with his Dr. Hopper. Just in time, as more people were coming. This time, it was the orange-haired woman with the bobcut. She was accompanied by her blond-haired boyfriend in the red coat, who stood beside her like a bodyguard in a rare moment where he wasn't chewing sweets.
"Well, well. Look who we have here." said the woman. "I never thought I'd see you behind bars. Too bad it's only temporary."
"Who are you?" asked Nagito.
"Director Ruruka Andou, Branch Eight." said the woman. "And this is Director Sonosuke Izayoi, Branch Nine. I'm surprised you don't remember us, considering our…history."
"What, did we date or something?" asked Nagito.
Andou suddenly had an enraged look in her icy blue eyes, and would've probably attacked Nagito if the the door wasn't separating them and security guards weren't posted in the room.
"Hell no!" she snapped. "I wouldn't be caught dead dating a nutjob like you, even if I didn't already have my dear Sonosuke here with me! But I can think of someone that would. So what did Director Kimura want from you, huh?"
"Uh, nothing." lied Nagito. "What's your business with us, anyway?"
"I know you're lying, Komaeda." said Andou. "I don't know what you and that squid-headed hag are up to this time, but it can't be anything good. I already told the council it was a stupid idea to have everyone gather in one place. And you're about to prove that I'm right. I'm watching you, mister! If anything goes wrong, I'm putting the blame on both of you for it! Come, Sonosuke. Let's leave this rat in his cage."
After they left, Nagito started to wonder about the board of directors. Was there actually friction, even hostility among the different members? And "this time"? What did Director Andou mean by that? Was there actually something wrong with Director Kimura? Aside from being a little creepy and the strange tension between them, Kimura didn't seem so bad to Nagito. He actually kind of liked her, which is more than could be said about Andou and her boyfriend.
After a while longer, a security guard approached the door and opened it.
"Komaeda, the meeting has been resumed." said the guard. "They need you immediately."
Nagito walked out of the cell. Chisa was waiting for him out in the hall. She was holding a paper plate with a pretzel bagel, covered in salt and sliced in two with cream cheese spread over both halves.
"I made you a little snack to prepare you for your meeting." she said with a warm smile. "I know how you feel about your bagels."
Nagito graciously reached for the bagel, when suddenly he paused. He looked into Chisa's eyes and felt something strange. Nagito suddenly felt cold. But it soon went away after a few seconds.
"Is there...something wrong?" Chisa asked him.
After a short pause, Nagito shook his head.
"Nah, I'm totally fine!"
Thinking no more of it, Nagito took the bagel and scarfed it down.
"Thank you!" he said. "I really needed this!"
"No problem, Nagito." Chisa smiled. "Now let's get going."
As they walked down the corridor together, Chisa continued talking to him.
"I had a good long talk with Naegi." she said to him. "He has nothing but hope that you and your friends will be a valued addition to Future Foundation. Before you know it, we'll be like one big happy family to you kids."
"I sure hope so." said Nagito. "I haven't had a family in years. Not since my parents died."
Before long, they reached the door leading to the boardroom.
"Now remember, I'll be right there in the room if you need any help." she said. "I'll be one of your most vocal supporters!"
