Summary: You've hardened your resolve, but is it truly worth it? In this game of life and death, allies are far and few in between. And you might have just chosen the worst person to befriend.

Dinner consisted of some eggs, bread and an energy bar he snagged from the storeroom because it was a lot easier on his stomach. He would have to make some actual meals at some point before lack of nutrition started eating at his body, but for now Naegi could afford to accommodate the nausea he felt every time he even thought of eating. Or play around his own appetite with calorie heavy things. The MonoMono Machine did sometimes spit out snacks, after all, and the offbrand tokens weren't going to be of much use anywhere else. He'd have to ask Ogami about that, a Martial Artist probably knew how to properly manage one's intake of food to best suit a situation. And it wasn't like he was going to get much exercise in here…oh wait he was being forced to work out with two Ultimates with physical Talents. Oh boy . Well, either way, it was a problem for future Naegi.

Searching for Enoshima took longer than he first expected considering they had about two floors of school opened to them, but it would have been quicker if he had someone to point him to her whereabouts. Unfortunately, when he crossed paths with Hagakure, the latter spat out some hasty excuse about trash duty (which was completely untrue when you thought about Yamada's testimony from That Day) before running off. Naegi was somewhat tempted to hide around a corner to see if he could jumpscare the shady man, but there were better things to do and class 78 was running on borrowed time. Knocking on Fukawa's door resulted in a similar scenario, although he was rather impressed by the way she managed to hold her ground long enough to say something about a "Byakuya-sama", which he repressed with the desperation of a dying star, and how he would pay for hurting her "White Knight". It took a monumental amount of effort to not just laugh in her face at that descriptor, but he still understood the value of politeness so the Luckster merely thanked her for her time before hurrying away while repressing snickers.

The library was, he quickly found, Togami's new territory. Naegi had taken a single step into the room before he was immediately assaulted with a string of vitrol and acidic comments insulting everything from his appearance to his intellect (or lack thereof) before he grew tired of words bouncing off his face and exited just as quickly as he had arrived. Interestingly enough, the laptop was missing from its desk. The Lucky Student would have to check in with Fujisaki first to confirm the location of that device, for she was the only one with a particular motive to actually do anything to a computer that could not even be turned on. It would be problematic if someone else had nicked it, after all.

Popping back into the toilet just long enough to check the status of the secret room (still undisturbed), he did one final sweep of the second floor classrooms to contemplate the obnoxious wallpaper and frankly childish chalk drawings before continuing with his search. The main hall was just as ominous as ever, and he tested the response time of the machine guns with a slight yank of the door vault. They tracked his movements, that was for certain, but even as he put more force into attempting to open the biggest physical barrier to their freedom, there was no familiar sense of impending danger, nor the click he had come to associate with automatic weapons. Shrugging internally, he resolved to do something about it later. The mailbox was, of course, empty. Best to not let anyone else know where the PDAs of the deceased went. Although the survival of Kuwata's despite the incredibly brutal nature of his execution indicated that Monokuma's words about the durability of these things may have held some modicum of truth to them.

He managed to endure the obnoxious jingles of the MonoMono Machine long enough to extricate a couple new prizes from it, which included what he assumed was an anime figurine (Yamada might want that one), a Golden Gun that was of little use other than weighing down papers, another Rose Whip that he held on to solely because it could come in handy at some point and a…Hand Bra? He shuddered, reflexively throwing the offensive item across the room before opening a cabinet and shoving it inside. He knew that the prizes in this thing could appeal to some of his classmates, but he'd be loath to find someone who would accept such a thing with a smile. Actually, he didn't want to know if anyone would want it. Briefly contemplating whether he could set a fire in the school, which spiralled into a longer train of thought involving what exactly was flammable in this place, whether Monokuma himself was flammable (probably not) and where he could find an ignition source. Shaking his head slightly in an attempt to shake the thoughts of arson from his mind, the Luckster managed to get everything back to his room with some difficulty. On the bright side, even the duplicates served as a nice decoration for the dull and dreary place, and it took his mind off the conspiciously absent golden blade that had once been lying on his table.

Taking a quick peek into the laundry room (whose swimsuit was that, and why was it still there?) but not finding the person he was looking for, Naegi gradually made his way through previously explored rooms, discovering a few more Monocoins along the way. He was going to need to find a better way to store these things. Opening the AV room door with a quick twist of the wrist, he stepped through, eyes immediately locking onto the Fashionista sitting on top of one of the desks. She looked bored, but with a glint of something in her eyes that vanished before he could properly discern the emotion as he approached, seemingly sensing her presence even though she had been staring blankly at a wall. The teenager offered a small wave, one that was quickly reciprocated by a hand with impressively long and painted fingernails. Pulling up a chair as Enoshima watched him silently, Naegi flipped it before sitting down, bracing his head and arms against the backrest.

"Been a while."

The Fashionista chuckled, leaning forward as she crossed her legs, a sarcastic lilt to her voice. "We talked to each other yesterday, and the days don't exactly go by slowly when all there is to do is talk."

He conceded the point with a wave of his hand, mood dampening slightly. "Fair enough. I wanted to check in on you, especially since we never did quite get the time to hang out before…" Naegi trailed off uncomfortably, and the two exchanged a look before simultaneously deciding to move on.

"And also because I'm probably the one person who doesn't want to kill you right now?" She raised an eyebrow, a wane smile crossing her face as the Fashionista shoved him gently. He coughed, not expecting the girl to outright say that, but relieved by such bluntness nonetheless. It was refreshing, especially when faced with the reminder of the last person to deceive him with a smile.

"Was I that obvious?" He rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish grin, feeling a hint of guilt. "Still," Naegi made sure to convey as much sincerity as he could through his eyes, "when I say that I want to get to know you better, I mean it. Truly."

She scoffed, but it was a friendly sound, punctuated by a roll of the eyes. "If that was supposed to be a pick-up line, it's probably one of the worst ones I've heard. Four out of ten."

The Luckster laughed, honestly feeling relaxed for the first time in days. "That would be weird considering I'm supposedly a herbivore, no?"

"Of course…is what I would say—" Enoshima's blue eyes sharpened, twin pools of ice gazing straight into his soul. "—if you hadn't been acting like a completely different person. The Naegi I knew wouldn't have tossed that blond prick around like a wet towel, even though he kinda deserved it."

"Well considering we only knew each other for a grand total of three days before that." His mouth tightened into a scowl. "I'd say you didn't know me nearly enough to make that statement."

"I…" Enoshima seemed genuinely at a loss for words, something akin to hurt flashing behind her eyes before it was concealed beneath guilt. "You're right. Sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

He sighed, slumping slightly and resting his head on his arms. "I took it too far. It's been a rough couple days."

"Heh. That's an understatement." The Fashionista appeared to loosen up, drumming her fingers against one of the many screens around the place. "I knew we were in for some tough shit when that bear showed up, but after everything that's happened, it's a wonder you were the only one to lose it." It was true, but she really didn't need to remind the Luckster about it.

"Well, compared to the rest of you Ultimates, I'm just your everyday high school student." He offered a shrug, not even bitter about the vast difference in potential between himself and people who would most likely go on to pave the future in their respective career paths. It was completely true, after all. As much as he enjoyed throwing Togami into the ground, it had been a clear demonstration of the difference in the mindsets of those with Talent versus himself.

"You're not one of those Talent cultists, are ya?" Enoshima's face scrunched up like she had just smelled something vile. "I know we're called Ultimates and all, but that's just a title more than anything else."

He tried his best not to scoff, eyes hardening at the almost careless nature of that comment. "Titles are given for a reason. Everyone here right now, even those who passed on, had some sort of ability that set them apart from the rest. Your paths might've seemed obvious or even easy to walk, but I can assure you that the vast majority of the population doesn't think like that." An idol who achieved stardom when she was still in middle school. A star baseball player who never once trained for a match. In the face of such overwhelming Talent, it was nigh impossible to not feel inadequate. After all, he had gotten here through a raffle.

"Yeesh, cool your jets Naegi." She rolled her eyes, clearly not convinced by the point he was tring to make. "But anyways, would you have preferred it if Hope's Peak scouted you for an actual reason?"

He couldn't help the laugh that escaped his throat at that almost offensive remark. "Of course not!"

"Eh?" Enoshima looked flummoxed. "After all that?"

Naegi chuckled, tilting his head upwards to properly look the other teenager in the eyes. "I'm content with my life. I have a family that loves me, decent grades and before this whole thing, I was lucky enough to get an invitation to a school which would've set me up for life if I succeeded in graduating."

Well, that was the polite and socially acceptable way of putting it. To be completely honest, it was also the answer he would have given to a question like that before he stepped into Hope's Peak, and subsequently got sucked into the Killing Game that was now tormenting his every waking moment. But even just meeting the Ultimates had changed his views on the whole situation. The warped way they thought, they spoke, they acted…sometimes it terrified him. They had fallen back to pointing fingers without evidence after one of them had been the first one to betray the class. They had stood back and watched as Kuwata was dragged off to his execution, even while Naegi frantically grasped for a method of saving him that never came. They had treated the Killing Game as ordinary School Life, which was only slightly better than the ones he knew were treating this like a game.

He had admired them once, starting with one Maizono Sayaka. So big and bright, like the stars in the night sky, seemingly invincible and distant from the rest of humanity. But now he knew better. They were simply humans equipped with abilities that made them special, but certainly not different. And while that might have once comforted him, and perhaps it would have gotten him to befriend more of them, the very thought made that icy rage in his soul scream. It was a reminder that despite all the knowledge they held, their skills and their strength, all the things that made them impressive enough to be called Ultimates…despite all that, they were only human.

He shook his head again, concealing his thoughts behind a soft smile. "I'm thankful to be normal."

"Huh…" Enoshima scrutinised him carefully, something akin to awe in her eyes. "You really do believe that. Well, in that case, you can probably help me out with something."

"Hmm?"

"See, I know showbiz is like, really easy for me and I've been making a ton of money off of it—" Enoshima twirled a finger, curling her hair around it. "—but I've kinda gotten fed up with all of this."

He titled his head, but gestured for her to go on.

"I mean, you said it yourself, yeah? As Ultimates we just sort of, throw ourselves face first into whatever path we chose. And I know some of the others are perfectly fine with that, but dreams are meant to change as you grow up, right?"

Naegi blinked. He could see where this was going, but he would pursue it to its end nonetheless. "It's in human nature to change, I guess. When I was a kid I wanted to change the world."

"Didn't everyone?" Enoshima sighed. "But you get what I'm saying. Doing the same thing over and over again just because it's what I've been doing for my entire life…that's a lame way to live. So what I'm trying to say is—" She shifted slightly on her perch, visibly uncomfortable. "—I've been chasing that dream for so long, I never stopped to think about whether there were other things to do."

"And because of that, you don't know if this is the only path for you, yeah?"

"Exactly!" The Fashionista raised her voice abruptly, frustration bleeding into her tone. "Maybe it's because I nearly died a couple days ago, but I've had the time to think about that. Plenty of time. But what else can I do when this life is all I know?" Her hands were trembling. And even though they barely knew each other, his first instinct was to reach out and comfort her before he reined himself in. They lapsed into silence for several minutes, Enoshima struggling to find something to share while Naegi carefully picked at the right words to say.

"Listen." He broke the silence with a soft word. "It's tough when you don't have a goal you're marching towards. And there are people who've been stuck in dead-end jobs and loveless marriages because of that hesitation. So while I can't say I know what you should do…I can understand the feeling."

"However," Naegi fiddled with That Ribbon, not noticing the way Enoshima hung off every word that left his mouth, "I think that it's just the way it is sometimes." He laughed slightly when the Fashionista nearly toppled off her table, surprise etched across her features.

"I'm not going to say something deep and profound. But the act of searching itself is the best part of the journey. Sometimes life is a mess. Sometimes we're just lost, trying to navigate stormy waters without a compass. And perhaps we'll always be that way. But to wander is, in itself, a reward. Because you can take comfort in the fact that you're getting there. Even if you don't know where the thing you're searching for is." Glancing at the silent blonde teenager, he hastily backtracked on his words. "Or something like that. I wouldn't know."

He fidgeted slightly, feeling the awkward tension in the air skyrocket with each passing second, wondering if he had misread the situation. When he was just about to get up and leave the room with a feeble excuse, Enoshima finally spoke up.

"...you're right."

"Huh?"

"It makes perfect sense when you put it that way." She laughed, relief apparent on her face. "Why get so caught up in your destination when you haven't even gotten there yet? I just gotta start looking!"

"Naegi!" He jerked in his seat, turning enough to meet the excited gaze of the Ultimate Fashionista. "Let's make a promise." The Luckster swallowed, suddenly feeling ill. Well, he dug this grave, it was his responsibility to make a bed in it.

"What about?"

She extended her pinkie. "You're searching for your destination as well, yeah? Promise me, when we get out of here, when we finally find whatever we're looking for, we'll meet up and talk about it."

He tilted his head to the side, bemused. Still, despite his reservations, the Lucky Student extended his own, and very solemnly, the two interlocked them for the briefest of moments. Even considering the mundane nature of the activity, Naegi couldn't help but sense that there were more things going unsaid in that moment, secrets kept locked tight on both sides.

"Alright then." He grinned nonetheless. "It's a promise."

"Right!" Enoshima nodded twice, bouncing in her seat slightly. It was an action so completely out of the blue, in such stark contrast to the Killing Game that it coaxed a startled laugh out of Naegi. The Luckster paused, somewhat embarrassed by the involuntary response, glancing at anywhere but the Fashionista to hide the red flush creeping up his cheeks.

"Huh." His eyes fell onto the clock. "Didn't think we were here for that long."

"Jeez…" Enoshima whistled a high-pitched tune. "And here I was just talking about how we had nothing but time here."

"Well, I guess this is where we part ways. Temporarily, of course." Naegi reflexively rooted around in his pockets, wondering if he had anything left over from the gacha that he could give the other teenager. It wasn't necessary, but at the rate he was getting them, he would soon have to start sacrificing sleeping space for the evergrowing collection. Turning his pockets inside out, he was about to give up when he remembered the additional storage spaces stitched into his hoodie. Untying the article of clothing from his waist, Naegi stuck his hand into one of the side pockets, and was immediately rewarded with the cool sensation of a small tube. Retrieving the gift, he presented it with a flourish.

"Here."

"Eh? You're giving away something like this…? Well, whatever! Works for me!" Enoshima eagerly scooped up the Rose In Vitro, turning it over in her hands with a sort of joy that he didn't realise he had missed seeing in his day to day life. He smiled to himself, balancing his baseball bat on a knee as he readjusted his clothes.

"I just finished leaving the stuff I got in my room, so it's pretty lucky I forgot to take that out, isn't it?"

"Hah!" She barked out a laugh. "Keep talking like that and I might think that you're into me."

His smile morphed into a smirk at the familiar teasing, and before he could resist the urge—

"You know, I think you look a lot more beautiful without whatever photoshop nonsense your pictures get."

—the first thing to pop into his mind immediately fell out of his mouth. How mortifying.

Looking away immediately after that cringe-inducing statement, he quickly stammered out a goodbye, exiting the AV room before she could snap out of whatever funk his admittedly embarrassing words had put her in. Silently chiding himself for not having more self-control, the Luckster hurried away, wanting to do nothing more than to lock himself in his room, bury his face in a pillow and scream.

Enoshima Junko held the gift carefully, with the same sort of gentleness you'd expect from someone holding onto precious jewellery, or a baby bird. She sighed, a mournful sound that was practically overflowing with Despair.

"That ain't fair…"

She pressed the rose to her forehead, lips twisting into a frown.

"...Makoto."

[WISH]: Perhaps if I had taken your hand, this wouldn't have ever happened in the first place. Perhaps in a different life, in a different place, we could have been friends. But now we are both monsters. And I can't help but regret that I have to kill you.