Summary: It's a lot harder to hide plot points when your protagonist takes a page from Canon Kirigiri's book.

Contrary to what was probably popular belief at this point, Naegi Makoto wasn't going out of his way to be an asshole. But considering the fact that he had undergone more emotional turmoil in the last three days than he had in the entirety of his childhood, he was inclined to believe that he was owed some form of breakdown, not including the one that had gotten him beaten up in a fake courtroom. Still, out of some form of courtesy for Asahina, who wasn't being malicious on purpose, he gave her another thirty minutes to do whatever it was she was doing before silently reaching for the door only for it to fly open as though someone had kicked it from the other side. Sidestepping just quickly enough for the edge of the door to miss his nose, Naegi looked up from his close brush with yet more injuries to meet the eyes of a definitely startled Fujisaki Chihiro. His own narrowed in response. There was something wrong with this scene.

"Ah…Naegi-san! I saw that the door wasn't locked and I was worried so—" The Luckster inclined his head slightly, a twitch that was apparently enough to cause the girl to backtrack. "—I'm sorry…" She bowed deeply, seemingly prepared for Naegi to lash out. Which, all things considered, was a pretty logical conclusion to come to considering the Lucky Student's track record so far. For a brief moment, he remained silent, gears clicking away in his head at the observations he was noting down before offering a somewhat awkward smile.

"Don't apologise." Normally he'd be more polite about these things, but Naegi's nerves were frayed and stretched far beyond their breaking point. "You've done nothing wrong, and it was my fault for standing that close to the door anyways." Fujisaki blinked slowly, before relief flooded her expression and she bowed once more, stepping out of the way so that the teenager could exit. He took the silent invitation, gently closing the door behind them.

"Say…" A small frown flickered across his face before it vanished entirely. "wouldn't Monokuma have set up some sort of rule to prevent girls from accessing the boys' locker room and vice versa? Otherwise I don't see the point of the card readers."

The Ultimate Programmer fidgeted at being put on the spot, sweating nervously and avoiding his eye contact like she had been caught in the middle of something illegal. Y'know, like the face you'd make when you were found selling drugs on the street by your parents but the drugs came from the very suspicious briefcase you had found underneath a bench in the park you visit every week. Curiosity squirmed its way into his thoughts, but he quickly clamped down on the urge to continue prodding at one of the few classmates that hadn't done something to offend him.

"Never mind, forget what I said. I've been a little on edge today." Naegi punctuated his statement with a wave, slowly making his way out of the room to go poke around the boy's bathroom until a sudden intake of breath gave him reason to pause.

"Wait!" It was almost muscle memory at this point to comply with whatever request people had to ask him, but with waking up here and the Killing Game…he had almost forgotten. Nonetheless, it didn't take long for him to decide to humour the other teenager. Silently, he made his way over to the bench and took a seat, patting the space beside him. It seemed like this was going to be a serious conversation. Fujisaki wavered, whatever courage that had allowed her to call out to the Luckster vanishing as soon as it had arrived, before straightening up slightly and sitting beside him. She wrung her hands, an action that made him feel a hint of sympathy, mixed in with that idle curiosity from earlier.

Fujisaki shuddered, and if that wasn't enough cause for panic, her eyes began to shine with the gleam of unshed tears. His knee-jerk reaction was to reach out to comfort the Programmer, but instinct told him to wait, just a little bit longer.

"I wanted to ask you…" Naegi rotated his wrist in a gesture for her to continue. "how did you get over it so quickly?"

"It?" He wasn't exactly dense by any means, but the Luckster still wanted to confirm the topic they were circling around before he tripped on a conversational landmine.

"Maizono-san got killed," ooh boy, this was going to be dark, "then we figured out that Kuwata-san was the one who did it. T-then we…we murdered him too!" Once the words started flowing, it appeared that Fujisaki didn't quite know how to stop. She lurched forward, tears falling onto the floor as Naegi watched silently. "He got executed! And everyone j-just, they just moved on! As though we didn't just send one of our classmates off to die! How do you do it, Naegi-san? How can you stay so calm after all that's happened?"

Ah, so that was the crux of the issue. Leaning back to knock his head against the wall with a soft thump, the Luckster's lips twisted into a brief snarl before he forcefully wiped it from his face, not wanting to scare off the Ultimate Programmer, especially in the midst of her emotional turmoil. He had promised to save them all. "I'm not exactly the person to talk to about that. Didn't you see what I did after Kuwata-san died?"

Fujisaki slammed her hands into the bench, a move that startled them both. "T-that's exactly why I have to ask you! Everyone was horrified…but you were the only one who tried to save him before he got dragged off. They just stood there and watched! And afterwards, afterwards they moved on. I heard Asahina-san earlier gushing about how we have a pool now…it's as though they've forgotten who paid the price to unlock this floor for us!" She was sobbing at this point, hiccuping in between breaths as Naegi edged closer, giving her ample opportunity to shift away before carefully putting an arm around her shoulders in an attempt to provide some form of comfort. He chose his words carefully, knowing that Fujisaki wasn't here for empty words or platitudes. He would have been the last person she sought out if that was the case.

"A part of it, I guess, is that they're trying to forget their part in this whole thing." He breathed in deeply, exhaling in a drawn out sigh. "No one wants to remember that they were responsible for killing someone. Especially considering the grotesque way Kuwata-san died. I'm sure some of them never cared in the first place." He grimaced, reminded of Kirigiri's attempts to manipulate him throughout the entire investigation process, along with the final set of words that had set him off for the first time in his life. "But for the rest, it must've been easier to think of it as justice for Maizono-san. A terrible justice, but one nonetheless."

"How can you say such a thing?" Huh, turns out there was more steel in Fujisaki than he first anticipated. Her eyes glinted, rage intertwined with sorrow burning brightly within them. "Justice? What justice is there in executing someone, even if he killed Maizono-san? Doesn't that make us no better than him?" Naegi sighed once more, pulling the Programmer slightly closer in a silent apology.

"I never said that I thought it was justice. In the end, even if Kuwata-san was the one to kill the first person, Maizono-san fired the first shot. And the rest of us aren't any more innocent than those two." He closed his eyes, their corpses surfacing from the slots in his brain without much searching, permanently branded into his memories. Naegi knew that even if they got out of here alive, he'd never be able to go to sleep without seeing them. "Even still…put it this way, Fujisaki-san." The Ultimate Programmer, who had long stopped crying by this point, twisted slightly in his half-hearted embrace to lock eyes with the Luckster, showing a remarkable amount of bravery for someone who had, just minutes ago, been about to run away after nearly hitting Naegi with a door.

He smiled, a bitter, warped reflection of the expression he used to be able to hold on his face but could no longer stomach for more than a couple moments. "Would you rather have voted for Kuwata-san's execution…or doom the other thirteen of us to an unpleasant death as Maizono-san's murderer gets to graduate." She flinched as though struck, turning her gaze to the floor with a frown. Fujisaki's hands tightened into fists, knuckles standing out starkly against her skin even as they lapsed into silence for a few moments.

"...that's not fair." The other teenager shook her head once, a sudden, sharp jerk before she drooped like a plant that had been left in the dark for too long. "You can't just weigh lives like that. They were our classmates, don't you feel terrible?"

"Of course I do." The reply came to his lips almost immediately, astonishing the speaker as well as his current interlocutor. "Why wouldn't I? Despite all they did…" And that was the crux of the problem, wasn't it? "Despite it all, they were people I knew. They were my friends." Maizono's betrayal had struck him like a bullet between the eyes. Kuwata's deeds, once they had been revealed, were far more painful than the beating Owada had given him. He raised his free hand to cover his face, wishing that his limbs would stop trembling, just for a moment. The Ultimate Baseball Star's screams resonated in his ears, the desperation in his eyes as Naegi attempted to save his classmate from a terrible fate etched permanently into the Luckster's brain. Maizono's dead body, her shaky final message, even the ribbon still wrapped around his wrist. He could hate them all he wanted, but that didn't change what they meant to him before their untimely ends.

Naegi's hand slipped from its place over his eyes, revealing a pair of dull hazel orbs, the fire that had been burning within them reduced to smouldering embers, waiting for kindling to return to a blaze. He shivered. Indecision wasn't exactly the thing he wanted to deal with right now, but Fujisaki's words had opened wounds that didn't even have the time to properly close. It was easy, hating the dead. Screaming obscenities at their actions, raging at their cowardice. But that didn't make it right.

"...i'm sorry." The Ultimate Programmer murmured, leaning into his side.

"Like I said earlier—" He shook his head gently. "—don't be. But to answer your questions properly…I guess we just have to remember them. How they were before this Killing Game Monokuma put us in. It's like you said. They were our classmates. Hold those memories tight, and make sure that you never forget the one responsible for it all. Don't blame yourself for what the Mastermind did to us. It's exactly what they would love to see us doing." What he left out, of course, was that part of the responsibility also fell to the two that succumbed to murder. But Naegi didn't think Fujisaki wanted to hear that right now.

"I don't think I fully understand what you're trying to say," she stated slowly, "but I'll do my best. It just…it just hurts."

"I know." His friend had chosen to stab him in the back (figuratively) before attempting to stab Kuwata in the back (literally) after all. It was luck that had prevented him from falling into that trap. And he didn't know whether or not to feel grateful or bitter that the lesson had to come at the cost of two lives.

"Naegi-san?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you mind if we stay here for a while? I know the others are probably meeting up—"

"It's fine." He cut her off with a grunt, adjusting his arm slightly so it wouldn't fall asleep.

"...thank you."

The Ultimate Luckster and Programmer sat there silently, drawing some measure of comfort from each other's presence. Soon, they would have to get up and return to their School Life, waiting for Monokuma's next motive, or the next person to succumb to murder. But for now, they could pretend that wasn't the case.

Just outside, leaning against the doors to the pool, Enoshima Junko stepped away from her position, uncrossing her arms as she did so. The Fashionista wore an uncharacteristically grim expression, taking several steps forward before she stopped in her tracks. Without warning, her arm shot out, colliding with the wall on her left.

"Damnit…"

She withdrew her fist, quickly vacating the premises with only the cracks spiderwebbing from her hit to show that she had even been there in the first place.

Shortly after Fujisaki had excused herself to join the others with an expression of mortification, Naegi made a quick pit stop at the boy's bathroom to conduct a proper investigation of the place. No stone left unturned, and all that. Glancing up to note the lack of a security camera (although he couldn't shake the possibility of a hidden one), he quickly went through the first three stalls, pressing against the walls and floorboards to check for any hidden panels, with nothing to show for his efforts. Not expecting much, he did a once-over of the supply closet, shifting toiletries aside before finishing his check with an expression of mild disappointment. Compared to the other rooms on both floors, these toilets seemed almost useless.

Before he did leave however, a stray thought caught his attention, and the Luckster's eyes turned to the blank wall. Now why would you install shelves on both sides of a closet but leave nothing to the most obvious choice? Reaching out carefully, he knocked on the wall, listening carefully before comparing it to the sound made when he knocked on the other walls. Hollow. Exerting slightly more strength, he pushed at the fake wall, completely caught off guard when it spun and he lost his balance, tumbling head over heels into the room hidden behind it.

Naegi got to his feet, dusting himself off and glancing around. It wasn't much of a room, and the smell in the air indicated it hadn't been used recently. Approaching the desk in the middle of the room after noting the shelves upon shelves of files mounted on the wall, he quickly rifled through the drawers, noting an extension cable neatly coiled up within one of them but not much else. Interesting. Very interesting.

Knowing that Monokuma might get suspicious if he spent too long in here, he searched the room briefly for a scrap of paper before giving up and taking the first file off the wall and tearing a corner of a page labelled "Hope Cultivation Plan" before exiting the room. With a little bit of finesse, he managed to wedge the paper against the lower edge of the wall before shifting it back into its original position. He nodded to himself, offhandedly washing his hands and exiting the bathroom.

He would have to figure out when he could access the room, and for how long before Monokuma became aware of what he was doing. There were far too many files in there for him to smuggle out, and the cameras everywhere else indicated that there was no possible location for him to read them in, even if he tried. Which meant that he would have to comb all the files and hope he got enough important information from them before the Mastermind discovered the location of the secret room.

Although…his brisk pace slowed to a slow stride. Consider this: Some unknown individual or a group of them had the ability to take over Hope's Peak Academy, bolt the windows, install surveillance and that giant vault door without anyone noticing. They then invited the fifteen students of class 78 and orchestrated a Killing Game, which he had recently learned was being broadcasted to the world. It didn't make sense for that room to be left there. Naegi could feel a headache forming from the complicated tangle of ideas that he was desperately trying to unravel. There were two options here. The Mastermind didn't know about the room. The Mastermind did. But if they didn't, why not? And if they did, why'd they leave it as it was? Even as he got a step closer to figuring out the mysteries of this place, the answers still seemed so far away. Naegi resisted the urge to scream. One breakdown was already more than enough for the time being.

His stomach rumbled, and the Luckster absentmindedly checked the nearest clock by poking his head into a classroom. Huh. He missed lunch again. Well, considering there were still a couple hours before the declaration of night time locked up the dining hall, he might as well grab a quick bite. Trekking down the stairs and popping by the school store to play with the MonoMono Machine (he got a bag of chips and cup noodles), Naegi made a quick detour at his room to deposit his findings before turning around and heading for his final destination.

Stepping through the corridor, his appearance drew the attention of the other students, who had paused whatever argument they were having to watch his movements like he was about to stab one of them. Enoshima greeted him with a subtle wave of the hand while Fujisaki averted her eyes, heat crawling up her cheeks. Kirigiri looked as cold as ever, and he met her gaze with a flicker of the rage that had died down briefly, somewhat amused when she blinked and looked away. Togami didn't even bother to take his eyes away from the impressively presented meal on the table before him, and the rest looked as though a feral animal had just stepped into the room. He noted the way Ogami stepped in front of Asahina while Mondo cracked his knuckles threateningly. Surprisingly, Ishimaru didn't say a word about his tardiness for once, but he wouldn't question it.

Brushing past them and into the kitchen, he heard the discussion restart once more, albeit less heated than before as he rooted through the drawers and swiftly made a couple of sandwiches that he scarfed down in record time. Normally he would try to eat something more filling, but the fact that his stomach was protesting even the rather mild dish indicated it was best he save that for another day. Lifting two bottles of water from their place amongst the others, Naegi drank half of one before tucking them underneath an arm and leaving.

"Naegi-san!" And here he was just talking about how Ishimaru hadn't said a word. "We are currently sharing what discoveries we've made after the second floor opened! Would you care to join us?" He couldn't stop the somewhat amused smirk from surfacing before it was too late, but dispelled it before it could cause any trouble.

"Nah." He shrugged, words cold and cutting. "I don't think there was much to discover, and I know when I'm not welcome. Good day, everyone." The Luckster tipped an imaginary hat, exiting before anyone else could say anything.

A shower was long overdue.

Turns out, hot showers do not go well with incredibly fatigued individuals who have terrible luck.

Stumbling out of his room in the morning, still nursing the bruise he could feel forming on his head, Naegi made his way to the dining hall with only a minor amount of swaying. Mumbling a good morning to Enoshima (who was eating salad, poor soul), he made himself a bowl of cereal before taking the seat beside her, crunching down on the sugary cardboard with the enthusiasm of a corporate slave. His sleep-adled brain took a while to process the people slowly trickling in, and he promptly elected to ignore them for the time being. Food first, then maybe he would have the energy to deal with them.

The sudden crash of porcelain smashing against the ground immediately jump started his brain, adrenaline surging through his veins as he switched grips on his spoon and spun around…to see Celeste griping about tea?

He sighed, slumping back down in his seat as the Ultimate Gambler gave an overly long and detailed explanation of what exactly her standards were for milk tea while Yamada trembled and Enoshima patted the Luckster on the back, chuckling slightly at his misfortune.

"That does not matter. Hurry up and bring me what I asked for, swine!" Naegi blinked twice, rubbing his eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating Celeste's sudden switch from cold, regal beauty to frothing at the mouth with rage. He absentmindedly wondered if the metal claw on her finger was sharp as the teenager returned to her original calm, Yamada scampering off into the kitchen like someone had lit a fire under him.

"Didn't think goth girl had it in her…" Enoshima whispered to him, earning a wry smile.

"I suppose there's two sides to every person." He glanced over, rolling his eyes as Owada did nothing more than comment on Celeste's sudden outburst. Certainly a far cry from the brutal treatment he got after mouthing off to the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader.

"Pardon the intrusion!" Ishimaru marched in, brows furrowed in worry. "I spent several minutes pressing Togami-san's doorbell over and over again, but he refuses to leave his room!"

"He could've gone somewhere else already." Hagakure, surprisingly, was the one to bring up the logical counterpoint.

Ishimaru folded his arms over his chest. "Yes, I considered that possibility. Still, I'm worried that something might have happened to him."

"So?" Enoshima leaned back in her chair with a look of boredom in her eyes. "I'm sure we're better off without the person who's most likely to kill us."

"S-shut u-up you slut…no one w-wants to hear your opi-inion." Fukawa really needed to up her insult dictionary, the Fashionista didn't even flinch. The blonde shrugged, waving a hand in the air. "Say what you want, but it's the truth. He's the one who keeps calling this a game."

"Even still!" Asahina interjected, determination written across her face. "He's still our classmate!"

Naegi sighed, pushing away from his cereal with one last mournful look. "There are only so many places he can be. Let's split up and check the rest of the building."

"Excellent idea Naegi-san!" The Ultimate Moral Compass was still unable to meet his eyes despite the commendation. "Whoever manages to find him first, do take the time to inform the rest of us!"

This day was off to a great start…

It didn't take a genius to figure out the most likely place Togami could've gone. Especially after that little comment from yesterday. Knocking on the door to the library twice out of courtesy, he entered soon after to be greeted with the scene of the Ultimate Affluent Progeny reading a book. The bespectacled teenager glanced up, eyes narrowing slightly upon noticing the Luckster.

"What purpose did you interrupt me for?"

Naegi lifted one shoulder in a half-hearted shrug. "The others were worried. You were the only one who didn't show up for breakfast." The book was shut with a snap as Togami uncrossed his legs, twisting slightly in his chair to regard the Luckster with a slightly more interested look.

"And you weren't?"

"Nah."

Before he could say anything else, however, the library door opened once more, with the other remaining students filing in one by one, led by Kirigiri and Ishimaru, who promptly pointed at Togami like he was being accused of a crime.

"Togami-san! So this is where you've been hiding!"

"The heck are you doin' here, man?"

"We were very concerned…"

The Scion sighed, bringing a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "I was simply trying to find some peace and quiet to read. After all, it is my first time trying such a…coarse novel. It might prove useful at some point."

"Wh-what were you reading?" Asahina looked more than a little concerned.

He smirked. "A mystery novel."

"Hah!?" Yamada leaned away, an expression of stupefied horror on his face. "So the rich boy has finally revealed his lack of morals, and is taking steps to figure out how to betray us…"

"Do not. Call me. Rich boy." Togami glared with enough frost in his gaze to solve global warming.

"Y-yes sir!" And naturally, Yamada folded almost immediately.

"Besides," the blond teenager took on the posture of someone lecturing those beneath him, "if I wished to graduate, I would come up with something original. Otherwise, this game of ours would be incredibly boring. It's rare to have the chance to participate in such a high-stakes, high-tension activity. Take note, whoever tries to get out of here next should at least attempt to make it entertaining."

Very slowly, Naegi's hands curled into fists, but he held back the anger worming its way through his system. Calm down. It was just Togami being Togami. The Ultimate Affluent Progeny lived in a different world from the rest of the "peasants". It wouldn't be surprising if this was just another day at work for him.

"What the fuck do you mean, game!? That's fucked up!" Owada protested, but didn't do much else, visibly disturbed by the Scion's nonchalance.

He scoffed, sneering at the hoodlum. "It is a game. One of life or death, with only a single person able to stand on top. That's all this is." Naegi was pretty sure his hands would start bleeding with how tightly he was holding them.

"Indeed." His rage was briefly suppressed under the mild shock that came with Celeste's words. "It's a zero-sum game we've been forced to play."

Upon seeing the questioning (and horrified) looks directed her way, the Ultimate Gambler elaborated. "It's a principle in game theory, the mathematical study of how games work. Simply put, in order for one person to be able to gain something, another must lose something in the process. We are competing for something that only one of us can obtain, in the end."

"An elimination match…" Ogami breathed out, looking displeased despite her dawning understanding of the words being thrown around.

"Entrance exams, sports tournaments, job openings — most social interactions fall into this category. Everyone must scramble to obtain something which is limited. For you to succeed, someone else must fail. This also applies to the school life we have been subjected to here. In this case…" She trailed off. No one needed her to continue, and judging from the sudden tension in the air, everyone had figured out where this was going.

"Not the way I would have put it, but I suppose commoners are limited that way." Togami shrugged nonchalantly. "This Killing Game, as Monokuma so helpfully put it, was designed from the start to force one of us to try and defeat everyone else." Naegi remained silent, emotions swirling beneath a shaky facade of apathy. They were right after all. He didn't have to like it though.

"Which is why I mentioned that adaptability is key." Celeste clasped her hands together with a benign smile. "For if we simply let go of our attachments to the outside world, no one would have a reason to continue playing this game."

The Ultimate Affluent Progeny chuckled. It was a dark, cruel sound that made the hairs on his arms stand up. "But why would I want to withdraw from this game? It's so much fun…" Ah, there was the rage again.

"Oh?" Celeste put a hand to her mouth, an expression of mock surprise on her face. "Could it be that you do not even acknowledge the possibility of losing?"

"Naturally." Togami scoffed, turning his nose down at the other students. "It simply isn't possible."

"Jeez man…" Hagakure scratched the back of his head. "That's pretty arrogant of you."

"Yeah!" Asahina frowned, an expression that seemed out of place on the Swimmer's face. "What makes you so confident that you won't die?"

"It's cause he's the Togami heir." Enoshima spoke up, narrowing her eyes at the other blond. "Remember his Talent? The Ultimate Affluent Progeny. He's probably been in situations like this one since the day he was born."

"Huh." Togami looked mildly impressed. "Perhaps there is a brain in there after all." The Fashionista scowled, but before she could retort, Naegi silently signalled that it wasn't worth the trouble. Hypocritical of him, considering the anger still running through his veins.

"N-no, you're wrong!" Fujisaki stepped forward, managing to not quiver under the gaze of the other teenager. "Our lives are on the line! To even consider killing your own friends…that's…that's horrible!" The Luckster grimaced, a sliver of pity overriding his turbulent emotions. The Ultimate Programmer was a far kinder person than he was.

"Friends? Who decided that?"

"...huh?"

"Please, we were enemies from the start. Or do you need it to be spelled out for you?"

"B-but…you can't…"

"Can't what? Hasn't it been made abundantly clear?" Togami approached her, towering over the frightened girl. "There. Are. No. Friends. Here."

"S-still…" Fujisaki stuttered, fumbling to string together words while being put on the spot.

"Speak up!" The look in Togami's eyes was that of someone who had stepped in garbage. "If you have something to say, say it. If not, just keep that mouth shut."

"..." She looked like she was on the verge of tears, but was holding on admirably. Nonetheless, the exchange finally gave Naegi the push he needed. Stepping past the audience, he handed his bat to the Programmer.

"Would you kindly hold this for me?" He dropped it into her open hands before gently pushing her behind himself.

"Oh?" Togami smirked, crossing his arms over his chest. "I wouldn't take you to be the kind of person to play the white knight, Naegi Makoto."

The Lucky Student smiled, a pure, innocent thing that made everyone's skin crawl by looking at him.

"Don't worry, I'm not."

And in a move so unexpected and quick that even the Ultimate Martial Artist had no time to react, Naegi grabbed Togami by the face, kicking out his legs from underneath him in a fluid motion that ended with him driving the back of the Scion's skull into the library's floor with a meaty thud. Adjusting briefly to get a better grip, he repeatedly slammed the arrogant asshole's head into the floor.

"Play the game, why don't you?" Thunk. "Relish the stakes, why don't you?" Thunk! "Bully actual decent people, why don't you?" THUNK. "SPIT ON THE CORPSES OF OUR CLASSMATES, WHY DON'T YOU!?" THUNK!

Togami struggled underneath his iron grasp, spitting insults as Naegi continued to beat his head like a bongo drum. He could feel the Scion's muscles straining against his arms, but despite possessing a far better physicality compared to the somewhat frail Luckster, the fact that he had been knocked off balance and was now having his skull repeatedly introduced to the floor gave Naegi just enough of an advantage to continue his somewhat over the top assault. As he lifted the Ultimate's head for another savage hit, a strong pair of hands pulled him off his victim.

"That's enough!" Despite Ogami's commanding words, the Lucky Student continued to struggle against her, hatred and rage twisting into an emotional cocktail that urged him to keep moving, blood singing at the thought of putting the prick in his place. He twisted, trying to find a way to break Ogami's grasp as some of his other classmates crowded around Togami, acts of concern that were ultimately rebuffed with a sneer. Face contorting to display an abhorrent grimace, the Luckster itched to deliver just one more blow before Enoshima stepped into view.

"Naegi! Snap out of it!" Perhaps it was the fact that those words were coming from someone he still had a modicum of trust in. Perhaps it was because the normally unflappable Fashionista looked like she was on the verge of tears. Perhaps it was the sudden and startling realisation that he was acting far too much like a certain Ultimate Biker Gang Leader. Whatever it was, Enoshima's interjection gave his addled brain a moment of clarity.

He halfheartedly squirmed once more as the venom left his system, leaving behind an aching spot in his chest and exhaustion in his limbs. Slumping, Naegi dangled loosely in the headlock Ogami had put him in, staring down the angry Scion as he scrambled off the floor.

"Tell me, Togami Byakuya…" The words left his throat in little more than a croak, devoid of the anger that had fuelled his every strike. "Do you still feel so safe, up there on your gilded throne?"

"You—" The other teenager seemed genuinely at a loss for words. "—brain-dead, violent piece of garbage!" Naegi resisted the urge to laugh, settling for a taunting smirk that only served to make Togami even angrier.

"What's the matter?" He cocked his head mockingly. "Weren't you just going on about how this whole thing is a game?"

"I—" He paused, visibly at a loss. Rather than completing his sentence with a scathing remark like everyone was expecting, the Ultimate Affluent Progeny scowled, leaving the room without another word and slamming the door behind him. With him gone, the eyes of the other Ultimates immediately fell onto the still captured Luckster, whose face had returned to a neutral scowl.

"I'd like to go now, thank you very much." Ogami dropped him without a second thought, and Naegi dusted himself off before taking his bat back with a murmur of gratitude. Exiting, he immediately made a beeline for the bathroom, closing the door behind him gently before sliding down against it, hands clutching at his hair.

He couldn't lose it. Not here, not now.

He couldn't .