Class 78th Watches the Future

by Spirit Soldier

We know the story. Class 78th loses their memories, and were forced into the killing game. Only a few of them survive the game. And what happens when those sixteen students, their memories of each other intact, watch the Danganronpa series? What happens if they see their future selves killing each other? Watch, as Class 78th watches their future.

108. Break Chapter 5 Part 2

Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. So, I'll say straight up, this chapter was tough to nail down. Not a new experience, but it was difficult to find the right alignment of emotions. Didn't want to get too up in melodrama, but didn't want to make it all bland either. Hopefully, I was able to get the right frequency with this chapter. So, saying that, I hope you all enjoy.

Note: For all those aware of my Pat and Ko-fi accounts, I decided to close both. Started those accounts just out of curiosity, after seeing other Pat accounts from other fic writers. Now that it's been a few years(?) since that decision, it's clear that neither is gonna go anywhere anytime soon (If ever, lol). So best to just close up shop.

I appreciate the few who have donated to me over the past few years. But as I said, I don't see this becoming a side-gig at any point, and writing fics has been for fun anyways, so… (Shrug)

Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.

Chapter 107: Break Chapter 5 Part 2

If Hina were to say she was feeling better than before… it wouldn't be a lie. But it wouldn't be the whole truth either.

She thought she saw the worst of it with Sakura's death, the discovery of it being a suicide, her future self attempt to kill everyone, and finding out that she was tricked by Monokuma into doing it. She thought that after that chapter, things would look better for the remaining survivors.

But it didn't. Makoto was nearly murdered by the mastermind. After, Kyoko got framed for Mukuro's murder. Then in the trial, Kyoko framed Makoto, to save her butt. Then Hina's future self, along with everyone else, voted for Makoto. Again, Makoto nearly died, thanks to those votes. And now… now it was confirmed that Mukuro really is working for the mastermind.

And it wasn't a "would be working for them in the future" type thing. She's actually aligned with the bastard that would put them in that sick game at this very moment.

"So… are we gonna talk about how the freaking Ultimate Soldier is on the mastermind's payroll?" Leon was the first to speak up in this tense silence.

Over half the class was gathered around the middle of the recreational/lunch room, some having their meals while others had yet to get anything. The ones who weren't in this gathering were Byakuya, Sayaka, Kyoko, Junko, Makoto, and Mukuro (The very topic of their discussion).

"What is there to discuss, Leon dear?" Celeste sighed, before taking a sip of her milk tea. "Mukuro made it clear where her stance is. There's not much to discuss."

"But… shouldn't we, I dunno, do something about it?" Hiro proposed, one of the more unnerved of the students. "Tie her up? Restrain her? Make sure she can't do anything?"

"Oh? And I suppose you're willing to lead the charge against her?" Celeste pointedly inquired. When Hiro went pale at the suggestion, she continued. "See? Out of all of us, only Sakura has the best of subduing her. Chances are higher with Mondo and Genocide Jill, maybe, but she is the Ultimate Soldier for a reason. It's just as likely that she bests all three of them as it is they all subdue her."

"...Ain't gonna argue with that." Mondo grunted, looking away. Even if he was willing to fight a girl, he'd rather not find out what she could do with that knife of hers, if he could help it.

"In other words, it would be foolhardy to try and restrain her now." Sakura concluded, also making no disagreements with her chances. "Especially with our host being likely to stop any conflict between us."

"T-Then… what s-should we do?" Toko asked nervously, wringing her hands together. "Cause i-it's not like we can just leave her alone. E-Especially once we're b-back home…"

"...Why can't we?" At Chihiro's hesitant question, eyes turned towards him. Those eyes caused the programmer to shrink; however, he continued. "I mean… Makoto said that we should wait until the end of this viewing to decide what to do. For Mukuro to figure out where she stands."

"That is true…" Taka nodded to this, being the first to concede to that point. "And it would be dishonorable to ignore our class representative like that."

Chihiro nodded back in return. "And beside, I… I want to trust her." He admitted. "She says that she considers us friends. That none of the time with us was fake. I… want to believe what she says is the truth."

'...I do too.' Hina thought to herself, clenching her fists anxiously. Despite whatever betrayal she felt at Mukuro's admittance, she wanted to believe that the soldier was a friend. That none of the time spent together was fake.

"She also stated that she plans to protect Mr. Naegi…" Hifumi then brought up; a line of sweat across his forehead. "From anyone. And considering how many of us would potentially wrong him in the future…"

That brought more than a few flinches, a couple of shivers, and some tenseness overall. Hina herself flinched and looked down, guilt swelling her heart.

It wasn't just the fact that her future self voted for him, despite likely knowing that he was innocent (She hoped that she did. Or she really was an idiot). It was also her attempt at killing everyone, Makoto included, for Sakura's death. She couldn't help but feel as though she was a bad friend, when Makoto did nothing but support everyone.

"I wonder what Makoto's feeling right now…" Hina said softly. She paid no mind to the attention on her as she spoke. "After seeing all that… getting framed by Kyoko, being voted for, nearly seeing himself dying for that fake trial…"

"Doubt the dude feeling good…" Leon remarked morosely, his arms folded on the table. "Probably feeling worse than after the first trial. With all the shit that happened, we could've at least fell back on the fact we barely knew each other; with the memory wipe and all. Now though…?"

"Even if it wasn't for as long as us, the survivors probably got some sort of bond going." Mondo spoke in agreement. "Surviving together can do that for people."

The group went silent, all of them wondering what they could do. Throughout this entire thing, Makoto did everything he could to help them. To bring them up at their low points, after witnessing themselves kill and betray each other. Now… it seems as though it's their turn to help him.

But what could they do? What could they say that would help him?

"...Hopefully Kyoko and Makoto can speak with one another." Taka remarked. "A discussion between the two should help with what they've witnessed."

"Or make it worse…" Leon muttered loudly. "Remember, this is our Ice Queen we're dealing with…"

'...Hard to argue with that.' Hina admitted to herself. A part of her instinctively wanted to defend her friend, to say that she's able to make up with Makoto. However, she knew Kyoko wasn't the most… social of people.

And she still felt conflicted over what the future version of the detective did to Makoto…

"Speaking of that Ice Queen…" Mondo then spoke, his eyes on another side of the room. "I see her and Sayaka at one of the booths."

That got heads to swivel where the biker was looking at; and sure enough, the blue-haired idol and the lavender-haired detective were sitting across from each other, staring each other down.

"...Who wants to bet that hands are gonna fly?"

"We're relying on you to get between them if need be Sakura…"

All that was felt was dread over the confrontation that was about to happen.

(With Sayaka and Kyoko)

Things were silent as the two girls sat across from each other in one of the booths. They paid no mind to any attention that was on them, and merely stared each other down; neither giving anything to the other in their gazes.

It was Sayaka who spoke first. "...You betrayed him."

Kyoko said nothing in response. Merely stayed silent, as her hands involuntarily clenched into fists.

"You set him up to be implicated as the killer." Sayaka continued flatly. "And you knew, knew that he was protecting you. That he kept quiet for your sake. Yet you did nothing in return."

"If I recall, my future self went down to the garbage chute to-"

"Only AFTER he was saved by Alter Ego! And I very much doubt she knew that that would happen!" Sayaka cut off sharply. "Your future self was expecting him to DIE by an execution made for her! There's no twisting that!"

Kyoko fell silent at that. The idol took a deep breath before continuing. "What I'm getting at is that you're a damn hypocrite, Kyoko!" She stated bluntly. "You speak about betraying others' trust, about being arrogant, about stepping into danger… yet when it comes down to it, you are not any better than any of us."

"From the start, you've kept almost everything from the class. Not bothering to find and trust SOMEBODY until Makoto forced his way into your heart." Sayaka began listing off. "You gave the others no reason to trust you, practically made it to where the mastermind could easily frame you. Yet when faced with that, you almost immediately directed suspicion on the person you KNEW didn't do it. A boy who trusted you, who was your SOLE ally, and who was more than willing to help figure out the actual truth!"

"In other words, you took one of the most cowardly ways out! That tells me that YOU were the arrogant one! That you're unable to face the danger when the odds aren't stacked in your favor! That you have no trouble stabbing people in the back for your own survival!"

Sayaka then went quiet, taking a few calming breaths to ease her temper once more. Kyoko, meanwhile, continued to be deathly silent; the only indication of her emotions was the slight bow of her head, hiding her eyes from view.

"...And what would you have had me do? What could my future self do in that situation?" Despite the sharp sounding words, the detective's voice was soft; indicating the effects the idol's words had on her. "You saw what happened. Monokuma ended the trial before we could reach the actual truth. What could I have said to save both my life, and Makoto's?"

"...I don't know. I honestly don't know what would've been the right option" The idol conceded quietly. But she then gave another sharp look to Kyoko. "But if you were unwilling to face the consequences of the distrust you gathered, you should've been more open. Been more willing to find allies amongst our class, rather than do everything yourself. You EARNED all the suspicion from the others. You should've expected, prepared even, for something like that trial to happen."

"Easy to say. However, your future self proved no better than m-"

A loud and heavy slam of the table stopped Kyoko's words to a halt, the source coming from Sayaka. The idol was standing from her seat, a dark glare now aimed at the lavender-haired Ultimate.

"Don't. Kyoko." Sayaka hissed darkly. "Don't you dare use my mistakes, my own shortcomings, to hide behind yours. I'm aware of my guilt. I KNOW what I need to change about myself. Question is… do you?"

"..." Kyoko honestly didn't know what she could say to that. Does she? Does she know her own shortcomings? Her own flaws; what she needs to improve on?

She likes to say yes. That she has a decent grasp on herself, of what she's capable of, of what she may need to improve herself on. But this viewing… it's making her question that.

"Makoto will forgive you…" Sayaka said with a soft, almost melancholic sigh. "Even if it isn't immediately, he won't hold this against you. That's one of the many great things about him; he just isn't able to hold grudges like that. However… that isn't something you should take for granted."

"You saw it for yourself; what your future self did hurt him. Left a crack in his heart." The idol's words actually got a flinch from Kyoko. "Again, you spoke about not standing betrayal; but when backed to the wall, you stabbed him in the back. Used him as a human shield. Abandoned him, when he had protected you. That'll be something that sticks with him, even after he forgives you. Makoto… I'm worried that all this will impact him in a bad way."

Honestly, that was a concern for Kyoko as well. How much was this affecting Makoto? How much of his feelings was he attempting to keep to himself? Or suppress, rather. "What is your point, Sayaka?"

The Ultimate Pop Sensation then gave a determined, almost scary glare. "The first point is that you need to get a good look at yourself, Kyoko." She said firmly. "Figure out why others may not be able to trust you. Why would you be capable of betraying the one person who continued to have your back. Figure out that, so that you don't end up making the same mistake your future self did."

"And my second point… I'm giving the same warning you gave to me." The idol's gaze then became fiercer. "If you betray Makoto like that again, try to use him like your future self did several times… I won't stay quiet. You'll be hearing from me; and I suggest you don't take me lightly, Kyoko."

"...I understand." While the detective was not at all frightened by Sayaka, she doesn't plan on taking the threat lightly. She was aware that the idol can use her resources in dark, advantageous ways.

After staring her down for a moment, Sayaka nodded assuredly and made to leave. However, after taking a few steps, she stopped. "...One more thing. Take down that wall of yours." She said softly. "It may help you with plenty of things, but that ironclad mask you hold onto proudly can make things hard on you. Especially when you need allies. Friends."

"You don't have to be on guard all the time. You don't always need to be the Ultimate Detective. Learn to just take off the mask sometimes. Learn to be more honest around others. And yourself."

With that, the idol left the detective to herself. With thoughts and feelings that the lavender-haired girl has little experience in.

There were plenty of things she felt she should be pondering on right now. Connecting more of the pieces on what happened in the future. The amount of power and influence the mastermind has, or will have. The very identity of the mastermind; an identity she felt more and more confident in deducing.

However… all she could think of was the boy who was able to get through her guarded heart. The boy whom her future self turned her back on. The boy that got her eyes stinging with unshed tears.

(With Sayaka)

Sayaka had to take some more deep breaths to calm herself. Her talk with Kyoko had caused a lot of the anger she had held come up in a wave, and it took everything in her not to resort to anything physical. ESPECIALLY when Kyoko attempted to deflect her actions with the idol's own mistakes.

Honestly, she wasn't exactly sure what brought her to say those last words. But despite all the anger she felt at the detective, she still considered her a friend. She may not be as close with her as she is with Makoto, or Hina, or even Leon; but she was a friend nonetheless.

And that friend needed to know that the wall placed around herself can hurt her, if she continued to hold it up high.

'Makoto…' Heading up the stairs to her room, the idol's thoughts drifted towards her favorite fan. Worry swelled deep in her heart as she thought about Makoto's current state.

This viewing was taking a toll on him. It wasn't so noticeable before, due to everyone else's reaction; but it's clear now that a lot of what they've seen is affecting him.

The murders and executions alone were traumatizing enough, for everyone. No doubt he blamed himself for many of them, if not all of them. There was also him seeing the worst side of many of their classmates, herself included.

And those worse sides ended up targeting him half the time.

'What does he think about all of this…?' Sayaka thought anxiously, her hands clenched together with mixed emotions. 'About all of us…?'

She wasn't lying when she told Kyoko that Makoto would forgive her. She truly believed that, as she saw the luckster's near endless capacity for hope and forgiveness. But how much can one take? How many times does someone have to be let down by those they trust before they can no longer forgive?

How close were they to that breaking point? And was there anything they could all do to make it right? To show that they don't take his friendship for granted? Something she could do to show how much she cares for him?

(With Junko)

Throughout the week they've spent in this mysterious place, Junko was met with various surprises from this viewing.

Being able to actually see their future was a definite and obvious shock. No matter her analytical skills, there was nothing that would've let her predict that. Then there were the actions her classmates took in despair, that was a joy to see.

There were also surprising moments where those same classmates were able to cling onto hope, somehow. Now those moments were much less pleasant. And of course, there were the moments of Makoto's luck kicking in, something she had no way of predicting.

But now? What happened at the end of chapter 5 felt like the biggest shock. Mukuro all but outright betrayed her. Revealed herself as the Ultimate Despair. Made a declaration of protection to that stupid herbivore man. Had thoughts about turning against her period!

It was such a shock to her system that she didn't have the mind to confront her useless grunt of a sister. Or even observe her classmates in any capacity. She merely headed up to her room to analyze the whole situation.

'I still can't believe it. This was the closest Muku ever went to outright betraying me!' Junko thought to herself. 'I honestly thought there was a traitorous bone in her body for a time! And I don't know if I should be angry or proud!'

Angry for the obvious reason of betrayal and all. Proud because that's exactly what she wanted from her sister! For her to turn her back on her, completely and utterly… even going the sneaky route and quite literally stab her…!

Just the despair of that thought left her squirming in her bed.

Which makes her go back to angry again because her dear, useless, ugly sister didn't have the courtesy to go all the way in her betrayal! She's being a line straggler!

'So… what pushed her to actually confess outright?' Junko mused to herself. It couldn't have been Muku's own death. If that was the breaking point, she would've told the others right before the second chapter. Or at the end of chapter 4, when she got outed as the Ultimate Despair.

'Maybe when it's revealed that her corpse got played with and blown up…?' The fashionista then thought. No, that didn't sound right either. She never pegged Muku as the type to care for dead bodies, even her own.

'Which would mean… lucky boy was Muku's breaking point.' Junko finally concluded. That's the only thing that made sense. Especially with her sister's cute, little declaration.

But for him to be able to turn her sister like that… have her practically choose his hope over her despair… just the thought of that made her bite her lips hard enough to nearly draw blood.

'Makoto Naegi…' That naive, weak, dorky, pathetically normal twerp… so many times he defied despair. Showed a strong will that someone as average as him has no right to have. Out of all her beloved classmates, he kept continuing to shine brighter and brighter with that disgusting hope.

To the point that she found herself shaking… shaking with fear…

'Just you wait, lucky boy…' Junko vowed to herself; ignoring what shake she felt in her hands. 'I'll show you. Show you that your hope is pathetic when faced with despair.'

(With Makoto)

He doesn't know how long it's been since he confined himself in his room.

It could've been an hour or two. Could've been thirty minutes. Could be the rest of the day. It could be midnight by now. But for the lucky student, all that time passed by without him as much as blinking about it.

All his mind was filled with was the future they had witnessed. The killing game that they would've entered into (Or maybe still could). The deaths of his classmates and friends… the betrayals and hostility that came with all those deaths.

The betrayal he had suffered…

He doesn't blame Hina, Hiro, Toko, or Byakuya. It hurts, yes, that they would think that he was the killer, when there were no definitive options. But he couldn't find it in him to cast blame onto any of them for what had happened; not when Monokuma forced all their hands.

And that's what has been happening. The psychopath hiding behind the bear has been forcing everyone's hands, in some shape or level. Wiping their memories for one, so they have no knowledge of what happened in the outside world. No awareness of the bond they all forged with each other, one that likely got stronger over the course of the next year or so.

And to push them to start killing, he presented them these "motives". Showing them glimpses as to what happened to their loved ones. Threaten to reveal their deepest, darkest secrets. Actively made the survivors more hostile to each other. Keeping out any access to the outside world, made them more and more claustrophobic.

All the deaths, all the betrayals, all the conflict… all of it can be pointed to the mastermind. That included Kyoko's own actions. Cornering him during the trial, and her inaction during the results… it was all due to the fake trial the mastermind had set up.

He kept telling himself that; and he honestly did believe that, from the bottom of his heart.

So… why? Why does thinking about it all hurt so much?

Why does he find it so hard to get over events that haven't even happened yet?

'C'mon Makoto, get a grip…' The lucky student told himself in frustration, his grip around his knees growing tighter. 'We still have one chapter left. We need to finish it! I can't start getting cold feet now! Otherwise, all this… it WILL happen!'

There was no turning back. He can't afford to have second thoughts on continuing. He got to let this go. Stop these feelings from turning into something worse. Something ugly.

"I wouldn't let you get framed for something you didn't do, Makoto. No matter the situation."

So why was it so hard to let it go?

Suddenly, a knock on the door echoed in the room, jolting Makoto from his spiralling thoughts. He found himself tensing up when a very familiar voice came after.

"Makoto? It's me, Kyoko. Can we… Can we talk?"

(With Kyoko)

Growing up, the life of a detective was pretty much all that she was raised on. There were one or two friends, sure, and she had at least a decent relationship with her grandfather; but she wasn't allowed to think beyond the cold, logical life of being a Kirigiri detective.

That left things such as emotions and empathy… rather difficult to grasp. She doesn't dismiss those feelings; as she had told Byakuya, people simply didn't run in cold logic and diagrams. Emotions, after all, are what drive people to commit many of the crimes out there. But she found it hard to connect with others at a deeper level, not helped by the wall she placed around herself.

It was not something she thought about often, as she had become certain of her path. She would become a detective, take the path her father ran away from, and confront her father in order to sever all ties with him completely. She never wavered from any of that, not even when she first entered Hope's Peak.

However… Makoto managed to enter into the wall she so carefully placed around her. His foolish openness was able to penetrate her defenses, resulting in him becoming Kyoko's first friend in Hope's Peak.

That, in turn, led to her steadily becoming closer with the class. Close enough to when they found out about Toko's DID persona, Genocide Jack, she was willing to agree to keep it a secret. Something that her grandfather would venomously disapprove of. That would've had her past self glare coldly at anyone who would suggest hiding a crime.

And now… this viewing, this glimpse into the future… it had her questioning things more often than she was comfortable with. Had her actually wondered if the Kirigiri way of being a detective had flaws.

Got her constantly thinking of the things her father said; moments before this "trip" happened.

"I do wish that I could've gotten you away from your grandfather. That I never accepted his invitation back into the family. You may not believe, or even see it all as a good thing in the end… but I truly am sorry for leaving you, Kyoko."

Kyoko did her best to ignore that memory, that talk between her and her father. To push it back for a later date. For now… she needs to focus on talking to Makoto. Give as sincere an apology as she could. So, pushing back these conflicting emotions, Kyoko knocked on the door of the lucky student's room.

"Makoto? It's me, Kyoko. Can we… Can we talk?"

(Present)

There was a tense, awkward silence as the two Ultimates sat across each other on the bed. Both looked as though they were trying to find the right words, with Makoto's open anxiety while Kyoko had a more subtle, yet noticeable look of guilt and uncertainty.

Finally, it was Kyoko who spoke first. "...I'm sorry." She stated, trying to sound as sincere as possible. "What my future self did… it was a horrible thing to do. I shouldn't have abandoned you. Shouldn't have implicated you in the first place. You supported me, and yet…"

"Kyoko." Cutting her off, Makoto placed a hand over one of her glove-covered ones. His sudden touch made the girl tense, yet she didn't do anything to go against it. "You don't have to say anymore, I… I understand why your future self did what she did. We were all stuck between a rock and a hard place. Monokuma didn't give us any choice in what we could do."

"...You say that, yet… your future self kept quiet for me." Kyoko found herself arguing. A slight crease between her brow formed as she spoke. "You had all the reason to reveal the key, and tear apart my alibi. Yet you didn't… even when eyes started getting aimed at you. So… can I really say that there was no other choice? That…?"

That was something she was grappling with ever since their break started. What could her future self have done? What third option was there to save both of them? Was the choice only between her and Makoto? And if so… should she have been willing to sacrifice herself for Makoto? Be more willing to defend him, even if it puts herself more at risk?

Even now, what her future self chose to do felt like the wrong choice. So was there really no other option out there?

"I can't expect you to risk your life for me, even if I did that for you…" Makoto responded back softly. "You wanted to live. I understand that. I may not condone you implicating me, implicating anyone, for something you know they didn't do… but I'm not gonna condemn you for making a different choice. Especially when your future self went down to save me after."

"I guess, what I'm trying to get is… I forgive you. I don't hold anything your future self has done for you."

…It felt wrong. Being forgiven so easily. Kyoko didn't feel that was the type for the whole "I'm unworthy of this or that" melodrama… but letting herself be forgiven just like that just didn't sit right with her. So she looked up at him, trying to find the right words to convey her feelings.

And that's when the detective got a proper look of Makoto's expression.

On the surface, he seemed… at peace. Calm. Like he made peace with all that had happened. However, Kyoko was easily able to see through that… and saw the turmoil the lucky student was feeling. The sadness, the hurt, that was being reflected in his eyes.

That was enough to get Kyoko to move.

Makoto thought nothing of the shuffling sounds he heard beside him. The hug from behind, however, definitely caught his attention. He immediately stiffened up in surprise, his eyes widening and blush forming across his cheeks at the sudden act of affection. His surprise only grew when he felt coarse, rough skin across his stomach. When he looked down, it confirmed his suspicion immediately.

"K-Kyo-?!"

"Sshh. Don't worry about it." Kyoko said softly, ignoring the blush across her own cheeks. "I just… I just needed to show that I care for you. And felt that this was the best way to do so."

Quickly getting flustered, Makoto tried to protest this. "Y-You don't need to that-"

"I do." But Kyoko wasn't having it, and firmly insisted. "I'm…. I'm not the best when it comes to expressing myself. This viewing made that abundantly clear. But I can't… can't just walk away when I know how much all this is affecting you."

Her words caused Makoto to flinch, with the lucky student looking down. "It's… I'll be alright, Kyoko. It's not as-"

"Don't lie. I can tell that you're hurt by all this. By the trial. Maybe even the previous chapters." Kyoko cut off softly. "So… you should be allowed to vent. To let it all out. Everything you've felt and gone through."

The luckster felt both his fists and teeth clenched. "All of it was in the future… with our memories taken… I can't hold it…"

"Makoto… it isn't healthy to bottle all this up." Kyoko told him, keeping her voice gentle. "One way or another, these feelings will burst. So just… vent. For tonight… let yourself any grievance you have with us. Any of us."

"I can't just… it's not fair to…"

Finally… something broke. If asked, Makoto wouldn't be able to state exactly what. But like a crack in a dam, a leak slowly started to take place.

"...It hurts." He finally admitted. Pain echoed across his voice as he spoke. "It hurts so much… to think that everyone would vote for me. Would choose me as the killer."

Slowly, tears started trickling down the luckster's eyes. "I know that there was hardly any other option. That it was between me and you. But… damn it! Why me?! Why would they think I'm the killer?! Why couldn't they have done something else?! Anything else?!"

Kyoko gave no answer to his question. Merely tightened her hug, as she attempted to ignore the stinging she was unfortunately becoming familiar with in her eyes.

"And it wasn't just that trial either!" Makoto continued in anguish. "Sayaka is trying to pin the crime on me… everything thinking I killed her… Celeste's motive for trying to escape… Hina's attempt to kill everyone, including herself! I can't help but feel like I've been stabbed, multiple times! Feel as though that if it comes down to it, all of you are willing to throw me into the fire!"

A part of him wished that he didn't sound so pathetic right now. That he could at least stop the tears trickling down. But at this point, he felt too tired to control himself. All he could do was just rant at this moment.

"And Kyoko…" Finally, attention was given to the detective behind him. "I trusted you! I supported you! Future me did all that he could to get you to believe in him! But in return for that… you left me to die! If it wasn't for Alter Ego, I would've been crushed by the compactor! You didn't even trust me enough to try and work with me to prove your innocence!"

"Just… why?! Why couldn't you bring yourself to trust me?!"

"I'm sorry."

"Even at the end of the third trial, when you said you could try trusting me a little, you just used me as bait! Just to see how the mastermind would react!"

"I'm sorry."

"And when faced with that fake trial, you threw suspicion at me! Straight up implicated me as the killer when damn well know I didn't do it! You did it not to solve the mystery; but to save yourself! To get the heat off of you!"

"I'm sorry."

"I know all this is in the future… that none of it happened… that a lot of it couldn't be helped… but I can't help but feel let down. As if my belief, my hope, in everyone is being mocked at every turn…" At this point, the luckster's voice turned slightly rough. Softer, weaker than it was before, as if energy was zapped out of him.

"And what makes it worse is… is that I still have trust in everyone here…" Makoto then confessed. "Even now, I still think of everyone here as friends. I still want to believe in all of our better nature… and it hurts so much when that belief keeps getting thrown away…"

Kyoko couldn't say anything else. Merely apologized further as she snuggled further into him… attempting to hide the tears that finally trickled down her face. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"

It was at this moment… that Kyoko promised herself that she won't make the same mistakes her future self has made. That she'll take a good look at herself. Be sure that she's someone who can better trust others, and gain that trust in return. Even if that means she had to question a lot of the Kirigiri traditions.

She'll do all that she can to become a more trustworthy detective; and a better friend. Especially for the luckster wrapped tightly around her arms.

And that's the end. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Again, it was tough to write this all down. I knew I wanted a confrontation between Sayaka and Kyoko, and a talk between Kyoko and Makoto was a given. Just wasn't completely certain how either would look. Hope both met your expectations, at least on some levels.

Honestly, there were several different ways I'd imagined the Chapter Five break playing out, with several different characters talking with one another/Makoto. In the end, I really couldn't implement all of them, at least not now; otherwise, it would've likely looked convoluted. So yeah, this is what I've settled with. Anyways, the next chapter will likely start the reaction of the sixth chapter, with a few things wrapped up beforehand. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you later.