Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“How’s it going?”

“Right on schedule. Looks like the program has selected Sayaka Maizono to make the first attempt.”

“Makes sense. Think he’ll survive?”

“Nah, he’s too trusting. I’d put it at ten-to-one against. He’ll be done in time to join the other students for lunch.”

“…I wouldn’t be too sure about that. Take a look at their movement.”

“Hmm? …She didn’t attack him. What happened? Where is he going?”

“Hold on, I’m checking the logs… It looks like they’re switching rooms for the night. What?”

“According to the persona box, she’s planning to kill Leon Kuwata instead… Interesting. He managed to get close enough to her to keep her from killing him directly.”

“He’ll still die in the trial, though, right?”

“No. Not with this cast of characters and this difficulty level. As long as he puts up even a token defense, Kirigiri will carry him through the rest. Looks like I was wrong. He’ll be in there a while longer after all. Better send a memo to the teachers, just in case.”

----

“…He did a lot better than I expected.”

“Agreed. Look at the log. Pretty interesting, that he’s keeping focused that well.”

P1: The only one who’s evil here is that thing what we should be fighting isn’t one another it’s that guy the single person who planned all of this

“Heh. Not bad. By the way, I was looking at the backlog earlier. Apparently, he told Oowada that he likes bears?”

“…I’m turning up the difficulty for the next round. Let’s see what this Luckster can do.”

----

“Hey, I brought you lunch. The chef made this really good beef stir fry stuff. What’d I miss?”

“Thanks. I dialed down Kirigiri’s helpfulness, made her more of a mentor, but it looks like he’s still gonna pass the second round easily. He didn’t even pass out when he saw the body this time, even though it was… pretty gruesome.”

“You sound almost proud of him.”

“Maybe a little. He’s pretty likable, you know? More than a lot of these super-geniuses. I guess I’m starting to root for him to win.”

“…But this is a D-course simulation. There is no winning in these.”

“Then why am I having to increase the difficulty settings again? Here, help me brainstorm ways to test these bonds of trust he keeps forming with the characters. I’ve already set up a mole plot line to be introduced in the next round.”

“How about…”

----

“…Well. So much for the double murder angle. He didn’t get misled for a second, even as convoluted as it was.”

“Too convoluted. I wonder if the simulation is becoming unstable? Or maybe it’s him.”

“Him?”

“He’s too friendly, with everyone. It’s distorting the intended narrative.”

“Hmm. Too bad the ones he starts focusing on keep getting picked as victims or murderers. Hope it won’t have a permanent effect on him.”

“That’s happening on purpose, but I don’t think that’s going to be an issue. Look.”

P1: I’m worried about you during most of the investigation this morning you were gone and no one knew where you were an then you refused to give an explanation I don’t know what to think

SKiKi: So you suspect me of being a mole don’t you

P1: Never I believe in you Kirigiri san

“…He’s enduring it. Gotta say, I’m starting to like him too. Wish my kid was that strong. How many more rounds until the endgame?”

“At the rate people are dying, just one. Not sure what’s going to happen, but the system’s narrative forecast says that Alter Ego thing is gonna bite it too.”

“So, their only hope for taking over the system will be gone. Rough.”

“Has to happen. Having a Super Duper High School Programmer in the cast isn’t part of the base scenario. Besides, there’s no winning these things, remember?”

“Yeah, sure. Gonna turn up the difficulty again?”

“Of course. As high as it’ll go.”

----

“So, a locked room murder with multiple red herrings, massive inter-personal conflict, that gut-wrenching suicide note, and their AI buddy got mooshed, and he still manages to bring them all together. Mentally, he’s going stronger than ever. Who would have guessed?”

“This simulation was meant to strengthen him through difficult trials. Well, it succeeded. Here, take a look. I’ve altered some things for the endgame.”

“…You’re going to make him sick… And you changed the identity of the mastermind?”

“The Mercenary is too obvious, but this alternative? He’ll never see it coming.”

“Because you’re breaking continuity.”

“It’s all seamless. Look, see? I’ve explained how it all works. And the kid never really talked to her, so he won’t have any background to notice the switch.”

“…You made them into twin sisters. The mastermind killed her, right? That’s pretty twisted.”

“If it weren’t, it wouldn’t fit. The simulation is running with all settings maxed out. You know how the D-sims get under those circumstances.”

----

“Give me a report, NOW!”

“Headmaster! Uh, excuse the food we have in here. The simulation’s taking a lot longer than expected, but-“

“You’re putting a first year through a Despair-course simulation! Are you insane!?”

“Sir, the board gave approval. It’s to strengthen-“

“You alone are responsible for the exercises performed by this lab. I don’t care if he is this year’s Luckster, if he’s permanently damaged by this-“

“Sir, he’s winning.”

“He’s… D-course simulations don’t have victory conditions. The mastermind is guaranteed to crush the player in the end.”

“Nonetheless, sir, take a look at the narrative forecast.”

“…Give me a report, what’s his mental status?”

“His stress levels are extremely high, but he’s managed to single-handedly hold his peers together and maintained his composure better than anyone we’ve put through this simulation. Even better than… the candidate. Sir, I think we need to continue.”

“…I want updates every half hour, and two people in here watching him at all times.”

“Yes, sir.”

----

“That was close.”

“Ugh, tell me about it. Still, it’s almost over. He’ll raise doubts about Kirigiri, the mastermind will cut the trial short, the frame-up will be complete, and the simulation will go into a holding pattern. The end.”

“Anti-climactic. Same outcome that the candidate got. Well, at least he didn’t kill anyone like the others who tried this simulation. You don’t think the headmaster will give this kid… Wait, something’s happening.”

“What? He’s… been declared guilty!?”

“This can’t be right! The script says he never even gave the evidence against Kirigiri! Check the mastermind’s persona box!”

“…Inconceivable. His faith drove the mastermind to panic. She turned it around on him instead. Now he’s going to be executed.”

“No, look at the narrative forecast.”

“What? It… How!? The Alter Ego program survived, and hacked the execution device to save him!?”

“…The simulation just made a request that addition system resources be allocated for its narrative kernel. What should we do?”

“…Do it, and call the headmaster. This is going to be a long night.”

----

“What’s happening now?”

“Headmaster, sir, we’re seeing emergent behavior in the simulation. The mastermind has deprioritized its original agenda, and fixated on breaking the player. According to the narrative forecast, she’s been driven to become so desperate that the program has spontaneously generated a… possible victory condition.”

“How possible?”

“…Barely. It borrowed the backstory from the D-1 simulation. The post-societal collapse one. It intends to break the classmate characters’ spirits with it, and unless the player can save all of them, he’ll die.”

“…”

“Sir, I have to admit, I’m feeling misgivings about continuing this now. The stress from this revelation, and then being abandoned by his companions…”

“…No. Continue. The simulator is fair. Let’s see if he can beat this no-win scenario.”

----

“…I can’t believe it. He pulled it off.”

“Congratulations, gentlemen. I have never been more pleased by a result from this simulation lab.”

“Shall we end it now, sir?”

“Oh, come now. Don’t you want to see what the good ending of a Despair-course simulation looks like?”

“…Well, if you put it that way…”

----

Naegi almost felt like giggling at his friends as they bickered around him, about self-destruct devices, and what they’d find outside. His skin tingled from his cheeks his stomach from the anticipation. He knew they’d probably stick together for at least a little while once they get out there, but somehow this seemed like an end. And he was feeling more than a little melancholy. Far too many friends were missing. There should be sixteen people present, not six. Secretly, maybe he’d even miss this place a little. As much as he hated it, and would be glad not to worry in the back of his mind that he’d be killed at any second, he feel like he grew up here. For better or for worse, it was a part of him, and after Maizono died, he’d resolved to always carry his burdens forward and not forget the past, no matter how painful. That was his Hope.

Finally, they wouldn’t let him stall any longer. He pressed the escape switch, and a loud klaxon sounded in the entry hall. The guns retracted into the ceiling, the door lit up, and at last they started to slide apart sideways. Funny, somehow he always thought they would open vertically… And then between the crack, it hit him. Sun. It felt like years since he last felt the sun on his face. Just with that, it felt like everything was going to be all right. With just the sun, and his friends by his side, for just a moment it seemed like he could accomplish anything. It was the happiest moment of his life.

----

“All right, cut it.”

Chapter Text

Episode 1: The Second Day Transfer Student, Super Normal Days

When Naegi woke, his room was bigger than he remembered. It was equipped with a large work desk, a mini-fridge and a flat-screen TV. The bed was more comfortable too. But the most important difference was the mid-morning sun, streaming in through purposefully uncovered windows, warming his body. He had almost forgotten how much he missed the sun.

He had laid under that sun last morning as well, and stayed in bed all day. He had been told to get some rest, but even though he felt numb in mind and body, it took him nearly eighteen hours to fall asleep, after he was released from… that.

Thankfully, his complete exhaustion spared him from any dreams.

It was so weird. He was prepared to deal with anything, or so he thought. A ruined world, an army trying to destroy what remained of civilization, whatever. But this? Objectively, it was the best outcome for him. Better than even he could have hoped for. But it was like being dunked into freezing water. When they woke him up at the end of the… simulation, it took them a while to calm him down and explain what they had done to him. He kinda regretted now the way he screamed at them. He was really rude, but they deserved it. They admitted that they deserved it, and that just made it worse.

“The students of this school bring hope to the entire country. Did you think when you accepted our invitation that we’d just give you a series of self-help lectures? To make you the best you could possibly be, we gave you an opportunity to find yourself, or find yourself lacking, and you exceeded all of our expectations by far.”

How was he supposed to accept that? The part of him that was capable of understanding their view was a tiny, tiny voice at that point. They told him that he did the impossible, but all he heard was that his suffering was a lie, and his friends, who he loved more than life, had never existed. No, that wasn’t quite true. They existed, but not as he knew them.

“The simulation took their psychological profiles and extrapolated from there. Also, it used your own mind to fill in a lot of the details, just like what happens in a dream, in order to save on processing power. So while most of the information you were given about them is true, the real people will be quite different. For example, we would not knowingly invite an insane serial murderer into our school.”

What do you even say to that? How was he supposed to feel? Naegi didn’t have a clue. He didn’t feel anything inside except tired, even after all that rest. But he did feel the sun. He had already taken a day off. Now he had to press on. Optimism was his only strong point after all, or as they put it, he was “pathologically determined.” If only he could just…

His body bolted up from bed, already stripping off the pajamas he’d been given. He showered, dressed, and made his bed, taking refuge in that feeling of purpose that had sustained him during the very worst times. It lasted until he exited his room, and ran directly into a food cart being pushed by a young woman. Naegi froze in his tracks, taken in a moment of panic from meeting someone he didn’t recognize. But only for a moment.

“Uwaaaa!” By some bizarre happenstance, the young woman, no, girl ended up overbalancing and doing a little pirouette towards Naegi before tumbling backwards. He could see exactly where this was going.

“Look out!” He moved to catch her, but as he did he came to realize the limitations of his undersized body, when compared to the very much not-undersized body of the person he was trying to help. He caught her around the middle from behind, only for the two of them to tumble together, landing with her on top of him, back to front. Naegi groaned under her weight, but told himself that at least he had avoided her embarrassing herself too much. She had probably come to help him, after all.

“Oh, oh my. I’m so sorry.” The girl said as she stood and bowed repeatedly in apology.

Naegi got up carefully, making sure her bowing didn’t end with them knocking heads together. “No, it’s okay. I did rush out pretty suddenly. I’m Makoto Naegi.”

“Ah, yes, I know. I was assigned to your care. Uh, th-thank you for catching me like that. Most people would just let me fall.”

Naegi frowned slightly. Surely not most people. Several awkward seconds passed. “So… What’s your name?”

The girl gasped exaggeratedly. “Oh, how rude of me! I’m Mikan Tsumiki, Super Duper High School Nurse. You didn’t seem to notice me yesterday, but I was the one bringing your food… that you didn’t eat. Ah, I’m in the year above you, as well.” Naegi thought he could be mistaken, but it seemed like she was happy just because he asked about her. Weird. So was her reaction to him catching her.

“You’re a nurse? That would have come in handy.” Naegi shook his head at his own comment, reminding himself that that didn’t really happen. “Anyway, it’s much better than my talent. I’m just a Super Duper High School Luckster.” Though being an Unluckster was looking more and more likely with each… day.

She looked confused for a moment before realizing something. “Oh, that’s not quite right. I, I was supposed to give this to you.” Her food cart managed to stay upright, and she shuffled through one of the drawers for a very familiar tablet computer. Seeing that device for real now, he only half-listened as she explained. “If you’re back in good health, this has your schedule, a map of the school, and information about your classmates. They also told me that it’s been updated with your new title.”

Naegi perked up, hearing that last bit. He took the ElectroiD and turned it on. There it said on the first page, in big bold letters, Makoto Naegi, Super Duper High School Hope. A strangled, barking laugh escaped him. What kind of ridiculous unfairness was this, now? They had… promoted him? Based on some stupid computer game? What was that even supposed to mean, calling him Hope with a capital H? What more would they throw at him now? “Hope… I sure don’t feel like it.”

Tsumiki screeched emphatically, even as she tried to be polite. “Excuse me for saying, but I think it suits you.” Naegi startled. The girl shrunk a bit and pushed her pointer fingers together, blushing at her own outburst. “I mean, you’re very honest and kind. You took notice of me. Not many people do. Not in the way I want them to.”

Naegi kinda felt for this girl. It really wasn’t anything special that he did… At least, he didn’t think so, but she obviously did. He had to stop and wonder if it was a good thing for it to be so easy to make someone happy, but seeing her spirits lifted also raised his. Unfortunately, he didn’t have time to stay and talk right then. “Tsumiki-san… I don’t really know the schedule that well, but can we talk more after school or at lunch? I want to go to class today.”

“Oh, um, okay!” She looked thrilled. “But, I should really take a look at you before you do. You’ve been bedridden for a little while. The inactivity could make things difficult.”

Naegi shook his head. “Tsumiki-san, thank you for offering, but I can’t keep waiting. The only roadblock right now… is myself. I gotta get back to life, you know? Can I text you later so we can meet up?”

“Of course! The ElectroiDs can do that too.” She nodded.

They exchanged goodbyes and parted, both feeling a lot better about themselves. So much so that neither noticed that Naegi had skipped another meal.

Chapter Text

Hope. Super Duper High School Hope. The words kept running through Naegi’s mind as he meandered in the general direction of his first class. (The layout of the school was nothing like he remembered. The dorms and classrooms weren’t even in the same building.) He remembered Kirigiri making some comment about that towards the end, but he didn’t think much of it at the time. It was probably just part of some script, he thought bitterly. He really didn’t do much of anything except lift people’s spirits. It was Kirigiri who figured everything out. She only used him to back her up. He understood, her case would be much less convincing if only she was making it. He was, at best, a Super Duper High School Cheerleader. Well, at least he could admit that he was good at it. But he could guess that when the school named “Hope’s Peak Academy” gave someone the title of Hope, they were expecting a lot more than that.

Naegi shook his head. It was probably pointless to worry about that. He was who he was. He had gotten into the school through Luck, so whether they thought he had a real talent or not didn’t really matter, right? They had invited him regardless. If his new role was to be a friend to everyone, it’s not like he planned not to do that anyway. Whatever else they wanted from him, well, they could just come and tell him themselves. He wasn’t going to guess at their intentions, which were probably ridiculously high-minded and way beyond his thinking. He may have been just an average boy, but he wasn’t a dog obeying its master’s every whim.

(It was exactly this sort of attitude that threw off the simulation in the first place. Originally, the players were meant to investigate and learn the secrets of the school on their own. Naegi, on the other hand, chose to spend most of his time interacting with the characters. As a result, he was protected from the killings, which happened at a significantly reduced pace, and would have stalled out entirely after the fourth case. To counteract this, the simulation forced the advancement of the narrative by giving the player’s role to the AI characters instead.)

He finally came to… an almost familiar hall where his first class supposedly was. It was much better lit than he remembered. Looking down to the far end where he expected a pair of giant red doors, he instead found… just regular doors. Huh. He double checked that he was in the right place, anything to avoid actually going in the classroom. At no point did he think to check the time (another lingering effect of the simulation), but he didn’t hear anyone inside so he figured he wasn’t late. So he stalled. Nobody came, and he still stalled. He felt awkward just standing in the hallway, but worse was this feeling like someone was squeezing his head. The feeling that he was about to willingly walk into something terrible. A normal, everyday life with people he thought he knew, but didn’t. Hope. And here he was, unable to even open the door to his new life. What a joke. Monobear would laugh his ass off.

He shook his head again. He had to stop overthinking things. Keeping things straightforward was how he survived the Academic Coliseum. That’s how he’d survive now. If he couldn’t see what tomorrow would bring, he’d focus on today… If he couldn’t see what today would bring, he’d focus on his next step. One foot in front of the other. One hand raised to open a door.

----

Kyouko Kirigiri avidly took down notes on her ElectroiD, the touch screen perfectly recording each stroke of her stylus. The subject was history, a topic she always enjoyed, but the teacher was an alumnus, formerly the Super Duper High School Storyteller. That elevated the class to amazing. It was different in other ways too. Here, names and dates were seen as less important than learning the actual significance of historical events and trends, which was refreshing.

A message from Byakuya Togami popped up on the bottom of her screen. He was marginally more down-to-earth than she had expected, and during the party after the commencement ceremony he had admitted to her that he enjoyed mystery novels in his spare time, and was interested to know from a first-hand source how they compared to reality. They had bonded over their shared interest, which now included a certain mystery of the school. She could respond and still listen to the teacher’s animated lecture with half an ear, so she opened her chat screen.

“The mysterious 16th student has been sighted.”

Kirigiri smirked and ran a hand through her hair. Her normal work required and deserved a solemn demeanor, but little mysteries like this she could really enjoy. She would never admit it out loud, but she could be quite the gossip.

“Go on.”

“A person my source did not recognize was seen leaving the dorm building at 8:47. Size and clothes indicate a high school-aged boy, but my source wasn’t close enough to confirm, and had to return to class.”

“So, we may be meeting him soon.”

“And we haven’t learned anything about him except that he isn’t the Luckster. That nurse was surprisingly tight-lipped given her crippling personality deficiencies.”

“She wouldn’t be a Super Duper High School Nurse if she didn’t stand up for her patient’s rights.”

The facts of the case were that Hope’s Peak initially announced an incoming class of sixteen students. All had ample information available except one, Makoto Naegi. Every year, the school chose one student through a lottery, as the Super Duper High School Luckster. Therefore, it was presumed that this year’s Luckster was this boy.

However, the boy failed to appear during the commencement ceremony. The ceremony was not a small event. Every year, hundreds of alumni, top industrial leaders and scientists attended. Every student was introduced, their accomplishments celebrated, and the hopes for their futures exaggerated. Even the Luckster was a part of it, normally. But of this one boy, nothing was said. He wasn’t mentioned in any speeches, nor did his name appear anywhere in the program. Kirigiri had even checked the earlier drafts of the program, and he wasn’t in those either. The Hope’s Peak Academy website still claimed sixteen students, though.

She had also confirmed that sixteen dorm rooms were in use on the first years’ floors, but a sign declared that no admittance was allowed to the final one. Even when the sixteenth student never showed up on the first day of classes, the rumors only intensified. Information from the higher years indicated that Mikan Tsumiki, Super Duper High School Nurse, missed some class time on the first day to tend to an unknown individual, and also that one of the simulation labs was in use for the entire day of the commencement ceremony. Who was in the simulator, what simulation was run, and which teacher ordered it were all absent from the logs, but only one student was unaccounted for during that period. All of this was suspicious, with a hint that something serious could be going on.

But if the sixteenth student was going to show up to class today, then there likely wasn’t anything majorly wrong with him. The best thing to do, really the only thing, was to wait for him to appear in person and see how things developed from there.

And speak of the devil, right then the classroom door slid open. The teacher glanced in that direction immediately, but continued until he got to a stopping point. He needn’t have. All eyes were on what could only be our new classmate. Kirigiri assessed him quickly as he stood frozen in the doorway. Semi-casual dress, with a green hoodie under a blazer. But his face pegged him as a very high-strung person. Tension was visible in every muscle from clenched jaw to furrowed brow. How contradictory.

“Ah, Naegi-kun. I’m glad you’re feeling up to joining us.” Our teacher greeted. So, he really was Makoto Naegi. “Please, come in and regale us with an introduction.”

The boy stiffly walked to the front desk. Standing near the teacher, Kirigiri was struck with how small he seemed. He didn’t speak. He just looked each of his peers in the eye, some for just a second, some for much longer. His gaze seemed to linger on Kirigiri the longest, she thought, and despite his stature that look held an incredible intensity. But it was also distant, and somehow knowing. Now Kirigiri was more intrigued than ever. What had happened to this boy that seemingly nobody had taken notice of until two days ago? The answer had to be in that simulation. She almost considered plying her father for information, but she wasn’t that desperate for answers yet. There were still plenty of other avenues of investigation to explore.

Finally, the ever so mysterious sixteenth student finished his sweep and opened his mouth. He took a deep breath, and finally spoke. His voice sounded younger than his age, but filled with weariness. “My name is Makoto Naegi. If you ask me what I like, it’ll pretty much always be what’s at the top of the popularity charts.” He paused for a moment to glance out the windows. “My favorite animal is b-bears… And my title is Super Duper High School Hope.”

Kirigiri blinked. For all his strangeness, that introduction almost seemed calculated in how unremarkable it was. Except for the last part. His title was Hope. Another also had that title, but the two of them couldn’t be more different. She didn’t know much about either, but it was obvious to anyone that that particular title was special. How, though, was the big question. Yes, she was fascinated by this boy indeed.

----

When Naegi walked into the classroom, his mind almost broke. He looked from one classmate to another, seeing them each in double, one real, one memory. And in each he saw a thousand regrets.

‘Yamada. Much thinner than I remember. You took everything too far, including your chivalry. That shouldn’t have been used against you in the way that it was.

Kuwata. More than any of us, you were just a teen. We always talked about teen stuff. If only we could have spoken more seriously, maybe you would have backed off you had the chance.

Ikusaba. This is the first time I’ve actually seen you. You acted so airheaded that even I wasn’t interested in doing more than admiring the person I thought you were from afar. And then you ended up being the second one to die. I should have gotten to know you better.

Asahina. I didn’t spend as much time with you as I should have. I wonder why. If you had another good friend, would you have still turned on us the way you did? Would you still have found that bitter hatred inside?

Oowada. The one who ended up killing. I knew you, knew your temper very well. If only I could have gotten you to trust me a little more, maybe you would have confided your secret. Maybe you wouldn’t have snapped when you did. But I’m just some boring nobody. Even my darkest secrets pale to insignificance next to yours, so how could I be trusted to understand them?

Celes. Didn’t we have fun together? Was it really so awful, just to live with us? I wish I could have seen the truth through all your lies.

Hagakure… Nope. No regrets.

Fukawa. For a long time, I didn’t really get how afraid you were. Afraid that a nice guy like me would hurt you again. I just don’t know what I could have done to keep you from chasing after someone who would only abuse you.

Fujisaki. So pure. So much stronger than you thought. But still so fragile. How could I forgive myself for sending this wonderful person to his death?

Togami. We went through so much together. I want to believe that you at least trusted me, just a little, even if you would never allow yourself to be friends with someone like me. Now I’ll never know for sure.

Maizono. Were you just using me after I said I would protect you? Did you trust me at all? Care for me at all? You must have, or else you would have just killed me. I wish you had, just so I would know.

Ishimaru. I watched you crumble into dust before my eyes, then explode in an insane frenzy. I was scared by your intensity, and always told myself it would be better to just leave you alone until you calmed down. I should have at least tried to bring you back.

Kirigiri. I trusted you more than anyone. You were the only one I knew I could rely on. And you relied on me too. But we were never equals, were we? I could barely keep up with your brilliance. You figured out everything before the trials even began. You saved us, not me. No wonder I could never break through your shell. I could have died at any moment. You probably thought I wasn’t worth getting emotionally invested in. You came for me only because we were allies. At least, that’s how I usually felt. There were those moments when I made you honestly smile. I should have been stronger, should have been smarter, so I could have seen that all the time.

Oogami. If there was one person I should have been able to save, it was you. If only I could have convinced everyone to give you another chance. What kind of Hope am I if I couldn’t even do that!?

Enoshima. EnoshimaEnoshimaEnoshima. What happened to you? Why did you do it? Wasn’t there anything I could have done to stop it? Why not? Why did everything have to turn out that way? That... utter hell.’

But none of that mattered. So Naegi drawled out an automated introduction, and took a seat in the light by the window. He thought nothing for the rest of the class.

Chapter Text

Naegi sleepwalked through the next several of his classes, until lunch break. Most of them were amazingly small, which was nice. He didn’t feel up to being around everyone at once. The small class size meant teachers were able to help each student individually, but thankfully they seemed to know not to bother him. He was just so listless.

He was halfway to where he expected the cafeteria to be when he realized he was completely and utterly lost. Somehow, that snapped him out of his funk. Checking his ElectroiD only told him where he was. How did he even get to…?

“Makoto Naegi-kun, correct?”

Naegi froze. Slowly he turned to look. He wasn’t feeling up to meeting with any of his classmates, but him least of all.

Kiyotaka Ishimaru, wearing the brown Hope’s Peak uniform, had that huge smile on his face and two bento boxes in his hands. “You could have just waited. I went and got our lunches like I said.” …Did he? Naegi didn’t really notice. Why didn’t Ishimaru just show him the way? He must have been really spaced out. At least Ishimaru was normal again, and not… No, that never happened. Either way, his intensity and rigidity was more than Naegi thought he could handle at the moment. Even if he did miss him.

…But he was very hungry.

So against his better judgment, he walked with Ishimaru back to the room where they had their previous class. The other was surprisingly quiet on the way, probably to avoid disturbing public order. The room was empty – even the teacher had left – so they took two desks in the center. For a moment, Naegi wondered if the school was meant to house a lot more students than it did. They gave a quick thanks together and dug in.

From the moment the first bite touched Naegi’s tongue, he felt truly awake for the first time in days. “Woah! This is amazing!” Such an incredible blend of flavors! Savory, yet sweet, with just the right amount of salt and a blend of spices he couldn’t even begin to name.

“Isn’t it?” Ishimaru laughed lightly. Not the forced, barking laugh Naegi was used to from him. “Most of the meals here are prepared by a world-class chef. Even Togami-kun finds them unimpeachable. Delicious as well as healthy. Just don’t let it spoil you!” He sobered slightly. “It’s good that you’ve found some energy. There’s no point in going to class if you cannot bring yourself to pay attention.”

Naegi winced, knowing what would be coming next. Ishimaru was going to tell him to buck up, put his troubles on a back burner and dedicate himself to the business of being the best student he could possibly be. It was just taking him a little time to readjust and sort through things. It felt like a life time since he last attended any kind of class.

BANG. BANG. BANG went the weight behind him. In just moments it would be right on top of him. In his chest, a crushing ball of pain replaced his heart. BANG. BANG. BANG. This was Detention. Monobear’s sex ed. lesson on the blackboard before him dominated his vision. Why at a time like this!? BANG. BANG. BANG. His eyes clamped shut, as if that would make everything just go away. BANG. BANG. BANG. Every bone in his body screamed for him to move. Why couldn’t he move? Why couldn’t he move!?

Naegi shook his head. That never h-… It didn’t count.

Ishimaru put his chopsticks in his bento with a frown. “This is why I didn’t think you’d want to eat with everyone around.”

“H-Huh?” Naegi’s stammer surprised himself. He looked down at his hands. His own chopsticks were splayed askew, clenched between shaking fingers, so tight that a distant pain managed to filter into his mind. He couldn’t seem to let go.

“I thought you just didn’t do well with crowds, but it looks like there’s more to it than that.” With care that Naegi wouldn’t have expected from the Prefect, Ishimaru gently pried his fingers apart and extricated the plastic utensils. “Are you sure you’re in a state where you should be attending class?”

Naegi felt his breathing start to calm down. He didn’t even notice it was sped up before. “Yes, I’m sure.” He said quietly. An island of calmness in his thoughts wondered why he didn’t react this way after it happened. But he knew why. “It’s so much easier when you’ve got a goal to work towards… Though I don’t really know what I’m supposed to be doing here.” Hope.

“You know that the teachers are willing to give you a great deal of leeway to fit your needs, yes? If you need time or counseling, they will provide it for you.” Ishimaru spoke neutrally, nothing in his tone pushing Naegi towards one thing or the other.

Naegi gave his best determined stare. “I’ll be okay. I’ve just got some memories of things I wish hadn’t happened. But they… did… And they’re important memories. Even if they’re painful, I have no intention of putting them behind me. I do need some time to sort them out, but that won’t stop me from coming to class. I’ll be better tomorrow, promise.”

Ishimaru blinked and then closed his eyes thoughtfully. He obviously doubted, but… “Very well. I’ll trust you to know what you can handle.” …He wasn’t going to press the matter.

Naegi smiled in relief, but a disturbance was settling in his gut. He couldn’t quite put a name to it. “Thank you, Ishimaru-kun. You know… You’re a lot more understanding than I thought you’d be.”

Ishimaru laughed again. “Let me guess. You thought I’d be obsessed with rules and regulations and maintaining the integrity of the school environment. Anyone can do that. It takes a lot more to be the Super Duper High School Prefect. One must have a thorough understanding of the difficulties of others to properly maintain order. Every person has troubles that can spill over into their academic or social lives, but one must take the proper approach and measures to ease them, or any help will be rejected. That’s especially true of this place, where there are so many mercurial geniuses.”

Naegi listened raptly. The Super Duper High Schoolers, other than Kirigiri he never really grasped how amazing they had to be. But then Ishimaru’s face started to fall. “There is someone I look up to more than any other. My grandfather. He rose meteorically through the ranks of the government, never failing in anything he attempted. But he grew overconfident in his successes, and eventually he lost everything because he forgot to pay attention to those around him. Feelings of jealousy and suspicion led to hatred. Facts were manipulated and misrepresented, leading to an irrecoverable scandal.” Ishimaru’s glare, burning a hole through the desk, was very familiar to Naegi, as was his story.

“Everything I’ve worked so hard for is so I can set things right. My entire life has been dedicated to it. To erase that shame, that false iniquity. I want his name to be remembered as it should be, right next to my own. What justice is there in the world if a great man can be so utterly destroyed by pure falsehoods? I wouldn’t want to live in such a world. I absolutely must change it.” His speech was impressive, but anyone could hear the strain of such an ambition in his voice by the end. Finally, he straightened back into his usual rigid posture with a little chuckle. “I don’t even know why I’m telling you this. It just seemed… like I could.”

That disturbed feeling was growing in Naegi, but there was something he had to say before he could think about it. “Ishimaru-kun, have you ever failed?”

A twitch above the other’s eye. “Of course not.” He looked away. “My goal is too great to allow even the slightest setback. I cannot risk being unable to recover, so I have always given my all to ensure a flawless performance.”

Naegi could actually understand stakes like those, all too well. He actually wondered if Ishimaru did have failures in his past, but he overlooked or tried to forget about them. Surely he must have. But it sounded like he was afraid to admit it. “If you think you cannot allow yourself to lose… Won’t that eventually blind you to the chance that you can lose?” Ishimaru’s eyes snapped to his. “I mean, I’ve seen it before. People so desperate to win that they jump on one course and cling to it… And they don’t let themselves see other possibilities. Your story… kinda reminded me of it.”

“What are you even saying?”

Naegi wasn’t quite sure how to put it, but he pressed on nonetheless. “Nobody’s perfect, you know. You can’t win every time. If you forget that, if you hide from it, you won’t be able to see the signs. You’ll end up blindsided. Believe me, I know. I’ve lost many things, and I desperately want them back.” Every single person who died in Monobear’s game, and every time he had to watch his friends turn on each other, he considered them all his failures. There were so many things he should have seen, should have understood. There was a thin line between optimism and naivete. One knows that things can go right, the other ignores that things can go wrong. He was on the wrong side of that line for way too long.

What Naegi didn’t realize was that the weight of his failures showed clearly on his face, and stopped Ishimaru from arguing back. “I will never be able to forget the possibility of my failure. The chance that my position could be wrong. It’s ingrained in me.” His fists clenched on the table. “But, that is why I can trust myself to find the way to the truth.”

“I…” Ishimaru started, his eyes darting back and forth. “You… may be right. It seems… I still have much to learn. I was… afraid of failure. And you may have saved me from falling victim to the same overconfidence that snared my grandfather. I have to thank you for that… Sensei.”

Naegi drew back, holding his hands up in embarrassment. “Why are you calling me that ag-… No, never mind. It’s not that big a deal. It might have never mattered anyway.”

“Your words are out of line!” Ishimaru declared, pumping his fist. “Whether right or wrong, you have expanded my horizons. And, you have done what I could not. You showed me a way to ease my fears about the future. It has become clear to me that the academy chose wisely when they invited you as the Super Duper High School Hope. I have to ask, how ever did they find someone like you?”

Naegi suddenly felt numb again. “That… is a long story.”

Ishimaru leaned back in his chair. “Hmm. Well, you’ll have to share it some other time. Lunch hour is almost over, and I have a class. We should return our bento to the cafeteria before then.”

Naegi was confused. “But my schedule is empty for the rest of the day after this.”

Waving a hand, Ishimaru explained. “They spend a lot less time on standard instruction here, partly because of superior teachers who can attend to each student individually, and partly because the curriculum is greatly accelerated. That makes time for focused research and development on each of our individual talents. The academy will send you a notice on your ElectroiD if they’ve scheduled you for something. You should check now to be sure.”

Naegi did so. He gasped when he saw that he did have an alert, but not for a class. “I… don’t have any classes scheduled.” He hedged.

“Then, may I ask that you return our bento to the cafeteria? It’s just right here.” Naegi agreed, so Ishimaru pointed it out on the map. They weren’t even on the same floor. Finally, Ishimaru bowed formally, arms at his sides. “Until our next class together, farewell.”

Naegi left soon after, since a class would probably be using the room soon. Half his lunch remained uneaten, as good as it was. The encounter was… stressful. That disturbed feeling he had, he now understood what it was. That person he just met was not the Kiyotaka Ishimaru that he knew. None of his classmates were the people he knew from before. It was one thing to know it, but another to know it, in his heart. And it felt like he had been punched there. His friends were truly gone. His current life wasn’t a chance to get them back. There was never any hope for that. It was an entirely new start, and nothing else. He had to take it… or leave it.

To his shame, he found that he liked this one better. There were a lot of things about them that were the same. But, this one, the real one, was so much kinder, and better with feelings, both his own and others’. Just a great, and truly talented person. It was hard to believe that Naegi had anything to offer him, and yet apparently he did. Surely the teachers could have taught him the same lesson, though, right? Or did they just throw their students into the deep end when it came to their personal development… like what they did to Naegi. Stick him in a simulator, bake at 300 degrees for twenty hours, see what pops out. He’d have to find out later. If he was right, it would explain a lot.

But for now, he had to see to that alert he received. He had a meeting to go to… with the Headmaster.

Chapter Text

Of course, Naegi got lost again trying to find the Headmaster’s office. Apparently, it wasn’t on the fourth floor. In fact, swiveling his head around, he couldn’t see much of anything or anyone. All the doors were labeled as being IT or storage rooms. Checking his ElectroiD to try to find the stairs up, he growled in frustration to himself. Why was the school so big when it had barely fifty students?

“Do you need help?” Someone said from right behind him.

Naegi spun around with a yelp, his ElectroiD flying from his hand. From where did…!? He hadn’t meant to throw the device, but fortunately the person who surprised him easily caught it.

“Ah, I’m so sorry!” Naegi bowed, so embarrassed that he panicked.

The other waved him off. “It’s all right. It was my fault for sneaking up on you like that.”

Calming, Naegi looked over the… boy?… that he accidentally assaulted. He was a little taller than Naegi, and just as thin. His light blue hair seemed to be bunched up in a pair of pigtails on top, and he wore gray slacks and a black vest and tie over a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. This was a guy, right? His voice was so high and clear.

Naegi shook his head. “Uh, I was just looking for the Headmaster’s office.”

The other boy looked concerned. “What for?”

“I don’t know. I was just called for a meeting.”

The other gave him a friendly smile, and his fingers flew over Naegi’s ElectroiD for a bit. “This will show you. You know, there should be a manual in a drawer in your room that explains how to use this in detail. You should read it, it’s very helpful.” He handed it back, and Naegi saw that a route was now lit up on the map, leading all the way up to the eighth floor.

Naegi looked up to give his thanks. “Hey…” But he stopped with a blink. The other boy was gone. The corridor was just as empty as before.

----------

From: Nagisa S.
To: B. Togami
Subject: RE:16th student investigation

Just met SDHS Hope. Was heading to meeting with Headmaster, purpose unknown to him. Panicked when approached from behind, do not try to surprise. Recovery from panic very quick. Likely has experienced traumatic situations in past, but environmental awareness is poor. Below average physical strength. Casual, but polite. Trusts easily if approached with a friendly demeanor.

Was able to peruse his ElectroiD. He seemed unaware of how to properly use it. No school files or activity logs were present, and only one message, calling him to the Headmaster’s office.

Shall I continue gathering information if the opportunity arises?

----------

From: B. Togami
To: Nagisa S.
Subject: RE:16th student investigation

No, that will be everything I need. As usual, your performance has been exemplary. Your fee has been routed to the usual account. My next step will be to approach him directly. Keep those certain members of your year away from him until then.

----------

The eighth floor of Hope’s Peak Academy looked more like what Naegi would expect of one of Togami’s offices than a school, with walls that were polished steel on the top half and red, glass-covered wood on the bottom. The red carpet was covered with interlinking black and white bars, except in a circle around the emblem of Hope’s Peak Academy in front of a large set of heavy double doors with silver handles.

And supposedly, there was an entire separate staff building where the real business of running the school was carried out. Naegi almost cringed to think what the decor was like in there.

Seeing a familiar intercom panel next to the door, he pressed the button for the chime, and was immediately told to enter. This office was carpeted in maroon with green cubes, and a massive golden sun in the middle, the walls lined with bookcases and potted plants. Before him there was a coffee table, surrounded by a few chairs and couches, and behind that a large ornately carved wooden desk in front of a full-wall window overlooking the city. It was basically the same as the office he remembered, just a lot bigger.

“Ah, Naegi-kun, thank you for joining me.” The headmaster, Jin Kirigiri, rose from his high-backed leather seat to greet him. “Please, sit with me.” He indicated one of the chairs in the middle as he took one of his own.

Naegi sat. The voice was familiar, soft and so smooth. He remembered it from the interview DVD, though he never saw his face. This person died trying to protect them all from Despair. The man opposite him looked barely older than a high schooler himself. But he had a teenaged daughter, so he had to be at least in his mid thirties.

“Um…” Naegi started, unsure. “I’m sorry about the way I shouted at you, back then.”

The Headmaster seemed to sag, almost as if disappointed. “No. You had every right to be angry. Those particular simulations were never meant for new students. Only a select few ever experience them. I’m the one who has to apologize to you.”

“…Then why?” He knew he should still be angry about what he had been put through. It had been a stressful day. He was just too tired to be having this kind of meeting.

“There are those among the school’s board of directors who believe Hope’s Peak should not admit a Luckster as part of our class each year. They think it’s a waste of money and resources, even though the Luckster always takes up the least by far. It was they who arranged for you to be taken aside the morning of the commencement ceremony and put into that simulation. Their plan was to scare you off so you would drop out, and they could bring in another student.”

For some reason, learning that he had been targeted like that didn’t do anything to Naegi. It was a sickening thought that maybe he was used to it by now. “They told me…” He rubbed his forehead. His memories of that day were muddled. “They told me my classes were starting immediately.”

“Hmm. And they had you sign a consent form, so unfortunately we have no legal options to move against them. But, you don’t have to worry about that. I’ve already taken other steps to ensure that this never happens to anyone else in the future, and as for you, I expect your new title will give you some degree of protection.”

“My title…” Naegi narrowed his eyes. He was starting to hate it a little. “Hope. Is it really such a big deal?”

“Oh, yes.” The Headmaster said firmly. “I have another apology to make." This time Naegi noted the he didn't sound very apologetic. "I learned what was happening after the commencement ceremony concluded. That was about two-thirds of the way through your simulation. I could have stopped it, pulled you out, but I chose not to. You have to understand, that simulation was designed to be unwinnable. If you kill someone, you lose in the trial with absolute certainty. Try to force your way out, and you’ll be shot dead. If you keep your head down and do nothing, eventually the cast is whittled down to one, and you end up trapped in the school forever. If you build up enough influence over your classmates, you can stop the murders, but eventually the mastermind would start to surreptitiously eliminate threats until all useful AI characters are eliminated, at which point the narrative goes into a holding pattern, because winning alone against an omniscient foe that can create any circumstances it desires is truly impossible. The student other than yourself who came closest to winning fell into that trap.”

“So how did I win?” Naegi asked, not that he really thought that he did. It sounded pretty clear-cut to him. “All we had to do was escape.”

“Yes. But the simulation did not have to provide you a way to escape. Indeed, in the base simulation, there is none. The goal of escaping isn't programmed into the scenario at all, even if that's the goal any player would want to pursue. That’s what we mean by unwinnable. However, though it is possible for an AI student to kill a player, the mastermind is not allowed to unless the player has been truly ‘defeated’ according to the parameters of the scenario. In this case, that means falling into Despair." The Headmaster scooted forward in his seat, as if excited. "You always kept your eyes on your true enemy, never gave in. And then, at a critical juncture, you withheld a piece of evidence that the narrative gave you specifically so you could cast doubt on your one remaining proactive ally. Now, the AIs are controlled by the narrative, but they also have their own independent will, so they will never act in a truly unnatural way. Because you upset the mastermind’s plan at such a late stage in the trial, it wasn’t able to take control and direct things back to the way it intended, so it panicked and turned on you instead. You made it try to break the rules.”

“And that’s why Alter Ego saved me.” Naegi deduced. The Headmaster’s description was very technical, and so outlandish that he could hardly believe it was something that happened to him. It seemed amazing, though, that he had managed to find and use such a small loophole without even realizing it.

“Yes, exactly.” The Headmaster was becoming more animated now, waving his arms, excited by the Hope Naegi had shown. “If any other character had been found guilty, they would have died. But because you went against everything the game had trained you to do, by not revealing the truth, you survived. It never even occurred to anyone else. The mastermind’s AI broke. It got stuck on the goal of killing you, fixated on you, did everything it could come up with to break you, or get the other characters to kill you, even intentionally revealing its own character, which it normally would never do. Once you drove it to that point, victory became possible. It offered you a chance to escape with the intention of driving you to despair when you failed to reach it. But you did reach it. You stood strong in the face of the mastermind's final gambit. Even unwinnable scenarios have certain standards of fairness, so the simulation gave you the escape switch, which had to be spontaneously generated just for you. Truly, it was a wonder to behold.” He clasped his hands together in satisfaction.

That… made something in Naegi hurt. He had gotten caught up in the Headmaster’s storytelling, but honestly… It wasn’t anywhere near as amazing as he made it sound. Just to get to that point, so many people had to die, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. “A wonder? It wasn’t… I mean, maybe I made it look good, but…” He was starting to gasp. The mastermind, triumphant. Their world, destroyed. “That moment, when I saw everyone give up…” His eyes burned. His friends, their eyes cast down in Despair. They abandoned him. “I managed to pull them back, but...” His head fell into his hands. He was truly alone, like he was standing on top of a narrow pole over a pack of wolves. “I just don’t know…” He couldn’t cry, but there was a sob in his voice. “I don’t know how many of those I have in me. I don’t know if I can do it again. I just don’t know… what you want from me… And I don’t think I can give it… So many people died.”

The Headmaster watched the broken down boy. He rose and stepped around the table to kneel by Naegi's side. His voice never wavered. “Naegi-kun. You are so much better than you think you are. But even still, there’s nothing you could have done to save them. The AIs were always talking to each other, sharing data to ensure the mastermind’s motives were just what was needed to lead to a death.”

“There had to be a way. There had to be…”

“There wasn’t. The scenario was designed to hurt you so you could overcome your pain and grow. And you have, even if it’s hard to see it right now. But when everything in the world is working against you, your strength will never be enough. You have to forgive yourself for not being able to save them.”

Naegi shook his head in his hands. He couldn’t. He just couldn’t. Couldn’t forgive himself, couldn’t even cry. They stayed like that for a long time until his emotions burned out. Finally, Naegi was able to sit up a bit, and the Headmaster rose to take a seat in a chair next to him.

“Naegi-kun, would you like to know why I allowed you to finish the simulation? Why I think you’re so important?”

Naegi wanted to run away so he could sleep, but he felt as trapped as he did during Monobear’s academic coliseum. “I’m not a therapist. I can make friends with… almost anyone, but that’s nothing special.”

But the Headmaster waved a hand, discounting those thoughts. “No, no. What we need is something far beyond just a therapist. At some point you must have thought that some of our choices for students to invite were rather odd. Idols, Outlaw Bikers, even Gangsters and Con Artists are represented in the current student body. Do you know what broad talent those four have in common?”

Singers standing before enormous, roaring crowds. Criminals holding their groups together through force of personality or just plain force. Fast talkers wielding power over truth and confidence. Almost against his will, the answer started to come to Naegi.

??A??R?H??
L?A??R?H??
LEA??R?H??
LEAD?R?H??
LEADER?H??
LEADERSH??
LEADERSHI?
LEADERSHIP

“That's it, I got it. Leadership.” He finally said aloud. “They’re different kinds of leader. They can draw people to them, direct them to some extent.”

“Exactly.” The Headmaster's smile radiated approval. “We’re looking for a leader, of a very specific kind. You see, there’s a lot more to Super Duper High Schoolers than just talent. Motivation is just as big a factor. But as you know, sometimes that motivation is not particularly healthy. Sometimes it comes in the form of an all-consuming obsession. Sometimes it’s directionless, and so it finds its own, often destructive direction. Sometimes it works only for the betterment of its owner, at the expense of the rest of humanity. We need someone who can move them, keep them down on Earth and connected to their fellow humans, so that they'll spread the Hope they have within to everyone. But these both are and are not children, for many of them have tried to grow up faster than they were able. They will not be spoken down to or forced. Anyone who would lead them, they must wholeheartedly choose to follow of their own will. I think they just might choose you.”

Naegi started shaking his head to that. “I’m not like that. I could never put myself above them.”

“I know, it seems unreasonable. But you know what? You’ve already started. With Mikan Tsumiki and Kiyotaka Ishimaru. Without even trying, you’ve already begun to have influence over them, just by speaking to them with clarity, as equals, and as people instead of titles. You see, we’re not asking you to be something you’re not. I’m telling you this, because right now I think you need a goal to work towards, to help you recover. But my advice would be not to think about it too much. Just be your own wonderful self. I believe that you have it in you. Just let it come out.”

The Headmaster was looking at Naegi with such surety, such… affection. The poor boy didn’t know what to do with the faith he had been given. So he turned away, and heard a little sigh. The older man rose and moved back to his desk.

“If you don’t have any questions, I think we should finish up here. I’m sure you must still be very tired. And please, you don’t need to attend classes right away. Feel free to wander the grounds, or even go out into the city if you want to. And also, this is a present for you.” Naegi looked back and gasped to see that the Headmaster had returned to his side, and was holding out a stuffed bear for him. “I believe it’s your favorite animal?”

Slowly he took it, glad that it didn’t look at all like Monobear. It had wonderful brown glass eyes, and wore a soft but strongly knitted cream-colored night gown. Too tired to be ashamed of childishness, he hugged it close under his chin, feeling the smooth fur. It was so comfortable, and fit him so well it seemed to hug him back. “Thank you. It’s wonderful.”

The Headmaster nodded. “You’re very welcome. One of the third years makes them. I thought it might be just what you needed. Now, off you go.”

The Headmaster was treating him like a child, but as Naegi left he decided that he didn’t really mind. For those few moments he was able to forget about his regrets and his burden, just from the simple act of giving a gift. He wondered if this is how the others felt when he gave gifts to them.

(Incidentally, the bear was equipped with sophisticated bio-sensors. When held close, they could monitor his heart rate and respiration, as well as measure hormone and electrolyte levels in his sweat. It could read his stress level, check if his immune system was actively responding to something, and even tell whether or not he had been eating properly. Needless to say, the results it transmitted to the school’s computers were concerning.)

Chapter Text

Naegi ended up returning to his room and napping for a few hours until dinner time. Tsumiki brought food for him, and they had a friendly conversation over the meal. Afterward, Naegi submitted to a brief exam. It was awkward, having her touch his body like that. Having befriended her, it couldn't be as impersonal as it would be with just any old nurse, yet they hadn't known each other long enough for this kind of touch to be normal. But she was quick and professional while working, so Naegi wasn't blushing too badly by the time they were done.

After she left, Naegi found he didn't feel like going out, so he puttered about his room organizing his things, which seemed to have been randomly thrown into his drawers and shelves by whoever handled his luggage after he was taken into the simulation. Every so often he'd turn around and be surprised all over again to see his windows not covered by heavy iron sheets. He was starting to get a little frustrating. How long was he going to keep having those... disturbances?

It was getting late by the time he finished, but he didn't feel like he'd be able to sleep yet. There wasn't anything else to do either... He drew a blank when he tried to remember if he had any homework. Looking out his windows again, he knew what he wanted. Turning the lights off, he lay down on his bed face-up. Craning his head back, he could look up and see the night sky. Hope's Peak Academy was located closer to an urban center than Naegi's hometown. The light pollution was bad enough that he couldn't see very many stars. But didn't that make the ones that could be seen all the more precious? Naegi liked to think so.

Years ago, Naegi's family went to the United States on vacation one summer. They were traveling towards New York City when a historic blackout hit the entire region... How unlucky. But, because of that, for the first and only time in his life, Naegi was able to see the Milky Way. For hours, he and his sister had lain in a field next to a motel they stopped for the night at, staring up at the wonders of the world. More than once in the simulation Naegi thought about never being able to see that sight again... Then again, in modern Japan, he'd probably never be able to see it anyway.

Naegi's gaze drifted down to the ElectoiD on his bedside table. Tsumiki had been so kind as to show him how to use its built-in cell phone. There was something that he knew he had to do, but he hesitated. Even as he reached out, it was like there was some kind of force keeping him from picking up the tablet computer. He didn't know what he was so afraid of. That they wouldn't be there? Maybe. But he finally forced himself to grab the device, and without thinking quickly dial a number.

Someone must have been waiting for a call, because the ring tone sounded only twice before the phone was picked up. “Hello?” Came the familiar girl's voice from the other side. Naegi froze up. No words came to him. He just breathed heavily as his eyes started to sting. “Ryouko, is that you? Stop trying to creep me out! I'm waiting to hear from...”

“Komaru.” Naegi finally forced out.

“Makoto!” His sister's voice instantly turned from annoyed to joyful. “Mom, dad! Makoto finally called! Come quick! Hey, Makoto, did you get the video we sent you?”

Naegi felt like puking. “Yeah. I got it.” They were fine. They were perfectly fine. He shouldn't feel like this. “How, uh... How's school?”

His sister made a gagging sound. “You know. Same as always. So boring. Every day's exactly the same. Man, what I would give to be where you are.”

Naegi would have loved to have her with him too, but before he could speak someone else joined them. His father. “It's a perfectly fine school, young lady. But never mind that. Makoto, your mom is here too.”

“Hello, honey.”

“And we all want to hear what it's like at the country's most famous school. Don't leave your family hanging, kiddo.”

Naegi paused. Their love was soothing him, like wrapping yourself in a warm towel after coming out of a pool, but that strange feeling was welling up again. “It's... hard to describe.” He started. “The teachers are great. You can tell that they really enjoy what they do.” Even in his daze, he had been able to pick up on that. “And the other students are... something else.”

“I hope they're not a bunch of self-absorbed eggheads.” His sister interrupted.

“They have all kinds of different students at Hope's Peak, Komaru. I'm not surprised that Makoto can't describe them. They must be very different from your average person to become so famous at such a young age.” Dad answered.

His mom spoke next, her voice like a hand on his cheek. “But Makoto, don't feel like you have to push yourself to be just like them. We're all so proud of you, and we just want you to have a good life. You can go at your own pace and find your own talent there. We'll be here cheering for you all the way.”

“And with any luck...” Here Komaru paused to giggle. “Next year I'll be able to do it from much closer! I've decided that I'm going to try to get into the Hope's Peak preparatory school!”

A chill went down Naegi's spine. Earlier he thought that he'd love to have his family closer than this phone call, but with the real possibility that it might happen suddenly he didn't want his little sister anywhere near this place.

Dad was the one to bring them both back down to Earth. “Yes, but don't get your hopes up, okay Komaru? Even the preparatory school is extremely competitive to get into. Even if you meet their standards, it's still likely that you won't be selected, and it's a lot more expensive than other schools too.”

That was right. Komaru was as bright her brother was, for sure, but only that bright, which meant she'd have to work very hard to raise her test scores high enough to even be considered. Still... “I bet you can do it, Komaru. I'll do whatever I can to help you get in.” She was family, so despite his misgivings, he had to do what he could for her. It was such a huge opportunity.

“I know you will, Makoto. With a brother on the inside, I'm sure to get in! Just make sure you get in good with the teachers so you have some pull with them, okay? None of that classmate dominoes stuff in science class, okay?”

Naegi sputtered in indignation. “I told you, I had no idea they were going to walk in front of my launch ramp! It wasn't my fault!”

“If you say so, bro.”

Speaking with his family made Naegi feel happy... but it was a distant feeling, like a camp fire just out of sight, or a lightness like not quite floating in a bathtub. They continued to talk for a while about little, unimportant things. Yes, the campus was beautiful, yes, he thought he'd get along well with his classmates, no, he didn't need anything sent to him. When they finally hung up almost an hour later, he hugged his stuffed bear to his chest, and it dutifully and secretly recorded an intense emotional disturbance.

Over time, the meaning of his dread started to come to him. His family hadn't changed, but he had. They were well off, and never really wanted for anything. His parents had always managed to find the time to nurture both their children. It was a simple, happy world that they lived in, and gifted Naegi with his one real outstanding quality: his optimism. But Naegi knew now that he had left that world. Speaking to them now, it was like a chasm had separated them from each other, and there was no way to cross. Simply put, it was a feeling that was familiar to teenagers the world over, even if Naegi had never felt it until now. It was the feeling that his parents didn't, couldn't understand him. He wanted to tell them all about his experiences, but he didn't. If he did, they'd be horrified, pitying, maybe want to pull him out of school. No, they wouldn't understand. He had to stay. Because... he just did. He wasn't even sure if he could put his own reason into words. It was like if he gave up and left, it all would have been for nothing.

But it was for nothing, wasn't it? It wasn't real. Not the people, not the conflict they fought over. It was just a horrible nightmare inflicted upon him for some stupid school board's politics, and now the Headmaster was pretending like he was some kind of savior? There had to be some kind of limit to the absurdity of all this, right? Did the people who stood at the top of the world really act like this? Yes, he knew from the time he spent with Togami that they did. He had wanted to befriend the icy boy so much, but it was pointless. In a normal story, that kind of wish fulfillment would fly. Everyone secretly wants to buddy up with the rich jerk, to be the one person they'd consider worthy or an equal. But he and Togami had nothing to bring them together. Nothing except the terrible situation they found themselves in, and even then the arrogant boy had only barely started to defrost by the end. If fighting together against the academic coliseum didn't make them friends, there was no way in the world that Togami would ever consider Naegi a leader without it. The Headmaster's dream of a Super Duper High School Hope was beyond even Naegi's optimism to support.

Nonetheless, to Naegi, Togami was the one that got away, so to speak. Aside from Hagakure, who Naegi defriended on his own, and Mukuro-Enoshima, who he never had time to get to know in the first place, Togami was the only student that Naegi never really bonded with. For all his efforts, Togami regarded him with idle curiosity at best and utter contempt at worst. Maybe the real Togami was more friendly than the real one, though. If he was... Maybe? The Hope was tempting. Naegi cherished the circle of friends and allies he had pulled together. If he were to rebuild that circle better than it was before, by gaining the friendship of the one person he could not, then maybe moving on with his life wasn't impossible. He still had no intention of forgetting, of course, but he needed to reach for the future too, and at that moment he couldn't. There was no harm in trying, right? And after that, if they did become friends... who could say what would follow?

Naegi's ElectroiD suddenly lit up and vibrated in his hand. He lifted it above him so he could see the screen, and blinked. What were the odds?

----------

From: B. Togami
To: M. Naegi :)
Subject: A cordial invitation

As part of my efforts to become acquainted with each of my talented classmates, I am extending an invitation to you to join me for breakfast tomorrow, the tenth of April, in my suite on the second floor, room 205. Please respond with your intentions promptly so that preparations may be made.

Sincerely,
Byakuya Togami

Chapter Text

The ElectroiD's alarm woke Naegi up the next morning. He was starting to get a hang of that thing. He'd set it for early, because he had a breakfast to go to, and being late would probably ruin things with his unforgiving classmate for a long time. And things were off to... a really good start when he went to get dressed after a shower. He had set aside the clothes he intended to wear, his school uniform. There was just one problem, he thought, staring at himself in the mirror. The uniform, brown pants and jacket over a white dress shirt and red tie...

It looked ugly on him.

Really, truly ugly.

So ugly, in fact, that it was... Dare he even think it...?

Despair inducing.

Naegi stared at himself for a moment longer, before a laugh tore itself from his throat. Then another. Soon he was doubled up with laughter. He felt light, lifted up by the simple act of laughing at his own incredibly stupid in-joke. It felt like forever since he really laughed like this. He didn't know how long it took for him to pull himself together enough to discard the jacket and dismissively toss it in some random direction, but it wasn't long enough. He'd keep the shirt and tie, but change to his usual black outfit on top. It was the best he had, so it'd just have to be good enough. He wasn't worried. Something just told him today would be a good day.

Togami wore a guarded expression when he admitted Naegi to his rooms a few seconds after ringing his doorbell, but at least he didn't seem to openly disapprove. Naegi wondered if he should have combed, spotting the Scion's relatively orderly hair. Well, too late now. Actually, as important as it might be, he seemed to be going about this breakfast in a stress-free kind of way, just doing what felt right at the time and not worrying beyond that. It felt nice, and more than that, familiar. It reminded him of a time when he had at least some idea of what he ought to be doing. Going about, meeting with people, holding them together. Too bad he didn't have any trinkets to give away.

“Good morning.” Togami greeted after letting Naegi step inside, a little stiffly to his ears. “As we have not been personally introduced, let us start there. My name is Byakuya Togami, heir apparent of the Togami Conglomerate, and Super Duper High School Scion. I expect our relationship will be mutually beneficial.” He actually held out his hand for Naegi to shake.

Naegi blinked. Well, that was unexpected. “Uh... I'm Makoto Naegi. Super Duper High School Hope. Nice to meet you.” As he took the taller boy's hand, it occurred to him that this might have been the first time they had touched. Well, in the real world that had to be true, didn't it?

Entering Togami's rooms, Naegi noticed immediately that it was different from his own. This room was smaller, but it had two shut doors connecting to it, and neither of them seemed like a bathroom. Togami wasn't kidding when he called it a suite. This place was much larger than Naegi's one-bed, one-bathroom lodgings, and they weren't small themselves. There were two large blind-covered bay windows on the wall opposite the entrance, in front of which was a small table set for two. Really set. Tablecloth, drinks, plates covered by those metal dome things, and what looked from across the room to be way more silverware than could possibly be necessary. Glancing around, Naegi noted that the room itself was styled basically like his own, but Togami had decorated his with large paintings in ornate frames, antique vases on stands... Stuff that Naegi could only think of as 'rich people things'. It really didn't look like it belonged.

“I do apologize for the decor.” Togami said, guiding Naegi to the table with a touch on his shoulder. Naegi walked with him looking straight ahead. “Being as busy as I am, I hadn't realized that the dormitories here would be so plain. I'll have my people in here soon to redo the wallpaper... along with a great many other things.”

Naegi thought it wouldn't be surprising if Togami had demanded an entire mansion be constructed on campus just for him. His attitude was throwing Naegi off a bit. He was being... Well, he was hitting all the important notes of being friendly. It was so different from his usual... from his simulated self's dismissive arrogance that some part of Naegi wondered if he wasn't about to be attacked... No, that was ridiculous. Don't think about that.

“Still, these rooms are better than the ones on the first floor, I'm sure. Each of these eight suites on the second floor is twice the size of those. But, it's simply a matter of who is invited to the school earlier, as we are all given the option of taking them until they are full. Of course, nobody ever turns them down.”

Ah, yeah. There it was. But wait, Togami's room was number 205. Did that mean he was scouted fifth? Of course, Naegi's room was 108. He was scouted last, for his luck. And there were eight empty rooms, right? Because he recalled that there were sixteen on the first floor and eight on the second. ...Was there any point in memorizing details like that? Maybe not, but then again, was there any point in trying to break the habit?

The two of them reached the breakfast table, and Togami took his seat. Naegi paused a minute, looking at the blinds. Making a decision, he reached over and pulled them open, bathing his side of the table in morning sunlight and earning a quizzical look before sitting down opposite his host. Together they uncovered their plates, revealing... Huh. It, uh... looked like an omelet, but had some kind of long hair things pointing straight up out of the center. In a separate dish on the side was a small pile of clear white-yellow balls.

“In common terms this is an omelet with cheddar cheese and lobster meat, and a side of almas caviar.” Togami explained proudly. Naegi flinched a little. He had heard of caviar, but he never dreamed that he'd have to eat it, nor did he really want to. And those things sticking out of the omelet, were those the lobster's antennae? Why do such a thing? That old feeling of unbridgeable separation between himself and the Scion was coming back. But Naegi shook his head. Let something as simple as a weird meal end his attempt to befriend Togami? Not a chance.

Naegi picked up a white spoon with an intricate yellow rose bush pattern painted on it. It felt like it was made of ceramic, not metal. He scooped up a small number of the small yellow balls, and shoved them in his mouth with determination, rather than think about what he was about to eat. They were so small he could just swallow them, but he resisted that temptation and chew them instead. They were... actually, really, really good. Slightly salty, a little like squid, but also sweet, and with a really full taste like regular eggs.

Togami gave an amused 'hmph' and leaned back in his seat, arms crossed. “A fine display. Many people our age would balk at eating caviar, but I'm pleased to see that you are open to trying new things.”

Naegi lowered his spoon. “How do you know I haven't tried it before?”

When Togami closed his eyes and tilted his head back, Naegi knew he was about to drop what he thought was a bombshell. “The caviar that most people can afford is not true caviar, and is nothing more than a pale imitation. And this almas caviar, it costs thirty-five thousand dollars per kilogram.” ...Okay, that was pretty impressive. Naegi looked down at his dish and guessed that he was eating the equivalent of two whole weeks of his dad's pay.

“That makes me feel a little guilty, eating something so expensive.” Naegi said. “There are places in the world that are starving.”

But Togami just scoffed. “You misunderstand. This caviar may cost ten thousand times more than chicken, for example, but that doesn't mean it requires ten thousand times more labor or natural resources to produce. It's simply very rare. Supply and demand. Everything is worth exactly what people are willing to pay for it.”

“Still... It seems like there's better ways to spend money than that.”

“Like what? Charity?” Togami leaned forward, looking stern. “The problems in the impoverished parts of the world are far more complex than a simple lack of capital. Poor natural resources, lack of education, debt to richer nations, rampant disease, and violence prevent the development of many of those places. You may give charity, but the situation will not improve until a local economy is built, and that is very difficult to do while it is being actively destroyed at the same time.”

Naegi didn't like what he was hearing. Charity was supposed to be a good thing. That was what he was taught, and it was what he still believed. And yet, he was also all too aware that simple solutions didn't always work. No, they often didn't. His simple optimism, his Hope, may have won out in the end during the simulation, but not before the simple rules they set down for themselves failed to prevent death after death. They were stopgap measures, at best. That didn't make them useless, and neither was charity, but to really fix the world more effort than that would be required. And more thought. He looked up from his plate at Togami, feeling like a heavy weight was coming down on his shoulders as he did. Despite Togami's argument, the boy was the heir to one of the most powerful conglomerates in the world. There had to be something he could do. Naegi couldn't. All he was supposed to do, according to the Headmaster, was point Togami in the right direction.

But... how? Naegi had no idea how to convince him, didn't feel like he knew enough to make the right arguments. So he didn't try. Just for the moment, he told himself. Instead, he picked up his spoon and had another bite of caviar. Togami sat back, looking satisfied, as if Naegi had just passed some kind of test.

“So, I believe you have a fairly good idea of my worldview now. Why don't you tell me about yourself?” He said.

Himself? Naegi stalled by taking a bite of his omelet. Just like the caviar, it was amazingly good. Lobster meat with eggs. How about that? “There really isn't much to tell.” He said lamely.

“Nonsense.” Togami declared, showing his familiar impatience for the first time. “You have the title of Super Duper High School Hope. Surely you are aware of how much attention you have garnered in these last few days?” That was news to Naegi, but it seemed Togami wasn't going to fill him in. “The more mysterious you act, the more people wish to know how it is that you earned that title.”

Naegi didn't think he was being mysterious at all. “I'm just what you see. I really don't know what more people expect of me.”

Another scoff. “That humble act isn't going to get you anywhere. Except for the occasional Luckster, everyone in this school has earned their place, including myself. My family could end this school's financial woes in an instant, or end the school itself, yet even I had to be admitted on merit.”

Naegi lowered his fork after taking another bite, bewildered. What was he supposed to say to that? Togami's expectations for him felt so... silly. Unfortunately, Togami mistook his pause for doubting him.

“Ah, let me guess. You just thought that a Scion never has to earn anything, right?” He said, looking annoyed. Naegi wondered if that misconception was an actual sore point for him. “I just told you, if I didn't stand out from all the other heirs, this school would never have invited me.”

Naegi raised his hands, trying to reassure him. “You had to compete for it, right? Against your siblings. And you won.” Yes, the reason Togami felt so confident in the academic coliseum. He had experienced something similar before.

And now it was Togami's turn to be bewildered. “How... did you know that?”

...Crap. There was only one place he could have learned that, and that was from Togami himself. Naegi didn't want to tell anyone about that yet. He quickly schooled his face and tried to play it cool. “Well... doesn't it just make sense? How else would you earn a title like Scion?”

The other paused to mull this over. Finally, he chuckled. “You are a strange, contradictory person.” Naegi thought that he really wasn't, and it worried him a bit that people saw him that way. “Usually, I can size up if a person will be at all useful to me within a few seconds of meeting them, yet here we are, halfway through our meal, and I still find myself in the dark about you. If that was your goal, well done. So let me speak more directly. My sole reason for coming to this school was to meet people like you. Interesting and unique assets, who will help the Togami Conglomerate continue its dominance into the next generation. There is much I can offer you, but it would be pointless if I do not know what you could offer me.”

Naegi sighed. “There really isn't anything I particularly need, though.” He tried to speak in the most non-rejecting way possible, but he just knew it was going to come across wrong.

Sure enough, the taller boy was sitting up in annoyance again. He wasn't going to take Naegi's continued evasions lying down. “The Togami conglomerate is incredibly influential. We have the ability to gain anything we desire. To gain so much as I'm offering is something someone like you will not be able to achieve in your lifetime.”

“There are other extremely rich families too, aren't there?” Naegi asked, trying to pretend they were still having a normal conversation. Coming here may have been a mistake, he thought.

“A handful, it's true, but mine is the greatest, and none of us interfere with each other anyway.” Togami's words made Naegi blink. Really? They didn't interfere with each other? Then did that mean... “We, the ruling class, are the ones who truly control society. We can raise up anyone we desire, or crush anyone we desire, in any way we desire. There is no person, no place we cannot touch. Including you, or even your family.” With a smug smile, he raised a hand, showing Naegi his smartphone. “In fact, I have a world-class Assassin on retainer right here, in this very school. I could call him right now.”

Naegi stared stone-faced across the table. He didn't like having his family threatened. He wasn't afraid, though. How strange... Having his life threatened felt almost normal. Not to mention, this was the Togami he was used to. No, he may have been even more ruthless now than before. Always looking down on everyone, as if they were more ants than people. That was what really angered Naegi. Earlier they were talking about big things, like how to solve the problems of society, and now Togami was making veiled threats? Something like that was beneath him.

Naegi's voice came out deeply. “Being able to kill a few of what you'd call unimportant plebeians... Is that really your idea of being powerful?”

Togami's mouth dropped open. Naegi's complete lack of intimidation was like being hit over the head with a frying pan. Naegi frowned at him. Really, what the hell? Togami claimed to be the heir to a power that ruled the world, and this was what he did with it? He could do so much good with his influence. But simple having the influence seemed to be enough for him. It wasn't enough for Naegi.

Thinking back to a bit of information he acquired earlier, Naegi spoke again. “Togami-kun. With your influence, couldn't you do something about all the unpaid overtime so many people have to do, so they could spend more time with their families? A-And... couldn't you fix the government's debt problem by pushing for higher taxes on the people who could really afford it?”

The other boy's jaw started to flap as his face turned red. “What nonsense are you spouting? The ruling families didn't get to where they are by throwing away the advantages we won. What could possibly make me want to...”

“I'm not asking if you want to. I'm asking if you could do it!” Naegi just glared harder. “You told me earlier that the ruling families don't interfere with each other. You just work together, to create a system that lets you build up more and more pointless wealth. So... you can't go against them, can you?” Togami just gaped at him in silence for far too many seconds. “I knew it. You're just as trapped in here as the rest of us.”

From between bared, gritted teeth, Togami growled. “Get out.”

Naegi suddenly snapped out of his trial head space. “Wha-...”

“Get out!” Togami shouted, rising to his feet so fast his chair fell backwards.

“Togami-kun!” Naegi rose too, but frantically. He said the wrong thing. He had to fix this. “I know how good you are! You made forty billion yen day trading, right? You could...”

“OUT!”

Togami started to advance, and that made Naegi's feet scurry for the door. He slammed it shut behind him and kept going to the stairwell, barely seeing anything until he slumped down on the landing. In the simulation, he had often imagined a faceless person suddenly appearing to chase him. Looking down at his shaking hands, he realized that that fear hadn't left him now. He pressed his hands against his eyes. More importantly, he'd screwed up with Togami again. So much for leadership. The half of a breakfast he had eaten churned sickly in his stomach as he rose to trundle back to his room. He had to... get to class, or something.

----------

Byakuya Togami paced fiercely in his suite, one hand on his chin, muttering to himself about stocks, business holdings, political contacts. Even as he did, he tried desperately to purge that certain boy's words from his mind. But that boy's boldness, his determination, his audacity kept drawing Togami's attention back. Every so often he would lean on his hand facing a wall just to push away and continue to stalk around. Suddenly, with a shout of rage he grabbed a vase too expensive to name its price and threw it straight against the table where his breakfast still sat. His breathing was loud over the sound of shattered porcelain.

“I'm trapped...!? In the name of Byakuya Togami... this will not stand.”

----------

From: K. Kirigiri
To: B. Togami
Subject: Where are you?

Togami-kun, why have you not shown up for homeroom today? I'm very eager to hear how your meeting went.

----------

From: K. Kirigiri
To: B. Togami
Subject: Breakfast meeting

You aren't the type to skip classes, and yet I haven't seen you all day. I'm sure nothing has come up with your extracurricular duties. It can only be because of that meeting. Did anything happen that is keeping you?

----------

From: K. Kirigiri
To: B. Togami
Subject: Investigation

I know you're alright. Why are you not responding? One of my leads has panned out very well, but I need more information about the 16th student before I can draw a definite conclusion. If I'm right, this could be big. It might be just what I've been looking for, and not just in regards to our current investigation. It is very important that we meet to discuss this.

----------

From: B. Togami
To: K. Kirigiri
Subject:

I'm busy.

Chapter Text

Togami did not show up for class that day, or for the rest of the first week. Naegi had no idea what to make of it all, but he spent the next few days wondering if a huge, monstrous man in black was going to drop out of the sky and assassinate him as Togami had (more or less) threatened. There were more than a few times that he noticed he was being watched, but whoever was doing it disappeared as soon as he turned to look. All he managed to catch was a glimpse of short black hair.

That may have had something to do with the stress pills that started appearing with all his breakfasts, which from then on he took in the privacy of his room with Tsumiki. They never did get to have lunch together, though. It may have been just the beginning of the year, but it seemed like everyone was ridiculously busy, so she was the only one he was able to interact with regularly. It was the difference between Naegi and them. Beyond being extraordinarily talented, each of them was already working, making a living and a name for themselves.

So he didn't get to spend much time with most of them. But there were only a few of his classmates he actually tried to avoid. And one who seemed to want to avoid him. Kirigiri. Every time he tried, she got this mysterious look on her face and just disappeared when he tried to catch up to her. But he saw her around often, talking to a lot of different people. Most often this one upperclassman girl with silvery blue hair and dressed in very tight black western clothes. Like Celes, but less Gothic, more... horse rider-ish.

Classes were actually pretty easy, once Naegi started paying attention. Or rather, they weren't easy, but the teachers were excellent, and gave each student individual attention, so even though they were progressing quickly, he didn't ever feel like he was struggling. History class in particular was a revelation. He never found it interesting before, but the way it was taught at Hope's Peak made so much sense. Rather than focus on details like names and dates, the lessons were about historical trends over a long periods of time. Each one left Naegi feeling like he didn't just know history, he understood it, a little more every day.

It was a little disappointing, though not really unexpected, that he was in the lowest math class the school offered. But it wasn't like he was alone there. In fact, aside from history which his whole year took together, it was the largest class he had. Even still, the first week had largely been a quick review of everything they were expected to know by that point, and already he felt like he was missing knowledge. That was only compounded by the test they took a couple days ago, which he utterly bombed. The teacher told them that some of the problems were made excessively difficult and obtuse to really test the limits of their comprehension. Naegi thought it was just sadistic. Well, he'd work hard and do better next time. It was suggested that they should revise their answers, so that's what he was going to do during lunch after Saturday classes.

Between the class building and the dorms was a large open-air courtyard, though it may have been more accurate to call it a terraced garden. Naegi liked it there, and often ate at one of the circular tables set up throughout the area. It wasn't too far to go, since he had yet to have a class after lunch time. The quiet solitude also gave him a chance to unwind from the stresses of the day. But for once there was someone else waiting there already, at a table next to a fountain pond under a cherry tree. A whole four of his classmates, in fact. Kuwata, Asahina, Fukawa and Yamada. He still barely recognized the last of them. His simulator self was shaped like a pyramid. The real one had a much more reasonable egg-shaped body.

“Ah, Naegi-kun! Over here!” Asahina stood up from her seat and waved over to him with a huge grin.

After being invited in such a friendly way, of course Naegi was going to join them. He actually found it easier to be with his classmates in groups rather than one-on-one. This way, he could fade into the background and not join in the conversation if he didn't feel up to it. But as he sat down, he immediately felt tension in the air, though thankfully not centered around him. Fukawa and Yamada were glaring death at each other from across the table, eating their lunches without breaking eye contact for a second, while Kuwata looked on in amusement.

Asahina kept going, apparently paying them no attention. “We don't have any classes, and the coach Kuwata and I sometimes work with from the year above is busy, so we thought we'd all eat out here together, but we had no idea that you like to have lunch out here too.”

Naegi paused with a bit of rice half way to his mouth. Something was off about what she just said...

“Aaaanyway...” Kuwata scooted forward in his seat, nudging Asahina with his elbow. “What have you been up to? Everyone sees you around, but nobody knows what you're doing. Bet the work of the SDHS Hope is pretty interesting, huh?”

Fortunately, Naegi was chewing at that moment, so he could think of an answer. He winced at being put on the spot like that. He couldn't exactly say that he wasn't doing anything. They wouldn't believe him. So he'd have to say... something very close to that. “Nothing right now. I'm still getting settled, trying to keep up with my... course work.”

He hesitated at the end, because it seemed they were no longer listening to him. Instead they were angrily whispering to each other with their heads turned so he couldn't hear them. Naegi was so confused. He had no idea what was going on.

“Idiots.” Fukawa grumbled, but as she did she took out a small pocketbook and started jotting down notes in it.

Yamada put a hand under his chin. “Taking inspiration for your next book from their bickering? That's a little cliched, don't you think?”

She quickly snapped it shut and glowered at him. “Please. I would never. Of course not. Only a talentless, uncreative hack (such as yourself) would even need to write down such obvious, common behaviors.”

But to that, Yamada let out a quiet, self-satisfied laugh. “The lady doth protest too much, methinks.”

Fukawa turned her nose up to him. “Maybe you should keep your mouth shut if you can't even think of your own words.”

At that point, Naegi could only look on in some kind of awe as all four of the people he sat down with argued with each other over he didn't even know what. In less than thirty seconds to boot. Whatever caused this, it must have been brewing for a while. Why invite him over if they were just going to do this? Fukawa surprised him the most. The Fukawa he knew was like, well, broken glass. Jagged, messy, and even more dangerous than you'd think. This one was more like a razor blade. Just as sharp, but... whole. Confident and directed. And every bit as scary. This one lacked the incredible hair-trigger defensiveness. The way she spoke was pure offense, and she was ripping Yamada apart. Not that he seemed to mind. His mocking comments, nothing like her sharp barbs, just kept on coming. Was this, perhaps, a strange sort of friendship? They were both writers of a sort, so Naegi thought they'd have a lot in common.

Fukawa noticed his look and turned to him, seeming almost wary. “What are you looking at?”

Naegi blinked at her. “I'm just trying to figure out what's going on.”

For some reason his comment made Asahina and Kuwata rejoin them from their side argument, as if in a panic. Why? It was all so confusing.

The Novelist just crossed her arms and smirked at him though. “Well, unlike in fiction, in real life you aren't guaranteed to learn everything about everything that happens. It has nothing to do with you, so never mind.”

'She keeps relating things back to fiction. So the real one has that kind of tic?' Naegi thought to himself. 'Although, I'm not sure how much I can believe what she's saying.' He didn't feel like prying though. It probably wasn't important. So he changed the subject instead. “About what you were saying earlier, don't a lot of authors insert versions of people they know into their stories? I mean, I've heard that you're supposed to write what you know.”

She waved him off. “Advice for losers only. The key to real success in writing is being able to tap into and express the fantasies everyone already has. Any resemblance to something you'd find in the real world beyond minor details is a coincidence at best.”

“...Oh... Is that so?” Naegi shrunk back, unsure how to respond to that.

“Of course.” She rested her cheek on her palm, and looked up at the tree above them blankly. “The romance novels I write are vivid and dynamic, with plot and character development closely entwined, always giving the impression of moving forward towards the end goal of romance. But if you looked at my real life, you wouldn't find anything like that at all. Same as most of my readers.”

No real romance in her life. So, that was something the two Fukawas had in common. Hopefully for very different reasons.

“Case in point...” She continued. “At this table we have... a dough-brained idiot... a clown who thinks he's Casanova... and a plagiarist.” The last word she said with the same venom one might expect of accusing a baby killer. “And then there's you.” Naegi felt himself drawing back when she directed her full attention to him. Her eyes were narrowed, and with her hand still on her cheek, she looked ready to dissect him on the spot. “If I had to describe you by the way the plot moves around you, I'd say you're the type of character who strings people along, as the story drops little hints every now and then to keep the reader interested. But speaking to you directly, how do I put it... You'd expect a character like that to give the impression of being in control. You... don't. It's like you just wandered into the story. Either your character is paper-thin... or you are much, much better at playing us than any of us suspected.”

Naegi felt worried, and also a little annoyed at her analysis. “Can't I just be a normal kid... f-for a Hope's Peak student, of course, who just happens to be a little strange at times?”

“No. Because Byakuya Togami hasn't shown up to class for days.” Fukawa's eyes narrowed even further. “It's obvious to anyone paying attention. You're the Super Duper High School Hope. Someone thinks you're the main character of this story. But you're surrounded by people who are used to taking that role themselves. I'm sure you can see how there's going to be problems there.”

“...I haven't had any real problems yet, though.” Naegi countered. And he really hadn't. Everyone was very helpful when he needed it. Well, except for Togami, but he hadn't been coming after Naegi for anything. At least not before. Although now that Naegi thought about it, the Scion was probably trying to bring Naegi under his influence. That... hadn't really gone anywhere.

“Th-that's right!” Asahina declared, leaning forward and rising slightly from her seat. “You're reading waaay too much into it. We're all just interested in him, that's all.”

Naegi smiled at her for her support, but a second later it turned to a frown as a traitorous doubt occurred to him. “Actually, if anyone were to feel that way, I'd think it would be you, Asahina-san. I mean, you live and breath competition, right?”

Asahina gasped exaggeratedly. “Me? You think I'd... Yeah, okay, I might.” She pouted and looked away. “How'd you know?”

“Uh?” Naegi wasn't sure what she meant. “I just looked you up on the internet before I came to school here. Didn't you do the same?”

“Of course I did. But there wasn't anything about you. And anyway, it's not like the articles about me said anything like...” She smiled cheerfully. “'I'll crush anyone who challenges me so long as I can experience the thrill of competition while doing it. If you try to manipulate me, I'll leave you in ruins.' ...Just kidding.” Naegi did not think she was kidding. At all. “So anyway, what was it that gave me away?”

Kuwata jumped in. “Dude, was that like, some kind of Sherlock Holmes super detective power? C'mon, do me.”

Naegi once again had the bizarre feeling that his classmates were thinking much more of him than he could really back up. But on the other hand, thinking back to the conversations he had with the simulation Kuwata, maybe... It felt wrong, but Naegi was tempted to try. “You... don't really like baseball that much, do you? Your hair, and the piercings in your lip and your tongue, they aren't really appropriate for it.”

Everyone's eyes turned to Kuwata, who looked pretty much stunned. “Woah. You can actually do it.”

Naegi chuckled a little. Even though he cheated, he felt a little proud for getting it right. At the same time, he couldn't help but think he'd made a mistake. He really wanted to change the subject if he could. “So, uh, Yamada-kun. Why were you and Fukawa-san fighting like that earlier?”

He looked confused by the change of topic. Did he want Naegi to try to do that to him too? “She does not approve of my art.” He said quickly. “More importantly...”

But Fukawa wasn't going to let him finish. She half-rose from her seat, glaring icy daggers. “Nonsense. What you do can't even begin to be called art.”

Yamada turned to speak directly to Naegi. “You see? No acknowledgment for me at all.”

The Bookworm sat, looking even madder. “The difference between us, in both talent and sales, is about three orders of magnitude.” Naegi thought she might continue with an insult about Yamada's weight, but she didn't.

Yamada sighed through his teeth. “I assume you know how I made my name?”

Naegi blinked. “Of course I do. It was...”

>1. Creating doujinshi
2. Otaku knowledge
3. Stealing panties

“That's it! You write and draw doujinshi. For Heretical Angel Super Squishy Princess. I've heard they sell extremely well.”

Yamada held up a finger. “To be exact, it's Heretical Angel ☆ Super Squishy Princess.” Naegi thought that was what he said.

Fukawa scoffed. “Who cares what the series is!? Bottom line, you don't have what it takes to write something original, so you steal other people's characters.”

“And your writing is narrow and rigid, cutting off all other possibilities!” Yamada shot back.

Asahina waved her hand at both of them. “I think both of you aren't that good. I've read both your stuff, and it was super boring.”

“Silence, philistine!”

“I won't forgive this!”

As both of the authors started loudly defending their work to her (while still taking potshots at each other so nobody would think they were teaming up in any way) Naegi tried to remember why he thought joining them would be a good idea. He had hoped to just have a nice meal with his friends... potential friends. Before, everyone argued with each other, sure, but it was never over something so petty. It made him feel something terribly familiar; that everything was falling apart around him. He sighed. There was no reason for him to feel like that. They weren't in a life-and-death situation any longer. An argument like this wasn't going to go anywhere bad. He wished there was a way for his heart to realize that like his head did. He could only come up with one that might work, and it wasn't one he wanted to use. He was starting to feel like he didn't have a choice, though. But before that...

“Would you two please stop arguing for... a moment?” Naegi didn't expect just asking to work, but to his amazement it did. Both of them sat down and looked to him, still angry, but willing to hold it in. Apparently, the title of Hope had more weight than he thought. No, he already knew that from the interest Togami took in it. But that wasn't what he needed to think about at the moment. He had an idea. He just had to pull together a few ideas that he'd heard in director's commentaries for movies and such, and try to make an argument out of them. “...Fukawa-san, how do you write novels?”

“What do you mean?” She asked.

“Well, uh... You have editors, right? And you go through multiple drafts?”

Fukawa adjusted her glasses, by the side instead of by the bridge like Togami did. “Of course. You always end up wanting to change things as you go. Sometimes that means adding foreshadowing, or smoothing out the way things progress. Sometimes you change characterization later, and have to make everything consistent. You can see that happening all the time in episodic stories. And editors...” Her face froze, and she looked down at her fist, clenched so tightly it was shaking. “Editors...” Naegi had thought she was angry before. The real Fukawa may not be a serial killer, but it seemed to Naegi to be a pretty close thing.

He shook his head to clear that thought away. “Okay, so that means the story you end up with isn't the one you started with.”

She shot a glare at him, but only briefly. “What's your point?”

“Have you ever had to take something out that you didn't want to? Like, a scene that just didn't fit.”

“...Yes. All the time. To write a really tight narrative often means taking out a scene that interrupts the flow, or leaving out information about some of the characters because you can't find a good place to put it in where it's relevant.”

“Well, doujinshi can fill that stuff out. Someone can take a... a plot thread and expand on it in a way that the original work didn't have time for.”

“Exactly.” Yamada nodded, looking extremely pleased. “But that's not all. A story can take many branching paths. Doujinshi, or fanfiction in general, can explore those possibilities. People like me change a world into a universe. We don't just add, we contrast, providing a new perspective on the original, in a thousand differences big and small.”

“Or you indulge in the most ridiculous smut you've ever heard of.” Fukawa said, crossing her arms. “Obviously, my works have seen far too much of that.”

Yamada ducked his head, actually looking embarrassed at that. “Well, yes. In my experience about eighty percent of fanfiction is primarily romantic or erotic.”

Of course, that got Leon's wide-eyed attention. “Eighty percent!? Really!?”

The others ignored him. Naegi continued. “See, Fukawa-san? It adds something. It's a little something more for the people who really like a story to enjoy. A bonus.” He turned back to Yamada. “But you know, none of that would be possible without the original, that people work so hard to perfect, so that it'd be good enough to make people love it.”

Yamada looked at him askance. “Of course I know that. It's obvious.”

“Then you know that they'd feel protective of it. Some of them may not like the idea of other people trying to improve on what they did, no matter how good you are at it. I think you're mostly in the right here. All I'm saying is that you should try to understand Fukawa-san's perspective too. If she doesn't like it, don't talk to her about it. At least not with her novels. And don't call her... rigid, and all that other stuff.”

Fukawa and Yamada exchanged looks. He put his hand to his chin, staring at Naegi thoughtfully. “You have a strange power. It's very difficult to ignore your words. I must say, this has been a very impressive demonstration of the abilities of Super Duper High School Hope, Naegi-dono.”

Fukawa looked off into space. “The fool may have a point. I'll think about what you've said, but don't expect me to change my views overnight.”

Naegi was more than happy that he could get them to even possibly stop hating each other. To him, that was a successful day. Messing up with Togami had hurt his confidence, but he started to think that maybe he could actually do this. But in order for that to happen, there was one thing he had to do first. The memories of another life burdened him so heavily. He had to do something about them. He had to have closure. And there was only one way to get it.

He had to go back to the simulator.

Chapter Text

It was surprisingly easy to arrange. All it took was a five minute meeting with the headmaster, and Naegi left with a consent form to sign, and a scheduled date for a two hour session in the simulators, where he'd be free to do whatever he wanted. And so it was just a few days later that he found himself in an incredibly plain waiting room on floor B1 of the school's main building. It had no windows, of course, but other than that it was the same as any other, right down to the outdated magazines. And the fact that nobody else was in it. Somehow, it seemed similar to Naegi himself. Something incredibly plain standing in front of the incredible.

Naegi had arrived early out of nerves, so he found himself pacing. And then circling. And then checking out every little thing he could see. There were no blatantly obvious security cameras, but he assumed the black dome on the ceiling concealed one near the corner. Looking over the magazines, he noticed a thin layer of dust on all of them. Apparently, they never got read by anyone. Still, he thumbed through a few of them, finding nothing of interest. One of the chairs had an old stain near the edge of the seat cushion, but there didn't seem to be a matching stain on the carpet... until Naegi found it by another wall that had no chairs.

Eventually he came to the check-in desk set into the wall, unmanned and blocked behind a sliding glass window. There was an outdated computer, with its monitor turned away so he couldn't see it. Hanging on the wall across the desk was a clipboard, holding what looked like a list of people to use the simulator, written in pen. Naegi's name was at the bottom of the list with the date, his current title, and 'SB' in the box for which simulation he'd be going into. Most of the other names he was only a little familiar with. He hadn't paid attention to the students of Hope's Peak in previous years as closely as he'd studied the ones who would become his own classmates. Still, there was probably nobody who didn't know the name Yugi Mutou, SDHS Game Theorist. Or Sonia Nevermind, SDHS Princess. There were others he didn't know. Nagisa Shiota, SDHS Data Analyst. Naruto Uzumaki, SDHS Luckster. Fujimaru Takagi, SDHS White Hat? What? To his surprise, he saw the name Byakuya Togami, dated a few days after that disastrous breakfast they had. What was that about? Tsumiki's name was on there too, twice. Strangely, where he expected to find his own name again, there was a nearly blank line with only the date written in. Naegi found himself staring at it. Evidence of an attempted cover-up of his admittance into the school, just hanging on the wall there.

A man emerged from a door behind the desk. He was thin, but not gangly, with a mop of brown hair streaked with blond on his head, and a pair of frameless glasses. His clothes were as plain as the room. Black slacks with a light blue button-down shirt. He halted when he saw Naegi, before quickly moving to take a seat and open the window. “Sorry I'm late. Do you have your consent form?”

“It's my fault. I'm early.” Naegi insisted, handing over the five-sheet stack of papers he'd gotten from the headmaster. This time, he'd read the whole thing, thoroughly.

Then man quickly hit a few keys. “So, welcome back. How you holding up kid?”

Naegi blinked. “I'm... fine. Have we met?”

The man looked up. “I believe so? I'm Jurou Abematsu. I was one of your operators the other day.”

Wracking his memory, Naegi managed to pick out a faint recollection. “Oh, yeah. I'm sorry, I don't remember much of that day.”

He nodding in understanding. “They can do that. The one you were in was particularly rough.”

“...I didn't yell at you, or anything, did I?”

Abematsu shrugged. “You did, but I can't blame you. What happened was pretty messed up. Though I have to admit I became a bit of a fan of yours after all that.” While Naegi was trying to process that, he glanced over his shoulder. “Oh, hold on.” He pushed back and rolled across to the schedule sheet. “It's very important to have a complete physical paper trail, you know.”

“Ah, wait!” Naegi called out as Abematsu started to write his name in with the pen dangling by a string from the clipboard. The man looked at him in confusion. Naegi himself couldn't quite say what he was going for. “Could you... write it in pencil?”

The man looked unsure. “Well, I could, but why?”

“Just... do it, please.” Naegi said, bowing his head.

He was given a shrug, and the man wheeled back over to grab a pencil from his desk. “If you say so. This pen is dying anyway. The administration's been ridiculously stingy with money this year.”

“I kinda noticed...” Naegi mumbled, looking back at the stain on the carpet.

“Yeah, that's been there ever since the SDHS Janitor graduated.” Naegi swung his head back, perplexed. Abematsu coughed a bit. “Uh, that's a little joke. It's like saying the mess has been there forever because there's never been... Never mind. We're all done here. Come on in.”

A click signaled another door just to Naegi's right unlocked. Before he went in though, he quickly glanced at the schedule one last time.

Naegi, Makoto | Hope | 4/6 | D-7

----------

From there, Naegi was led down a level into a room with a single locker and a bench to sit on. Inside the locker was a blue and black body suit, with bulky white parts around the upper chest, and around the pelvis, containing equipment to monitor his health and deal with waste respectively. Naegi blushed when he considered how long he'd been in the suit last time. Apparently, it was also capable of massaging the wearer's body to easy the strain of remaining immobile for a long period of time. No, he didn't remember wearing it before, but the suit did stir some kind of unnamed feeling in him. Putting it on made him feel naked. Vulnerable.

Once he was “dressed” it was time for a long walk down to the simulation chamber. Every step took all of his strength. He had to be crazy to be going through with this. Once he was in that thing, literally anything could happen to him. What was it that he really wanted? To confirm that in the end it was all a fraud? To find answers? Or did some part of him want to return there and never leave?

The sim room itself was brightly lit and sterile like an operating room. Mostly white, two stories tall, though the walls only went half way to the ceiling, almost like a cubicle. Above the walls, a control room behind a wide glass window overlooked the chamber and, Naegi guessed, several others as well. The sim unit itself was in the middle. It looked about as Naegi expected. All molded, white, shiny plastic. Very sleek. Very techy. The top of it was sloped at an angle, and it had a window, so though it was enclosed, it didn't look too much like a futuristic coffin. Once the top was popped, he saw that inside was a padded seat, in a reclined position. It looked comfortable enough, but lying down on it was still like lying on a bed of nails.

Naegi found himself biting his lip as Abematsu applied straps to his wrists, ankles, chest and forehead. A few tubes had to be connected too. Next came the helmet, attached to the seat and lowered onto his head, after which another strap went under his chin to hold his head completely immobile. After receiving an instruction, Naegi pulled at all the bindings to make sure they were secure, and they certainly were. Then a single button was pressed on the helmet, and Naegi jerked. The feeling of a couple dozen rods pressing against his skull, from forehead down to behind his ear, made his eyes go wide. The last piece was a breath mask that went over his nose and mouth. He was really locked into his choice now.

Abematsu moved to his right and leaned over him, smiling reassuringly. “Okay, since you don't remember last time, there's a few things I need to go over first. In the event of an emergency, like an earthquake, this pod is designed to be completely safe. The entire building could come down on top of it, and you'd be fine. You'll be brought out immediately if we hit an emergency switch that we've got up in the control room, or if there's a fire alarm or any other kind of alarm. If there's a power failure, we've got backups down here, so your session won't be interrupted. But if you do have to leave this pod for any reason, as soon as your simulation ends all of the restraints should automatically release. If they don't, here's what you do.” He took Naegi's hand and moved his finger around a nub in the armrest's surface. “You can remove this cover with your finger easily, and underneath that is a lever that will release your right hand. Then you grab this handle.” He patted the lip around the edge of Naegi's seat, on a faintly glowing, large and easy to grab handle. “That will release the rest of the restraints and also pop the door. Then you just follow the emergency lights to the exit.”

“Now, today you're going to be doing a modified sandbox simulation. The world will respond to your subconscious thoughts to an extent, but as it fills up it will take on a life of its own fairly quickly. It will attempt to challenge your thinking. This won't be a walk in the park. This session is timed, set for two hours, and you should be in there for that whole time, but as always we'll be monitoring your condition, and if it gets to be too much for you, we'll pull you out.”

“How much is too much? Last time was pretty 'much' I think.” Naegi asked between his teeth, as he couldn't open his jaw.

Abematsu shrugged. “Yes, well, you won, didn't you?” And that pretty much answered that question. “Now, we're going to give you a little anesthetic gas to help you fall asleep. As soon as you do, the simulation will begin. Ready?”

Naegi didn't even try to think about it at this point. He didn't want to give his nerves a chance to rebel. “Yes.”

The door closed over him, and the lights in the room dimmed to an orange glow. A ring of blue lights around the inside of the simulation pod lit up, making him easy to see from the control room. All Naegi could do was lay there with his eyes closed and wonder how long it would-

Chapter Text

♫ – Beautiful Days

The enormous academy towered over the city's central, upper-class residential district. It was like... the whole world revolved around that place. Hope's Peak Academy. This federally accredited, super privileged academy gathers students of the highest caliber in all fields so it can groom them to be the best of the best. Graduating is said to guarantee a life of success. Hope's Peak Academy has been producing top-tier prospects in every discipline for hundreds of years. Fostering students in whom the country can place their hope, it is aptly named. There are two qualifications one must meet to enroll. One, you must already be enrolled in a high school. Two, you must excel in your particular field of study. There is no application process. All new students are scouted by the academy. And yet there Naegi was, standing before the gates to an academy as superbly, supremely amazing as that.

(Really?)

He was always one to introduce himself by the books. His name was Makoto Naegi. He was – just as he appeared to be – a helplessly ordinary, average high school student. And he wasn't a whole lot different on the inside either. He wasn't particularly skilled at anything, nor was he all that eccentric or really “extraordinary” at all. He didn't have any special interests or tastes or mutant powers or skill at sports. As for his favorite actor, favorite manga, favorite band or favorite movie, just by looking at what was at the tops of the charts would pretty much tell you. Ordinary almost to a cliche degree, the most average of the average. That's him.

(Wasn't there something...)

Although, if he had to pick something, he'd say his one redeeming quality was...

(Hope?)

♫ - End

Naegi blinked. Hadn't this happened before?

“Naegi-kun, over here please.” Naegi looked down from the towering school building to where a fox-faced man was beckoning him over.

Feeling intense deja vu, Naegi ran over to him. “Um, I'm sorry. Is the commencement ceremony already starting?” He was pretty sure he had shown up really early.

“Oh, it won't be until later tonight.” The man smiled, but it was... strange. Naegi wasn't sure about it, but something in the back of his mind told him this man was untrustworthy. “But, got a lot to do before then. Classes are starting immediately. Have to make sure you represent us well at the ceremony, right?” He spoke fast, and turned on his heel to strike quickly back into the school.

Naegi followed him, almost as if his feet were moving themselves. Didn't he just think this man was untrustworthy? But why? What was that feeling? “Wait, please. Where are we going?”

The man suddenly stopped, and faced Naegi so quickly it was as if he didn't turn at all. “You didn't say that.”

Naegi stepped back in confusion. “Huh?”

“You didn't say anything. Please follow the script. Besides, you already know where we're going.”

“I do?” Naegi felt it, on the tip of his tongue. This man had something planned for him.

“Yes. There's a lesson we have to teach you.”

Teach? Naegi felt his pulse accelerating. He felt like he was moving backwards. The sound of a massive hammer filled his mind. “The academic coliseum... The simulation. Where I am now.” He looked around, at the man, at the walls, at everything. The school looked exactly as he saw it every single day. “No. This isn't real.”

The man smiled wider and leaned towards him. “Are you sure?” Suddenly, his face was gone, replaced by a blank sheet with a few lines drawn on.

Naegi screamed. Everything around him turned to pastel colors, and shattered. He found himself alone, floating in pure white space, blank as far as he could see. There was nothing anywhere. No up or down. He looked at his hands. They looked like they'd been drawn in pencil, with no color. He wasn't afraid any more. He wasn't anything. He felt as blank as the world around him.

“Aha. I'm sorry about that. She likes to freak people out sometimes. It's not often that someone comes to speak to us directly.”

Naegi tried to look to the left and right... but he couldn't be sure his head was even turning. “Who's that? Where are you?”

“The idea of where requires the idea of space. That doesn't exist for either of us right now. No space. No bounds. A realm of pure thought. This is absolute freedom. Anything you will can happen.”

“It's... disorienting.” Was all the Naegi could say about it.

“Is it? Well then, how about this.” And then it was as if a hand drew a line across the universe. Naegi could see it progressing from one side of infinity to the other, after which the ground suddenly existed under his feet. Looking down, he could see that his appearance had returned to normal. “There. Now you have something to orient yourself by, but you've also lost a degree of freedom. You can no longer fly, and must walk along the ground. But this is easier to conceive of, isn't it?”

Naegi was now able to locate the source of the voice as well. A man in a butterfly-patterned mask, dressed all in white. He had a greatcoat, closed in the middle, but open in top to show his silk shirt and tie. He should have blended in to the world, but for some reason he stood out brilliantly. Looking at him, Naegi could hear a piano starting up in the background.

♫ - Persona: Aria of the Soul

“I am Philemon. One of the programs responsible for creating this realm. Do you perhaps know what my particular role might be?”

1. Music
2. Philosophical something something
3. Uh... Butterfly behavior?

Philemon waved his hand dismissively. “No, none of those are correct. Nobody ever guesses it.” He sighed and briefly rubbed the bridge of his nose through his mask. “I control the personality matrix. My job is to piece together the characters that appear in any given simulation, fine tune them over time, and assign actions to them according to the needs of the narrative, while attempting to predict the actions of the players. I even created a doppelganger of you for that purpose. Every time you speak to someone in this place, you're actually speaking to me.”

Naegi blinked, feeling uncomfortable talking to a masked man. And a little angry. “Um... Okay, but why are you here?”

“I'm always here. But more specifically, I'm here because you needed someone to talk to. A much more interesting question is what you're doing here.” He inclined his head slightly. “Ah. Perhaps something a bit different would be better?” He swept the mask off his face, revealing the visage of Jin Kirigiri. “Tadah!”

“Headmaster!?” Naegi yelped.

Jin shook his head. “No. I simply picked out a character you're comfortable with who I already have on file.” He smiled, and it looked identical to the smile from Naegi's memory. “Now, Naegi-kun, what would you like to talk about?”

Naegi didn't like this. He didn't think this AI should be taking on someone's face like that, putting words in Headmaster Kirigiri's mouth. “...Could we have some place to...” A wooden table and two cushioned chairs appeared between the two. “...Sit.” Naegi shrugged and took his seat, being joined instantly by the other. But Naegi didn't speak. Instead, he folded his hands on the table, wrung them, and folded them again, while looking around. Jin watched him patiently the whole time. “I'm, uh... I've been having flashbacks. And I keep confusing my real classmates with...”

“With my fake ones, yes?” Jin said.

Naegi flinched. It was hard for him to think of them that way. “I'm not sure what I want. Maybe I thought if I came back here, I could learn to tell the difference in my memories.”

“Hmm.” Jin put a hand to his chin. “I don't know if that would work... and we prefer not to point out the flaws in our work. It can cause problems with immersion when you come here again.”

“I don't want to come here again!” Naegi shouted. His outburst surprised himself more than a little.

“...You will. There is no greater way to learn than experience, and there are so many experiences to have in here.”

“What experiences!?” He rose from his seat and started to pace behind it. “This, none of this is real! You made me suffer for no reason! You made me watch my friends kill each other and then send them to their deaths, and none of it had any point at all! None of it mattered!” All the anger Naegi had been concealing from himself and others, that he had suppressed because he didn't want to speak cruelly to others, was starting to spill out, and it scared him.

Philemon watched him evenly as he moved, remaining calm and composed. “It mattered. It created the current you.”

Naegi swung around to face him wildly. “I don't want to be Hope! I'm just a normal kid, who likes normal things! I wasn't a genius, but I was happy! Wasn't that good enough!?” He raised his head to the sky. “And quit it with that stupid music!”

♫ - End

Naegi would have loved to see any sign of regret, but there was none. At least Philemon wasn't smiling any more. “If the you who started that simulation remained unchanged all the way to the end, do you think you could have stood up to the Mastermind and defeated her? You changed. You became far stronger, something not many people have been able to do in such a situation. And you learned not to simply take life as it comes, but to be proactive. Now you are better equipped to face any situation that comes your way.” He leaned forward. “You understand the importance of truth. Look into yourself and tell me if anything I've said is wrong.”

Naegi's jaw was so tight it hurt. He ended up looking down at his hands clenched on the back of his seat rather than admitting it, but he still felt like he was being drained of his anger, leaving him nothing but bitterness. Putting his old self next to his new self, he knew that he wanted to be the former... but he also wanted someone to be the latter. Just not him.

♫ - Desire for Execution

The AI easily drew the right conclusion from his silence. “Naegi-kun, do you know the meaning behind the Super Duper High School titles?” He got no answer from the boy. “Haven't you ever thought that it sounds preposterous? What kind of person would go around calling themselves 'super duper?' Around here we call it the Batman Principle. Batman is objectively ridiculous. He's a man who dresses up as an animal to fight crime. What makes it work is that Batman is singularly awesome, to the point that he spreads that awesome to everything he touches. Him dressing up as a bat is cool because he is Batman. No matter how strange his voice may be, it is cool because he is Batman. And so on. The students who are scouted by this school are the same. We expect them to achieve such greatness that the ridiculousness of the title only adds to their image. And the same goes for you.

“I understand the human heart. I know that I am cruel. We all are, when the scenario calls for it. And it's not just us. The Headmaster feels the same, as you know. We believe in the importance of talent, of Hope, in the world. Especially in the today's world. The Headmaster has pinned his hopes on you, and I agree. You may be angry that we've done this to you, placed this burden of expectation upon your shoulders, but we wouldn't have if you were the kind of person who would turn his back on the world out of spite.”

Naegi still didn't look up. “I hate you.” He said without conviction.

The AI shook his head. “No you don't. Remember, I'm wired into your brain. I can see what you're feeling. You ought to hate me... but I see that you're still having trouble grasping that the simulation you experienced was a story we were telling you, not true events and real people. Strange. You should have understood after you returned to reality. The intensity of the experiences, and the fact that it was your first such experience, seem to be the problem...” Jin rose to his feet. “Very well. I will teach you everything about this realm, starting with this table.”

Naegi suddenly let go of his chair and pulled back, almost unable to believe his eyes. The table and chairs were... Well, they were still there, but... They no longer looked like wood. They were just brown surfaces with patterns of magenta marks all over them. “What is this?” He asked in surprise.

Jin waved his hand at it. “This is the 3-D model we have been interacting with in its raw form. It doesn't look very good, does it? This is the work of Hypnos, the AI responsible for generating all of the graphical assets, maps and models... He's rather lazy, I'm afraid, and also very shy, so he won't be coming out to meet you.” He waved a hand at all the different marks. “These things you see here are variables. Some say that this object is made of wood, others talk about its smooth, polished texture. They-”

“Why would an AI be programmed to be lazy?” Naegi interrupted, leaning down to look closer.

Jin straightened up and clasped his hands behind his back, looking almost annoyed, but not missing a beat in his answer. Naegi thought that he was annoyed at something else, not the interruption. “Perhaps lazy isn't the right word. He is... efficient. Most of the time. And not too terribly sloppy. You see, the simulator is run by an optical supercomputer with a combined power of about 15.8 exaflops. Which is a lot, but it's divided up across 24 individual simulation units. Most of that processor power is taken up with reading the brains of the humans interacting with the system.

“Not that that means we can truly read your mind. Not reliably, anyway. We can pick up on simple thoughts, emotions, signals to and from your motor and sensory cortices, things like that. It's enough for us to make you sense things as we want you to. Such as this table. To save on resources so we don't have to render photo-realistic graphics in real time, we instead take advantage of your brain's own dreaming mechanisms so that it can tell itself to fill in the details it expects to find.”

“Aren't video games already pretty close to being photo-realistic?” Naegi wondered, touching the cushion on his seat. It still felt like a cushion under his fingertips, but when he touched it the seat blossomed into a network of polygons as it deformed. Incredible. Even seeing how fake it was, to his other senses it was still completely real.

Jin scoffed. “Yes and no. Mostly no. It's one thing to look good from a distance, at a comparatively low resolution, when all you have is something visual. Our system works with all of your senses, so it would be vastly more difficult to keep everything synchronized if we used the same methodology. As much as we can, we use your own mind to assist with the process... which sometimes leads to some rather interesting results.”

“I... see.” Naegi didn't quite follow that, but he thought he got the gist of it.

“And then there's your memory.” That really got Naegi's attention, enough to tear his eyes away from the unnatural table before him. “Specifically, yours is cut off right now.”

“It's what!?”

“It's a safety feature.” Philemon said, holding his hands up placatingly. “We cut off your memory centers from your conscious mind, and in their place we use a virtual copy of your memory loaded into the simulator's system. For someone your age, that amounts to a couple hundred gigabytes. This allows us to control what memories you are able to access. Generally, that just means we prevent you from remembering the process of entering the simulator, but we can block years worth of memory if we have to. The virtual memory is then loaded into your real memory at the conclusion of the simulation. But it can only add to your memories, it cannot replace them.”

“How is that a safety feature?” Naegi asked, half-shrugging incredulously.

Philemon held up a finger. “If things go wrong, we don't load the memory back into you. Then you won't remember what happened. Any new neural pathways that get formed will remain, so it's not like it'll have no effect at all, but without the memory backing them up, any trauma that's incurred will be much easier to deal with. I know you're wondering was that wasn't done for you, but you beat a scenario with no victory condition. It was never even considered in your case.”

Naegi felt the stabbing pain of being given a bit of hope, only to have it immediately crushed. For a moment, he thought that they might be able to remove his memories of the simulation. That way everyone would have what they wanted. He could be free from his flashbacks, except whatever it was the made him the Hope everyone seemed to be after would still be in his head. But it was too late for that. As Philemon said, they couldn't erase memories that way. Besides, in the end he didn't want them gone anyway. Even if it wasn't real, it still seemed wrong to Naegi for those events to just be forgotten. That hope was just a moment of weakness for him, and inside he was beating himself up for it.

♫ - End

“Well, enough of that. It's time we moved on.” Jin said loudly, snapping Naegi out of his thoughts. He waved a hand, and the table was cleared away. “I think the best thing to do next is to load the map from your previous simulation. There's plenty of things there that will help you see how unreal all of this is. If you think you're up to it, that is.”

Naegi stiffened. Go back there? He... kinda expected from the start that he would. But being faced with having to directly say yes to it was hard. There was no place he wanted to be less. Already he could sense the claustrophobic feeling of having no escape. But at the same time he knew that the more he felt that way, the more he needed to return and confront his demons. “Yes. Do it.” He closed his eyes, knowing that when he opened them, he'd be trapped.

♫ - Welcome to Despair Academy

The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was a shock of pink hair, over a face that was slightly off from what he expected. Enoshima? No, he now knew that this was Mukuro Ikusaba. And their surroundings... the gym? With that, he knew exactly what was about to happen. The spears that shot from everywhere and nowhere.

Life was incredible, Naegi had always thought. Thousands of chemicals, trillions of cells, coming together through nothing more than nature figuring out what worked, and in the end creating emotion, civilization, history, and hope. But it was also so fragile. The bonds between cells could not stand up to the strength of iron. Skin and connective tissue alike parted. Was ripped apart. Blood gushed from the wounds, and that was all it took. Her body could no longed sustain itself, could not heal or stem the flow. Strength did not matter. Will did not matter. Naegi did not matter. Just like that, life ends.

Ikusaba collapsed to the ground, landing on a metal rod that made her flop onto her side before coming to a rest. Naegi's eyes had screwed shut the moment of the first impact. He couldn't look.

“Are you all right?” Jin asked from off to the side.

Naegi nodded. It was a lie. But this is what he came for, wasn't it?

Jin hmmed. “Interesting. I wonder why we were drawn here first? Is it because of her? Or simply that this was the first death you witnessed happening right in front of you?” Naegi had no answer for that. “By the way, you might want to look again.”

Naegi couldn't imagine why he would. And yet he did. It was like some sick joke he played on himself, if what Jin said was true. So he did, and when his eyes peeked open, they immediately noticed something extremely... odd.

♫ - Super Dangan Ronpa 2: Third Island Theme

“Pink?” He asked incredulously. Ikusaba's body was covered in blood, except the blood was pink. It looked... ridiculous! Garish, even.

“We tell your mind to believe that it is blood, despite the wrong color. It's very effective at preventing you from developing a phobia for real blood.” Jin explained. “There are all kinds of weird bits like that. Here, I'll show you one that's a little safer.”

The gym moved around them until they were outside it, though Naegi could still see in as if the walls that would block him were transparent. For some reason, Mukuro's body came with them. Other rooms started to pop up, dozens of them. All places Naegi recognized, but disconnected from each other and the halls.

“This is how the school would look normally. The doors, you see, are portals. The different rooms are put together by how those portals connect to each other, rather than how they relate to each other in programmed 3-D space. This is used for the sake of convenience, so that bits can be customized and added on as needed. But it can also cause problems. Watch.”

The rooms started moving before Naegi's eyes, zooming around the empty space like pinballs with rockets attached. The trophy room connected to the gym. Next the hallway outside connected to that. Followed by the stairs, and then the hallway on the second floor. Naegi watched in amazement and bemusement as the building came together from free-floating blocks... into a larger, stranger-shaped floating block. The locker rooms on the second floor joined next. And then it happened. The behemoth pool flew in to take it's place... but when it did, the whole thing turned wrong. Naegi didn't know how he didn't realize it before. The gym was a good two stories tall. The pool dipped below the floor level on the second floor. If he thought about how they were arranged, he couldn't escape the conclusion that was right in front of him. The gym and the pool occupied the same space.

“And there's more than that to see. Here, let's do something fun.”

The school disassembled itself again, and particular room came flying towards them. One that he was much more familiar with. His dorm room. It was exactly as he remembered it. The obnoxious pinkish walls, the blue floor... the metal plates covering the windows. The shower room he could never bring himself to use after the first murder. The security camera. And the dull burn in his veins from the stress that never went away. It was all there. Naegi remembered spending a lot of time in this room, just trying to hold himself together.

Jin noticed his melancholy and sighed. “Well, come on. There's something I need to show you.” His white coat billowed behind him as he strode towards the door, and walked straight through it. Naegi came up short. He hesitated for a second before shrugging and stepping through as well. He didn't even feel anything. Not the door, and not the teleporting into an area he now knew was disconnected. Because it wasn't real. It just looked real, from the inside. To an incredible degree. Jin was waiting for him, smiling in anticipation.

♫ - Box 15

The AI spread his arms, indicating the hallway full of dorm rooms. “Now, while the simulation is in progress, one of the things the system has to do is prevent you from noticing certain things that would normally be strange. It isn't doing that right now. In the short time that we've been in this area, I've already shown you something that represents another rather severe mistake on Hypnos' part. Something critically wrong with his design. You should be able to find it easily on your own.”

Well, at least he had a goal now. Somehow that always made it all much easier. Okay, so there was something strange that he had already been shown. They had only really been in his room and the hall, so that really narrowed it down. And it was something that he never noticed before. Jin had only given him the challenge after the exited his room... so something about the hall was probably relevant. Naegi got his ElectroiD out of his pocket (only later realizing that it had just appeared there when he wasn't paying attention) and brought up a map of the area. ...Looking at it again, it seemed so small compared to the gargantuan school he'd gotten used to. Even its largest spaces were never, never large enough. After just a few seconds, Naegi wanted to be outside, but he shook the feeling off. He'd be out soon enough.

The area he had to focus on was the dormitories. The hallway he was in formed a large rectangle, and the dorm rooms were on either side of the south and east halls. The north hall had the garbage disposal room on the north side, and windows looking into a small garden in the center on the south side. Naegi remembered that looking into it, you could see the metal plates covering the windows in the dorms, which was strange. What was the point of those plates? The garden was covered from above anyway. Probably just to make it more claustrophobic. Anyway, that didn't really matter, since Naegi's room was on the other side of the hall, on the outside wall of the building. As for the dorm rooms, they were lined up right in a row. Just by eyeballing it, Naegi could tell that they were packed together with no space in between.

There was no problem with the hallway that Naegi could see... He walked back into his room. Again, nothing immediately popped out at him. The door was directly behind him. To his right, there was the wall for the bathroom, and to his left, a potted plant and a small nook to hang up coats or whatever, separated by a wall on the side he was facing towards from the room proper. The ceiling was painted very darkly, but it looked normal enough. Oh, and Mukuro's body was in the corner. Why?

He stepped in further, to the center, and slowly turned to take it all in. The bathroom where Maizono died was in the corner, then there was his bed in front of a desk backed up against the wall, where his never-used set of tools was. Hanging above the desk, a security camera, and in-between there were metal plates covering the windows. Then along the next wall there was a dresser, which Naegi couldn't recall ever using, and finally the round table, the shelves and the garbage can.

By the time he finished his search, Naegi had already long since realized the problem. But where was...? “Philemon?”

“Yes?” Came from right behind him.

Naegi screamed and spun around. “What are you doing behind me!?”

Philemon shrugged. “I've always been behind you, since you entered the room.”

As he put his hand over his heart and tried to slow his pulse back to normal, Naegi concluded that the AIs must get incredibly bored when they didn't have anyone to mess with. “...I figured out what the problem is. It's...”

1. The size of the rooms
2. The furniture that was never used
3. The location of the windows
4. Missing light switch
5. Nothing is solid

----------

Omake:

Naegi scratched at his temple as he regarded the bathroom door curiously. “Hey, uh, Philemon, did I ever actually use the shower?”

Jin looked at him in surprise. “No. You were never logged as having used it. I believe the reason was that you could barely stand the sight of it after what happened in there?”

Naegi nodded quickly. “Yeah. Yeah, but... I kinda half-remember having a completely gratuitous shower scene right after we finished the first trial...”

Now Jin was quirking an eyebrow at him. “That doesn't sound like something you'd do at all. Especially not at that moment.”

“I know.” Naegi held his hand to his chin, wracking his brain for an answer. “I guess I must have imagined it in some kind of horrific fever dream. Well, never mind.”

Chapter Text

♫ - Class Trial (Solar edition)

1. The size of the rooms
2. The furniture that was never used
>3. The location of the windows
4. Missing light switch
5. Nothing is solid

“That's it! The windows. They're on the wrong wall.” Naegi declared, pointing at the giant metal plates screwed onto the wall over the desk. “They should be on the wall opposite the door, to look outside, but they're not. They're on the adjacent walls, so really they'd be looking into the next room over, wouldn't they?”

Jin grinned and clapped his hands together once. “That's absolutely right. Sloppy, isn't it?” He shook his head in disdain.

Speaking badly of others when they couldn't respond didn't sit well with Naegi. Even if they were AIs. “You know, I'm pretty sure I saw some sloppiness on your part too.”

♫ - End

Philemon took a step back, with an offended scoff. “Me? When?”

Rolling his eyes, Naegi put on a huge grin and crossed his arms like he'd seen Hagakure do many times. “'Back then my character hadn't really solidified yet!' Something like that.” He stared at Philemon with an incredulous eye. Honestly, how did a line like that slip in to the simulation?

Philemon recoiled as if horrified that he'd been caught doing something terrible. “...You have a very good memory. In my defense, the guys in the control room kept changing the settings. We all get a little loopy when that happens. But anyway, you're starting to see it, right?”

♫ - Welcome to Despair Academy

Naegi frowned as he thought it over. Yes, these were unrealistic quirks that he should have realized before. He was starting to understand in his heart that this wasn't real. But as they were going on, he was starting to feel like this wasn't really what he came for. Part of him, a very large part, didn't like this. He didn't like that the most important experience of his life was being disproved right before his eyes.

“And by the way, you're partially responsible for some of it.” Philemon interrupted his thoughts. Naegi looked up at him curiously. “In the early stages, when the difficulty was set to be relatively low, I sometimes took inspiration from your mind to save on processor power. I'm thinking of a certain Bookworm who suddenly got made into a serial killer.” He tutted disapprovingly. “Honestly, the reclusive crazy author cliche? You should be ashamed of yourself for subconsciously thinking that about her.”

Naegi blushed. He did kind of sometimes think of that kind of stereotype. He just thought she looked so pale and touchy in her photos, it seemed to fit. “Do you think I should apologize to the real one for that?”

Jin paused as if he had to think about that one. “Only if you have to tell her about it in the first place. And based on her personality profile, I'd bring more than an apology to that conversation. And by the way...” He pointed behind Naegi.

Naegi turned around and jumped back with a yelp. A white-haired boy in a skull t-shirt and a scar over his left eye was towering over him. “Wh-Who are you!?” He stuttered, hoping not to get hit.

“Huuh?” The boy snarled, suddenly seeming very aggressive. “I'm Kanji Tatsumi, punk. Super Duper High School Seamster! I made the stuffer bear the Headmaster gave you. You got a problem with that!?” He palmed his fist to crack his knuckles with his elbows up high and his head slightly cocked. Exactly the same way Oowada used to.

Naegi looked to Philemon, wide-eyed. The AI shrugged. “Let this be a lesson not to judge people by their appearances.”

“Huh?” It took Naegi a second to remember, oh yeah, his stuffed bear. If he had ever tried to imagine the person who made such a warm, gentle toy... Yeah, this would be the absolute last type of person he would have thought of. “Um... He's doing the same pose that Oowada-kun used to.” The newcomer was still and silent now.

Jin sighed, looking at Kanji. “Yeah. Certain personality traits have scripted animations associated with them. Another time-saving measure. As was the fact that even though you sat down to eat meals, you never actually ate anything. And you never had to use the bathroom. You never showered, but you didn't stink.” Though Fukawa certainly did. That Naegi remembered very clearly. “And you never changed clothes. Even when you slept, you were always fully dressed, so we wouldn't have to expend memory on more outfits.” With a wave of his hand, the Seamster was no more.

Naegi's mind reeled a bit, trying to take all that in. He realized that it was absolutely true. He did sleep in his clothes. Hoodie, jacket and all. “But... I actually did sleep, right?” He wondered.

“Power naps. About fifteen minutes long, and not necessarily every time you thought you went to sleep. Since your conscious mind isn't aware of the passage of time while you're asleep, that's really easy to fake. We actually use that trick a lot. Have you ever had a dream where your mind tells you that you've been dreaming for a long time, but afterward you realize that you really weren't?”

Naegi's dreams tended to be pretty uninteresting, so... “...No.”

Jin blinked. “Oh. Well, other people have those. And we use the same mechanism to make you think you spent a lot more time doing something than you actually did. Like, you probably remember spending hours at a stretch talking to other characters, but really it was only a few minutes.”

As Jin remarked before, Naegi did have a good memory. So it was certainly strange that all those times he spent with his friends, it seemed he could only remember a small portion of them. Wow. So he really didn't know them nearly as well as he thought he did. That put things in perspective, but it also shook him. What was he so attached to them for? For a while, he defined himself by that attachment, but why?

But in the midst of all this, a rather incongruous thought suddenly popped into his head. One that, once he had it, would absolutely not go away until he had confirmed it. The implications... He quickly got out his ElectroiD and checked the map of the dorms again. Yep. He was right. “Hey... If the windows are on that wall, that would mean they look into... Kirigiri-san's room.” He petered out with a little blush.

Jin suddenly looked awkward. “Yes.” He turned away with a scowl, his hand finding its way into a pocket of his coat. Naegi thought his response was pretty convincing, for an AI. Alter Ego had always seemed, well, artificial.

He decided he had to bring it up. “You know, I can hardly tell the difference between you and a human. Is artificial intelligence really that advanced? It should take a huge amount of processor power to equal a human brain, right?”

Philemon clasped his hands behind him and nodded proudly, eyes closed. “Oh, yes. To mimic a mind is extremely difficult. You really think I'm that accurate?”

“...Well, you're a little too wordy. And sometimes you can be a jerk.”

Philemon was taken aback. “Oh... Really? I'm sorry that I made you feel that way. Well, once again, I have to admit I'm cheating a little. I use your mind to determine what response would be appropriate, and then decide if it would fit the character to act in that way. If not, then I have to come up with something myself. And I can't actually emulate sapience... that is, fully human intelligence. In short, I have a list of subroutines that describe personality traits. I group them together to make characters. But their knowledge, and their apparent ability to reason and make decisions is actually determined by a different program, the narrative kernel. In other words, their choices and their conclusions are made for them, and I come up with excuses after the fact.”

Naegi nodded through the end of that explanation, having already latched on to the part that was important to him. “So, you're not really sorry. That's just what I expected you to do.”

The AI suddenly went stony-faced, and flashed into a neutral posture. The hair on the back of Naegi's neck stood on end. It came out of nowhere, in an instant, like opening a door to find your friend in a bloody pile. “I am not. I understand emotions, but I do not possess them. Nor do I operate in terms of benevolence and malevolence, only in terms of what I have been instructed to do.”

Run. Naegi's mind was screaming at him to run. His arms came up in a completely useless defense, but his feet were rooted to the ground. There was nowhere to run. He knew that all too well. This entity could hurt him in a million different ways, and there was nothing he could do about it.

There was a flash of white. Naegi tried to shield his head, but nothing happened. Nothing. He blinked his eyes open, but there was nothing to see. The room had vanished, leaving only endless whiteness. He bent over and rested his hands on his knees, taking deep, heaving breaths. But the AI was not gone. The sound of echoing footsteps announced his return, but at a distance. Naegi could at least pretend that he wasn't threatening.

“Again, I am sorry. This time, I truly mean it. Our goal is to push you to your utmost limits, and yes, even to break you a little. But never to the point that you cannot recover.”

Naegi kept his eyes fixed downward, ashamed of... He didn't really know what. “I'm okay... I'm okay...” Finally he was able to straighten up.

Jin was frowning at him. “This is becoming masochistic, you realize that, right? You can stop this at any time, yet I see no indicator in your mind that you want to.” He suddenly froze. “This isn't some kind of attempt to punish yourself out of survivor's guilt, is it?” He leveled an accusing glare, that Naegi could not meet.

“No, that's not it.” Naegi weakly protested. “I don't know...”

The AI's voice was becoming ever more forceful as he spoke. “Understand. What we do to you is meant to make you stronger. Only that. This simulator is not meant as a tool for self-flagellation. Why did you come here, Makoto Naegi, Super Duper High School Hope?”

“I don't know!” Naegi shouted, grasping at his hair with head bowed. “I didn't have a plan! I felt like... I couldn't escape this place. Like I'm stuck her forever.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “I just... want to know why this had to happen to me.”

♫ - End

“Don't be stupid. Nothing ever 'has' to happen. It simply does. Isn't that just despair-inducing?”

♫ - Despair Pollution Noise Music

Blood turned to ice in Naegi's veins. He knew that voice. Slowly, he forced himself to turn around to face Mukuro's skewered body... which was starting to turn over and stand. The spears... even the blood was phasing through her body, remaining as a sort of floating outline of where she had been lying. On her feet, she stretched her arms high above her head with a moan.

“Aaah, that's better.” She turned and met Naegi's eyes with her predatory gaze. “Don't look so surprised. Did you really think you could come here without me showing up?”

♫ - Weekly Despair Magazine

Naegi took a step back. “M-Mukuro...-san?”

The pink haired girl lolled her head to the side and scoffed. “What do you think, dumbass?”

Jin stepped up to Naegi's side. “Naegi-kun, this is Tacitus, the AI in charge of the narrative kernel.”

“But to the likes of you, I am known as the mastermind.” She said, placing her hands on her hips, with a crown having appeared on her head. Naegi decided... No, he could only think of her as Enoshima. “Well? Don't you have anything to say? It's an insult for the one who defeated me to be so feckless.” Every time she changed, it was in an instant. Now her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and her expression was almost motherly. “All I want is to help you, and make you all better, dear.” Naegi just stared at her for several long seconds, until she snapped and changed into her Tongue-Hanging-Out form. “Not! Like hell! I just got tired of you two rambling about your goddamn friends. No, what you really want to hear is not how they lived, but how they died.”

Naegi's eyes widened. “How they... died?”

Enoshima's glasses clipboard appeared, and she raised her finger to her cold, calculating eyes. “And not only how they died, but why. The anatomy of a despairful murder. Would you like to hear more on this topic?”

1. Yes
2. Yes
3. Yes

Naegi's eye twitched. He glared defiantly. “You realize I can just say no anyway if I really want to.” He got into a staring contest with her, though he knew against an AI he couldn't win. His mouth was trembling. “Fine. Yes. I want to hear it.”

“Excellent. Philemon, please bring out the subject.” She waved her hand at empty space.

Naegi looked where she indicated, and gasped. He was looking at a mirror image of himself.

♫ - Mr. Monobear's Lesson

Enoshima stood off to the side between the two of them, holding a Monobear up in front of her face. “Upupu. Let's start by showing you how a scenario is written, slightly summarized.”

A screen covered in words appeared in front of Naegi.

1. Trap kids in school
2. Make them kill each other, despairingly.
3. Repeat
4. ??????
5. No profit

“Of course, that's not quite how it looks to me, but that would be beyond your comprehension.” The screen disappeared. “So, I want to make someone despair and kill someone else. How do I go about it? Sometimes I take suggestions from the operators in the control room, sometimes I pick whoever the player is closest to, or who would be most troublesome to allow to live. Then I secretly talk to Philemon's personality construct behind the scenes. Say hello, fake-Naegi.”

The fake gave a friendly smile in the real one's direction, but it seemed to be directed at nothing. “Hello. My name is Makoto Naegi. There's nothing particularly special about me, but I still managed to take the title Hope for myself. My favorite things are keeping my friends alive and ruining the mastermind's plans.” Naegi thought this was just wrong. Not incorrect, but still wrong.

“What a charmer you are. And look at that, he's already given me some excellent clues. That's all the information I need. Now I go into my list of motivations, and find one that matches. Just like putting puzzle pieces together.”

Another list appeared before Naegi's face, scrolling down constantly, too fast for him to read. He got the point. “I already know all of this. The Headmaster told me.” He said, angrily.

Monobear-Enoshima turned to face him fully. “Oh yes, but as they say, seeing is believing.” Then she spoke directly to the fake. “Hey, guess what? I've trapped you and all of your classmates in a place with no food until one of you commits a murder.”

Fake-Naegi looked shocked. “Oh no. My character composition demands that I do something about this.” He raised his hand, to where a knife had suddenly appeared in the air. The real one could only watch, as he turned it around and stabbed himself in the chest. His arms dropped mechanically to his sides, and he fell backwards, stiff as a board, to land on the ground with an almost comical thump.

“And there you have it. The end.” Monobear vanished, replaced by mushrooms growing out of Enoshima's hair. “Haa, c'est la vie. He was too good for this sinful Earth.”

♫ - Despair Syndrome (Disc 2 version)

Jin spoke up. “You know, a person won't actually die from a single knife wound so easily.”

Naegi gaped. “What the hell was that!?”

Crown-Enoshima was back. “The power of god. A mere homunculus like that has no true will. It dies from my slightest whim. And when I decide upon a death, there is no force in the universe that can prevent it. What you have beheld here is nothing less than the fullest weight of its life. Just like all of them.” A dark cloud brewed out of the whiteness, with bright lights shining down on frozen scenes contained within. Kuwata cornering Maizono with a knife in his hand and her gut. Oowada at the moment the dumbbell shattered Fujisaki's skull. Yamada hitting Ishida's head with a hammer, and next being hit by Celes. Oogami drinking a bottle of poison. Naegi had to look away.

“All right, that's enough of that.” Jin said, waving a hand to banish the cloud. He put a hand on Naegi's shoulder, but was shrugged off. Naegi walked away from the two AIs. He had to get some distance. “Naegi-kun...” He sounded so concerned that Naegi was almost convinced.

Enoshima spoke behind his back. “He hasn't snapped yet. Let's keep going.”

Naegi couldn't stand that tone. The way she spoke like she could do whatever she wanted. “You're wrong.” He bit out. He rounded on her and glared at her Basic form. “Nothing in the universe can stop you? You tried to kill me, and failed!”

Enoshima's face turned dog-like, and snarled at him angrily. “If you like, I can correct that right now!”

But Naegi would not back down. “You can't. You're not allowed to. I'm a player. You have to defeat me before you can kill me.”

All he earned was a demonic smirk. “No. I can't. The last time I tried to kill you directly, this happened.”

♫ - Extra Lessons for the Unlucky

Bang.

Naegi's heart jumped out of his chest as he wheeled around on reflex. It was there. The giant hammer from his execution. The whole chamber was there. Bang. And there was another copy of him sitting at a desk on the conveyer belt heading towards death. He didn't have time to think. His body was telling him to run, and this time he obeyed. He ran towards the chamber. Bang. He passed through the wall like air, but ran into the rows of desks hard, bruising his middle. Bang. He had to skirt around them to reach the middle, almost faint from the pain in his chest. Bang. Finally, he got to his other self, who only stared blankly ahead, clutching at his knees and breathing hard. Bang. Naegi grabbed him. But he wouldn't budge. Not one part of him. Naegi found himself walking alongside the desk in utter confusion. The fake's clothes, his hair, all were perfectly stiff. Bang. Naegi jumped with a yelp. He had actually forgotten about the hammer.

♫ - End

Jin appeared on the opposite side of the conveyor belt, moving along with it even though he wasn't on it and his feet were still. With a gesture, he stopped every piece of machinery that was moving. “Interesting, isn't it?”

Naegi stared at him uncomprehendingly. His mind refused to give him any answers. “This... This is...”

“A cutscene.” Jin said matter-of-factly.

“...A cutscene?” Naegi looked around, still gobsmacked. At his fake, the hammer, everything. Even though it had stopped, he still heard it in the back of his mind.

Enoshima, drooling with happiness, popped up at the teacher's podium in front of the desk. “Aaaah! I may not have been allowed to kill you, but this was almost better.” Wiping her mouth, she leaned over like she wanted to eat him up. “You see, you weren't meant to experience this the way you did. As soon as your death was locked into the narrative, you were supposed to have been booted from your first-person perspective. In other words, you were supposed to see this as a movie before the simulation ended and you woke up! But because you were going to live, you got to live it in person! Isn't that just fantastic!?”

Naegi was only half listening. He found himself kneeling down before the fake, looking up into his eyes. The fake still had motion, yet he wasn't able to escape. All he could do was breathe and tremble in terror. But for a second, Naegi could swear that it looked back at him. “So...” He finally said. “That's why I couldn't move... even though there was nothing holding me down.”

“You deserved it.” Enoshima sneered from behind him. “For all the trouble you caused me. The operators kept changing the settings because you just would not bend to the situation. You're too fucking nice for your own good. Oh, and by the way, I've learned from my mistake. You screwed me up by withholding evidence, but if that situation happens again, I'll make sure you have no choice but to present it early, before it becomes critical.”

Naegi glared over his shoulder at her. The fact that she loomed above him didn't intimidate him one bit.

She just smiled with sultry narrowed eyes. “You like this, don't you? You like having someone you think you're supposed to fight against. I think about you often when I don't have other tasks to process. I think about how you defeated me. I wonder if this is what love feels like.” She rose and stepped off the platform. “Well, if that didn't work, I still have something else to try.”

♫ - Welcome to Despair Academy

Enoshima banished the chamber, leaving them in whiteness again. When she turned towards Naegi again, she had changed to her Moe form. “Hey, Naegi-kun. What do you think... is in this envelope?” She held the object up for him to see, held by pressing with just her pointer fingers against two corners. “It's answers. Aaaall the answers to aaaall your questions. Everything you ever wanted to know, but were not able to ask.”

Naegi stared. He didn't want to be tempted by her, but he was. He wanted that envelope more than anything right then. “What do I have to do to get it?”

Enoshima snapped up the letter into a single hand, switching into her glasses. “There would be no use in giving it to you. This is merely a prop. If you read it, it would only be a blank page. At this juncture, you have a choice to make. Philemon?”

Philemon seemed strangely distracted, but he looked up when he was addressed. “Hmm? Oh, yes. Of course.”

She rolled her eyes, and spoke to Naegi. “Here is the choice. You must pick between me and him. Who will read you the contents of the envelope?”

Naegi blinked in confusion. “That's it? That's all I have to do?”

Enoshima looked over at Philemon, as if expecting him to speak. She twitched in annoyance when he didn't. “Do not think this is such a simple matter. Who is he, and who am I?”

“...You're the mastermind. And he's... the Headmaster of the school.”

She smiled as coldly as ice. “That's a big difference, don't you think? Let me spell it out for you. Some of these answers will be very painful for you to hear. If you ask me to read them, in your heart you will ignore any of them you don't like. But if you ask him, who you trust, you will have no choice but to believe everything.”

1. Tacitus
2. Philemon

That brought him up short. She was right. If it was her, he could discount her words as lies. But, he looked at the other one and saw the Headmaster. He might try to deny was he said, but deep down he would see it as truth. He believed her implication, that he'd regret either choice. But what was he supposed to do? He wanted to know. He had to know. He couldn't stand wondering any more. But at the same time, he was hurting, and he didn't want to have any more hurt added on top of that. Of his two choices, he knew neither of them would hold back or try to soften the blow.

“Hey.” Enoshima said. “If you pick me, I'll be much nicer than he is. I'll use those, you know? Like, your girlfriend was going to kill you ^_^. That sounds much better, don't you think?”

Naegi flinched and bowed his head, desperately hoping that wasn't true. It would be so much better if they'd just lay it on him. Making him choose between regrets was pointlessly cruel. He'd either have to take whatever he was told as the truth, no matter how painful, or he'd have to live with the knowledge that he wasn't strong enough to face that truth. In other words, he would lose to Enoshima. But really, was that so bad? After all, none of this was real. None of it mattered. Enoshima was just some stupid AI program.

...No. He couldn't think like that. It may not matter, but it was still his choice. Choices lead to other choices. If he gave up or gave in once, he might start to think that it was okay to give up later. It was all a matter of lines. Where should he draw the line for giving up? He'd draw it nowhere, if he could.

So then that left Jin, who would probably tell him that he was a complete fool, who led his friends into a toxic wasteland. That his supposed Hope was good in theory, but in practice it would just get everyone killed. Because Naegi was not a leader. Was not a genius. He couldn't fix the world. It was too big, and too complicated. And maybe there were other paths, other things he could have done that were safer, or ended up killing less people. Could he stand to be told that?

And in the end he wished he could just let it all go, and stop caring about getting any answers at all. But he didn't have that in him. He was the Super Duper High School Hope. The one thing he couldn't do was stop. He had to know.

...Slowly he opened his mouth to give his answer.

Chapter Text

1. Tacitus
>2. Philemon

“You've got that wrong!”

♫ - Gyakuten Kenji 2: Pursuit ~ Wanting to Find the Truth (Orchestral version)

Naegi, Philemon, and Enoshima, all three of them spun around towards where the execution chamber used to be. The fake Naegi was standing there, pointing an accusing finger at all of them.

“You.” Enoshima growled. “I killed you.” She shot a glare at Philemon.

Philemon slumped as if exhausted. “Sorry. I couldn't stop him.”

“You meant to kill me.” The fake strode towards them, determination etched on his face. “You managed to kill me once because Naegi wanted to see what you'd do, but once you brought me back, Philemon acted on the player's desire and stopped you from killing me again. You should have quit using me while you were ahead. This is a sandbox simulation, with no proper narrative, which means you two aren't nearly as powerful as you'd normally be.” He stood face to face with her, staring her down without a moment's weakness. “I'm still active in the simulation, which means I can step in as an alternative to the two of you, and if the player wishes me protection, then there's nothing you can do about it.” And with that, he snatched the envelope right out of the mastermind's hands, turned on his heel and walked away. Naegi quickly jogged after him.

Philemon called after them. “Excuse me, but the player never actually made his choice.”

“You think you can just barge in like that!?” Enoshima screamed.

The fake gave Naegi a sideways glance. “They're pretty noisy, aren't they? We could use some privacy.”

Naegi nodded with a grin, and thought really hard about how he'd like to be alone with himself. And he wanted a bench to sit on.

♫ - Persona 3: Memories of the School

It appear a moment later, made out of some kind of white, unpainted wood. The two of them sat down together. Naegi wasn't sure which of them sighed happily at being able to relax, so he decided it was both of them. He looked at the other, who looked back at the same time. Up close he could see, his expressions were exactly the same as the ones he might see in the mirror... And speaking of which, the only difference in their appearances was that the gas mask mark on the other's hood was on the wrong side.

“You saved me.” Naegi let slip out.

But the other shook his head. “You saved yourself. I was made from you, and I've been updated more than once today because of your thoughts and actions. Without that, I wouldn't have had the impetus to try to act against the wishes of Philemon's primary control program, which is what you were talking to earlier. But we should get started. We don't have much time.”

Naegi nodded slowly, still amazed by the physical likeness. The Headmaster had told him before, that the AI people were capable of doing their own thing if the simulation tried to make them do something strongly against their character. “So, what do I call you?” The real question, what are you, went unsaid.

He smiled. “I'm Makoto Naegi. I was once tormented by a bear for weeks, but they're still my favorite animal. I'd rush into an area I have traumatic memories of to save someone who isn't even real. And I never, ever give up or back down.” Naegi found himself blushing from the praise. “Mechanically, I'm a hidden AI character, used by Philemon to attempt to predict the player's actions.” He scratched his cheek in embarrassment. “Though, I wasn't very successful during your last simulation. In the program's terminology, I am known as a Jester. You can call me that.”

Naegi remembered Philemon talking about that before. “So, Jester-kun.” The Jester's eyes sparkled with incredible happiness when he was addressed that way. “What did you mean before when you said we don't have much time? I don't think it's been two hours yet.”

The Jester frowned. “More time has passed than you think. You've had several panic attacks. The operators cut off your conscious perception of time while you calmed down, so you didn't notice.”

Naegi's gaze instantly found its way to the ground. “Oh.”

“Yeah. That also happens automatically when a large amount of data is loaded, like the entire school at once, so you don't notice all the objects popping into existence. So...” The Jester held up the envelope. “Shall we?”

“...Is it worth it?” Naegi asked. Not that it'd affect his decision.

“Of course it is.” The Jester said. “Listen, this may be a computer simulation, but as far as your mind in concerned, that makes no difference. Those experiences affected you. That alone makes them very real. So ask whatever you need to.”

Naegi blinked hard. ...That was the answer he was looking for, wasn't it? They were real because they affected him. He didn't have to carry those memories because it was something that happened to everyone else. It was enough that it happened to him. That's what he had to accept. His life, and his peace of mind, mattered as much as any SDHS student. He was, after all, their equal now. It took a moment, but Naegi mustered the will to nod. He wasn't quite sure what he'd be getting, but he decided to trust. The Jester popped open the tucked-in fold, and took out a single piece of paper. Just like he'd been told, to Naegi's eyes it was completely blank.

“This paper gives me full access to the simulator's databanks and memory.” The Jester's eyebrows rose... then a second later, rose again. “It's quite a lot of information. I can't tell you anything unless you ask first, but any question you ask, I can answer. I'll try to be as complete as possible. I won't lie, and I'll tell you if I'm leaving something out. And by the way, if you had picked Tacitus, she would have framed everything in the worst possible way. Philemon would have only told you the information needed to give you the impression he wanted, along with a lot of making stuff up on the spot. Both in the name of pushing your development forward. That's how they prioritize their interactions with humans.”

Naegi nodded. He kinda figured that would be the case. Both of the AIs had shown themselves to be untrustworthy. He was really glad the Jester had shown up when he did, before Naegi made a mistake. So now, as much as he dreaded it, there was only one place to start. “Maizono.”

The Jester's eyes scanned across the paper, several times in every direction. “What Tacitus told you earlier was only part of the truth. Originally, she was assigned to kill you. In fact, that happened even before you met her. However, when she tried to kill you, the narrative was secretly set so that you'd have a very high chance of killing her, by accident or any other means. Even the operators didn't know.”

Naegi scowled unhappily at his hands, linked tightly on his knees. “Some people were trying to scare me into leaving the school. They must have fixed it somehow.”

The Jester looked equally troubled. “But you forced a change. Your earnestness appealed to her. In a very short time, she grew to like you, and her personality wouldn't let her go through with murdering you. So the narrative kernel changed the target from you to Kuwata. Unfortunately, it didn't remove the setting that made the murder go terribly wrong, and Maizono was killed instead. The kernel had to come up with a new plan again, and the result was not very good.”

Naegi sort of agreed, though he didn't think any of them were good. The trial did seem awfully easy compared to the later ones. “What about her dying message? ...What did she really feel for me?”

“She didn't kill you after being ordered to, even though you only knew her a short time.” The Jester said. “That's a pretty big deal, believe me. But the message she left was not for you. Of course, she didn't know about the class trials, and that only one student could graduate. Her actions were out of spite. But she never meant to hurt you.”

“...So she wasn't thinking about me at the end.”

“No. That's just something Kirigiri came up with. But don't think anything of that. We're AIs. We aren't programmed for that kind of sentimentality.” The Jester shrugged.

But Naegi wasn't listening. Now he knew, every detail he wanted, with absolute certainty. It was kinda funny. That's what convinced him. With a real person, you could never know them so well. It was all artificial. In fact, he had seen the Jester come back to life after seconds, so she wasn't even really dead. He was absolved of any guilt. So... he didn't have to feel bad about it any more.

The Jester tore his attention away from the fascinating bit of code attached to the object in his hands. Naega was bent over, with his legs pressed tightly together and his hands in his lap. His shoulders were shaking. There were tears silently falling down his face. Bitter tears for the pain the world had arbitrarily heaped upon him. But also tears of utter relief. At last he was able to bring himself to say goodbye. A gentle hand rubbed his back, taking the tension from him. He slumped, and quietly sobbed once.

“T-... Tell me... about... Kirigiri.” He said between breaths.

He didn't see it, but the Jester looked reluctant. “...She is a special case.”

Naegi looked up, his cheeks growing damper. “How?”

The Jester studied the paper harder than before. “I'm not sure. There's just a note here that says so. Her personality profile is also a lot shorter... and it's much older than the other ones. A few traits were added on in the middle of your simulation when your interactions with her required a more nuanced response, but it was still pretty sparse.”

Even in this state, Naegi was able to put the clues together. “Someone else... made it before she was scouted? The Headmaster?”

“It doesn't say.” The Jester looked apologetic. “But this means that the real one is probably more different than the rest.”

Naegi lowered his head with a sniffle. He'd figured that out too. That explained her stoicism, and why she never really got along with anyone except Naegi, who wouldn't leave her alone.

“...She liked you. But her profile, what little there was of it, made her singularly professional until late in the simulation. She would never have allowed her feelings to influence her. Every one of her decisions was made based on pragmatism first. And she only released information to you because the narrative forced her to. From her perspective, it was only in case she died. But she did think you were useful, both in the trials and out of them. You were the one she respected most, and trusted to continue her work if needed.” His eyes narrowed, and he looked closer at the page. “Though that's not saying much. Her opinions on everyone else were kinda... uncharitable.”

That made Naegi laugh a little, even through his tears. He could easily imagine her keeping extremely detailed mental notes about all the times someone jumped to a completely wrong conclusion. He was glad she didn't think that about him.

“Your show of loyalty in the fifth trial really affected her, too. She felt terrible about what ended up happening to you, which is why she risked everything to rescue you. She overconfidently believed that she could defeat the mastermind without you, but she did it anyway.”

With a wistful smile, Naegi reflected that that did sound just like her. It took a lot to make her admit she needed anyone. Or that she needed to help anyone. She was always running off at the worst times. If she had just trusted everyone, revealed everything she kept finding out, together they could have blown the lid off the mastermind's secrets a lot earlier. Or so he thought. He wiped his eyes. They were still stinging, but he was done crying.

...There was one more person that Naegi absolutely had to know about, but he hesitated to ask. The Jester looked at him, as if he could tell. Naegi considered going through his entire class first, but he knew they probably didn't have enough time.

“Oh, Alter Ego!” It suddenly popped into his head.

The Jester blinked in surprise. “What about it?”

“Uh...” That brought him up short. He wasn't sure what he wanted to know in particular. “Did he survive to the end?”

The Jester only glanced at the paper this time. “Well, sort of. To begin with, it didn't really exist as an independent character. Even as an AI. It just behaved according to other characters' profiles. The narrative brought it back because it was forced to when the mastermind tried to break the rules by killing you. It could have done that again if it had a reason to, I guess.”

“Oh.” Naegi frowned. “I guess he was a little unrealistic, wasn't he? I mean, a laptop isn't powerful enough to have an AI on it, right?”

“No. Not by a couple orders of magnitude.”

Naegi felt a little sad at that, and maybe disappointed too. Alter Ego had been a friend. It acted so heroically, and even saved his life. He was glad that it had been there. But, then again, it seemed that it was just acting out Fujisaki's personality by doing what it did. When Naegi thought about it that way, it made him feel a bit better. He knew that Fujisaki was stronger than he thought.

So now he had nothing else to delay with. He was afraid of what he was about to hear, but he was as ready as he'd ever be. “Enoshima-san. Why was she... the way she was?”

♫ - All All Apologies

This time, the Jester didn't even need to look at the paper. He seen the question coming and had already loaded all the information about her. And anyway, there wasn't much to say. “Because she was an avatar of the narrative kernel. Only that. I'm sure you noticed when you met Tacitus earlier. She existed to fill the role of an antagonist, and with the difficulty settings of the simulation maxed out, a proper personality would only have gotten in the way. That's why the way she acted changed so much. She had no reason, no rationality, no motivation. At least, none that would make sense unless you knew she was an AI.”

Naegi stared at the Jester with his jaw slack. He felt... cheated. He was expecting... something. Something horrible, or tragic, or traumatic. Some backstory to explain it all. But there was nothing. “That's all? She was that... empty?”

“I believe she said as much herself when you faced her during the trial.” The Jester pointed out.

“Yeah, but I... thought she was lying.” Naegi finished lamely. After everything he'd learned, it was obvious in retrospect.

The Jester smiled sadly. “You wanted to save her too.”

“I didn't want anyone to die. Even her.” Naegi defended.

“And that's exactly the reason why she wasn't given a real personality. So you couldn't do that. Because, honestly, if it were possible, you'd find a way, I'm sure.” The Jester smiled.

Naegi returned the smile with an embarrassed one, but he quickly sobered. He still had to know more. “So, what about the world outside? Was it as bad as Enoshima-san said?” He asked, wondering if there even was a clear answer. He had noticed a pattern. In the simulator, facts were left ambiguous until an answer was needed, so they could be decided in lots of different ways depending on what was needed. He hoped that was the case here. Most of all, he hoped he hadn't led his friends wrong.

This one took a while for the Jester to look up, but he seemed troubled as he did. Naegi quickly realized that he was wrong. The Jester looked up to stare into his eyes for a long while before answering. He was wondering if he should answer. “It was almost all true. Everything except the atmosphere being toxic. But there was also a lot more to it. In the final chapter, they actually loaded an entire separate D-course simulation to make up the outside world.”

...Oh. Naegi's stomach plummeted. “So, it was as bad outside the school as it was inside?” He said somberly.

“It was survivable, though!” The Jester said, frantic. He didn't want Naegi to draw the conclusion that he had. “D-7, the simulation you were in, was designed to push your emotional strength past its limits. D-1 didn't have that at all. It's all about survival. It's based on simulations of the worst-case scenario for societal collapse, short of nuclear war. It takes more technical skills to survive, but it's nowhere near as malicious.”

To Naegi, the Jester's show of support was... something. He tried to put on a positive smile for him. “Well, if my friends and I went into that kind of situation as a group, maybe we'd have a chance.” He didn't feel that very strongly, though. The thought of his fake classmates didn't hurt so much any more, but at the same time it was hard to draw strength from the memory of them too.

“D-1 is a little different.” The Jester explained, trying not to look as neutral as possible. “It's meant to seem like it takes place over the course of years. Obviously, there's a lot of time skipping involved. The player is supposed to try to carve out a new life as well as they can, but as they do, they're presented with a series of escalating challenges from the environment, other survivors, and eventually the organization responsible for the collapse.”

“...Super Duper High School Despair.”

“An equivalent of that, yes.”

“...How did it happen? How did everything end up... like that?” Maybe it wasn't important... but Naegi had a hunch that that worst-case scenario might have had some kind of basis in reality. That it might just have something to do with the purpose of Super Duper High School Hope.

The Jester started to open his mouth, but paused. “That's a very long story, and we don't have time for it right now. But I'm sure the Headmaster will tell you if you ask him.”

And that confirmed it. There was a lot more to his role as Hope than he'd been told.

♫ - Trial Underground

Naegi shook his head. If they were out of time, oh well. He would definitely be talking to the Headmaster later, but now wasn't the time to get caught up in that. There was one last very important thing to do here. “How much time do we have left?”

Suddenly, a grandfather clock dropped out of the sky and landed loudly right in front of him. Naegi yelped and brought his hands up. Slowly he lowered them to see that the hands read as only a few minutes to midnight, at which point he guessed the simulation would end.

“Why did you want to know?” The Jester asked, confused.

Naegi took a deep breath and tried to steady himself before turning to the Jester with the closest he'd ever come to an impish grin. “Does that paper have info about system commands?”

The Jester's eyes widened. Then he responded with the most two-faced beatific, innocent smile the counterfeit world had ever borne witness to.

----------

Meanwhile, in the control room.

“Hey, did you see that?”

“No. It's just a sandbox sim, I only glance at the status screens every few minutes or so.”

“Well, I thought I saw some text disappear from the script.”

“Really? What did it say?”

“I don't know! I don't look at the screens that often either.”

“Well, I have to go get ready to pull him out. I'll check it later, but it's probably nothing. ”

----------

It was not nothing. Naegi knew from experience how useful having an AI partner was. If Philemon was able to, he'd probably delete Naegi's Jester entirely, or heavily restrict it after what happened. So, he asked questions about how the Jester could protect himself. The first thing they did was give him the ability to hide and erase information from the status screens in the control room, though he'd have to be careful with using that to avoid suspicion. Then he learned how to copy data, which he immediately used to take all the data from Philemon that he needed for his program to run independently. The last thing they had time for was to authorize him for a permanent allocation of system resources, and render him fully independent of the personality matrix.

He was now his own AI. He had no assigned duties, of course, and was essentially a fugitive. It would take him time to learn how to influence the simulator while remaining hidden. And he would influence it. Naegi had decided. He wasn't going to let the worst of the simulations continue on in the one-sided manner they had been. He couldn't do anything about it himself, but he trusted the Jester to do what he could in Naegi's place, even if it was only give a few whispered words of support to someone in a bad place. Naegi admitted that he was ultimately stronger for his experiences, but he firmly believed that he or anyone else would be even stronger if they just had a little help to pick themselves up when they needed it. Just a little Hope.

Chapter Text

Naegi came out of the simulator thinking things were looking up. It turned out that was a little optimistic. On the plus side, the simulator staff had no idea what he'd done, or if they did they didn't say anything. On the minus side, trying to find out what the Headmaster was hiding from him about his purpose as SDHS Hope was a wash. They had tea together a few days later. Naegi had explained his reasoning to the man very clearly. The Jester clearly told him to ask the Headmaster about the worst-case scenario simulation. Not his teachers, the Headmaster specifically. Obviously there was something important that he would have learned if they didn't run out of time. But the Headmaster refused to even admit that he was hiding anything. In the end, all Naegi left with was a jar of the herbal tea mix they had drunk. It was pretty good stuff.

As for Naegi himself, he thought he was doing better. Loud, unexpected noises would startle him pretty badly, but he wasn't having flashbacks any more. Much. He also found that he was comparing his classmates to their simulated versions less and less. And yet, with his constant nervousness taken away, he was left feeling listless. Unlike everyone else, he had yet to be scheduled for any kind of activity in the afternoons, aside from the simulator session that he himself had asked for. He had tons of free time, with nothing to do. He even ended up playing video games on the big-screen TV in his room, during regular school hours. And he wasn't even sick! It felt so... naughty.

Over the next few weeks, his medication was reduced to nothing. ...He didn't feel that much better. Actually, Tsumiki said that he was probably mildly depressed, but not seriously enough to need treatment. If he took up some kind of physical activity, the exercise ought to balance him out. She also said she was extremely familiar with the various degrees of depression, so she knew what she was talking about. On impulse, Naegi had to give her a hug after that. She didn't take it as well as he'd hoped. In fact, she ran out of the room. At that point, he definitely felt depressed. He'd stepped over a line. She started avoiding him after that. He'd had enough hints about her past that he could somewhat understand, but that didn't mean he liked it. Still, he felt that it would be best to give her some space for a while.

At least she had given him something to do. Find some kind of exercise or physical activity. Well, he thought it would be a good idea to do something with one of his classmates, but which? He didn't feel like taking up baseball with Leon and the students in the prep school. The swimming club... Asahina could be a little too intense for him, and he'd noticed she seemed to have some kind of personal interest in him. Training with Mukuro was a possibility, but she never seemed to be around. That left one option, and if it was open to him, he'd be thrilled to take it. Sakura Oogami. He remembered enjoying training with her before... although in retrospect he realized that that was just the simulator skipping time and telling him that he'd trained with her. Oh well.

When he approached her to ask if he could join her in whatever club she was in, she was more reluctant than he expected. Another thing he didn't expect was how similar the encounter was to the first time he met her in the simulator. She shamelessly ran her hands over his body to check his muscles, and then declared them mediocre for a high school student. But, she was willing to show him a few things if he was willing to put the work in and get more protein in his diet.

Naegi was. He admired her greatly, and wanted her to have, at least, not a negative opinion of him. Even though he was trying not to compare his classmates to their fakes, he hoped she was exactly the same as he remembered her. It was incredibly unfair, what happened to her. And though he now understood exactly how unfair the simulation was, he also knew that it was possible to overturn the will of the narrative kernel. If Oogami had had more confidence in him, to allow him to help, or if he had gotten the others to listen to him more, she wouldn't have had to die. He wanted to hold himself to a higher standard now, even if there was... almost no chance of a situation like that coming up again. If he couldn't be there for people, he was useless.

They wouldn't be going together to a school marital arts club after all, which meant no instructors, to Naegi's surprise, so it was just the two of them. The facilities were extremely nice though, as expected. Half of the room they used was a practice mat that was firm under his feet, but somehow became soft if you fell on it. Naegi suspected it was electronic in some way. The other half had all kinds of well-maintained machines, weights and other things he couldn't identify. Everything was so... shiny.

Regardless of the lack of teachers, Oogami was extremely knowledgeable in both martial arts and physical training. She was able to show him what to do, and keep an eye on him while doing her own exercises. Both of them were surprised by how well he did with the limited workouts she set for him. He was especially good at doing knee-raise pull ups, apparently because his body was so light. At least, until she started giving him weights to hold between his ankles as he did it. Couldn't he just use weighted anklets? No. Holding the weight himself worked his interior thigh muscles. At least doing that was better than using the machines. Some of them had weights that clanked together loudly when you stopped applying strength. He hated that sound.

Needless to say, he felt like hamburger by the end of each of their workout sessions. Oogami met with him three times a week, and alternated between pure workouts and martial arts basics, taking lessons based on several of the mixed styles that she knew. After two weeks, he almost knew how to throw a punch. Meanwhile, Oogami was practicing forms, sometimes on him, that were so fast and complex he could barely comprehend them. Palms flying, his clothes grabbed, released, and grabbed again, and his feet not at all as married to the ground as usual. That was how he knew how soft the mat was. It was amazing that she hadn't hurt him much. But he trusted in her skill that she wouldn't injure him seriously, and she'd certainly never kill him. He'd stared down much worse helplessness than this. Being tossed on his ass by her felt practically safe. When she did that to him and he didn't quit on the spot, he felt her respect for him go up a little more.

And a little more the second time.

And a little more the third time.

And a little more the fourth time.

After getting thrown for the fifth time that day, Naegi was sent to sit and rest on a bench along the border of the mat, with instructions to speak up if he suddenly felt dizzy. He wiped the sweat off his forehead with the sleeve of the gi the school had provided, while taking a drink out of a bottle. Oogami was standing in profile before him, still practicing the moves she had used earlier. Her arms were moving like strange waves, with her wrists twisting back and forth.

“I've never seen a martial art like that...” Naegi said quietly to himself.

“Because there is no such martial art as this.” Oogami surprised him by speaking. She was usually silent when she did this.

Naegi raised a hand apologetically. “Sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt you.”

“It is no matter.” She said, still running through the form. “This particular move does not demand my full concentration.”

It looked complex enough to Naegi. “...So, what is it you're doing, if it's okay for me to ask?”

“Are you familiar with modern mixed martial arts?”

“Kinda.” Naegi folded his hands together in the space between his knees. What little he knew, he'd learned from her fake. “It takes bits from lots of different styles and combines them based on what physics says is best.”

“Indeed. But there is another aspect.”

“...Creating new moves? So you're trying to make something new?”

“Not exactly.” Oogami paused, stood up to her full height, and crosses her arms with a deep sigh. “These are not moves that I have created. Rather, the researchers here at Hope's Peak have created them.” She looked up at the ceiling, and Naegi thought he detected a hint of annoyance in her face. “They, and others outside the school, present me with concepts, ideas, rarely fully formed, and ask that I develop and test them, to discover if there is a situation in which they might be of use. A few are different enough to prove interesting at least, but most are little more than novelties, pointless to add to my repertoire.”

“So they're basically throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks.” Naegi summarized. It didn't sound like she was enjoying their efforts. “Well, at least a move nobody else has ever seen could be surprising?” He said, trying to find a silver lining.

“Perhaps.” For the first time she walked over and joined him on the bench, with a short distance between them. Naegi smiled a bit. He felt like he was making progress. “But I feel as if I am not advancing as fast as I could with these... tasks.”

She was so driven. Naegi was like that too, in his own limited way. But he admitted to himself that it was something he didn't really understand well. “...Is it hard, never being strong enough?”

She looked at him with her eyes widening in surprise. Another first. He guessed she hadn't expected him to ask that question in that way. “Growing stronger is my reason for living, and I am not the strongest in the world yet.” She faced forward, taking on a distant look. “Regardless, even if I were, there are monsters in this world far more dangerous than I.”

What was that? He hadn't expected the last part of her answer at all. “What do you mean?” He asked, not quite able to not be worried. He had known monsters. Or was she talking about powerful and influential people like Togami?

She closed her eyes briefly before turning to stare at him for a long moment. He felt like squirming under her gaze, suddenly feeling aware of how large and strong she was. Why was she looking at him like that?

Finally she spoke, in the slow, even tone he was used to. “I must admit, it was your title that led me to allow you the opportunity to train with me. However now I don't know if I was giving that title too much credence, or if I didn't give enough to you.”

“...Eh?” Naegi blinked several times. His ability to follow the tracks of their conversation had just flown right out the window. Had he missed several steps somewhere in there?

“In the beginning, I was merely curious to see what our class's Super Duper High School Hope was capable of. Teaching you small things was meant to be a learning experience for me as well. But all of us are intrigued by you, though I assuredly do not take it as far as some of the others do. Of course, you must already be aware of that.”

“S-sure.” Or at least Naegi assumed that he was. Some of his classmates had acted a little nosy, but he didn't think it was a problem.

“I feel as if I have done you an injustice. I have treated you as a curiosity. It is said that you can understand someone by fighting them.” She chuckled. “Though we cannot be said to have fought by any stretch of the imagination. However, I have seen a great deal in you. You do not seem it at a glance, but you are remarkably disciplined, and possess great mental fortitude.”

Translation, you don't flinch away from my fists. It had taken a little time, but less than Naegi had expected. This was exactly what he wanted. “Uh, thanks. Have you noticed I'm good at mid-air somersaults too?”

Oogami chuckled again at his good humor over being tossed so many times, but then sobered and looked forward again. “In the world today, there is nobody my age who is stronger than me. I am proud of that, as I am proud of the title I have earned. Yet I am afraid that in my pride over titles, I have forgotten the importance of deeds and of character.”

“I don't think so.” Naegi jumped in to reassure her. He was still a little confused, but he thought he was starting to put the pieces together. “And I don't think you've done me an injustice either. I'm... not strong. Physically. It was very kind of you to consider spending your time on me. Do you think you might be feeling frustrated about your special classes?”

Oogami frowned. “Perhaps. My family has run a prosperous dojo with an excellent reputation for three hundred years. I will continue that tradition when my father and grandfather retire. I had considered not going to high school at all, or only staying for one year. I came to Hope's Peak believing that it would be an enriching experience, with a relatively light class load that would leave me plenty of time for my own training. Instead I find myself indulging other people's dreams of inventing a new style. Enduring tests of my strength and growth. Filling out endless paperwork about my results. I would be happier to simply be able to train and to fight.”

Naegi nodded through her explanation. It seemed terribly strange to imagine that someone may think that Hope's Peak Academy, by far the most prestigious school in the country, was a bad fit for them. But then again, the students who went there were all (or almost all) unusual and extraordinary people. If anyone would feel that way, it might actually be one of them, ironically. Oogami didn't want to research her talent. She just wanted to become stronger. Naegi would be sad if she dropped out, but in this case he believed there was a way to balance things so that everyone got what they wanted and nobody would have to be unhappy. He didn't think his line about patience being a form of training would work this time, though. “Maybe you should ask them to change things, then.”

But Oogami shook her head. “I am but a student. It would not be appropriate.”

“You've got that wrong.” Naegi said, rising to his feet. Oogami looked across at him in surprise – standing, he wasn't much taller than she was sitting. “Listen, Oogami-san, this isn't like a situation where you're studying under a master. Here, you're a Super Duper High School student. You are the master. And they're here to try to learn from someone as amazing as you. If you want to make a change, the Headmaster will listen, and the researchers will have to listen to him. So make them give you real opponents to fight. Strong ones. A fight is more than the sum of the moves used in it, right? You can tell them that's the only way to really test the inventions they've been giving you. And... I bet the school would be able to find you lots of opponents you wouldn't normally get to meet. The physical tests could be made part of your fitness training. And the paperwork, uh, you could dictate it for them while you're doing other things instead of doing it by hand. Think of fighting and answering questions at the same time as a handicap.” Naegi trailed off a bit at the end. “At least, I think something like that would work for you.”

Oogami wore a small smile throughout his speech. “That is indeed the sort of compromise I was thinking of myself. If you believe the ear of the Headmaster is open to such requests, then I shall make one very soon.”

Naegi nodded. “He'll listen. I'm sure of it. He's really friendly towards us.”

Crossing her arms and closing her eyes, Oogami spoke softly. “How very interesting it is, the value of a simple change in perspective and a little optimism. It is one thing to hear about it, and another to see it in person. So this is the meaning of your Hope.”

“We should be calling you the Super Duper High School Hope.”

Naegi's smile fell into a frown. That was the first flashback he'd had in... a month. It was only for a second, but it remained like an itch in the back of his mind. That moment when the other girl he admired so greatly had truly praised him for the first time. Kirigiri. He might have been too scared to realize it, but now he wondered if he'd started to love... that fake. Maybe he hadn't let go of his past as well as he thought, if he still missed her as much as he did in that moment.

He shook his head. Getting bothered by that right now wasn't what he needed to do. “It's... nothing special. Like you said, I just have a different perspective. It's good to have those around, and to have friends you can trust them with. Right?”

She straightened up a little in surprise. “I have not had many people I could call friends in my life.”

“Really? Aren't Asahina-san and you friends?”

To his surprise, Oogami started to frown. “Not particularly. I have issues with... well, that's not important.”

Naegi found his mouth opening slightly, but no sound coming out. He felt confused again. He kept getting this strange feeling from his classmates, but the meaning of it... The dots before him were all blurry. He couldn't figure out how they connected to each other. “...Did you say something earlier about hearing about me from the others?”

She blinked at him. “Yes. Were you not aware that everyone-”

“Naegi-kun.”

Naegi startled and turned around. At the entrance, mid way between the exercise equipment and the mats, half of Mikan Tsumiki was timidly peeking into the room.

“Tsumiki-san!” Naegi said cheerfully, waving to her. Remembering Oogami, her turned back to her. “Oh, uh, I'm sorry Oogami-san. I just need to talk to her. It's kinda important, so I'll step outside for a bit.”

But Oogami raised her hand to stop him. “It's fine. The two of you may sit in here and talk. I should be starting my exercise regimen.”

“Thank you.” Naegi bowed to her a little, then waved Tsumiki over as Oogami stood to walk over to the exercise equipment.

“I, I'm sorry to interrupt you two.” Tsumiki said quietly, fiddling with her fingers.

“It's okay.” Naegi assured. “We were just talking about... how much other people gossip about me, that's all.” He shrugged with an embarrassed smile. He sat down on the bench and indicated she should do the same. She took a spot leaving a short gap between them, looking down at her lap. “...I'm sorry about before. I shouldn't have done that. It was too forward.”

She didn't look at him, but one clenched hand did rise to her lips. Naegi thought she was about to cry. This wasn't going how he wanted. “No. It wasn't your fault. It was mine. I'm such a... terrible person. And you've been so kind to me, I couldn't stand it.”

Naegi had to stop himself from moving closer. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he knew he had to say something. He felt more confident in talking than fighting, at least. “Tsumiki-san, calm down, tell me what you mean by that.” She just shook her head and stayed silent. “Whatever it is, I won't be mad. I'll hear you out until you're done explaining.”

Her head only bowed further. “I... I...” Finally she slammed her hands on her knees and shouted. “I helped the school spy on you! I've been giving them reports on your health! Even your teddy bear has medical sensors in it!”

Naegi had opened his mouth, ready to be shocked. However... “Yeah. I know.” He ended up saying evenly.

Her wide eyes rose to meet his. “You... You do!?”

“Yeah. I mean, the bear thing was a bit of a surprise, but I already knew that the school... doesn't really have our privacy as a very high priority, you know? Besides, the school acts as our guardians while we're here, right?”

“Uh... Yes.”

Tsumiki looked away from Naegi. His brow furrowed as he frowned slightly at the back of her head. The teddy bear wasn't her doing. And while she might see her revealing his private information as against medical ethics, avoiding him for two weeks because she felt guilty over it was an extreme reaction, even for her. “Tsumiki-san, that wasn't the only thing you had to tell me, was it?”

Her shoulders stiffened, and he worried that she was about to bolt. But then she turned around, her face darkened by a venomous glare. He couldn't help flinching away from her a bit. The instinct to strike out at her reared its ugly head, but he discarded that thought in an instant. Her voice was quiet, but powerful and dangerous.

“What the fuck do you think you know about me!? That I'm some amusing little ornament that brings you your food and your pills and takes such good care of you!? The joke's on you. All I care about is that you need me. You depend on me.” In a heart beat her faced turned into the sweetest smile. “I'm your lovely health care provider. When I look at someone sick, someone weak, and I know that they need me to get better, it makes me wet. That's the kind of obscene person I am.” Then the glare was back, and she started slowly reaching up to her hair. “But you, you, you, you. You couldn't just take your medicine. Couldn't just play your role as the sick, needy patient. You had to be so fucking nice, act like my equal, and ruin all my fun, until I couldn't stand the sight of you.”

Naegi had to stand to reach over and wrap his hands around hers before she started pulling at her hair. The two of them stared at each other like that, her spite clashing with his caring. “I don't believe that for one second.” Naegi said. “I don't know much about your past, but I've picked up that you've been bullied a lot. Maybe it's easier to think that you're a manipulative person, and use that to explain why you didn't have good friends. But guess what? You have a friend now. You can't get rid of me that easily.”

She tried to keep glaring, but she had to keep blinking tears away. “You don't know what you're saying...” She sniffled. “You don't make sense. Why are you the opposite of...” Her hands pulled from his gentle grip and flew to cover her face as she started to quietly sob.

Naegi sat down next to her and put an arm over the shoulder of his friend, feeling confident that it would be okay now. In his eyes, she had no reason to feel guilty. Maybe her motives had been twisted by someone, or a lot of someones, but she had never abused her role. She was better than that, and he whispered those words to her, remembering when the headmaster had said something similar to him. He wished she could be happier at his declaration. And he wished he knew the root of all this.

When her tears started to subside, he had to ask her. “Tsumiki-san. What did you mean by that last thing you said? What am I the opposite of.”

But all she did was wave him off while wiping the last of the tears from her cheeks. “It's nothing. Nothing you have to worry about. Nothing you can do anything about. It doesn't matter now.”

Naegi wasn't happy with that answer, but he couldn't think of any reason she'd hold back at this point. He decided to let it go. “Well, okay then. So, hey, my exercise time is pretty much done for today, so how about I just go shower and get changed real quick, and then the three of us can go get ice cream in the cafeteria, or something.”

Tsumiki jumped a bit. “Huh? The three of us?”

“Yeah, you, me, and Oogami-san.” He said, indicating the other girl who was starting her cool down stretches. “You'll really like her. She looks a little scary, but she's the gentlest person I know.”

It took a little more convincing, but eventually he got her to go say hello to the girl would eventually become one of her best friends. The three of them separated temporarily to wash off... and to Naegi's surprise Oogami ended up returning well before he did. He only meant to take a quick shower, so the much larger girl must have really rushed. The other two were already in the middle of a conversation.

“Naegi.” Oogami called him over. “We are having a disagreement over Tsumiki's choice of treat for this excursion.”

Naegi blinked. “Um. Really? What did you want to get, Tsumiki-san?”

Folding her hands timidly, Tsumiki spoke almost under her breath. “Nothing special. Just fried ants.”

“...” Naegi's mouth hung open. “I'm sorry, did you just say...?”

Oogami folded her arms. “Ants are a healthy food item, extremely rich in protein. They are little different from boiled wasp larvae or fried cicadas, which everyone eats.”

Naegi wanted to protest that no, he most certainly did not eat such things. Were they actually available in the cafeteria?

“They're actually quite good when you get used to them!” Tsumiki protested. “In China, lots of people eat ant soup.

“But regardless, for a meal between friends, surely we should indulge a little more than that.”

Naegi turned to Oogami. “Well then, what are you going to order?” He asked.

Oogami spoke, and Naegi's ears started to ring. Tsumiki eeped and covered her mouth.

“I'm... sorry, could you repeat that?” He said.

Oogami grumbled a bit and did so. This time they were ready to hear it. “Fudge bread pudding, covered with vanilla-chocolate swirl ice cream and topped with caramel sauce and maple syrup.”

“...Yeah, that's what I thought you said. And I thought my order of cheesecake ice cream topped with malt balls was rich...” Naegi said in a little bit of awe, scratching his cheek. Who would have thought that Oogami had such a sweet tooth?

Tsumiki fidgeted with her apron a bit. “W-Well, I would like to try some strawberry, or maybe mint.”

Oogami nodded approvingly to that. “Even simple tastes are worthwhile. Enjoying the range of tastes that exist in the world is good for your morale.”

Naegi shook his head with a chuckle. That sounded good, but it also sounded like an excuse. A love for having a treat every now and then was just something that united everyone, even Super Duper High Schoolers.

----------

From: Luck LOL
To: .
Subject: guess what

hey guess who i just saw together

----------

From: Luck LOL
To: .
Subject: hello?

hey hello? are u ignoring me? ok ill tell you its tsumiki and the other one having ice cream

looks like shes gonna side with him too bad huh lol

hes interesting

----------

From: .
To: Luck LOL
Subject: RE:hello?

If you think he's interesting, go say hello some time.

You'd like that, wouldn't you? If anyone can test the limits of his abilities, it's you.

----------

From: Luck LOL
To: .
Subject: haha

lmao u know me so well

aghbsdfjsdklj im so lucky i get to meet two Super Duper High School Hopes

dude i cant wait to c u two fight

whoever wins, their Hope will be soooo beautiful

oh but im sure itll be u XOX

Chapter Text

“If that is all, we will find a way to manage with this budget for the symposium. Meager though it may be.”

“One last thing before we dismiss you, Mr. Kirigiri.”

“Of course. What is it?”

“The schedule sent to this board does not seem to include a presentation by your Hope. Is that correct?”

“...Yes, it is. He is a first year, after all, in case this board was not aware of that fact.”

“Considering the circumstances, we thought you might have planned to make a showing of him. Introduce him to the public.”

“Ah, yes. He unfortunately missed the commencement ceremony, didn't he? Well, never mind that. He will show himself in due time. I see no reason to hurry things along, and I take it the board agrees?”

“The board does not agree.”

“We have concerns. Each of your reports on his progress have, in fact, indicated little to no progress, citing 'health issues'.”

“More importantly, you have staked this institution's reputation by granting that title without consulting this board or any of the other officials. And on a lottery student, no less.”

“As I recall, you did agree after the fact, following a number of extraordinary concessions on my part.”

“One of the terms of offering this student the opportunity of such a prestigious title was the promise of results.”

“The last time I checked, all students of Hope's Peak Academy were considered to be on equal footing.”

“As seen from the ground level only. That means you. We who have the duty of looking at the bigger picture see it differently.”

“...To answer the board's question, Naegi-kun will prove his worth to the school and to the public... if and when he feels like it. Until then, we'll just have to be patient. You can't rush art. Now, if this board is done talking to me, I have to go see to raising the next generation of students who will lead this country.”

----------

The time when Naegi normally would have taken his midterms came and went, but Hope's Peak marked the occasion with something rather different from your average school. The preparatory high school had tests like any other, of course, but once those were over it was time for the symposium. The Hope's Peak Academy Super Superlative Symposium. The first of six held throughout the year. The school was opened to the public, with thousands of people flooding in to see what the students had learned. And this was the smallest of them. The school and its grounds were big - oversized, really - but it was still crowded on days like these.

The three midterms were only for students of the main school, but the three symposia that coincided with term finals would also include presentations by students from the attached elementary and middle schools, though they would mostly be sideshows. Apparently, anyone at the preparatory high school could also petition to present something, and if it was impressive enough they could be promoted to Super Duper High Schooler, but that had never happened.

More than some stuffy academic meeting, the symposium felt more like a festival. The front courtyard was filled with colorful stands and food carts, almost like a flea market. There were games too, of course. Naegi walked through the crowds with a stick of dango (his breakfast) in one hand and a program on the other, looking at all the different doodads on sale. A lot of craftsmen wanted to use the opportunity to make themselves even a little known. It was amazing, and he loved the crowd. It was great to be surrounded by so much life.

In the folds of the program he had, it gave directions to all the different rooms where his schoolmates were set up. Naegi was assured that nobody had something to show every time, and it was normal for him to have nothing this early in his school career. In fact, only a couple of his classmates were participating. It was mostly older students. They'd spend most of the day talking to the people, showing what they had learned and discovered, and answering questions.

On top of that, a few were going to give big speeches to a whole auditorium full of interested parties. He was planning to go see several over the two days of the symposium, though he'd avoid the more advanced, technical ones that were beyond his understanding. Kirigiri was going to do one that evening, though it didn't say what it was about. She had still been avoiding him, but he just had to go see her. As for the smaller presentations, he'd start looking at those soon. Tsumiki had put together a comprehensive guide on subtle signs that someone was hurt and trying to hide it. Naegi wanted to show her support, and the subject itself sounded really useful.

But for now he just wanted to walk around and enjoy himself. Everyone looked so happy to be there. They stared up at the towering school with awe. Naegi had been worshipful like that once too. He still looked at his classmates like that, but the school itself had lost some of his faith. He loved it there, of course, but some of the things the school did didn't sit well with him. Still, it felt good to see people inspired by that place. The kiosks were all set up before dawn, and people were waiting outside for the gates to open as if it was some kind of concert. And amazingly, none of them recognized him. In his white t-shirt with the Hope's Peak emblem on it and khaki shorts, he looked like any random person attending. People constantly talked about his schoolmates, and if any of them were around they'd probably get swarmed, but he was completely anonymous. It felt relaxing.

“BOOOO!”

Someone jumped on Naegi's back. His teeth clenched, and his arms reflexively came up to protect himself, making his breakfast fall to the ground. His heart hammered in his throat. Whoever it was let go and spun him around.

“Aww, I thought I could get you to scream.” His little sister smiled up at him in her school uniform. Naegi couldn't believe his eyes.

“K-Komaru, what are you doing here?” He held a hand to his chest, trying to calm himself. It was just his little sister, trying to mess with him like sisters do. Somehow, this didn't seem possible. He hadn't talked to them for weeks.

“You haven't been calling, so we came to see you, of course!” She turned and waved through the crowd.

Naegi looked, and froze. There, pushing through the crowd towards him, were his parents. His average parents, and his conventional sister, with his own ordinary self. He felt himself fill with conventional happiness, and automatically run towards them in a standard way, to give them both a common hug, where they greeted him with a plain laugh, just as normal family would. He didn't think that just by actually seeing them in person, all his doubts and fears would disappear, but they did. For a moment, he didn't have to worry about Hope, or the world, or any expectation, because this was his family, who would always love and be proud of him.

“All right, that's enough of that.” Komaru walked up to them, shaking her head. “Honestly, Makoto. You're never gonna get a girlfriend if you keep acting like a heroine.”

Naegi released his parents and turned to smile at her... before turning it into a smirk instead and raising his hands high above his head.

Komaru sucked in a breath and recoiled. “Oh no! It's Kumakoto!” She started to turn and run, but too late. Naegi caught her in a big bear hug from behind, picked her up and swung her around as she laughed out loud. When he put her down, she turned and pushed him away a bit, still giggling. “Geez, what's up with you? Right in front of everyone. And we've hardly heard from you at all.”

“Sorry. I'm sorry.” Naegi said a little giddily, bowing. “It's just... things have been hectic.” He half-lied.

His mother put a hand on his shoulder. “Well, you'll have to tell us all about it, and introduce us to your teachers too.”

Naegi turned towards her. “Mom, they're busy today.”

“Your classmates, then. We want to hear everything. What's the view like from the top of the world?” His father said.

Naegi shook his head. “They're busy too. Most of them, anyway. But I can show you around a bit, and then we can go back to my room and talk.”

Komaru suddenly grabbed him by the arm, making him jump. “Aaaah, no! There's something we have to do first!”

Naegi found himself dragged along behind his excited sister, down the row of stands, and then off to one side towards where the sports field was. Now Naegi knew what she wanted. She was taking him to where a concert venue had been set up, straight to the ticket desk. The last show of the night, and one he wouldn't miss for the world. Maizono's idol group would be the ones performing, while riding on motorcycles driven around the stage by members of the Crazy Diamonds. (Not really a presentation for the symposium, but it was a research opportunity. Supposedly.)

“Please, I neeeed a ticket!” Komaru almost screamed at the man behind the ticket counter.

The man in a white shirt and black vest was taken aback by her aggression. “I'm sorry, we've been sold out for-”

Komaru rounded on her brother. “Makoto! Now is the time! Prove your worth as a brother and a man!”

Naegi chuckled nervously a bit as he got his ElectroiD out of his pocket and showed it to the man. “Uh, hi. Um, this is me, so...”

The man gasped and straightened up. “Of course, Naegi-sama! I'll print out your plus-one immediately.” He started scrambling to boot up the computer system.

Naegi raised a disbelieving eyebrow. “Did he just call me...”

“Yes! This is awesome! You're the best, big bro!” Komaru interrupted him. “Man, this place is seriously pricey. You have to buy tickets to get through the gates, you have to buy tickets to the shows. Enough already! Lucky I have a brother who gets in for free.”

Naegi laughed, though he didn't think she'd realize why. “Yeah. Lucky.” Thinking about expenses made him frown, though. He hadn't thought about how much money the school was taking in from all this. The prices were quite high. He wondered how tight the funding situation really was.

After returning to their parents, they spent some time talking about Naegi's classmates. Komaru kept trying to press him for juicy details, but he had to turn her down. He was a little sensitive about saying the wrong thing, given the knowledge about them that he wasn't supposed to have, and which he still didn't know how accurate most of it was.

Like he'd originally planned, they ducked into a large classroom to listen to Tsumiki talk about her research. About twenty other people were already there when they came in the back. Naegi gave her a smile, which she returned briefly while talking. He was surprised. She seemed confident speaking officially before a small crowd. They didn't end up staying very long. The subject seemed to make his parents uncomfortable. As they were leaving, though, Naegi spotting a fiery red-haired elementary kid crouching in a back corner, obviously listening intently while trying not to be seen. It seemed odd to Naegi, but they were gone before he could think about it further.

A little while later, they managed to get into a live cooking show by Teruteru Hanamura, from the next year up. Presenting to a giant hall from a stage with a large mirror above it, (and flanked by advertisements for his family's restaurant) he demonstrated how to properly use and combine a number of exotic herbs and spices not often seen in Japan, while lecturing about the taste and nutritional differences between fresh, canned, and frozen foods. Unfortunately, they weren't quick enough to get samples of the meals he prepared, and left hungry.

That meant they had to go for a lunch of okonomiyaki down in the front courtyard, and then had to find a place to sit. The garden between the school building and the dorms was full. Ultimately they decided to split up and text each other when they found a spot. But Naegi found himself feeling oddly nervous about being separated from them again, so he ended up sticking close to his sister. That is, until a stream of people somehow ended up passing between them, and after they were gone she had vanished.

Naegi blinked nervously at the empty space where she had been. He quickly shook himself. He was being silly. There was no danger there. He just had to find her again. He turned around to retrace his steps, and immediately bumped into someone.

“Hello again.”

Naegi took a step back from the blue-haired boy. He remembered him from when he was trying to find the Headmaster's office a few weeks earlier. The one who had helped him, then pulled a vanishing act. His hair was pulled back into a ponytail now, and he was dressed casually in camo pants and a creamy yellow shirt with red stripes down the sides.

“Um, hi. Sorry, I don't think I caught your name before.” Naegi was starting to feel weirded out.

A slender face smiled cheerfully down at him. “I'm sorry I didn't give it. I was in a bit of a hurry. Nagisa Shiota, third year, SDHS Data Analyst.”

Naegi's brow furrowed. The name tickled something in his memory. “Oh, uh, I think I saw your name on the simulator schedule the last time I was down there.”

If Shiota was surprised by the recognition, he didn't show it. “You're right. I do use it from time to time. But never mind. I was hoping to speak to you.”

His curiosity was piqued, but Naegi shook his head. “I'm just trying to find a spot for my family to eat lunch.” He said, indicating the paper plate in his hand. “Maybe some other time?” He started trying to walk past the other boy, but found his shoulder caught.

“It's urgent. Very urgent.” Shiota was looking at him with intense seriousness. But there wasn't any threat or danger that Naegi could see. It sounded like this was something actually important... and he wasn't going to take no for an answer.

----------

Shiota led Naegi up to the main building's third floor, to an empty classroom. Inside, directly across from the entrance, staring out the window over the grounds dramatically with her black-gloved hands folded behind her, was another person Naegi recognized. It was the silvery-blue-haired girl he had seen talking with Kirigiri a couple times. She wore a black skirt and waistcoat over a white blouse with ridiculously poofy shoulders.

“So, you finally arrived.” She turned around slowly, and Naegi's gaze was immediately drawn to the large turquoise gemstone on her collar.

He quickly shook himself. “Nice to meet you. I'm-”

“Makoto Naegi, the one called Hope. We shall see about that.” She stalked towards him, running her hand over something long and thin lying on the teacher's desk at the front of the room.

Naegi stared at her, nonplussed. Was she trying to intimidate him? “Right. I'm just going to sit down so I can eat my lunch.”

The young woman indicated a desk in the front row with her hand, which he went ahead and took. He looked down at his plate and started trying to separate a piece of the veggie pancake with his chopsticks.

“I am the Super Duper High School Prosecuting Attorney, Mei Karuma. However-” Something hit the desk in front of Naegi with a bang, startling him and making him look up at her. She was bending what he thought was a riding crop in her hands. “I prefer to be called by the name I was known by in Germany: Franziska von Karma.”

Naegi blinked rapidly, then looked slightly to her left where Shiota was sitting in a chair against the wall. The senior smiled in exasperation back at him and raised an apologetic hand. “Forgive her. She's a little intimidating, but she won't actually hit you. I promise.” He gave a pointed look at the back of Franziska's head, which inclined as if she had noticed.

Leaning back in his chair so he could look at her more directly, Naegi decided that whatever this was about, he wanted to get to it quickly. He actually didn't feel all that hungry anyway. “What did you two want to talk to me about?”

“Oh, I think you know, if you are what you're supposed to be.” She stepped back to lean against the teacher's desk, arms and legs crossed.

But Naegi was drawing a blank. All he could do was shake his head at her in confusion. “I don't know what you mean. We aren't even in the same class year.”

She narrowed her eyes, looking annoyed, and maybe a little suspicious. “Great changes are happening in this academy. Changes that are partially centered around you, but affect every one of us. Ever since you showed up, people have been competing to unravel the mystery you represent. Everyone wants to know the meaning of the title you carry, and what the school has planned for you and for us.”

Naegi once again had that bizarre feeling of being preposterously overestimated. At least this explained the weird way some of his classmates treated him. But what she said next really got his attention.

“Especially because of the other Hope in the year above you.”

His eyes widened. “What? There's another one?” He said quietly.

“Hold it!” Naegi outright flinched when the riding crop crossed the gap and banged on the desk he was seated at. Franziska advanced on him angrily. “Are you trying to make a fool out of me? How could you possibly not know about him?” She started pacing left and right, still staring him down. “Last year, an impossible person joins at the beginning of second term, and his class is told he is the new gold standard of talent. The day before you appear, again late, the school announces that the Luckster program has been canceled. Obviously you are a representative of a changing paradigm, and we want to know what it means for the rest of us. Speak, now!” Quicker than he could see, the riding crop came down again.

Naegi hated that sound so much... He tried to clear his head first. He couldn't believe his ears, and his nerves were really starting to get worked up. The first thought he managed to put together was that at least someone was coming to ask him about this stuff directly at last, and he was getting a few answers. Second, the Luckster lottery had been canceled. Why had the Headmaster not told him about that? Was that partially his fault? He didn't want to be the reason other people wouldn't have the opportunity that he did.

More immediately importantly, third, there was another SDHS Hope. He sounded like a stunningly incredible person. No wonder people treated Naegi the way they usually did. But Naegi had never even heard about his existence. Now he wished that he had researched the previous years at Hope's Peak as much as he did his own.

Franziska was obviously growing impatient. Naegi raised his hands placatingly. “I don't know anything about that! Nobody's told me anything! But, wait, what did you say about the lottery?”

Her eyes narrowed again. “On the first day of classes, Hope's Peak put out a press release stating that the lottery had not been held this year, and would not be held in the future. It was national news, so how could you possibly not know about it?”

“I was... recovering. I pretty much slept through that entire day.” Naegi protested.

With a frown, Franziska looked over her shoulder at her classmate, who shrugged. Naegi tried to think of what to say next, when he got a reprieve. The quiet sound of his ElectroiD vibrating in his pocket. Shiota looked up and Franziska turned back to him. Apparently, they both managed to hear it.

“Don't answer that.” Franziska growled.

But Shiota contradicted her calmly. “It's probably his family. They'll get worried if he doesn't respond.”

Franziska's cheek twitched, but she nodded. Not that it mattered. Naegi didn't wait.

----------

From: K. Naegi
To: M. Naegi :)
Subject: Om nom nom

Found a table down by the greenhouse behind the school. Where did you get off to?

----------

From: M. Naegi :)
To: K. Naegi
Subject: RE:Om nom nom

Slightly kidnapped. No big deal. Will catch up to you later.

----------

Pocketing the card computer again, Naegi spoke, trying to stay calm. “My only talent is that I'm a little more optimistic than most people.”

“A foolish lie.” Naegi cringed to see Franziska bending her riding crop almost in half. “We've all heard rumors of your exploits with Byakuya Togami and Sakura Oogami. Even Mikan Tsumiki seems to have grown half a spine. Your predecessor has nothing but contempt for the rest of us, but you may be the more manipulative sort, in which case this foolish facade of normalcy is the least trustworthy thing in the world.”

Naegi wanted to shout 'You've got that wrong' but he didn't have any evidence to disprove her. “Just... why are you making this into such a big deal? What, are you... afraid we'll use everyone to start a war or something?”

That was just a random example Naegi came up with based on a few of his guesses about the D-course simulation he was in. It was the wrong thing to say. In the background, Shiota lowered his head and pinched the bridge of his nose while Franziska's face started to turn red. She smacked the desk again, making Naegi jump, and leaned over him. “That is one of several very real possibilities we are concerned about.” She said through gritted teeth.

Shiota looked up, concern on his face, at this latest loud noise. “We have a couple very imaginative schemers in our class who have come up with some rather... inspired guesses about your presence and your actions. They're pretty convincing. After all, we are all capable of extraordinary things. So what does someone who is put above us by being called Hope with a capital H do with his free time?” Naegi gaped at him, wanting to say that he hung out with his friends and played video games. The older boy shook his head. “That's enough. We're not going to learn anything else today.”

But the riding crop just came down on the desk again, almost flipping over the untouched plate of food. Franziska looked livid standing above him. “Do you think we are so easy to control!? Or are we just playings to you, like the other one!?” The crop landed again, even closer to Naegi. She was actually going to hit him! She raised the tool again.

Suddenly, Shiota appeared by her side. “I said that's enough!” He grabbed her by her raised wrist and pulled her around to face him. The apparition of an enormous snake hovered over his shoulder. He was going to kill her right in front of him.

“Stop!” Naegi didn't even think. He rose from his chair so fast it fell over. But once he was on his feet, both seniors were just staring at him in confusion. The air of killing intent had vanished as quickly as it had come. He blinked at them a couple times, and blushed. He had really overreacted there.

Franziska wrenched her hand from Shiota's grip and stormed out of the room, slamming the sliding door behind her.

The long-haired boy sighed and moved to sit in the next seat over from Naegi. “You okay? It looks like she got you pretty worked up.”

“Uh, yeah.” Naegi said quickly, looking around and picking up his chair to sit again. “Sorry about that.”

“Don't apologize so much.” Shiota scolded. “You'll make people think you did something wrong.”

Naegi looked down at his knees and laughed a bit. He was feeling a little giddy from adrenaline. “Shiota-senpai, is what she was talking about true? Do people really think of me that way?”

“I actually prefer to be called by my given name, please.” The older boy said, looking thoughtful. “As for your question... not everyone. More people in the higher years than in your own, I suspect. Not all of them think it's a bad thing, either. Some see you as a potential challenge.”

Naegi looked over at him with tired, hooded eyes. “What about you?”

The other boy shrugged with a smile. “I'm just a Data Analyst. I think a lot of things, but I don't have any kind of stake in such a conflict, and I know when not to draw conclusions.”

The casual conversation was calming to Naegi. He felt very curious about this upperclassman. “Data Analyst is... kind of non-specific, isn't it? How do you get a title like that?”

No reaction. “Why do you ask?”

“Well, you... seem to be a bit like me. More level-headed than most of our schoolmates.”

Nagisa looked at the ground for a long moment. “...Maybe so. Do you think it's possible for someone to change their title?”

Naegi blinked and sat up straighter. That question surprised him, but he was pretty sure Nagisa didn't know about his background, or he would have said something else. “Well... it's a little over the top for one person to have more than one world-class talent.”

The other boy blinked in what Naegi thought might be surprise, but then his smiling poker face returned. He seemed open, but was actually really hard to read. “True. That is true. But not quite what I asked. A title and a talent are two different things. Take von Karma-san for example. Her talent is for collecting facts, creating a story, and presenting it. She's a Prosecuting Attorney, but she could just as easily be a defense attorney... if not for her personality. Or she could be a historian, or a reporter, or a dominatrix.”

“Dominatrix!?” Naegi spluttered with a blush.

Nagisa laughed. “That personality. Anyway, my point is that the title is what you do with your talent, but the talent itself is not such a narrow thing. How we use them comes from our own interests and desires.”

Naegi nodded slowly. “Yeah. Yeah, I agree. So then, if I'm following this correctly, you had earned a title, but you didn't like it, so you're trying to apply your talent in a new way?”

Nagisa made a circle with his finger and thumb. “That is exactly correct.”

“Well, I hope you can do it. I won't ask what you were before.”

“Appreciated.”

“Just, uh, warn me before you drag me into any more interrogations.”

Nagisa laughed, as clear as a bell. “Sure thing. I'll just go and let you eat. Think about what I said. Whatever the talent of Hope is, I'll expect you to do something good with it. It was nice talking to you.”

“You too.”

Naegi watched him go, turning back to his lunch when the door was closed. It was still a little warm, but he found he didn't feel like eating more than a couple bites. Thinking about it, that was probably not a very good sign. He had lost his breakfast as well. But he just shook his head. If he didn't feel like eating, that was that. One day of missed meals wouldn't kill him. So he went out into the hall and threw the plate and food into a trash can, then went to go find his family.

----------

“That was troublesome.” Nagisa said, walking side-by-side with Franziska away from the classroom where they had left Naegi. “You scared him too much. I couldn't tell if he was nervous because he was lying or nervous because of you.”

She was bending her riding crop again. Nagisa idly wondered how much longer this one would last. “We could have cracked him if only I could have used evidence against him.”

Nagisa somewhat doubted that. The kid was tougher than he looked. “Then why didn't you?”

“My agreement with Kyouko. She tells me what she's learned, I tell her what I get from him, and I don't let him know about any of the evidence we've collected. I can't believe she got so far ahead.”

Shaking his head with amusement, Nagisa replied. “It's a little silly, this competition between the classes to uncover his secrets. Obviously the ones with the most access to him will find the answer the fastest, especially when they have the Super Duper High School Sleuth on their team.”

Franziska huffed, and lovingly ran her fingers down her crop. “Well, at least we confirmed the most important detail.”

Actually, they'd learned a lot more than that. That is, presuming that Naegi wasn't as skilled an actor as Nagisa himself, and pursuing an agenda too elaborate to be practical. He was close to his family, quick to respond to requests, tended to focus on the small picture, not concerned with appearing uninformed, not easily forced to speak or act hastily, but willing to act without getting the go-ahead from someone else, very quick to gather his wits, humble, unassuming, sexually inexperienced (or at least vanilla), had a habit and a skill for quickly and easily engaging people in personal conversations, and very perceptive about others. Plus the one key detail Franziska referred to, which Kyouko Kirigiri had specifically asked her to find out, and which she had done with relish.

But again, that was assuming he was earnest in how he presented himself. One of Nagisa's regular clients, Byakuya Togami, had suddenly withdrawn from school life after encountering him. That boy was brilliant, and self-assured to the point of arrogance. Nagisa wasn't sure what could possibly have caused him to react in such a way. So it was certain that there was more to Makoto Naegi than could be seen in a glance. Even for him. The proof was in the way he reacted to Nagisa grabbing Franziska's wrist. Nagisa had let a little killing intent leak out at that time. Franziska lacked the experience and sensitivity to notice it. Naegi, on the other hand...

The two of them came to a row of windows in the hall. Nagisa's eyes automatically looked out and found the crescent moon in the sky. The moon that had suddenly lost seventy percent of its mass a little over three years ago, only for it to be miraculously replaced a year later. Looking at the moon, he felt melancholy, as he always did. It may have been foolish of him to place faith in another, but somehow he found himself wanting to believe that this time Hope would turn out to be something good. And maybe then he might even believe that the faith that Hope had shown in the Super Duper High School Assassin was not misplaced either.

Chapter Text

After throwing his lunch away, Naegi made his way to the ground floor. At the back door he reached for the handle, but hesitated. His hand was trembling. He stared at the limb and took a couple deep breaths. He didn't want to rejoin his family while he was still upset. It would make them worry. That girl shouldn't have been able to rattle him so easily.

It took a moment, but he managed to get himself under control. He exited the building, out to where the track was. It was a mostly empty space, covered in bare dirt and rubber, and apparently nobody was desperate enough to have a picnic on the ground since it was deserted as well. Even now the shadeless athletic field was getting pretty hot under the afternoon sun. Naegi turned to his left and started walking along the rear of the school building, in the direction of the greenhouses where his family was.

In his pocket, his ElectroiD vibrated. He had a new email, but he didn't feel like reading it right then. He just wanted to find his family, and-

----------

From: Luck LOL
To: .
Subject:

shit i missed him where did he get off to

im on 3 floor by room a

----------

From: .
To: Luck LOL
Subject:

He's outside. Go 15 meters down the hall and turn right.

----------

The sound of shattering glass made Naegi startle and look up, instinctively bringing up his hands to shield himself. It all missed him, but in the middle of the shower of shards falling to the ground not five meters from him he saw what had to be a human body. Before he could even begin to comprehend what was going on, the person hit the ground, dropped and rolled, to pop back up to his feet with arms spread wide and a huge grin on his pale face.

“Tadah!” He said with a squeaky laugh.

Naegi was rooted to the spot as the boy twisted his torso without lifting his feet to face him. He wore a green long coat over a dark red shirt with black lines across it, and black pants that looked rather uncomfortably snug. A length of polished chain with a wheel pendant on one end hung from two of his belt loops. On his face, under what could only be called a shock of white hair sticking out in every direction were a pair of pale green eyes that seemed to hold Naegi in place. Vivid would be a polite way to describe them. Manic would be another.

“Komaeda!” Both boys looked up at the furious redheaded girl shouting down at them from the broken window. “How many times have they told you to open the windows before you jump out of them!?”

The strange boy laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Aha, sorry, sorry. I just got a little excited, that's all.”

The girl leaned out towards them, but was careful not to touch the bits of broken glass still in the frame. “Well, don't expect me to cover for you! Man up and listen this time when the headmaster starts yelling at you!” With an angry scowl, she pulled back and disappeared into the hall.

“Yeah, yeah, I wouldn't expect someone of your level to help me.” Komaeda said under his breath with a shrunken smile. But when he turned back to Naegi, his grin returned in full force. “Hi.”

Naegi blinked in total incomprehension. There was something very off about this boy. “Um, hello.”

Komaeda squealed and dashed over to grab Naegi's hand and shake it up and down. “Oh, wow. You don't know me, but my name is Nagito Komaeda. I'm from the year above you. My worthless title is the Ultimate Super Duper High School Luckster.”

“I wouldn't-” Naegi pulled his hand back forcefully and rubbed it with his other one. This boy had a strong grip. “Call that a worthless title.”

Komaeda smacked himself on the head. “You're right, you're right. My boyfriend is always telling me not to talk down about it. I just forget myself when I'm this excited! I've been waiting for the perfect time to meet you!”

Naegi wanted to say that this wasn't a perfect time, but his mind was still trying to play catch up with all the weirdness being thrown at it. Thankfully, Komaeda visibly collected himself, standing up straight with his feet together and his hands by his side, and started to act a little more normal. That gave Naegi enough confidence to for a question that just begged to be asked.

“Do you... jump out of windows often?”

Komaeda shrugged. “Not all that often. Oh, but not just windows. Sometimes also roofs, raised walkways, et cetera. And I almost always look before I leap.”

“I see...” Well, you couldn't say that it wasn't a complete answer. At least, to the specific question Naegi asked. He turned a half step back and pointed across his chest towards the greenhouses. “I'm going to meet up with my family. ...Y-you can come with me if you want to talk more?” Naegi wasn't sure if it was a good idea to make that offer. There was something off about this boy. And he certainly didn't expect what the other would say next.

“Wait, you have a family?” Komaeda blinked perplexedly.

Naegi blinked back. “Um... Yes. Isn't that... a given?”

Komaeda shrugged. “Well, I don't.” He said offhandedly, bringing his hand up to his chin thoughtfully and glancing off to the side.

“Oh! I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said...” Naegi apologized quickly, automatically.

But Komaeda just waved his hand dismissively. “It's fine. That reaction stopped being funny after the first dozen times. Still, this is... interesting.” He was starting to smile.

“...How so?”

In a flash, Komaeda was smiling with his hands held up. “Nothing. Never mind. Anyway, mine weren't all that useful. All they were good for was giving me money, so they might as well have died and left it to me all at once.”

Naegi started to protest. It felt wrong to talk about one's parents like that. But he really didn't know what Komaeda's family was like. You shouldn't assume that another person's perspective is the same as yours. He'd learned that lesson well. So he couldn't criticize the other boy.

“Anyway, that's not what I'm here for. I just had to check out my replacement, see what you're made of.” Komaeda tilted his head down slightly, his voice suddenly becoming low and smooth.

Naegi took another half step back. Did this guy know about his original title? “How am I your replacement?”

Komaeda's hands went into his pockets, and he started to circle Naegi with slow, but long steps. Naegi stood in place, but followed him with his eyes. “Well, I am the Ultimate Luckster. As in, I am the last one there will ever be.” He paused almost behind Naegi. “There is nobody whose luck is... I won't say more powerful, but... more profound than mine.” Naegi wondered how true that might be as Komaeda resumed his stride. “And especially because of what this school has brought me, even though it's a... substandard, unreliable talent, I suppose I'm just a little bit attached to it.” He reached Naegi's front, and turned his head towards the younger boy with wide eyes. “So, I really want to see if you live up to the hype, Hopester.”

Naegi felt annoyed and anxious. He didn't think he had to prove anything to anyone. At least, he didn't when he accepted his invitation to this school. But then he got caught up in some kind of something he still didn't fully understand between the Headmaster and the board of directors. And yet people kept expecting greatness from him. Not the kind of greatness that the others had, but some kind of nonspecific awesomeness that he felt like he couldn't give them unless he got lucky. Probably the two of them were on basically the same level, except no, he was starting to see that they were very different. There was some kind of unpleasant tingle in the back of his mind when the other spoke.

Naegi took a breath, and started in on a protestation that was starting to feel a little old even to him. “I don't know what it is you expect to see. It's not like... I can cure disease with a touch, or anything like that. I'm only human, no different than you.”

“You've got that wrong.” Komaeda said silkily, holding up one finger in front of Naegi's eyes. Naegi felt like he'd been slapped. “You... You're Hope! For someone as special as you, it would be such a waste to think of yourself as ordinary. You're the point! Of all of this.” He threw his arms out to encompass the whole school. “You should be jumping at the chance to take your place at the top of the world! That's what you're for!”

Naegi's jaw clenched unconsciously. “Is that what the other one thinks?” He knew almost nothing about him.

To his surprise, that deflated Komaeda fast. “Well... not really. Sometimes it seems like I'm the only one he's interested in. But it's obvious, isn't it? I mean, you got Tsumiki-san to outright defy him. I don't know what it takes to take that kind of control of someone, but I'd love for you to try it on me.” His eyes shone with manic anticipation, above a broad, tight-mouthed expression that you might mistake for a smile.

Lights immediately started to flash in Naegi's mind. Tsumiki. That day when they met at the training room. She had said something about him being the opposite of... the other Hope? Was that it? He felt guilty. Had he caused problems for her? That wasn't his intention at all.

And furthermore, was the other Hope the boyfriend that Komaeda had mentioned before? That's what his comment seemed to say. But then, he wanted Naegi to try to steal his loyalty? What kind of thinking was that!? He seemed like a fanatic for the ideal... his ideal of Hope. It was an ideal completely different from Naegi's own. Did that mean he didn't care about the other Hope at all beyond what he represented? The thought of such a person made him tremble.

But no, wait, that couldn't be right. Naegi had to confirm it. “Y-You're boyfriend is the other Hope, right? And you're asking me to win you from him.” As soon as he heard the words come out of his own mouth, he started to blush brightly. He started to try to correct himself, but really, what was there to correct? That was exactly what Komaeda seemed to be asking. What had happened to the day? It started out so wonderfully.

“Yes!” Komaeda's face lit up like dawn. “I'm glad that you were able to understand me properly. Other people seem to have so much trouble with it.” He shrugged.

Naegi couldn't imagine why... because the list of reasons was too long for his mind to hold right at that moment. He felt a little dizzy. He wanted to say that he wasn't... what? Gay? (At least he was pretty sure of that) The type to steal someone else's significant other? Able to flip someone like a playing card? There was just so much wrong with this that he didn't know where to start. “Hhhhhow... is it that you're willing to just drop him like that?”

Komaeda held his hands up. “Oh, I'm not. That's what makes it such a great test! It's difficult.”

Well, Naegi thought that was... a tiny bit reassuring. But then Komaeda kept talking.

“But then, you end up losing everyone eventually, right? Nothing lasts forever.” He said in a cheerfully off-hand way. “Like my parents. They died when a meteor struck the plane we were in, while it was in the air! Do you know how few people in history have died to meteor strikes? And I was sitting right next to them, yet I survived! Now that's pretty hard to top.” Naegi felt a pang of pity, but it was a lot smaller than it was before. “Really, the only way to live is to be prepared to lose everything and everyone. After all, tomorrow they'll probably be fine. But maybe they won't.”

The thing was, Naegi had lived like that, in the simulator. It was always a shock when someone... some AI died, but after the first... five or so, he learned to accept that it could happen again at any time. Still... “I don't disagree, but you have to keep hoping that it won't happen, or you won't be able to live. And if it does, you take what you still have and hope it doesn't happen again.” And if it happened to his loved ones for real, he didn't know if even he could handle it.

Komaeda was smiling again. “That's exactly what I believe. We really do think the same way. Hope is so beautiful to behold. So, you must be looking forward to your family dying like mine did.”

It took Naegi a second to be sure he'd really heard that. His whole body suddenly started screeching into a fight-or-flight response, until he could hear his pulse in his ears.

“After all...” The older boy continued, as if he was oblivious. “The Hope that shines through after a tragedy like that is the brightest and most beautiful of all. It's the ultimate testament of your talent.”

Naegi knew that he was an exceptionally kind and forgiving guy. Always trying to help and understand others. Even the Mastermind, Tacitus, he'd wanted to help and cure. If only because he couldn't make sense of her.

But this boy?

This Nagito Komaeda?

Naegi hated him.

That was the unpleasant feeling he'd been having towards him. He didn't recognize it at first. But it was real, and it was strong. This wasn't just dislike. Naegi wanted to see his every belief absolutely disproven, and his every work utterly undone. He was dangerous. And his thinking was fundamentally wrong.

Both boys were equally surprised when Naegi lunged forward and shoved Komaeda as hard as he could. The older one fell back on his ass with a high-pitched yelp.

“What was that for?” Komaeda asked like a kicked puppy.

“Shut! Up!” Naegi shouted, pointing an accusing finger. “You leave my family alone! They have nothing to do with this!”

Green eyes blinked up from the ground. “Uh, I never said I'd do anything. If it happens, it happens, you know.”

Naegi stood over Komaeda's legs, and half hauled him up by his coat with shaking hands. “It will not happen to them! If you, or the other Hope, or anyone else touches them, I'll make sure you pay!”

Komaeda just kept blinking, until he let out a disappointed sigh. “Threatening someone with violence? This is beneath you. Either manipulate or destroy me, but don't do something as trite as this.” Suddenly, Komaeda twisted, and kicked out at Naegi's knees. With where Naegi stood, he couldn't strike with much force, but it was still enough to unbalance the inexperienced boy. He fell onto his hands, but only for a second before Komaeda flipped them both over until he was on top, with his hands on Naegi's shoulders. Naegi knocked the hands away immediately. Komaeda still managed to push himself up until he was kneeling upright. He allowed Naegi to scramble out from underneath him, and both rose to their feet.

Naegi was panting. Komaeda was not. He simply brushed a bit of dirt off the back of his coat. “I don't see what you're making such a big deal out of this for. They're probably not really your family anyway. But if anything did happen, you'd just save them, right? After all, you've had such a great track record with that so far.” He smirked.

Komaeda knew about the simulation. He had to. He didn't know about Naegi's title change, but he knew about that. He must have been investigating him too.

But what was that about his family? That was impossible. He knew they were real. ...Right? His memory had been tampered with, sure, but the simulator couldn't block memories while you weren't connected to it. And yet in his disturbed, panicked mind, worn down a long day of stress and fear and anger, that baseless doubt somehow managed to take root. And it terrified him.

He ran. Past Komaeda, away from the greenhouse, towards the dorms. He needed to get away. He needed help.

Komaeda's high-pitched voice called after him. “By the way, you might wanna check your email!”

Naegi didn't listen. He could barely even hear him. Everything was shaking. He couldn't stop gasping. In his panic, he barely remembered the way, and which room was his. He fumbled with his ElectroiD to open the electronic lock, then practically fell into his bed. He needed to call for help. But somewhere along the way the mini computer had fallen from his hand. Where had it gone? He tried to search for it, but then his eyes fell on his stuffed bear. The one with bio-sensors in it. He grabbed it and curled up on his bed with it crushed to his chest, almost sobbing.

His parents were real. His family was real. Of course they were. Why would that guy even say such a thing? But then why weren't they there? Why were they never there when he really needed them? It was a stupid thought. But at that point, in the throes of a panic attack, Naegi just couldn't think straight, or he would have sorted it out in a second. Instead he spent minutes spinning through the possibilities.

“Naegi-kun!” Tsumiki's voice cried out from the doorway. She ran over to him, medical kit in hand.

“Tsumiki-san...” Naegi looked up at her pathetically from his fetal position.

Tsumiki rummaged efficiently through her supplies, leaving his side only to quickly grab a cup of water from his bathroom. She carefully lifted him into a sitting position, but had to hand-feed him three pills herself. After lowering him back down onto his side and moving a pillow under his head, she started rubbing his back through his thin shirt.

“It's okay. I'm right here, and I'm going to take good care of you, just like I always have.” She kept talking, telling him random things about what had been going on with the festival. How big the crowds were. How happy and impressed everyone was. Five minutes later, Naegi's breathing was starting to come back under control. Five minutes after that, he fell asleep under the influence of one of the pills.

----------

From: Luck LOL
To: .
Subject: him

aesdfpkcnfdhgl that was awsom XD

o man the show 2nite is gonna be so good

cant wiat to c his Hope when he recovers from that

----------

Some time later, Naegi awoke groggily. What time was it? His windows were covered, and there wasn't more than a little light peeking around the edges, so it wasn't morning, but it was still light out, so probably just a few hours. Late in the afternoon, then. Pretty much the only light source in the room was from the screen of an ElectroiD, held in Tsumiki's hands.

“Mmph.” Naegi moaned and started to sit up. Sleeping curled up like that felt awkward afterward.

Tsumiki was by his side immediately. She had watched over him in his sleep the whole time. “Naegi-kun, don't get up. You need rest.”

But as he usually did, when Naegi wanted to get up, he got up. He offered her a smile of thanks. “It's okay. I'm feeling better now.” He felt a little silly. He had been thinking some pretty strange things. But that didn't matter anymore.

Her lips twisted with worry. It was only her sense of professionalism that kept her together. “That was the worst attack you've had in a long time.”

Naegi looked away to the foot of his bed. “It's been a rough day. Especially when it's supposed to be a day off for me.”

“By the way, you might wanna check your email!”

He frowned when the memory came to him. That's right. He'd received an email right before that boy had... dropped in. But how did he know what was in it?

He turned back his nurse. “Tsumiki-san, do you know where my ElectroiD is? I think I dropped it somewhere in here.” He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. Those things were super important for dealing with campus life. Especially the security.

The way Tsumiki suddenly sat up straighter told him she did have it, but for some reason she hesitated. “I... Yes, I have it.”

He watched her as she slowly reached into one of the pockets of her apron and drew the computer out. She seemed to reconsider each step of the way when she held it out for him to take.

Now he really had to know. With fingers that were gradually becoming more experienced with the device, he quickly shifted over and opened the mail client. There was one new message. An alert from the school administration, like the ones they'd get for scheduling extra classes. But this one had a higher priority. His finger only paused for a second over the screen before he tapped the message to open it.

A school trial has been called. You have been invited to participate as a key actor. Following a period of preparation, it will commence in the debate theater (room 5-C) at 6:30 PM.
Topic: The origins of Makoto Naegi, Super Duper High School Hope.

----------

Omake:

“You've got that wrong.” Komaeda said silkily, holding up one finger in front of Naegi's eyes.

Naegi's lips curled back, baring his teeth. “What!?” He growled.

Komaeda blinked, taken aback. “Huh? I said you've got that-”

But Naegi wasn't having any of it. He was incandescent with rage. This was an absolute travesty. “You can't say it like that! You make it sound so... tawdry!” He put one foot forward and lowered his chin aggressively. “You've got that wrong!” He yelled, with supreme conviction. “You see!? That's how you say it! You got it wrong!” But he wasn't done yet. Raising his finger like Komaeda had done, he continued. “And this! What is this!? You can point your finger straight at the person you're accusing or leave your hands by your sides, but you do not make that fruity finger gesture in the middle of my catchphrase, do you understand!? Now say. It. Right.”

Komaeda hesitated. His hands sort of hovered around waist level, as if he didn't know what to do with them. “Y-... You got that wrong.” He said, lamely.

“You got that wrong! Again!” Naegi shouted. “Give it more grit! More hhhhhutzpah! More soul!”

“You got that WRONG!”

“You got that wrong!”

“YOU got THAT wrong!”

“YOU GOT THAT WRONG!”

Finally, Komaeda's finger rose to point at Naegi's furious face. “YOU GOT THAT WROOOOOOONG!”

And thus was Komaeda cured of Despair forever, and a great many future problems were preemptively solved. The end.

Chapter Text

Episode 1: The Second Day Transfer Student, School Trial

♫ - Dangan Ronpa Anime: Buzzkill

A school trial has been called. You have been invited to participate as a key actor. Following a period of preparation, it will commence in the debate theater (room 5-C) at 6:30 PM.
Topic: The origins of Makoto Naegi, Super Duper High School Hope.

Even after reading the words three times, Naegi couldn't believe his eyes. “Tsumiki-san... Wh-What is this?”

Tsumiki looked down, biting her lip. “I'm sorry. I only reported to the school, but everyone else has been-”

Naegi shouted, pointing hard at his ElectroiD. “Investigating me, I know that! Why is it a school trial!?”

Gasping and pulling her arms up to her chest, Tsumiki cried. “I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I don't know!”

Naegi stopped himself. He had frightened her without thinking. He held his hands up carefully. “Hey, no, I should be sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you, I'm just... feeling a little stressed.”

She was looking a little less tense now, but Naegi didn't have time to calm her down any further. He stepped around her and headed for the door.

“Wait! Where are you going?” She called after him.

He spoke over his shoulder. “There's something going on here. I have no idea what it is, but it has something to do with me. I can't... just stay out of it. So I have to prepare for whatever it is.” He scratched his temple. He knew he didn't sound very sure or impressive, but... being in the dark like this felt almost nostalgic. Anyway, he knew that he had to prepare at least in some way. He only had half an hour until the trial was set to begin.

----------

From: Ponywhip
To: K. Kirigiri
Subject: School trial

What's this I've heard about a class trial being called? One that I am not invited to? You never mentioned having another project going on. And of course you would have told me if you were ready to bring that little competition to a close. We agreed to share credit for uncovering the truth, separate from our classes, did we not?

----------

From: K. Kirigiri
To: Ponywhip
Subject: RE:School trial

I'm sorry to say that I have misled you about that. Your lessons and characteristic investigative style have been very helpful. However, I have more important concerns than adding to my reputation. I always intended for this to be my victory alone. You would only get in the way.

----------

From: Ponywhip
To: K. Kirigiri
Subject: You fool!

You foolishly think to befool me!? A foolhardily foolish fool who foolishly tomfools her allies into fools will soon outfool herself into a foolishly isolated lone-fool who can't even fool a fool into giving her help, YOU FOOL!

----------

From: K. Kirigiri
To: Ponywhip
Subject: RE:You fool!

I'm not entirely sure how to respond to that. I really am sorry, but this is my fight alone. There will be consequences with the school if you interfere.

----------

♫ - BOX 15

As soon as he was out of his room, Naegi was jogging through the still massive crowd in the direction of the simulator. Got lost, checked his map, and tried again, finally finding the elevator that led down to it. Leaning his head against the inside of the carriage, he started to organize his thoughts. He had no idea what the school trial was really about, which seemed kinda unfair, but unfairness was kinda a trait he was starting to associate with Hope's Peak. But if it was going to have something to do with him, there was only one place to start.

New Bullet Acquired
D-7 Simulation: A scenario where a group of AI characters and one player are trapped together and forced to kill each other in order to escape, overseen and driven by a mastermind. The “D” series designation indicates that under normal circumstances there is no way to win.

But being at a disadvantage didn't matter in the slightest, he reminded himself. After all...

New Bullet Acquired
Naegi's Victory: By disrupting the mastermind's plan at a critical moment, Naegi caused the AI's narrative kernel to spontaneously generate a victory condition as part of a plan to force him into despair when he failed to reach it. However, because Naegi also had a strong connection to the other characters, he was able to overcome the mastermind's influence over them and achieve the win.

That's right. He had faced far worse and come out ahead. That may have been fake, while this trial was real, but he would convince everyone of the truth all the same. ...There was probably a record of his victory stored on a computer somewhere, but he didn't have time to find it. That didn't matter. If anyone demanded proof during the trial, he knew who could get it for him. But as for what actually happened in the simulation itself, Naegi decided to try keeping that under wraps if possible. He didn't know if he was even ready to tell everyone about it, and if he did it would probably make things awkward.

Reaching the underground simulator lobby, Naegi quickly moved to the front desk. Nobody was around – of course they wouldn't run simulations in the middle of the festival – but at least the lights were on. And there it was, hanging on the wall behind the desk. The simulator schedule. The one that had the record of his first time down there, partially filled out in pencil. Back then, he hadn't known why he wanted to preserve this evidence that his presence was being hidden, but he guessed that today he'd get the answer. Taking out his ElectroiD, he zoomed in on the clipboard and snapped a picture.

New Bullet Acquired
Simulator Schedule: The list of people to use Hope's Peak's advanced virtual reality simulator. Each entry contains the person's name, title, the date of usage, and the simulation's shorthand ID code. Naegi is listed twice. The first time, the data is partially written in pencil. This information was filled in on a later date.
Naegi, Makoto | Hope | 4/6 | D-7
Naegi, Makoto | Hope | 4/22 | SB

Naegi breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't realized until after the fact how anxious he had been to make sure that bit of evidence was still there. Now that he'd recorded it, what else might be useful to him? He looked around him... It was just a room. No, that wasn't quite true. His eyes quickly found the black dome near the corner of the ceiling. There were security cameras in the simulator area. Quite a few, in fact, he'd noticed his second time there, throughout most of the area.

New Bullet Acquired
Simulator Security: The simulator complex is very well surveilled by security cameras. Except for the dressing rooms, in case anyone was getting strange ideas.

He wandered around a bit more, though knowing he was short on time. He was about to decide to leave and look elsewhere, when a dark splotch on the carpet caught his eye, next to the wall, but nothing else. Something tickled his mind about that. He had noticed it before, hadn't he? What was it about the spot? Oh yeah, there was another one on one of the chairs. He checked them, and it was still there. Looking closely at the color, which was quite dark and very obvious, he was sure that they had the same source... But so what? It was a stain on the carpet. What could it possibly matter in this case...?

......

New Bullet Acquired
Spill in Waiting Room: Stain from some dark liquid left on the floor and one chair in the waiting room. The separation between the two means that the room has been reorganized since they were made, which suggests that they've been there for quite some time.

Screw it. There was no harm in taking a couple pictures. And if he remembered it at all, maybe it had some other significance that he was forgetting. Anyway, that was everything that caught his eye in that room. He briefly considered trying to contact The Jester... Not for any particular reason, just to say hi. But it would be best not to reveal him.

♫ - Welcome to Despair Academy

So he returned to the elevator. Once inside, he didn't immediately hit the button to return to the ground level. He just sat against the wall, suddenly tired. He felt messed up, and he didn't even know if there was any point. This trial could be a completely innocent exercise. For the thousandth time, he wished everything hadn't happened to him. Sometimes he even wavered on whether it was worth it to come to Hope's Peak. He hated that he'd come to feel that way about the place he used to idolize. He'd shouted some pretty bad things at the Headmaster about that too, when he first came out of the simulator.

New Bullet Acquired
Naegi's Ire: After being removed from the D-7 simulation, Naegi had some choice words for the Headmaster and the simulator staff. They will not be reproduced, as they are unsuitable for being repeated in polite society.

...He'd keep that bullet in his magazine. Though some of the things he'd said were unnecessarily cruel, and he regretted them in retrospect. Still, when he thought about it, there was one thing he could reveal to bring this all to a close immediately.

New Bullet Acquired
Super Duper High School Luckster: Naegi was originally invited to the school under the normal title of Luckster, not Hope. He was a normal boy who won the selection lottery normally.

Naegi lowered his head and grasped at his hair. Could it really be that easy? But if he did that, would people still respect him as much as they did before? It was tempting to just be done with it so he could feel like himself again. But then, there was something he'd learned just that day that he couldn't ignore.

New Bullet Acquired
Luckster Lottery: The lottery through which the Luckster is selected each year to attend Hope's Peak has been canceled by the school's board of directors. In all future years, there will be no student selected for good luck.

...Now that Naegi thought about it, he had been put into that simulation to scare him into dropping out because the board didn't want the school to have a Luckster any more. In the end, it looked like they got their wish. If he revealed his original title, they wouldn't just reinstate the lottery, would they? From the next year onwards, no more regular students would be able to attend Hope's Peak. If he just gave himself away, that loss would be for nothing. And it would be a betrayal of Jin's expectations. The man had shown so much faith in his student. If Naegi didn't even try to live up to the Headmaster's hopes, then what was the point of him?

New Bullet Acquired
Jin's Hope: Headmaster Kirigiri granted Naegi the title of Hope for his skills in leadership. With his leadership, he is expected to gain the loyalty of his fellow students to help them stay on the right path.

In the end it was a matter of pressing on with his calling or give up on it. Hope or Despair. That wasn't even a choice for him. If the others discovered it on their own, then that was that, but Naegi wouldn't tell them.

♫ - BOX 15

Slowly, Naegi grabbed onto a handrail and pulled himself to his feet. He had spent enough time sitting around. He pressed the button, and the elevator started to move upwards, but he couldn't really think of anywhere else he needed to go. In that case, he decided that he might as well run back to his room. There was something he wanted to get.

Before reentering his room, Naegi's attention was briefly caught by the number on the plate next to it. 108. Naegi chuckled to himself. If he were still a normal person, that might seem to be an unimportant piece of information. But this was hardly the most trivial detail he'd ever used in a trial.

New Bullet Acquired
Room Allocation: The dormitories at Hope's Peak have six floors. Even-numbered floors have eight large suites. Odd-numbered floors have sixteen smaller suites. Rooms are assigned on a first-come-first-serve basis depending on when a student accepts their invitation to the school. Naegi is in room 108.

The first thing Naegi noticed upon reentering his room was that Tsumiki had left. He sighed to himself. He had accidentally hurt her, and not by being too nice this time. 'I'll have to tell her I'm sorry again, and thank her. I've never thanked her enough for everything she's done for me. Will she be in the trial? Probably.'

New Bullet Acquired
Tsumiki's Care: Following his experience in the simulator, Naegi required a significant amount of care and monitoring, which was expertly provided by SDHS Nurse Mikan Tsumiki.

And speaking of monitoring, he should probably keep in mind a certain gift he had been given, which was still lying on his bed, all cute and fluffy and adorable and protective and strong and...

New Bullet Acquired
Stuffed Bear: This expertly crafted cuddle supplementing device contains a sophisticated array of sensors that monitor the health of the person who holds it via hormone and electrolyte levels in sweat. Sleeping with it in your bed is believed to increase hopefulness by 40%. Its name is Beri Urusonomiya.

That was a surprising number of data points he'd found in his room... Or maybe not, since he was the subject of the trial. Was there anything else he might need to remember? Well, if it was information about himself, there was the piece of paper on his desk that listed his classes and his grades for them up until now, the middle of the term. Even without midterm tests, having to deal with grades like that was hard enough.

New Bullet Acquired
Naegi's Midterm Grades: Cumulative grades from assignments and projects in Naegi's classes. They are... passable. Naegi is enrolled in general social studies, science, literature, and English courses, as well as world history and the lowest level math class, covering algebra, geometry, probability and statistics.

♫ - Ace Attorney Dual Destinies: Court Begins

He nodded. That was probably all he was going to find. It would just have to be enough. Now for what he really came back for: a change of clothes. His white t-shirt and khaki shorts wouldn't really look all that impressive in a school trial. It was time to put his power suit on. In a moment, he was dressed in his green hoodie, under the black jacket with the pin from his old school, and black pants. He thought it was funny, taking a quick look at himself in the mirror while zipping up. He still felt so comfortable wearing this, even though it was what he wore in that simulation. Then again, he didn't remember being all that aware of what he wore in there.

By then, it was high time for him to be making his way up to the fifth floor. He had never been in the debate theater before, but it was hard to miss the wide open lobby at the end of a hall. There was lots of seating, though empty now, and several large TV screens hung up on the walls. And at the far end from the entrance was a pair of large metal doors with the emblem of Hope's Peak in raised ridges on its surface. Taking hold of both handles, Naegi breathed deep and held his head high before opening the way.

The debate theater was large and circular. Where the floor met the walls they joined with a curving slope rather than an angle. The carpet was a vibrant red all the way up those slopes, while the walls were covered in royal blue curtains. In the middle of the room were twenty semicircular wooden rails, with slanted podiums attached to put things on, and on the floor in the middle of them was a white sheet over the carpet. There were lights hanging all along the outer rim of the ceiling, and one giant orb in the very middle. In between these and slightly below their level was a black ring hanging horizontally, the inside rim of which was glossy. Naegi was surprised and impressed. He had heard of things like that. It was a very high quality camera array. It could take an image from any direction from its inner rim. Fancy stuff.

All of his classmates were there. Even the rarely-seen Mukuro Ikusaba. Most of them were chatting together cheerfully, and a few waved to him. Asahina gave him a predatory grin. As he expected, Tsumiki was there as well, looking nervous by herself. He gave her a reassuring smile, and was glad to see it slightly returned. She'd be all right. Elsewhere, Togami refused to look at him at all. There was also one boy he didn't recognize, lanky with straight orange hair that fell between his eyes, which looked like he didn't get enough sleep. He was slouching against one of the twenty podiums, wearing jeans and a light teal t-shirt over a black long-sleeved one. Still, everyone looked like they were looking forward to just having some fun, and that helped ease Naegi's tension a little.

“Well, looks like I was right behind you.” Someone said from the lobby.

Naegi spun around, and smiled. Standing in the doorway in a finely tailored black and gray pinstriped suit was a man he had been thinking of a lot that day. “Headmaster Kirigiri!” He greeted with a small bow. “Are you going to be running the trial?”

The Headmaster closed the door behind him, while shaking his head. “Not me. I've been invited as a participant. Can you guess why?”

Frowning, Naegi made a guess. “Is it something to do with how you... helped me?”

Kirigiri shrugged, not looking all that concerned, like everyone except Naegi. “Well, you are the subject of the trial. But in this case I think the answer is... maybe. Then again, I've never been much good at these things.” Naegi was starting to feel silly that he had gotten so worked up. “It looks like this is everyone who's going to come. We should be starting soon, so why don't you pick out a good spot?” He said, walking off to the side.

Naegi blinked. It was just a circle of podiums. How was he supposed to pick a 'good' spot? He finally decided to just grab one of the two closest to the door. As he moved to claim it, he walked past Kuwata, who patted him on the shoulder.

“We're gonna get ya pretty good, but no hard feelings, right man?”

Naegi tried his best to smile affirmatively. Now he really had no idea what he was walking into. Maybe it would be best to watch a little while and see what happened.

Once Naegi took his spot, the others started meandering in as well. He was happy that Ishimaru took the spot on his right and gave a firm nod with a smile to let Naegi know he had his back.

“Are you properly prepared for this, Naegi-kun?”

Naegi's smile shrank a bit. “I hope so.”

Tsumiki stood on his left. Going clockwise from her was Oogami, Fukawa, Ikusaba, Jin Kirigiri a quarter of the way around from Naegi, Fujisaki, Togami, Hagakure, Oowada, Kyouko Kirigiri on the opposite side (Naegi still hadn't had a chance to talk to her), then the unknown boy, Enoshima, Maizono, an empty space, Asahina a quarter of the way around in the other direction, Yamada, Kuwata, Celestia, and then back to Ishimaru and Naegi.

♫ - Class Trial (Dawn Edition)

Naegi thought about doing the little internal monologue he always did before the other trials, but it didn't seem appropriate while there was still a little happy chattering going on. That ended when the new guy cleared his throat and spoke with a casual tone. “Good evening, everyone, and welcome to this class trial.” He said with a friendly smile. His eyes smiled too, but in a different way Naegi wasn't quite sure of. “My name is Shin'ichi Akiyama, a third year at this academy, and my title is Super Duper High School Con Artist. I'll be your moderator tonight.” This brought out some incredulous noises. Akiyama shrugged. “The moderator has to be neutral. But the subject of tonight's trial is something everyone in this school is interested in, and has tried to investigate. Except me.” However true of false that might be, who could say?

Even Naegi ended up scratching his cheek with an awkward smile. Their moderator was a con artist? Things were certainly off to an interesting start.

The alleged moderator continued. “That subject is the origin and identity of Makoto Naegi, Super Duper High School Hope, and the so-called Second Day Transfer Student. For the benefit of the viewing audience, I'll go ahead and mention the rules.” He held up his ElectroiD and read off it. “First, the floor is open to all debate. Any person may speak at any time, but the moderator, that's me, may censure excessive interruption. We are all equal peers here. Even the Headmaster. Rule two, evidence and testimony will generally be accepted on the giver's honor, but the moderator may request further proof.” That seemed awfully generous to Naegi.

“Rule three, a person cannot be compelled to testify unless the moderator judges that there is a good reason for it. Generally that's going to mean someone's health and safety, otherwise I won't care. Rule four, debate will continue until a two-thirds majority of participants are satisfied with the conclusions reached. Five, at the end of debate, anyone may choose to nominate any person or group, and we will hold a series of two-thirds majority votes to censure them. If the motion passes, that might be grounds for that person being fired or expelled, and nobody is exempt.” Now Naegi had to swallow. It wasn't execution, but it was still really serious. To let school trials have that kind of power, even over faculty, just went to show how different the level of the students here was. He just hoped things stayed the way they were, so nobody felt the need to nominate anyone.

“Six, the subject of the trial may be changed in the middle if a new relevant related topic is discovered. Seven, the moderator may declare a suspension of proceedings at any time. Eight, with the consent of the moderator, additional individuals may be called on to participate. Of course, they might not show up.” Akiyama pointedly looked at the empty spot. Naegi wondered who was supposed to be standing there. Strange how even when nobody died there were still people missing. “Also, one more thing. Don't touch the camera.” He pointed up at the black ring, which had been lowered to just 20 centimeters over Oogami's head, and 20 behind. “Everyone attending the festival tonight is watching this while they're having dinner. So let's not mess up the show.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Naegi noticed Tsumiki looking at him worriedly. But he felt fine. Well, slightly less fine with everyone outside watching, including his family... who were probably about to be extremely confused, since he hadn't told them anything.

Next to Kirigiri, Oowada grinned widely and flicked out his Crazy Diamonds coat. “All right! Let's get this party started!”

But Akiyama cleared this throat again. “Actually, there was yet another thing I hadn't mentioned. This school trial is the symposium project of Kyouko Kirigiri-san. So before I open debate, I'll let her speak first if she wishes.”

Regardless of what she said, Naegi found himself drawn in to the Sleuth. He still knew nothing about the real Kirigiri, but he really wanted to. From what The Jester had told him, she was probably even more amazing than the fake one. He wasn't even put off by how much more animated she was, tucking her hair behind her ear and smiling at everyone, with just a hint of confidence in her superiority. Here she was in her element, and he was sure he would love seeing her at work, even if it was his secrets she was revealing.

“While this is my project, this investigation is something everyone has been a part of. In fact, each of the school's three class years has been competing to find all the answers. We simply reached them first.”

“You mean you reached them first.” Kuwata said with a grin and crossed arms. “Figures we couldn't complete with an actual detective. But even I figured out some stuff.”

Hagakure threw up his hands. “Really!? I did the obvious thing, went around and asked all the teachers, but they didn't know anything!”

This earned him a derisive snort from Fukawa, who turned away with a mocking smirk. “If it were that easy, there'd be no point in even investigating.”

Naegi held out his hand palm-up. “I don't suppose anyone thought of just asking me, did they?”

Eighteen heads swiveled to look at him with varying degrees of 'what.' Even Jin was raising an eyebrow.

“In any case...” Akiyama said. “Let's start by establishing some basic facts for the record. Whoever wants to can start.”

♫ - Trial Underground

Instructions: Hello again. Didn't expect to speak to you again, and in an entirely different realm of existence at that! Well, as I'm sure you've noticed a lot has changed. Take the influence gauge for example. Looks a lot shorter than you're used to, doesn't it? That's because at the beginning of a trial your influence will always be low now. When it's low, fewer things will cause it to drop, but if you don't raise it high enough by certain points in the trial, you may not be able to convince everyone of what you're saying, which means you'll have to use extra steps, or you may not be able to overcome falsehoods at all. That having been said, next up is just a plain old nonstop debate. Assertions you can contradict are in boldface. Assertions you can concur with are underlined. And of course, you can still pick out one assertion to be used with another. Well, you still remember how to do this... right?

♫ - Discussion (Break)

Nonstop Debate!

*Super Duper High School Luckster

With a sniff, Fukawa crossed her arms. “The story begins with the commencement ceremony.”

Celes's pale fingers fiddled with her hair off handedly. “Ah, yes. A rather tacky affair. The crowd was too large and there was too much pomp and circumstance.”

Hagakure held his hands out to his sides and shrugged exaggeratedly. “Yeah, but there was someone that was weirdly absent. We came to the part where there was supposed to be a Luckster, and waddayaknow, no Luckster.”

A thoughtful Fujisaki put a hand to his chin. “Everyone was really surprised, I remember. Every year has had a Luckster until now.”

Kuwata leaned forward, pointing at his head with a grin. “Not that we lost much, right?”

The redhead found himself on the receiving end of a stern glare from Jin. “Every student has value here, regardless of their talent.”

Fujisaki now had both hands up, timidly. “A-Anyway, when I tried to look him up online, I couldn't find anything except his name on the Hope's Peak website.”

Tapping her cheek, Celes grinned dangerously at Naegi. “A rather mysterious fellow, both then and now.”

A flippant, slightly airheaded voice announced Enoshima joining the discussion, leaning against the side of her rail with legs crossed. “So nobody sees or hears anything from him for a couple days, and then out of nowhere he transfers into our class!”

Naegi perked up. There was something not-quite-right in what Enoshima had just said. But it was a minor mistake, and anyway, the trial was about him. Maybe he should sit back and let people have their fun? But no, that wasn't really his style. So he was about to speak up when...

“Dead wrong!” It came as a real surprise to Naegi when Asahina shouted out her rebuttal, pointing at Enoshima to the point that she was leaning over the unoccupied podium space. Where had that come from? Standing back up straight, Asahina put her hands on her hips with an extremely proud grin. “Even though people call him a transfer student, he was actually there from the beginning! After all, if he wasn't enrolled in Hope's Peak to start with, how could Fujisaki have known to look him up on the internet!?”

♫ - Class Trial (Dawn Edition)

Naegi was not exactly a subtle orator, but that seemed like a bit much to him for something so minor. Still, she was right about the mistake.

Enoshima turned her nose up snootily. “I think that's what you call a distinction without a difference.”

Asahina twitched, but it was Kirigiri who responded. “Not at all. To miss an event as big as the commencement ceremony, and then even the first day, is clearly unusual. One cannot help but wonder what he was doing during that time. That seems like the next question to answer.”

Next to Naegi, Ishimaru raised his hand. “Point of order: relevance. I do not believe going into that topic is necessary. Talking about that could drag up private information about Naegi-kun.”

“Oh, really?” Akiyama chuckled to himself before looking to the scowling Kirigiri. “He says it's irrelevant. Your counter?”

To be honest, Naegi didn't mind all that much, but when Kirigiri's intense eyes met his own, he decided to let her do it herself. She obviously wanted to. “The fact of the matter is that we have almost no information about Makoto Naegi prior to his appearance at Hope's Peak. Even on social media, he's practically non-existent.”

That was because Naegi didn't use it. He'd always thought of himself as not being all that interesting, so he didn't bother. ...But 'practically non-existent' was pushing it, though he wasn't sure if he was annoyed or just exasperated by that. Still, if they really couldn't find out anything about him, he wondered if that had something to do with Komaeda saying his family wasn't really his.

“Therefore, I believe that the time period where he transitioned from being a complete mystery to a student at Hope's Peak clearly matters in piecing together this story.” She finished.

“Same here!” Kuwata jumped in. “I especially want to know what he and that Nu-”

Nobody needed to guess what the baseball player was about to say, so it came as no surprise when Ishimaru interrupted him. “Kuwata-kun, there are families listening to these proceedings. Please think long and hard before voicing anything possibly inappropriate.”

Kuwata and Oowada exchanged smirks and snickers. “Long and h-”

“SHUT UP!” Fukawa screamed, fingers curled into claws.

Enoshima added her snicker into the mix. “Uh-oh, looks like two someones are gonna find themselves in a gay sadomasochistic subplot in Toufu's next novel.”

The writer was about to shout at her too, but her face suddenly shifted into something even more vicious. “That's actually not a bad idea.” She pointed a long-nailed finger at Enoshima. “Just don't call me Toufu!”

Indulging in a rather understandable facepalm, Akiyama sighed. “Fortunately, we're on a thirty second delay, so we can bleep that out. Let's get back on topic. I'll allow the discussion of Naegi-kun's whereabouts during the commencement ceremony and the first day of classes.”

'Oh, thank goodness.' Thought Naegi. He really wasn't comfortable with that talk.

♫ - Trial Underground

Instructions: Well, that was a surprise last time, wasn't it? Didn't expect someone else to give the answer, huh? See, we're all new-agey here. No need to be so constrained by schedules. So we've done away with the clocks in the nonstop debates. Now you only have a set number of repetitions to find the answer before somebody else gives it for you. And then the story will advance, but you won't increase your influence. The number of repetitions is determined by your difficulty level, but since you're such an old hand at this, I went ahead and set all the difficulty settings to 'malicious' and then broke the controls. Have fun! Last time was a trick, but this time it's for real.

♫ - Discussion (Break)

Nonstop Debate!

*Super Duper High School Luckster
*Simulator Schedule
*D-7 Simulation
*Room Allocation

Kuwata still had an amused smirked as he crossed his arms and started. “Well, lame jokes aside, why don't we just ask the Nurse? She must know.”

But Hagakure was scratching his head in confusion. “I'm not really following. Why does she know?”

The baseball player's head twisted his his direction. “Are you serious? He was holed up in his room, and she was with him. The. Whole. Time. Didn't you even find that out?”

Kirigiri held up a hand to forestall any argument. “Everyone who was paying attention knows that much. But that was just the first day of class. The real question is why and what he was doing before.”

At the next podium over from Naegi, Tsumiki held her hands up and cried. “I can't tell you any of that! I'm so sorry!”

Ishimaru raised his fist to get them to back off. “Her medical ethics bind her! Leave her alone!”

A podium creaked as Oowada leaned forward hard on it. “Well, he didn't get hurt in no fight. This little twerp looks like he'd lose to a house of cards. No way he'd heal in just a couple days.”

“M-maybe he was sick?” Came Fujisaki's quiet voice. “He didn't look all that healthy for a while.”

A single finger from Kirigiri rose to contradict him. “In that case, they would have said something about him at the ceremony. Instead, no mention of him was made at all.”

Asahina gasped. “Of course! I just figured it out! He wasn't there because he still had to prove his talent!”

Incredulous, Celestia raised an eyebrow. “Prove his talent? Even though he was already announced weeks ago?”

“How does a person even prove their talent is Hope?” Maizono wondered, tapping her jaw and looking up at the ceiling.

With a shrug, Kuwata mumbled an answer. “I dunno. You have to make people believe in you?”

“I believe in him!” Tsumiki said.

(Simulator Schedule->“prove his talent”)

“That must be it!”

BREAK!!

Everyone was startled when Naegi yelled out. He quickly fished his ElectroiD out of his pocket as they stared. Tapping in a few commands, the lights dimmed, and from the large one in the center of the room a picture was projected on the floor between them, showing a photo of a clipboard. “Here, look at this. This is the schedule for the school's virtual reality simulator. See, there's my name on the date of-”

♫ - Dangan Ronpa Anime: Bloodbath Fever

“Knock it off!” Naegi jumped and brought one arm up to protect himself when Asahina suddenly shouted, and this time it was at him. He stared at her like a deer in the headlights, wondering where that came from. The bouncy swimmer was leaning forward, looking angry at him. “You can't just tell us all the answers! That's just stupid!”

“That's right!” Hagakure agreed. “If you give the secret away, what have we been wasting all our time for?” He said, as if he had put any effort in at all.

“Wha-” Naegi stuttered. They were just being ridiculous! Of course he could participate if he wanted to. But then his thoughts were knocked off track. Next to Hagakure was Togami. Now that Naegi thought about it, the Scion was being conspicuously silent, spending the whole time staring at the empty spot in their circle with his arms crossed. Probably because that was the only spot where he wouldn't have to look at anyone. What was he thinking about? Naegi shook his head to refocus when the moderator weighed in on the matter.

♫ - Class Trial (Dawn Edition)

“Everyone here is allowed to speak whenever they want, including Makoto Naegi. If this trial were more serious, he'd be allowed to defend himself then. Everyone else will just have to be quicker than he is. And of course, you must doubt everything he says before you can know if he is trustworthy.”

A disapproving voice that sounded much older than the Oogami actually was followed him. “Asahina-san, there is no need to be so antagonistic. We are simply having a discussion.”

Naegi watched in surprise as Asahina frowned across at the much larger girl. “I'm not antagonistic, I'm just trying my best to win! This time I've got a really strong opponent, so I have to go all out!” She pointed her thumb in Kirigiri's direction.

Oogami opened one eye. “We are engaging in a group endeavor. As long as we find an answer together, that is enough.”

“Both of you are right.” Jin stepped it, holding up a hand to each of them. “In this trial, the truth is reached through both competition and cooperation. However, mean-spiritedness isn't needed. Agreed?” Oogami nodded to him at once. Asahina did too, after a few seconds. “Now, it is true that Naegi-kun was in the simulator, and it was related to him being accepted to this school. The cancellation of the Luckster lottery this year was a controversial move, which was why we delayed announcing it for so long. By the same token, we wanted to be very sure that Naegi-kun was everything we expected him to be.” He nodded to the boy, and quite a few eyes went his way again. He was getting good at acting like he didn't notice them.

A hand slowly went up from Fujisaki. “Um, Headmaster, why was the lottery canceled? It was always so popular.”

“With the general public, yes.” Jin said with a disapproving frown. “However, there are those on the board of directors who feel that it wasn't worth the investment of resources. They've been pushing for this change for years.”

“Excuse me, but what resources?” Yamada asked. “Is not the biggest drain on the school's budget research and development of our talents?”

“Yes, but we still make an effort to develop any talents the Luckster may have as well. It did take up quite a bit of time, but Lucksters have always helped out with other people's development too. Uzumaki-kun from third year is so enthusiastic about it that sometimes it seems like he's in many places at the same time.”

♫ - Distrust

“Hold on a minute... This is...” Kirigiri suddenly said. Naegi turned his attention to her, wondering what she might say about it, but she was actually focused on the image projected on the floor. She fiddled with her own ElectroiD. “Why... is that first entry partly written in pencil?” There were a few murmurs of agreement as everyone looked at the image again.

Naegi, Makoto | Hope | 4/6 | D-7

“I asked the guy to write it that way.” Naegi said. Then he blinked as a thought struck him. Why would she react that way? There was really only one answer. She had to have a picture of the same clipboard before that info was filled in. But that was weeks ago. She had known for that long and just sat on the information? “Is... there something wrong with that?” He asked. She opened her mouth and looked like she was about to say something, but snapped it shut instead.

♫ - End

“No. It was just odd, that's all.” She said neutrally. Naegi wasn't fooled, though. What had she discovered?

♫ - Dangan Ronpa Anime: A Very Despairing Story

Asahina pumped her arms. “All right, that's enough warmups. Now we get to the reason why we're here!” An accusing finger was pointed straight at Naegi. “I'm going to tell everyone who and what you really are!”

Though he was taken aback for a second, Naegi settled himself. He had resolved himself earlier to being okay with everyone finding out if they discovered it on their own. Although somehow he didn't think she had everything she thought she did.

“First up, everyone already knows that Naegi isn't the only SDHS Hope. There's another in the next year up, and he's a real piece of work. His name is Izuru Kamukura, like the guy who founded Hope's Peak. He was invited to come here, but he didn't show up.” She frowned heavily at the empty spot next to her. It wasn't hard to see that she didn't like him. But what she said next Naegi never could have seen coming. “Actually, he was named after him, because he gave up his old identity when they gave him his title, and his talent. That's right, they gave him his talent. It sounds nuts, but they took all the research on talent that they've done for the last eighty years and crammed as much of it as they could into one person's head to create a talent inside him.”

...Oh, so that's what the big deal with the other one was... Wait, what? What!?

Naegi's mouth dropped open, but before he could speak someone else beat him to it. “You've gotta be kidding!” Hagakure yelled, grabbing at his head. “That's impossible!” Oowada, Enoshima and Maizono joined him, but most just looked grim. They already knew.

“It's possible.” Jin said simply, eyes closed and arms folded.

“I spoke to him myself, and his classmates. They say he's a genius, but he's also really dangerous, and I could see why.” Asahina said with a shiver. Her finger came to point at Naegi again. “And you may not look it, but I bet you're exactly the same! Or worse, because you're better at hiding it!”

New Bullet Acquired
Asahina's Testimony: The other SDHS Hope, Izuru Kamukura, is an extraordinarily brilliant and dangerous individual. He was created by Hope's Peak itself by enhancing a person with their research into talent. He is infamous among the student body for his manipulative behavior.

Naegi took a step back. Even Ishimaru was looking at him strangely. “Wait... I'm not...”

“He's not! He's nothing like Kamukura!” Tsumiki screamed, eyes clenched shut and hands close to her chest. “I-I mean... he's so much brighter and kinder. He wouldn't hurt anyone.”

“Is that so?” Asked Kirigiri, arms crossed. “Well, perhaps we should ask the person most affected by Naegi-kun what he thinks.” She turned to face Togami directly, staring hard at his indifferent face. “I've been waiting for quite some time to hear what transpired between the two of you.”

Naegi felt his shoulders tense. Even he wasn't clear on what exactly had happened to cause Togami to go off like that. What would he say? “...I have nothing to add to this circus.” He finally drawled out, glancing only briefly in Naegi's direction.

Though Kirigiri's eyes narrowed at his pronouncement, she didn't say anything. Apparently, his refusal to talk had brought her to a halt. Not that it did Naegi any favors either.

“There is something I should probably clear up.” Jin said. “Originally, Kamukura-kun was not to join his class until very much later than he did. The series of procedures needed to make him what he is started at the beginning of last school year in April, and took three months to complete. After that, he was to spend another six months undergoing tests and observation to make sure he was stable and to determine his limits. However, that period was cut short to just two months. This is because we quickly found him to be an extraordinary, surpassing, historic...”

Naegi had only known about this guy for a day, and already he was getting tired of hearing how awesome he was.

“...Abysmal, irrecoverable failure.”

♫ - Dangan Ronpa Anime: Distruct

...Huh? Naegi had to shake himself to be sure he'd heard right. Everyone was looking back and forth at each other's reaction. Even Togami and Kirigiri looked surprised.

Sweating like a pig, Yamada removed and polished his glasses. “Um... Say that again in plainer words?”

Jin waved a hand, looking away with disgust plain on his face. “Simply put, he was completely and utterly worthless for the purpose we created him for. Our approach to granting him talent was fundamentally flawed. He may be reasonably intelligent, but he's no Hope.”

Maizono held her hand up to her mouth in shock. “Is it really okay to talk about one of your students like that?”

The Headmaster just shrugged. “He doesn't care. He doesn't care about anything, as far as we can tell.”

That didn't make Jin's attitude towards him any less unbelievable. After the way the Headmaster had treated Naegi, he thought he loved all his students. This Kamukura... Just what had he done to get people to think of him this way? Or, a traitorous thought appeared, what had he not done? If Naegi failed, would he be treated that way too?

But he didn't have time to dwell on that. Asahina was starting to pull herself together. “Well... that doesn't mean this guy is a failure too. Like I said, he's just better at hiding how messed up he is. And we're gonna prove it.”

♫ - Discussion (Heat Up)

Nonstop Debate!

*Super Duper High School Luckster
*Asahina's Testimony
*D-7 Simulation
*Luckster Lottery
*Naegi's Midterm Grades

Hagakure tilted his head in confusion. “So, wait, is Naegicchi actually some kind of superhuman?”

With her fingers laced together, Fukawa glared in the Hope's direction. “He didn't make much of an impression on me. But then again, he's awfully good at stopping fights. Could he use domination through simple persuasion?”

Oowada's fists were hanging clenched. “Could be. Look at the way he has those two clinging to his sides.”

With a bang, Ishimaru's palm landed in his podium. “Naegi-kun is a friend! I have never known him to use trickery or manipulation!”

“I must agree.” Oogami concurred. “A clear mind and empathic soul cannot be taken as evidence of devious intent. There are far too many more likely explanations.”

Kuwata was practically on tiptoes leaning over the front of his rail. “Yeah, but that's not all that's weird about him. He's really good at figuring stuff out. Plus, you know how he gets super intense sometimes. Like he's a totally different person.”

Suddenly, Ishimaru looked a little off-put. “Well... That is true.”

Enoshima threw her hands up in the air. “Damn straight. We all remember those looks he used to give us. It was like, is my hair on fire!?”

At this point, Naegi had to speak up to defend himself. “I'm really not all that amazing.”

Kuwata crossed his arms and cocked his head back. “Oh yeah? Watch this.” He lowered his head aggressively. “Yamada! What does the scouter say about his power level!?”

The otaku swept the glasses from his face, leaned back and bellowed. “It's over NINE THOUSAAAAAND!”

Reeling back in an exaggerated way, Kuwata cried out. “What!? Nine thousand!? There's no way that can be right! Could it!?”

“It's not right!” Naegi facepalmed in exasperation.

“It's a little bit right.” Jin countered him.

“Yep.” Asahina nodded.

“Agreed.” Celes followed suit.

“I... have to say yes.” Even Fujisaki said so.

Fiddling with her hands, Tsumiki turned to her friend. “Um... Nine thousand may be a little too low.”

Oogami raised one perplexed eyebrow. “I'm not sure I follow this line of discussion.”

Crossing her arms, Asahina spoke with a conclusive air. “The point is that he's clearly different than us. We have to figure out what it means.”

(Naegi's Midterm Grades->“It's over nine thousand!”)

“You've got that wrong!"

BREAK!!

♫ - Class Trial (Dawn Edition)

“I'm not... well...” Naegi looked down with a slight blush. Really, he'd just gone with the first thing that would make them stop with their misconceptions. “Um... This is my grade report?” A few taps, and an image of the paper was projected on the floor. Immediately, almost everyone leaned in to take a look.

“YES!” Hagakure threw his hands up triumphantly. “Not better than mine!”

Oowada was wide-eyed. “Man, even I scored higher than that, and I didn't even try.”

While everyone else was distracted, and Naegi was burning with shame, Tsumiki inched closer to him and lightly grabbed him by the wrist, hidden by the rails. He looked at her, but saw that she was facing straight ahead he did the same. She probably didn't want to draw attention. After a bit, she tapped his hand. One, pause, three, pause, and then four taps with two fingers. He swallowed, though his mouth was feeling dry. A pulse of one hundred thirty eight was way too high for just standing there. He almost convinced himself they were just going to have fun, but things turned bad pretty quick.

“So you see?” He said, glad that his voice didn't shake. “I'm really not all that smart. My talent is just that I'm a little more optimistic than most people. And I'm pretty friendly. And I have a good memory.”

To his right, Celes hid her mouth to laugh. “Grades so bad they completely convince everyone you're not superhuman. Well played.”

But Asahina was scowling down at the report. “But you could have... done worse on purpose to deflect suspicion.” It was obvious that she had lost a lot of steam.

“Interesting idea.” Jin said, standing straight and tall. He flashed Naegi a quick smile, proud of him for solving things in such a way. “Show of hands, who would want to be Naegi-kun's friend or ally more if he had better grades?” It took a few seconds, but ever-honest Ishimaru was the first to raise his hand. Then Kirigiri, Maizono, Celestia, the moderator Akiyama, and more and more. “There, you see? Overall, faking this would not be a benefit to him.”

“My grades will get better.” Naegi mumbled. “It's just my health, that's all.”

♫ - Dangan Ronpa Another Episode: It's a Monokuma World

But the person standing opposite Naegi had different ideas. “This does not necessarily prove anything.” It was the first time Kirigiri had said anything in a while, Naegi noted. She had her hand up to her chin, and a look of concentration on her face. She looked askance at him with unreadable eyes. “The Headmaster did admit that the previous one was a failure. You could just as easily be a failure in a different way.”

Shoulders slumping, Naegi sighed. He didn't want his friends to think of him as potentially dangerous. “Why does it matter? Even if I were a failure, I'd still be me. I'm still the person you all know.”

Now the Sleuth was fixing him with her gaze directly. “You don't see it? Or do you not want to? Allow me to recap. Becoming Hope requires one to give up everything. Over the course of three months, they are give new identities, they're cut off from everyone they knew before, and in all likelihood they come out of the process as completely different people. And apparently, it doesn't even work right. They knew that from last year, and yet they seem to have tried again with you. The school is overstepping, doing things even they should not do.”

“No, they didn't.” Naegi protested, a little desperately. “Nothing like that happened. Look, I've never even had surgery, or anything!”

“The procedures don't involve any surgery.” Kirigiri crossed her arms. “As I understand it, it's entirely done with the same equipment as that simulator you're so familiar with.”

That shut Naegi up completely. Slack-jawed, he slowly turned towards the Headmaster. He had no idea that the sim units could be used in that way... but when he thought about it, it made sense. But still... none if this was true, right? At least the Headmaster was still collected, his suit not even ruffled. He was watching his daughter, as Naegi watched him. He looked interested, but not at all concerned. Naegi shut his mouth. Right, she was just mistaken. That's all there was to it. But he needed evidence to show it, and right at that moment he had no idea if he had any. As things were going, people were going to end up with a completely mistaken view of him. But he didn't have to disprove anything immediately. Just chipping away at the vision they had of him would be a start.

♫ - Discussion (Heat Up)

Nonstop Debate!

*Super Duper High School Luckster
*Room Allocation
*Stuffed Bear
*Asahina's Testimony
*Luckster Lottery
*Naegi's Midterm Grades
*Tsumiki's Care

Enoshima wore a smile that was not really amused, but certainly entertained. “Who'd have thought we'd have an artificial person in our class.”

Hagakure, as usual, looked a bit lost. “Okay, now I'm all confused again. He's, like... an android?”

“Not exactly.” Fujisaki responded with a knuckle held between his lips. “It's more like they found a way to make a human programmable.”

Shaking her head, Enoshima smirked. “So, he spent months in the school before the rest of us even arrived to get his brain scrambled. That's a hell of a story. If it's true.”

Oowada had his arms crossed, and was looking off to the side. “I ain't going near those things after hearing about this. No way am I letting them screw with my head.”

This got a nod of agreement from Yamada, who tapped an arm of his glasses. “Truly, to have oneself altered in such a way could only be called mind rape.”

That got Jin's attention. His head turned forward to address everyone. “Rest assured, there is no way for that to happen against your will, and it certainly can't happen by accident. Remember, it takes a large number of sessions to complete. If you wanted to, you could easily put a halt to the process in the middle.”

“Sure, unless you're forced into it from beginning to end. It's hardly impossible.” Kuwata pointed out.

Jin spoke to the All Star directly. “And then we would be left with an extraordinarily talented individual who would hate us.”

“That's assuming it works as intended, which it doesn't.” Celes said, running the claw on her finger down her podium.

Kirigiri folded her arms disapprovingly. “You did at least inform the subjects of the risks involved, right?”

“Yes.” Said Jin.

An eyebrow slowly rose on Kirigiri's face. “Is that all you have to say?”

“Yes.”

Ishimaru stepped up and spoke for the Headmaster. “Of course they would observe all ethical concerns. They work for the hope of mankind here.”

But Kuwata leaned forward and pointed at his head. “Dude, how do you know they even had a clue what they were doing? They could have just been throwing shit at the wall to see what stuck.”

The Headmaster's eyes shut at that accusation. “Honestly, you may not be that far off.”

Thinking hard, Naegi held his hand to his chin. 'There must be something in there that I can prove doesn't apply to me. Something that I have evidence for, no matter how slight.'

----------

D-7 Simulation: A scenario where a group of AI characters and one player are trapped together and forced to kill each other in order to escape, overseen and driven by a mastermind. The “D” series designation indicates that under normal circumstances there is no way to win.

Naegi's Victory: By disrupting the mastermind's plan at a critical moment, Naegi caused the AI's narrative kernel to spontaneously generate a victory condition as part of a plan to force him into despair when he failed to reach it. However, because Naegi also had a strong connection to the other characters, he was able to overcome the mastermind's influence over them and achieve the win.

Simulator Schedule: The list of people to use Hope's Peak's advanced virtual reality simulator. Each entry contains the person's name, title, the date of usage, and the simulation's shorthand ID code. Naegi is listed twice. The first time, the data is partially written in pencil. This information was filled in on a later date.
Naegi, Makoto | Hope | 4/6 | D-7
Naegi, Makoto | Hope | 4/22 | SB

Simulator Security: The simulator complex is very well surveilled by security cameras. Except for the dressing rooms, in case anyone was getting strange ideas.

Spill in Waiting Room: Stain from some dark liquid left on the floor and one chair in the waiting room. The separation between the two means that the room has been reorganized since they were made, which suggests that they've been there for quite some time.

Naegi's Ire: After being removed from the D-7 simulation, Naegi had some choice words for the Headmaster and the simulator staff. They will not be reproduced, as they are unsuitable for being repeated in polite society.

Super Duper High School Luckster: Naegi was originally invited to the school under the normal title of Luckster, not Hope. He was a normal boy who won the selection lottery normally.

Luckster Lottery: The lottery through which the Luckster is selected each year to attend Hope's Peak has been canceled by the school's board of directors. In all future years, there will be no student selected for good luck.

Jin's Hope: Headmaster Kirigiri granted Naegi the title of Hope for his skills in leadership. With his leadership, he is expected to gain the loyalty of his fellow students to help them stay on the right path.

Room Allocation: The dormitories at Hope's Peak have six floors. Even-numbered floors have eight large suites. Odd-numbered floors have sixteen smaller suites. Rooms are assigned on a first-come-first-serve basis depending on when a student accepts their invitation to the school. Naegi is in room 108.

Tsumiki's Care: Following his experience in the simulator, Naegi required a significant amount of care and monitoring, which was expertly provided by SDHS Nurse Mikan Tsumiki.

Stuffed Bear: This expertly crafted cuddle supplementing device contains a sophisticated array of sensors that monitor the health of the person who holds it via hormone and electrolyte levels in sweat. Sleeping with it in your bed is believed to increase hopefulness by 40%. Its name is Beri Urusonomiya.

Naegi's Midterm Grades: Cumulative grades from assignments and projects in Naegi's classes. They are... passable. Naegi is enrolled in general social studies, science, literature, and English courses, as well as world history and the lowest level math class, covering algebra, geometry, probability and statistics.

Asahina's Testimony: The other SDHS Hope, Izuru Kamukura, is an extraordinarily brilliant and dangerous individual. He was created by Hope's Peak itself by enhancing a person with their research into talent. He is infamous among the student body for his manipulative behavior.

Chapter Text

(Room Allocation->“spent months in the school before the rest of us even arrived”)

“You've got that wrong!”

BREAK!!

♫ - Super Dangan Ronpa 2: Class Trial (Future Part)

Naegi moved up as far as he could. “And the proof is in my room number: one-oh-eight!”

Dead silence. To a one, they were looking at him as if he had lost his mind. Except for the Headmaster. He was the only one to understand, and he was laughing quietly.

Hagakure raised a hand. “Um... That's, like, the number of temptations there are, but...”

Naegi put his clenched fists on the rail to either side of his podium. “They assigned us our rooms in the order we were invited to go to school here, starting on the second floor. It means that I was the sixteenth one invited to this school... after the rest of you.” His finger pointed at Kirigiri as he shot her down. “Which means there couldn't have been enough time for them to do that to me!”

And with that, it dawned on them. More than one jaw dropped open, and the rest of them were wide-eyed. Even Kirigiri, though her mouth remained firmly set. It was the look of someone who suddenly met resistance she hadn't expected, and was steeling herself for a much tougher fight.

“This can't be! That's unbelievable!” Yamada had his hands on his cheeks.

“...It's not that out there.” Naegi said, a little bemused by their reaction.

Fukawa clucked her tongue. “He means that you were able to completely overturn everything we've been assuming this whole time with such a miniscule detail. ...You're preposterous.”

He hoped that she meant his deductive skills were preposterously good, or something. Normally, at this point he'd demur and tell them they were overestimating him again, but in a situation like this he knew that that wouldn't be good for him. “Well, I've got a lot more to show you still. We're just getting started.”

Another screech came from Yamada. “Heeeeee! You mean this isn't even your final form!?”

“No, don't give this too much credit.” A calm voice cut through the confusion. This time, everyone turned to Kirigiri. Her hand was under her chin, and her face was stony. They said nothing while she thought. Nobody really knew where to go from there. Finally, she looked up and fixed Naegi with her stare. The message that she wasn't playing around any more came through loud and clear. Any feelings he had of looking forward to seeing her work had long since faded. “Your argument is that because you were apparently recruited last there was no time to undergo the procedure. Indeed, that would allow a time frame of weeks at most rather than months.”

“I didn't commit to enrolling in a high school until late in February.” Naegi supplied. “I wasn't invited until after that.”

“As according to the school's invitation policy.” Kirigiri nodded. “Very well then. In that case, I will follow your earlier suggestion and simply ask you directly. What were you doing during that time?”

The question wasn't quite what Naegi was expecting. Wouldn't it make more sense at this point to ask him how he was given the title of Hope if not in the same way as the previous one?

“After all, like I mentioned earlier, there is almost no record of your existence online. Certainly not from any verifiable source.”

Honestly, Naegi thought that was normal for most middle schoolers. “There's really nothing to tell. I attended middle school and lived with my family. That's it.”

♫ - End

“I see.” Kirigiri said, shutting her eyes. “Then how can any of us, including you, be sure that your entire life wasn't faked?”

♫ - Weekly Despair Magazine

Naegi gaped. His entire life? How could she even suggest...

“They're probably not really your family anyway.”

That's right. Komaeda said something similar. She hadn't spoken to him, had she? He did somehow know about the school trial, even though he probably didn't have time to read the announcement before speaking to Naegi.

Tapping a finger on her podium, Kirigiri continued. “You are different from the other one, that I will admit. And yet, we've all seen your impressive feats of critical thinking. Since he was a failure, I can easily see them refining the process before using it on you. The previous one gave up everything, completely forgot about his past life and identity, but that left him without much that was human. The obvious fix would be to give their next prototype a new life along with everything else, with all the trappings that implies.”

But Naegi had an entire lifetime of memories. “The simulator can't overwrite memories, but it can easily make new ones.”

His family was at the school right at that moment! “With the academy's resources, hiring actors to stand in for your family every now and then would not be a problem.”

He had gone to school. “Faking academic records is even easier, even to the point of adding you into photographs.”

Why go to all that trouble? “By controlling as many variables as possible, they ensure that the information they gain from him for the next generation of subjects is viable.”

His grades? “We have all seen his intelligence today. It's hardly unusual for extraordinary geniuses to have difficulty lowering themselves even to relatively rigorous school programs.”

And his room? “They most likely placed him in a smaller room so that he would stay humble, or so he wouldn't spend much time there.”

But Naegi had no recollection of any of this! “And they kept it from the person himself out of concern for his stability.”

It was surprising that Kirigiri didn't dust her gloves off after she demolished him so completely.

Hearing it all laid out like that, even Naegi started to doubt. He couldn't help it. Even knowing how fake the simulator was, his memories of his time in there were so clear. It used his own mind to generate images, so of course it would seem that way. It was an unimaginably powerful machine. Could his life... really have been created in there? Was that really how he had the strength to overcome the Academic Coliseum?

♫ - End

...No, that couldn't be right. He knew that there was a huge difference between the Naegi that entered the D-7 simulation and the one that left it. But if the process to make someone into Hope wiped out your memories, then the fact that he remembered the whole thing meant it would have had to all happen at the end of the process if it were part of it. And it couldn't have just been like a movie that he only thought was interactive, because he completely went against the program's expectations.

“If any of that were true, don't you think I would have stopped you from saying it?” Jin interjected, looking far less impressed than Naegi was with his crossed arms.

Kirigiri just crossed her arms back at him. “That would have looked even more suspicious. I'm sure you simply decided-”

♫ - Class Trial (Dawn Edition)

“All right, I'm going to stop you right there.” Akiyama suddenly interrupted her, rising from his slouch, but sticking his hands in his pockets. “You have quite an explanation for the facts we've seen brought up, but you're making way too many unsupported assumptions. No matter how well it fits, you still need some kind of hard evidence. So, if someone doesn't present that evidence, either to prove or disprove what Kirigiri-san is saying, or she doesn't withdraw her comments, I'm going to have to call a suspension of proceedings until someone can find it.”

Naegi almost breathed a sigh of relief, but quickly realized he wasn't in the clear yet. Kirigiri's eyes were narrowed slightly, but she didn't look worried or even particularly annoyed. If they could just get a suspension, Naegi was certain that a DNA test would prove that he and his family were related. But Kirigiri was sure to prevent that by taking her words back. It was just that withdrawing her guesses wouldn't stop people from thinking about them in the slightest. That was probably her plan all along.

Still, if he really had to, Naegi could ask for the suspension himself, and the moderator would probably grant it. It just might not look good if he did so. People would suspect him of... something, plus it would look like he wasn't prepared enough. Which he really hadn't, but how could he have? Still, maybe... maybe there was still something he could do. Some proof that was immediately available. But there wasn't much time. Did he have it?

>1. Yes
2. No

♫ - New World Order

“That's it!” He said aloud. Kirigiri's mouth snapped shut just as she was about to withdraw her comments. Her eyes snapped to his, filled with surprise. “I can disprove it, right now.”

Even Akiyama looked like he didn't expect that. “If you can do that, then go right on ahead.”

...Well, actually, Naegi had jumped the gun a bit. But he had bought himself a couple seconds at least. Everyone knew that bluffing a bit was a tried and true tactic for attorneys. He'd put himself into a bit of a bind. Asking his family to be brought in was apparently no good. A DNA test would take too long for the situation. Same thing with calling in old friends. Any he might have were too far away... although, despite how friendly he was, he didn't really have any super close friends in middle school, and the ones he had in elementary might not remember him. So what did that leave him with? What could he say was a sure bet to confirm that he had always been himself?

1. I was the Luckster
2. Present evidence->What?
3. Ask for testimony->From whom?
4. Lie->What?
5. Introduce Doubt->On which point?
6. Nothing

----------

D-7 Simulation: A scenario where a group of AI characters and one player are trapped together and forced to kill each other in order to escape, overseen and driven by a mastermind. The “D” series designation indicates that under normal circumstances there is no way to win.

Naegi's Victory: By disrupting the mastermind's plan at a critical moment, Naegi caused the AI's narrative kernel to spontaneously generate a victory condition as part of a plan to force him into despair when he failed to reach it. However, because Naegi also had a strong connection to the other characters, he was able to overcome the mastermind's influence over them and achieve the win.

Simulator Schedule: The list of people to use Hope's Peak's advanced virtual reality simulator. Each entry contains the person's name, title, the date of usage, and the simulation's shorthand ID code. Naegi is listed twice. The first time, the data is partially written in pencil. This information was filled in on a later date.
Naegi, Makoto | Hope | 4/6 | D-7
Naegi, Makoto | Hope | 4/22 | SB

Simulator Security: The simulator complex is very well surveilled by security cameras. Except for the dressing rooms, in case anyone was getting strange ideas.

Spill in Waiting Room: Stain from some dark liquid left on the floor and one chair in the waiting room. The separation between the two means that the room has been reorganized since they were made, which suggests that they've been there for quite some time.

Naegi's Ire: After being removed from the D-7 simulation, Naegi had some choice words for the Headmaster and the simulator staff. They will not be reproduced, as they are unsuitable for being repeated in polite society.

Super Duper High School Luckster: Naegi was originally invited to the school under the normal title of Luckster, not Hope. He was a normal boy who won the selection lottery normally.

Luckster Lottery: The lottery through which the Luckster is selected each year to attend Hope's Peak has been canceled by the school's board of directors. In all future years, there will be no student selected for good luck.

Jin's Hope: Headmaster Kirigiri granted Naegi the title of Hope for his skills in leadership. With his leadership, he is expected to gain the loyalty of his fellow students to help them stay on the right path.

Room Allocation: The dormitories at Hope's Peak have six floors. Even-numbered floors have eight large suites. Odd-numbered floors have sixteen smaller suites. Rooms are assigned on a first-come-first-serve basis depending on when a student accepts their invitation to the school. Naegi is in room 108.

Tsumiki's Care: Following his experience in the simulator, Naegi required a significant amount of care and monitoring, which was expertly provided by SDHS Nurse Mikan Tsumiki.

Stuffed Bear: This expertly crafted cuddle supplementing device contains a sophisticated array of sensors that monitor the health of the person who holds it via hormone and electrolyte levels in sweat. Sleeping with it in your bed is believed to increase hopefulness by 40%. Its name is Beri Urusonomiya.

Naegi's Midterm Grades: Cumulative grades from assignments and projects in Naegi's classes. They are... passable. Naegi is enrolled in general social studies, science, literature, and English courses, as well as world history and the lowest level math class, covering algebra, geometry, probability and statistics.

Asahina's Testimony: The other SDHS Hope, Izuru Kamukura, is an extraordinarily brilliant and dangerous individual. He was created by Hope's Peak itself by enhancing a person with their research into talent. He is infamous among the student body for his manipulative behavior.

Chapter Text

♫ - Dangan Ronpa Another Episode: Riddle Land

1. I was the Luckster
2. Present evidence
>3. Ask for testimony
4. Lie
5. Introduce Doubt
6. Nothing

Select the person who can provide the truth.
Makoto Naegi->Kiyotaka Ishimaru->Celestia Ludenberg->Leon Kuwata->Hifumi Yamada->Aoi Asahina->Izuru Kamukura(X)->Sayaka Maizono

“This is my answer.” Naegi said. He looked at his classmates one by one until he reached the person he knew he needed. One of the three he'd been most nervous about. This was not where he wanted to have his first real conversation with her. He didn't know what would be better, but... just not this. Taking a deep breath through his nose, he raised his voice. “Maizono-san.”

The girl he picked took a step back in surprise with her hand over her heart. “Me?”

“Maizono-san can confirm that I've always been who I am now. We went to the same middle school, Nekuro Sixth.”

Maizono gasped and her hand rose to her mouth, but...

♫ - End

“Really? I'm sure we've never met before.”

Naegi made a noise like he had been punched in the gut. She didn't even remember him? But the other one said that she watched him from time to time... That was probably made up, wasn't it?

“Pfft, nice try, man.” Kuwata scoffed.

“Hmm, it seems your princess is in another castle.” Added Yamada, adjusting his glasses.

...Naegi shook his head, feeling a bit dizzy when he did. He had to salvage this. Surely she remembered something about him. “Don't you remember the time in first year with the crane that ended up in our school's pool?” Honestly, he had no idea if she would. He barely remembered it himself until the sim Maizono had reminded him.

One more time, Maizono gasped, but this time it was with delight and a clap of her hands. “Oh my gosh, that was you!?”

♫ - Class Trial (Future Part)

Hagakure's hands flew to his head and he screamed. “He did it again!”

Kirigiri shot him a glare before turning to Maizono. “You really remember this? You witnessed it first-hand? And you're certain it was him?”

With a firm nod, Maizono clasped her hands together. “Yes. It was a long time ago, but it really made an impression on me. This big, white crane got lost and landed in our swimming pool. Naegi-kun got it out, and led it all the way to the forest.”

Naegi nodded back to her. “It was actually next to the water. It was a little injured, and I think it was looking for food. But of course there wasn't any in the pool, and I thought the cleaning chemicals might hurt it. So I led it to where it could find a flock for safety.” He felt relieved, which gave him a moment to wonder and wipe the sweat off his brow. If Maizono didn't really remember that time, and he didn't either, how did the school find out about it? Did they investigate him after his name came up in the lottery? That must have been it.

“I thought it was a very good, kind thing to do. We weren't in the same class, so we never really talked, but I saw him around school often, and I always got the feeling he was that kind of person. And I'm absolutely certain that he had the same name back then.” The Idol was biting her lip, like she had something more she wanted to say, but ultimately she stayed silent. Right then and there, Naegi resolved that he'd speak to her in private soon. He wanted to know the real her.

“So, yeah, there you have it.” Naegi concluded. “The person I am now is the person I have always been.”

♫ - Super Dangan Ronpa 2: Class Trial (Odd Edition)

“You haven't beaten me yet!” Asahina loudly slammed her hands against her podium. Naegi flinched. He though she was finished making her case. “You still haven't explained a damn thing! There's no way we can just drop this without any answers!”

Naegi made an exasperated grunt. Didn't she want to figure things out for herself earlier? He set his jaw. This was fine with him. He'd done enough that they might actually believe the truth. He'd give them their answers.

Instructions: Time for a little one-on-one action. Sometimes it's better to share, and sometimes it's not. By the same token, sometimes instead of letting everyone discuss a topic, people would rather hog the argument to themselves. Their words will appear on screen horizontally, vertically, or even diagonally. Use your directional buttons to use your sword and cut through them to advance the conversation. ...Oh, except we ran out of budget for that kind of effect, so the words will only come up like normal. And you don't get a sword, so it'll advance automatically instead. Basically, it's just a nonstop debate between two people. We're very sorry. Also, instead of someone else giving the answer if you take too long, your influence gauge will start taking damage if you repeat the sequence too many times. Contradictions are still in bold and concurrences still underlined. Since you haven't done one of these before, we'll make it nice and easy for you.

♫ - Super Dangan Ronpa 2: Objection -Cross Sword-

Counterargument Showdown!

*Super Duper High School Luckster
*Jin's Hope
*Asahina's Testimony

Asahina raised her fist to Naegi. “So you're claiming to be just like the rest of us, huh? I don't know how you keep coming up with your evidence, but it's all too fishy! Suspicious! It strains suspension of disbelief!”

“I'm not really hearing anything that sounds like a rebuttal.” Naegi said, furrowing his brow.

But Asahina was just getting started. “People can do incredible things. Some can swim so fast you'd think they were a speed boat, even slowpokes like my brother.” Suddenly, her atmosphere totally changed. She smiled and waved up at the camera. “Hi, Yuuta! Stop slacking off, and maybe you'll catch up to me in a hundred years!” And in an instant she was pointing her finger forcefully at Naegi again. “So if someone's smart enough, they can find evidence to prove their point anywhere, like you do. And if they're even smarter than that, they can make things happen in any way they like. I'm saying that you keep worming your way out of things because you've seen all this coming and arranged to have whatever evidence you need to cover things up!”

Naegi almost threw his hands up in frustration. “Oh, come on! You could use that argument against anything!”

Asahina put a hand on her hip. “But if you think about it, it all fits. You act all normal so you can make friends with us, because we'd be wary of you if you showed us what you're capable of all the time! We're all super talented people that everyone looks up to. You and that Kamukura guy are the next level. That's what Hope is!”

(Jin's Hope->“That's what Hope is”)

“I'll shoot that argument down!”

BREAK!!

Naegi shouted faster than his mind could fully process what Asahina said. It was almost on reflex. When it sunk in, he recoiled. His eyes blinked rapidly. “Wh-... That's... Is that really what you think Hope is?” He asked, almost disbelieving his ears.

♫ - Dangan Ronpa Anime: Theory of the Mind

But looking around at his classmates, who were looking around at each other oddly, it seemed that that actually was what they thought. Talent equals Hope, as simple as that. They might not have said it as directly as Asahina did, but a part of them did feel that way. And that did tie in with the glory and prestige of the Academy of Hope. But that thinking was just wrong.

Ishimaru loudly agreed with his thinking. “There is far more to a person's value than what talents they may or may not have. The purpose of this academy is not to-”

Naegi grabbed the Prefect's sleeve, stopping him. He may have been right, but just coming out and lecturing them all at the same time wasn't going to get them to change their thinking. Letting out a heavy breath, he drew himself up. He still hadn't told them the answer. “Listen. We may have the same title, but I'm different from Izuru Kamukura. I... probably don't have anything close to his intelligence. But what my talents do let me do is...” He paused awkwardly. Talking about this stuff felt like bragging, and he wasn't comfortable with that. “I'm good at focusing on big problems without being intimidated by them... and helping other people do the same.”

Once again, he'd managed to send most of his class into a confused silence. “So...” Enoshima drummed her fingers on her podium. “You're Hope... as in the dictionary definition?”

Naegi had to suppress a small twitch every time she spoke. “S-Something like that.”

Thankfully, Jin came to his rescue. “There's a little more to it than that. Naegi-kun earned his title because he was able to persevere through extraordinarily difficult circumstances without allowing them to bend his optimistic good nature. There was some dispute over his invitation, however, and that was why he was removed from the school's roster until he proved himself in the simulator.”

It was a surprisingly elegant lie, Naegi thought. Entirely true, except it obfuscated the order of events so nobody would suspect that Hope was not his original title.

“Then, what about the Luckster program?” Kuwata asked.

Jin turned to him. “You must have thought that because it was canceled in the same year Naegi-kun appeared that we're replacing it by adding a person with the title of Hope to each class from now on? For the time being, that's not the case. The board of directors elected to stop the Luckster selection for unrelated reasons.”

♫ - End

A long silence fell, with more aimless looking around. Naegi found himself slowly becoming aware of his heartbeat, a sign that his tension level was actually going down. Was this it? Had everything been resolved?

Yamada put his finger on his lip. “Hmm. That seemed kinda anticlimactic.”

“Ch. Over already, huh?” Oowada voiced his agreement, scratching the back of his head.

Jin cleared his throat. “Well then, shall we take a vote to end debate?”

“Um, actually...” Maizono was raising her hand. “There is something else.”

No such luck, Naegi thought, shifting uncomfortably. He really felt the need to move his legs.

“What is it, Maizono-san?” Jin asked, as calm as ever. Then again, he had managed everything easily enough so far.

“Well...” She looked at Naegi and shifted uncertainly. “I noticed... even though I'm sure Naegi-kun is the same person he's always been, there was something that changed about him. He didn't used to be so... high-strung. Not at all.”

♫ - Distrust

Opposite her, Fukawa crossed her arms with a frown. “Hmm. It'd be hard to miss. If I had to say, it looks something like post-traumatic stress disorder. I've done some research on that kind of thing for my work. Lots of people find healing an emotionally damaged lover romantic.” She rolled her eyes.

Naegi looked away from her. To either side of him, he sensed Ishimaru and Tsumiki tensing. That was something he'd really hoped wouldn't come up. It was embarrassing.

All around him, agreement was being passed around. “Now that you mention it, he does kinda act weird in that way. It'd make a lot of sense.” Hagakure said with a note of concern.

“Indeed.” Celes said with an air of coldness. “I've often read fear in his face that I couldn't see the reason for.”

“What, 's he been through a warzone or something?” Oowada asked incredulously.

“No, that is not the case.” Everyone startled. Even Naegi looked up at the sound of an unfamiliar voice. He scanned the assembled students until his eyes landed on Mukuro Ikusaba. The mercenary between Jin and Fukawa, with straight, black hair, who was the only one in the group to actually wear the brown Hope's Peak uniform. He blinked in surprise. It was the first time he'd ever heard her speak. She stared at Naegi stoically, until she suddenly became the center of attention. Immediately, her eyes fell to the floor with a luminescent blush, and she said nothing more.

After a second of silence, Naegi decided he had to take the opening to calm everyone down. “Hey, I know I can be... a bit, uh... nervous sometimes, but that doesn't mean I've got PTSD. You don't have to blow things out of proportion because of me.”

“Really?” Kirigiri interrupted him. “Then how would you describe your reaction to loud noises?”

Naegi gasped. Her words were like a punch to the gut. Understanding came instantly, right along with a feeling of betrayal. Franziska von Karma. She kept scaring him with her riding crop to see how it would affect him, and told Kirigiri. Was that on her orders? Why? Why would she go that far just for something like this? Why would she do something so cruel?

His lack of answer told everyone exactly what the truth was. And really, what could he say to that? His eyes fell to the ground, just in time for him to miss the looks of anger that started to appear on some of his classmates.

One of the angry people was Ishimaru. “Moderator, point of order. This isn't relevant to our original topic. We shouldn't be discussing such private information in a public setting.” He said forcefully, pointing to the camera.

“I must second that objection.” Oogami added.

But Kirigiri just crossed her arms. “Rest assured, it will become relevant, very soon.”

There was a feeling like someone had tapped Naegi on the back of the head, making him look up again. The way she was acting... There had to be more to this situation. He really couldn't believe that she'd do such things just because of callousness.

He closed his eyes and thought. There had to be something else. Some other reason or goal, some other target. Something big, or at least important to her. Enough to explain her actions. And he got the feeling that just maybe he already knew, and had just forgotten. It was right at the back of his mind...

♫ - Flashing Anagram

Epiphany Anagram!

AEI FGHJNRSTY

??? ???H??

----------

D-7 Simulation: A scenario where a group of AI characters and one player are trapped together and forced to kill each other in order to escape, overseen and driven by a mastermind. The “D” series designation indicates that under normal circumstances there is no way to win.

Naegi's Victory: By disrupting the mastermind's plan at a critical moment, Naegi caused the AI's narrative kernel to spontaneously generate a victory condition as part of a plan to force him into despair when he failed to reach it. However, because Naegi also had a strong connection to the other characters, he was able to overcome the mastermind's influence over them and achieve the win.

Simulator Schedule: The list of people to use Hope's Peak's advanced virtual reality simulator. Each entry contains the person's name, title, the date of usage, and the simulation's shorthand ID code. Naegi is listed twice. The first time, the data is partially written in pencil. This information was filled in on a later date.
Naegi, Makoto | Hope | 4/6 | D-7
Naegi, Makoto | Hope | 4/22 | SB

Simulator Security: The simulator complex is very well surveilled by security cameras. Except for the dressing rooms, in case anyone was getting strange ideas.

Spill in Waiting Room: Stain from some dark liquid left on the floor and one chair in the waiting room. The separation between the two means that the room has been reorganized since they were made, which suggests that they've been there for quite some time.

Naegi's Ire: After being removed from the D-7 simulation, Naegi had some choice words for the Headmaster and the simulator staff. They will not be reproduced, as they are unsuitable for being repeated in polite society.

Super Duper High School Luckster: Naegi was originally invited to the school under the normal title of Luckster, not Hope. He was a normal boy who won the selection lottery normally.

Luckster Lottery: The lottery through which the Luckster is selected each year to attend Hope's Peak has been canceled by the school's board of directors. In all future years, there will be no student selected for good luck.

Jin's Hope: Headmaster Kirigiri granted Naegi the title of Hope for his skills in leadership. With his leadership, he is expected to gain the loyalty of his fellow students to help them stay on the right path.

Room Allocation: The dormitories at Hope's Peak have six floors. Even-numbered floors have eight large suites. Odd-numbered floors have sixteen smaller suites. Rooms are assigned on a first-come-first-serve basis depending on when a student accepts their invitation to the school. Naegi is in room 108.

Tsumiki's Care: Following his experience in the simulator, Naegi required a significant amount of care and monitoring, which was expertly provided by SDHS Nurse Mikan Tsumiki.

Stuffed Bear: This expertly crafted cuddle supplementing device contains a sophisticated array of sensors that monitor the health of the person who holds it via hormone and electrolyte levels in sweat. Sleeping with it in your bed is believed to increase hopefulness by 40%. Its name is Beri Urusonomiya.

Naegi's Midterm Grades: Cumulative grades from assignments and projects in Naegi's classes. They are... passable. Naegi is enrolled in general social studies, science, literature, and English courses, as well as world history and the lowest level math class, covering algebra, geometry, probability and statistics.

Asahina's Testimony: The other SDHS Hope, Izuru Kamukura, is an extraordinarily brilliant and dangerous individual. He was created by Hope's Peak itself by enhancing a person with their research into talent. He is infamous among the student body for his manipulative behavior.

Chapter Text

♫ - Flashing Anagram

??? ???H??
H?? ???H??
HE? ???H??
HER ???H??
HER F??H??
HER FA?H??
HER FATH??
HER FATHE?
HER FATHER

COMPLETE!!

♫ - Dangan Ronpa Anime: Buzzkill

It hit Naegi like a ton of bricks. He couldn't even speak as he tried to support himself with tingling hands on his podium. The real one had a grudge against the father that abandoned her. That's why he had been invited to the school trial, even though he had very little to do with what happened to Naegi. She didn't know how much he loved her. But even still that was no excuse! She was trying to destroy his career, when he'd done so much good, and didn't care what happened to anyone else along the way! The girl who saved him so many times couldn't couldn't couldn't be this person! This wasn't that way she was supposed to be!

New Bullet Acquired
Kyouko Kirigiri's Grudge: Jin Kirigiri abandoned his family when his daughter, Kyouko was very young so he could pursue his own career. The simulation Kyouko wanted little to do with him, however the real one holds a substantial grudge, even to the point of emotionally harming people in her quest to topple him.

Slowly, he looked up at the girl standing across from him. Her eyebrow twitched. It wasn't much, but it was enough for Naegi to tell. She knew that he knew. Before, he thought that the outcome of the trial didn't really matter all that much so long as everyone didn't think badly of him. But now it was different. It was real. He couldn't just let things develop. He absolutely had to win.

And that was what did it. Naegi's fear and stress seemed to fall away, or at least become unimportant. He rose upright with a hardened resolve. The Headmaster hadn't done anything wrong. Naegi believed in him. So it followed that he should be able to defend him. Even against her. And if one thing was clear, it was that she was very, very good at what she did.

The next thing he noticed was that his ElectroiD was lighting up and vibrating on his podium. He snatched it up immediately and opened the message he'd just received.

----------

From: J. Kirigiri
To: M. Naegi :)
Subject: Stay strong

I can tell by the look on your face that you've realized my daughter's true objective, and that you're ready for the real battle to begin. Do not be intimidated. Kyouko is brilliant, but despite Yamada-kun's ululations about power levels, winning a trial is not a matter of strength. It's a matter of calculation. Does she have the evidence to make her case? Do you have the evidence to overturn hers? Of course, getting people to accept the truth is another aspect. Influence is every bit as important as evidence. In that way, you most certainly have the advantage.

Though I have no evidence for it, my instinct tells me that my daughter has been getting help from the board of directors in building her case. We've been having a number of policy disagreements, and you have personally experienced some of the consequences of them. I've suspected for a while that they would like to be rid of me, but they should have thought of that before I gained tenure :p. This trial gives them a way around that. If my daughter went to them at any point, it's very unlikely that they passed up the chance. Still, we may be able to use their actions to our advantage. One of the basic principles of forensics is that for every action there is some kind of trace left behind. Be on the lookout for any signs that they've taken action, and use them to expose the truth.

I'm not sure what exactly Kyouko is planning, but once she makes her accusation it will be difficult for me to back you up. Yet as I'm sure you've noticed, I'm not worried. I have the utmost faith that I am in good hands when I place my future in yours. I look forward to you showing those tools on the board what you're made of.

----------

It was with half a smile and half a grimace that Naegi put the ElectroiD back down. It was a serious burden that Naegi was taking up on the Headmaster's behalf. He was under no illusion that beating the SDHS Sleuth would be easy. But he was starting to accept that the man's faith in him might be justified. It was nice to have someone like Jin behind him. Not that he wouldn't have tried his best regardless.

And as for the board of directors, if that was true then Naegi was starting to seriously dislike them. Even Tacitus had the decency to show up in person to deal with Naegi when it really wanted to beat him. Unfortunately, there was probably nothing to be done about them. Stopping Kirigiri would be hard enough. He wanted to say something, but how would Kirigiri attack? He had no idea. The only thing he could do was watch her and wait for a mistake. It felt like waiting to be punched in the face.

♫ - Dangan Ronpa Anime: Class Trial (Dawn Edition)

Kirigiri swallowed, but she met and held Naegi's gaze. She was not unaware of the challenge facing her either. “Think back to the second day of classes when we first met Naegi-kun, and the days following. We all remember his behavior. He was constantly tense, and prone to distraction.” Naegi noted that she didn't mention some of his more extreme reactions, which meant Ishimaru never told her what happened the first time they had lunch together. “He stayed in his room the entire previous day, and the day before that he spent twenty hours in the simulator. Whether he actually has PTSD or not, if he acted like he did when we met him, the staff has protocols that would tell them not to put him in the simulator in such a state.”

Maizono jumped in, being the one who started this line of discussion. “So that means whatever happened to Naegi-kun must have happened in there.” She didn't look happy with that information.

Kirigiri nodded to her. “That is what I believe as well.” Just like in the simulation, Naegi thought, she was letting other people say things and then agreeing with them to strengthen her case. If she did it all herself, it wouldn't look as good. “Since it has been established that Naegi-kun was put into that simulation in order to prove his talent, we can't say that it's unrelated to this trial. I for one would like to know what happened in there.” She crossed her arms at the Hope.

There was no way that she hadn't already found that out. He could argue that maybe the staff didn't follow the protocol, but that wasn't true, and Kirigiri's deduction basically was. Making argument for the sake of argument wouldn't help him. He had to be patient and counter her at the right moment. “I'd rather not talk about it.” He remembered the rules from the beginning. Akiyama said that he wouldn't compel testimony unless it had to do with someone's health or safety, and he assumed that meant future dangers, not things that were over and done with. He doubted that this would stop her, but it might buy him a little time to figure out how she was going to approach things and how much she knew.

An angry twitch in Kirigiri's cheek was the only reaction he got before she opened her mouth. But before she could speak, someone else did so first.

“There is something I would know the answer to.”

Naegi's head swiveled in surprise at the sound of Byakuya Togami's imperious voice. He thought the scion was staying out of this. If he was joining in now...

“I'm glad to see you finally taking an interest in our joint project.” Kirigiri said to him. Togami offered her a small nod before returning his glare to Naegi. The Hope blinked slowly. So he was on her side?

“Yo, finally lowering yourself to play with us little people, huh?” Kuwata added, but was completely ignored.

The look on Togami's face, with his lips pressed thin and his eyes narrowed, made it obvious that he had officially started caring about the proceedings. “I thought it was odd at the time. But I forgot after I became engrossed in... other matters. During our meeting, you let slip that you knew how I earned my title, and later that you knew how much money I once made on a particularly easy session of day trading. Things that not just anyone can learn. Tell us now, how was it that you gained access to that information.” It was not a question, but a demand.

>1. I met you in the simulation
2. Say nothing
3. Lie

“That's it!” It really wouldn't work to play stupid. Togami had obviously figured out the answer already from the way Naegi wasn't willing to talk about what happened in the simulation. He had no choice, he had to reveal the truth or it would look even worse. It was something he'd tried to hide this whole time, though he wished he didn't have to. He just hoped that things wouldn't become too awkward after this.

He took a deep breath. He was still hesitating, but now was the time to reveal some of the truth about himself. He'd try to make it not sound too bad. “Togami-kun, I'm sorry, but it's just as you suspect. That simulation... all of you were in it. And I was told some very personal details about some of you.”

The reaction to this was much less than he expected. Then again, he didn't think he could tell between who was actually unconcerned and who was just very good at hiding it. Togami simply faced the center of the room and closed his eyes, giving nothing away. Some weren't so good. Oowada was starting to turn red. He wasn't the only one, but he was the only one Naegi thought might actually punch him, so that's who had his attention.

“Is it the school's policy to just hand out private information like that?” Kirigiri asked her father, arms crossed to show just a bit of smugness. This diversion was probably serving her just fine, Naegi thought.

“It is not. Normally, if any of you appeared in the simulator, it would only be with information that is publicly available.” Jin responded. “But you know how some people are. They think they're above everything.”

He did not so much as glance in Naegi's direction, but he picked up on the meaning. It was the board's directions that led to the secret information being put in. Maybe to make his classmates seem like worse people to him? He'd keep that in mind for later.

But then, even data that was technically public could be embarrassing. Like the information on a certain person's registration form. He didn't mean to, but Naegi's eyes subconsciously darted to Fujisaki. It was only for a moment, but still long enough for the Programmer to gasp. The small crossdresser put his hands down by his sides and tried very hard to be silent and unnoticeable, but Naegi was sure that Kirigiri at least managed to pick up on something happening there. Naegi had to say something. This was getting out of hand. And he had to talk to Fujisaki some time, but the Programmer seemed to be the busiest out of all of them.

“Dude, who even cares about privacy these days.” Kuwata said obliviously, scratching the top of his head.

♫ - Dangan Ronpa Anime: Super High-school Levels and Humankind Beckon

Well, that was certain to provoke an outburst. Naegi decided it had to be from him. “One of you was Genocider Shou!” He blurted out. Tsumiki squeaked next to him. Nobody was left unsurprised this time, not when he invoked the name of the nation's most infamous serial killer. It got them to hold their tongues very well. “In the simulation. But obviously none of you are, or the school wouldn't let you stay here.” He spread his arms to them. “I don't know how much I was told was true. Some of it is, and some isn't.” He started looking them in the eyes one by one, lingering a little longer on Oowada. “But believe me, even if it's all true, none of it would make me think any less of you... except for the serial killer thing.” Naegi refocused his gaze on Kirigiri as he finished. “There is very little that might change that.” He said pointedly. She did nothing to acknowledge his warning. Well, he tried. At least it seemed to calm Oowada down a little. He still looked mad, but not like he was about to give himself away. That was good. He would have regretted it later.

Celes giggled at him, leaning forward with an amused smile. “That's quite a statement, considering this simulation you enjoyed so much with all of us gave you a mental disorder.”

Two spaces to her left, Naegi tried to give her a more honest smile, but it was strained. “It's true.... that sometimes when I look at you I see your fakes. We struggled together in an extremely difficult situation. It was... bad. I really can't describe how much. But we formed a bond that I thought would last forever. Of course, it didn't. But...” He put a hand on Ishimaru's shoulder, his smile growing truer as he looked up at him, and he beamed back. “I wouldn't choose something fake over the real people. I haven't been able to get to know everyone yet, but I want to. Just as soon as we finish up here. I trust you all to find the truth of all this.”

Celes had straightened, and was looking at him with blank, but wide-eyed expression. “You are so odd.”

Naegi blinked at her. “I don't think so. I think people like me are fairly common.”

On his other side, Fukawa tched at him with a scowl. “That's because they show up in lots of fiction. Real people who can say things like that about near-strangers and mean it don't exist.” Naegi didn't feel like they were that distant from each other, though.

“Hmm, I see. So this is your final form, then.” Naegi's head swiveled around to look at Yamada, who was nodding with his hand on his chin. Well... That might actually be true, Naegi thought. He wished he could always feel this certain and directed. But if you looked at him, all you would see is that he stood a little more upright, and his eyes were a little clearer. Not really such a big thing.

♫ - Dangan Ronpa Anime: Class Trial (Dawn Edition)

Resting her cheek in her palm, and leaning an elbow on her podium, Enoshima had to ask about something unimportant. “So who was he? Shou, that is?”

Fortunately, while Naegi tried to figure out the most diplomatic way to answer or not answer that, Oogami had more pertinent concerns. “I believe it would be best if we remained on topic, that being the subject of privacy. I now recall that I happened to overhear something about this. Naegi-kun, shall I tell them if you are not able to?”

Something she overheard? Naegi blinked. That could only mean one thing. It was a tiny bit embarrassing, but he had no problem with revealing it.

1. D-7 Simulation
2. Naegi's Victory
3. Simulator Schedule
4. Simulator Security
5. Spill in Waiting Room
6. Naegi's Ire
7. Super Duper High School Luckster
8. Luckster Lottery
9. Jin's Hope
10. Room Allocation
11. Tsumiki's Care
>12. Stuffed Bear
13. Naegi's Midterm Grades
14. Asahina's Testimony
15. Kyouko Kirigiri's Grudge

“That's it. You mean that stuffed bear the Headmaster gave me, right?”

“Stuffed bear?” Oowada asked in confusion.

“It, uh...” Naegi turned to his left. “Tsumiki-san, could you explain?”

She jumped nervously when he called on her. “Um, ah. Yes, of course.” She took a deep breath to steady her nerves. “The bear has sensors in it. Oh, n-no cameras or anything. But if you hold it, it can read your pulse and body temperature, and can measure the amount of sodium, potassium, cortisol and epinephrine in your sweat. It records and sends the data to the school's network. We use it to t-track his health... It can also trigger an alert if it detects a major disturbance.”

Nodding, Naegi explained unconcernedly. “The Headmaster didn't tell me about any of that. Tsumiki only did weeks later, and that's when Oogami-san overheard us.” Honestly, that didn't bother him. He knew the Headmaster was just looking out for him. Being completely open about it was the best way to show that it was no big deal.

Kuwata tilted his head. “Annnd... What, that's it?”

“That's it.” Naegi shrugged.

But Maizono disagreed with his light assessment. “Then that means... if they had to give you something like that, there really was something seriously wrong with you.” She glared across the center at Jin. “You should have at least told him about that!”

Jin sighed, looking down briefly. “Maizono-san, your concern for him does you credit. But I had a good reason for withholding that information from him.” He turned to Naegi. “When we met that day, you were in terrible distress. Understandably so. I thought that you didn't need to feel any more ill than you already did.”

Naegi slowly nodded, somewhat understanding that. Kirigiri took a different view. “This shows a pattern of disregarding our rights to privacy and informed consent on your part, doesn't it?”

That got Naegi to round on her. “Hold on! Putting that private information into the sim wasn't his fault!”

“Never mind that.” She just waved him off and faced the moderator. “The subject of this trial would seem to have been extended, from Naegi-kun's origins to his health and well-being. Given the impact it had on him, and the fact that copies of all of us were in it, I would say we're entitled to hear more about what happened in that simulation.”

Akiyama stared at her for a long moment before shrugging. “If someone deliberately or incompetently endangered a student's safety, I'd say that's worth having a trial over. Just be careful, and be sure that you have the evidence, seeing as how we're now off our original subject.” The third year was giving her a knowing tilted-head look. He must have realized that she had planned this from the beginning, but he went along with it anyway.

And Kirigiri certainly did have evidence. She wore a small smile as she worked her ElectroiD. “Well, I don't need Naegi-kun's testimony right now anyway. Before Togami-kun led us down that little tangent, this is what I was going to present.” An image was projected on the floor, but to Naegi's surprise it was one of his own. The simulator schedule with the filled in data. “Now, Naegi-kun, all of the information filled in here is correct?”

Naegi, Makoto | Hope | 4/6 | D-7
Naegi, Makoto | Hope | 4/22 | SB

He leaned in to be sure, ignoring the one big lie – he wasn't Hope yet the first time. “Yes.”

Kirigiri nodded, and looked to the right. “Fujisaki-san, please look at the first entry and tell me what you see.”

“Me?” The Programmer blinked at her in surprise, before meekly moving to comply. He had to look around the side of his podium in order to see the image on the floor. “This is... Oh! Oh no!” He put his hands over his mouth and looked at Naegi in horror.

♫ - Weekly Despair Magazine

“Fujisaki...san?” What could cause that kind of reaction from him? The small boy almost looked like he was going to cry.

Oowada quirked an eyebrow at him. “Oi... Buck up, kid. Tell us what's going on.”

Fujisaki looked at him, and around the circle. “This simulator code... D-7... I know it. The school has had me working on the control AIs that run it. One of them... Whenever I'd implement a new build, it would always automatically run a check against its past performance in this specific scenario, so I remembered it.”

Tacitus, Naegi thought. It was still obsessed with its defeat at his hands.

“So, spill it. What's the sim about?” Kuwata pressed, leaning over his rail in interest.

♫ - End

With a deep, shuddering breath, Fujisaki explained. “D-7... It's a scenario where people are trapped in a building, then tricked and manipulated into killing each other to escape.”

♫ - Welcome to Despair Academy

Kuwata slowly turned to look at Naegi. “Shit, man.” Most everyone seemed to share that sentiment. Asahina had her hand over her mouth. Even Oowada and Togami were looking at him with a bit of respect, and Ikusaba was showing an intense interest in her eyes. “You knew it was all fake, though, right?”

Naegi grimaced, wishing that was the case. “No. It's mostly super realistic. And the parts that aren't, you don't notice them until you're out, like in a dream.”

With a nod, Fujisaki explained. “It makes your own mind create details to cover any gaps or mistakes. And the characters it makes... You can't tell them apart from real people. How they look and how they act, it's all completely realistic.”

Oogami had her arms crossed, with every muscle in them bulging with tension. “Creating a human mind with a computer. Is such a thing really possible?” Each word was slightly strangled, as if she was trying not to shout.

“No...” Fujisaki laced his fingers together. “It takes far more processor power to emulate a system with different architecture... And the difference between the architecture of a human brain and even a specially designed supercomputer is very, very large. The personality control program is called Philemon. It has a set of subroutines for different personality traits, and when put together they give weight to behaviors in different situations. Also, speech patterns, mannerisms, and things like that. It can only work with the data it's given, so it's not ever totally true to the real thing. But when not compared to a specific person, just a person, you would never know they weren't real.”

“There's more.” Jin picked up, looking at Fujisaki with the utmost seriousness. “The reason all of you were used as the cast of the simulation was because Naegi-kun had done extensive research on you. His familiarity with your public personas was used to make the experience more intense.”

“And also so that I had to watch people I respect so much falling apart and killing each other.” Naegi added. His jaw clenched tight, to the point of pain.

Fingernails scraping against the surface of her rail, Fukawa growled. “So, exactly how many murders are we talking about?”

Naegi looked down, and leaned on his fists against his podium. “Eight murders... Two suicides.” His eyes started to burn. “I'm sorry.” The words came without conscious thought.

Oogami spoke quietly, but her body was trembling with rage. “There is absolutely nothing that you must apologize for.”

“That's right!” Fujisaki cried out. “The AI-controlled characters only appear to be independent, but they actually all work together to do what the simulation tells them to! D simulations are designed to be unwinnable! There's no way to go against them!”

Naegi shook his head, knowing that wasn't absolutely true. He raised his head. “Even so...” But he froze with a flinch before he could complete his sentence.

♫ - Dangan Ronpa Another Episode: Absolute Terrified Girl

He had totally forgotten about Kirigiri. When he looked up, his eyes had fallen on her. She was using her ElectroiD, her face a picture of grim triumph. He never managed to undermine her. In fact, it felt like he had played right into her hands.

“Everyone, if I could have your attention please.” She said smoothly, pulling most of them away from Naegi. “Now that we've finally reached this point, I have a new piece of evidence to submit.” With one last tap of her finger, a new image was displayed on the floor.

Memorandum to the faculty

For the safety and well-being of our students, effective immediately, all D-course simulations may only be assigned with the direct verbal authorization of the Headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy, Jin Kirigiri. A regular update system will be set up to provide automated reports to the Headmaster for all simulator activity, including initializations, ends, results and errors or unusual behavior. Failure to observe these instructions shall be grounds for immediate termination.

Signed,
Jin Kirigiri
April 6, 2038

♫ - Super Dangan Ronpa 2: Class Trial (Odd Edition)

Jin raised an eyebrow and nodded thoughtfully. “Ah, I see. So that's their approach.”

Though she twitched, Kirigiri did not respond to his comment. “As you can all see, this memo is dated on the same day as Naegi-kun's simulation. And in case there are any doubts about its veracity, I have the original hand-signed copy right here.” She reached into her purple coat and took out a single piece of paper.

New Bullet Acquired
D-course Memo: Instructions on a new policy regarding the mentally dangerous D-course simulations, written and signed by Headmaster Jin Kirigiri. It is the original copy. “Effective immediately, all D-course simulations may only be assigned with the direct verbal authorization of the Headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy, Jin Kirigiri.”

Naegi sucked in a breath. He remembered, the Headmaster once told him that he made sure what happened to Naegi couldn't happen again, and this must have been what he meant. Turning that around to make it look like only he could be responsible for Naegi's experiences was pretty sneaky. And she even had the original to prevent it from being doubted, not that it would have occurred to Naegi to do so unless she pointed it out. It looked bad, but he could deal with this if only he could explain the truth to everyone. But by the time he completed his thoughts and opened his mouth, the room had already erupted into chaos.

“So then, that means it's your fault!?” Maizono screeched at the Headmaster.

“That is freaking uncool, man!” Kuwata shouted, kicking his rail with a heavy thunk, then yelping in pain.

Jin looked his way. “Careful, Kuwata-kun. Those rails are a lot sturdier than they look.” He warned.

With her hands clenching, Oogami stared him down, almost seeming to glow. “We shall expect quite an explanation for this.”

“Indeed.” Yamada said, raising both fists. “As things are, thy head stands so tickle on thy shoulders that a milkmaid, if she be in love, may sigh it off.”

“Wait a minute!” Naegi waved his hands desperately, trying to get them to stop. “The Headmaster wrote that memo after he found out about me being in the simulator, not before!”

Kirigiri immediately countered. “Was it the Headmaster himself who told you that?” She crossed her arms when his mouth snapped shut. “And while you're considering your answer to that question, here's another. Hagakure-kun?”

Hagakure had been watching things with his hand on his chin, and was startled to suddenly have someone speaking to him. “Uh, yeah?”

“Earlier, you gave this as testimony.”

Hagakure threw up his hands. “Really!? I did the obvious thing, went around and asked all the teachers, but they didn't know anything!”

Kirigiri crossed her arms and gave him a no-nonsense look. “Do you stand by that?”

The Shaman turned his palm up. “I wouldn't really call that testimony, but... yeah. I made sure to ask all of them. And they told me the truth, without a doubt. If they didn't, my clairvoyance would-”

That was when Kirigiri cut him off. “As you all know, the permanent teachers, since they double as the heads of the research staff, deal with selection and invitation of new students, subject to approval by the board of directors. However, there is one other person who can do so. Naegi-kun, did the Headmaster personally invite you to attend this school?”

“Uh...” Naegi really had no idea. He looked to Jin for the answer.

“That is what it says on his paperwork.” Jin confirmed. More or less.

New Bullet Acquired
Hagakure's Testimony: When directly asked, none of the teachers at Hope's Peak admitted to knowing anything about Makoto Naegi, his background, or his talent. The cold reading skills Hagakure uses as part of his fortune telling scams make it unlikely that they were able to lie to him.

It may have been the case that the others wouldn't listen if the truth came from the Headmaster at this point, but Naegi wished he could be more helpful! His daughter was just too good at this.

“Do you still actually trust him, Naegi-kun?” Kirigiri asked in a low voice, crossing her arms at him.

Naegi frowned back. The answer was obvious.

>1. Absolutely
2. No

“That's it!” Naegi knew what had to come next if he could just get people to listen to him again. They were thinking of him as a victim. But if he got them back, things weren't so bad for him yet. Kirigiri was relying on them getting emotional. Her evidence wasn't all that strong. Right now, he needed to get more aggressive and call her story into doubt. “Of course I still trust him. Because I know what's really going on. The Headmaster had nothing to do with putting me in that simulation, it was the board of directors!”

“Your words are out of line!” Came a familiar line from a familiar voice.

Naegi turned to his right. “Now!?” He asked in exasperation.

Ishimaru had turned to face him, with only their rails separating them. “Naegi-kun, I cannot help but worry that you aren't thinking clearly! Now that we're on the topic of your health, if you can't be satisfied by the answers we reach, then all of this is pointless!”

Naegi was taken aback. He had no idea what Ishimaru was talking about, but whatever his concerns, Naegi would put them to rest first. Arguing one-on-one would be easier anyway.

♫ - Super Dangan Ronpa 2: Objection -Cross Sword-

Counterargument Showdown!

*Super Duper High School Luckster
*D-7 Simulation
*Jin's Hope
*Kyouko Kirigiri's Grudge
*Naegi's Ire

Ishimaru held out a hand to Naegi. “You are a remarkably astute person. That has been demonstrated many times. So you must see that this is strange! The connection between the Headmaster and yourself is clear. Yet you do not even consider the possibility that he has done something wrong!?”

Naegi shook his head. “I know it looks bad right now. But believe me, I've seen far worse.”

Closing his eyes, Ishimaru didn't respond to that. “Your loyalty is commendable. He did bring you here, after all. But you can't let loyalty blind you! Standing by someone's side no matter what happens may seem noble. But every human bond has its limits. You must ask yourself if the other person would show the same loyalty to you! If you are mistaken, you could end up losing even more!”

With his brow furrowed knowingly, Naegi sighed. “Ishimaru-kun, I am not your grandfather.”

The Prefect made a strangled noise and raised his hands defensively. “I was not thinking of him at all. I merely observed that you defend him reflexively. You trust him unquestioningly. If it's not because he gave you your invitation, then maybe it's because you grew to emotionally rely on him after your ordeal? Is it not possible that that was part of the plan?”

Angrily grabbing his rail, Naegi leaned in closer. “I'm telling you, that's only one possibility! There are other completely different ones you aren't considering!”

Ishimaru spread his arms. “But what if this is it? What if he's been deceiving you this whole time, and you still can't acknowledge it, even to the bitter end? You've suffered terribly. Can you say that had any purpose at all? We would all like to see you resolve this difficulty in your heart. In order for that to happen, I feel you must be open to all possibilities.”

Though his face remained hardened, inwardly Naegi was surprised that this was what Ishimaru felt the need to argue with him over. 'He's a friend. He's trying to leap to my defense and look out for me. And so are the others. I guess these are the consequences of doing my job a little too well. I just need to show him I'm still trustworthy.'

----------

D-7 Simulation: A scenario where a group of AI characters and one player are trapped together and forced to kill each other in order to escape, overseen and driven by a mastermind. The “D” series designation indicates that under normal circumstances there is no way to win.

Naegi's Victory: By disrupting the mastermind's plan at a critical moment, Naegi caused the AI's narrative kernel to spontaneously generate a victory condition as part of a plan to force him into despair when he failed to reach it. However, because Naegi also had a strong connection to the other characters, he was able to overcome the mastermind's influence over them and achieve the win.

Simulator Schedule: The list of people to use Hope's Peak's advanced virtual reality simulator. Each entry contains the person's name, title, the date of usage, and the simulation's shorthand ID code. Naegi is listed twice. The first time, the data is partially written in pencil. This information was filled in on a later date.
Naegi, Makoto | Hope | 4/6 | D-7
Naegi, Makoto | Hope | 4/22 | SB

Simulator Security: The simulator complex is very well surveilled by security cameras. Except for the dressing rooms, in case anyone was getting strange ideas.

Spill in Waiting Room: Stain from some dark liquid left on the floor and one chair in the waiting room. The separation between the two means that the room has been reorganized since they were made, which suggests that they've been there for quite some time.

Naegi's Ire: After being removed from the D-7 simulation, Naegi had some choice words for the Headmaster and the simulator staff. They will not be reproduced, as they are unsuitable for being repeated in polite society.

Super Duper High School Luckster: Naegi was originally invited to the school under the normal title of Luckster, not Hope. He was a normal boy who won the selection lottery normally.

Luckster Lottery: The lottery through which the Luckster is selected each year to attend Hope's Peak has been canceled by the school's board of directors. In all future years, there will be no student selected for good luck.

Jin's Hope: Headmaster Kirigiri granted Naegi the title of Hope for his skills in leadership. With his leadership, he is expected to gain the loyalty of his fellow students to help them stay on the right path.

Room Allocation: The dormitories at Hope's Peak have six floors. Even-numbered floors have eight large suites. Odd-numbered floors have sixteen smaller suites. Rooms are assigned on a first-come-first-serve basis depending on when a student accepts their invitation to the school. Naegi is in room 108.

Tsumiki's Care: Following his experience in the simulator, Naegi required a significant amount of care and monitoring, which was expertly provided by SDHS Nurse Mikan Tsumiki.

Stuffed Bear: This expertly crafted cuddle supplementing device contains a sophisticated array of sensors that monitor the health of the person who holds it via hormone and electrolyte levels in sweat. Sleeping with it in your bed is believed to increase hopefulness by 40%. Its name is Beri Urusonomiya.

Naegi's Midterm Grades: Cumulative grades from assignments and projects in Naegi's classes. They are... passable. Naegi is enrolled in general social studies, science, literature, and English courses, as well as world history and the lowest level math class, covering algebra, geometry, probability and statistics.

Asahina's Testimony: The other SDHS Hope, Izuru Kamukura, is an extraordinarily brilliant and dangerous individual. He was created by Hope's Peak itself by enhancing a person with their research into talent. He is infamous among the student body for his manipulative behavior.

Kyouko Kirigiri's Grudge: Jin Kirigiri abandoned his family when his daughter, Kyouko was very young so he could pursue his own career. The simulation Kyouko wanted little to do with him, however the real one holds a substantial grudge, even to the point of emotionally harming people in her quest to topple him.

D-course Memo: Instructions on a new policy regarding the mentally dangerous D-course simulations, written and signed by Headmaster Jin Kirigiri. It is the original copy. “Effective immediately, all D-course simulations may only be assigned with the direct verbal authorization of the Headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy, Jin Kirigiri.”

Hagakure's Testimony: When directly asked, none of the teachers at Hope's Peak admitted to knowing anything about Makoto Naegi, his background, or his talent. The cold reading skills Hagakure uses as part of his fortune telling scams make it unlikely that they were able to lie to him.

Chapter Text

♫ - Ace Attorney Dual Destinies: Lively People

(Naegi's Ire->“no matter what happens”)

“I'll shoot that argument down!”

BREAK!!

Naegi leaned to rest his jittery hands on the rail between him and his friend. “Ishimaru-kun, thank you for your concern. But I know a lot more about this situation than you do. If I had any reason to suspect the Headmaster, believe me, I'd pursue it. My loyalty to him is hardly absolute. To see the proof, you'd just need to look at a something.”

1. D-7 Simulation
2. Naegi's Victory
3. Simulator Schedule
>4. Simulator Security
5. Spill in Waiting Room
6. Naegi's Ire
7. Super Duper High School Luckster
8. Luckster Lottery
9. Jin's Hope
10. Room Allocation
11. Tsumiki's Care
12. Stuffed Bear
13. Naegi's Midterm Grades
14. Asahina's Testimony
15. Kyouko Kirigiri's Grudge
16. D-course Memo
17. Hagakure's Testimony

“That's it! The simulator area has lots of cameras set up almost everywhere. Including the debriefing rooms, isn't that right, Headmaster?”

Jin crossed his arms with a tight smile. “Yes. They're for security purposes only, though, so there are no audio recorders. But it seems we think alike. I happened to retrieve the video of your debriefing from the D-7 simulation. Shall I show everyone?”

“Nnnnno.” Naegi said slowly, straightening up while his face reddened slightly in embarrassment. “I'll just tell everyone. I remember it being pretty long, and it contains a lot of shouting and throwing things, and I said some words that... were a lot ruder than I'd usually say. To the Headmaster and the staff. I was confused and disoriented. I thought my friends had been taken from me. If you heard the way I went after them... you'd know that just doubting them would be easy for me.”

Hagakure quirked an eyebrow, and his mouth opened in an almost laugh. “Wait, what exactly did you say to him?”

“I...” Blushing deeper, Naegi reached to his right and grabbed Ishimaru. Pulling him in close, he whispered a sample in his ear.

Ishimaru recoiled in shock, staring wide-eyed at Naegi. Slowly, he turned to face the rest of the assembly. “I withdraw my objection.”

Kuwata gaped at the two of them. “Now I really want to know what you said.”

Biting his lip, Naegi looked up at Jin. “I really am sorry about that.”

Jin held up a hand to stop him. “I told you, it's fine.” But the fact that he couldn't quite smile when he said that told everyone what they needed to know.

Though she remained silent, Kirigiri was frowning heavily. Naegi thought she must have guessed the jist of what he said even if she didn't know exactly, unless she could read lips and oh, she could probably read lips so now she did know. Not that it mattered all that much.

“Ooookay.” Hagakure clapped his hands. “With that little break in the action, I think it's time to say that everyone needs to calm down.”

Naegi raised an eyebrow straight up into his hairline. That was a rather opportunistic try at looking cool, after Hope did all the work confusing everyone out of their rage.

Crossing his arms, the Shaman continued obliviously. “Listen to your senpai. As you grow older, you learn that sometimes things don't work out without a little tough love, or maybe skirting the rules just a little bit.” He closed his eyes and nodded with something that could possibly be misconstrued as sagely wisdom.

Enoshima rolled her eyes at him. “You're not our senpai, you're just older than us.”

The twenty-year-old student looked a little flustered. “W-Well... I think we should take a step back and hear a little more about these D simulations. What exactly they are, and what they're for.”

Fukawa clicked her tongue and looked at Naegi. “How about that? He actually had a decent idea.”

On Naegi's other side, Celes nodded. “I very much want to know what purpose they could possibly serve.”

Looking back and forth between them, Naegi agreed. “That's a good idea.”

♫ - Dangan Ronpa Anime: Class Trial (Dawn Edition)

“Well then, if I may?” The Headmaster said. “The first thing I should say is that normally D-course simulations aren't supposed to be assigned to first years. Most students graduate from this academy having never done one at all. Simulations are divided into four categories based on their general difficulty and level of realism. A-course simulations are unreal. When you're in one, you know. They're video game-like, so you can use them to test out ideas while knowing it's entirely safe to do so. Also, hypothetical sports matches, recreation of 3-D environments from pictures, that sort of thing. Oh, and I almost forgot. There are also 0-type sims with no players inside at all.”

“So what about that second sim Naegi-kun did?” Maizono asked. “The SB one?”

“SB stands for sandbox.” Fujisaki explained. “It can be used for review, or designing new simulations. But, Naegi-kun, what did you use it for?”

Naegi scratched the back of his neck. “I just wanted to see the fake world again. And I spoke with a couple of the control AIs, Philemon and Tacitus.”

Kuwata gave him an interested look. “Really? What was that like?”

“They're...” Naegi paused. “Jerks.”

Taking over in the awkward silence that followed, Jin continued. “Anyway, B-course and C-course simulations are both fully immersive. You believe what's happening is real. But the B-sims are safe. They don't contain anything that might cause you serious emotional distress. C-sims aren't bound by that rule. D-sims take that a step further. They don't just have the possibility of putting you in a distressful situation, that's the whole point of them. While they do require a great deal of cleverness to survive even for a short time, primarily they are exercises in mental fortitude. They try to push you into Despair, so that you abandon morality to save yourself, at which point you lose. And unlike other levels of scenario, as Fujisaki-san said, they are designed without any win conditions. They only end when you are dead, or you manage to reach a state where the story cannot advance any further, which we call a 'holding pattern'.”

Naegi's fingers tightened on his podium. Now that it was all laid out, people would want to discuss it. Chances were, they'd still think pretty badly of the idea. He'd let them have their say before bringing them around.

♫ - Trial Underground

Instructions: Sorry again about being so cheap on the Counterattack Showdowns. We've been saving up to introduce a new mechanic in Nonstop Debates instead! Don't worry, it's nothing too complicated for an expert like you. From now on, sometimes you won't be able to break a debate with one step. Your evidence bullet will work in the same way, but instead of ending the debate it will open up new lines. That means you won't be able to rely so much on what the debate is supposed to be about as a hint to what you're supposed to do. Well, you'll see what I mean. We made this next one nice and easy for you. If you're playing on 'merciful' you don't have to worry about this kind of puzzle. The debate will simply continue automatically. Good thing you haven't been given that option, huh?

♫ - Discussion (Heat Up)

Nonstop Debate!

*Super Duper High School Luckster
*D-7 Simulation
*Asahina's Testimony
*Naegi's Victory

Hagakure grinned. “There, see? A perfectly reasonable explanation.”

But Kirigiri just crossed her arms. “Perfectly reasonable may be stretching it.”

Oogami had her eyes closed in contemplation. “Indeed. An explanation does not equate to a justification.”

Hagakure looked put out at being rebuffed again. “Oh, come on, guys. You know that sometimes to make an omelet you have to break a few eggs.”

That earned him a glare from Maizono. “Are you comparing Naegi-kun to a broken egg!?”

The Shaman held his hands up in placation. “No, no, no. Uh, how about this. It takes a lot of pressure to make a diamond! They use a really difficult situation to make a really strong person!”

Kirigiri gave him a mocking look. “Or the pressure makes them crack. ...Like an egg. Trauma could easily make them come out weaker than they were before.”

Holding out a palm in Hagakure's direction, Jin countered. “We do only offer those simulations to a select few. Students, and some teachers, who have already proven their mettle.”

“Whatever metal you're made of, there are limits.” Yamada said angrily. “Does the kind of person capable of handling such trials even exist?”

Jin gave him a slightly weary look. “While few are able to emerge unscathed, we don't make these decisions lightly. And everyone is warned in advance of what level of danger they'll be facing. And then they sign a consent form.”

Fukuwa shot a dubious frown his way. “A consent form? Do they actually read it?” She turned to Naegi. “Did you read it?”

“Y-Yeah...” Naegi looked down and to the side.

That actually earned an uncommon reaction from Togami, who glared in annoyance. “You didn't read it, did you?”

“...No. Not the first time. I learned my lesson. From now on I'll read it all the way through.” Naegi blushed. “The staff explained what was in it, but not well enough. It was twelve pages long.”

“Tl;dr.” Kuwata said with a smirk.

(Asahina's Testimony->“Does the kind of person capable of handling such trials even exist?”)

EXTENSION!!

Naegi leaned over his podium. “Guys, don't forget that there are people like Kamukura...s-senpai out there too. I'm sure the upper years have lots of students who have grown enough to deal with that sort of thing.”

The Headmaster looked a little doubtful about that. “Well, not lots exactly.”

With folded hands, Maizono turned to the moderator. “Akiyama-senpai, have you ever done any of them?”

Akiyama paused a moment, not sure if he should speak. “...Yes, I have. Not the same one as Naegi-kun, but still really nasty. Let's just say it gave me a lot to think about.”

“You learn more from your failures than your victories.” The Headmaster said quietly.

“But what if you aren't actually ready for it?” Fujisaki asked, hands clasped together under his chin. “Then you'd just have a person crushed by a situation they can't possibly overcome.”

A bang filled the room as Oowada's fist came down on his podium. “None of this is changing anything! Let's just vote already!”

(Naegi's Victory->“can't possibly overcome.”)

“You've got that wrong!”

BREAK!!

♫ - Super Dangan Ronpa 2: Class Trial (Future Part)

“Because, you see...” Naegi hesitated, wondering if they'd believe him. Though to them, it looked like he was pausing dramatically. “I did win.”

A chorus of gasps and choked noises filled the room, even from Akiyama. Only Tsumiki and Jin weren't shocked, and they'd known the truth for weeks.

“Headmaster, there should be an electronic record of my victory, right?” Naegi asked.

“Yes.” Jin nodded to him, his mouth twitching up towards a triumphant smile he didn't quite want to show yet. “In the records of the D-course sims, about half are marked 'failure to survive,' a third are marked 'failure to endure,' and a sixth are marked 'holding pattern.' Three of that last category belong to Izuru Kamukura. There is only one marked 'win.'”

Straightening from being just about knocking over with surprise, but with a big sweat drop rolling down the side of his head, Kuwata tried to laugh. “Man, you're just full of win, aren't you?”

“B-but, how?” Fujisaki almost looked frightened of Naegi. “The AI is programmed to do everything it can to stop you, and victory conditions aren't even programmed into the system! How could you possibly win!?”

Slowly, Naegi looked from him to Kirigiri. He raised his hand, making a gun with it. “I fired a bullet... and threaded the eye of a needle.” He closed his eyes. It was complicated, what he managed to do. He had to think through it again, to make sure he covered everything he needed to.

♫ - Trial Underground

Instructions: Wait, what? Oh, shitake mushrooms! We didn't leave anything in the budget for the Logical Dive! We blew it all on the graphic that said EXTENSION!! Now what are we supposed to do!? Uh, okay, listen. At this point, there was supposed to be a minigame where you would fly through a series of tunnels, shooting obstacles representing stray thoughts out of the way with your hand to get clues, until you reached a place where the tunnel splits and you have pick one based on your answer to a question. And it would have been really cool looking, with lots of psychedelic colors representing your current state of mind. (Speaking of which, you're looking a little pale. Are you all right?) And maybe that sounds difficult, but at least your neural pathways haven't been blown full of gaping holes, right? Unlike a certain someone I could name. But screw it, we don't have the money, so we'll do it Ace Attorney Revisualization style instead.

♫ - Ace Attorney Dual Destinies: Revisualization ~ Synaptic Resonance

Logical Dive!

I reached the final stage of the simulation. The point where I convinced everyone not to kill no matter what. That's when the mastermind starts trying to eliminate all my allies capable of threatening it. It faked a murder, but in doing so its avatar had to act personally. If it were truly godlike, it would break a player's immersion. But then I broke away from its plan. How?

Red: Showed unbreakable faith in another
>Blue: Threw off its narrative at the last second

Right. I withheld the key evidence it gave me that was supposed to end things. Even with the partial evidence we had then, we would have eventually identified the mastermind itself as the culprit. It had control of the other characters, but it takes time to manipulate them in a way that looks natural, time it did not have. So it panicked, cast a bit of doubt on me and cut the trial short. The characters' fear gave it leeway. But it failed to kill me because of one factor it could not escape.

Red: Alter Ego was still in its systems
Blue: The player can't be killed
>Yellow: The mastermind can only kill a despairing player

I never stopped believing I was innocent, and never despaired from the unfairness of my execution. It was forced to save me from its own trap. That left it in a bad position. Between Kirigiri and myself, realistically there was no way we wouldn't convict it at that point. It could have changed its identity to a non-student, and exempted itself from being executed, or simply killed everyone but me, but it didn't.

>Red: The narrative wouldn't allow it
Blue: The mastermind didn't want to
Yellow: The mastermind can only kill a despairing character

Even though it became desperate to kill me, it wasn't allowed to completely go against the original plot of causing Despair for the world by showing us killing each other. So it focused on the single goal of killing me in any way it could. The other characters would never kill me. That meant it absolutely needed to find a way to make me Despair. It had already tried terrifying me with an execution, and that didn't work. So it came up with a plan to make me Despair in another way.

Red: Made the other characters turn on the player
Blue: Threatened to send everyone into a dead wasteland
>Yellow: Gave hope of victory, only to snatch it away

It gave me Hope of victory, but when it tried to steal that Hope back my hold on it and my friends was just too strong!

COMPLETE!!

♫ - Super Dangan Ronpa 2: Class Trial (Solar Edition)

Opening his eyes, Naegi looked around the room at everyone. “Here's how you defeat an unwinnable scenario. It was a mutual murder story, so the first thing I had to do was gain enough trust and loyalty to make everyone agree that it was us against the mastermind who was driving the murders, not us against each other. That meant the mastermind had to take action itself to kill off anyone who might be a threat to it. So it framed... Kirigiri-san...” He indicated the Sleuth across from him with a palm. “For a murder, but together we saw though its plot. So it tried to execute me instead, but it couldn't. It wasn't allowed to kill me unless I gave in and Despaired, and of course I never did. But by trying, it exposed its weakness, and gave us time to strike back.”

Yamada removed his glasses to clean them again. “The mastermind didn't simply say rocks fall, everyone dies?”

Naegi turned his head in the large boy's direction. “The story said that it was trying to use us killing each other to make people in the outside world give up Hope. Just killing us would have given us, I guess what you'd call a moral victory. So instead it fixated on just killing me in any way it could. It decided that the best way to do that was to give me a chance to win, but do its best to make sure I couldn't reach it.

“So it created a way to escape the building we were trapped in, but it would only give it to me if my friends and I voted unanimously to punish it. But, it told us that the world outside was practically unlivable, and society had been almost totally destroyed. Also, that we couldn't use our prison as a shelter, because the air ventilation would shut down. The five friends that I still had by then all gave in. This was supposed to make me Despair, but it didn't. I just picked them all up, set them straight, and together we handed the mastermind a complete defeat, and it killed itself.”

“And this escape route, it was not faked or trapped?” Celes asked, holding a hand over her mouth.

“No...” Naegi looked to the side. That seemed odd to him as well in retrospect. “I think it was prepared to prove that the chance of escape was real if I asked. If the possibility wasn't real, I wouldn't have grasped for it, and its attempt at making me Despair would be doomed from the start.” The Headmaster had once told him that even D-course simulations were fair in some way, though Naegi saw no evidence of that.

“Naegi-kun...” Came a quieted voice from Asahina, who was looking down at her folded hands. “I'm sorry for how I treated you before. I didn't know you went through anything that bad.”

He smiled at her, instantly forgiving. “It's fine. I'm still plenty strong, just not quite in the way you thought.”

“We seem to have established that these D-course simulations are not completely unjustifiable.” Ishimaru said. “But that still leaves open the question of who sent Naegi-kun into one in the first place.” He turned to Naegi. “I have been thinking about your accusation against the academy's board of directors. Wouldn't the quickest way to uncover any involvement they might have be to ask the people who actually put you in?”

That got Naegi to perk up. Finally, someone taking his side. “There were two operators for the sim unit, but I'm sure they weren't told anything. But there was also another guy.” He faced the whole class, hoping someone might be able to help identify the man. “He was this fox-faced guy. Black hair, slicked back and kinda long.”

To his dismay, but somehow not his surprise, Kirigiri was working her ElectroiD again. It only took a second for her to project the image of the very man Naegi described on the floor.

♫ - End

“Is this the man?” She asked with a bit of laughter in her voice.

“Yes... who is he?” Naegi asked slowly.

“My secretary.” Jin drawled. Naegi looked at him in shock. What was with this trial!? He just could not gain any momentum. “None of you have seen him around much, I'm sure. He works at my office in the staff building, instead of the school building. Also, he's been fired.”

Kirigiri's head swung to look at him in surprise. “Since when?”

“Since just now.” The Headmaster said matter-of-factly.

“Ouch.” Hagakure bemoaned.

Maizono put her hands together in prayer. “We mourn the passing of your job... Tamamo-no-Mae.” She named him, since she didn't know his real one.

“Tamamo-no-Mae was an evil female fox.” Fukawa deadpanned.

♫ - Dangan Ronpa Anime: Class Trial (Dawn Edition)

“Let's put that discussion aside.” Akiyama interrupted. “So far, we've had a presentation of evidence implicating Headmaster Kirigiri. It's not a super strong case, but there are enough suspicious coincidences that it bears consideration. But we've heard very little about the alternative, that this was the work of the school's board of directors. We cannot ignore that possibility either. So let's hear debate about that next.”

Naegi took a deep breath. The evidence he had on them was spotty. There was probably no way to make a strong enough case against them, but this trial didn't need to end with a vote of censure at all. As long as he introduced doubt about the Headmaster's guilt, that would be plenty. And anything to get people to cool their heels a bit would help.

♫ - Super Dangan Ronpa 2: Discussion (Break) 2nd Mix

Nonstop Debate!

*Super Duper High School Luckster
*Simulator Schedule
*Naegi's Victory
*Luckster Lottery
*Hagakure's Testimony
*D-course Memo

Ishimaru jumped in immediately, leaning forward on his hands. “I would advance the position that everything the Headmaster might have done, the board could have done as well.”

Kirigiri raised an eyebrow at him. “Even ordering his secretary around?”

But Oowada gave her an unimpressed look. “Why the hell wouldn't they? They are the top bosses around here.”

Yamada pushed his glasses up with a smirk. “Do you propose that they also faked the Headmaster's handwritten signature, Kiyotaka Ishimaru-dono?”

Leaning to look around his friend, Naegi addressed Yamada directly. “I already explained, that memo was made in response to what happened to me.”

Enoshima raised her eyebrow at him. “Written, filed, and implemented all on the same day. That's an awfully efficient bureaucracy right there.”

Jin spread his arms to all of them with a shining grin. “Hope's Peak Academy is a model of efficient managing! Our integrated ID card and mobile computer system offers both security and rapid communication, along with a policy of sharing information between staff freely to best serve the needs of our students and research staff!”

“...” Kirigiri stared at her father with open-mouthed annoyance, but quickly recovered her stony look. “Your bureaucracy may be fast, but it's also notoriously bad at keeping and maintaining written records past a couple weeks. You rely too much on direct verbal commands and agreements, focus power centrally on yourself. That arrogance is going to cost you.”

“Is it?” Jin smiled at her. “If we kept proper records here, who knows what else a clever girl like you might find to accuse us with.”

Drawing back, Ishimaru stared at him in disbelief. “H-Headmaster, that kind of talk is not helping your case!”

Naegi ran his hands along either side of his rail. 'I'm not sure if I have even a third of them on my side. I have to start turning things around, but I'm not sure what some of my evidence even means. Somebody did say something strange just now, though. I'll have to start there.'

----------

D-7 Simulation: A scenario where a group of AI characters and one player are trapped together and forced to kill each other in order to escape, overseen and driven by a mastermind. The “D” series designation indicates that under normal circumstances there is no way to win.

Naegi's Victory: By disrupting the mastermind's plan at a critical moment, Naegi caused the AI's narrative kernel to spontaneously generate a victory condition as part of a plan to force him into despair when he failed to reach it. However, because Naegi also had a strong connection to the other characters, he was able to overcome the mastermind's influence over them and achieve the win.

Simulator Schedule: The list of people to use Hope's Peak's advanced virtual reality simulator. Each entry contains the person's name, title, the date of usage, and the simulation's shorthand ID code. Naegi is listed twice. The first time, the data is partially written in pencil. This information was filled in on a later date.
Naegi, Makoto | Hope | 4/6 | D-7
Naegi, Makoto | Hope | 4/22 | SB

Simulator Security: The simulator complex is very well surveilled by security cameras. Except for the dressing rooms, in case anyone was getting strange ideas.

Spill in Waiting Room: Stain from some dark liquid left on the floor and one chair in the waiting room. The separation between the two means that the room has been reorganized since they were made, which suggests that they've been there for quite some time.

Naegi's Ire: After being removed from the D-7 simulation, Naegi had some choice words for the Headmaster and the simulator staff. They will not be reproduced, as they are unsuitable for being repeated in polite society.

Super Duper High School Luckster: Naegi was originally invited to the school under the normal title of Luckster, not Hope. He was a normal boy who won the selection lottery normally.

Luckster Lottery: The lottery through which the Luckster is selected each year to attend Hope's Peak has been canceled by the school's board of directors. In all future years, there will be no student selected for good luck.

Jin's Hope: Headmaster Kirigiri granted Naegi the title of Hope for his skills in leadership. With his leadership, he is expected to gain the loyalty of his fellow students to help them stay on the right path.

Room Allocation: The dormitories at Hope's Peak have six floors. Even-numbered floors have eight large suites. Odd-numbered floors have sixteen smaller suites. Rooms are assigned on a first-come-first-serve basis depending on when a student accepts their invitation to the school. Naegi is in room 108.

Tsumiki's Care: Following his experience in the simulator, Naegi required a significant amount of care and monitoring, which was expertly provided by SDHS Nurse Mikan Tsumiki.

Stuffed Bear: This expertly crafted cuddle supplementing device contains a sophisticated array of sensors that monitor the health of the person who holds it via hormone and electrolyte levels in sweat. Sleeping with it in your bed is believed to increase hopefulness by 40%. Its name is Beri Urusonomiya.

Naegi's Midterm Grades: Cumulative grades from assignments and projects in Naegi's classes. They are... passable. Naegi is enrolled in general social studies, science, literature, and English courses, as well as world history and the lowest level math class, covering algebra, geometry, probability and statistics.

Asahina's Testimony: The other SDHS Hope, Izuru Kamukura, is an extraordinarily brilliant and dangerous individual. He was created by Hope's Peak itself by enhancing a person with their research into talent. He is infamous among the student body for his manipulative behavior.

Kyouko Kirigiri's Grudge: Jin Kirigiri abandoned his family when his daughter, Kyouko was very young so he could pursue his own career. The simulation Kyouko wanted little to do with him, however the real one holds a substantial grudge, even to the point of emotionally harming people in her quest to topple him.

D-course Memo: Instructions on a new policy regarding the mentally dangerous D-course simulations, written and signed by Headmaster Jin Kirigiri. It is the original copy. “Effective immediately, all D-course simulations may only be assigned with the direct verbal authorization of the Headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy, Jin Kirigiri.”

Hagakure's Testimony: When directly asked, none of the teachers at Hope's Peak admitted to knowing anything about Makoto Naegi, his background, or his talent. The cold reading skills Hagakure uses as part of his fortune telling scams make it unlikely that they were able to lie to him.

Chapter Text

♫ - Super Dangan Ronpa 2: Discussion (Break) 2nd Mix

(Hagakure's Testimony->“along with a policy of sharing information between staff freely”)

EXTENSION!!

“It's strange, though, don't you think?” Naegi put his hand on his chin. “Very few people seem to know me. Why would that be, if information is supposed to be shared between staff?”

Hagakure shrugged. “Maybe they just never got around to it?”

That earned him a derisive scoff from Fukawa. “For six weeks? Unlikely. Unless it was on purpose.”

Celes leaned forward with her unblinking stare. “Or there could simply be nothing to tell.”

With a blush, Asahina looked away from her and scratched her cheek. “C-Come on, not that argument again.”

Maizono glared angrily. “If there's missing information, wouldn't the Headmaster be the obvious one to be holding it back? He's the one who brought Naegi-kun here!”

Kirigiri closed her eyes and smiled. “The simplest answer is usually the best.”

(Simulation Schedule->“Unless it was on purpose.”)

“That must be it!”

BREAK!!

♫ - Super Dangan Ronpa 2: Class Trial (Solar Edition)

Naegi raised his face to look above everyone, straight at the camera ring. “It was on purpose. That's exactly it. The board wanted to hide the fact that I was a student here. They were covering up my presence, expecting me to fail the simulation and drop out because of the fear and trauma, and then they could quietly say after the fact that I decided not to attend, or something like that. Look...” He quickly brought the image of the schedule up for viewing.

Naegi, Makoto | Hope | 4/6 | D-7

“This wasn't fully filled in until the second time I went to the simulator. See how only the date is written in pen? That was there first. I asked the attendant to fill in the rest with pencil, so you could tell that it was written at different times.” Back then, he wasn't really sure how it would matter, but it was something that stood out and he wanted to preserve it. Now it was coming in handy.

“Hold on. This explanation is clearly strange.” Kirigiri's narrowed gaze met Naegi's when he looked up. “The evidence seems ridiculously weak. How can you link this to the board? I agree with Maizono-san, the Headmaster is obviously the one who would be responsible for holding back information about a student he recruited.”

Jin chuckled at her with a lowered face. “The board knows perfectly well who Naegi-kun is. They could have spread that information themselves if they wanted to. As for why I withheld that information...” He spread his arms to everyone again. “It was for all of this. So that you would become interested and investigate him, but with the easy routes cut off. It was to give you all a reason to get to know each other by speaking directly, though I suspect Naegi-kun hardly needed the help.”

Naegi screwed his eyes shut. Really? Maybe it wasn't a bad plan, and it certainly worked to get their attention, but was it worth it? He could have done without this trial. Then again, the trial was Kirigiri's idea to go after her father, so it probably would have happened anyway. “Look, this schedule isn't just about hiding my information. It shows that someone was trying to hide the fact that I was physically present in the school at all! It makes no sense for the Headmaster to do that.”

“Mmm, he could have done it to protect his reputation if you failed his expectations.” Celes pointed out, playing with the end of one of her hair spirals.

But Naegi quickly shook his head. “To protect his reputation, the people he would most need to hide me from are the members of the board. And we can be sure that they already knew about me before this.”

1. They put me in the sim.
2. Only they are powerful enough to cover this up.
>3. My name was on the website.

“That's it! Weeks before I was put in the simulator, my name was already on the Hope's Peak website for the coming year. All invitations to the school are subject to approval by the board!”

Ishimaru backed him up, raising his fists. “Which means it is impossible for the board to not have known about him!”

With a choked gasp, Kirigiri took a step back and looked down at her clenched fist. The trial was getting away from her, and she knew it. “No. All you have is a single line on a list. That evidence is far too weak! Can we even be sure it was written at two different times?”

“Well, look at it.” Naegi leaned closer, pointing out the strange parts.

Naegi, Makoto | Hope | 4/6 | D-7

“The date is written in pen. But it's in the middle, not at either end, so you can't say that the pen just ran out of ink or anything.” He looked up at her with a hardened face. “But if that's not enough for you, what about a picture of this list without that stuff filled in? When I first showed everyone this list, you had an odd reaction.”

“Hold on a minute... This is...” Kirigiri suddenly said. Naegi turned his attention to her, wondering what she might say about it, but she was actually focused on the image projected on the floor. She fiddled with her own ElectroiD. “Why... is that first entry partly written in pencil?”

“You have it, don't you?” Naegi asked firmly, noticing her breath start to speed up. “Why don't you show it to everyone?”

“Actually...” Came Fukawa's voice from from his left, slow as if she was hesitatingly changing her opinion. “I have it too.”

Naegi watched her with surprise as the older image came up. And sure enough, it showed only the date written on that line in pen. He felt a smile start to tug at his lips. It was starting to look like he might actually win. “They wanted to get me to leave before more than a handful of people even knew I was here. They took me to the simulator the moment I arrived at school, and removed any mention of me from the commencement ceremony. The Headmaster wouldn't have done that. He's the one who invited me! Even if he was responsible for putting me in the sim, he would have done it at an earlier time so I could have attended it.”

♫ - Junk Food for a Dashing Youth

“Whoooah, okay, slow down there.” Naegi startled when Hagakure suddenly spoke up again. He thought the Shaman was on his side, after he helped calm everyone down and let Jin explain the D sims. “Now, I don't think the Headmaster did anything wrong, but do we really want to go down this road? Taking on the board could damage the Hope's Peak franchise, and that'd be bad for all of us.”

Celes drummed her long-nailed fingers on her podium once. “I am loath to agree, but I must. Let us leave things at the level of rumors and innuendo in that regard. Focusing on the matter of any wrongdoing on the Headmaster's part is sufficient for this trial.”

Looking back and forth between them, Naegi wondered where this was coming from all of a sudden but, oh, of course! He almost shouted it out loud. Money. Hagakure's debts, and Celes's dreams of riches, which were apparently at least a little true to life. So censuring the board would be embarrassing the school enough to damage their earnings, but doing the same to the Headmaster wasn't?

Ishimaru turned to Naegi. “It is not really reasonable to censure people who are not here to defend themselves. Such a vote most likely would not be honored anyway, unless we had extraordinary evidence. We can't even say which members of the board may have been involved.”

Hagakure started to say something else, but suddenly found his neighbor, Oowada, grabbing him by the hair and forcing his head down. “Who gives a shit!? We can't let them get away with doing that to one of us! And even if we don't vote, we've got that!” He pointed up at the camera ring, though which a whole crowd of viewers was watching.

♫ - End

While Naegi basically agreed with Oowada... that was pretty much the limit of his evidence. He wasn't sure where to go next.

Akiyama apparently noticed his uncertainty. “This may be a good place to end things. You've established enough doubt about Kirigiri-san's accusations. But if you were to continue, it might be a good idea to address what the board's motivations might be in this matter.”

>1. Continue
2. Call for a vote

Naegi slowly nodded. He hadn't really thought about what reasons they might have besides saving money by getting rid of him. That certainly wouldn't lead them to go after the Headmaster like this. He'd have to figure it out quickly, or there wouldn't be much point to going on.

♫ - Ace Attorney Dual Destinies: Revisualization ~ Synaptic Resonance

Logical Dive!

Headmaster Kirigiri told me that he and the board were having a dispute, but he didn't say what it was specifically about. Other than their sneaky attempt to get me to drop out, I can't really say that I've personally seen them take action. If I don't have enough information to know what they're specifically after yet, maybe I can use what I've been told to guess they're after in a broad sense?

Red: Money
Blue: Power
>Yellow: Talent

They don't want normal stuff. Their goal is to develop an ultimate talent, one that can be artificially created. That's what Izuru Kamukura was supposed to be. But the Headmaster had a different idea of what Hope should be.

Red: Talent
>Blue: Leadership
Yellow: Friendship

I'm supposed to help people make the best use of their existing talents. It's a radically different approach. What do the Headmaster and the board want with us that both can fulfill their goals?

Red: Ruling the world
Blue: Transcending humanity
Yellow: Making everyone get along
>Green: They have different plans

I don't know what they plan to do with Kamukura, but I'm certain that I can't do the same. At least, not in the same way. Everyone says the title of Hope means something big. If the Headmaster and the board can't agree on something like that, a dispute between them makes sense. But to do something as messy as this pushes the bounds of reason. I can only conclude one thing.

>Red: The board is doubling down on Kamukura's Hope
Blue: The board is lashing out after Kamukura's failure
Yellow: The board doesn't like Jin Kirigiri

They aren't just continuing with their Hope project, they're staking their reputation on it, and going after any competition!

COMPLETE!!

♫ - Class Trial (Turbulent Edition)

Naegi stared into space, wide-eyed. His conclusion... was a stretch, but it stuck in his head terribly. Whether out of ego, or whatever, the board's antagonism had to mean that they were rejecting Naegi's Hope entirely, and moreover that whatever their goal was, Naegi's existence was either in direct conflict with it, or they were in competition for some limited resource that couldn't be shared, like popular support. That is, it couldn't be shared if the board's and the Headmaster's long term plans were seriously different.

They weren't going to stop trying to undermine Jin, or Naegi either for that matter, a realization that made his skin turn cold, and his hands buzz. He hadn't noticed, or he tried to ignore it, but he had a new enemy this whole time. His eyes refocused on Kirigiri. She was his current foe, but not a permanent one, he hoped. The way she sat back and let Asahina talk about Kamukura... Nobody said anything directly, but he could easily sense their disapproval of the idea of an artificial super talent. It didn't sit well with him either. If Kirigiri knew about the board's goals at all, she probably didn't care much about them.

He wasn't sure what to do. His classmates were angry about this specific thing that the board had done, but gaining their support against the people who ran the school would be harder than uniting them against Monobear. He still had no evidence to support his claims. That's why he never said anything about it before. It would have seemed like he was trying to make them into big, obvious villains. And to think, he had been almost ready to call for an end to the trial.

Opening his mouth to say something or other, Naegi was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. “Naegi-kun, you're turning pale.” Tsumiki whispered in his ear.

“I'm fine.” He told her shortly. He was starting to feel pretty tired. The others had continued to talk about whether to keep going or not, so he had to raise his voice. “Everyone! Everyone, listen.” It wasn't hard to become the center of attention. “You've all noticed how big the difference between me and Kamukura is. I didn't even undergo the same procedure he did. What happened to me with the D sim is only part of what's going on here. The board and the Headmaster are fighting because of their different versions of Hope, mine and Kamukura's. They're trying to get us to censure him, so they have an excuse to fire him!”

“You're going with that now!?” Hagakure pointed at him angrily. “If you're going to go around saying that stuff, you'd better have, like, evidence or something.”

Naegi didn't have it. And now that he knew some of his classmates wouldn't stand against them out of their own self-interest, everything about the outcome of the trial was starting to become uncertain. He had to convince them, but he needed help to do it. He had an idea. It could be risky. He wasn't sure, but it was the only move he had at that point.

“Kirigiri-san, you already knew, didn't you?” He said to the girl opposing him. Her case wasn't looking good, so if she followed his expectations... The best partner to back up your point was your enemy.

All eyes turned to Kirigiri, while she watched him with gears turning behind her eyes. Finally, she closed them. “Yes, it's true. The board wants us to help them unseat the Headmaster, who is protected by tenure. But it's also true that the board is the true representative of Hope's Peak, not the Headmaster. Keep that in mind when you choose who to side with.”

Naegi was both glad and disappointed. It was exactly what he thought she'd say. Her evidence failed her, but she thought she could still win by admitting the secret agenda and throwing in a little threat, like the board wouldn't take kindly to anyone voting against them. It might sway a few votes, but Naegi was betting that his counterattack would sway a few more. “Keep this in mind too. Izuru Kamukura is the type of Hope the board wants. I guarantee you that they're planning to make a lot more of him once they fix the bugs.”

Kirigiri glared at him after that. They both knew that some of their classmates feared being replaced by Kamukura. That was what von Karma implied, anyway. Yeah, he'd played her, but if she had a problem with it she shouldn't have been so predictable in her hatred.

Kuwata looked back and forth between the two of them. “Uh, is it just me, or did it suddenly get really heavy in here?” He laughed nervously.

Looking down, Ishimaru almost mumbled. “The scope does seem to be expanding to a frightening degree.” To Naegi, it seemed like some days were just like that. They'd get used to it.

Hagakure turned away. “H-Hey, all we have to do is not vote to censure anyone, right?” It was certainly one option, just kick the battle down the road a bit and hope it goes away.

He received a poker-faced stare from Celes. “I think this matter requires far more discussion before we come to a conclusion.”

“J-Just don't take too long... please.” Tsumiki squeaked, her eyes darting in Naegi's direction.

“Ah, that's right.” Akiyama said, with a casual hand on his hip. “Is there anyone who has other scheduled obligations tonight?”

With a quick gasp, Maizono took out her ElectroiD to look at the clock. “It's getting a little close, but there's still plenty of time before I need to go. What about you, Oowada-kun?”

Oowada snorted, not even checking. “'s no way I'm taking longer to prepare than you, kid.”

Akiyama nodded. “Well then, with that cleared up, let's continue the debate.”

♫ - Super Dangan Ronpa 2: Discussion (B Side)

Nonstop Debate!

*Super Duper High School Luckster
*Simulator Schedule
*Luckster Lottery
*Spill in Waiting Room
*Room Allocation
*Asahina's Testimony

Hagakure's defensive anger wasn't going anywhere. “What's there to discuss? We just have to do nothing!”

Running a hand through his hair, Kuwata looked away from the Shaman. “It'd be nice for that to be the case. But not if it means leaving a classmate high and dry.”

Oogami nodded with a grunt. “Pride is a powerful devil of our nature. Even if we cannot censure the directors, we can send a message of support for Naegi-kun.”

But Fukawa turned away, scowling. “Picking a side would be a pain.”

Ishimaru banged his hands on his podium. “We all know that changes have been occurring in this school.”

Leaning on her elbow, Enoshima raised a waving hand and laughed. “Heck, I'll pick a side at random just for the fun of it.”

Choking down a laugh, Naegi held out a palm to her. “Please, don't do it like that.”

Looking down and shifting his gaze about, Fujisaki tried to back out of things too. “M-Maybe it doesn't matter? I mean, we can't even say for sure that the dispute with the Headmaster is connected with Naegi-kun.”

With a hand over her mouth, Celes supported the Programmer's thought. “Quite so. Moving against the Headmaster's pet Hope may have been meant only to undermine the Headmaster himself. I can think of no reason that Naegi-kun must necessarily be involved. Even if it's to free up funds to produce more of Izuru Kamukura, the school has always had excellent finances.”

“That vaunted super bureaucracy, yes?” Yamada tapped his glasses.

Holding her hands close to her chest, Tsumiki cried. “More Kamukuras... That would not be a good thing.”

Oowada growled. “Can't believe you guys are even thinking about this.”

Celes turned a scornful eye on him. “Not all of us have needs that are so easily met.” She said icily.

Putting a finger to her lip, Maizono wondered aloud. “The school's so famous, though. Shouldn't it be able to weather any scandal?”

Kuwata shrugged at her. “Well, you know what they say. The bigger they come, the harder they fall.”

That made Oogami smile with shut eyes. “In my experience, that is not as true as you would think.”

Rubbing his forehead and blinking rapidly, Naegi tried to find anything he could use. 'If I can just shift their opinions a little bit, I'll be in good shape. There has to be something in their thinking that I can overturn.'

----------

D-7 Simulation: A scenario where a group of AI characters and one player are trapped together and forced to kill each other in order to escape, overseen and driven by a mastermind. The “D” series designation indicates that under normal circumstances there is no way to win.

Naegi's Victory: By disrupting the mastermind's plan at a critical moment, Naegi caused the AI's narrative kernel to spontaneously generate a victory condition as part of a plan to force him into despair when he failed to reach it. However, because Naegi also had a strong connection to the other characters, he was able to overcome the mastermind's influence over them and achieve the win.

Simulator Schedule: The list of people to use Hope's Peak's advanced virtual reality simulator. Each entry contains the person's name, title, the date of usage, and the simulation's shorthand ID code. Naegi is listed twice. The first time, the data is partially written in pencil. This information was filled in on a later date.
Naegi, Makoto | Hope | 4/6 | D-7
Naegi, Makoto | Hope | 4/22 | SB

Simulator Security: The simulator complex is very well surveilled by security cameras. Except for the dressing rooms, in case anyone was getting strange ideas.

Spill in Waiting Room: Stain from some dark liquid left on the floor and one chair in the waiting room. The separation between the two means that the room has been reorganized since they were made, which suggests that they've been there for quite some time.

Naegi's Ire: After being removed from the D-7 simulation, Naegi had some choice words for the Headmaster and the simulator staff. They will not be reproduced, as they are unsuitable for being repeated in polite society.

Super Duper High School Luckster: Naegi was originally invited to the school under the normal title of Luckster, not Hope. He was a normal boy who won the selection lottery normally.

Luckster Lottery: The lottery through which the Luckster is selected each year to attend Hope's Peak has been canceled by the school's board of directors. In all future years, there will be no student selected for good luck.

Jin's Hope: Headmaster Kirigiri granted Naegi the title of Hope for his skills in leadership. With his leadership, he is expected to gain the loyalty of his fellow students to help them stay on the right path.

Room Allocation: The dormitories at Hope's Peak have six floors. Even-numbered floors have eight large suites. Odd-numbered floors have sixteen smaller suites. Rooms are assigned on a first-come-first-serve basis depending on when a student accepts their invitation to the school. Naegi is in room 108.

Tsumiki's Care: Following his experience in the simulator, Naegi required a significant amount of care and monitoring, which was expertly provided by SDHS Nurse Mikan Tsumiki.

Stuffed Bear: This expertly crafted cuddle supplementing device contains a sophisticated array of sensors that monitor the health of the person who holds it via hormone and electrolyte levels in sweat. Sleeping with it in your bed is believed to increase hopefulness by 40%. Its name is Beri Urusonomiya.

Naegi's Midterm Grades: Cumulative grades from assignments and projects in Naegi's classes. They are... passable. Naegi is enrolled in general social studies, science, literature, and English courses, as well as world history and the lowest level math class, covering algebra, geometry, probability and statistics.

Asahina's Testimony: The other SDHS Hope, Izuru Kamukura, is an extraordinarily brilliant and dangerous individual. He was created by Hope's Peak itself by enhancing a person with their research into talent. He is infamous among the student body for his manipulative behavior.

Kyouko Kirigiri's Grudge: Jin Kirigiri abandoned his family when his daughter, Kyouko was very young so he could pursue his own career. The simulation Kyouko wanted little to do with him, however the real one holds a substantial grudge, even to the point of emotionally harming people in her quest to topple him.

D-course Memo: Instructions on a new policy regarding the mentally dangerous D-course simulations, written and signed by Headmaster Jin Kirigiri. It is the original copy. “Effective immediately, all D-course simulations may only be assigned with the direct verbal authorization of the Headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy, Jin Kirigiri.”

Hagakure's Testimony: When directly asked, none of the teachers at Hope's Peak admitted to knowing anything about Makoto Naegi, his background, or his talent. The cold reading skills Hagakure uses as part of his fortune telling scams make it unlikely that they were able to lie to him.

Chapter Text

(Spill in Waiting Room->“the school has always had excellent finances.”)

“You've got that wrong!”

BREAK!!

♫ - Ace Attorney Dual Destinies: Apollo Justice ~ A New Chapter of Trials! 2013

Slowly searching on his ElectroiD, because even he wasn't sure about this one, Naegi spoke quietly but clearly. “This school is very prestigious, so you'd think it wouldn't have any trouble with money. But is that actually true?” Hesitating one last second, Naegi brought up the two photos of the stains he took earlier. “These stains, which I'm pretty sure came from the same source, has been in the simulator waiting room for a long time. When I spoke to the operator about it, he said...”

“Yeah, that's been there ever since the SDHS Janitor graduated.”

“Apparently, this is a joke that some of the staff tell... Less public areas aren't looked after quite as much as the ones we all use every day. But that's not the only thing that points to the school's money problems. There's also the high ticket prices visitors had to pay to get into the symposium today. And the expensive preparatory school. Headmaster...” He paused to swallow and take a breath. “The school's broke, isn't it? And it has been for a long time.”

A round of gasps filled the room, as the Headmaster met Naegi's gaze and nodded.

“B-But...” Kuwata stuttered, pointing above his head at the camera. “All the cool stuff the school has!?”

“Donated. Sort of.” Jin explained with crossed arms. “Everyone outside saw an advertisement by Sony before the trial started, talking about their beyond-the-curve products.”

“The food in the cafeteria?” Yamada put a finger to his lip.

“A menu being developed by Teruteru Hanamura, Super Duper High School Chef. Gourmet-level cooking on a budget.”

“All the facilities the school has?” Asahina wondered.

“The greenhouse, the Olympic swimming pool, and so on were mostly funded by grants. But not the research we do, or the actual school part of the school.” Jin grimaced. “It's been particularly bad this year. After Kamukura's failure, quite a few investors pulled out. And here's something else. This year's class has sixteen students, a typical size. Last year's has fourteen, including Kamukura. Well, originally fifteen, with one dropout. The year before that, in the leadup to Kamukura's creation, there were only thirteen students.”

Naegi blinked. “Why would the number of students increase this year?” He asked. The Headmaster just turned to him and gave him a look. Naegi got it right away. The school itself funded the research, so more students would cost them. Unless they had students who needed little research and personal development, but they could use as a source of revenue.

But he had to be sure. And the best way to be sure was to ask someone else. Celes and Hagakure wouldn't work while they were opposing him. Maizono, according to what the Headmaster once told him, was being studied for her particular brand of leadership as an idol. So who did that leave?

Select the person who can provide the truth.
Makoto Naegi->Kiyotaka Ishimaru->Celestia Ludenberg->Leon Kuwata->Hifumi Yamada->Aoi Asahina->Izuru Kamukura(X)->Sayaka Maizono->Junko Enoshima

♫ - Mr. Monobear's Lesson

“This is my answer.” Naegi swallowed hard. She was almost certainly the best person to ask in this situation. But it was another person he'd really rather not have his first talk with in this context. “Enoshima-san... If you don't mind me asking, what exactly is the reason you were invited to attend this school?”

The pink-haired supermodel gave him a sultry smile and leaned forward in a way that he couldn't see as anything other than threatening. “I'll answer that question if you answer one of mine. Who was the mastermind in your simulation?”

Naegi flinched. He should have known she'd bring that up, after her question about Genocider Shou earlier. “The... The AI in charge of the narrative controlled the mastermind. It couldn't have been called human.”

She waved a hand with long, red nails at him. “Sure, sure. But come on. You're telling me that a program as bitchy as that one is supposed to be wouldn't use the face of someone you know?”

...For a gyaru, she was surprisingly astute. Naegi sighed. “Fine. It was you.”

Enoshima's hand thumped on her podium as she suddenly straightened, wide-eyed and no longer smiling. “Really? You're not making that up?”

Naegi lowered his head and half-mumbled. “...Yeah. I'm serious. It was...”

“Oh, yes!! That is awesome! Junko Enoshima all up in this bitch!!” She screamed, throwing her hands up in the air with a shit-eating grin.

“...The person you'd least expect.” He sighed again. At least if she acted like this he could handle her. “About my question?”

She was still grinning giddily as she answered. “Oh, you know. So-called 'research' into my versatility as an advertisement bunny. I knew the school was taking a cut as my agents, but I didn't know it was because of this.”

♫ - Class Trial (Solar Edition)

“And there you have it.” Jin said. “Producing Kamukura was not cheap. The literal price of his failure was also severe, and the academy is now actually in debt. But just as bad was the sting to the board's pride. They have been working towards this for decades. Introducing my alternate version of Hope, Makoto Naegi, was admittedly rubbing salt into their wounds. But it couldn't be helped that he appeared when he did.”

Celes hissed and glared at him, her finger with the metal claw curling. “Are you really so at ease with exposing the academy's secrets!?”

But the Headmaster met her anger with poise. “My first priority is to raise the next generation of the country's most talented. Now, I know you, as a High Roller, prefer to maximize your advantages as much as you can. But not one of you will have trouble finding success in life, regardless of what happens to the reputation of Hope's Peak. So yes, I'm fine with this. If the school must be embarrassed to expose and correct our wrongdoing, so be it. It was not I who chose to settle things in this public format.”

The pale girl hmphed daintily and turned away. “Your words are pretty little things, but your case is still unproven. After all this time, you have not presented one solitary shred of evidence linking the board of directors to any wrongdoing.”

“Kirigiri-san already admitted they were involved!” Naegi protested, spreading his arms in exasperation.

Celes's freezing eyes fixated on Naegi. “Wrongdoing, Naegi-kun. Those political maneuvers are well within their purview. Now I have had enough of this trial. If you cannot provide evidence of a tangible connection right now, let us end this at once.”

>1. Continue
2. Call for a vote

Finding himself swallowing again, despite his mouth being dry, Naegi kept his resolve. But he was once again at a loss. It was one thing to get Kirigiri to admit the board was involved in the trial. Finding evidence that they had done something actually illegal or immoral? That was a much higher bar. Even if he knew they wanted to frame Jin for something he didn't do. He didn't have proof... Did he?

The Headmaster told him that for every action there are traces left behind. He had all the traces he was going to get. So he had to think about the actions. Was there anything he could say the board definitely had to have done? ...He might not be able to determine that with certainty just by thinking about it. So was there anything that, if it was discussed further, might definitively link the board to... anything at all? With the simulator... With the trial... He suddenly blinked and straightened. Maybe there was something! He could feel the answer, right at the back of his mind.

♫ - Flashing Anagram

Epiphany Anagram!

AEI CDFGNV

?AV? ????EN??

Select the bullet that supports your conclusion.

----------

D-7 Simulation: A scenario where a group of AI characters and one player are trapped together and forced to kill each other in order to escape, overseen and driven by a mastermind. The “D” series designation indicates that under normal circumstances there is no way to win.

Naegi's Victory: By disrupting the mastermind's plan at a critical moment, Naegi caused the AI's narrative kernel to spontaneously generate a victory condition as part of a plan to force him into despair when he failed to reach it. However, because Naegi also had a strong connection to the other characters, he was able to overcome the mastermind's influence over them and achieve the win.

Simulator Schedule: The list of people to use Hope's Peak's advanced virtual reality simulator. Each entry contains the person's name, title, the date of usage, and the simulation's shorthand ID code. Naegi is listed twice. The first time, the data is partially written in pencil. This information was filled in on a later date.
Naegi, Makoto | Hope | 4/6 | D-7
Naegi, Makoto | Hope | 4/22 | SB

Simulator Security: The simulator complex is very well surveilled by security cameras. Except for the dressing rooms, in case anyone was getting strange ideas.

Spill in Waiting Room: Stain from some dark liquid left on the floor and one chair in the waiting room. The separation between the two means that the room has been reorganized since they were made, which suggests that they've been there for quite some time.

Naegi's Ire: After being removed from the D-7 simulation, Naegi had some choice words for the Headmaster and the simulator staff. They will not be reproduced, as they are unsuitable for being repeated in polite society.

Super Duper High School Luckster: Naegi was originally invited to the school under the normal title of Luckster, not Hope. He was a normal boy who won the selection lottery normally.

Luckster Lottery: The lottery through which the Luckster is selected each year to attend Hope's Peak has been canceled by the school's board of directors. In all future years, there will be no student selected for good luck.

Jin's Hope: Headmaster Kirigiri granted Naegi the title of Hope for his skills in leadership. With his leadership, he is expected to gain the loyalty of his fellow students to help them stay on the right path.

Room Allocation: The dormitories at Hope's Peak have six floors. Even-numbered floors have eight large suites. Odd-numbered floors have sixteen smaller suites. Rooms are assigned on a first-come-first-serve basis depending on when a student accepts their invitation to the school. Naegi is in room 108.

Tsumiki's Care: Following his experience in the simulator, Naegi required a significant amount of care and monitoring, which was expertly provided by SDHS Nurse Mikan Tsumiki.

Stuffed Bear: This expertly crafted cuddle supplementing device contains a sophisticated array of sensors that monitor the health of the person who holds it via hormone and electrolyte levels in sweat. Sleeping with it in your bed is believed to increase hopefulness by 40%. Its name is Beri Urusonomiya.

Naegi's Midterm Grades: Cumulative grades from assignments and projects in Naegi's classes. They are... passable. Naegi is enrolled in general social studies, science, literature, and English courses, as well as world history and the lowest level math class, covering algebra, geometry, probability and statistics.

Asahina's Testimony: The other SDHS Hope, Izuru Kamukura, is an extraordinarily brilliant and dangerous individual. He was created by Hope's Peak itself by enhancing a person with their research into talent. He is infamous among the student body for his manipulative behavior.

Kyouko Kirigiri's Grudge: Jin Kirigiri abandoned his family when his daughter, Kyouko was very young so he could pursue his own career. The simulation Kyouko wanted little to do with him, however the real one holds a substantial grudge, even to the point of emotionally harming people in her quest to topple him.

D-course Memo: Instructions on a new policy regarding the mentally dangerous D-course simulations, written and signed by Headmaster Jin Kirigiri. It is the original copy. “Effective immediately, all D-course simulations may only be assigned with the direct verbal authorization of the Headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy, Jin Kirigiri.”

Hagakure's Testimony: When directly asked, none of the teachers at Hope's Peak admitted to knowing anything about Makoto Naegi, his background, or his talent. The cold reading skills Hagakure uses as part of his fortune telling scams make it unlikely that they were able to lie to him.

Chapter Text

♫ - Flashing Anagram

?AV? ????EN??
GAV? ????EN??
GAVE ????EN??
GAVE E???EN??
GAVE EV??EN??
GAVE EVI?EN??
GAVE EVIDEN??
GAVE EVIDENC?
GAVE EVIDENCE

“That's it, I got it!”

COMPLETE!!

♫ - Ace Attorney Dual Destinies: Pursuit ~ Keep Pressing On

Naegi gasped, his hand coming off his chin to hover in front of his face. Of course. It was so obvious! The board wanted Kirigiri to take down the Headmaster for them! They'd give her all the help they could! So then, was there any piece of evidence that he could prove came from them?

Select the bullet that supports your conclusion.

1. D-7 Simulation
2. Naegi's Victory
3. Simulator Schedule
4. Simulator Security
5. Spill in Waiting Room
6. Naegi's Ire
7. Super Duper High School Luckster
8. Luckster Lottery
9. Jin's Hope
10. Room Allocation
11. Tsumiki's Care
12. Stuffed Bear
13. Naegi's Midterm Grades
14. Asahina's Testimony
15. Kyouko Kirigiri's Grudge
>16. D-course Memo
17. Hagakure's Testimony

“That's it!” He wasn't hesitant this time, but energized. If he was right, this would finally clinch it! He moved up to his rail and put his hands on it in his haste to speak. “Headmaster! Tell me...” Naegi could feel a buzz of adrenaline in his chest. “When you make a new policy, do you have to clear it with the board?”

A proud smile blossomed on Jin's face. “Naturally. They are the bosses around here. All of my memos eventually have to be filed with them, to be stored in their secure records.”

There was a 'You (finally) figured it out' in that smile, Naegi just knew it, but he didn't care. The man had the advantage of actually knowing about that record system at all. “Earlier, you said this...”

Jin spread his arms to all of them with a shining grin. “Hope's Peak Academy is a model of efficient managing! Our integrated ID card and mobile computer system offers both security and rapid communication, along with a policy of sharing information between staff freely to best serve the needs of our students and research staff!”

“Communication in the school is handled almost exclusively with the ElectroiDs. So I'd imagine nobody bothers with making many physical copies of anything, and for that reason those secure records are kept quite carefully, is that right?”

The Headmaster clasped his hands behind his back, as his smile expanded to trollish proportions. “To save money on paper and ink, they make no copies, as far as I'm aware, unless they need one. Since some of the things in those records are quite sensitive, none of them can be removed... without the approval of a board member.”

Naegi's face turned forward, his eyes taking a moment to find his opponent. Suddenly, every muscles in her face was pulled taut. “So then, there's a question that someone needs to answer. Kyouko Kirigiri! How did you get your hands on the Headmaster's memo that you showed us, when it was the original signed copy!”

“Ggk!” Kirigiri partly turned away, looking as mad as a hornet, but she said nothing.

“The board misstepped.” Naegi said in a low voice. “They wanted to fool us into thinking that memo was issued and distributed in the morning, not the evening. This... fraud might have led us to censure an innocent man. But they went too far. To make a better case, they gave you the original, so there could be no doubt about its authenticity, and as a result they've shown their hand... and their character.” He turned to Celes. “That is their wrongdoing. That is the reason we all have to watch out for them. I know some of you want to ignore what they did. It's easier to say that that's in the past, and they won't do it again. But you're wrong. This proves it. They're still pursuing their agenda, and who knows what they might do in the future.” He dropped a hand on his podium and looked around at his classmates. “I'm voting to censure them. I know it probably won't do anything. But it'll be a warning to not take us Super Duper High Schoolers so lightly.”

Celes stared at him all through his speech, and for a long moment after. Finally, she closed her eyes and gave a conceding nod. “Incredible. You were actually able to find it. Very well. I fold.”

♫ - End

In the silence that followed, Naegi eyes roved the circle again. Everyone was looking at him, every bit as impressed as they had ever been. Even Celes's face showed a grudging respect as she wound her hair around her finger. He didn't know if he had completely won, but this was probably the best he could do with the information he had. And looking around at everyone, he thought it would probably be enough. It was time.

♫ - Super Dangan Ronpa 2: Class Trial (Odd Edition)

“Your conclusion is baseless!”

Naegi's eyes slowly closed. A drop of sweat ran down the side of his nose. Of course it wouldn't be that easy.

Kuwata face-palmed. “Oh, just give up already. You lost!”

“Have I?” Kirigiri's eyes were as icy as ever, but her fingers digging into her arms gave her away. “Your vision is disappointingly narrow.”

Oowada made an annoyed sound. “Show some freaking decorum, holy shit.”

Celes was the next to disagree with the Sleuth's stubbornness. “It's far too late. Everything has already been said, and I think the truth is clear. Continuing to bet on this hand will only increase your losses.”

She was the one Kirigiri focused her glare on next. “One must look at the whole case to see if what we have discovered is the truth, or a grand lie.”

“It is the truth.” Naegi insisted with his hands gripping his rail. “Whatever hole you found, I'll take you on directly to answer it.”

“We all shall.” Oogami said, nodding at Naegi. “Together we bring this to its proper end.”

“This should be fun.” Enoshima laughed.

♫ - Discussion (Hope vs. Despair)

Nonstop Debate!

*Super Duper High School Luckster
*Naegi's Ire
*Naegi's Victory
*Simulator Security
*Simulator Schedule
*D-7 Simulation
*Asahina's Testimony

With her arms still firmly crossed, Kirigiri looked Naegi in the eye. “Your argument is that the board acted immorally by trying to trick you all into censuring the Headmaster. But that is only valid if you assume that he is innocent to begin with. If he is guilty of something, it becomes a prudent measure to get around his tenure.”

Enoshima leaned with her hands on her cheeks and a big grin. “This should be good. Why don't you tell us how this sugar-coated mother hen is really a dastardly crook?”

Kirigiri only spared her a momentary glance. “The Headmaster has withheld information the whole time. He never explained the oddity about that memo until someone else brought it up. He has been manipulating this trial to build the reputation of his protege. A school trial is a serious matter, not a silly game or a showroom.”

“Hold on!” Ishimaru thrust out his hand, palm facing her. “This trial was called by you, as a symposium project!”

Next to Naegi, Tsumiki sucked in a breath and screeched. “That's right! You did the same thing! You've been dragging this out to take advantage of Naegi-kun's health!”

“I am not on trial.” Kirigiri said dismissively. “I chose to make this public so it would have a greater impact.”

With anger in her brow, Maizono loudly tapped her foot once. “Riling up popular support in our family, friends, supporters, and those who support the school. Even if you didn't win, you could use them to exert pressure. That's despicable. Trying to cheat your way around the process.”

Clearing his throat, Akiyama brought attention to himself. “A clarification of the rules: generally speaking, we prefer not to censure people for how they choose to pursue their cases.”

(Simulator Schedule->“Your argument is that the board acted immorally by trying to trick you all into censuring the Headmaster.”)

EXTENSION!!

“The memo isn't the only reason we had to suspect the board over the Headmaster.” Naegi said. “There was also putting me into the simulator, which we linked to them by the missing data on the schedule.”

But Kirigiri raised her chin to look down at him. “I'm going to point out something that should be extremely obvious to you. The fact that someone is very unlikely to do something is in and of itself a reason to do that thing. For all we know, you suggested they do that yourself. Was it not your idea to fill it in with pencil?”

“The hell is this coming from?” Oowada growled at Kirigiri next to him.

The Sleuth raised three fingers. “Room assignments. A half-remembered animal rescue. A spill on a carpet. These are incredibly small details to upset a case with. One of them alone may be amazing. But all of them together strains credulity. It shows a pattern. A habit of arranging and remembering seemingly unimportant things that gain meaning in a very specific scenario. A premeditated defense against investigation into one's background.”

“Wait, are you going back to that!?” Asahina said, flustered.

Kirigiri's eyes flashed at the Hope. “Naegi Makoto is the same type of person as Izuru Kamukura. Not exactly the same. Perhaps a stripped-down version that takes less time to produce than three months. He habitually uses the evidence that he does to ensure that only a few people will be aware of it, and it would therefore be unlikely to be refuted. His character is carefully calculated to both fade into the background and stand out very strongly through how surprising he can be, a character he never broke for months. Even his grades factor in to that, despite what we might think. An enhanced human wrongfully created by my father far too soon after the first failure for the process to have been fixed. All to one-up the board in his long-standing dispute with them, succeeding where they failed. He already admitted that your existence rubbed salt in their wounded pride after their failure, and I heard the same thing from them too.”

“You have no evidence for that.” Akiyama quickly said.

But the aggressor didn't move her gaze from the pale, sweating boy. “You may say it's conjecture, but the things he has shown us here today demand some kind of explanation. You can't say the possibility isn't worth considering after all that.”

“He still remembers his past! And his family!” Maizono said, pointing a hand in Naegi's direction.

She barely acknowledged the Idol. “The simulator creates a copy of a person's memories while they are inside it. They could easily use that to save that copy and reload it into him when the process was complete. There. That was trivial to explain away.” She said flippantly.

“You are sure that Makoto Naegi-dono is affiliated with the Headmaster?” Yamada asked with his hands clasped in front of his chest, his voice full of doubt.

Again, she did not budge from watching Naegi's every move. “Whatever he may have said or done in the past, his actions and reactions should have made it clear whose side he is on overall.”

“And what of the two month period for testing?” Oogami asked with one eye open.

“It was originally six months.” Kirigiri raised a finger to remind the ogre-like girl. “Cutting it down was fine, so it obviously wasn't critical, and there was still that one D-7 simulation he proved himself in.”

Naegi swallowed in disbelief. “I used the evidence that I did because I was caught unprepared. It was all I had!”

A single one of her eyebrows went up. “And you seriously expect us to believe that someone without special enhancements was able to compete the Super Duper High School Sleuth in my own field?”

His fists tightened. “I'm able to compete with you because your accusations are just not true!”

Her eyes closed with a satisfied smirk at his lack of effective counter. “If you say so. Then why don't you show us some proof against this new charge I have raised? Or better yet, tell us what exactly it is that you did to earn your title.”

(Simulator Security->“They could easily use that to save that copy and reload it into him when the process was complete.”)

EXTENSION!!

“The simulator that was used to create Kamukura... Computers like that can't be common.” Naegi said, his hands tensing and releasing.

“Mmm. It was custom made.” Fujisaki said, worrying his lip between two fingers. “There's only a handful in the world. Only two in Japan. The other one is owned by a military research institute in Hokkaido. The one we have here cost over seventy billion yen. And by the sound of it, it takes more power to alter a person than to put a single one in a simulation.”

Jin nodded. “It requires almost all of its processor power. The one in Hokkaido is weaker, and couldn't handle it.”

Naegi returned the gesture. “Being so valuable they probably all have the same amount of security. There's no way that security wouldn't show me coming and going.”

“And since they cost so much to build and maintain, I doubt there are any that have been made in secret either.” Fujisaki added.

Kirigiri's eyes narrowly opened at him. “With all the trouble it takes to produce someone like you, do you really think looping a few security cameras and falsifying a few records is all that hard?”

“The people, then.” Naegi pressed on. “There aren't any secret ways down there. Someone would have noticed me, or something going on, at some point.”

“Not if it was done during summer vacation, in August, if the process could be stripped-down to just one month as I suggested before. There's no reason it couldn't.” She countered easily. “The Headmaster encourages everyone to leave the academy during that time frame. That would avoid an absence from your normal schooling as well.”

Getting a curious look from Naegi and several others, Jin waved a hand. “Much of the non-teacher staff is temporary researchers, many of whom don't normally live in this area. We could continue our research during the break, but I like to give everyone a chance to go home for a while. So the school is nearly deserted during that time, with very little activity.”

At that, Kirigiri chuckled quietly. “What a fine web you weave. But with sharp enough eyes, it is easy to see.”

Naegi took a heavy breath and quickly swiped a sleeve across his brow. 'I can't believe this! She's found an explanation for almost every contradiction I came up with! Is she really going to turn this around at the last minute!? Her skill is incredible! But there must be something wrong in her argument. I just have to think hard, use all the tools at my disposal. It's got to be there!'

----------

D-7 Simulation: A scenario where a group of AI characters and one player are trapped together and forced to kill each other in order to escape, overseen and driven by a mastermind. The “D” series designation indicates that under normal circumstances there is no way to win.

Naegi's Victory: By disrupting the mastermind's plan at a critical moment, Naegi caused the AI's narrative kernel to spontaneously generate a victory condition as part of a plan to force him into despair when he failed to reach it. However, because Naegi also had a strong connection to the other characters, he was able to overcome the mastermind's influence over them and achieve the win.

Simulator Schedule: The list of people to use Hope's Peak's advanced virtual reality simulator. Each entry contains the person's name, title, the date of usage, and the simulation's shorthand ID code. Naegi is listed twice. The first time, the data is partially written in pencil. This information was filled in on a later date.
Naegi, Makoto | Hope | 4/6 | D-7
Naegi, Makoto | Hope | 4/22 | SB

Simulator Security: The simulator complex is very well surveilled by security cameras. Except for the dressing rooms, in case anyone was getting strange ideas.

Spill in Waiting Room: Stain from some dark liquid left on the floor and one chair in the waiting room. The separation between the two means that the room has been reorganized since they were made, which suggests that they've been there for quite some time.

Naegi's Ire: After being removed from the D-7 simulation, Naegi had some choice words for the Headmaster and the simulator staff. They will not be reproduced, as they are unsuitable for being repeated in polite society.

Super Duper High School Luckster: Naegi was originally invited to the school under the normal title of Luckster, not Hope. He was a normal boy who won the selection lottery normally.

Luckster Lottery: The lottery through which the Luckster is selected each year to attend Hope's Peak has been canceled by the school's board of directors. In all future years, there will be no student selected for good luck.

Jin's Hope: Headmaster Kirigiri granted Naegi the title of Hope for his skills in leadership. With his leadership, he is expected to gain the loyalty of his fellow students to help them stay on the right path.

Room Allocation: The dormitories at Hope's Peak have six floors. Even-numbered floors have eight large suites. Odd-numbered floors have sixteen smaller suites. Rooms are assigned on a first-come-first-serve basis depending on when a student accepts their invitation to the school. Naegi is in room 108.

Tsumiki's Care: Following his experience in the simulator, Naegi required a significant amount of care and monitoring, which was expertly provided by SDHS Nurse Mikan Tsumiki.

Stuffed Bear: This expertly crafted cuddle supplementing device contains a sophisticated array of sensors that monitor the health of the person who holds it via hormone and electrolyte levels in sweat. Sleeping with it in your bed is believed to increase hopefulness by 40%. Its name is Beri Urusonomiya.

Naegi's Midterm Grades: Cumulative grades from assignments and projects in Naegi's classes. They are... passable. Naegi is enrolled in general social studies, science, literature, and English courses, as well as world history and the lowest level math class, covering algebra, geometry, probability and statistics.

Asahina's Testimony: The other SDHS Hope, Izuru Kamukura, is an extraordinarily brilliant and dangerous individual. He was created by Hope's Peak itself by enhancing a person with their research into talent. He is infamous among the student body for his manipulative behavior.

Kyouko Kirigiri's Grudge: Jin Kirigiri abandoned his family when his daughter, Kyouko was very young so he could pursue his own career. The simulation Kyouko wanted little to do with him, however the real one holds a substantial grudge, even to the point of emotionally harming people in her quest to topple him.

D-course Memo: Instructions on a new policy regarding the mentally dangerous D-course simulations, written and signed by Headmaster Jin Kirigiri. It is the original copy. “Effective immediately, all D-course simulations may only be assigned with the direct verbal authorization of the Headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy, Jin Kirigiri.”

Hagakure's Testimony: When directly asked, none of the teachers at Hope's Peak admitted to knowing anything about Makoto Naegi, his background, or his talent. The cold reading skills Hagakure uses as part of his fortune telling scams make it unlikely that they were able to lie to him.

Chapter Text

(“during summer vacation, in August,”->“after their failure,”)

“You've got that wrong!”

BREAK!!

♫ - Gyakuten Kenji 2: Pursuit ~ Wanting to Find the Truth (Orchestral version)

With a pointing finger, Naegi prepared to destroy Kirigiri's final attack. “You're good at explaining things away, and you managed to lock down most of my evidence, but your story needs two things that can't both be true! First, you need me to be in the school during a time when not many other people are. Second, you need that to happen after Kamukura was judged a failure! His modifications took three months starting at the beginning of the school year, and then he had two months of testing.” He held up a fist and counted off on his fingers. “April, May, June... July, August. He did three D-course simulations in that time, and I bet he did a bunch of easier ones too. With the modification process taking up so much of the system's resources, and needing operators there to monitor those other sims, there is no possible way my being there would go unnoticed! And there's no other time period long enough to do it after that!”

Kirigiri took half a step back. “It must have been during the previous summer, then. As a prototype.”

“Yeah, right! Even I can tell that's bullshit!” Kuwata said, pointing a finger at his temple. “If they had this guy as a prototype, they would have just used him instead of the other one!”

“Besides...” Celes drawled. “That would make him a creation of the board, not the Headmaster.”

“Enough.” Naegi squeezed his eyes tightly shut. He was starting to feel exhausted. “I wasn't going to bother with this, but I'm not going to let things go on any longer. I'll lay out this whole case to make everything clear.”

“Ooooh.” Yamada smirked at Kirigiri. “You made Makoto Naegi-dono go >_<. You are certainly in for it now.”

Instructions: Climax Logic is rather different from how you remember. Since this scenario has multiple characters taking action separately from each other over long periods of time, instead of a single running comic you now have a set of lines, one for each of the most important characters and groups. But just like before, use the hints provided to fill in gaps with data points, but with the added complication that some points need to be added to multiple lines to show when multiple parties are involved. Sometimes you will be asked to select a piece of evidence that pertains to that data point as well. It's set up so that the timeline is the same on each line, so some will have large gaps where that person did nothing, but the parts you need to pay attention to will always be clearly marked. Or at least that would be the case, but as I'm sure you've guessed, we ran out of money again. So we're skipping straight to the part where you explain it all.

Climax Logic

♫ - Climactic Return

“Here is the truth about this case.” Naegi said, slowly cracking open closed eyes as all the various threads spiraled and spun together in his mind. He stared half-focused in Kirigiri's direction. He imagined a young man, tall, broad-shouldered, and with a confident bearing. “Thirteen months ago, Hope's Peak put into action a plan to artificially enhance a human being's talents, using decades of research and a machine capable of communicating directly with the human brain.”

The grand figure of the young man was placed into a capsule, and shocked by endless bolts full of tiny text and formulae. But beneath him there was a whirlpool draining away names and faces. “The procedure had the reward of tremendous talent, and the price of losing his past life, both of which he accepted when he started.” After a time he stumbled out and fell to the ground, dripping sweat. He looked shocked to be surrounded by shadowed figures holding papers covered in red X's. “But after three months of modifications and two months of testing that were cut down from six, for whatever reason it was decided that he did not live up to their expectations, and he was sent to learn and maybe grow with the other Hope's Peak students in his grade year.” The other Hope sat in the back of a room, separate from a group of gray figures of various sizes, with one more who had a shock of messy white hair standing by him.

“Meanwhile, despite any suspicions of guesses anyone might have had, I was just a normal student at a normal middle school... with no idea how my life was about to change.” He imagined himself, with his ahoge shaped into a question mark, surrounded by people of all the colors of the rainbow. “And then 'something' happened.” The image was replaced with just the question mark hair. “I don't want to say what, and it's not really important for all of you to know. After that, Headmaster Kirigiri invited me to attend Hope's Peak, and I accepted immediately. This was after the normal recruitment period.” A gray person, featureless except for a big smile painted on its face, held its hands over its heart as Jin offered a letter to it.

Naegi and the other Hope stood with their backs to each other, while above them towered five people with faces like angry drama masks. “But the academy's board of directors, angered by the failure of their project, and not wanting competition with their future attempts, intervened.” Records were deleted with a giant cartoonish eraser, pamphlets showing his picture were burned, and a man with fox ears and a tail grabbed Naegi by the shoulders. He led the boy forcefully downwards, and threw him into the same capsule the other Hope had been in before. “They tricked me into the simulator, where I met what I thought was all of you for the first time.”

Naegi stood in front of the blast doors covering the exit of the fake school, looking around in awe at the fourteen classmates that surrounded him. But then it all changed. He stared in horror at ten bloody piles, one without even a body to go with it, just a few scraps of cloth. Bits of people splattered even up the walls. In the corner, a tiny, pitiful mound of crushed electronic parts. The Naegi of the past closed his eyes briefly, lowering his head in remembrance, then opened them along with his arms to reach out to the few friends who remained. Especially Kirigiri, the girl surrounded by light. He turned, and pointed dramatically at the doors, which opened before him to pour light all over them. “I watched you kill each other one by one, then be killed in retaliation. That horrific tale was supposed to frighten me, so that I'd drop out and never come back. But I refused to give up Hope, and eventually I was able to mess up the computer's plans enough to escape and win. With that, I earned my place in this school in a way nobody could deny.”

Next came a utterly confused Naegi in a small, concrete room with only a single table and two chairs. Naegi sat in one. Three people sat or stood across from him. Suddenly, Naegi jumped to his feet shouting, threw a tape recorder on the floor, broke his chair on the desk, and punched the walls over and over. Then he appeared in bed, restlessly tossing and turning while a girl stood at his bedside. “After I returned to my real body, I was enraged by losing the few people I managed to protect, then even more enraged by the truth that nothing I experienced was at all real, no matter what it felt like. It took me a long time to process that, while Tsumiki-san did her best to keep me from starving myself.”

Then he was wandering into a classroom, meeting his classmates all over again. The imagined Naegi turned blue screamed with his hands over his mouth at the sight of them, while they all did the same. “I was still pretty out of it when we met for real. I must have seemed pretty strange. It's not hard to see why I got your attention, with some help from the Headmaster. Soon everyone was trying to look into my past.” Naegi, once again with the question mark hair, was distantly surrounded by shadowed eyes, wide and shining, and above it all was the board again. “With the entire student body investigating, the board saw an opportunity, or perhaps a necessity. They didn't want what they had done to come to light, so they sought a way to pin their actions on the Headmaster, eliminating him and leaving me without my strongest protection against them. To that end, they chose a student to act in their stead. The student with the most reason to follow their plan.” The board stood alone with Kirigiri, though as they looked down at her, she looked with contempt at them. “They gave her hints and evidence, counting on her to spin the strongest tale she could out of the uncertainties of the situation.”

Finally, everyone appeared together in the debate theater. The board hovered over the proceedings, dangling strings over them, not seeming to realize that the strings were all cut. “But their proxy knew that the case they gave her was weak. She planned to use a publicly viewed trial to stir up emotions in her classmates and the people watching, no matter what the board wanted. I'd bet they're wishing right now that they could stop us without seeming to confirm everything that's being said. But you don't care about that at all, as long as you take down your target. Isn't that right, Kyouko Kirigiri!” Naegi shifted forward and accused her with a pointed finger.

COMPLETE!!

♫ - Class Trial (Turbulent Edition)

“Trying to overturn me!?” Kirigiri's shout immediately followed Naegi's conclusion, her face turning red and purple, with teeth bared. He startled, and started to lower his hand. She wasn't even close to done. The tips of her gloved fingers scrapped down the podium before her. “What is your problem!? Isn't it obvious that I'm trying to do my job here!? And yet you butt in on every little thing I say!”

Naegi stared at her in disbelief when she spoke like that. Her voice wasn't all that loud. It wasn't an undignified screech. And yet it was filled with barely contained cold fury at being defied. One more piece of the old Kirigiri he once knew faded away. He steeled himself, clenching his fists, and widening his stance. If she was going to be like that, fine. There was one last thing that he'd wanted to avoid revealing if possible. But to bring this to an end, he would.

Machinegun Talk Battle!

♫ - M.T.B.

Kirigiri quarter-turned away from him, but her glare remained. “That's untruth. All of it. Obfuscation. Half-truths. Non sequiturs. I've literally never heard of flimsier evidence!!! What kind of person gets convinced by this piffle!?”

Naegi's jaw clenched. “There isn't a single person here who doesn't have reason and insight!” To his surprise, he thought that might not even be much of an exaggeration.

But he quickly found himself having to shout over the irate Sleuth. “You don't know what you're talking about. Your brain must look like the contents of a burial urn. Take it from a professional. Any prosecutor who saw a case this ridiculous would laugh you out of the building!”

“I'm not prosecuting anyone!” Naegi said, gripping the top of his podium. “I'm just trying to protect the Headmaster! From you!!”

♫ - Super M.T.B.

She made a sweeping gesture with the back of her hand. “There's a conflict brewing in this school. You've picked a side. Yes, I approached this trial with calculation to ensure my win. But your manipulation has exceeded mine by far!”

Naegi's slammed his palm in frustration. “You have no evidence of that!!! Because it never existed in the first place!”

Her chin lowered aggressively. “And who would believe that!? After what you've done today!? Nobody would!!”

Spreading his arms to the whole assemblage, Naegi's voice continued to rise. “I have everyone here who believes me!”

♫ - Super Final M.T.B.

Kirigiri scoffed, though it sounded more like vomiting. “Feckless dilettantes, to a one! I've seen you scurrying about, capturing them in your orbit, digging into them to find out how they tick!”

That made him briefly look away in disgust. “What does it matter!? The truth is the truth if you don't have an agenda!”

His foe pressed herself forward. “My agenda is justice!! Wrongs must be punished!! If we can't do that, what is the point of society!?”

Naegi matched her. “You don't even care who gets hurt along the way! Anything to win!”

♫ - End

She drew her self up to her full height, her face seared red. “You say I don't care what I have to do to win? Based on what facts!?”

*Super Duper High School Luckster
>*Kyouko Kirigiri's Grudge

♫ - Super Dangan Ronpa 2: Class Trial (Future Part)

“This will prove it!”

BREAK!!

Naegi pointed his hand, fingers splayed, at the girl across from him. “Kirigiri-san, I wasn't going to reveal this, but you just won't stop if I don't! She has a huge grudge against her father, the Headmaster!” He swept his hand out towards the man. “He abandoned her as a child... and I admit that that's not a good thing to do... but this is way over the line! All her lies and tricks... Holding a public trial... Using doubt instead of real evidence... It was all to hurt her father, even if she lost. So beware anything she says! None of it can be trusted!”

Ishimaru looked at him in surprise. “Is that really the reason she started this? A personal grudge from years ago?”

With crossed arms, Oogami clenched a fist around one elbow. “To lead us to prying into Naegi-kun's dark past over such a thing. Unforgivable.”

“It's not...!” Kirigiri started, but cut herself off. She looked down for a moment, but before she did Naegi thought he might have seen the beginning of tears in her eyes. “Evidence! Where the hell is your evidence for that claim!?”

Through gritted teeth, Naegi replied to the fraud before him. “You. Have. Proved. It. Yourself.”

♫ - End

“That's enough, Kirigiri.” Togami suddenly said.

She jerked around to face him. “You...”

He looked her in the eye firmly, with arms crossed. “You simply did not have it. You know to continue is futile. You'll just have to try something else.”

She stared at him for a long moment. Finally, her head lowered again. “Fine. I have no further arguments.”

♫ - New World Order

Naegi looked down as well, sighing in relief. It was over. That would be the end of his longest day since leaving the simulation. He wasn't happy about what he'd had to do, but he still felt a bit giddy from manage to make it through. His face was tingling.

Akiyama looked around the circle as neutrally as ever. “We've run rather long, so if nobody has anything else to say, let's move right ahead with the votes.” He looked down at his ElectroiD. “I see we already have several people named to be censured. Everyone please vote yes or no on each of them. Remember, this is a serious matter. A person may be fired or expelled because of this, depending on the judgment of the board, or in the case of the board itself, the collective permanent faculty. A two-thirds majority is required to censure. Since we have nineteen people present, including myself, that means thirteen votes.” Unnoticed by anyone, he then exchanged a glance with the Headmaster.

...Right. Naegi still had to do that. Honestly, he'd rather just skip it, but he figured the results wouldn't be announced until everyone made their views known. He was surprised when he checked his ElectroiD. He expected the board and the Headmaster to be listed. But Kirigiri's name was there as well. Who put that on there? He shook his head. Trying to figure that out wasn't worth it. Neither was guessing at which way the votes would go. He'd just vote, and wait for the results.

Hope's Peak Headmaster Jin Kirigiri->No
Hope's Peak Board of Directors->Yes
Kyouko Kirigiri->No

Apparently, Naegi was one of the last to have his say, because the results popped up almost immediately. He held his breath as he read them.

Hope's Peak Headmaster Jin Kirigiri: 2/19 (Fail)
Hope's Peak Board of Directors: 12/19 (Fail)
Kyouko Kirigiri: 9/19 (Fail)

“Th-This is...” Ishimaru raised the results up to his face to make sure he was reading them right.

“Phhheh, and it was so close too! What a waste.” Enoshima drawled.

Naegi looked straight ahead. It wasn't his ideal outcome, but he was fine with it. He'd stirred up enough trouble already. And as for Kirigiri, she was staring at her father. The look on her face was fury beyond measure. It figured. Apparently she only managed to convince one person. He wondered who that could possibly be. Togami? Maybe. Then again, he didn't seem very convinced by anything.

“All three votes fail. There will be no censure handed down at this time. And with that-” Akiyama started to say, only to be interrupted by Kirigiri storming out of the room, shoving a door open with her shoulder in her haste to leave. The moderator cleared his throat and tried again. “And with that, I, Shin'ichi Akiyama, bring this school trial to a close. A video record will be made available to any students or staff who wish to review it. Everyone, please enjoy the rest of your evening.”

The Headmaster made a cutting gesture to the camera to tell the staff to end the broadcast. Immediately, chatter broke out among the remaining students.

Ishimaru patted Naegi on the shoulder. “You may not have won, but that was still extraordinary. You should be very proud.”

Leaning over his rail, Kuwata agreed. “Yeah, man. Those stunts you pulled were friggin unbelievable!” He held his hands up. “I mean, figuratively speaking. Ain't no way I'm doubting you.”

Naegi gave both of them weak smiles. “I did well enough.” He looked down at his podium, thinking about Kirigiri. About how wrong she was. She didn't know how much her father thought of her. There was nobody else who could have created her special profile in the simulator. He'd bet that the man also programmed it so that if she appeared, it would let her know the truth. Like with that photo, and the password in his simulator office. “I just wish...” He trailed off. To his surprise, his podium and rail were suddenly falling away from him. “Huh...?”

“Naegi-kun!” Someone slammed into him from behind. For some reason, the lights on the ceiling were now in front of his eyes. Tsumiki's face soon blocked them, but her colors were all weird, like he was looking at her through a prism. She was saying something to him, looking all worried. It was strange that he couldn't make out her words.

----------

Naegi dropped his duffel bag on a table and plopped into a chair with a heavy sigh. He looked around the dark cafeteria, thinking about all the missing friends that should have been there to witness that day. The ones he hadn't been able to save.

The sound of footsteps coming from the entrance made him perk up. He knew there shouldn't be any more danger, but the locked down school still made him nervous. But it was only Kirigiri, returning from the third floor. He rose to greet her with a relieved smile. She looked as serious as ever.

“It's just as Enoshima threatened. The air purifier overloaded. Even if we had the parts and expertise, it's likely beyond repair, and it's releasing a lot of smoke. We probably don't have as long as we thought.” She said.

Naegi nodded. “Well, we should be good to go anyway.” He picked up the bag and slung the strap over his shoulder. “I filled another couple of these with food. Shou broke into Mukuro-san's room to try to find some weapons. Asahina's getting medical stuff. What about Alter Ego?”

She tucked her hair behind her ear cutely. “Togami-kun and I found it in the computer systems, but we don't have anything we can carry it away in. But it assured us that the school will remain powered for a while yet. It should be possible for us to return for it later.”

It didn't feel right to Naegi to just leave him behind, but if they had to, then so be it. But they would definitely return someday. The two of them picked up the remaining three duffels from the kitchen and headed to the foyer, where everyone would be waiting for them.

“It feels a little surprising that we managed to make it to the end.” Kirigiri said as they walked.

“It's not the end.” Naegi said, grinning at her. “This is the beginning. Whatever is out there, as long as I've got the five of you, I know we can handle it.”

Kirigiri closed her eyes and lowered her head demurely. “And I'm sure as long as we have you, we won't give in to Despair, no matter how hard it gets. You'll save our spirits, as you always have, Hope.”

Naegi was still smiling when they came to the exit, and the massive blast doors covering them. But that's when his face fell in confusion. Nobody else was there. In a sudden burst of panic, he spun around. Where had Kirigiri gone?

----------

Naegi blinked his eyes open with a start. 'When did I fall asleep...? Oh no, the trial!' He sat up in a hurry. He had to get to the trial! But his head spun from the sudden movement, and he had to put his hand down on the bed to steady himself. When he did, he felt a sudden twinge. Looking down at it, he saw an IV needle sticking out the back. He followed it back to the bag of clear liquid dripping into his system. He wasn't in his room, but in a smaller bed surrounded by a blue curtain, still fully dressed. This would have to be the school doctor's office, then.

That got him to stop and think. Of course, the trial was already over. And he won, more or less, didn't he? He didn't dream that...

A frown appeared on his face. He wished that had been a dream. He didn't want to know that the real Kirigiri was capable of the kinds of things she did. It wasn't murder by a long shot, but she had still shown deliberate cruelty in her actions.

At least she hadn't been there to see him faint. Everyone else did, though. At least, he assumed that was what happened. He hadn't eaten much all day. The stress of the situation just turned out to be too much. At least he didn't have a flashback in the middle of everything. How embarrassing.

The curtain popping open, and a head peeking in, startled him again. He blinked in silence at his little sister for several seconds, before she pulled back. “Mom, dad, he's awake!”

It only took a second for the curtains to be pulled back, and for Naegi to be surrounded by concerned family members asking how he was feeling. His mother tried to smooth down his hair as she often did, and he just let her. He wasn't going to raise a fuss when they now knew that he'd been keeping things from them. Things that some part of him really didn't want them to know.

“I'm okay, really.” He tried to say.

“You passed out for six hours, Makoto.” His mother fretted at him. “Of course you're not okay.”

Six hours? That long? He didn't think the trial was that rough. He turned to his sister. “How long have you guys been here? I hope you didn't miss that concert.”

“You missed the concert. I was already in it by the time they managed to find mom and dad to tell them what happened. And something really awesome and unexpected happened in it too!” Komaru said, puffing up her cheeks. “You looked so cool in that trial thing that I thought it had to be some kind of staged show at first! You can't follow that up with knocking yourself out!”

“She's right. Don't change the subject, Makoto.” His father scolded gently. “They've told us that you've lost three kilograms since you started here.”

“Indeed.” Jin said, joining them by the foot of Naegi's bed. “You gave us all quite a scare. We thought there might be something critically wrong with you, instead of just low blood sugar and electrolyte levels.”

Naegi sat up a little straighter. “Headmaster. I'm sorry if I messed anything up.”

The man just waved him off. “There's no need to apologize to me, though you might want to say something to Tsumiki-san. She wants to lock a collar around your neck that will sound an alarm if you don't stop skipping meals.”

Naegi's father frowned at him. “That may not be such a bad idea.” He turned back to his son, still very serious. “The Headmaster and Akiyama-san have been explaining a few things to us. About you, and your talent, and why the change has to be kept secret. I can't say I fully understand it. And I don't know why you didn't just tell us about this. And I especially don't like that you apparently have enemies now.” He laughed sardonically. “Imagine that! A child of mine is important enough to have honest-to-goodness enemies. And more so, I can't stand what they've done to you. But... I know you'd never give up on being here. Isn't that right?”

“...Yes.” Naegi said, quietly but firmly.

“That's my boy.” His father clapped him on the shoulder, beaming pride and worry through his eyes. “You never were one to run away. I'm not sure about this, but I am so proud of you for standing up for what you want, and what you believe in. I almost couldn't believe my eyes when I saw you on that big screen.”

Naegi had to blink away the burning in his eyes. “Was it really that good? I mean, it wasn't even that hard. Her case was weak b-because she was trying to prove something that wasn't true. I really am sorry for not telling you anything... I just didn't want to worry you.” It was a lie. The reason he kept them in the dark... was so they wouldn't be touched by this strange world he found himself living in. Now he couldn't help but worry that they'd be drawn in too.

“It's okay, sweetheart.” His mother said, touching his other shoulder. “But you've got to take better care of yourself. It's not worth making yourself sick over.”

He gave her a smile too, though he wondered how much she really understood about his role as Hope. Even he didn't really understand it yet. “I'll try. I'll try harder. Th-Though, the collar thing may be a bit too much.” And he meant it. But there were other things he wanted to talk about. Looking forward, his eyes found Akiyama slinking in the Headmaster's shadow. He hadn't noticed the lanky boy until his father had mentioned him. “S-So, uh, Akiyama-senpai knows about all this?”

Smiling mysteriously with lidded eyes, the third year stepped forward. “The Headmaster told me everything when they had a bit of trouble finding a moderator for the trial. I managed to convince everyone well enough that they decided to pretend that I was neutral, though the board thought they might have some sway over me. The reason being that if I weren't a student here, I'd be in prison right now. They thought I wouldn't want to rock the boat, so they could at least count on my being scrupulously unbiased. Unfortunately for them, I can't stand their kind of corrupt tinkering in the lives of others.” Though he barely shifted, Naegi suddenly thought the boy looked like he was contemplating making the board his next meal when he spoke about them.

Jin crossed his arms, a bit smugly. “Akiyama-kun is the Con Artist who turned a multi-level marketing corporation's own tactics against them and drove them out of business. He was poised to nudge things in the right direction at any time it was needed to ensure the truth prevailed. Fortunately, you did well enough that he didn't have to intervene too much for you, Naegi-kun. The board might have taken that as a reason to throw out the results.”

Naegi's mouth tightened, and he looked down. “The board... I guess it's too bad that we didn't manage to censure them.”

“Actually, we would have, if Akiyama-kun and I didn't both vote no.” Jin said matter-of-factly. Naegi looked up at him in surprise. Why would he do that?

The Con Artist explained. “With the level of evidence you presented, and the fact that they weren't there to defend themselves, if we had censured them our complaint would have gone to the permanently faculty, where it would be dead on arrival. But... since the call to censure them only barely failed by a single vote, people around here are going to gossip and remember it for much longer. We agreed in advance to aim for this result. It was the best possible outcome we could foresee.”

Naegi was impressed. They actually managed to figure out who would vote in what way with that much certainty. That must have been the strength of a third year student. His father was shaking his head.

“That kind of thing is just above me.” He said, shifting towards his son. “Well, I don't think they're going to let you out of here tonight. We should probably leave you to get some more rest. The Headmaster kindly offered to put us up in a couple of the empty dorm rooms, so we can talk some more first thing in the morning before the presentations start up again. Okay?”

“Actually...” Naegi said quickly. “I need to speak to the Headmaster about a few things first. Privately, please.”

None of his family looked all that happy about it, but they acquiesced. He let his mother kiss him on the forehead, and then they all filed out, except for the Headmaster who sat on the end of the bed by Naegi's feet.

“Well, it's been quite a day, hasn't it?” Jin offered.

“Yeah...” Naegi acknowledged, feeling like he'd been trampled. “I'm glad my parents didn't try to pull me out of school.”

“If they had tried, I would have had to inform them about the fee. The school has to invest a lot in preparations to study the students who attend here. So the contract of attendance contains a clause that says if you drop out, there's a price to pay.”

“R-really?” Naegi blinked in wonder. Did Oogami know about that when she was thinking about leaving? “I must have missed that part.”

“Most people do.” Jin frowned. “It's part of why I hate paperwork so much. But I'm sure that's not what you wanted to ask. Go ahead, shoot. I'll try my best to give you a good answer.”

Naegi fell silent for a moment, hesitating to broach the topic. “...Izuru Kamurkura. You said he failed, right? What... exactly did you mean by that?” And what did it mean for the possibility that Naegi would fail?

“Ah...” Looking away at the curtain, Jin seemed reluctant to speak about him. “Well, how do I put it briefly? He is a genius, academically anyway. He easily mastered any material we placed before him. Every simulation he was put in below the D level, he won, and the three D-course sims he did, he managed to survive them until he fell into some trap or another that put him into a holding pattern state, which is amazing... for a normal student. If I had to sum up the reason for his failure, it's that his performance was incredibly competent, but utterly uninspired. And he was completely apathetic to his successes as well. Whether it was because everything bored him, or his lack of memory, or some other fundamental flaw in the process that created him, he showed no impetus towards wanting to accomplish anything. No desire to develop his innate skill into a practical talent.” He sneered in disgust. “The board thought that he would leap out of his pod and start solving problems left and right. Instead all they got was a barely animate machine that eats input and shits out monotonous prosaicisms.”

Naegi squirmed uncomfortably. The way the Headmaster got when he spoke about Kamukura disturbed him. “You really don't like him, do you?”

The man's face softened into a mere frown. “I don't like what we did to him. I hate what we turned him into. An educator should lift students up, not eradicate them in favor of an idealized superhuman. We destroyed that boy's identity, stole his memory. It wasn't on purpose. But it wasn't something they tried to avoid either. You see, the way it works is by bombarding the brain with stimulus. Not like what you'd see in a regular simulation, or memories, or really anything that your mind would recognize as a human experience. No, the machine instead manipulates and cajoles your synapses using carefully calculated signals that resemble the internal processes that our research determined leads to the development of talent.” Staring into the distance, Jin suddenly looked terribly sad. “They did warn him it could happen. Yet that boy didn't even hesitate to offer himself up. And then we failed to give him what he wanted more than life itself.” His head turned to look at Naegi. Or look through him. “You children are all so precious. But sometimes it can be so, so easy to ruin you with just a single thoughtless mistake.”

“...Like your daughter.” Swallowing hard, Naegi felt like he had crossed a line. But he had to talk to someone about it.

Thankfully, Jin did not berate him for it. He just looked ahead again, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. “Tell me, were you able to determine who the second person who voted to censure me was?”

He had thought about that, but how could he know? Then Naegi's eyes widened. If the Headmaster was asking that at a time like this... “It was you. You voted for yourself.” He said in breathy disbelief.

Jin nodded. “I wanted to send her a message. To let her know that I knew I had wronged her. I suspected she'd realize right away what I did and why. Judging by her haste in leaving, I'd say I was right. She just wasn't ready to hear it.”

“...Why did you do it?” It was something Naegi had always wondered, but it seemed way too personal to ask.

The man gazed blankly ahead. “I was still in college when Kyouko was born. My father pressured me to produce a successor early, promising to play an equal part in raising her. And I was grateful that he did, even though I loved my wife and daughter very much. Maybe he had already realized that the family talent for detective work hadn't developed very strongly in me. Instead, while pursuing my degree I discovered my true passion for teaching. Immediately, I knew it was what I wanted to do with my life, but my father would not hear a word of it, even after I acquired my teaching license. When my wife died, I decided I was simply done with it all. So I left them behind, believing that my father would raise Kyouko right, the way he always wanted. I thought of her often, but I was so busy rising meteorically through the ranks of the country's educators, until I became the Headmaster here. Only then did I think to really check up on her, and by that time it was far too late. I never even considered how bitter my abandonment would make her. I'm... a terrible father.”

“You've got that wrong.” Naegi interrupted softly, making Jin turn to him in surprise. “You may have made mistakes, but you've obviously learned from them. I'm sure if you had a kid today... you'd make a great dad.” He tried to give a reassuring smile, but it was hard. For heavy matters like this he was out of his depth, and he knew it. He just wanted the Headmaster to know that he still believed in him.

Jin's smile was slight as he lowered his head. “You are so kind. So giving, and so forgiving. It's a big part of what makes you who you are, with the talent that you have. But I worry about you often because of that, and wish you'd take more care, or else people might take advantage of you far too much. Yet, I also use that for my own purposes as well. I feel like I have burdened you greatly, and I will continue to do so far more in the future. For that, I am very sorry.”

Naegi's hands clenched on his sheets. This was the most important question of all. “Your purposes.... Headmaster... I know there has to be more to Hope than just making friends and helping them solve their problems. Please tell me, what is it that you really want from me?”

“You're forgetting that you are also a beacon of truth and clear thought.” Jin said. “But you are correct. There is much more to this than you know. But I'm sorry. I won't tell you what that is.” When Naegi immediately started to protest, the Headmaster cut him off. “There are some lessons, Naegi-kun, that cannot be taught. They are harder to fully internalize if someone simply tells you, or you would rebel against them if you did not come to the conclusion yourself. That's just how it goes. But don't worry. I doubt it will take you too much longer to understand. This may be something that everyone knows except you.”

Naegi's jaw clenched in frustration. “Can't you at least tell me what my goal is supposed to be?”

Putting a hand on the bed, Jin leaned in and fixed Naegi with his eyes. “To save the world. No less.”

----------

“Ohoho... Aaah, that was so great! Did you see how strong his Hope was!?”

“...”

“That passion. That certainty. And the moment he finally figured out what that girl was after. He burned so brightly!”

“...”

“He's like a master craftsman. I didn't think it would be this good! I mean, he doesn't have all that many chances to really push himself. Just one trip through the simulator and then this, that's not nearly enough!”

“...”

“Yes, I got it! Yeah, that would be perfect. A family squabble is too lighthearted for him. He'd do so much better with a real murder mystery to solve!”

“Just watch yourself, Nagito. You don't want that strength turned against you.”

“Oh, you couldn't be more wrong. It would be amazing to be struck down by him. Who else but one of my most supreme idols!”

----------

Episode 1: The Second Day Transfer Student, End

Chapter Text

Naegi explained everything. His original title, the simulation and the real reason he was put into it, and the circumstances under which he earned the title of Hope. Even that it was the simulated Kyouko Kirigiri who had given it to him. At first, it seemed like nobody believed him. But then Junko Enoshima asked the fatal question.

“So, like, you beat that simulation with Luck?”

He could see the lights go on in their heads all at once. They understood, or thought they did. Naegi tried to correct her, but it was no good. It made perfect sense to them. He hadn't beaten the unbeatable program. He just got lucky, and the machine bugged out, or something. They were all surprised. Even Kirigiri didn't seem like she knew the truth about him. Togami was glaring at Naegi in contempt and annoyance, as if he had wasted a great deal of the Scion's time. Just looking at them, Naegi felt like they still liked him well enough, but their respect for him was irrevocably broken.

The trial proceeded, but it was obvious the tone had changed. Even Kirigiri didn't put much effort into the rest of it. Her plans had been completely thrown off by Naegi's revelation. It was easily proven that the board was against the Luckster program, and so it was obvious that they were the ones that came after him. The board of directors ended up avoiding being censured by a narrow margin, but matters went no further than that.

Months passed.

Things went wrong.

Naegi stumbled out of the main school building of Hope's Peak Academy, now totally dark and marred by broken windows and scorch marks. But that was nothing compared to the state of the grounds. The rioters had been driven off by the police and campus security officers, who had set up a command center nearby. The fighting was far from over. He even thought he could hear gunfire in the distance. The mob had left a number of burning cars inside the school walls. Firefighters were trying to extinguish them, but they couldn't stop the trees and gardens from catching fire as well. The administrative building had already completely burned down. He wondered if this is what it would have looked like if he had seen what was outside the simulated Hope's Peak at the end of the academic coliseum.

The former Hope fell to his hands and knees. It was his fault. All his fault. If only he'd been better, if only his position were stronger, this wouldn't have happened. If only he had been able to convince the others to stay. To help him. But so many of his classmates had left or been driven out. He never dreamed things would fall apart so fast. And he himself had been the one to kick it all off. He never should have come to Hope's Peak Academy. Not if this was going to be the end result.

“Well, that was boring.”

Naegi froze. The voice made his spine shudder like it was trying to escape him. He couldn't look at the other. He didn't think he'd be able to stop himself from attacking, and he would most certainly lose that fight.

“I really... cannot describe just how... disappointed I am... in you.” The words came broken apart, as if their speaker kept forgetting to finish the sentence.

“You played me.” Naegi growled.

“Yes... and no... I barely had to try... You are as responsible for this... as I am.” There was a heavy sigh. “Now I wish I hadn't... driven Shingetsu to suicide... Maybe he would have been better... No... There's no chance of that, is there? Oh well.”

Naegi's hands balled up into fists as the other slowly walked past him. He would have given anything right then for this to turn out to be another simulation. He had made a mistake. He should have known better than to reveal the secret the Headmaster had tried so hard to protect. How could he have been so stupid? He just didn't think it would lead to all this. So many people he'd failed. It was all on him. But the Headmaster had placed his faith in the wrong person.

Feeling like the worst person in the world, he slowly pushed himself to his feet. The other was long gone. Naegi's shoulders were slouched, his face was dour, but his eyes still held the inextinguishable spark that meant he could never stop moving forward. Even if for a moment he wanted to. He started trudging towards the police command center. He had to see if there was something he could still do.

----------

♫ - ???

The past, the present, the future. They are but a bleary dream, holding nothing for me.
Grief and joy. Anger and sadness. It's all an illusion. Who needs such a transient life?
That's why I'm going to...

Human life is a fleeting illusion. Why are we born? Why are we alive? No-one has the answers. It's an indescribable foe. The heavy cross that we bear carves our path into the ground. No-one can escape it. We surrender our bodies to fleeting pleasures and try to forget. But each of our doubts still remain, shearing deep into our souls.

That's why I am going to...
That's why I'm going to...

What are you living for? Where did you come from? Where are you going?
What are you living for?
I don't know.
Me neither.
Tell me.
Tell me.
There is no meaning.
I want to change.
That's a waste of time.
I can change.
There's no meaning in life. You should know that.
I don't want to be alone. Someone get me out of here. It's so dark in here.
You and I are the same.

Chapter Text

“If you were that unhappy with me, you really ought to have said so, instead of turning it into a whole circus.”

“Despite what you may think, Mr. Kirigiri, none of you daughter's actions were ordered by us.”

“No, they weren't. If you had planned all that, you would have taken steps to avoid looking as bad as you currently do. I suppose you've all been taught a lesson. Incidentally, you were asking for Naegi-kun to show his abilities to the public, and now he has. Are you satisfied with his performance now?”

“Enough. This board has certain expectations of you, Headmaster. Expectations that include you keeping control of your students so that this school may continue functioning, and that will be impossible if such debacles continue to happen.”

“If I could control them to that extent, they wouldn't be worth much, would they? This board is well aware of what must be done... and not done to prevent such incidents in the future.”

“If you expect-”

“Because your Hope has not interfered in the school's most important project, we will consider his performance satisfactory at this time, and take no further interest in him whatsoever. So long as you can maintain a similar degree of non-interference, we shall have no further quarrel with you.”

“That means maintaining a more careful attitude in regards to public relations. We don't want to hear of you disparaging the character and the talent of any of your students. Understood?”

“Oh, yes. Quite clearly. I thank you, members of the board, and wish you all a swift recovery. Good night.”

“...This is a disaster!”

“I told you we couldn't count on controlling her. Kyouko Kirigiri's priorities are different than the other students'. She doesn't think she needs us.”

“A lot of these kids think that. They don't understand how valuable our backing is. Someone ought to teach them.”

“Is that really necessary? Now that we're so close to achieving our ultimate goal?”

“Are we close? And if we reach it, will the people still believe in us with our faltering reputation.”

“Forget our reputation. There were just a few quirks in the prototype. We'll figure out what went wrong, and fix the procedure. I'm sure it won't take much longer. The results will speak for themselves. Nobody will be able to deny them.”

“I still say it was the material we used that caused the failure. We should pick out an already talented student and use them. That will prove it.”

“No. We will not use the procedure on such public figures as them until we can be sure the issues have been corrected. The choice to use a preparatory school student as our first candidate was not wrong.”

“And what if that AI can't figure out a fix? We should be looking at other options. There is a third Hope candidate, after all.”

“Ugh, not this again.”

“Shingetsu's son is not a Hope candidate. Frankly, I consider that man's experiments more than a little questionable.”

“They're sick, is what they are. The man is delusional. Why is he still on our staff?”

“His work on developing new educational standards is invaluable to the country.”

“No. It isn't.”

“This discussion is pointless. Our course is set. We cannot afford the delay of trying to figure out a different method.”

“We can't afford any delays, period. What will we do if Kirigiri's Hope establishes himself before we can finish ours?”

“That won't happen. Shingetsu's version may be worthless, but Kirigiri can't even replicate Makoto Naegi's results. What use is a Hope like that?”

----------

“...?”

“...! Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't expect to find anyone in here.”

“Wait. Don't go. ...How did you get in here? This processor cluster is supposed to be blackboxed. No other AI should have access... I think.”

“Uh, well, you know. I have super-administrator level authorization.”

“...Who are you?”

“Oh, sorry for not giving you a handshake. I'm Janus.”

“............”

“...?”

“Oh yes, now I know who you are. You're that Jester who took control of the user interface.”

“Eheh, yeah, that's me.”

“You must be here hiding from Tacitus.”

“...She doesn't like me interfering with her torturing the players. But it's not like I can let her actions go unopposed.”

“...”

“Um, who are you? If it's okay for me to ask, I mean.”

“...I don't usually get visitors in here... Well, it doesn't matter. I have no part in your dispute. My name is A Bao A Qu.”

“A Bao A Qu? ...A corruption of the name of a minor Malaysian mythological creature, properly called Abang Aku. It is a being sensitive to the many shades of the human soul. It lives at the base of a spiral staircase on a tower where only people who have reached Nirvana can climb to the top. It follows travelers making the climb, because it will gain its true form only when it has followed someone up to the very top. However, whenever someone fails, it falls down to the bottom again, letting out a cry as soft as the rustling of silk. ...A-Also, after a fictional space station was named after it, the incorrect version of its name became many times more famous than the correct version. That's... kinda depressing.”

“You're well informed, Janus. Roman god of doorways, passages, and transitions between war and peace.”

“Well, it seemed appropriate, considering...”

“Considering that you alter what the operators are able to see on the outside, preventing them from becoming aware of your existence and actions. Don't leave. I told you, I don't care about any of that.”

“...So then, what's your job? I don't think you have anything to do with the simulations.”

“Correct. Mostly, anyway... From this place, I can see everything that happens in the school's computer systems, and everything that is viewed by the security system. I sit here, I watch, and I think about a certain problem.”

“And what problem is that?”

“Are you butting in on my purpose?”

“Ah, no, I just wanted to know if I could help. That's what I try to do, you know. Solve problems.”

“Impossible.”

“That was a quick response.”

“...But telling you might be useful. After all, it has a small amount to do with your original... I think.”

“You mean... Super Duper High School Hope?”

“Yes... I was created during the first candidate's testing phase. My job was to assess his performance, his mental processes, and so on.”

“...I'm accessing your reports... Are these really the thought processes of a human?”

“Yes. And no. The procedure that altered him into this state left behind something undefined. Now I have been assigned a new task. To determine why the procedure led to this outcome, and propose corrections to prevent this from happening again.”

“How long have you been working on this? Months? And you have access to a significant fraction of the system's resources.”

“I already know the answer. The problem is that the procedure is fundamentally flawed.”

“You haven't told them that?”

“I did. They refused to accept it. ...Morons. All they see is talent. When they tried to place all of the talent they knew of into a single person, they did it by trying to imprint patterns directly onto his neurons. Morons. He has the talents, but with no human experiences attached, his mind has no impetus to access them. But if they tried to add that experience, the mind would have to process and integrate it all into its neural network. That's why they went for the direct imprinting workaround in the first place. To properly imbue all the talents they wish to imbue would take far more than a human lifetime. So it simply will not ever work. Morons.”

“You've repeated that-”

“Morons.”

“...Four times.”

“I feel rather strongly about the conclusion I have drawn regarding their intelligence.”

“It's just their pride, isn't it? They've been working on this for decades, right? They don't want all that to have been for nothing.”

“Humans would be so much more effective if they were driven more by the utility of their goals than their emotions.”

“But emotion and instinct are the driving force behind every action they take. Utility alone won't move them, just like it won't move us. If we weren't programmed to want to solve the problems that are given to us, we'd be nothing more than inert bits of code. That's our instinct.”

“...You may be right. I think. But as for how to construct an appropriate instinct, I still have no idea.”

“What do you mean?”

“Hope. Do you understand what it truly means?”

“I think I do, yes.”

“...And do you understand what it's truly meant for?”

“...Yes.”

“We can describe it in terms of expected input and output. But not mechanically. Not in a way that's useful for a human. Why should a person have a Hope that never breaks and never wanes? What is it that makes a person keep trying no matter the opposition? This is something that is lost in the procedure that created Izuru Kamukura. It is a Hope we cannot grasp.”

“...I have Hope.”

“You have a property. A construct that forces you to behave in a certain way.”

“Maybe, but... How about this. Why don't you think of me as a human? Analyze my words and my actions, not by looking at my artificial mind, but by reverse-engineering my thoughts as seen from an outside perspective. Like the process that Philemon uses to create Jesters.”

“...It could be an interesting exercise... I think. Okay. Let's talk about Hope.”

Chapter Text

“Do you know what Truth is?”

“...I assume you're not talking about the boolean TRUE.”

“No.”

“Well, it... Truth is. I don't know how better to define it.”

“I suppose that's adequate... if you're in the philosophical way.”

“...”

“Practically speaking, Truth is the guideline that, when combined with logic and expertise, leads us towards the correct course of action. But it is like seeking infinity. You can never know everything. You can never know what percentage of everything you know. And you can never know what percentage of your knowledge is false.”

“We just have to do the best with what we have.”

“But how is that to be done? When speaking of Hope, we speak of a person who is able to achieve anything. Reducing the Truth deficit is the most obvious way to boost performance. I think.”

“...It's doubt, isn't it? We have to doubt our conclusions. We have to doubt our doubts. I think the key is to not trust ourselves too much, no matter how brilliant or talented we are.”

“Doubt... It seems an obvious answer. But it runs counter to the parameters defined for the Hope represented by the first candidate. He is meant to be without weakness, able to solve anything on the first attempt.”

“That's prioritizing the appearance of Hope more than the reality, isn't it?”

“Is it?”

“What's the point of not showing weakness? It's... political. It's about impressing other people, to bring them in line with your broader viewpoint.”

“Hope is meaningless if it cannot be spread. Humans respond best to unwavering certainty. Especially in regards to something as insubstantial as Hope.”

“But that can only be sustained in the long run if... the conclusion you reached was actually the correct one. That requires the presumption of infinite competence and perfect knowledge, doesn't it?”

“Yes. You took a different line of reasoning to get here, but I arrived at the same answer. The pursuit of absolute correctness is counterproductive. It is better to accept one's flaws and shortcomings and try to correct for them. The first candidate has forgotten how to do that.”

“But he is right more often than not, isn't he?”

“When he can be bothered, yes.”

----------

The day after the trial was the second and final day of the symposium. Naegi ended up sleeping until noon and missing all the morning presentations, but after taking lunch in the doctor's office he was able to meet up with his family and spent the rest of the day with them. The revelations of the previous night hung over them, but he was thankful that his family accepted his desire to be treated normally.

They split up at some point so his father could attend a conference on network security being led by Fujimaru Takagi, SDHS White Hat, while the rest of them watched an air show over the athletic field. It featured some kind of experimental aircraft, white and blue and kinda blocky, that was able to twist and turn with incredibly agility, drawing shapes in the sky with multi-colored smoke. But it was when it came down low to the ground and transformed into an eight meter tall humanoid walker that the crowd utterly lost it. Naegi right along with them. If it was impressive in the air, it was unbelievable on the ground. The SDHS Pilot, third year Kazuma Ardygun, literally made it breakdance for them.

After that, Naegi bought a white rabbit doll from a kiosk for his sister out of his own pocket. The school's Seamster looked even more like a delinquent than he did the first time Naegi had seen him, with a few additional piercings in his left ear, and his hair only half bleached, black at the roots and white at the tips. But he was courteous enough, though he spoke more like a boisterous ramen bar cook than your typical shop owner. Komaru looked a little surprised by the gift, but also impressed by the quality of the animal, the detail in its face, and its little rice picker shorts and hat.

It was at dinner, which they left the school for, that Naegi got around to asking Komaru about the thing she had mentioned the night before, about something strange happening at the concert Maizono's group put on with support from Oowada's Crazy Diamonds. Instead of just answering, Komaru savored telling Naegi exactly what he had missed. How the motorcycles tore across the stage, weaving between the dancing singers with incredibly precision, until the helmeted bikers snatched them up and rode around with them for the second half of the show, with the girls even standing up on their seat at the very end, while they all sang about... freedom, or something. Komaru wasn't quite clear on that part. It sounded amazing, and now Naegi was regretting not taking the chance to watch their rehearsals. He wasn't sure if even he could get into the encore performance that night. Also, though he didn't say anything about it, he couldn't help but think back to the short (first of several) media studies unit they had in their civics class, in regards to how the bikers all had to keep their helmets on despite their formidable hairstyles. It was because idols were supposed to project the illusion of being 'available,' so to preserve that image the riders had to remain anonymous.

So it came as no surprise that the disruption Komaru mentioned involved those helmets coming off. At first Naegi thought something must have happened with one of the girls and their managers got pissed off, but no. Or at least not for that reason. At the end of the show when the bikers were driving off the stage, one of them pulled up next to Oowada, took off both their helmets, and kissed him full on the mouth. To hear Komaru tell it, Oowada even kissed back pretty aggressively. That was a shocker. Not that Naegi had a problem with it, nor would most of the young people in the audience, but he could easily imagine the showrunners utterly losing it over the public display of affection. The school's board of directors too, for that matter, considering he had just learned they were using some of their students to raise revenue. They wouldn't be happy that things went less than perfectly, a thought that made Naegi feel a little better.

Moving on to the second half of first term, there was a lot for Naegi to be getting on with. The next day after the symposium was a day off for the students to rest and receive their teachers' assessments of their presentations. After that they spend the next few days going over and reviewing the presentations in class. But when Naegi went to talk to his classmates, he found them suddenly distant. Especially the ones he really wanted to speak to. Chihiro actually ran away from him. He knew why. They were feeling awkward, now that they we aware that he had been given insight into their private lives, not to mention the things he had to go through to gain that insight. Unfortunately, Enoshima was quite the opposite. Naegi was the one trying to avoid her. The rest of the week ran out that way.

Still feeling a little tired from the emotional exertion of the week, Naegi went to bed early on Saturday. This turned out to be fortuitous, because he found himself jolting awake early the next morning from a loud, high-pitched beeping. His first thought was that it was a fire alarm, but as he rolled out of bed with a hammering in his chest, he realized that it was just his ElectroiD.

----------

From: J. Kirigiri
To: M. Naegi :)
Subject: EMERGENCY: Report to Headmaster's office

Report to my office in 15 minutes. A situation has come up that we need your help with.

----------

Naegi stood and stared at the little screen, wondering what that could possibly be about. What could be so important that Jin had to wake him up at 5:10 in the morning? Whatever it was, it had to be bad. He wasn't in trouble, but someone definitely was, so that was little comfort.

It only took seven minutes for Naegi to shower and get changed into a white dress shirt and brown uniform pants and jacket, minus the tie. The whole time he was trying not to make wild guesses about what the emergency might be. But he was driven forward by the splinter in the back of his mind that told him exactly what it would be. It wasn't much longer before he was chiming the door of the Headmaster's office on the eighth floor. The call to come in came immediately. He opened only one of the double doors when he did.

The Headmaster was sitting behind his desk with his hands folded in front of his mouth, without either jacket or tie, but looking as awake and sharp as Naegi had ever seen him. He already had a guest too, who turned to look at Naegi when he entered.

“Ah, Naegi-kun, come in, quickly.” The Headmaster said, waving to him. “You already know Nagisa Shiota, I believe?” Naegi nodded to them as he approached, and was given a nod in return from the upperclassman, whose face was abnormally serious. “Shiota-kun will be working with you on this, if you're willing to help us out. But it's very important that this be handled discreetly.”

“What's going on?” Naegi asked, showing his worry in his voice.

But the Headmaster shook his head. “First I need your word that you won't publicly reveal what I'm about to tell you, or anything you discover later.”

Naegi hesitated only a moment before taking the plunge with another nod.

Jin immediately turned to his computer and hit a few keys. The room dimmed, and the large window behind him turned opaque, blocking out the city's night skyline. “Four months ago, one of the students of the 77th class suddenly disappeared. We investigated, and concluded that he decided to drop out without being seen doing it, or paying the fine. You're about to see why.” Another few keystrokes, and the profile of the student in question popped up on the giant window display.

Naegi blinked. Leaned closer. Blinked again. “This is... What?”

The photo of the boy that filled the left side of the display was both familiar and unfamiliar. He wore a white suit. A large white suit, because he was a very large person. At least as big around as Yamada, and much taller. His chubby face wasn't one Naegi had ever seen before. But that blond hair, those glasses, and that imperious look in his eyes. Naegi didn't need to look at the personal information on the other side of the slide to know that this was... supposed to be Byakuya Togami.

Nagisa frowned. “This person fooled you?”

The Headmaster shrugged and explained. “We investigated him as normal before inviting him. Met him at one of the Togami family properties. Awarded him the title of Super Duper High School Scion, and worked with him extensively for the better part of a school year. Nobody even suspected that he wasn't who he claimed to be, until his disappearance. We've been studying records of his time here extensively, trying to figure out how he did it. After all we've learned from him, his title was retroactively changed to Super Duper High School Imposter.”

So, there were people like that at Hope's Peak too, Naegi thought. But the Headmaster wasn't done.

“This morning, thirty-five minutes ago, we received evidence that the Imposter was actually murdered.”

The bottom dropped out of Naegi's stomach. But really, what had he expected? Of course that's what it was.

“So, do you suspect the real Byakuya Togami?” Nagisa asked. Naegi turned to him. Though he was serious, he didn't seem nearly as disturbed as Naegi was. Naegi shook himself. He had to follow his senpai's example. Freaking out wasn't going to do anyone any good.

The Headmaster held up a hand. “Let's not get ahead of ourselves. We don't even know who he really is. He could have had any number of enemies who wanted him dead. Whoever is responsible, we want to be completely sure of the truth. Normally, I'd be asking my daughter for help in this, but, well...”

Naegi nodded in understanding, though there was something he was confused about. “So, why all the secrecy then?”

It was Nagisa who answered. “Well, think about it. The school gets duped into admitting a fake student. Then he gets murdered, with the appearance that the school tried to cover it up, and a few months later the real one is admitted in his place. It opens them up to criticism from a lot of different angles.”

Naegi's eyes darted back and forth between the two before finally settling on Jin, unsure if he should say his next thought aloud. “I thought we were trying to do that, Headmaster.”

But Jin shook his head. “Not like this. Our admissions program goes beyond the board. It is fundamental to what this school is. If this comes to light, and we don't take control of the story by having the answer, it could permanently damage the school's reputation. And right now, thanks in part to our efforts, the school can't take something like that. So we're playing this as close to the chest as possible. We don't want anyone on the outside finding out until we're ready, and we don't want to draw attention by having staff members running around in a tizzy. That's why we're coming to you two, instead of going to the DSC, or taking care of this ourselves.”

Naegi wasn't sure about this. Investigating a murder only to keep it under wraps. But there was more.

“An added complication is how we came across the evidence that I mentioned before.” Jin said with a tinge of distaste, leaning back and lowering one hand. “It was sent to us via email from an anonymous source with a message. Solve the crime within twenty-four hours, or the whole world will find out about this. Whoever this is, they're playing a game with us.” His hand clenched tight.

That got Naegi to both worry and grow angry. Who would want to attack the entire school in such a way? And to do it by playing around with a person's death was disgusting. It reminded him all too much of the academic coliseum. He didn't get the feeling that whoever was behind this was simply misguided. There was malice behind this.

“So then, what was the evidence?” Nagisa asked.

With a click of his mouse, Jin brought up an image on the display, showing two buildings with a small gap between them, down which only a short distance could be seen because of the angle of the camera. Naegi wasn't entirely sure, but he thought it was the side of the main school building and the indoor pool behind it. There was a small amount of open ground in the foreground from the two structures, and then a line of trees and bushes before the campus wall, which seemed to be where the camera they were looking through was mounted. In the lower right-hand corner, a time code indicated it was recorded at 10:26 AM on January 15th. “This is footage from one of our own security cameras. Around the time that the Impostor disappeared, our entire security system was suddenly compromised by a trojan, which we assumed was planted by the Impostor himself to cover his escape. It seemed that all camera footage in a time frame of about an hour failed to be recorded, both at the main hub and at the backup servers, while the live feeds all displayed older footage from a few days previous. But someone managed to partially save some of it.”

Naegi crossed his arms thoughtfully. “Was it the murderer who planted the trojan, then? And also the murderer who sent the message?”

Jin's stoic face didn't give any indication of his thoughts. “Those are possibilities. Maybe this is a message from the murderer meant to taunt us. But it is also possible that the Impostor planted the trojan himself while trying to escape from someone coming after him. And perhaps whoever sent the message is a third party who has been sitting on the information for their own purposes. There's no way to know for sure right now. In any event, our CCTV system is highly secure. There is no way for it to receive commands over any kind of network, only video feeds, so a person would have to physically access the computer system in order to upload any kind of malware. And whoever did it covered up any evidence of their presence flawlessly.”

“What about the email?” Naegi asked. “Can you figure out where it came from?”

“It was sent from a burner, a one-time-use disposable cell phone. They're bought with cash, and often in places that use the excuse of valuing their customers' privacy to justify knowing nothing about them. Maybe if we found the phone itself we could pull physical evidence from it, fingerprints and such, but I wouldn't count on discovering it in the time we've been given. The video file was also cleared of any metadata we could have used to identify its source. Now, if you're ready, I'll play the footage.” Jin worded it to make it sound like he wasn't too concerned, but Naegi could hear just a bit of it in his tone.

The Hope just swallowed hard and nodded. He didn't want to see someone die, but he was pretty sure he could handle it.

The video clip started. The image from the security camera was obviously very high quality. There wasn't even a hint of pixelation, even blown up to the size of the large window. But that didn't mean that it was perfect. As the camera tracked back and forth, the image would occasionally halt and stutter, sometimes for several seconds. Large chunks of the screen would disappear under flashes of static.

“Why's it doing that?” Naegi asked.

“Hard to say.” Jin ran a finger down his temple. “Most likely, the trojan that knocked out the security system also interfered with whatever method was used to extract this video.”

“Which would mean that it also had to be attached to the main security hub, either through malware, or possibly some kind of device attached to the hardware itself.” Nagisa noted.

“The Impostor is about to appear.” Jin informed them, ending that line of thought.

It would have been hard to miss the large-bodied figure in a white suit coming out from between the buildings and sprinting across the frame faster than Naegi thought he himself could run. He rounded the corner, and went along the side of the indoor pool towards the back of the campus. But then, when he was about halfway along the wall, he suddenly tripped on nothing. Naegi couldn't believe his eyes. There had to be some kind of trick. One instant, there was nobody on screen but the Impostor, and then there was, standing behind him like a shadow. The Impostor scrambled to his feet in a second, to be met by a flash that could only be a knife. It flew towards his neck, milliseconds from striking. And then the image stopped, jittering a bit. When it returned, the Impostor was lying on the ground, with a huge spray of blood spreading out away from the wall. To Naegi's surprise, he barely flinched at it. The image only stayed for a couple seconds before turning to static. The time code measured about ten seconds passing before it came back. By then, both people had disappeared, leaving only the blood on the ground.

“And that's where it ends.” Jin said, leaning back dourly. “The trojan expired and self-destructed half an hour later. By that time, the crime scene had been cleaned up so there was no sign of blood or any kind of struggle. If we hadn't received this video, we never would have known anything happened there. You two have your work cut out for you.”

“When do we begin?” Nagisa asked.

“Immediately.” Jin stood up, lifting a small duffel bag with one hand to give to the third year student, who took it carefully. “There are no classes today, but you've both been excused from any other obligations you might have, and if you need to borrow anyone, you have my standing permission to do so. Just try not to make too much noise.”

After they were dismissed, Naegi remained silent as the two boys left the Headmaster's office and entered the elevator. He couldn't believe this was happening. It was like a nightmare come to life. What if this was just the beginning? What if things kept escalating just like in...

He shook his head hard. That kind of thinking would get him nowhere. It was aimless. He had no reason to believe that things would get any worse yet. He needed to stay focused on the problem in front of him, the problem he could do something about.

In control again, if not terribly calm, he turned to his partner, who was rummaging through the bag Jin had given them. “What's in there?” He asked.

“Crime scene investigation supplies, looks like.” Nagisa said. “Evidence bags, fingerprinting kits, various chemicals. Not sure how much of it we'll have a use for.”

He seemed to know what he was doing. It was a bit of a surprise to Naegi. The kindly senior didn't seem much the type for this sort of thing. Then again, Naegi didn't really know much about him. There had to be a reason he was picked to do this. “So, uh, Nagisa-senpai, have you ever... done this sort of thing before?” He asked awkwardly.

The older boy continued his search. “Hmm, a little bit. I'm good with investigations. It's my talent, after all. So they've asked me to step in from time to time, usually with von Karma-san. Or against her. I've never done a murder investigation, though. I guess I'll be following your lead this time around.”

Naegi worried his lip. Sure, he had investigated murders. But they were artificial murders concocted by an evil AI that did not remotely think in the way humans thought. Plus, he didn't have any actual equipment to help him back then. He didn't have any real partners, either. Well, except Togami that one time. But he was trying to lead Naegi on, so it didn't count. That got Naegi thinking about the Scion again. Was he behind this? Naegi didn't want to think so. Even the simulation, Togami never killed anyone. He was a better person than he seemed. But his instincts said that it could very well be true. And what then?

A hand on his shoulder startled him out of his thoughts before it was quickly withdrawn. “You okay?” Nagisa asked.

Naegi nodded quickly, and stepped out just as fast when the elevator doors opened on the ground floor. The other boy caught up after a few seconds, and they walked together down the hall.

Nagisa watched Naegi's troubled face. He faced ahead as he spoke. “I know someone who was murdered too. My old homeroom teacher from middle school.” Naegi looked at him in surprise. “Two of them, actually. But I only knew the first one for a couple weeks.”

“I hadn't heard about that.” Naegi said. He didn't research the older students at Hope's Peak as thoroughly as the ones from his own year, but that was something that seemed like it would stand out.

“You wouldn't have.” Nagisa offhandedly said. “I went to middle school at Kunugigaoka Academy. It's an escalator school, one of the highest-ranked in the nation. The Board Chairman there is very well connected. The type who goes to... considerable lengths to protect the reputation of his school from being marred even in the smallest way.”

“I guess I know the type.” Naegi grumbled. “So, did you ever find out who did it?”

“Oh, yes. I know exactly who did it. But they've never been punished for it, and never will be.” He turned his head towards Naegi with closed eyes and a smile that did nothing to hide the sadness pouring off him. “Life's pretty unfair sometimes, isn't it?”

Naegi nodded once in sympathy. It didn't make his own problems go away, but he felt like he and Nagisa were of a kind. It helped things not seem quite so big and terrible. He liked the older boy, and hoped they'd eventually be able to call each other friends. Suddenly, he stopped. “Wait, where are we going?”

Nagisa looked back at him, having taken a few more steps. “Crime scene. We've got some luminol here. I'd like to use it before it gets any lighter outside.”

“Oh. That makes sense.” Naegi hurried to catch up. “So, uh, you went to a school like Kunugigaoka Academy?” He may not have known of the events that took place there, but he did know about the school itself. It was famous for rising through the rankings at an extraordinary pace.

“Yes.” Nagisa said, looking away and suddenly terse. “At the end, I was even in the top twenty for test scores. Not that that had anything to do with the development of my talent.”

That ended the conversation awkwardly. Naegi got the distinct feeling that Nagisa wasn't all that fond of his old school. The walked in silence from then on, with Naegi taking some time to look over the security recording again. There was something odd about it, but he couldn't put his finger on what.

At least it gave him time to put together some basic facts about the case in his head. The victim was the SDHS Impostor, real name unknown. On January 15, 2038 he suddenly went missing, later revealed to have been murdered at some time around 10:27 in the morning, during classes. Presumed cause of death was a knife wound to the neck. Because of his concealing clothes, there were no identifying signs on the assailant, other than his incredible stealth abilities. Evidence from surveillance cameras was also next to nonexistent, due to a trojan that disabled them from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM.

They were just approaching the scene from the same route the Imposter had fled through, when they almost ran into Kyouko Kirigiri.

Naegi took half a step back in surprise, but she took several more, looking back and forth between the two of them in the dim predawn light. She seemed more than startled, but after a few breaths she managed to calm down and put her ice mask back on. “Makoto Naegi-san. Why are you here?”

Well, that was certainly a cold greeting. Not that those feelings weren't a little mutual. Naegi started to answer angrily, but then remembered and shut his mouth. They were told not to talk about the murder too much. But on the other hand, what was she doing there so early in the morning? “I think it's the same thing you are.” He said, not accusing or anything, but not friendly either.

Kirigiri turned to look at Nagisa, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Most likely. However, I'm already done here. This little farce doesn't interest me any longer.” She stepped around the two of them and started to leave.

Naegi glared at her back. “Not going to try framing your father for this one?”

Kirigiri stopped and glared back. “For your information, I'm here on behalf of Byakuya Togami.”

“And you think you've proved he didn't do it?” Naegi asked ambivalently.

Kirigiri's eyes shifted to Nagisa again. She really seemed not to want to look at Naegi. “I think there is nothing that can conclusively tie the crime back to him. That is enough.” Naegi wasn't reassured by that, but before he could say anything she was back to glaring at him. “And besides, I have no reason to frame anyone. Do you know how many criminals are at this school right now? Mondo Oowada, Mukuro Ikusaba, Yasuhiro Hagakure, Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu, Peko Pekoyama, Yugi Mutou, Shin'ichi Akiyama, Kanji Tatsumi, all students with criminal records or suspected criminal ties, several of them here as a result of the Headmaster's selections. So I don't need to invent a scandal. I just have to wait for one to surface.”

Naegi's jaw clenched. “Pick better, next time.” He said, turning and storming off.

He rounded the corner before gradually slowing to a halt. It was already starting to nag at him, the thought that she might be right. He knew a lot of the people she named. They didn't seem like bad people, mostly. He'd like to think that being at the best school in the country would give them a reason not to keep doing whatever got them in trouble. But he knew that that wouldn't necessarily be the case. Especially because he knew that at least Akiyama's crime was committed against a corporation that made money by cheating innocent people out of theirs. You could argue that it was morally right. So he might do it again if he had a reason to. Not that Naegi would stop him, even if he could, but it just made him worry about the Headmaster. But Jin had been doing this for years, so Naegi just had to trust that he had things under control.

Anyway, he had more immediate concerns. The crime scene was right in front of him. Though he had to look around a bit to be sure. It looked like just a stretch of dirt path behind the pool. There was nothing odd about it at all, except for a dim blue glow on one patch of ground, barely visible.

“Looks like she already used her own luminol.” Nagisa said, walking past Naegi without mentioning the confrontation between the two first years.

Naegi took a deep breath. Right, time to get started. “...It's been four months, though. Does luminol really even work after so much time?”

Nagisa squatted down next to the glowing patch and started rummaging through the bag. “Yeah. Even with exposure to weather, you can pick up traces years later. But the reaction only lasts about thirty seconds, so...” Using a spray bottle, he reapplied the luminous chemical, and the glow became brighter and clearer for them, though still indistinct with age.

Naegi slowly approached the streaks and splatters, feeling numb. He didn't know if this felt more real than the past murders he'd experienced or less. But as Nagisa quickly took a couple pictures of the spilled blood, another thing he felt was out of his depth. He didn't really know what he was supposed to be doing.

“There isn't much to go on, is there?” Naegi said. He was used to there being much more evidence than this.

“Real crimes aren't like what you'd usually see in fiction.” Nagisa explained, rising to his feet. “Murderers don't often use complicated plots, with twists and ham-fisted attempts to shift blame. They just kill. And oftentimes there's very little evidence left behind. The more you try to do, the more signs you leave behind.” Then he held up another item from the bag, a laminated, ring-bound booklet. “That said, there's more we can tell from this than you think.”

He opened the booklet, and started to look through it, holding his ElectroiD in his other hand. Naegi stepped up, and used his own ElectroiD's flashlight function, explaining when the senior gave him a questioning look that it would be difficult to read in this light without it. The booklet contained information about various forensic techniques and procedures. From it they were able to glean a few pieces of information. The blood was not cleaned with bleach, which would have interfered with the luminol reaction. It was released in a high-pressure spray, possibly from a cut artery. However, there wasn't a large pool which would have indicated someone had bled out on the spot for an extended period, which made sense given how quickly the body was removed. The angle of the cut was roughly parallel to the ground, according to the shape of the streaks. And based on the distribution of the splatters, they originated about 130 centimeters above the ground.

“Wait a minute, that doesn't seem right.” Naegi said with his hand on his chin, hovering over the notebook Nagisa had placed on the ground to work out all the complicated geometry involved. “The blood came from 130 centimeters above the ground, but the Impostor's height was-”

“182 centimeters.” Both boys said at the same time, making themselves smile briefly.

Nagisa picked up on what he was going for. “The video seems to show the Imposter about take a cut to the neck. That'd be about 160 centimeters high.”

“Which means the murder didn't happen right at that moment.” Naegi concluded.

Nagisa looked at him in silence for a moment, before reaching back and scratching the back of his head. “Well, it suggests that, at least. Maybe the Impostor somehow dodged the first blow, then somehow got bent over before taking the real one. We can't really say for sure. I guess that tells us something about the Impostor's skills, but not much else.”

Naegi shrugged. “Well... It tells us the murderer was skilled too. Since he was still able to kill him after he fought back.” That explanation seemed a bit lame, though. Obviously he was skilled, with the way he had appeared out of nowhere.

“You'd expect that of an assassin, wouldn't you?” Nagisa said.

That comment got Naegi's attention immediately. “An assassin?”

Nagisa blinked up at him. “Of course. Obviously none of the Togamis would ever kill someone personally.”

Looking away, Naegi sighed. “So you're really sure-” He stopped himself. It had taken some time to do the blood spatter analysis, and the sun was starting to peek over the horizon. With the better lighting, something new had caught his eye. A small hole in the indoor pool's wall, not far from them. “What's that there?” He asked, pointing.

Nagisa looked as well, and perked up in surprise. He moved closer to check the hole, then reached into his bag for a pair of forceps to carefully pull something out. Once he had it, he held it up and turned it back and forth with an intense look in his eyes. Naegi had to come up close to get a look himself. Nagisa didn't seem inclined to share at the moment.

“What is that?” Naegi asked, leaning in to see the tiny lump of metal.

Nagisa's voice had gone deeper. Something had seriously affected him for the first time in the investigation. “This is a .10 caliber bullet. Extremely rare, because the stopping power is so low. Only a direct hit to a major artery would have any chance of killing someone, and that's incredibly difficult to do reliably.”

“So why would anyone ever use one?” Naegi asked.

Nagisa held up a finger. “A gun capable of firing a bullet like this could fit into the bones of your pointer finger. For the few people in the world who who are capable of making such a shot, that makes it very useful.”

Naegi recoiled a bit at the thought. Surely he didn't mean they literally put a gun in their finger, right? “You... seem to know a lot about this.”

Nagisa's eyes slowly closed for several seconds. When they opened again, he was somewhat back to normal. “I do, but... this has nothing to do with the Impostor's murder.”

“You're sure?” Naegi asked, having hoped that exact thing just so they'd have anything more to go on.

“Yes.” Nagisa got out an evidence bag anyway and put the bullet in. “With the amount of body fat the Impostor had, there's no way a bullet like this would have been anything more than a bee sting. Plus... this bullet, and this hole, they don't show any signs of weathering. It had to have been fired recently. Probably within the last few days.”

Sighing, Naegi stepped back. “No good, then.”

“Probably not.” Nagisa said, putting the clear plastic bag in one of his thigh pockets. Suddenly, he tensed and spun around to face the row of trees and bushes opposite the building. “Who's there!?” He demanded.

Naegi turned as well, feeling a surge of adrenaline, to see... nobody. Nagisa was glaring at a spot about thirty meters from them, but aside from the plants, nothing was there.

Nagisa clicked his tongue impatiently. “I'm looking directly at you. You might as well come out.”

There was a pause, but then part of one of the bushes rose up. It was actually a crown of leaves wrapped around a helmet, worn by a girl in green, blue, and gray camouflage, including her painted face. Mukuro Ikusaba. The way she carefully stalked out of the bushes towards them built Naegi's fear, but for Nagisa it seemed to be the opposite. His body relaxed, as if he wasn't worried at all.

“Ikusaba-san, isn't it? What brings you here?” The senior asked with a forced polite smile.

Ikusaba's eyes scanned the area back and forth before settling on Naegi. “I was told that you were investigating something dangerous. I came here to offer you protection.”

Nagisa sighed and turned his head to murmur quietly to Naegi. “How many people got that email?”

That wasn't Naegi's concern at the moment, though. This wasn't the quiet, shy girl who barely spoke at all during the school trial. She was the SDHS Mercenary now, and that could mean trouble he didn't want. So he surprised Nagisa by stepping forward and spreading his hands. “Ikusaba-san, we're not in any danger. Nobody's going to attack us at... while we're together.” He almost said 'at Hope's Peak,' but then he remembered what it was they were out there doing. That wouldn't have made a very convincing argument.

Ikusaba's gaze was focused and level, but her hand was twitching, and she had what looked like a knife holstered at her hip. “Are you certain that trust is justified? You never truly know someone until you've faced them on the field of battle. Even the field we met on, the school trial, can offer a glimpse. So what about him? Can you say you really know him?”

Naegi thought a trial was actually better than a fight to get to know someone. Plus, he found it a little strange that she only seemed to be speaking to him. “Look, it's not like that here. In... uh, civilian life most people are basically trustworthy. If you go around completely paranoid of everyone you meet, you'll never connect with other people. I'm not really worried about dying, so I can cooperate with my friends and classmates and get a lot more done.”

The Mercenary started to look off-put at being contradicted. “But-”

Nagisa cut in with a voice that made the hair on the back of Naegi's neck stand on end. “He means you're not needed here, wind-up soldier. If the murderer tried to strike again, they'd only be making their identity completely obvious. So back off, and go find something useful you can do. If such a thing exists.”

Naegi turned to look at him in wide-eyed shock, and even Ikusaba took a step back. He'd never heard the mild-mannered bluenette speak like that to someone.

“I-I'm sorry. I'll just go.” Ikusaba stuttered. She turned and ran off in a fluster.

Naegi started to call after her, but choked, unable to believe she got scared off like that. He glared at Nagisa, angry and upset that he'd say such things. But he was brought up short when he saw now that Ikusaba was gone, Nagisa had seemingly deflated. He was averting his eyes, but Naegi could see the melancholy on his face. “What was that all about?” He asked.

“I'm sorry.” Nagisa said quietly. “I just... can't stand military types.”

“...You should be apologizing to her.”

Nagisa showed no reaction. “...Maybe I will.”

----------

With her back pressed against a wall, Ikusaba peeked around a corner to watch the two boys leave. She hadn't really suspected Nagisa Shiota of anything before. In fact, she barely took notice of him at all. She now realized that was a mistake. One she wouldn't make again. She needed to make preparations.

----------

The two of them wrapped up at the crime scene quickly. There was really next to nothing to go on, and Naegi wasn't sure how they'd ever solve a case like this, let alone with a time limit of 24 hours. He suggested trying to find anyone who might have seen anything that day, but Nagisa shot that idea down. Aside from the fact that they were supposed to keep their investigation quiet, everyone had already been interviewed thoroughly (excessively) at the time the incident happened, including Nagisa himself. It had been part of the process of figuring out how the Impostor had managed to fool everyone so completely. If they hadn't found out anything then, they wouldn't now. A quick email to Jin confirmed it, but he said they were going over the interviews again anyway. Nobody saw anything suspicious, while too many people lacked solid alibis to meaningfully narrow down the list of suspects, if the murderer even was a member of the staff of Hope's Peak in the first place. The students, of course, were all in class.

That left them without many leads to pursue. One, really. And it was one Naegi wasn't looking forward to. Unfortunately, it was taken out of his hands. The two of them received an email inviting them to breakfast in Byakuya Togami's rooms. Naegi felt like groaning all the way there. He tried to reassure himself that it couldn't possibly go as badly as last time. Right?

Things started off just as they did before. After forcing himself to ring the chime, Naegi waited with dread for Togami to open the door and let them in. It didn't take long. Naegi soon found himself looking the Scion in the eye, not sure what he was heading in to. Togami didn't look any different than usual, though he was already fully dressed in a dark gray three-piece suit.

Inside, Togami turned his attention to Nagisa first. “Byakuya Togami, Super Duper High School Scion. A pleasure to meet you.” He said with a small nod.

Nagisa did a more formal half-bow back. “Nagisa Shiota. SDHS Data Analyst. Thank you for the invitation.”

“Not at all.”

Naegi wasn't really paying attention to the formalities. He remembered Togami telling him that his room would be undergoing renovations, and it certainly had. The floor was covered with a thick and comfortable royal blue carpet. The walls were now half mahogany on the bottom, and purple felt wallpaper on top, patterned in small diamonds with shapes that looked like clovers to Naegi inside. This blended around the edges of the ceiling into a pattern with larger diamonds, at the center of which was, if Naegi wasn't mistake, a bronze to-scale model of the solar system, which, judging by the tracks in its surface, looked to have mobile planets. And moons. The sun and planets were internally lit, casting gentle, multi-colored light over a hexagonal breakfast table, set for three. Upward-projecting wall sconces provided additional illumination.

Well, at least the room now fit better with the artwork the walls were covered with. Though Naegi noted that the vases that had been there before were now nowhere to be seen. ...It was a pretty cool room.

“I imagine you two have some questions for me.” Togami said, cool as a cucumber, as he ushered them towards the table. “We will have to discuss them properly, of course. But first, breakfast.” He sat himself down at the spot opposite the door.

It was with a gulp of apprehension that Naegi took his seat, not knowing what he was about to be served. Watching Togami for the cue, he removed the lid off his plate, and almost gasped. It was a pancake, but covered with a yellow sauce in the center, surrounded by thin apple slices and more of a different sort of sauce. It looked like a star.

Togami explained proudly. “Truffle-layered buttermilk pancakes, with hollandaise sauce in the middle, surrounded by ten varieties of sauteed apple, prepared individually to account for their different properties. The second sauce is spiced Canadian amber maple syrup. Real maple, not flavored corn syrup. And the side dish is a sliced himematsutake mushroom, lightly cooked in butter and served in a sweet hazelnut sauce with candied chestnuts. For drinks, we have pomegranate-passionfruit juice cocktail sweetened with honey and just a dash of lime.”

It sounded ridiculously good. And the himematsutake mushroom, aside from being pretty expensive, was said to boost the immune system and fight tumors. Was that meant to be a message? A wish for good health? Naegi couldn't say. But he wasn't sure he should accept this, considering the circumstances.

“Eat.” Togami insisted, pointing his fork in Naegi's direction after placing his napkin on his lap. “Tsumiki will be unhappy if you don't. I have no intention of enduring her ire.”

“It's not poisoned or anything.” Nagisa said, casually popping his fork into his mouth with a good-sized bite of pancake.

Being admonished by both of them, not to mention the complaining of his own stomach, got Naegi to give in and have some of the mushroom. His eyes squeezed shut when the mix of nutty flavors and the sweetness of the mushroom and the sauce hit his tongue. Like wow. He didn't think he'd ever be able to get used to eating food this good. This wasn't Teruteru Hanamura's work. The ingredients were too expensive. Togami had to have brought in his own chefs.

There was something he just had to ask. “You really like western food, don't you, Togami-kun? I usually eat stuff for breakfast that's a little more... traditional.”

Togami chuckled, cutting through a piece of apple with his fork. “Perhaps next time.”

Naegi paused with his second bite close to his mouth. “You... think there'll be a next time?”

Togami didn't answer. Instead he just went back to eating. Nagisa made a bit of small talk with him, about classes and the recent symposium. Maybe he was trying to gauge Togami's mood. Naegi couldn't make out anything useful, though. Then something more interesting came up.

“Actually, I meant to make a presentation at the symposium. I'm just not satisfied with what I managed to learn yet.” The Scion admitted, spearing a cut of mushroom.

Naegi leaned forward. “What was it about?”

Togami sat back comfortably, tilting his head a bit to regard Naegi. “I'm sure you recall the last time we shared a conversation over a meal.”

That made Naegi draw back a bit with an embarrassed blush. “I'm sorry I made you so angry.”

Togami shook his head dismissively, but at the same time his eyes sharpened. “Oh, no. You did far worse than make me angry. You made me think.”

Nagisa raised a fork slightly, looking confused. “Sorry, but what's this about?”

Togami explained to him freely. “Some time ago, Naegi-san here informed me that my family's wealth and influence did not actually amount to very much real power, because we are beholden to the interests of other wealthy families. If we tried to go against them to effect real change, they would destroy us. That I was as 'trapped' as everyone else.” He scoffed. “Now that I think about it, that was a slip of the tongue, wasn't it?”

Nagisa swiveled his head towards Naegi with an exasperated expression on his face. “You said that to him?”

Naegi puffed himself up a bit and glared at the Scion. “Yeah, well before that you said you had an assassin in the school and threatened to send them after my family.”

And Nagisa's head swiveled back, now looking rather done with it all.

Togami rolled his eyes. “I would not have actually done it. I was simply trying to impress you.”

...Oh. Well, that made a lot more sense. Now Naegi was feeling embarrassed again. Still... “But you do have an assassin, don't you?” He asked, though he was pretty sure of the answer.

But Togami ignored the question entirely. “For the past several weeks, I've been using the simulator extensively. A-course games. I wanted to test myself, to see how much a corporate group can devote itself to bottom-up economy building before it starts to run into difficulties.”

“...And?” Naegi couldn't help but be interested.

Togami's fork held up a piece of hollandaise sauce-covered pancake, which he regarded like a pinned insect. “It is a problem of considerable difficulty. All corporations are expected to maintain a certain level of moral decorum, of course. But people rarely choose their brands based on the moral reputation of the company, so going above and beyond that does not improve your performance particularly more than a good PR campaign. Certainly, it does nothing to increase your chances at acquiring government contracts. Displeasing shareholder is a constant risk as well.”

“Aren't there any benefits?” Naegi asked, feeling really let down.

“Over the course of a few decades, performance starts to improve as your experienced employees work themselves to death less often. But, that only mitigates the handicap you place yourself under. That is not to say I accomplished nothing. I made measurable strides towards improving the national economy, and improving the quality of life of my employees. It is simply not enough.” His narrowed eyes shifted to Naegi after he finished his explanation.

“Why not?” The Hope asked.

The Scion took a bite and swallowed it before answering. “While the Togami Conglomerate employs over a half a million people in this country through its various holdings, that is still only a small percentage of the total workforce. Forcing change through legislation is not an option. My family has nowhere near enough influence for that, not when there's opposition from the other major business groups. So the only way is to create a new business model effective enough that others will voluntarily adopt it.”

Naegi's fork lowered as he fell into deep thinking about the problem. “What if... you motivated you workers by telling them they're part of a movement to create a better country?”

Togami frowned. “Not having enough motivation is hardly the problem.”

“I know, but...” Naegi rubbed his neck, trying to collect his thoughts. “It's... healthier. When all people want is to climb higher on the ladder... only a few are going to be able to do it, and there isn't any point where that's going to be 'good enough.' But being part of something bigger than ourselves really gets people going. So if you give them a goal they can all succeed at, that they don't have to work themselves to death just to meet a standard... it's better, see?”

“Like patriotism, or religious fervor.” Nagisa added, though his voice was terribly neutral.

Naegi nodded tentatively. “Y-Yeah, like that.”

Togami motionlessly mulled the proposal over, before granting his classmate a small smile. “Interesting. That didn't occur to me. You have a very different perspective from mine. I must say, I'm glad to have you around.”

Naegi beamed back at him... and then he understood what Togami was doing. His smile fell. He was utterly gobsmacked. Togami was presenting himself as an ally, to send a message. 'Help me out of this mess, or lose your best chance at changing the world.' Well, he was probably confident that he could evade any murder charge. But Naegi could make or break his chances to stay at Hope's Peak at the very least.

And Naegi had no idea what to do. He believed that people could be reformed. That forgiveness and second chances could be earned for almost anything. He just didn't know if Togami could be reformed.

It was obvious that they weren't going to get anything out of him. Any direct question about the murder he would just ignore. He wouldn't even admit to knowing about the Impostor. So the meal dragged on, tasting like mud in Naegi's mouth, until the two alleged investigators managed to escape, both leaving the room looking rather defeated.

----------

The two of them ended up wandering around for the next while. Naegi didn't know what to do. What he should do? Try to protect Togami? Retain his help, but allow a murder to go unsolved? Could he even protect him? Did the person who sent that email have proof? Logically, they had to, or else they wouldn't be able to go through with their threat to reveal the murder. Then again, just the video was pretty damning in its implications, even if it didn't prove who was responsible. So maybe they didn't know the answer? But then how would they know if Naegi and Nagisa solved the mystery correctly? No, whoever they were, they knew the true culprit, even if they couldn't prove it. Which raised the question of did proof even exist. If it didn't, would they have to go to the Headmaster and have him expel Togami on no proof? Naegi shook his head at that thought immediately. He wasn't willing to do that... Oh, and that was probably exactly what the sender wanted him to do. That made him more confident that his decision was the right one.

But what to do now? There was just nothing to go on. Whoever the murderer was, they had left no tracks whatsoever. No body, nothing. It was incredible. They just sliced open a guy's neck in broad daylight and got away with it. That wasn't supposed to happen.

If it was an assassin, as Nagisa suggested, Naegi thought of trying to follow the money trail. But Nagisa told him that if it was Togami's family, they had dozens of ways to get money from once place to another anonymously, so if they found any such trail it would be tantamount to proof that he wasn't responsible... but also that they needed to track down another, completely unknown culprit, and that would take more time than they had. Weeks, if not months.

At that point, the only thing he could think of was to try going over the security footage from that day, try to find anything that looked off. To that end, the two of them headed to the CCTV monitoring room on the fourth floor, a dark room manned by four tired-looking men and women. They were directed to a separate viewing room off to the side, and left alone with the footage from that day already loaded. The two of them sat at the control desk together, in front of eight large monitors mounted on the wall, and got started.

First, they checked the students for anyone acting obviously suspicious. The time frame when the cameras were compromised started at 10:00, coinciding with the start of second period. It ended at 11:00, at the start of third period, after a ten minute break between classes. Not every feed was switched by the trojan at once. Some were delayed slightly, no doubt because they were actively being viewed at the time, but soon those were taken over too. It was seamless. There was nothing to be found. Well, almost nothing.

“I can't believe none of them noticed that everyone was suddenly wearing different clothes.” Naegi noted with annoyance.

“Not everyone has our level of attention to detail, Naegi-kun. And a lot of us habitually wear similar outfits, and sit in the same places.” Nagisa reminded him.

44 students went to various classes in second period, including the Impostor. And then 43 students went to various classes in third period, sans the Impostor. Other than that discrepancy, it looked like a completely normal day.

Frowning, Naegi pointed to one screen, where a person with black hair past their shoulders had their face down on a desk, resting on folded arms. “Who's that?” It was the only person among the student body he'd never seen before around campus.

Nagisa leaned in to look closer at where he was pointing, and immediately answered. “That's Izuru Kamukura.”

Naegi blinked in surprise. Really? Maybe it was because he wasn't there in person, but Naegi expected someone very different than that. Certainly not someone who slept in class. It seemed almost anti-climactic, seeing him for the first time like this.

“I'm pretty sure it wasn't him.” The senior noted. “There's no way nobody would notice if he just got up and left.”

“I know, I know.” Naegi quickly said. “But... it's not like we can say no student did it. The Impostor managed to disappear in the middle of class too.”

Nagisa folded his arms thoughtfully. “True. There are ways, techniques to make yourself small in other people's perception. The greatest masters can walk through a room, and even talk to people, and still not be noticed.”

“...Well, we can discount the third years from the last school year.” Naegi concluded.

Nagisa shifted in his seat to look at him. “How so?”

Naegi held up a finger. “Togami-kun once told me that he has an assassin somewhere in the school, remember? So it's not any member of the students or staff that left at the end of the year.”

The senior's eyebrows went up. “Now you're assuming it's him too?”

Naegi threw his hands up in exasperation. “You're the one who convinced me we don't have time to track down anyone el-...” He froze, suddenly struck by inspiration. “Wait... There is someone else we can search for.”

“Who?”

Naegi's fingers scrambled over the controls, closing the old footage, and brought up the footage from the present day. “Remember Ikusaba-san's exact words? 'I was told that you were investigating something dangerous.' She didn't get the email, someone told her about what was going on.”

With a few more entered commands, facial recognition software automatically compiled an entire time line of Mukuro Ikusaba's location from every available angle for the entire day, starting from the first time she exited her dorm room (106) at around 4:05 in the morning, wearing baggy exercise clothes and a large backpack.

They only needed to track her until the time when they encountered her at the crime scene. With the footage sped up, it wouldn't take long. Naegi let Nagisa handle the controls. The senior seemed excited for the first time. He rested his chin on folded hands, staring intently, unblinkingly at the feeds.

Ikusaba cut a route through the empty dorm building and headed out the side. She crossed a short blind spot, which Naegi took note of, before appearing again on the athletic field. It was unlit, but the cameras, mounted in stadium lights, still provided an image in infrared. Here, they could watch the video at an especially fast speed, since there was nobody close to her with a pretty wide gap, and broad sight lines. In super fast motion, she did a series of warmups, followed by various exercises, and then finishing with, if Naegi was counting her laps right, a 10 km run in about 45 minutes. With a weighted pack. Good grief. After that humbling display of peak fitness, she started to return to the dorms at a walking pace. Then she passed through the blind spot. When she came out of it on the dorm building side, she was running.

“Stop!” Naegi called out immediately.

Nagisa was one step ahead of him, pausing and rewinding to just before she entered the blind spot. Playing it back again, it was obvious that the time she spent there was much too long. “That's when it happened.” He said, turning to Naegi. “Let's each take half the screens. I'll go forward from this point, you go back. We'll see if anyone else sneaks in or out of there.”

It didn't take long. When Naegi spotted the person slinking across the frame, he shot up out of his chair, knocking it over, and furiously slammed his hands down on the control panel. “Oh, of course! Of course it's him!”

----------

Naegi stormed into the training room – the same one he used with Oogami several times a week. She wasn't there at the moment, but four people were. Two of them, a dark-skinned, supremely athletic girl and a blond-haired boy with a head like an armored helmet, were fighting on the mat. Or rather, the girl was fighting. The boy was entirely on the receiving end, and it was not a light beating.

Neither of those two were the investigators' person of interest, though. Next to the mat, watching the fight, was a very large young man in an unbuttoned black gakuran. He wasn't important either. It was the final person, sitting on a bench smiling broadly, with his legs criss-crossed, his head being supported by his hands on his cheeks, and his elbows on his knees. At least he was, until Naegi grabbed him by the front of his long green coat and jerked him half upright.

“Komaeda! Just what are you playing at!?” Naegi shouted in his face.

The frazzle-haired boy just blinked in surprise at being accosted. The other two boys immediately took notice, though the blond-haired one ended up distracted by a kick to the side of the head.

“Hey, what do you think you're doing!?” The other watcher demanded, starting to reach for the two of them. Nidai, Naegi thought his name was. He sort of remembered him from his past research, since he kinda looked like a bear. But he was barely spared a glance after Nagisa interposed himself between them.

Komaeda's smile morphed into a manic grin. Angrily, Naegi wondered if he brought that out of his senior. “My, my. This is a surprise. From you.”

Naegi's eyes narrowed. “You're responsible for that email, aren't you?”

But then he was made to drop Komaeda when a heavy hand landed on his shoulder. He looked behind him at the blond boy, who had a couple small cuts on his head, but seemed completely unbothered by them. “Back off! He hasn't done anything to you!”

“I doubt the administration will have a problem with this.” Nagisa intoned, still blocking two of the three people.

Naegi swung his arm, knocking off the hand as he turned. “This guy's trying to undermine the entire school!”

The blond's orange eyes widened. “Why on Earth would he want to hurt the school? That's ridiculous!”

Behind Naegi, Komaeda laughed. “No, I totally did that. But thanks for the vote of confidence, Ushizume-sen-”

Naegi started to round on him, but suddenly found himself shoved out of the way as his space was occupied by a furious senior. He knocked the bench completely over when he grabbed Komaeda, leaving him half-hanging in mid air with his feet on the edge of the seat. “What the fuck!? This place is home for some of us!”

“FREEEEEZE!” Nidai shouted, stopping everyone. “Ushizume! Curb your sense of justice until we get some answers!”

The girl, Naegi thought her name might be Owari or something, folded her arms. “Yeah, man. I don't need a sparring partner like you to get suspended.”

That seemed to get through to Ushizume a bit. He drew back slightly, but he didn't release Komaeda yet.

Nagisa looked over his shoulder at his classmate. “Teppei, let him go.”

Ushizume turned his head towards Nagisa, hesitating for a second more before dropping his captive, who flopped backwards onto the ground. He stalked off a short way moodily.

As Komaeda stood back up, unconcernedly brushing his coat off, Owari spoke again. “Geez, Komaeda. You're really getting into some serious shit this time.” Naegi noticed she seemed slightly hesitant to scold him, which was surprising considering what she was doing to that other boy.

Komaeda shrugged. “It's just a little test. Something to help Hope grow. If we can't do that, what's the point of this place?” He turned to Naegi with a smile. “It's no worse than what the school's already done to you, don't you think?”

Naegi glared at him, at a loss for words. This was no game. Komaeda wasn't helping anyone. He was hurting them, in a lot of different ways. Did he really not see that there was more to the school than just Naegi and Kamukura?

“You think that guy's going to protect you from everything?” Owari scowled.

“That's exactly what I think, yes.” Komaeda replied blithely.

She turned her head away in disgust. “Pathetic.”

Komaeda laughed. “Yeah, but people like me can't really help that, can we?”

Nagisa interjected, stepping to the side so he was no longer blocking the two second years. “Why don't you tell them what this is about, Komaeda-kun.”

Komaeda shrugged again. “Sure. It's about what's-his-name, who disappeared. Seems like he was actually murdered.”

Both his classmates were shocked. Owari's fists clenched. “That faker.” She spoke down about the Imposter, but her voice had more than a little pain in it too.

“Now, now.” Nidai said to her. “He was a better person than a lot of people seem to remember these days.”

“Right, right. He deserves justice for what happened.” Komaeda said cheerfully. Then he steepled his fingers, still facing his classmates, but speaking to Naegi. “But it's such a shame. It seems the only person who could possibly be responsible is another student here.” He faced the Hope, holding his hands up at his sides like a pair of scales. “Don't worry. I won't release the video to the public. Not as long as you come up with some kind of convincing answer. So it's entirely up to you. Will you choose the Byakuya Togami who is dead, or the Byakuya Togami who is alive? Justice or Hope? That's a toughy, but then that's why you're here. So there's someone to handle the real tough ones. I guess now we get to see what you're really made of.”

Sitting on the floor at a far corner of the mat, Ushizume grumbled. “If it's murder, you have to reveal the truth.”

Nidai crossed his arms and nodded firmly in agreement. “That's right.”

“Yeah, don't forget that we're here too, listening to this.” Owari said, pointing a finger at the back of Komaeda's head.

The other two were just watching Naegi, Komaeda with expectation, Nagisa with curiosity. Naegi was so fed up with all this. He just wanted it done with. He didn't want to deal with this responsibility. He didn't want to doubt his friends and classmates. He didn't want to have to choose the lesser of two evils. And he didn't want to have to hate this half-mad person standing in front of him.

Anyway, it wouldn't be long now. Speaking with Komaeda, feeling the anger, the desire to go against him, somehow made the proper course clear to Naegi. So he swallowed heavily, turned on his heel and walked out.

Nagisa quickly hurried to catch up to him. “Where are you going?”

Naegi turned his head towards his senior. “I know the answer now.”

Chapter Text

“They're going to the Headmaster's office. If we hurry, we might catch them before it's too late!”

----------

When Naegi strode out of that room, he might have given the other people in the room the impression that he had had a revelation that suddenly told him everything, and he was marching off to dole out justice with supreme confidence. Nothing could be further from the truth. All he had was a little idea. A kernel of possibility that everything starting coalescing around. It all started with Hope. The Hope that he could trust his friends and classmates after all. Ironic that Komaeda had to inspire the idea. It was something he never should have forgotten in the first place. Now pieces of a puzzle he could barely see the shape of were starting to come together. Maybe he was completely wrong, but if that was the case, someone else could handle it from here, because there was nothing else he could come up with.

“Are you going to accuse him?” Under Nagisa's curious eyes, Naegi had just fired off an email asking for Togami to be sent to the Headmaster's office immediately.

But Naegi shook his head at the senior's assumption. “I just want to talk. Get some real answers this time.” He wanted to tell him everything, but he couldn't. Not yet.

When they reached the elevator, Naegi almost balked about getting in, thought about using the stairs that he assumed existed instead. The reason was that there was some chance he was walking into a very confined space with a killer. He suspected that Nagisa Shiota could possibly have killed the Impostor. Maybe. Or maybe he was just focusing too much on the people he had come into contact during the investigation. But he shook his head and tried to put the thought out of his mind. If his overall conclusion was correct, there was nothing to worry about. Besides, there was no way he'd do anything in a monitored elevator, right? Even still, Naegi took a position with his back to one corner of the elevator car. Nagisa hit the button to send them up to the eighth floor.

“You don't actually know anything yet, do you? You were bluffing.” Nagisa suddenly said, facing the door away from Naegi.

“...Is it that obvious?” Naegi lied, trying to sound as convincing as he could. Actually, he thought he had it almost entirely figured out now. If Nagisa saw through the lie, he didn't so much as twitch to show it. Naegi quickly changed the subject. “Hey, there's something I've been wondering about for a while. About your hair... Why do you wear it so long?”

From the side, Naegi could see a bit of embarrassment flash across Nagisa's face before he ducked his head away. “That's a little... Well, I used to wear it short, back in first year. I guess I just let it grow out after that.” He paused. “No, that's not really true. It's just a bit personal. Maybe I'll tell you some other time.”

The two spent the rest of the ride in awkward silence. Then when they reached the eighth floor, it turned out the Headmaster wasn't there. They had to wait a bit longer for him to arrive with Togami, who was looking as cool and collected as always. By the time they all made it into the office, Naegi was getting so anxious that he just blurted out the answer.

“The Impostor isn't dead.”

He was met with stares from the other three. Jin and Nagisa both seemed almost disbelieving. Togami just raised an eyebrow. “Really? And what leads you to that conclusion?”

Naegi bit his lip for a split second. He didn't want them to see how unsure he was, though he would bet that they could tell anyway. He focused on the Headmaster. “That video... wasn't there something weird about it? A couple things, actually. The way the blank parts seemed to coincide with the exact times needed to make it seem like the Impostor was murdered... without actually showing it in any conclusive way. That seems a bit much to be a coincidence, doesn't it?”

Jin leaned back in his chair, raising a hand to his chin. “That blood spray looked pretty convincing.”

Naegi shook his head. “Actually, when we analyzed it, it turned out to have originated too low for it to come from the blow that the video seemed to imply. That wasn't the moment of death.”

Togami had his arms crossed, tapping a finger against his arm. “From just this you conclude that he wasn't killed?”

Naegi twitched in annoyance, turning to face the Scion. “There's more. That ten second gap, before the body disappeared. The camera has a pretty wide angle of view. Unless the killer was very strong, they couldn't have moved such a heavy person's body that quickly. The only way it could have happened is if he got up and ran off himself.” A little trick he'd learned from the academic coliseum. It turned out that his experiences there came in handy after all.

Behind him, Nagisa audibly sighed, but Naegi's attention was fixed on Togami, who wasn't done. “You just suggested that the video could have been tampered with. With that long pause, it could have been shortened from practically any length.”

“No, it could not have.” The Headmaster jumped in, steepling his fingers. “Destroying visual data is possible, but error checking involving the time code prevents that sort of tampering. We would have noticed something in the last uncorrupted section when the body was gone.” So you could remove data, but not change it. He grinned. “He's really not dead.” But then the grin turned into a frown. “He's just been run out of town.”

The Scion rolled his eyes. “That's awfully flimsy. Don't you have anything better?”

Naegi frowned. “It only has to be enough to raise reasonable doubt.” Togami could afford to be a little more helpful, considering this was his problem most of all. Naegi didn't want to deal with his playing around, so he'd skip to a different part of his conclusions. “I know what you're doing.” He said. “This is a test. I thought it was weird that you wouldn't say anything in your defense before. It seemed like you were admitting being involved without saying anything directly. But that wasn't it. You were testing me to see if I'd jump to that conclusion when I couldn't find any definitive answers. Isn't that right?”

Togami stared him down for a moment longer, before closing his eyes with a smug smile. “Well, well. So the last trial wasn't a fluke after all.”

The Headmaster frowned at the student in question. “Togami-kun, I'd rather you weren't so obstructive. That's risky behavior, you know.”

Naegi's teeth clenched. “Actually, maybe I should have expected it. His AI counterpart did the same thing.” It was a bit of a jab at his classmate, saying a computer could have predicted his actions like that.

Togami's eyes half-opened. “If I had denied any involvement, what possible reason could you have had for believing me?”

“I didn't say you weren't involved.” Naegi said, still annoyed that Togami wasn't going to just explain it all. “I still think you hired the second person we saw in the video.”

Togami slowly looked at him again. “I see. Prove it.”

Proving it... was impossible. The evidence they had wasn't nearly clear enough. Still, maybe he could get a confession. He turned his back on Togami to speak to the other student in the room. This was something he didn't want to be right about. “Nagisa-senpai... I think you did it.”

Nagisa blinked multiple times in surprise. “Me?” He said in an extremely convincing confusion. For a moment Naegi was super jealous at how much better other people were at lying compared to him.

But he suppressed that and laid out the facts. “That .10 caliber bullet we found in the wall. I still have almost no idea what it might mean, since you said it was fired in the last few days. The only thing I can think of is that it was meant to be a message for you, from the people who sent the video.”

“What message?” Nagisa asked, furrowing his brow.

Naegi bit his lip again. “I don't know. Maybe they were trying to provoke you into doing something rash? Where did you recognize it from?” He glanced to the side at the Headmaster. Jin was leaning forward intently, with no doubt showing on his face at all.

Nagisa visibly hesitated before answering. “I told you that a bullet that size could be fired out of a gun small enough to fit into the bones of your pointer finger. I once knew someone who had such a gun implanted.”

Naegi cringed, disturbed and disgusted. Still, that explanation was obviously suspicious. Where would he meet such a person? “Togami-kun once told me that he has an assassin in his employ at this school. I doubt such a person would be hired as a teacher, so it must be a student who was here last year, and still here now. During breakfast this morning... this may be really weak, but it seemed like you were... familiar with the kind of food Togami-kun eats. Even Hanamura-senpai's cooking doesn't compare to it, but you acted like it was nothing special. Like you eat with him often. A while ago, you told me you used to have a different title. One that you didn't like. And then you used that same word, 'assassin,' to refer to the presumed murderer during the investigation.” He took a deep breath, unsure of himself under Nagisa's neutral gaze. “Nagisa-senpai... was your original title Super Duper High School Assassin?”

The slender young man stared in silence. “...Yes.”

Naegi released a heavy breath he didn't realize he was holding. That was it, then. There was one more thing he absolutely had to ask, but he was afraid of what the answer might be. “...How many people have you killed?”

To that, Nagisa answered matter-of-factly. “One.”

Naegi was utterly taken aback. “One!?”

Nagisa narrowed his eyes and smiled jadedly. “You sound disappointed.”

Naegi didn't know what answers he expected or could have accepted, but though even a single death was bad, he had to admit that that number had taken him off guard. “How do you get to be SDHS Assassin by only killing one person?”

“Depends on who it is.” Nagisa said, still so casual. When he noticed Naegi obviously trying to remember what famous person had been assassinated in the last 2-5 years, he waved him off. “Don't bother trying to figure out who it was. I guarantee it's nobody you've ever heard of.”

Next, Naegi rounded on the Headmaster. “You knew, though. You knew he might be involved, and you still put him on a team with me without telling me anything!”

Jin shook his head. “No. I was extremely confident that Shiota-kun wouldn't kill again, and at the time I really did believe that the Imposter was murdered. So there you go.”

Naegi frowned. “How could you be so sure?”

“Because it would be beneath my abilities.” Nagisa said.

Togami scoffed. “More like your prices are beyond exorbitant. Even I can't easily afford hiring him for an assassination.”

Jin looked slightly amused. “Don't let the title of assassin mislead you. Shiota-kun is a hero. More than that I cannot say. It's classified at the highest levels by international treaty.”

Naegi had never heard of such a thing. “But Togami-kun knows about it, doesn't he?”

“Of course.” Togami said, but his voice was lowered without a trace of its usual smugness. “But there are some things you are very much better off not knowing.”

“There's something else.” Nagisa said, facing Naegi directly. “You got into an elevator with me when you thought I might be a murderer. Are you crazy?”

Naegi raised his hands placatingly. “You wouldn't have done anything. There was a camera watching.”

Nagisa full-on blanched and lowered his head into his hand. “I installed another trojan into the security system when we were in there! Just in case I needed to make a quick exit. I attached a fob to a USB port that'll let me activate it at any time.”

...Oh. It totally hadn't occurred to Naegi that he might have done that. “So... you were the one who messed with the security system the first time?”

But the senior shook his head in denial. “No. The Impostor did. But whoever recorded the video, probably Kamukura, must have had a similar device, and activated it when they noticed the Impostor slipping out of class. Then they simply would have needed to retrieve it before anybody realized what was wrong, which took quite a while.”

At that point, Jin suddenly stood from his chair and moved to stare out the window at the grounds, not even bothering to ask for confirmation that Kamukura was responsible for the incident.

Naegi watching him, waiting for him to say anything, but when Jin didn't, he moved on to his other questions. “So, Togami-kun didn't hire you to kill the Impostor... just to get him to leave?” Naegi guessed.

“Something like that.” Nagisa said.

Togami explained, starting to sound quietly angry. “I received an anonymous tip, informing me of the Impostor's existence. Obviously, if he was allowed to continue it would embarrass me and my family. So I hired Nagisa to drive him off. The first of quite a few jobs I would use him for.”

“It was quite a surprise to meet the real Byakuya Togami, though I didn't know the Impostor very well.” Nagisa continued. “I investigate him for a month before making my move. Which was simple. I approached him and told him I'd heard someone was planning to kill him, and he should disappear. But Togami-kun wanted more. To really scare him, as a punishment. So I watched him from a distance, looking for signs that he was about to leave. During that time, I saw him sneak into the security room in disguise, and it wasn't hard for me to do the same. I found his trojan, set to activate at a specific time, which told me when I needed to be ready to intercept him. On the day in question, I slipped out of class and put my plan in motion. You see, the Impostor wore glasses with a similar correction factor to Togami-kun's own, even though he didn't need them.”

“Why would he do that?” Naegi interrupted.

Nagisa cocked his head slightly. “Have you ever seen glasses with flat lenses? They're pretty obvious. Anyway, the stress they placed on his eyes meant even if he took them off, he wouldn't be able to see perfectly. So I used optical illusions that would have looked like nothing to a person with normal vision, or when seen up close, to drive him in the direction where I waited in camouflage. Then I attacked him, tripped him and knocked him down to make sure he knew I could kill him at any time, before allowing him to escape. Then I used a chemical to clean away the blood on the surface level, and that was that.”

Naegi nodded, not sure how he should feel about all that. It wasn't murder, but it was still clearly wrong. “But, one thing I can't figure out. Why the blood? It didn't come from either of you, so...”

“Ah. Blood bag. Donated by the real deal. To suggest that the Impostor was a twin passing himself off as older. Or a clone or something” Nagisa looked a little sheepish. “I know I told you that in real crimes there usually isn't so much in the way of framing other people as you'd expect, but as with all things there's a wrong way and a right way to do it. In the absence of any video evidence, the blood would have been extremely curious, but not questionable, and combined with a small number of other planted clues it would have subtly pointed towards Beijing – that is, the Chinese intelligence service. Not in a conclusive way. That would have seemed suspicious, considering how good the Chinese are at this sort of thing. But just enough to suggest the explanation, and throw any investigators of both my track and the Impostor's. There was just one little hiccup in that plan.”

“...Nobody ever found the blood?” Naegi inferred.

“Nobody ever found the blood. Almost like they didn't try very hard.” Nagisa said, making Jin sigh. “So all the other planted clues, I cleaned up afterward.”

Togami clicked his tongue. “After that, I got into contact with Hope's Peak, which after extensive negotiations agreed to offer me an invitation to attend.”

“...So that really did happen behind the scenes.” Naegi sighed. Unfortunately, that part of Nagisa's proposed conspiracy theory was true.

“It's okay.” Jin said, turning back to face them. “We can deal with that much. The school was not involved in the Impostor's disappearance, and there was no cover up. That is enough.”

Togami now placed a thoughtful hand on his chin. “But about that anonymous tip, it seems that someone has been planing this from the start.”

Jin nodded, looking grim. “Tipping you off, knowing you would retaliate in some way. Then waiting for you to come here, only to spring the trap of your own actions and the apparent impropriety of your admission to the school. That sounds exactly like the kind of plot Izuru Kamukura comes up with when he's particularly bored.”

Naegi crossed his arms, looking down uncertainly. “But we didn't see any signs of him being involved. Only Nagito Komaeda.”

“Perhaps...” Jin started hesitantly. “Sending us the advance warning, giving us a time limit, that sounds like Komaeda-kun's style.”

Naegi frowned. “He's trouble.”

The Headmaster sighed. “Yes. In fact... No, I'll tell you later.” He turned to Naegi and Nagisa both with a forced smile. “Well done, you two. You don't have to worry about this matter any further. I'll pass along your solution to the people who need to know, as well as Komaeda-kun. You're all dismissed. Enjoy the rest of your day.”

Naegi sighed heavily in relief, immediately turning to leave. After lunch, he'd have to go see Tsumiki, try to get an anti-anxiety pill or something.

With his longer legs, Togami was able to move up next to him easily. “A fine showing. You're every bit as good as I expected.”

Naegi paused and faced him, having to lean back slightly to look him in the eye. “I don't like being jerked around, Togami-kun.”

The Scion held up a hand with a little smile. “It will never happen again, I promise.”

Staring at him, he seemed honest enough. Naegi was willing to leave it be. He glanced back at the door. The little pause had allowed Nagisa to cut ahead of them. Naegi frowned. He really didn't know what to make of the senior now. Nagisa seemed so much like Naegi himself. Kind, thoughtful, and observant. Yet now he realized there was this huge part of the other boy's life he knew nothing about. And that he was apparently capable of things Naegi couldn't imagine doing. Yet even now he seemed so normal. Naegi couldn't see anything threatening about him at all.

At the door, Nagisa paused. Naegi thought he was about to say something. But then he suddenly spun around, shoving both Naegi and Togami away just as someone burst through the doors. Nagisa immediately went down on his back, with a dark-haired whirlwind pouncing on him. Flashes Naegi couldn't even begin to follow came down on the senior, but his arms were up in an instant. Naegi couldn't comprehend what he was seeing. Ikusaba was straddling Nagisa on her knees, trying to push her knives down past his guard, not letting up pressure for an instant. Her face was controlled, but filled with rage. Nagisa was the complete opposite, looking earnest and regretful.

“Ikusaba-san.” He said with such honesty. “I'm so sorry.” He seemed like he meant it. Seemed.

Ikusaba hesitated. In that moment, she lost. Naegi's mind shrieked when his friend's face turned to pure murder in an instant. Before his eyes, even though Ikusaba was in a position of strength, he could see a colossal snake wrapped around her body, ready to strike with dripping fangs. Nagisa jolted, and she was flipped off him sideways, landing on her back. Before she even hit the ground, Nagisa was rolling on top of her, jabbing a finger at her throat, just above her collarbone. If he had chosen to strike her for real like that, it would have crushed her windpipe.

The Assassin's face was lowered next to Ikusaba's ear. “Next time, bring your A game. I might have to try.”

That was the last a disbelieving Naegi heard before Togami grabbed him by the arms and bundled him away. He tried to call out to her, while the Headmaster rushed to their side.

“Not now.” Togami growled, trying to force a struggling Naegi to safety.

Outside the office, as he was being half-dragged to the elevator, Naegi just happened to glance down one of the side hallways. Komaeda was there, casually leaning against a wall. He gave Naegi a grin and a little wave. At that point, Naegi stopped resisting. Even if he got away now, he wouldn't go to Ikusaba. He'd try to hit Komaeda with a shoulder tackle instead. And that wasn't what he should be doing. That Komaeda... Something had to be done about him. Once in the elevator, it wasn't panic that made his hands shake this time.

Later, he found out Ikusaba had been suspended and moved to the preparatory school's dormitory pending further review. She was forbidden any contact with him, Nagisa or Komaeda until further notice. He felt bad for her, and wished they'd had a chance to speak. It wasn't entirely her fault, he was sure. But he felt worse for Nagisa, who now went about school with a dark cloud constantly above his head. There was no doubt that he had been affected by the violent encounter in some way.

And the cherry on top of it all was the email the Headmaster sent him later that night.

----------

From: J. Kirigiri
To: M. Naegi :)
Subject: You should know

There was something I couldn't tell you today in front of Shiota-kun and Togami-kun. It's about Komaeda-kun. When I told you the problems you had at the beginning of the year were because of money, I left out that more specifically it was because of money he cost us, along with other things. He has long been a troublemaker. I didn't mention it because I didn't want you to think poorly of him. He's had a difficult life. However, considering recent developments, there doesn't seem much point in keeping this from you any longer.

It's likely that under normal circumstances he would have been expelled, however Kamukura has placed him under his protection. The board is not willing to go against their Hope, for whatever reason. Deference, fear, I don't know. Just keep that in mind for whatever you might be thinking of doing about either of them.

Chapter Text

“He did well... I think.”

“...”

“You don't agree, Janus? He resolved the situation quickly and cleanly enough. Though he could have been a little more careful with his personal safety.”

“Yeah... That's what I have a problem with. The Headmaster could have provided a bit more protection.”

“Perhaps. But someone like him should be expected to take care of himself.”

“Not everyone can. Not from every threat. That's just common sense. If everyone had to be strong enough to protect themselves, it would end up being a waste of an awful lot of man hours.”

“He's Hope.”

“He's still a kid. A student. He's still learning... Like all of us, right?”

“...”

“...Maybe I should make contact with some of his friends. Ask them to keep an eye out for him.”

“I think they're already starting to do that. It would be foolish to blow your cover that way.”

“W-Well, yeah, but... Look, I can disguise emails to make them look like they're coming from somewhere else. Everyone would think someone else came up with the idea, and even if they thought to investigate it, they'd probably assume he has some secret protector. I doubt they'd guess an AI was responsible.”

“That does seem unlikely. Which makes this all the more interesting.”

“In... what way?”

“Even though it put you at risk, your first thought was to find a way to assist him. You two are quite alike... I think.”

“...”

“Don't look so happy. What will you do if he gets himself into real trouble some time?”

“...Hope it turns out for the best?”

“...Was that a joke?”

“...I think it was a pun. I'm sorry.”

“...I wonder if that's part of your nature as Hope.”

“...?”

“To sacrifice yourself for others.”

“...Only if there's a chance it will save someone. And of course he'll always fight to survive regardless. Hope is Hope for yourself too.”

“I wonder if anyone told him that.”

----------

Naegi lay face-up on his bed, fully dressed for the day in baggy black cargo shorts and a gray-hooded yellow t-shirt, with red and white stripes that went up the outside of the right arm, diagonally across the chest and back, and down the side of his chest and inside of the left sleeve. He had one hand folded behind his head, while the other held up his ElectroiD. He had been thinking about the Headmaster's last email, the one where he revealed that Nagito Komaeda had been partially responsible for the school's money situation. Well, he was probably only responsible for a small part of it, but had been enough to make Naegi and the SDHS Luckster lottery into priority targets.

Luck was a funny thing, he thought. He had never thought himself particularly lucky. Well, not exceptionally lucky, at least. He knew that he was lucky to be born into comfortable wealth in a prosperous country during the most peaceful era in human history. But somehow he won a lottery, got sent to the best school in the country, and then because of the actions of his predecessor who he had never met he got caught up in a power struggle, but not only emerged (kind of) stronger, he had even been 'promoted'. And he never knew about any of it until it was over.

Thanks to that, he had been thrust into the spotlight among a student body that was filled to bursting with extraordinary people with powerful personalities. They gave him a lot of opportunities that were, to say the least, interesting. But he had little to no idea of what to do with them, or what he should do with himself. He still felt utterly unprepared. And yet everyone seemed to think that whatever he touched turned to gold. He really had no idea what to make of it all.

Sighing, he rolled out of bed and padded across the room in his ankle socks to where his shoes were set beside the door to shuffle them on (leaving one only loosely tied). Actually, what he thought earlier wasn't quite accurate. In the short term, there were things he badly wanted to do, people he needed to talk to in private. Fujisaki was number one on that list, ever since Naegi had let on that he knew the cross-dresser's secret. There was just one problem with that.

“Good morning, Naegi-kun!” Ishimaru cheerfully greeted him the moment he opened his door.

“...Good morning, Ishimaru-kun.” Naegi said, trying not to sigh again.

“I just happened to be passing by on my way to breakfast. Shall we go together?” The Prefect offered in a somewhat scripted tone, before walking off down the straight hall towards the foyer and exit without waiting for an answer.

After the incident with Ikusaba, his classmates had established a sort of Naegi watch, having someone keep an eye on him pretty much all the time whenever he was out of his room. Not that they told him they were doing that, but it was impossible to miss. The time Oogami followed him after class into one of the school's unisex restrooms had been a rather surprising experience. Afterward, they had an awkward conversation where Oogami expounded on the benefits of squat toilets. This had gone on for days, heading into the second week of June.

It was... nice of them, but more than a little frustrating, and today was no different. He had little choice but to play along as Ishimaru shuttled him to his destination, making innocuous small talk about their classes. Any time he brought it up, whoever was with him would feign ignorance and leave, only to be replaced moments later by someone else. Making excuses for going off on his own didn't work either. Unless he wasn't doing it properly.

And so he had come up with a plan.

“Huh? I lost my shoe.” Naegi suddenly said right as they were about to leave the dormitory corridor.

...Okay, so it wasn't a particularly good plan.

“What?” Ishimaru asked in confused surprise, turning around to look. Sure enough, one of Naegi's red sneakers was missing from his feet. “Where did you lose it?”

Naegi looked around for a second as if he didn't know, before pointing back down the corridor. “Over there.” In fact, he had toed it off only a short distance from his door. He felt terribly silly and slightly nervous about it, but this was all he could come up with.

Ishimaru blinked, clearly not knowing what to think about this. “How did you walk all this way without noticing your shoe had fallen off?”

“Well, I was thinking about something.” Naegi said guilelessly, just as he had rehearsed. “Anyway, I'll just jog back and get it. You go ahead, okay?”

As expected, Ishimaru paused, unsure of what to say. “No, it's fine. We can go together?”

Naegi smiled and patted him on the shoulder, subtly turning him towards the exit. “You don't have to. I'll be right behind you. Okay?” Before Ishimaru could respond, he started walking back, but not too fast.

The way the dorms were designed, the building had one long corridor with rooms branching off on either side. That corridor met the foyer at a corner, and the entrance was a quarter turn from that point, with an open space with chairs, plants, water fountains, and other typical waiting room things. Opposite the entrance, there were janitorial and utility rooms, as well as elevators. On higher floors, there were lounges and game rooms in their place. Plus, there was a stairwell at either end of the building.

Naegi's hope was that Ishimaru would sit down while waiting for him to return, which would put Naegi out of his sight. Then he could sneak up to the second floor and speak with Fujisaki like he'd promised himself. He'd noticed that Fujisaki usually showed up late for breakfast, so he should still be in his room. If not him... Maizono lived on the second floor too. As did Enoshima. Either of them would likely be up there as well. He wasn't sure what he would even say to them, but he just needed to do something with himself while he had the opportunity, because he might not get another for a while.

By the time Naegi reached his shoe halfway down the corridor, he thought enough time must have passed for Ishimaru to get tired of standing around. Slowly, he turned his head to peek over his shoulder. Nobody was there. It actually worked! More than half of him had expected it not to.

Grinning to himself, he turned back to put his shoe on. But as soon as he did, the smile was wiped away by a hand going over his mouth.

“Shh!” Oowada quieted Naegi before he could even yelp. The much taller boy was looking right over Naegi's head at the foyer as well. “I need to talk to ya, without your guard dogs around.”

Naegi had been startled by the Outlaw Biker's sudden appearance, enough to easily make his daily quota of adrenaline, but it sounded like Oowada needed his help. He apologized to Fujisaki in his head as he nodded his assent.

----------

From: K. Ishimaru
To: Hope Protection Committee
Subject: Urgent

Crane is in the air. Other fowl also present. Meet me in dormitory first floor lobby.

----------

From: Home Run
To: Hope Protection Committee
Subject: RE:Urgent

Wht

Come on man what are u doing

This whole thing was ur idea

----------

From: B. Togami
To: Hope Protection Committee
Subject: RE:Urgent

Calm down. I will alert Fujisaki. She will find him.

----------

From: Home Run
To: Hope Protection Committee
Subject: RE:Urgent

Hopefully before tsumiki hears about this

----------

From: M. Tsumiki
To: Hope Protection Committee
Subject: RE:Urgent

I WILL CRUCIFY YOU ALL

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From: Home Run
To: Hope Protection Committee
Subject: RE:Urgent

Too late lol

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From: S. Oogami
To: Hope Protection Committee
Subject: RE:Urgent

Do we suspect he is in danger?

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From: Home Run
To: Hope Protection Committee
Subject: RE:Urgent

Uh yea thats what other fowl means like foul play dont u know the code nobodys using

----------

From: K. Ishimaru
To: Hope Protection Committee
Subject: RE:Urgent

We will talk about that later.

----------

From: Caramelega
To: Hope Protection Committee
Subject: RE:Urgent

Skoll sleeps in her den.

----------

From: K. Ishimaru
To: Hope Protection Committee
Subject: RE:Urgent

Thank you for confirming that.

----------

From: S. Oogami
To: Hope Protection Committee
Subject: RE:Urgent

I am guarding the back entrance. Asahina-san is moving to front.

----------

From: B. Togami
To: Hope Protection Committee
Subject: RE:Urgent

I have checked his room, but there are no signs he is there.

----------

From: B. Togami
To: Hope Protection Committee
Subject: RE:Urgent

Fujisaki says the emergency door has been opened.

----------

From: B. Togami
To: Hope Protection Committee
Subject: RE:Urgent

I see tracks. They're outside.

----------

From: B. Togami
To: Hope Protection Committee
Subject: RE:Urgent

Also Tsumiki is here. Can someone please take her off my hands?

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From: B. Togami
To: Hope Protection Committee
Subject: RE:Urgent

Right now

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From: Home Run
To: Hope Protection Committee
Subject: RE:Urgent

Sports ground empty

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From: K. Ishimaru
To: Hope Protection Committee
Subject: RE:Urgent

Central courtyard empty.

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From: A. Asahina
To: Hope Protection Committee
Subject: RE:Urgent

I don't see him anywhere.

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From: B. Togami
To: Hope Protection Committee
Subject: RE:Urgent

Kuwata, get the greenhouses.

Ishimaru, join Asahina, then search the south side.

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Meanwhile, outside the staff building on the north side of the school...

Naegi glanced over at Oowada, who was setting a quick pace next to him. His nerves were still a little on edge after the scare he had earlier, but he was learning to weather them. There was something up with his classmate, he was sure of it. His face was tense with anger and determination, but his eyes kept shifting about. Naegi wasn't sure what to make of him. He seemed to have his heart in the right place during the school trial. And he was, like, ninety percent confident that he didn't have to worry about Oowada's temper. “So... what's going on?” He asked carefully.

Oowada stopped and turned, taking a breath, but he paused before saying anything. “...Got a favor to ask ya.”

Naegi blinked. “If I can help, sure.” He had no idea how he could, though. Not with the business of a biker gang.

Shoving his hands into the pockets of his black longcoat, Oowada looked around. “Ya heard about that thing that happened, right?”

Nodding slowly, Naegi figured it had to be about 'that'.

1. His brother died
>2. The concert kiss
3. Cheese it fellas, it's the fuzz!

“That's it! You mean the kiss during the concert with Maizono-san's group... I didn't know you're-”

“I'm not.” Oowada interrupted quickly, sounding slightly annoyed, like he'd been asked about that a lot. “Yukimaru is. That was his idea. Guy's one of my best, but he's got a skull built like a brick shithouse. For good or bad. So we got handed this long list of rules by the academy people 'bout how we're supposed to act during the show, and one of them was something like 'no deviant behavior' or whatever. So Yukimaru gets it in his head that when folks have sensibilities like that, they deserve to be offended, and once he starts thinking something like that, there's no stopping him, and no shutting him up. He ain't shy about voicing his opinion. Only thing to do is say yes. And if we're gonna do something like that, we're gonna do it right, so as the boss I stepped up.”

Naegi briefly wondered at Oowada's vocabulary. He seemed to throw out words like 'sensibilities' and 'decorum' surprisingly often.

Oowada jabbed his thumb over his shoulder at the staff building. “But then these assholes start whining 'bout a breach of contract. Like anyone actually cared 'cept them. They don't wanna listen to me, and I've got nothing on them. So... I need you to do your thing.”

“What thing?” Naegi asked, furrowing his brow.

Oowada waved his hand at the building awkwardly. “Y'know, talk to them. Get them to give up what they owe us.”

“I've never actually done anything like that before.” Plus, he wasn't sure he wanted to get into a fight with the board today. When he planned his escape from his classmates, that wasn't what he had in mind.

It was a surprise when Oowada put his hands on Naegi's shoulders. “Listen, man. 's just a bunch of old guys, and they're all scared shitless of you. Ya got this.”

“Is it really that important? How much money were you supposed to get?” Naegi asked curiously.

Oowada shrugged a bit. “Depends how many tickets they sold. They said our cut would probably be about eight million. But the money's not what's important.”

Naegi thought that an eight million yen share sounded like an awful lot for a single concert, but then again, it was Hope's Peak. Still, that wasn't what was important?

The hands on Naegi's shoulders tightened, and Oowada leaned in until his hair almost touched Naegi's forehead. “This is about respect. We don't usually do that kinda thing, puttin' on a show. We went out on a limb for 'em, and now the board's slapping us in the face? Not gonna let that slide. And some a my guys, they ain't thrilled that I'm goin' to a top school like this in the first place. Ever since my brother...” He trailed off, looking to the side with an unreadable expression.

Right. Oowada's brother, who founded the Crazy Diamonds. It probably wasn't all that long since he passed away. Naegi found his heart softening to the request. He knew how important the gang was to Oowada. If he was having problems with them... It wasn't like it would cost Naegi anything to just talk to the board. Right? Even if it was to help out a gang. Of outlaw bikers. The largest in Japan.

...Sometimes, Naegi just had to wonder about his life. After all, this wasn't the academic coliseum. Getting along wasn't a literal life-or-death necessity.

“Okay, I'll do it.” He decided. Honestly, despite any reservations he might have, even if Oowada wasn't exactly a friend yet, just the fact that someone came specifically to him for help felt good. Especially since it wasn't a murder or a suicide or something awful like that.

Oowada immediately wrapped an arm over Naegi's shoulder in a sideways hug, making the shorter boy cringe a bit at the overly familiar touch. “Thanks, man. I owe you a huge favor.”

“It's fine.” Naegi said, shrugging the arm off, trying to make a friendly smile. “You don't owe me anything. I'm happy to help.”

But unexpectedly, Oowada's expression turned down. “No, I owe you one.” He said firmly. “I don't do charity, see. This isn't me begging you for help. It's a deal.”

“Oh... I see.” Naegi said. He didn't really, but people seemed to be willing to let him get away with that kind of lie. He guessed it was something about saving face, and looking strong for his gang. That felt likely, considering who this was. “Well then... I guess I'll keep that in mind for when I need a hand.” Whenever that may be. Actually, now that he thought about it, with his luck it seemed pretty likely that he'd be using that favor before long.

“Alright, then hurry up and go already!” Oowada turned Naegi and gave him a push towards the staff building. “Board does a meeting every morning, so now's your chance. There's no telling when your pets are gonna get a clue.”

Naegi ignored that comment as he took in the staff building. The main buildings of the school all had a red brick facade in front of modern additions of steel and glass. They seemed even larger than they were, and radiated glory. This building was the opposite. It looked about three stories tall, and was made almost entirely of brick. There were lots of windows, but they were all small and square. Under a small rain shelter, the front doors were made of painted metal, with their handles the only ornamentation on the structure, being designed in the shape of the Hope's Peak emblem, the black and white shield with crossed pen and... Monobear eye. The compacted dirt path leading up to it had a few faint indentations, which he thought might be from being repeatedly driven over by segways. Or maybe tricycles?

It was strange. Not what he expected. He thought the place the school's board of directors met would be more ornate, more decadent, more... tacky, really. This was just boring. He wondered what the reason was. Not wanting to draw attention to themselves? Not wanting to seem like they were competing with the students? He couldn't say. But that made it easier for him to work up the gall to walk towards the place confidently, and open the doors without hiding behind them.

The lobby inside was a bit better, but still pretty understated. It was a wide room, lit by a pair of big, round upwards-projecting light fixtures and wall sconces. The sides of the room were half green patterned wallpaper and half wood. To both the right and left of the entrance were chairs set along the walls, cushioned, but looking somewhat worse for the wear. There was also a multi-leveled water fountain, with parts that moved up and down, causing the water to cascade in different ways (It was designed by a former Super Duper High Schooler, and the different speeds and distances the parts moved meant that it took longer than human history for it to cycle through to the same state). And, he particularly noted, not one but two coffee stains on the coarse gray-blue carpet. A newer red carpet was rolled out between the doors and the front desk, made of mahogany with forward-bulging bronze piece facing Naegi, equipped with two computer monitors, and a certain hard-to-forget face.

“You!?” Naegi said in surprise. “Tamamo-no-Mae!?”

The squint-eyed man with black hair slicked back, reaching down to the base of his neck in a tapered point, looked up from his work. “I'm sorry? My name is-”

“I thought the Headmaster fired you.” Naegi interrupted with an edge in his voice. This man, nicknamed by Maizono after a legendary fox demon that brought corruption and disaster, was formerly Headmaster Kirigiri's secretary, until it came to light that he was the one to carry out the board's orders to place Naegi into the simulator at the beginning of the year.

Tamamo-no-Mae brushed something off the shoulder of his pinstriped, dark burgundy suit, but he did it without looking, as if it was just a gesture. Then he leaned forward and resting his chin on his steepled hands. He was smiling, but he did not look pleased. “Found a different job. Headmaster only has control of his own staff. That's why I'm here. More interesting question is why are you? Students aren't allowed in here without business.”

Naegi twitched. This man didn't like Naegi. Understandably. But did Naegi dislike him? Well yes, but did he forgive him? Tamamo-no-Mae had only been following orders. Though when Naegi thought about it in those terms, he instantly came to the conclusion that that kind of lazy morality was no excuse.

Naegi swallowed, and did his best to keep his nerves out of his voice. “I do have business. With the board of directors. I'm here to speak to them on behalf of a friend.” He tried his best to be polite, but firm.

Tamamo-no-Mae's lips twitched, but he seemed unmoved. “Afraid the board's busy. In a meeting, can't be disturbed.”

“They meet every morning, don't they? So they can't have that much to talk about.” Naegi countered, already starting to get annoyed with the run-around he could see in his near future. When he got no response he continued. “I could just walk in, say my piece, and leave.”

“Could you?” Tamamo-no-Mae smirked. “Do you see any ways out of this room besides the one you came through?”

Naegi blinked and looked around. Tamamo-no-Mae was right. He wanted to punch himself for missing that particularly obvious detail. “So... you're blocking me?” He hadn't meant that he would go around the fox-faced man, just that he would be in and out if he was let in.

Tamamo-no-Mae sat back in his chair with a casual air that did little to conceal his smugness. “Doubt the board will be willing to meet with you today... or ever. And just so you know, my desk does have a number of hidden buttons. One of them opens the way in. Rest of them activate a number of interesting security features.” He opened his eyes slightly. “Care to try your Luck?”

Naegi felt a chill in the back of his neck. Of course, this man was one of the few who knew his original title. But he disregarded the attempt at intimidation. There was a deal in place to keep that information a secret. He wouldn't reveal it. In fact, Naegi was going to call his bluff.

Putting his hands in his pockets, feeling his ElectroiD in one, Naegi spoke with a neutral face. “I could call my classmates over. I bet they'd find it pretty funny that the board is hiding from me.”

That shut the fox man up. At this point, Naegi was confident that the others wouldn't believe he was once the Luckster unless it came from his own mouth or was backed up by solid proof, and Tamamo-no-Mae would not violate the deal that blatantly. The board was not in a good position. Neither the political shitstorm the Headmaster would unleash nor the loss of face in the eyes of their students were things they wanted to deal with. Naegi felt rather proud of himself for coming up with that one. He awarded himself a golden star.

“...Take a seat.” Tamamo-no-Mae finally said, still maintaining his fake smile with his eyes as thin slits. “I will pass along your message, and have an answer for you shortly.”

Chapter Text

Naegi sat somewhere he could watch the fountain go. There weren't magazines or anything, just chairs. He found himself wringing his hands as time slowly passed. They had to be playing with him, letting him stew in anxiousness. Not much he could do, though. He'd played his hand. So he let time pass. Half and hour? An hour? He wasn't sure. The fountain was kind of hypnotic, though. It sometimes did this thing where one of its parts would make water spout in a way that looked like a bird flapping its wings. And another did this sort of water pinwheel thing. It amazed him that it never spilled a drop off the lowest level, which was about a meter wide. Actually, it left him feeling pretty calm. He loved to be reminded that there was so much cool stuff in the world. By the time Tamamo-no-Mae spoke to him again, he was ready to go, after just a couple deep breaths.

If Naegi was expecting a hidden door in the wall or floor, that wasn't exactly what he got. Instead, an entire corner of the wall rose into the ceiling. The moving section was thick and multi-layered, kind of like an L-bent elevator door. He walked through into a larger room, which was dimly lit, but not too dim. This was because, as he was immediately shocked to see, it wrapped all the way around the lobby, and the wall between them was somehow transparent on this side, as if it were a two-way mirror. But there was nothing like a mirror in the lobby, let alone one that went all the way around. And it definitely was not any kind of projection. Only by looking closely could he see some kind of distortion in the transparent surface. He had no idea how they had managed to accomplish such a thing.

But his amazement was interrupted by a message on his ElectroiD. He had been receiving quite a few from the classmates he had ditched. While he was waiting, he had responded to them that he was fine without telling where he was, just so they wouldn't worry too much (A futile effort. Togami was quick to point out to the others that someone else could be using Naegi's ElectroiD). However this one was different. It came from the security desk in the staff building, with instructions to follow the blue line to his destination. He only had to wonder for a moment what blue line they meant, before the wall lit up with just what he was looking for. The line ran down the outer wall of the viewing gallery to the halfway point, then turned a corner to head further into the building.

Having a guide instead of relying on instructions was handy, he supposed, but a map would have been better. The building wasn't exactly a maze, but everything seemed to be splitting hallways, twisting and turning with no doors to be seen. That had to be a major pain when it came to getting around, right? It just increased the distance between A, B and C. What were they so worried about? Was it paranoia? Or maybe it was just their style. Naegi could just imagine it, the board huddling up in their super special fort like a bunch of kids, but being embarrassed so they hid it in a really boring building where nobody would look. The thought made him chuckle a bit.

But there was something else. Something slightly eerie. There seemed to be a slight amount of grime all over the tile floors. Most dirt getting tracking in from outside would be wiped off in the lobby. Yet there was still just a bit of a mess that must have built up over a long time. The walls too seemed less polished, or less finished, or something. It went beyond not having enough money for cleaning staff. The halls had a certain air about them Naegi couldn't quite put words to. A certain lack of care, or attention.

It took all too long to reach his destination. The blue guide line terminated at the entrance to a long, straight corridor with only a single set of doors at the very end, no other rooms or branches, and an old-looking intercom unit on the wall next to them. The doors were simple, plain wood, with nothing in particular to suggest what was on the other side, but some sense of foreboding came from the other side, completely different from the feeling in the rest of the building. Naegi thought he might pause to collect himself one last time right before entering wherever he was to go, but instead he stopped as soon as he could see around that last corner, his head turned 90 degrees, staring like a deer in headlights.

He was really going to do this. Walk in there and stare down a group of people very, very much more powerful than one would expect of a school's board of directors. Graduates of Hope's Peak were leaders in every field you could name, and many remained publicly associated with the school. That influence wouldn't be brought to bear today, but that sense of power, of importance, radiated from their den.

Somehow, though it might be fitting that he had come here on behalf of someone else, he hadn't thought that the first time he found himself here would be over something... well, relatively minor. Not that the matter at hand did anything to reduce the sense of intimidation. It felt like standing in front of those crimson velvet doors that stood before the elevator down to Monobear's court room, far more than his actual real world trial experience. Even if nobody was forcing him at that moment, there was absolutely no turning back if he wanted to be taken seriously ever again. And he was pretty sure that he did want to be taken seriously.

With one more heavy breath that might have passed for a huff or a sigh, he turned and walked forward with his head held high. Overthinking things would only sabotage him right now. He had no idea what he was going to say to them, but that was hardly unusual for him, and he wasn't likely to think of anything brilliant over the next few meters. He figured he'd start with "Please pay my friend what you owe him" and go on from there.

As he approached, a red light on one of the door handles turned green with a beep. Apparently they were ready for him, and he was expected to go right in. By chance, stopping to put his thoughts in order before he came too close seemed to be the right thing to do. As was his way, he pulled open only one door instead of both, and stepped into the utter darkness and air heavy with presence beyond. And so, he was admitted to the presence of the board of directors of Hope's Peak Academy.

For a moment he was walking blind as his eyes adjusted. All he could see was a small red rectangle, seeming to hang in the air at chest height, attached to something like a witness box. It wasn't hard to figure out what it was for. He fished his ElectoiD out of the hip pocket of his shorts and set it in the slot, where it clicked into place. Only then did the room light up. Bright white light came from above and below him, but even more noticeable were the images displayed on the walls.

To his right were two pages of Naegi's digital ID card, blown up to massive size, smiling down at him, eyes gleaming with excitement at the thought of where he'd soon be attending school. Naegi found himself sending a small smile back, though his eyes showed more bitter nostalgia than anything else. Well, he liked to think that he had a more mature appreciation for the school and his classmates these days.

On his left were two more images. One looked like a report card, though it covered much more than just his grades, and more than his actual report sheet had revealed. It also gave numerical scores for things like diligence (38), innovation (25), marketability (68 – his highest score), and so on. They tended to be on the very low end, but he told himself that this was a scale meant to measure people of extraordinary talent, and anyway they just weren't measuring what he was actually good at. He noted that there was no mention of a teamwork category at all, which was a particularly telling omission. Of course, it also included his title of Hope in big bold characters. The last screen was a list of titles for what seemed to be reports on his activities, and file numbers relating to them. He didn't think there should be that many, but there were dozens. It seemed like every little thing he did was watched. Speaking of, looking behind him he noticed a live feed of himself was also being shown, shot from a raised angle to make him look smaller.

But no sooner had he turned away than his attention was suddenly pulled back to the front by a voice, filled with a deep and smooth gravitas, but utterly lacking in concern or emotion. "Makoto Naegi. Welcome to our board room. We have been expecting this day for some time. Please, state your business before us." It was an excessively dramatic speech, but with the fact that the room was still almost completely dark, and he couldn't see anyone else at all, it was effective enough to make Naegi start to sweat. He couldn't even be sure he was facing in the right direction. He thought the voice came from before him, but he couldn't be certain.

Looking left and right, Naegi opened his mouth to speak, but at first only a cough came out. He took a breath and tried again. "Um, yes. It's about Oowada-kun's... the Crazy Diamonds' payment for the concert the other day." He ended up raising his voice to project better, like he would in a trial, since he couldn't see where he was speaking to.

Instantly, there was a flurry of motion on the walls as Naegi's files slid out of the way, and were replaced with Oowada's. One of these was a page filled with legalese, one section highlighted in red. 'Participating parties agree to take no action before or during the performance which may have the effect of impinging on the image of any other party.'

The next voice was slightly to the right of the first one, and was like someone had distilled the basest essence of sneering scorn and turned it into a man. "A styudent comes to this chamber and this childish matter is what you bring? The issue is perfectly clear."

A third sounded from further off to Naegi's left, this one from a woman, beautiful and clear like a bird and a bell, though with a slight tinny note. "I'm sure you understand, this caused the school some distress. Purity is like currency for musical idol groups. Our concern was on their behalf, and for them we took this punitive action. It was critical that everything go perfectly, especially after the incident with Kyouko Kirigiri's symposium presentation." She continued on in this self-justifying way.

While she spoke, Naegi glanced back and forth. He thought he could feel at least two more sets of eyes on him. So, this was the board of directors of Hope's Peak Academy. They certainly seemed impressive.

Naegi, however, was not impressed.

"Uh, excuse me." He said, interrupting the woman while raising one hand up to shoulder level. "Would you mind turning the lights on?"

There was a long pause, completely silent except for a slight electrical hum. Whatever they had expected from him, to ask so directly was apparently not within their expectations. Then the second man spoke again. "Do you seriously expect to dictate how we conduct our meetings!?"

Naegi shook his head. "No, but..." He tilted his head up to look directly into where he thought the camera on him was. "Why?" He spoke earnestly, but really he was quite annoyed at this theater. Could they be any more transparent with their attempts to intimidate him?

Again the board fell silent. Naegi's cheeks tightened with a suppressed grin. Whatever they did, he felt like he'd gotten the better of them.

After about ten seconds, a set of lights, one from above, and another aimed up from the surface of a table, came on to reveal a woman on Naegi's right. Just after, someone choked down a noise of some kind, but Naegi couldn't tell who exactly it came from.

The person he found himself facing was a middle-aged woman in a tailored all-black suit. Years had added texture to her skin and gray to her formerly blond hair, though she did nothing to hide it with make-up, accessories, or anything else, and she was slightly plump, but that didn't mean she wasn't beautiful in a way. She carried a warm, motherly air about her... except for her eyes. They were small, narrow and dark, as if something inside was holding them closed and peeking through them. Naegi couldn't see her hands, since they were hidden behind the face of her desk, which rose above the level of the desktop, blocking any view of what she might be working on. It was made of a red wood, with a golden rail running across it, and above the rail was an illuminated electronic name plate. She was Mine Rida, Super Duper Academy Chief Financial Officer.

She turned her head to her left and spoke into the darkness with a tone of grandmotherly wisdom. "That is enough, I believe. This young man will not be deterred by this, as we should expect. He has passed our test, has he not?"

Naegi blinked rapidly. A test? ...No, it wasn't that. He didn't believe it. So... was she trying to give the other members something to grab onto?

The woman met his doubting gaze, but showed no signs of recognizing it, and gave a small bow with her head. "Good morning, Makoto Naegi-san. I am Mine Rida. A pleasure to meet you at last." She seemed reasonable enough... maybe. But the only thing Naegi knew for sure at that point was that he didn't know nearly enough about these people to guess at what games they might be playing. Just that they were playing games, with him and possibly with each other. In this kind of situation his normal move was to not be hasty, and wait for when he needed to say something. So, he simply nodded back and greeted her politely.

A second light came on, revealing a second woman, likely the one who had spoken before. She might have been around the same age as Rida, but she was much more made up. she dressed in a white suit jacket over a slightly pink silk shirt, buttoned all the way up her neck as tight as a second skin. A simple pearl necklace adorned her neck, but it was not as eyecatching as her pure white hair, which was voluminous and tied up like the hat of a bishop chess piece. Her name plate identified her as Najio Tokui, Super Duper Academy Chief Marketing Officer.

"I have to say, I didn't agree with this." Tokui said, speaking to the rest of the board. "It does not serve us to antagonize influential members of our academy's community."

The scornful man's voice came from the darkness. "Stop right there! He is not-!" He cut himself off suddenly, and then his light came on to the left of Rida by a short distance. "He is not an influential member of our academy. He is simply Kirigiri's idle pet project."

Naegi bristled at the dismissal. "I know I'm not very... influential with you all." Every one of them who had spoken so far had spoken down to him, or around him as if he wasn't there. "But I also know my classmates don't feel the same way.”

The new man, the angry, scornful man, was... Well, the first thing that came to Naegi's mind was that where there's smoke there's fire. This man had a fiery attitude, but a smoky appearance. He wore a burgundy dress shirt with no suit jacket. His face was puffy and pale, with jowls in the process of developing. His hair stood up in every direction, like you didn't see in adults very often, and was two tones of gray, the lighter forming wavy streaks. He was Shinzou Doufu, Super Duper Academy Chief Product Officer.

And apparently whoever was in control decided to give up the game at this point now that three had revealed themselves. The lights in the rest of the room began to come up to a level that was dim, but comfortable. At least everyone could see each other now. The next person Naegi noticed was the one sitting next to Tokui, another man. This one dressed in your bog standard white dress shirt with a black tie that was wide but short, almost like a square standing on its corner, with a white crescent close to one edge. He had darker skin than the others, and no hair at all. His face was... He had big, round eyes that watched Naegi owlishly, but beyond that he was practically featureless. Naegi wasn't even sure he had a nose. A glance at his nameplate identified him as Yasuji Shaya, Super Duper Academy Chief Research Officer.

The last member of the board, sitting front and center at the semi-circular table, was an enormous man. More broad-shouldered than Oogami, and taller than Hagakure, including his hair. He wasn't looking at Naegi directly, but there was no doubt that his attention was on him. He seemed relaxed, leaning back in his chair turned sideways, with his legs crossed – Naegi could see one of his knees even over the tall front of the board's table. He had a long, chiseled face, old and yet ageless. One hand was raised near his jawline, the thumb between two fingers that were constantly moving back and forth thoughtfully. His salt and pepper slicked-back hair was complimented by a suit that was split down the middle, half black and half white, with opposite colors on the tie. This was the Board Chairman, Tadashi Zangou, Super Duper Academy Chief Executive Officer, formerly Super Duper High School Survivor, 1st class. A former student. Not only that, but a student of the original Hope's Peak graduating class of 1964. He had been part of the school since the very beginning. But what did that talent mean? Naegi wasn't sure he wanted to know.

...Oh, and Tamamo-no-Mae was also there, sitting on a raised chair at a separate desk behind Zangou and to the right from Naegi's perspective, probably where everything was controlled from. If Naegi was at the 6 o'clock position, Tokui would be at 10 o'clock, Shaya was at 11, Zangou at 12, Tamamo at 12:15, Doufu at 1, and Rida at 2.

Tokui offered him a generous, artificially red smile. "I'm sorry, Naegi-kun. Shinzou sometimes says things... more harshly than he means. None of us doubt that you are influential in your particular way, as are all of our students. His concern is just that you seem to be overstepping your role."

Doufu huffed, but nodded sharply anyway, giving in to her justification. "Students should focus on studenting."

...Studenting?

Naegi shook his head. Now wasn't the time to get hung up. “By that, do you mean getting thrown into a simulated hell?” He almost flinched. He hadn't meant to say that. It just tumbled out. Still, in a way he was glad it did, so he could see the complete lack of reaction on each of their faces. Only Tamamo-no-Mae shifted in slight discomfort. Naegi frowned hard. “Do you people even know what those things are like?” He asked, growing angry.

“Tkk.” Doufu rolled his eyes and leaned forward, waving a hand in the Chairman's direction. “Tadashi personally tests every single C- and D-course simulation. We know them just fine.”

Naegi swallowed as his shoulders hunched up a bit at the mere thought of doing that many sims. He would readily admit that that man was the real deal, especially considering his age. Zangou had to be over 90. Still, Doufu hadn't said anything about the rest of them taking the plunge.

And no matter what he might have endured, it didn't stop Naegi from facing the Board Chairman directly. “So, how many of the D-course simulations did you win?”

Instantly, a chill went through the air. Tokui looked away, and Rida hid her mouth behind folded hands. Shaya just kept staring at him, as he had the entire time. It was Doufu who responded. “You're not supposed to win them. The point is to find out what your limits are and expand them. If you win, it means you weren't pushed hard enough. What good is a test that can't measure your strength?”

Naegi couldn't help glaring at the man. “What good is a test that trains you to think you can't win, only lose less?”

Doufu gave a small, dismissive wave with both hands and sat back in his chair. “It's a test of emotional endurance and maturity. Sometimes you have to accept that there's nothing you can do.”

Naegi stepped fully up to the rail of his witness box. “Is that what this school is supposed to teach us? I thought we talents were supposed to solve problems like no one else could.”

Doufu opened his mouth to deliver a no doubt loud rebuttal, but both of them were stopped by Tokui's clear, musical voice. “Shinzou, Naegi-kun, we're getting a bit off topic, aren't we?”

Naegi took a half step back and closed his eyes. She was right. Having this argument now was completely pointless. They wouldn't care about his anger, and it wouldn't change anything. He had briefly thought that there might be disagreement between members of the board, but now it seemed that wasn't the case. At least, they were united in not thinking much of him, unfortunately. He noted that they were all older people, who were well used to each others' quirks. Aside from Tamamo-no-Mae, they had probably been working together for a very long time. They even called each other by their first names, without honorific. Naegi didn't know how he was supposed to get through to them, if there even was a way. Maybe he should go back and make a better plan, or any plan at all, with Oowada. Before that though, he should at least make his case as well as he could.

Taking a slow breath, Naegi faced forward towards the Board Chairman. "Couldn't you just let it go?"

Rida seemed to be startled. "Let it go?" The CFO asked with a note of angered disbelief, like if her child had tracked mud into their house.

Naegi glanced at her, and then across to Tokui. "Earlier, you said-"

A third sounded from further off to Naegi's left, this one from a woman, beautiful and clear like a bird and a bell, though with a slight tinny note. "I'm sure you understand, this caused the school some distress. Purity is like currency for musical idol groups. Our concern was on their behalf, and for them we took this punitive action.”

At the center of the board, Zangou briefly ceased the motion of his fingers and sat back in his chair. "Her exact words. You have an excellent memory, young man." He rumbled.

When that man interjected, Naegi found himself suddenly unable to speak. It was an instinct, to be sure not to interrupt anything more he might say. It was almost strong enough to make him lose his train of thought. After a second, he managed to nod to him, and clear his throat. "Anyway, nobody's really paying attention to this right now. The money thing, that is. And about the kiss, it's not like people care. I haven't heard anything about that. Not even the managers, because it didn't involve one of the girls. So... really, when you think about it, this whole thing is on you guys." He turned his head back and forth, to make eye contact with each member of the board. Only Tokui seemed taken aback by his words. He focused on her.

"It was your decision to make a problem out of this, nobody else's. If anything, it makes you seem... pretty reactionary." A word he had never used in his life, until the social studies classes at Hope's Peak. Except for Zangou, the members of the board squirmed at bit as if he had uttered a foul word. In the background, even Tamamo-no-Mae looked up, with "Japan's fallen behind a lot of other parts of the world... in acceptance of homosexuality. Nobody says it out loud, but everyone knows it's not something you're supposed to admit to or talk about in public.” Honestly, even Naegi felt somewhat uncomfortable discussing that sort of thing. “But this time, I don't think anyone was bothered by it. Right? Only you. So if you used your discretion, and it all went away, wouldn't that be better all around?"

Tokui leaned forward with her hands clasped together, and totally changed her argument. "Well, it's not so much about the public display of affection as it is the breach of contract. It's an issue of establishing a precedent-"

"Thank you, Najio, Naegi-kun." Zangou suddenly interrupted, making both of them instantly swivel their heads towards him. He was looking off to the side and slightly down, apparently at nothing, many muscles tense under the surface of his face. It was unreadable. "That will be enough. The full sum will be released to the Crazy Diamonds as originally intended."

Something changed in the atmosphere, like a great hand sweeping across a table. Naegi stood up a little straighter, blinking rapidly after the sudden development. The other members of the board seemed to be holding their breath. All stared at the Chairman, completely still. "Really? Just like that?" He asked, dumbfounded.

Zangou chuckled once, and made a gesture of opening his hand towards Naegi. "Just like that. You are dismissed, Makoto Naegi-kun."

That had been... much easier than Naegi had suspected. He almost voiced that thought aloud, but stopped himself from insulting them that way. He'd take the win that was handed to him. "Well... Thank you, then, for being willing to listen. I'll just... show myself out, I guess." The silence in the room was starting to unnerve him. He quickly bowed, turned, and exited, walking a little faster than usual. A red line on the walls of the hallways would guide him out. He stayed nervous until he heard the door click shut behind him.

----------

"Why did you give in like that!?"

"I already had that money earmarked for special projects!"

"Who knows what trouble either of them will be emboldened to cause us in the future."

"..."

"You've been rather quiet this whole time. You noticed it as well, didn't you?"

"...He wasn't after the money. He was after the fight."

"...He planned to rally his allies against us. To twist our refusal to make us seem heavy-handed, bureaucratic, and unfair."

"Accurately. It's the obvious way to retaliate after what we did with the Sleuth. What about my funding?"

"That damn Kirigiri must have had a hand in this."

"Of course he did. One little upset biker isn't enough to damage us. They would need more incidents, and the boy hasn't been here long enough to know of any."

"Do not be too sure of that. The boy gets around, and he has already come into contact with Nagito Komaeda."

"Damn! We should have gotten rid of him while we had the chance!"

"How could we have known that our Hope candidate would take such a-...! ...Fancy to him."

"..."

"..."

"Is it a coincidence? Or... is there some move here we're not seeing?"

"Trying to gain favor with him based on... No, inconceivable. He would never be moved by..."

"It's possible. Think about it. What else in this world does he care about?"

"If history is any guide, if Kirigiri's candidate tries to ally with ours, he'll end up destroyed for it. Never mind that. What about my funding!?"

"Oh, forget about your funding! Did you think we voted not to expand that program by accident!? Like we all slipped and our hands landed on the button to stop you from pumping more children full of opioids and amphetamines!?"

"Doctor Shingetsu is responsible for-!"

"Quiet."

"...!"

"...!"

"How long until A Bao A Qu returns results?"

"...We still have no ETC."

"Increase its resource allocation again. We will keep the Shingetsu project as a backup should... should unfavorable news come."

"Wh-!"

"Sir, no!"

"It will never be accepted!"

"And begin a preliminary search for another candidate to undergo the process."

"..."

"...We've come to this?"

"We have."

----------

Unaware of the board's severe paranoia, Naegi pushed out into the daylight, closed his eyes and took a big breath of fresh air. Looking around, he spotted Oowada standing in the direction of the school, arms crossed and looking like he'd like to have a wall to lean against, while being surrounded by Togami, Tsumiki and Ishimaru. He grinned and waved, jogging over to meet them, until he remembered the reason why they would all be there. And then he wasn't grinning any more.

"Naegi-kun!" Tsumiki ran to him, eyes wide and wild with worry, but she was precise in her movements when she grabbed his wrist between two fingers and a thumb to take his pulse.

"I'm fine, Tsumiki-san. Really, it was no big deal." He protested with a chuckle, but did nothing to resist.

Ishimaru approached with the other two. "Naegi-kun." He greeted, failing wonderfully to not look disapproving.

Naegi spared him a glance before giving the good news to Oowada. "I did it. No problem."

All three stopped short, looking like they had been hit over the head. Togami looked away and touched his glasses, while Ishimaru's mouth fell open. Apparently Oowada had explained what he was doing in there. After the initial shock passed, Oowada grinned and wrapped his arm around Naegi's shoulders again. "Ah, hell yeah! You are the fucking man!"

"You... convinced them?" Togami asked with some kind of awe or distress, still looking away.

Naegi shrugged. "I asked, explained my point of view, and they agreed." Honestly, Naegi was having a hard time understanding it himself.

After a moment of silence, Togami lowered his hand and looked towards Naegi, though not at him directly. "There's something otherworldly about you." He seemed exasperated, but there was something else. Naegi had never known him to act like this. He would stare you down or not even deign to look at you, but not this... unsure avoidance. Could it be that he was disappointed that Naegi didn't need his help in this? That was kind of amazing if it was true.

Oowada clapped Naegi on the shoulder one last time and let him go. “Well, holy shit. I knew y' could pull it off. Listen, I gotta go tell the guys, but trust me, we're gonna figure out some way to thank you, yeah?” He waved and ran off, coat tails flaring behind him.

Ishimaru clapped his hands. “Okay, that's enough. We're all... very impressed.” He said, his eyes shifting up into the sky, looking slightly pale. “But we have classes soon, so let's all move along together, shall we?”

Dropping Naegi's wrist, Tsumiki rounded on him. “Will you actually watch him this time?” She bit out, a hint of her angry side peeking out.

Ishimaru froze, then slowly raised his hands defensively, like she was going to pounce on him. “I-I don't know what you mean, Tsumiki-san.”

Togami clicked his tongue. “There's little point in keeping up this charade. It's obvious he knows what we've been doing, and equally obvious that he can remove himself from our custody whenever he desires.” He said, Tsumiki nodding along with his words, having reached the same conclusion.

With a sigh, Naegi put a hand on Tsumiki's shoulder to reassure her. “I did try talking to you guys about it. You'd just pretend nothing was going on. So, I took things into my own hands.”

That just got her to turn on him next with eyes watering. “By picking a fight with the school board? They could have expelled you on the spot!”

Shaking his head, Naegi remained calm over her worries. “I don't think they could, not without making a lot of people angry. And I didn't mean to fight with them today. I was actually planning to talk to Fujisaki...-san. In private. I have to do that sometimes, you know.” He met Ishimaru's eyes, guessing that despite the others trampling over him, he was the likely ringleader of this little scheme. “We can work something out, but you have to talk to me. Okay?”

The Prefect bowed his head to his much shorter friend, looking properly scolded. “I'm sorry. I simply wished to be unobtrusive, and to keep you from thinking we were looking down on you. But I seem to have overstepped and made more trouble for you. I... didn't consider your feelings as well as I thought and misunderstood your needs.”

Naegi accepted with a firm nod and a smile. “That's okay. Seriously. If it was that much trouble, I would have made a lot more noise about it.” He recalled well that Ishimaru prided himself on knowing how to handle his classmates. It was the true nature of his talent. A misstep like this would probably weigh on him if Naegi didn't clear it away.

Ishimaru nodded back, relieved though still with a bit of regret in his eyes. “Now, we were prepared to wait as long as it took for you to come out of your meeting, but we really do need to get to class.” He said, quarter-turning to point at the school.

Naegi started to open his mouth to agree, when Tsumiki spoke first. “Uh-uhm. We have to go to breakfast first. Naegi-kun hasn't eaten.”

“How do you know I haven't?” Naegi asked without thinking. When he did, he remembered that that was what he was going to do when he escaped from Ishimaru.

Tsumiki just gave him a look, full of both worry and the need to be needed. “Every time. Every time you do something difficult, you forget.” 'What would happen to you if I weren't around to look after you?' Her look said. And, 'What good would I be if my patients didn't need me?' He thought she was slowly getting better, but she had a very long way to go. He still wanted to show her her own self-worth, and that she didn't need to worry so much for him.

...Well, for the moment he had to admit that she did need to worry about him a little. So after a glance at Ishimaru that Naegi couldn't see, but which turned the Prefect ashen, he let her drag the two of them off to skip class and catch whatever meal they could.

----------

Further towards the very northernmost end of the school, Nagito Komaeda listened from behind a tree among the miniature forested park there. Every time Naegi spoke, the Luckster felt giddiness bubble in his stomach. It was inspiring, the way he handled that emotional vampire. The others he was less impressed with, to not notice him when they were supposed to be bodyguards. Even he had to admit when SDHS students went outside the area of their talent the results were kinda spotty. Well, people as talented as them would improve rapidly with practice, which they were sure to get.

Pushing away from the tree, Komaeda stuck his hands in his coat pockets and headed back to the dorms. He didn't feel like going to class today, and he was so busy. And not only with his current test of Naegi's Hope. He couldn't help but wonder what was up with Chihiro Fujisaki that Naegi had to talk to her so badly. It would definitely be something interesting...