Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

‘In the boys bathroom on the second floor, there is a storage closet. And way in the back of that closet, there is a secret room.’

And in that room, supposedly, there had been files. Documents and yearbooks filling an entire shelf, and a mysterious note. But when she’d returned mere hours later, the shelf had been entirely empty. The Mastermind, or someone else, had swiped everything. She was the only one of our peers who knew about the room, as far as she could tell.

The information Kirigiri had just told me was unbelievable. I know I’d told her that I believed in her, and I did, but my head felt like it was spinning. Who could believe something like that? 

What was even more unbelievable was that she wanted me to help hide Alter Ego in that room.

Even though he’d finished his job going through all of the files on the old laptop he lived in, even though he’d given us some baffling pictures and information, he wanted to do more. He wanted to fight alongside us, to do everything he could possibly do to help us all get out of here safely. He thought he could get into the School Network if we could connect him to it, and the safest place to do that was the secret room, one of the few without any cameras.

It was suicidal, and I made sure to let them both know that. If the Mastermind figured out what Alter Ego was up to, they could… I couldn’t even bring myself to finish that sentence. Maybe I was being selfish, or too sentimental, but even though Alter Ego was an A.I., and a completely new entity, he was also… he had Chihiro’s face and voice. He carried a piece of our friend with him. The thought of Chihiro dying again , even if it wasn’t him…

But Kirigiri made good points too. We had to take Alter Ego’s feelings into consideration, as his friends. And… she was right, as much as I loathed to think it. Neither of us could manage to stand idly by while others were in danger, to comply and keep our heads down without doing something to try and fight the Mastermind and Monokuma, to escape this place. How could we expect Alter Ego to do the same?

And so, despite my nerves, I volunteered to carry Alter Ego inside and help him get set up. Part of it was out of necessity. Kirigiri couldn’t fit an entire laptop into her clothes without it being obvious, so my jacket finally found a use. And of course, it would be way too weird to any of our peers if they spotted her walking into the boys’ bathroom, and too risky if the Mastermind caught her snooping again. With me, there was no proof I knew anything about it, or that Kirigiri had started confiding in me about her investigations, so if we were lucky and I played oblivious, I wouldn’t draw suspicion.  

But those weren’t the only reasons I decided to do it. I had to prove to Kirigiri that I was determined enough to see this through, that I was just as willing to fight as she was. And I had to prove that she could trust me, could believe in me the same way I believed in her. Our relationship had been rocky so far, especially after I refused to tell her what I’d seen with Sakura earlier. This was my chance at redemption…

We made small talk as we left the dressing room and wandered down the halls, Alter Ego following his instructions to stay quiet until I opened him back up. I tried to ignore the nerves coiling in my stomach. Kirigiri had said this would be dangerous, that even without cameras, there were possibilities I would get caught. Or worse, attacked… She was reasonably sure the Mastermind wouldn’t check there again now that there was nothing for us to ‘find’ in there, but nothing was foolproof…

As we approached the hallway, I started to break away from her, calling over my shoulder. “I’ll catch up with you in a sec, okay? I need the bathroom.”

“Alright." Kirigiri sighed at my interruption. "I suppose I’ll wait for you here.” She paused to rest her back against the wall, crossing her arms over her chest and standing patiently, a convincingly bored expression on her face. 

"I'll hurry!" I assured her, picking up my pace. My heart was pounding faster with every step I took away from her, and by the time I opened the bathroom door and stepped inside, I could feel my pulse in my throat. There were so many things that could go wrong… I caught my expression in the mirror and shook my head, glaring at it. There was no backing out now, so I just had to get this done! Quickly too, but that didn't mean I could rush either. Swallowing my fear, I made my way to the supply closet and felt along the wall.

Kirigiri had told me the wall was supposed to open up, but I still lost my balance when it came out from under my hand, staggering into a room shrouded in darkness. I found my footing before I fell to the floor, thankfully, and I made sure to pull the laptop out of my jacket before there were any more risks of landing on it. Slowly, my eyes adjusted to the dim lighting of the secret room, and the sight sent cold seeping into my bones.

Ahead of me was a well-worn desk, and the only thing left on it was a box of dusty tissues. The floor had nothing covering it except for the dirt that had been stirred up into piles, likely from the robber sweeping up the fallen note. And the bookshelf had been ransacked. Torn apart until it was a hollow mess, empty spare a few useless scraps of ruined paper clinging to the shelves.

Whoever was in here, they were serious about keeping the evidence from us…

Keeping my ears alert for any sounds besides my own breathing, I headed towards the desk and set the laptop on it, opening it up to find a blank screen. "Alter Ego, the coast is clear." I whispered. "But keep your voice down, okay?"

"Command received. Lowering volume levels." The robotic voice had quieted to match my whispers, and Alter Ego reappeared on the screen, his green glow providing me with some needed extra light. "Are we ready to connect, Makoto?" 

"Almost. I've got to find the cable." I started digging through the different drawers, aware of each passing second as I shoved unneeded objects aside. "Here! Is this it?" Alter Ego nodded at the one I held up to the screen, then started giving me instructions. Within a few minutes, we had everything set up except plugging the end into the wall outlet. 

What if the Mastermind detects us as soon as I plug it in? Can it work like that?

I didn't know, but I had to push all of those thoughts away. We just had to have hope that this would work! It was our only option to make progress for now, we couldn't let this chance slip by!

I plugged it in and waited with bated breath. Alter Ego hummed from his place on the desk, the sound accompanied by occasional beeping noises. There wasn't a clock in here. I prayed this hadn't taken too long.

"Connection to 'Hope's Peak Academy School Network' has been established! System is online!" Alter Ego hadn't raised his voice, but I still jumped. When I walked back over to him, he smiled up at me. "Thank you for helping, Makoto! Now I promise, I'll do my best to help you! All of you!" 

There was a determination in his voice that made my chest ache, but there was a lighter feeling mixed in too. I took a breath and gave him a smile of my own. "Yeah. We'll get everyone out of here, together!" Letting my hand skim the top of the monitor, I bid him farewell, knowing I had to hurry out. As I started to slip through the wall though, I called back one last time. "Hey, Alter Ego?"

"What is it? Do you need something?"

"I just wanted to tell you that… you're being really brave..."

Alter Ego only blinked at me. "I thought we'd covered this already, but I guess I must remind you: I am not my Master, Makoto. I'm only an A. I. Just because I can mimic his face doesn't mean we share the same goals or personality."

"I know that…" I did , deep down, even if a part of me, maybe the stupid part who'd said that, hadn't quite accepted it yet. "I just… I thought you'd like to hear it. You , not him. Because you are being brave. We really do appreciate the risk you're taking, and I hope you know that."

"Oh." Alter Ego cocked his head, processing my words for a minute. Literally. "In that case, thank you, Makoto. I… I think hearing that does make me feel good. Useful."

I guess if you're a computer, 'useful' is the closest you can feel to 'happy', isn't it?

"I'm glad." Despite that conversation making me feel a little better though, it didn't put me at ease. I'd stayed in the secret room for what felt like far too long, and my smile dropped as I turned and hurried back through the wall. I fumbled for the panel to seal it back up and nearly ran past the sinks before I remembered my alibi. Splashing ice cold water on my hands and swiping at the dryer for just long enough to fill the room with the noise, I tried not to look too terrified as I pushed on the door. 

What would be waiting for me on the other side? An ambush from Monokuma? An army of firing Gatling guns? The Mastermind themselves?

As I entered the hallway, I fought the urge to glance around, hurrying back to where Kirigiri stood. She had been tapping her foot until she saw me approach. She huffed and ran a gloved hand through her hair, pressing against her temple. 

"Well, that certainly took you long enough."

"It didn't take that long, did it?!?" Nerves ran through me as I turned to check the wall clock in the hall. "I was only gone for a few minutes!" 

"Forget it." While it had sounded like she was just cutting off the argument, I knew the real reason as she stepped away and started walking, gesturing for me to follow before I was left behind. "The important thing is that you're back. If you don't mind, I would like to finish the discussion we were having before you interrupted."

Forget it. So there's nothing to worry about. I made good time…

"About why I couldn't tell you what I saw Sakura doing? Kirigiri, I already explained why-"

"I know. That is why I would like to… apologize. If you would allow me…"

For someone who was usually so hard to read, Kirigiri was a pretty good actress. We'd already had this conversation before in the dressing room just a while ago, after all. I was surprised she could make herself blush like that on command, but she toyed with her braid and looked away just as bashfully as when she'd said she was sorry before. 

Her plan for this part had made sense when she'd explained it. The Mastermind had thought we were still on thin ice with each other. Well, mostly me, I guess. If we only 'made up' from our fight now and I was surprised enough, there would be less reason to suspect I was working with her earlier, and Alter Ego would hopefully stay hidden. 

That was only our assumptions though. We couldn't predict exactly what the Mastermind did and thought, so we could only hope our guesses were right. Or at least would buy us some time to come up with better plans…

I repeated everything I'd said before, but I couldn't help but keep my senses on high alert. Every corner we turned, I expected someone or something to be waiting there. Every sentence on my tongue ran through my head again after I said it, convinced I'd made a mistake. But we managed to get through our whole rehashing without any event at all.

After my heart rate and breathing had calmed enough and we had finished our script, we made our way downstairs together. Just a casual stroll, discussing whatever mundane stuff popped into our heads, or making plans to hang out later. We took turns glancing at the cameras to make sure nothing was amiss, but after walking through several areas without any alarms or sudden Monokuma interruptions, we decided we were in the clear. We had actually gotten away with it, and I released a quiet breath I hadn't realized I was holding. That was around the same time I'd realized something else I'd been holding.

I'd barely taken five steps when she moved after me. 

"Where are you going?"

"The bathroom. Then I've gotta head back up to the second floor. I promised Byakuya I'd help him research some stuff in the library and-"

Kirigiri caught up to me and grabbed my hoodie sleeve, stopping me in my tracks. When I turned around to face her, she kept her voice low, shifting our positions while she spoke so that my back was to the hallway camera. "Are you foolish?"

"What?"

"You were just in there less than twenty minutes ago."

"Y-Yeah, but I didn't-"

"As far as he is concerned, you did." Kirigiri's words were as pointed as her gaze, and I bit back a protest. She made a good point. I couldn't get away with going back so soon, not without blowing our cover! And if Monokuma found out what I'd put in there… just the possibilities of consequences made my blood run cold.

"H-How… how long should I wait?" I whispered, hoping I didn't sound too nervous. I had to seem unbothered, knowing eyes and ears lurked around every corner.

"You will hold it for three hours, minimum. Keep your composure." Before I could say anything else, she let go of me and spoke up for the monitor to hear. "If you ask me, you'll be wasting your time trying to get anywhere with him. But I suppose I won't keep you from your appointment."

"Hey, you don't have to be so harsh! I think there's a part of Byakuya that could be our friend, somewhere… We just have to convince him it's okay to show it." 

"Whatever. I have my own tasks to accomplish anyways." She gave me pretty convincing glare and pout, even managing to add a jealous snap to her voice. "When you aren't too busy , come find me and we may talk again."

"Hey, Kirigiri-"

But in her typical, cool-as-ice fashion, she'd already whipped around and started striding away, her hair swishing behind her. Only the fading clicks of her shoes on the tile kept me company as I stared after her, sighing under my breath. Maybe her secret talent really was Super High School Level Actress or something. She'd managed to make me feel guilty even when she was only pretending to be miffed at me!

The guilt really didn't feel great when paired with the now throbbing sensation in my abdomen, and I grimaced to myself. Three hours was a long time. Was that really necessary? Maybe I should've pushed back…

I knew what Kirigiri would've said if I had argued with her though. 'You should have planned ahead.' or 'Why didn't you take care of that while you were in there to begin with?'

First of all, I couldn't exactly do something like that when I first brought Alter Ego in there! It would've been awkward enough around Chihiro, and when you added an AI who wanted to ask questions about everything- Yeah, no thanks. And to be honest, I hadn't even thought of going while I was in there after I plugged him into the other room. I was so busy concentrating on my nerves and not getting caught that I hadn't even felt the urge again until we were walking around afterwards.

Maybe I could have planned ahead if she'd told me her plan before dragging me off so suddenly to talk today. After breakfast, and then all of the stuff with Sakura, I hadn't had a minute to myself since I woke up!

I shook that bitter thought off as soon as it entered my head. It wasn't fair to blame her for this. It wasn't like she’d known I'd actually had to go earlier. And… I guessed I should count myself lucky she was starting to include me at all in her bigger plans. Even if it was just because she couldn't go in there herself.

I trudged up the staircase reluctantly, and I made sure to ignore the signs in the hallway, heading straight to the library. I could only hope that whatever Byakuya was researching would be interesting enough to distract me for the next few hours…

~~~

When I stepped inside and called his name, Byakuya called back, and I followed his voice into the Secret Room. The books he had spread out on a spare table seemed to have come from the main library though. I guess he just preferred the extra privacy, even when he was the only one in here.

“You’ve got a lot of stuff here already.” I stared at the different notebooks he had been writing in, taking a seat in the chair next to him. “How long have you been working in here?”

“Since I left the cafeteria after breakfast. I had to move quickly in order to lock the door before that drooling dog could follow me…” 

“Touko said she’d be in her room for a while today. She’s writing, I think. You don’t have to worry about her.” As tempting as it was to try and defend her, I knew better than to argue with him about the subject. The least I could do was stay neutral. 

“I’d rather not take my chances…” he spat under his breath, but then he shook his head. As I got settled, he started to catch me up on what subject we were looking into today, and the notes he’d taken so far.

~~~

As the ticking of the analog clock on the wall kept reminding me, I hadn't understood a single word Byakuya had said in the last hour. I was too busy trying to find a comfortable way to read. No matter how I sat in my seat, or stood to peer over his shoulders, the pressure from earlier stayed. A constant tingling between my legs that was only growing worse.

Ugh, it was useless! I couldn't concentrate on those books at all! Every sentence or picture was just blurring in front of me, my eyes losing focus until I was seeing double. 

I'd tried to strike up a conversation a few times, because maybe that would've been easier, but Byakuya wasn't the chattiest person. Any question I brought up about himself or what he was researching only got me short quips or a glare. 

I'd finally given up and leaned over a book for show, only to twirl the strings of my hoodie around my fingers, groaning under my breath. I was startled by a louder groan in my ear.

"Naegi, so help me, if you kick my chair one more time, I just might decide to end your life with it. "

I nearly jumped out of my seat, quickly tugging away the shoe I now realized had been up against a wooden leg. The sudden burst of nerves didn't help my situation, and I brought my feet up into my own chair, perching with my arms hugging my legs. It helped a bit, and at least it'd keep me from moving around so much.

"Sorry about that! I didn't mean to bother you."

"Well, you have been." Byakuya hissed. "You realize we aren't actually in school, don't you? If you don't want to read in here, don't bother showing up!"

"I know that!” Even if his lecturing was irritating though, I couldn’t really get mad at him. If I was in his place, maybe I would’ve been frustrated too. And… maybe it was just what I wanted to believe, but part of me felt like there was a little more to Byakuya’s annoyance with me not paying attention. Had he... actually been looking forward to hanging out today? He hadn’t invited me just because I’d been useful the last time we’d been in here? “Look, I really did want to research with you today!” I tried to reassure him. “It’s just… I can’t really focus today. My head’s all scattered.” That wasn’t technically a lie.

Byakuya sighed, marking his page before he shut his book and shifted in his chair to narrow his eyes at me. “They make pills for that, you know.” he muttered dryly. “Whatever’s got your thoughts occupied, you’d better hope there isn’t another murder before you get your head back on your shoulders. Or I just might steal the trial spotlight from you.”

“Hey, I know you’re joking, but don’t talk like that!” Just the thought sent a shudder through my body, and that was the last thing I needed. “There’s not going to be another one. We’re better than that… We all are…”

“I never said I was joking.” Byakuya scoffed. “That naivety is going to make you into the next victim if you aren’t careful.”

The direction our conversation had taken really wasn’t one I was interested in following. And at the rate things were going, I was starting to become sure that the only way to preserve whatever scraps of a relationship I’d managed to form with Byakuya was to leave. If I stuck around today, I was just going to grate on his patience, and I wasn’t up for discussing any heavy subjects. I could take a rain check and make up for it another day, when I could actually pay attention to him…

“Hey, um, have you seen Kirigiri around anywhere?”

While he did raise his eyebrows at the quick change in topic, he seemed to take my hint, shrugging as he turned back to his book and opened it again. “To be frank, my sole goal throughout the day is to see as little of any of you peons as possible. As I told you earlier, I’ve been barricaded in here for most of the afternoon. It’s the only peace I get, at least until you shattered it…” 

“Oh, right. Sorry…”

“Don’t bother apologizing. I should’ve known better than to expect a day of relaxation while we’re trapped in this hellhole.” Byakuya rubbed at his temples. “Compared to the others, at least you’re boring enough to be fairly unobtrusive. When you aren’t fidgeting and asking me a hundred questions like a child, anyways.”

I guess that was… kind of a compliment? I might’ve been able to appreciate it if I wasn’t so busy trying to stay still.

“Why are you looking for her, anyways? She’s almost as much of a ‘loner’ as I am. Did you ever think she might be hiding from you for a reason?”

“She’s not hiding! She’s just busy with- er, s-stuff.” I was almost glad I was too nervous for Byakuya to find that suspicious. I’d already been flushed and anxious for the whole time we’d been talking, so he probably just thought my pause and correction was incompetence. Sometimes him having such a snobby outlook on others was a good thing, I guess. Toying with one of my hoodie strings, I continued. “Anyway, I, um, I need to ask her about something, and she said I could come talk to her later. So I’d kind of like to find her…”

“I have to say, the concept of any woman wanting to spend time with you is laughable. But then again, I suppose it’s hard to discern what her standards are.”

“Hey, she’s not-”

Byakuya shut me up with glare, and as soon as I closed my mouth he rolled his eyes. “I don’t have time to waste lecturing you right now, Makoto. Unlike you, I’m actually interested in expanding my knowledge today.” Turning back to his book, he shooed at me with a free hand. “Run along, have fun being that bitch’s lapdog. Maybe if you’re lucky, she’ll even throw you a bone.”

I decided there wasn’t much of a point in trying to convince him what kind of person Kirigiri really was. To be fair, I guess... I didn’t know her much better than he did. But I did know I could trust her. I tried my best to ignore his smug chuckling as I headed back out the library door.

~~~

I had no idea where to find Kirigiri. I’d tried her room, but the door was shut and locked. She hadn’t been in our usual meeting spots (not that there were many), and I didn’t want to risk checking if she was with Alter Ego. Returning to the scene of the crime felt like a death sentence. Maybe if I’d known her better, I could’ve guessed where she spent her time. I didn’t even know what she was up to most days, secret plans or otherwise.

After about twenty minutes of wandering the school aimlessly and calling her name into empty classrooms, I was wondering if I should just give up and head back to my room for a while and take a nap or something. That would have at least helped me sleep the pain off, you know, if I could relax enough to doze off in the first place...

“Hey, Makoto!”

Jumping, I turned around to see Aoi had just emerged from another hall. She wasted no time running up to me, dressed up in full workout gear. I gave her a wave and stood to lean my back against the wall, pressing my legs together as subtly as I could. “Hi, Aoi. Still keeping up your workout routine?”

“Uh-huh! I’ve almost finished my laps! What have you been up to?”

“Ah, nothing much.” I admitted. “I was looking for Kirigiri, but I can’t find her, so I don’t know what I’m going to do now.”

“You could always kill time running with me!~” she laughed, elbowing me in the shoulder. I hoped the face I made was taken as a joking grimace, and not the fact that I wanted to die just thinking about it. Exercising with her had been painful enough on a normal day! There was no way I could try it when I was already so uncomfortable!

“No offense, but I think I’ll pass.” 

“No sweat, I get it! It’s not for everyone, haha!” After a second, Aoi snapped to attention. “Oh! But if you’re looking for Kirigiri, I just saw her a few minutes ago!”

“You did? Where?”

“The AV room, actually. I dunno what she was doing in there, but I saw her through the door and poked my head in! While I’ve been jogging I’ve run into a bunch of people, so I’ve been inviting them to meet up in the cafeteria! I thought it’d be fun for us all to hang out more, y’know?”

“Yeah, with everything that’s gone on, we could use some bonding time like that. I’m glad you’re here to keep our spirits up, Aoi.” It was true. Without her outgoing attitude, half of our friends might have given up by now… I brushed that more depressing thought aside. There were more important things to think about right now. “So you said you saw her. What’d she say?”

“She said she’d stop by!” She’d said that while beaming, eventually letting her smile tone itself down as she rubbed the back of her head. “To be honest with you, I really didn’t expect her to say yes. I mean, since she’s so reserved, and always off doing her own thing… Maybe I’ve finally managed to bring her out of her shell a little!”

“Maybe.” I shrugged my shoulders, following her as she started to lead me down the hallway. “She’s started talking to me a bit more too. I hope that means she trusts us.” I neglected to mention that the reason she gave me the silent treatment was for ticking her off the last time we talked. There really wasn’t any point trying to explain that to Aoi. And besides, even if it wasn’t for that, Kirigiri was starting to interact with us more, in her own way. Progress was still progress, right?

“Yeah! I hope so too!” Aoi had a bit of a skip in her step as we rounded the corner, and when we entered the cafeteria, Yasuhiro was the first to greet her. 

“Hey! First to invite us and the last to show up! How about that?”

“Well, technically I’m not the last! I brought one more guest to the party!” Aoi giggled, stepping to the side to reveal me. “I bumped into Makoto on my way back!”

“Nice! Hey man, come on and grab a seat!”

I nodded, heading into the kitchen to grab some food. To be honest, I wasn’t that hungry, since I was so preoccupied. But I was already there, so I decided to at least pick up something small. Taking a tray and snatching one of the premade sandwiches from the platter on the counter, I unwrapped it as I walked back to the table. Aoi had already filled her tray with donuts and sat down across from Touko. I guess she’d finally come out of her room. I took a seat next to Aoi.

"Is that all you're having?"

Kirigiri's sudden voice nearly made me jump, and I had to hope my sharp gasp of breath would only seem like surprise. Trying to ignore the desperate aching between my legs and my pounding heartbeat, I turned in my chair to face her. I didn’t know where in the room she’d been lurking, but she’d walked over to sit down next to Yasuhiro. A cup of tea and a bowl of ramen were on her tray.

"Yeah. Why?"

"At the very least, you should drink something." 

Are you kidding me?!?

If I wasn't sworn to keep cover, I would have gaped at her. I was already so desperate to go that I could barely stand it, and she wanted me to drink more?!? Part of me almost wondered if this whole thing was just some elaborate plan for her to torture me…

No way. I was struggling to hang on as it was. I just couldn't handle any more! 

"Thanks for worrying about me." I started, forcing a smile and dipping my head at her. "But I'm not really thirsty right now."

I kept my legs crossed under the table and started to reach for my food, thinking I could just leave it at that and listen to Aoi and Yasuhiro talk. I should've known it wouldn't be that simple.

"If I might offer some advice, Naegi…" Kirigiri clasped her hands together on the table, looking at me like she was some kind of counselor. "We have no knowledge of what Monokuma may be planning for our next 'motive.' For all we could guess, it may be denial of food or drink, perhaps even for an extended time period. We should take advantage of any opportunity to keep ourselves in proper health for the challenges ahead. Adequate hydration is one facet of that."

"-U reawwy 'ink 'e'd 'o 'hat?" I barely deciphered what Aoi said around her giant mouthful of doughnuts, stray crumbs scattering all over her chest and the table. Touko yanked her own tray out of the range of fire with a grimace on her lips.

"No way! There's no way he'd, like, starve us! R-Right?" Yasuhiro's eyes were wide, his voice growing more panicked with each sentence. If I'd had any attention to spare, I might've tried to keep the poor guy from freaking out. "I-I mean, he's got limits , right!?!"

"I am not saying there's any indication that he is planning something of that nature." Kirigiri spoke as calmly as ever, even with Yasuhiro shaking and about to jump out of the seat next to her. "I am merely suggesting it would be best for all of us to be prepared for anything. We cannot know for certain what Monokuma's personal limits for punishing us are, or the extent to what feats he is capable of."

Ugh… message received loud and clear.

While Kirigiri wasn't just speaking nonsense (for all we knew, maybe he really would try and starve us later), she'd clearly brought up the topic for a different reason. To emphasize that Monokuma could do anything to us… anything to me if he figured out what we had done this morning. I couldn't take the risk of tipping him off, because even something as simple as refusing a drink would be a red flag while he observed us from the monitors. He knew all of our routines by now. He was always watching…

Hopefully the discussion she'd stirred about his villainous schemes would throw him off, and he'd be too busy chuckling about the tortures he had planned or Yasuhiro's fear of him to study me...

"I guess when you put it that way, Kirigiri…" I conceded, eyebrows furrowing while I pretended to consider her words. "I guess I should try to be healthier. I'll get some water."

"Ooh, I'll get it for you, Makoto!" Before I could even move, Aoi had hopped out of her seat. "I'm done with my doughnuts anyway. Sit there and eat, you need to bulk up just in case!"

"Yeah man, you're like the smallest one here!" Yasuhiro chuckled, but I could see the concern all over his face. "If he starves us, you're gonna wither away! You've gotta get some meat on those bones!"

"Okay, I get it! I'll start eating more for you guys!" It was nice that they were so worried about me, but ugh, I really didn't have the patience to be hassled. I'd always been short anyway, it wasn't like I could do much about it!

"Here you go!" Aoi beamed down at me, leaning in to set the glass in front of me. I never thought I could feel so threatened by a nice gesture from an even nicer girl. I barely managed to mumble out a 'thanks' over the sound of waves lapping at the edges while it settled.

I didn't know how I was going to get my sandwich down, let alone the glass of water. Just looking at it made me want to cry. I felt like I was going to burst! Every few seconds I'd felt the muscles inside me throbbing and twitching, torrents of liquid begging to be let out.

I bit my lip and glanced back across the table at Kirigiri. Her gaze was on her own bowl as she took another bite of her food, but I knew that was just a ruse. All of her attention was focused on me. Even with her eyes off of me, I felt like if I didn't follow her command, I'd wither up and die where I sat. How did she have such a brutal presence even doing something as mundane as eating? 

Fighting to keep my hand from shaking, I reached for the glass and brought it to my mouth. The condensation was enough to send a shiver through my skin, and when I let the water slip past my lips I had to fight the impulse to spit it back out. As much as it felt like it, I wasn't drinking poison.

Be normal! I had to repeat that thought as I swallowed a few gulps, but it was so hard! The cold and clinking of ice cubes made everything feel so much more urgent, and I could just picture it gushing down to fill the balloon that was already stretched to the seams. I set the glass down when I'd drunk a third of it, squeezing my thighs together and shifting once in my seat under the guise of reaching for my food. 

I tried my best to keep participating in the conversations between everyone at the table, even if I could hardly think beyond the bare minimum of responses. I ate my sandwich and kept taking begrudging sips of water, all too aware that Kirigiri was watching me like a hawk. The few times we made eye contact, if I set my glass down too early or shifted in my seat too much, she'd fix me with the kind of stare that forced me to fix my behavior. She made sure not to glare, that would be suspicious, but even the blankest expression on her face seemed to hold an air of urgency and command I couldn't ignore. 

I couldn't ignore the urgency in my bladder either though. By the time I finished my lunch and choked down the last of my glass, my stomach hurt so badly that I felt like I might be sick right there. The ache went beyond pulses now, just one massive, painfully-tight ball filling my entire abdomen that hurt no matter what position my legs were in. I couldn't focus on what anyone was saying anymore, I felt hot underneath my clothes, and all I could think about was how badly I wanted to run to the bathroom before I completely exploded. But I couldn't, I didn't know when I would be able to and it hurt so bad and I-

"Oh hey, Makoto!" Aoi's voice snapped me back to attention, and I saw she'd risen from her seat again, I guessed to grab some more snacks for Yasuhiro and herself. "While I'm up, how about I grab you a refill?"

" NO! " I knew that was a mistake the second I said it, but I hadn't been able to stop the panicked yelp from leaping out of my throat. I'd barely kept myself from snatching the empty glass out of her hand, my hands gripping onto my knees instead. My skin grew even warmer as I realized the idle chatter at the table had stopped completely. Everyone's eyes were on me, not just poor, startled Aoi. I forced a smile and prayed I could recover. 

"N-No, that's okay, really! You've done enough for me!" I blurted out, waving her off. That sounded intentional, right? Enough to cover my panic earlier? "And I… I, uh… "

I completely lost my train of thought as another cramp wracked my swollen bladder, all of my focus drifting towards clenching my muscles. What was I about to say? It was useless. I couldn't remember, and I couldn't think of any new excuses.

"Naegi already has plans with me." I'd never seen an angel before, but with the way her pale hair shone in the cafeteria lighting, I might have mistaken her for one. Kirigiri stood from the table and walked over to stand beside me, and if I thought I had room left for air, I might have breathed a sigh of relief. "While I regret cutting your socialization period short, I'm afraid he cannot stay here any longer. We were due for our game in the rec room as soon as you finished eating, were we not, Naegi?"

"Y-Yeah! That's right, sorry for holding you up!" I dipped my head before working up the nerve to stand up, swallowing any urge to scream as gravity took its toll.

"Aww, you two are playing a game? That's nice! What kind?"

I think Kirigiri said 'Chess' around the same time I spat out 'Candy Land'. I scrambled to recover, rubbing the back of my head with one hand. "Uh, I don't really know how to play real chess, so Kirigiri's gonna teach me! With 'Candy Land' pieces, since they're easier to remember… uh, you know, all the bright colours and stuff?"

"Dang man, that's a good idea!" Yasuhiro chuckled, leaning back in his seat. "Maybe I wouldn't'a been held back if I'd had tricks like that to teach me stuff! Yo Kirigiri, you ever open up extra lessons? I'd be down!"

"I shall let you know if my schedule opens up." Kirigiri murmured just above a deadpan, and I knew I'd have to apologize to her later. I'd barely managed to get her to spend time with me on her own terms, and it was mostly for important plans about The Mastermind. She'd be less than thrilled with someone as outgoing as Yasuhiro trying to pester her into regular hangouts...

Since we were both dying to leave, I started to step away, waving goodbye to the table. "Sorry guys, but we can keep talking later, right? I'll see you at dinner!"

"Sure, sure!" Aoi hummed, grabbing my empty tray and glass to take back to the kitchen. "Have fun you two!~ I've gotta get a few more workouts in before curfew anyway, so I'll probably be leaving here soon!"

"Yeah, I might go chill in my room for a while. Peer into my ball and see what the ol' universe is gonna tell me…"

Touko didn't really say anything, or even wave back, but I'd kind of expected that to be honest. I thought about suggesting she find Byakuya in the library so she wasn't all alone, but… Byakuya would be pretty miffed at me for that. She'd… probably end up finding her way there eventually anyways. There wasn't much else for a writer to do around here.

As soon as the cafeteria door shut behind us, I couldn't help but groan under my breath. From the analog clock on the wall, I could tell we'd only spent thirty minutes in the cafeteria. Was that seriously it?!? It definitely wasn't time yet, but I had no idea what else I could do to stall. I'm pretty sure I was so far gone, I wouldn't have been able to concentrate to write my own name, let alone make decisions. Aimlessly, I ended up following Kirigiri as we wandered the hallways.

The gallon of liquid in my bladder seemed to slosh around with every step, and when Kirigiri reached the stairs my heart sank. The Recreation Room was on the third floor. So we were really going through with our cover story then. I braced myself with a death grip on the railing as I started climbing. Each raise of my legs or pushing my weight up had my crotch throbbing, and a few times I had to stop and hunch while pretending I was catching my breath. And then of course, there was the long trek to the second set of stairs, and then to the game room.

I didn't need Monokuma or the Mastermind to kill me. I was already about to die.

Chapter Text

As soon as we got inside the Recreation Room, I made a beeline for one of the chairs. Sitting down was the only way to keep gravity from making the urge any worse. While I tried to sit as casually as possible, Kirigiri grabbed the two game boxes, unfolding the chess board on the table and then placing different character cards and brightly coloured plastic pieces in the spots. Once she was done, she pulled a chair over to sit right next to me instead of all the way across the table. I kind of wished she wouldn't sit so close, but I guess it did make it easier for us to talk without raising our voices as often. I noticed she'd also taken the side closest to the camera on the ceiling.

"Alright Naegi, since this is your first lesson, I suppose I will go easy on you. But please do your best to pay attention."

Right. I just… had to distract myself with this lesson for a while. I could do that... 

I'd barely made it through five minutes of her rambling about different chess piece names before I decided my bladder really couldn't do that. Everything felt so tight I couldn't possibly hold any more! My breath was coming fast and shallow even when I kept it quiet, and I knew I was starting to sweat. Pretending to reach for a piece, I leaned over to whisper near her ear.

"H-Hey, it's been a long enough time, hasn't it? Can I just-"

"There is still one hour left." she murmured under her breath. "Patience is a virtue."

"B-but I've been waiting forever! Please? A little earlier can't hurt-"

The sharp stare she fixed me with cut off anything I wanted to say, and I moved the piece and reluctantly sank back into my chair. "We cannot afford to risk it. Focus on the game."

I was trying to! Really I was! But I couldn't concentrate on anything besides the pulsing between my thighs. I'd been jiggling my leg under the table like crazy, but it wasn't helping anymore. It hurt so badly that my eyes were starting to water, and I had to blink back the tears before the monitors caught it.

I tried to take my turns and focus on Kirigiri's lecture for another ten minutes, but then my bladder spasmed so hard it felt like I'd just been punched. " Ah! " I brought a hand to my mouth to muffle my gasp, hunching forwards in my seat. Under the table, I crossed my legs as tightly as they could go, but it wasn't enough to stop the warm droplets dribbling out into my underwear. Oh God, it was agonizing. Knowing some had started trickling out and still not getting any relief at all… I wanted to grab myself and moan more than anything. Or just let go and finish what was starting.

Monokuma wouldn't see from this angle if I unzipped and let it go under the table, would he? If I kept the stream quiet and slow, maybe I could-

That train of thought only made the urge worse, and I tried to clench my muscles before anything worse happened. Torturing myself with fantasies wasn't going to help my situation, even if that was where my thoughts wanted to keep going. 

The most I could do was shift slightly in my seat, face beginning to go pink.

"Please let me go!" I whispered into Kirigiri's ear, crossing my legs over the other way. "A little just came out! I-I don't think I can-"

She didn’t stop moving her piece along the board when she hissed back at me. “Naegi, if we keep pausing to discuss this, the Mastermind will-”

“ Please… ” I couldn’t stop my voice from cracking that time. As pathetic as it was, I was barely keeping myself from crying from how intense the pain was getting, almost burning.

She finally glanced at my face, and while her expression didn’t change at all, I knew she was getting irritated with me, guilt churning in my stomach. I couldn’t exactly blame her, but I just hoped it wouldn’t mean her ignoring me for as long as the last time I ticked her off.

“I have to admit, Naegi, it is a shame you only have thirty minutes for our lesson today.” Kirigiri mused aloud, and with hesitation, I tried to figure out my next move on the board. “If you could work up the courage to say ‘no’ to our peers once in a while, I believe you would have a much more flexible schedule.”

“Uh, w-well, you know… Touko wanted some feedback on her drafts, and I don’t want anyone feeling lonely here. Friendship is the only way we can get through this, r-right?” I forced a smile, no matter how pained it was.

“I am not certain I can speak to that. However... I suppose I appreciate the sentiment. I shall simply strive to make the most of my time with you.”

“Y-Yeah, sorry for jipping you. We’ll hang out for longer next time, I promise!” After I said that, she nodded and refocused on our game. 

I guess that's her signal that the conversation is over.  

Good. I wasn't sure I had the focus to improvise much else.

Thirty minutes. She’d cut me some considerable slack by dropping the time limit by half. I just had to manage for that long, and I’d be out of here…

Just thirty minutes...

~~~

Every minute was pure torture. I couldn’t hear a single word Kirigiri was saying, only watching for when her hands moved to know when I was supposed to be taking my turn. I could have been moving my pieces backwards for all I cared. In order to keep my free hand off of my crotch, I kept it up near my mouth, tugging the end of my hoodie sleeve between my teeth. Hopefully it looked like I was deep in concentration, because it was the only thing to keep me from moaning.

I couldn’t remember ever having to go this badly in my life! Even when I’d wet the bed as a kid, at least I’d been asleep so I hadn’t felt anything! But now every organ was spasming and twitching, everything hurt, and I was having to use every ounce of concentration to keep from-

Just as we hit the ten minute mark, the strangest sensation ran through me. Suddenly, I felt part of my lower body go numb. The aches disappeared, replaced by tingling, and then nothing. I barely had a chance to notice the rapid changes, then my underwear was suddenly warm and wet. Before I could stop myself, I’d shoved one hand down there with a yelp, squeezing and squirming to try and stop the flow. 

“Naegi, what are you-”

“I’m sorry! I-I’m so sorry!” I stammered, cutting off Kirigiri and knocking a few pieces over as I scrambled out of my seat, still gripping myself with one hand. My face was burning red with the strain as I managed to hold back the leak, but I knew I didn’t have a second to waste. “ I-I have to go! Right now! ” I only stood there for long enough to get my bearings, shuffling from foot to foot, and then I bolted towards the door, flinging it open and rushing into the hallway.

In that moment, I couldn’t bring myself to care about the plan, Monokuma, the Mastermind, or even Kirigiri. All I cared about was not peeing myself!

"C-Come on! Where is it?!?" My breathing was a steady mix of huffs and whimpers as I hurried through the twisting hallways, tugging on every door I could find. I'd barely been up here after the investigations, and that had been such a fast-paced event that my memory was a blur. All of my panic now sure didn't help with that. My heartbeat was going a mile a minute, dizziness and nausea battling within me for the second place podium of my attention and suffering.

"You should have simply told me if you needed the restroom that urgently, Naegi. I wouldn't have been opposed to pausing our game." Kirigiri's voice seemed to echo along the walls, and soon enough I heard her shoes clipping along the tile. When I saw her walk into view, for a second I was almost mad. Was she seriously scolding me?!? I had told her, she just didn't-

But then it clicked. She was still trying to keep our cover, even after all of that. What was the point? Hadn't I already blown it?

" S-Sorry… " I choked the word out through gritted teeth, not entirely sure what I was actually apologizing for. A genuine one for the ruined plan? Or just for this fake conversation? 

It didn't matter. Either way, I'd completely screwed up, a realization that slapped me in the face as I pulled open the last door in the hallway. It wasn't the bathroom. It was just the physics laboratory. There wasn't a single bathroom on the third floor, and as another spasm of painful cramping brought tears to my eyes again, I felt the chains of despair wrap around my chest. 

Not only had I ruined the plan, risked all of our safety and Alter Ego's, but I'd completely shredded whatever trust Kirigiri had started to place in me. How pathetic was I? How weak did I have to be to end up in this kind of situation at my age?!?

"No no no! " I couldn't stop whimpering prayers as I hunched over, feeling hot wetness spread through my boxers and into a patch on my right thigh. My hands were squeezing the tip through my pants for dear life, any chance of modesty long gone, but I couldn't cut off the stream of pee escaping to soak my fingers and trickle down my leg, staining the fabric with an unmistakable dark pattern. " I think I'm gonna have an accident... " It was just a whisper of disbelief to myself as I rocked in place, but Kirigiri must've heard it. Because the next thing I knew, she'd snatched the sleeve of my jacket to start pulling me through the hall so quickly that I nearly tripped trying to catch up.

"Don't give up. There is one on the floor above us."

Above us? Just the thought of climbing a staircase sent another jet of warmth hissing into my pants, but the hope she'd offered me gave me strength to try and clench my muscles closed. I couldn't stop the light leaks with every few steps, but I managed to hold in the majority of my bladder, even if my body was screaming at me and I couldn't catch my breath. 

I can make it! I can make it!

I jerked my sleeve back from my escort as we reached the stairs, using one hand to cling to the railing while the other stayed buried between my legs. I clawed my way upwards as quickly as possible, wincing with every stair, but I knew if I could just endure this, I could manage the rest. Even if my pants were obviously wet, even if every jostle made a few more trickles escape, I had to try. I couldn't give up…

Whatever happens, I can never give up, especially not in front of her...

I nearly sobbed with relief when my feet hit the tile floor, and we didn't waste any time rushing towards the bathroom door. Thankfully it was one of the first rooms in the hallway, and I bolted in with both hands glued to my crotch.

" Gottapeegottapeegottapeeeee! "

If fate had given me one gift to make up for the rest of the day’s troubles, it was that the bathroom was completely empty. I’d managed to crash inside and stagger towards the urinals without anyone around to see my ridiculous movements, or hear the absolutely humiliating moans of relief I let out as soon as the torrent started hitting porcelain. I couldn’t help it. Just as this school had tried to strip us of our humanity, my trials that day had left me a shell of myself. I was only capable of basic animal instinct, and the feeling of my bladder finally emptying after holding to the point of tears was indescribable. Like every cell in my body had been replaced with warmth and gelatin. I had to put a hand on the wall just to keep myself from collapsing, my legs shaking and shivers running up the length of my spine. 

When I closed my eyes, the hissing was magnified, until it sounded like it was coming from every corner of the room. I thought it would never end, and to be honest, I almost didn’t want it to. It was hot and with how forcefully it was spraying out, it kind of hurt, but the relief was worth it. 

I only opened my eyes when it felt like the stream finally stopped, and after squeezing to make sure I was completely empty, I started to readjust my clothes. In the moment that cold dampness brushed against my skin, a stone dropped in my chest. Like a storm cloud rolling in to crush whatever ray of sunshine had dared to peek out behind it, the haze of momentary bliss was immediately overshadowed by the crushing reality of my situation.

To start with the consequences that weren’t life or death: My pants were obviously wet, and there was no masking the truth of what had happened. The patches and rivulets stood out clear as day, and trying to wash them out by hand was only going to spread it. If I ran into any of our classmates before I got to change, my reputation would be ruined. I hadn’t been that bothered by my ‘secret’ before, but now that this had happened, I could only imagine the way some might run with it…

These bathroom walls weren’t exactly thick, and while my own perspective might have exaggerated it, I was pretty sure things had been loud. I wondered if Kirigiri had heard me while she was standing outside. If she did, she would probably never speak to me again. Or even worse, she would speak to me, and I would have to go beg Sakura to beat me unconscious. 

She’ll need to get amnesia again just to forget this. Or maybe I should ask Byukuya to research how to make me develop amnesia. That would be better. There's got to be medical books in the library, right?

Actually, the fact that Kirigiri had seen all of my squirming and begging and crying before was reason enough for me to wish either of those things would happen. 

The boy staring at me in the mirror while I washed my hands looked like he was prepared for a death sentence. That didn’t feel very far off. I would have to face the world outside of this room eventually, and I wasn’t sure which felt more like my future executioner: the Mastermind and their henchbear, who had no doubt caught on to our plan by now and were probably ready to jump me, or Kirigiri, who could cut my dignity to shreds with a single look.

All the apologies in the world wouldn’t be enough to redeem myself to her. My inability to follow the plan had dragged all of us down…

Despite the fire licking at my face, the rest of my body felt like it had been encased in ice. I shook as I dragged shoes of cement towards the door, failing to swallow past the heavy lump in my throat. 

I have to face it. Whatever happens now, I have to face it.

~~~

As soon as I stepped out and rounded the corner into the hallway, a hand dug itself into my shoulder. A half-scream escaped me as I pulled and writhed, trying to escape the increasingly tight grip, but then my assailant jerked me around to face them. Kirigiri’s face was there, with a pallor that almost tinged blue. I couldn’t tell if she looked angry, scared, or just plain revolted. Her body was entirely rigid, and I’m sure if her gloves weren’t covering it, her knuckles would be white and her nails would be leaving indents in my skin even with the hoodie between us. 

“ Naegi- ” she started to speak through a clenched jaw, but my nerves got the best of me. I cut her off before I could stop myself.

“Kirigiri, I-I’m sorry! I’m so sorry, really I am!” The crack of regret in my voice was audible, and I had to look away from her in shame. Anywhere. My gaze, now starting to blur with leftover tears, found the floor where I could see the trail and slight puddles I’d left leading up to here, the walls, those stupid monitors- 

An idea struck me then, while I was still babbling apologies I wasn’t focusing on, and my heart started going double-time. We had no idea what the Mastermind had thought of what they’d seen, they might even be on their way here now to end us. Or Monokuma might be heading for us with a barrage of bullets. But we had nothing left to lose at this point, right? A last ditch effort- no matter how watery of an excuse it was- it was worth a shot. One last spark of hope…

“You’re sixteen , how could you-”

“ I HAVE A BLADDER INFECTION!!! ” Once again, I cut her choked words off, and this time my voice echoed around the hallway. It was enough to take her aback, confusion etched all over her face.

“ What? ”

“ I have. A bladder. Infection. ” I emphasized slowly, letting my gaze dart towards the camera for a split second. I didn’t have to fake the embarrassment all over my face, and I prayed it would help sell our case. “The urge started hitting me during our game, but I thought I could hold out since we were so short on time already! B-But, um, clearly I couldn’t…” I stepped back to unhook her hand from my shoulder, leaning against the wall.

“I… I see…” Kirigiri murmured, taking in a breath and exhaling slowly. “If that was the case, why didn’t you tell me?”

“You think I’d tell you something like that!?! I’d rather d-” Nope, bad word choice. Trying to ignore the pounding in my chest, I forced myself to stop shouting, crossing my arms and glancing at the floor. “It’s embarrassing… I didn’t want you to think I was pathetic. I mean, you’re so strong and collected all the time, and I didn’t want you to be disappointed, or get mad at me again-”

“You didn’t have to stand there crying and apologizing, Naegi! I never said I was angry with you!” Kirigiri moved towards me, only to step back as soon as her shoe landed in a small splash of the mess. “I-I just, er... I was trying to process… all of… this. ” Gesturing vaguely at me, she didn’t have to fake the baffled look. Her eyes shot towards mine with a glimmer of panic as she wracked her brain for a comforting script. 

Well, if by some miracle they weren’t disgusted, sympathetic girls would probably hug me or something…

Even if I could afford to whisper suggestions now, I would never tell her that one. It just wasn’t Kirigiri. She wasn’t the type to brush away someone’s tears or coddle them, cooing until they felt better. If I ever had to get a wound stitched closed or a bullet taken out, she’d jump in take care of me, sure, but she’d probably insist there wasn’t time to wait for anesthetic to kick in.

Actually, maybe it was a good thing she was flailing with the improv. If Kirigiri had actually known what to do to help me without being awkward, that would’ve been a bigger red flag than anything I’d done.

“Yeah, I know… I really didn’t want you to have to see all of that earlier… Or me like this...” I grimaced, feeling my face burn as I tried and failed to pull my jacket down over the wet patch. It wasn’t even close to covering it. “It’s pretty gross…”

“Yes, it is.” Now that I was more focused, I noticed the slight sheen of sweat on her pale face. She looked nearly sick...

Wow, you couldn’t even pretend to sugarcoat it. Don’t ever change, Kirigiri.

We fell into silence for a minute, avoiding each other’s eyes and waiting for the arrival of a knife to cut the tension between us. Trapped in our respective suffering, we wondered if death would come to free us from the burden. But the hallway was eerily quiet, without anything to interrupt us, and I finally coughed into my sleeve.

“Well, uh, I should probably… get down to the infirmary… Y-You know, see if they’ve got any medicine...” If nothing was going to ambush us here, I figured the best option was to keep going with the story, just to make sure. 

“Yes, I suppose that would be best…” Kirigiri muttered. “Of course, this mess will also have to be taken care of. I’m sure we’ll find some cleaning supplies there.” 

“Ah, you don’t have to worry about that! I’ll deal with it!” 

“I don’t mind.” Judging by the discomfort on her face, I was pretty sure she did, but she didn’t give me a chance to speak, starting to walk so I had no choice but to follow after her. “After so many autopsies, it would be foolish of me to get squeamish dealing with something lesser. And besides… I think you have more, er... pressing matters to attend to...” 

“I…” As much as I wanted to protest, I definitely wanted to get out of my wet clothes as soon as possible, so I ducked my head, praying she’d be enough to shield me from any passerby on the three floor decent. “Y-Yeah. Thanks…”

Kirigiri sighed, with a heaviness that matched her steps as we started to take the first staircase. “You shouldn’t be thanking me.” 

“Why not?”

Kirigiri didn’t answer, acting like she didn’t hear me, and after a second try I decided to drop it. She’d withdrawn deeper than the awkwardness before, and while I wasn’t sure whether it was because she was deep in thought, listening for danger, or just giving me the cold shoulder, it was clear she wasn’t coming out of it anytime soon. It was a silent, uncomfortable trudge through the school, and I didn’t hear a sound besides our own echoing footsteps until we touched the first floor.

“Go straight to your dorm and wash that filth off. I’ll take care of everything needed from the infirmary.” 

“I can-”

“ Go, Naegi.” 

She hadn’t raised her voice, but I knew it wasn’t a suggestion. I made myself as scarce as possible, slinking through the hallway until I reached my door. I slipped in and locked it as soon as I could, making sure to check the bathroom before I got in the shower. I did my best not to remember the bloodstains that had once covered those walls, or the intruder that had approached my bed that other night…

~~~

I managed to survive showering and changing clothes without incident. As I sat on the bed afterwards, I found I still couldn’t relax. Nothing had happened with the Mastermind yet, but I still wondered why Kirigiri had been so eager to get away from me. Well, I knew part of why. Who wouldn’t want to distance themselves after seeing someone do something so gross, or after having their life endangered? 

Dread churned in my stomach, and I was only distracted from the sensation when a loud knock on the door made me jump to my feet. I wondered if I should grab a weapon, but I didn’t exactly have any, and even if I did I knew I couldn’t make use of one. I didn’t even know if Sakura could overpower the Mastermind. Quietly, I made my way to the door, cracking it open just enough to catch a glimpse of who was on the other side.

Kirigiri’s eyes met mine, and I found myself frozen, only thawing enough to move when she nudged the door with her foot. “Do you mind if come in?” I stepped back and gave her room, unsure if I wanted to avoid her eyes, or keep staring at her. 

“You didn’t have to come, you know…” I murmured. Despite what she said earlier, I still felt like I should’ve cleaned the hallway up.

“Where is your laundry?”

“On the bathroom floor. I’ll deal with it in a- Hey! You can’t-”

“My schedule will have me in the area, so I might as well take care of it.” Kirigiri had shoved right past me, and I now realized she’d been carrying an empty laundry sack on her shoulder. “You’re a boy, after all. Judging by your fashion choices, you can’t keep wrinkles out of fabric to save your life.”

“I know how to wash clothes!”

“If you’re going to keep opening your mouth, at least drop one of your pills in there.” 

A small box hit me in the shoulder, and I picked it up off of the floor to read the label, keeping it away from the camera. They were just generic cranberry supplements. As long as I took one or two for a few days, it should be convincing enough. I headed to the bathroom sink, taking a handful of tap water and popping one in, then hid the box in the cabinet below. 

“Hey, um… how was the hallway?”

“Everything is cleared up. You have no need to worry.”

When she closed up the sack and turned to look at me, I felt some of the tension in my shoulders melt. She was as businesslike as ever, but there was, well, maybe not calmness, but a certainty in her gaze I found relieving. If she hadn’t encountered anything unusual once she was alone, and neither had I, then we were probably in the clear. We’d actually gotten away with it.

“That’s good to hear…” I sighed. So I hadn’t completely ruined things. I’d still put Kirigiri through a lot though, and taken a pretty big hit to the ego… “Listen, Kirigiri, I’m sorry about-”

“Naegi, if you don’t mind, I would like to speak first.” 

Startled, I shut my mouth and waited. It took her a minute to say anything though. Despite how intensely she’d interrupted me, she kept looking around the room, or toying with the bag in her hands.

“I had hoped not to make a habit of this…” Kirigiri murmured, the slightest pink tinge creeping onto her cheeks. “But I believe that… Once again, I owe you an apology.”

“What? No you don’t! It was my fault that-”

“I should have been more aware of your situation! I didn’t expect... If I had realized the depth of your distress, I… Perhaps I could have…” Kirigiri shook her head, and I didn’t think she even knew what she was trying to say. There wasn’t much she could have done, after all. 

“Er, the point is, I’ve been rather unfair to you, Naegi. I’ve been trying to place my trust in you, as you’ve done with me, but… I suppose I’ve been going about it the wrong way. I tend to overestimate your limits, and in doing so cause you harm, both emotional and physical. I have a habit of dragging you around like a canine, and I take up far too much of your time and attention, and I get so wrapped up in what I’m doing or thinking that I miss when you speak up. Or if I do hear it, often end up casting it aside.” 

Her attention flitted down towards the floor, her shoe digging its toe into the carpet. “I told you we were friends, but I haven’t been very considerate of your feelings at all. That’s rather hypocritical, don’t you think?” She looked back up at me, but only so she could dip her head in a slight bow, her gloves still toying with the laundry. “I… I know a menial task like this isn’t nearly enough to repair the damage I’ve caused, but I… I’m not making excuses by saying this, of course, but you know I’m not very experienced with these sort of... situations… so this was all I could really think to do. I hope you can forgive me for my incompetence.”

Her face was blazing by now, and I could feel my own start to burn with fresh embarrassment. I wasn’t sure who was more humiliated. Her having to apologize for the crime of believing I could hold it, or me for having to listen to her admit it.

It did help me understand her behavior earlier though. Maybe… she hadn’t really been mad at me, just frustrated at herself for putting me through it all. It was nice, anyways, to get an apology for that whole ordeal. And to know she really did care.

“Of course I forgive you, Kirigiri.” I gave her one of the first genuine smiles to cross my face all day, even if it was still a little awkward. “You couldn’t have known how this would all turn out, right? We’ll just… make sure it doesn’t happen again. The next time we have our chess game, it’ll be a lot smoother.” 

Was it just me, or was there the smallest smile gracing her lips? Kirigiri nodded, turning to head back out the door. “Yes, I’m certain we’ll come up with some winning strategies. I trust you’ll be at the top of your game then.” With that last comment, she stepped out and shut the door. I gave myself my first chance to breathe all day, flopping back down onto the bed and shutting my eyes.

“I see you’ve got yourself a little housewife! Congratulations, kid, she seems like a keeper!”

I jolted upright at the familiar voice, my nerves returning full force and then some. I thought we were in the clear, but how could we be if he was in the room? I scrambled to the edge of the bed, and there stood Monokuma, staring up at me from the floor. “H-How did you get in here?”

“I slipped in when she left! Sneaky, aren’t I?” Monokuma chuckled, and the sound chilled me to the bone. He made his way towards me with his slow, deliberate waddle, the red eye gleaming in the light. “Well well, it’s been a BEARy interesting day for you, hasn’t it kid!?!”

“Y-You could… say that…” I murmured, the hair along my neck prickling. What was I supposed to do now? He had me cornered, and there was no way to call for help! I sat back and watched helplessly as he jumped up and landed on the bed, bouncing once, then twice with a squeak before his body settled. How could a robot be unbalanced as easily as a plush toy?

“You two are lucky there aren’t any cameras in the dressing room…” Monokuma sighed, turning his head to stare at me, unblinking. “Don’t think I didn’t notice you both going in there this afternoon...”

“I-I can explain-”

“And then you both met up later at lunch, and played games in the Rec Room! You two are really getting close, huh?”

“We’re not that close! I mean, I don’t spend any more time with her than I do Aoi, o-or Byakuya-”

“Quiet, you! There’s no need for excuses! I dunno exactly what you two were doing in there, especially since she was blocking you from the camera, but with all that whispering and the adorable blush you had on your face, I think I can guesssss!~ Ah, young virgins are always drawn to the dominant ones, puhuhu! ”

“Wh-What!?!” I couldn’t believe my ears. What was this? Was he toying with me in my last moments?

“Oh, don’t play dumb, kid! We’re both men here! Well, I am, at least!” Thumping his chest with one paw-fist, Monokuma huffed a great puff of air. “Now, I know it’s pointless to stop a bunch of horny teenagers from playing around, but this is a school, you know. Your hands looked like they were ready to jump down your pants, and she kept leaning towards you… Try not to be so obvious about it. I mean, there are cameras everywhere, and I certainly wouldn’t want you two doing anything… unseemly… while I was forced to sit and watch the monitors…” Monokuma’s white fur seemed to tint pink, and sweat was pouring down him in buckets as he shuddered, voice trembling slightly. If I wasn’t so glad he’d jumped to the wrong conclusion, I might’ve wanted to gag. Even Hifumi hadn't been that obvious. “No no, that would just be… morally reprehensible… I’m your Principal! It would be soooo unprofessional… ”

“Don’t talk like that!” I almost swiped at him before I remembered the regulations. I settled for pressing that hand to my forehead instead. “Gross!”

“I feel pretty sorry for you though, man oh man! If you get nervous enough to wet yourself every time you’re with a pretty girl… well, it’s gonna be rough for ya’! She stayed this time, was even kind enough to help you clean up, but I mean, it’s not like she has many options around here! If you ‘graduate’, you might wanna give up and just start checking some forums. At least find a chick who’s gonna enjoy it!”

Forums? I’d done my fair share of internet research about a lot of things, like studying this school before I came, but I couldn’t follow the conversation anymore, and I should probably have been glad I couldn’t. “ What are you talking about?!?” I snapped, more flustered than frustrated.

“Alright, alright! Don’t get so riled up!” Monokuma reached up to ruffle my hair. “Maybe you’re too young for this talk, too innocent! Cute boys should stay cute! Some girls like the soft ones, and I guess there’s a charm in that~ Puhuhu! ” With another chuckle, Monokuma jumped down from the bed, patting me on the leg before he started walking away. “I’ll get out of your messy hair for now! Make sure to take those pills! Wouldn’t wanna have an accident in front of all your little friends in the cafeteria or something, would you? How emBEARassing would that be!?!”

Before I could even decide what to say back, or if it was safe to say anything at all, I heard the door slam, and Monokuma was gone. 

How does he move so fast?

Ugh, my head was pounding from stress and exhaustion. But… Monokuma didn’t seem to know anything about our secret at all. He just thought we were doing… whatever it was he thought we were doing, and that wasn’t the villainous mind I wanted to delve into right now. As long as we were in the clear for now, that was good enough for me. Kirigiri and I, along with Alter Ego, could keep gathering information, forming plans, and eventually we’d all get out of here before the Mastermind knew what hit them…

What was it you were supposed to say when you won in chess? Checkmate...