HOPE.

                    “Is something wrong, Komaru?” he didnt                   think he did anything wrong to deserve the                   tongue, but he could never tell with her. “Something                   on your mind?”

dr1

getting punched directly in the head by mondo oowada, somehow sustained not even a bruise

a junko execution meant to crush him into literal mush

literal? starvation? like he almost died of starvation

dr2

somehow meeting 15 serial killers who knew who he was bc he killed junko didnt elicit any important flags

how did 0/15 attempt a murder

u were all so close

dr3

a direct hit in the gut from sakakura juzo, known to kill people in one hit

2 direct hits from sakakura juzo, yhe second one being his fucking head

munakata literally beating the shit out of him during his despair rage

a lot of bullets? like he only got hit once???

a suicide video meant to dRIVE HIM INTO MADNESS

                           “  yeah .   a - and  i’m  trying  to  stop  the  noxious  gangrene  from  polluting  my  entire  vascular  system  before  it’s  too  late .  ”

                 “I mean... Togami-kun has said some... pretty mean things to me before. I know he’s just, y’know, being him, but it sometimes bugs me when he doesn’t realize that sometimes those things he says kinda hurts unless you’re, like, sort of used to it... I don’t think he appreciates things sometimes, and.. Well... He’s kind of stuck up... I feel like I get nowhere with him sometimes, especially when he says he doesn’t trust me and stuff...”

                  “  amputate .  ”

no  pause  for  solace    /    nor  consideration            on  part  of  either  of  them ,   evidently .   her  spine  unfurls   —————   straightens  like  cooling  iron ,   and  she  feels  her  skin  temper  to  the  tong  of  makoto’s   …   assertion .

“  …   wh - what  are  they  giving  you   ..?  ”      she  follows  the  swooping  u - bend  of  the  i. v.  :   wrist  to  station ,   and  the  steady  flow  of  crazy  through  it .      “  how  out  of  it  are  you  ?   re - open  that   —————   the  death  trap  ?  ”

all  at  once .   (  as  immediate  as  the  cold  sweat   —————   the  shuddering  shoulders .   the  woman  who  shares  her  bed  enfolding  them  like  a  dust  cover .  )    morning  heartache    &   evenings  of  remembrance  .

            everything  they  lost .

“  oh ,   yeah  !   great  idea ,   makoto  !   that’s  e - exactly  what  everyone  needs  right  now   …   we’ll   —————   polish  the  floorboards ,   scrape  all  the  blood  off  of  everything   —————   good  as  new  !   for  anyone  who’s  not  dead  !  ”

      it was the expected reaction. the idea was reckless, dangerous, and all around stupid. they all had gone with his ideas up until now. to save 15 murderers, to erase their memories, to hide everything. his idiotic ideas led them to this point. fukawa had a point, calling the place a death trap. it was a place of darkness for them, a place they thought they’d never have to return to. inside those halls unspeakable horrors were witnessed, and the remains of that place lingered with them until this day.

       but, makoto had this gut feeling. hope’s peak was NEEDED to put this world back in order. there was still a light there, a light that someone out there admired. the school was a symbol of prosperity and hope for so long... if it stood once more, would the world change alongside it?

       “I... know it’s stupid.” he closed his eyes for a second, trying to figure out how he wanted to express his feelings. “But... I want to go back there. Even if it’s scary... I think we all need a place we can call home now. A  place... Somewhere we can all come back to and be together... With everyone. And...” He stopped, feeling himself get worked up a bit. Calming himself, he let out a deep breath.

she  knows  full  and  well            what  happened      ——      no  way  to  sidestep  that  sinkhole  of  clerical  strife ,      as  exemplified  by  ( whatever  remains  of  )      the  departments  being  up  in  arms .        intensive  care  is  crawling  with  it :      that  omnipresent ,      ever - lingering  despondency .        ( towa ,      but  the  bodies  still  twitch . )

weary  within  her  right ,      she  rolls  her  eyes ;      cranes  to  the  bedside  to  apprehend  his  water ,      holding  it  flush  under  his  face .        her  arm      ——      once  dominant ,      now  struggling  for  it      ——      seizes .        “ days  is  an  understatement .        try  years . ”        all  of  them  torturous .        all  of  them  worth  it .        they’re  together .

“ but  …        don’t  mention  it .        your  sister ,      i  mean .        sh - she’s  a  handful ,      but      ——      a  capable  one .        she  was  taking  care  of  me ,      half  the  time . ”        a  rough  estimate ;      a  lock  of  hair  budged  from  her  face .         blow  for  blow ,      the  two  of  them .        “ just      ——      what  are  we  meant  to  do  from  here ? ”

     Makoto didn’t respond right away. For a moment, he laid there still, forcing himself to not let his emotions suddenly get the best of him. Fukawa’s reassurances were something he wanted to hear. He was forever in debt to her. She took care of his family, all he had left on this Earth. She watched over her, protecting her and letting her grow, strong and capable. There were so many things he wanted to say in that moment, but all of them would end in him just... letting his mask shatter.

      But, he finally spoke up, his free hand gripping tightly onto the sheet underneath it. “Really... Thank you.” He repeated, going silent quickly. Any more and it’d break the dam.

      Her question gave him a moment to think. There were so many things they all had to do now, with the Foundation in shambles. But... Makoto didn’t really feel the need to concern himself with that. They had all told him to get some rest, to take a break. IT gave him time to think about what he wanted. He let out a soft chuckle.