希望.

The times hadn’t been exactly peaceful for Byakuya Togami lately. Ever since he had arrived in Stella City, he found obstacles and struggles to deal with every day. And like a true Togami, he persevered and moved on, strong and proud, carrying the weight of his own world on his young shoulders. It was merely something he got used to. If he had known it didn’t have to be this way, if he understood that socialism could benefit him and the world around him too, then perhaps he would have considered it. Perhaps he would have told Makoto about the things he had faced in recent days.

So it surprised him to find said brunet in front of his door, especially when it looked like he had hurried too. Byakuya blinked a few times as he assessed the situation and finally, with little reluctance, spoke. “Naegi.” He drew out a long breath. “What do I have to thank this visit for?”

He did his best to hide his bewilderment and surprise, simply because a Togami was always several steps ahead of anyone else. To experience not knowing what a person showed up for was a disaster, so he faked himself to be rather playful about the matter, as if he was already perfectly aware of the other’s purpose. It was a coping mechanism.

“You must be cold. If you came for a chat, then come inside. My time is precious, but I’ll spare some of it for you.”

Makoto has never thought of himself as being a person who is observant. More often than not, many things pass him by, yet this time around it’s different; he doesn’t miss the subtle changes occurring. Were it not for the reason that he showed up so suddenly, he’d have smiled -- internally, he is.

“Sorry to show up at your door so sudden. I know you don’t really like to be bothered when it’s nothing serious, but…” He stood there, hazel eyes holding the gaze of blue ones. “There’s something I want to talk to you about.” With that, Makoto steps inside of Byakuya’s hotel room. It shouldn’t feel awkward to be here and yet, it’s impossible for him to feel any different knowing he’s in the other’s personal space. Fiddling with the zipper of his jacket in search of a distraction, he tries not to look around to much.

The letter was back into the envelope and tucked away into the inner pocket of his jacket, over which he placed a hand. For a moment, he stills; the gut-wrenching feeling in his stomach is making him anxious. Hopefully, deciding to come over here wasn’t a bad idea. For now, it’s maybe best to test the waters and start out slowly, rather than go directly to the point and come off as being too harsh.

“Ultimate Lucky Student..?”

Well, it’s not like he hadn’t heard of that before. Komaeda had gotten in on those terms as well, after all; though his luck was a little… Extreme, to put it very lightly. And he was annoying. Those were two entirely different matters, but they both rang true to Fuyuhiko.

“A year later, huh… Well, that seems… Feasible. We have an Ultimate Lucky Student too, so that doesn’t sound too far off, either.”

But then, even with that…

He had no idea who this was.

His entire first year had been taken from him by Monokuma, is what he assumed. But then, if Naegi knew who Fuyuhiko was, and claimed he was his upperclassman- a part of his second year then, too?

What much more had he lost in that time? What else was taken from his head? A feeling of stress plagued the back of his head, one he refused to acknowledge. It couldn’t have been that much more, he tells himself. Plenty drastic things had already happened in that one single year- he didn’t need another year of mysterious bullshit to be added onto it.

And he didn’t need Naegi to know about Jabberwock Island, either, nor about Monokuma. No. Because, he couldn’t tell who was in on it, and who wasn’t. Not until he got back home.

“Regardless, I’ve never seen you before.”

He’s not lying, but it’s not the exact truth, either. He might’ve seen Naegi before, it’s just that… He can’t remember it. So, where does he go from here? He could… Blame it on this city. He feels like he might not even be that far off, to begin with.

“Ever since arriving in this shithole, everything’s been off. I don’t fucking know how they do it, but it’s messed up. I bet arriving here was equally fucked up for you too, right?”

Yeah. Let’s play that card for now.

“You’re talking about Komaeda-kun, right?” Makoto eagerly chipped in, perhaps a little too much so.

He really should contain himself, even if some sort of comfort came from talking about the others. By no way did he mean any harm with things -- right now, it’s all he has to cling on to in hopes of maybe shedding some light on the entire situation. He wanted nothing more than to be remembered, selfish as that was… but more than that, he wanted Fuyuhiko and the rest of his classmates to be able to regain their lost memories.

With nervousness still bubbling inside of him, Makoto reaches to clasp a hand over his upper arm, fingers nervously digging into the dark fabric of his blazer. His gaze averted for a moment, unable to withstand Fuyuhiko’s gaze fixating onto him; part of him feels bad for being unable to properly face his upperclassman, but there’s little to be done about it when the other is so intimidating. It’s a different kind of intimidation than the one he’s accustomed to due to working with Byakuya for so long. Both might have connections, and yet… No matter how he went about it, his mind defaulted his upperclassman as being dangerous.

“I-It’s fine.” Shyly, he peers back towards the other. “You’re not the only one, so I guess… I kind of expected it.” This was fine to talk about, right? Honest to a fault, Makoto doesn’t want to keep things to himself. He can’t take any chances, especially if it can help make him feel more believable and trustworthy. “When I met Hinata-kun, he didn’t remember me either. I don’t know why or what’s going on over here, but…” Sighing, he gives a shake of the head. Did this have something to do with Stella City itself or was it the result of being part of the Neo World Program? Heaven knows he hoped it would be the former, otherwise that would be a big chunk of blame Makoto himself would have to stomach. No, no -- fix. He’d have to fix it, someway, somehow.

“...It’s been weird, to say the least. I don’t know how I got here or why, and I didn’t expect to find others here either.” He pauses for a moment. “It’s not just that, though. A lot of the people here are kind of… different, I guess. Everything feels surreal, especially with sheep walking around, doing the day to day jobs that you’d think only humans can do.” 

Can you help, @qvietude?

  Mirai had been obsessively looking over each and every gardening encyclopedia the library had in. Knitting her eyebrows she let out a disgruntled sigh before heaving the large pile she had accumulated from the floor. The large stack easily brushed her chin as she walked toward the counter.

  Slamming the large stack down with a loud thump!, she huffed loudly from the strain the weight put on her. How would she carry this home? She’d figure that out somehow…

 “ Excuse me… ”

  She stared at the librarian with a disgruntled look, but it didn’t last long once she took his full appearance in. She stifled a laugh while she struggled to speak again. He was a funny looking boy in her opinion– Not necessarily a bad thing. 

  “ Ah, I was wondering if you had another book? I can’t seem to find it… ”

She pushed her glasses up farther on the bridge of her nose, tilting her head slightly.

Had he been less absorbed in work, Makoto would’ve noticed the girl struggling some as she approached the front desk. Alas, it’s only when the books are dropped onto the counter that his attention snaps away from the screen of the computer, gaze turning upward towards the other with a surprised look; he’s been startled out of concentration, after all.

“Sorry--” His first impulse is to apologize, yet it’s not clear what about. Fingers pulled at the knot of his tie to loosen it slightly and a small smile formed onto his lips as he silently regarded the girl for a moment, taking in her features. 

“Really? Can I touch it then?! Pretty please with a dead Risen on top!!” Excitement seems to get the best of him as he giggles, shifting from foot to foot like an overly cheerful child. 

Then again, this is Henry we’re talking about.

“Y’know I always wondered how those ahoges work, is it some kinda magic maybe? Or do you just style it lots to stay like that?”

The situation was only getting weirder and, truth be told, Makoto didn’t know how to respond; it wasn’t even because of the request made, rather the way things were worded. Was it really safe to let someone else touch his hair…? This wasn’t really something he ever thought he’d have to sit and think about. Funny how things change in unexpected ways; they’re probably bound to do that, when one ends up stuck in a place that isn’t home.

“Uhm…” Awkward, that’s what he was being. Nothing new there, it was one of those things that followed Makoto around throughout life; it likely wouldn’t change, but he didn’t think much of it. It had its own charm after all, right? “Y-Yeah, sure. I mean, if you want?” Rolling his shoulders into a shrug, he gave somewhat of a reluctant nod.

The idea of a tour through Wonderland Woods sounded interesting, not only because Makoto has yet to go there but also because of the thing that was advertised for this particular times of the year: mushrooms. Now, he wasn’t the biggest fan out there when it came to them, but after hearing that the mushrooms have interesting side effect, he was completely enthusiastic to learn more. This may or may not have something to do with a specific type of mushroom, that was said to make the person that consumes it grow 10cm for a solid 24 hours.

Nonetheless, the tour itself turned out to be extremely pleasant. Learning more about Stella City and its surroundings should also be of use at some later point, so this experience was both educational and self-indulgent. Unfortunately, Makoto didn’t get to reach too far with the tour -- by that, it means that he didn’t yet get the chance to discover the growth mushrooms he was eager to learn more about; to taste, too. Mid-tour, he was stopped by one of the sheep at the post office who had a letter for him; one that was slightly overdue, from what he got told.

Receiving a letter was strange, considering that there was nobody he really thought would have any reason to write him. Moreover, this didn’t seem like any regular letter, which further piqued his curiosity. Opening up the envelope, he took out the paper and began reading off of it. Confusion strikes immediately, with information not really adding up. No, it wasn’t even the information itself that didn’t make sense, because the content of the letter was clear and straight to the point. However, something felt off and Makoto couldn’t quite figure out what exactly it was.

Backtracking on the events from a few days back, things seem suspicious. He was supposed to meet up with Byakuya, since they’d agreed to have lunch together but the plans were suddenly cancelled out. Now, if there’s one thing that Makoto knows, it’s that Byakuya isn’t the type to cancel out plans unless something very important comes up. With that in mind, a conclusion begins to gain contour but it’s not something he wants to think much about. At least not until he has both sides of the story -- well, as much as a letter can be considered one, that is.

With a heavy heart towards the idea of finally getting to grow a little, even if temporarily, Makoto offers his apologies towards his tour guides before explaining that the tour had to come to an abrupt end; it felt as if they knew, even before he stepped up to mention it. Perhaps that’s just part of him being extremely easy to read into.

Guided out of the woods and back into the city, he bids farewell from his guides and then heads towards Gâteau Château as fast as his legs carried him. Granted that he was a mess by the time he arrived at the hotel’s lobby, Makoto tried to make himself a bit more presentable before asking for directions; there was nothing to be done about his unruly hair, however.

Fuyuhiko was starting to get annoyed and about to tell the other to just spit it out already, when he finally received the answer he was looking for.

Makoto Naegi, huh…? He thought it over as good as he could, but it didn’t ring any bells for him at all. Well, ‘Makoto’ was a pretty common name, but he figured he would’ve remembered someone named ‘Naegi’, probably.

… Did it ring any bells?

No… Impossible. He’d never met this guy before.

“Wait, actually- you’re what now?” even more than not recognising this person, his statements did not make any sense to Fuyuhiko. Sure, he was on Jabberwock Island for quite a while- but it couldn’t have been more than weeks, but absolutely not over a year. Even if his time in Stella City was included, he should only be barely a second year, or however these grades worked. Sure, he went to classes; but he hadn’t really gone out of his way to actually study this place’s school system or it’s specifics.

Admittedly, his memories were questionable. That much was proven true with the introduction of the Twilight Syndrome game, where he found out his sister had apparently been killed, and he then ended up killing the girl responsible. But, those were memories of his first year at Hope’s Peak, right? If they were true; but for now, he assumed they were. So, even going from there, even if he assumed that he had actually spent his entire first year at Hope’s Peak, then he must’ve arrived on Jabberwock Island just before the second year began. Right..?

So, if he’d arrived there, either just before or precisely on the start of the second year, then he wouldn’t have been around Hope’s Peak for any underclassmen to see.

… Could he trust that timeline he’d made for himself? He didn’t know what Monokuma had supposedly made him forget. He assumed it was only the first year - what would be the point of erasing more than that? - but could he be certain entirely?

“… I do not remember you and I sure as hell don’t recognise you either. I should only barely have started my second year, if at all. You better not be fucking with me, either, or fucking else…”

He couldn’t fully doubt Naegi; but at this specific point in time on this specific subject, he trusted himself more than he trusted some stranger, harmless as they might seem. Even if he did doubt how he remembered things went, he wasn’t going to let someone else in on it.

“… Tell me, then. If you were a student at Hope’s Peak as you claim, what’d you get in on.”

If Naegi was a student at Hope’s Peak, surely he must’ve had some type of talent. Maybe that would also help jog his memory if he heard it.

He despised not knowing whether what he remembered was right or not.

Call it good intuition or whatever else, but it Makoto didn’t take much to figure out that his statement ended up rousing a mix of emotions within Fuyuhiko. He might not be the most observant person around and while it usually takes him a little while to piece things together, right now he’s presented with all the positive signs of having struck a sensitive chord. So much for him not wanting to cross the Ultimate Yakuza in the wrong way, huh?

“N-No, I promise I’m not-- Uh… I’m not messing around with you!” Hands are brought up to his chest level, getting waved around frantically as if to further accentuate his statement. Oh, Makoto… if only you’d not stutter when trying to seem serious about these things.

Drawing in a deep breath, he tries to steady himself before offering an answer; this should hopefully help shed light on a few things, as well as take away any shroud of doubts. Or, that was what Makoto was aiming for, at least.

“It’s really not much to talk about, really… I got in as the Ultimate Lucky Student. So I guess you can say I was lucky to win the yearly lottery that the Academy holds.” To that, there’s a small laugh given; it’s rather awkward, much as Makoto himself feels when talking about that event. 

In spite of a rocky first meeting -- can it even be referred to as such, when the two of them technically know of one another? -- things seemed to progress relatively well, much as Makoto had initially hoped for when coming across Hajime. It might be too early to say that their relationship has been getting exponentially better, but it’s surely on the right path, considering that they had agreed to spend some time together.

What was initially supposed to be a casual outing grew into something a bit more, into genuine bonding time as the two of them crashed over at Owl Finch Arcade for a good part of the day. They say that some competition is always healthy and, considering the turn of events, they hold true to the saying. Good company makes for time to pass by quick, although Makoto’s the one to call it a day because of a pretty loud, grumbling stomach.

This is how they found themselves out of the arcades and headed towards the center of the city, in search for a place to grab something to eat. 

Somewhere deep down Hajime was aware he was just denying what he didn’t want to hear. He knew this, and yet he didn’t ask the librarian to elaborate on what he meant. It was cowardly and telling the other he was wrong on this without providing him with any actual evidence made Hajime feel bad, but he was too prideful to take back what he had said.

“Right…” Hajime said softly, avoiding the other’s gaze. “Thank you for the books and your time, uh… Sorry, I don’t seem to remember your name either. What can I call you?”

Things would be alright. In one way or another, they always managed to sort themselves out, and if not then a solution would be found; be it through Makoto’s efforts alone or by those of the entire collective, the missing pieces of this puzzle would eventually come to fall together. There was still hope and no matter how small it was, Makoto would tightly hold onto it.

For now, he guided Hajime back towards the front desk and began checking out the books for him one at a time. With a book in his hand, his gaze falls back onto the other. “Huh?”

“You have nothing to thank me for! It’s my job, after all.” That might be true, but part of him wanted to believe that maybe there’s a little more he’s being thanked for. Was Makoto leading himself on by wanting to think that? He shouldn’t be selfish.

Things didn’t sound fine, but Hajime wasn’t quite sure what to say in response to the disappointment in the other’s voice. He blankly stared at the books the librarian handed over to him as he tried to think of a good response. A second apology had been about to pass his lips when they other said something so bizarre that it shocked Hajime

“…The Reserve Course Department?” Hajime repeated, confusion and slight irritation in his voice. He hadn’t even known Hope’s Peak Academy had a course like that. Of course he didn’t like being told that he hadn’t been part of Hope’s Peak’s main course, but the frown on his face disappeared rather quickly. There was nothing like sweet denial, after all!

“You must be mistaken. Maybe you are confusing me with someone else? My classmates were Komaeda, Nanami, Kuzuryuu, Mioda– Ah, well, the list goes on.”

The reality of the matter was that Makoto wasn’t mistaken at all. He wasn’t in the wrong, but delving further into the topic of Hajime belonging to the Reserve Course, as well as having to actually explain things in a bigger picture didn’t seem like a thing that should happen now. The information was too heavy to throw at the other this quick, especially when there was no bond formed between them, and would only serve to severe ties between them.

“W-Well, you’re not exactly wrong…” Makoto hated having to lie, but it was the best option he could turn to at the moment. He forced a smile, then looked back towards the shelves to check for any other books that might help; none of them would, but that’s something Hajime should see for himself. He’s stepped in enough to potentially cause emotional turmoil for the other, so he chooses to stay on the sideline for now and wait for an opening to present itself. They could talk about things more at that point, if the chance showed up.

How come Makoto was the one apologizing now? Byakuya narrowed his eyes as he tried to understand, but his thoughts were soon interrupted when the other hugged into him. A light blush spread across Byakuya’s cheeks as he tried to think of what to do, or what to say, but nothing coherent came to mind. In the end, Byakuya wasn’t really a people person, and situations like these only helped proving that point. If only he were an emotional person.

Byakuya decided that, for once, he could make a terrible decision too. His hand shook at first, but once it gained the resolve it needed, he placed it on the back of Makoto’s neck and pulled him back in. His own chest was used as a cushion once again for the other’s face, while Byakuya inhaled and got ready to speak. Uncertain words left his lips.

“I believe in you, because I doubted you at first.” He said, not sure if this was information the other would appreciate, but for once he decided he could speak his mind, while Makoto listened to his heart. Quite literally, so. “Didn’t I tell you this before? That if you were to make it out of the Killing School Life alive, that I would be forced to acknowledge you? I did, so don’t forget something like that.”

And now he sighed, but his voice soon continued. “People always have the tendency to lie… Maybe you don’t as much, but I have been aware of your honest behaviour and am not surprised. Your honesty is rather questionable. Do you still think it’s better to die while you believe in your friends, than to die while you distrust them? Is that what hope means to you?”

He paused, again gathering the words to speak. “What I mean to say is that I have been doubtful of you in the past, but that it led to the trust I have in you now. To doubt, is to learn more about people, and to learn more about them, is to find trust. One cannot listen to a person’s heart by listening to their words alone. Question them, suspect them… take a good look. You have to dig deeper for it. Apathy is your biggest enemy.”

By now, Byakuya wrapped his arms around Makoto and hugged him in turn, just strongly enough to keep him close. His voice was soft. “In a way… I wanted you to doubt me too.” And soon picked up again in terms of volume.

“Don’t foolishly bother yourself with the things you can’t wrap your head around. After all, you’re at my side now. If it’s grounding you need, then I am here to lead the way, and I am here for you.”

He paused. Admittedly, Byakuya was a little embarrassed by his own words and his fast racing heart, but he decided to ride this one out while wearing the poker face he had developed himself.

“I want you to understand that I am in your world again. I want you to know that I intend to stay, until we can build the hope you envisioned, or until you meet you end. Do you get it now? Do you?” A brief moment of silence.

“Tell me, Naegi.” He let go again to brush a tear from the other’s eye, albeit only briefly. “Tell me you understand I want you close again.”

There it is again -- a change, a break from the pattern. While being able to take notice of that, Makoto doesn’t stop to think much about it and simply allows himself to pass through this moment; he takes it for what it is, stand-alone and singular, ignoring how uncharacteristic it might seem of Byakuya to act this way. If this is a way in which he’s proven right about him changing, then there was no point to behave weirdly about it.

Acceptance comes with ease, albeit Makoto does tense up at certain points. The hug being reciprocated is one such part, as well as when Byakuya rests a hand atop his head while resting it against his chest; it feels strange, but not in a bad way either. Suffice to say, Makoto’s cheeks were already tinted red, if not by the words that Byakuya spoke, then because of his gestures.

“I…” There was a lot to think back on, to reflect onto and little to no time for words to be processed entirely. Somehow, this felt like a timed event, in spite of the fact that it was heartfelt. There was a much deeper meaning hiding behind simple words, behind long-winded sentences; it’s no different from the initial situation and what Byakuya told Makoto, perhaps. And if there is a difference, that resides in the fact that this is akin to both an apology and reassurance being given.

“I’ve never doubted you.” A statement made to sound so simple, yet it was the furthest thing from that. “You’ve been kinda difficult to approach at first, but I didn’t let that stop me. I guess, if you want to put it like this… I thought you had your reasons for behaving that way, so I didn’t stop to think too much about it.” A pause. “Maybe that was wrong of me, being so trusting, but I’ve always known that there’s a reason behind why a person acts how they do. Cause and effect, you know?”

“I can’t know what the cause is unless I’m told, so I try not to judge people too harshly until I figure out a little bit about them.” Tears have long-since dried, and a small smile began to play on Makoto’s lips. “I was glad I got to know a bit about you to confirm my theory. At the same time, though… I owe you a lot. I look up to you too, but maybe that’s not surprising.” There’s a small laugh there and a shake of the head given. “So what I’m trying to say with all this is that I’m glad you’re part of my life again. I… want to become better and I want to grow by your side-- I want us to grow together. With Kirigiri-san and the others too, if they ever come here!” Was he getting a bit too loud and excited? Perhaps, but that didn’t stop Makoto from being all into Byakuya’s face with this whole talk.

“That being said… I know. No, I-- I understand and I want you here too, by my side, for better or worse. So, let’s work together just like we did before, yeah?” That hopeful look returns to Makoto’s eyes and the smile that rested on his lips widened.

He hadn’t actually expected the other to cry from his words, but he wasn’t necessarily surprised either. Makoto had always been very in touch with his emotions. The natures between the two of them showed a stark difference in a time like this; Makoto who was motivated by his emotions, compared to Byakuya who let logic lead his life. There had always been a big potential for conflict between them, but so far, usually everything died down quickly as Makoto retreated every time. He was as timid as Byakuya remembered him to be.

By now, a significant amount of damage had been dealt. Byakuya acknowledged this, but he wasn’t sure how to repair the current circumstances and how to make Makoto feel better. The brunet just had a beast of negative information and language hurled at him, and Byakuya figured he was a bit more sensitive than the average person. It had hurt him. It had genuinely upset him.

Yet Byakuya didn’t know what to say. Not because he lacked any intellect or speaking skills, but because this was a situation he wasn’t accustomed to. He wasn’t a social person and he didn’t know how to deal with others’ emotions, let alone his own. This was the exact type of thing he would never deal with and let others fix instead, but he wasn’t going to avoid it this time. 

“It’s fine if you understand.” He answered, coming closer to face the other again. “You may appear foolish, but time after time, you prove yourself to be worthy of my company. And like your name suggests, you hold a big potential for growth. You bring us closer to the truth.”

He paused, unsure if that was even remotely comforting. Things like these always proved to be difficult, simply because the two of them had always seem to be wired differently. Where Byakuya preferred the cold, objective facts; Makoto always seemed to prefer the things that were soft on the soul. He was a reliable people person, except when his eyes were closed to the truth, and Byakuya was fixing that latter thing right now.

Now, here was the big thing: a Togami usually didn’t apologize for their actions. That wasn’t simply because they lacked etiquette, but merely because they were used to moving through life with such grace and perfection, that they supposedly never did anything that warranted an apology. After all, a man was defined by their actions, and not their words. Excuses were not something he should rely on. Were he ever to rely on such a thing, then that better be for a much bigger goal in mind. Something that completely justified lowering his strong reputation ever so slightly.

“I…” Hesitance filled the gap. “I apologize. I was too frank with you. My flawed judgment led to this emotional disturbance I brought upon you.”

Byakuya grew quiet, and a little pained. He rarely gave a serious apology, nor did he like admitting his own bad decisions. “I brought you the despair which we always despised.” This made him no better than Junko Enoshima, and he didn’t want to be like her. Not when he had already faced the suffering she unleashed on them all, not when she was also the root of Makoto’s pain as well. “There’s no pride in crushing hope without giving it a chance to grow back stronger. So you can’t let this defeat you.”

“Naegi, the hope that sleeps within you… is fearsome because it is the real thing. I won’t allow you to let go of that.”

There are many things that Makoto doesn’t yet know how to approach. Regardless of how open-minded he is, not everything is tangible -- he doesn’t always understand the people that surround him, no matter the effort he puts in doing so. Often times, he tries to convince himself otherwise, but the truth is never far behind. It always comes right back around, surfaces and he gets one such reminder that he doesn’t have others figured out as much, or as well as he’d wish.

Byakuya Togami is one such person, one whom he’s considered to gradually come to grasp, to unravel. Yet to each layer peeled away, to each notion that began to carry some form of contour, there was more awaiting to be uncovered; he couldn’t be contained within a limited spectrum of words. Perhaps that is where Makoto has gone wrong to begin with and, maybe, he shouldn’t try to categorize people based off of finite words, not when they are infinite in characterization.

However, it seems that no matter what Makoto is inclined to think, something is bound to happen and it usually results in him questioning his own judgment. From the moment he had been reunited with Byakuya, that has happened twice already. This is beyond confusing, especially when the pattern is set once more, only to be broken again. It’s Byakuya that builds him up, only to bring Makoto right back down again. Rinse and repeat.

The space between them might be lessened, but a rift remains there. Byakuya’s words, although they now carry gentleness in them, still cause shivers to crawl down his spine. There is more for Makoto to take in as the seconds pass; words of praise, as well as remarks and reminders towards the things that he has to work on. This recurring to and fro feels more damaging than constructive and yet, the moment that the words of apology leave Byakuya’s lips, Makoto freezes. His posture shifts, arms drop limp by his sides while shoulders pull back as he straightens up. Eyes are open wide as tears start to roll down his cheeks more consistently, yet words evade him.

Perhaps… No, surely Makoto has been wrong this time around too. Erroneous judgment is all that he seems to be capable of on this evening, but there’s no point to further twist a knife into an already open wound. He’s man enough to admit that he’s misjudged Byakuya’s intentions, that this wasn’t a moment where he got chewed out for the pure sake of a reminder of how different the two of them were -- no, are. The other is saying sorry to him and Makoto isn’t even brave enough to face him; he feels the icy pair of blue eyes on his back. When did he become so cowardly? This was very unlike him.

His feet shuffle, hesitance marking his movement as Makoto turned around. Fingers latch themselves at the material of his coat, attempting to curl around it, to dig into it -- he’s left empty-handed then, too. Silently, he regards Byakuya, hazel eyes bearing a mix of emotions; fear and confusion are the most prominent that swirl and mix together. “I’m sorry… Y-You’ve only been trying to help and--” I’ve slapped you in the face like this. Tears are blinked away and, before another apology slips past his lips, Makoto blots from the spot. Arms outstretch themselves and against his better judgment, the moment he reaches close enough to Byakuya, his arms lock the other into a tight embrace. Whether this turns out to be a mistake or not, remains to be seen; if it ends up being another bullet he has to take, then so be it.

For the time being, he relishes in the contact between them, in the warmth that their bodies give off -- it’s not cold anymore, not as it used to be. “This is very little said, compared to all that you’ve told me, but…” The tip of Makoto’s nose bumps lightly against Byakuya’s clothed chest as his forehead’s brought to rest against it, “Thank you for believing in me. I know there’s a lot that I have to fix about how I look at things, I’m trying to… ground myself to reality more, be more practical. I shouldn’t have pushed any of this onto you either, it… isn’t your mess to deal with.”

“You are as much of an idealist as I remember you to be.” His words were a bit cold, blunt, not taking in regard the other’s feelings. That didn’t matter anyway, because this was Byakuya Togami who was speaking. The two of them knew very well that he wasn’t a people person, which Byakuya felt like should be made evident when he usually spoke. Usually, although in front of Makoto he tried to tone it down a little bit. (But only a little bit.)

Byakuya felt like he had to remove the fluff from the situation so he could help ground the other. If he didn’t, then who would? He had always known the majority of people were avoidant and foolish, content with lying to themselves and others their whole lives. Makoto could easily have become a part of those, if it had not been for the companions they had during the Killing School Life. If not for Kyouko Kirigiri. If not for the fact Byakuya was there, even though believing so, was a little narcissistic. He took back his hand and continued to speak.

“Don’t you think this whole city is a little too perfect? And as far as I noticed, a lot of things don’t add up. Not when we saw the world being plunged into despair. I find it hard to imagine the Remnants of Despair left anything untouched. Especially if you consider Junko was able to touch the Neo World Program, even beyond death. Even beyond defeat.”

He paused slightly, wondering if he should continue. The verbal sword made a wound, so he might as well. A little moving and probing it around wouldn’t matter if the other was bleeding from his words already. “This could be a simulation. It could be a dream. We could be imprisoned again for all we know and be stuck in something like the Neo World Program. Neither of us have any memory from how we got here. Neither of us know anything about the fundamentals of this place. I doubt it’s even real.” By now, this actually pained himself, but he always felt very in touch with reality. Even when building a future.

“There’s no history. There is a burned archive, there’s a rock that supposedly represents something. No apartment area, a destroyed church that is likely being repurposed for something. Nearby this garden is a shrine, which doesn’t match the cultural pattern the city has followed so far. If anything, we should be in a city somewhere in the west. Something like Europe. And yet we all speak the same language, yet we can somehow understand the livestock that inhabits this place. Do you even know what is going on here, Naegi? Of course you don’t. You’ve always been led by that hopelessly fragile and empty optimism of yours to ensure everything will be alright, but the only thing that saved your life thus far is your strange luck and your connections with people.”

Tired of his own lecture by now, Byakuya finally calmed down and looked away. That was harsh, even he could see that. It was cold and rough around the edges, but a necessity. This was the truth and the path to hope that he, himself, believed in.

"You always set yourself up in the most vulnerable way. Every single day, your actions scream and almost beg for despair to grab your by your ankles and drag you down, even when the biggest despair comes after experiencing the biggest hope. Yet you keep persisting. You keep fighting. You push us all to overcome despair like we should.” A pause. “Which I find remarkable, albeit troublesome. I won’t always be able to protect you. And for you to choose me, as the person to watch you squirm and writhe when you experience your fated and insufferable end; I resent you for it.”

His last words were most likely out of affection.

When Byakuya’s hand leaves his own, Makoto’s breath catches in his throat, stopping for a moment. Fingers twitch slightly, hand lingering in place for a few moments more before it’s drawn back by his side. His gaze doesn’t avert from the other, but his expression suffers change -- the hopeful look fades away, hurt slowly writing itself onto his features as color drained from him.

The warmth that blue eyes held is gone, being replaced now with the piercing, icy look that he’s grown so accustomed to seeing. They pierce right through him, much as every carefully punctuated word that leaves Byakuya’s lips does. There’s a lot to take in and even more to sit and process, but time isn’t something that he’s offered. This isn’t the first time he’s had to go through such things, considering the Killing Game that he took part in, yet that didn’t make facing the facts any easier. It’s never easy to face the reality of the matter, be it that it’s related to your own friends killing one another or being part of a world that makes no sense.

Still, the way everything is said makes Makoto question whether or not he’s been wrong in thinking that Byakuya was changing. But, was he…? No, this isn’t strictly about Byakuya, there’s more to it behind what’s being said.

Instinct is hard to fight and, right now, it tells Makoto to back off. In spite of the coat that he sports and the scarf that’s wrapped around his neck, he feels cold. Arms wrap themselves around him, hands glide up and down his clothed upper-arms to seek for warmth; but there’s nothing that comes, because there’s nothing for one to fill emptiness with.

“I g-get it…” Makoto thought he’d sound a lot more secure than this, yet the reminder that the two of them will never be on the same level sinks in again; drives a metaphorical knife into his stomach, making this already gut-wrenching experience even worse. “I know I’m not on the same level as you or Kirigiri-san. I’m not as well prepared and resourceful, but--” Teeth dig into the flesh of his bottom lip, keeping it from quivering. Was there even something he could reason with? Was there an argument to refute all that’s been said? He used to have a counter-argument for these things but now, when forced to speak for himself, he was empty-handed.

When was the last time that despair had such a tight grip around him? There have been a handful of things that he has seen, those were events that shook Makoto to the very core of his being, yet even that falls short to what he’s feeling now; he’s collapsing in on himself, spiralling downward. It’s almost ironic, for the person that’s always wishing to protect others to end up being the one needing protection; for him to be tipped off balance so easily. This is just another reminder of how harsh reality is.

“Sorry.” The apology is choked out, but it’s spoken in a hushed tone. Makoto hadn’t realized that tears welled in his eyes, not until the very first rolled down his cheek, causing him to gasp. This was pathetic of him, but maybe it’s only characteristic. Byakuya shouldn’t see him like this, nobody should, so he turns to face away.

Hearing that name come from the librarian came as a surprise to Hajime. He himself had mentioned Hope’s Peak Academy quite a few times, but this was the first time someone else had brought it up around him. Before arriving at Stella City he wouldn’t have thought someone mentioning his school to be strange, but Hope’s Peak Academy’s name didn’t span across different worlds. 

“Yes, I was a student there… I’m sorry, but I don’t remember you,” Hajime replied, carefully choosing his words. He could only hope they hadn’t been close during their time at Hope’s Peak Academy, because Hajime didn’t remember a thing of that time. “I’m assuming I was your upperclassman? 

They were getting somewhere now, sort of. Maybe not, but Makoto was happy to have managed to get himself out of that situation. He’d much rather take talking about Hope’s Peak and a few things related to it, rather than embarrassing himself. Really, he got himself stuck in embarrassing situations a lot more than usual as of late and it wasn’t fun.

“You don’t? That’s… well, it’s fine.” Hiding disappointment was hard, even if the answer was expected. A deep breath is inhaled and, to give himself some time to think over how to properly word himself, Makoto lets his gaze pass through the titles of the books again. Slowly, a few books were picked out and handed over to Hajime. “Technically, you were my upperclassman. But…” His hand stalled on the book while taking it off the shelf, “You weren’t officially enrolled for Hope’s Peak’s Main course like I was. You were part of the Reserve Course Department.”

Ha, he fell for it. Surely, this trap laid out as a “favour” was befitting for a Togami to use. Byakuya smirked to himself, although he was a bit surprised when his hand got squeezed as well. Pleasantly, though. Never had Byakuya imagined for this action to elicit a strong surge of euphoria within him, but here he was, and it honestly was getting a little addicting. He supposed he had to blame the dopamine for that.

“I know.” Byakuya relentlessly answered, the words having come completely naturally to him. “While Kirigiri has proven to certainly be a worthwhile ally, I would not blame you for missing my presence either. You’re as tough as a cockroach and hard to kill, but still oh so reliant on that camaraderie you treasure so much. Your ultimate luck really has let you down.”

Sentimentality really wasn’t Byakuya’s strongest point, but he understood what Makoto had meant. He, too, felt like he missed their group, although he wouldn’t want to admit any of that. Especially not when it concerned three certain people he still vastly looked down upon. (Or should he say four? It didn’t matter.)

Comforted by the other’s warm hand, Byakuya looked forward again and led the way to the park. It was a location named by Starlight Garden if he recalled correctly, which did its own name justice, as it was as beautiful as the name had suggested. It must be a place treated with the utmost case, because the flowers that still bloomed despite the cold season clearly showed someone’s dedication. The place was decorated with carnations, baby’s breaths, cosmos, lilies, and so much more. Byakuya almost felt grateful to his kidnappers for this. Almost. It had been a while since he was able to gaze upon such a beautiful scenery.

“Does this place represent the hope you believed in?”

“You don’t really have to put it like that, you know. It’s not… too bad.” In spite of the prospect of things, Makoto chose to remain optimistic. Even with the strange situation that they were now both part of, with their upperclassmen suffering from amnesia and all else that seemed misplaced in this quiet, beautiful City, answers would be found. They might not have a lead to give chase after, but it was bound to come up at some point or another. Really, he preferred to remain hopeful and keep an eye out for a potential opening rather than cross out the possibility entirely.

“It sounds selfish to think or say that the others might eventually show up, but we can’t know for sure. If I came here and you did too, the possibility is there.” And it would be a damn strange one at that, but it’s not something that isn’t worth considering either. The process of selection was weird, but… Maybe that’s another detail they will be able to figure out at some point. Clearly, if they did that, then they could also come down to the bottom of this! And the possibility to reverse the action might present itself too. That’s something to look forward to, to be hopeful about; still, the moments of silence and their walk is something in which Makoto relishes too.

Words can’t sum up how grateful he is for this evening, for the moments that he and Byakuya have been sharing. The scenery in the park is another thing to adore and bask in; if the sight was beautiful by day, then it became breath-taking by night. Makoto’s never been particularly good with plants in general, be it with remembering names or taking care of them, but he knows how to be appreciative of someone else’s work. Whoever takes care of the park deserves a round of applause of their own, or so he thinks.

“Huh?” As his attention gets drawn away from the scenery, it turns back to Byakuya. A moment or two passes where he looks at the other in complete silence, save from the sound of steps against the pavement, time in which Makoto tries to recall what the question was. Oh, right! “In a way, yeah. It’s not just the park itself, even though it’s really beautiful... But the entire city is something I’ve been hoping for our world to become. Peaceful, without any conflicts, terrorism or anything else to taint it.” The explanation is followed by a sigh. “It’s been impossible to think it could be achieved, but Stella City proved me otherwise.”