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Chapter Text

A new day had begun for Naegi Makoto.

Today was a special day, because tomorrow he would start a new stage in his life.

Let's go back two weeks ago, when his sister, Naegi Komaru, surprised him with a letter announcing that he had been accepted into the Pico de Esperanza Academy as the Ultimate 'Lucky' Student.

The Hope's Peak Academy was an institution in charge of educating people who it was a given that they were going to excel in their talent, hence why they were called 'Ultimate X Talent Student'.

Now, since the letter had arrived it had been two weeks.... Where was Naegi Makoto now?

"Huum... How long has it been since I've been by?" he asked himself looking at the pond in the park remembering that the last time he was here, there weren't so many ducks.

Early in the morning, Makoto came to the park with the idea of calming his nerves a bit about the day ahead of him tomorrow. Namely, he was going to enter what was considered to be the best educational institution in the whole world.

Not only that, but also the question of 'why him?' gnawed at his mind, I mean, he was just an average kid with the most generic tastes possible.

'Naegi Makoto' was a mere blank sheet of paper to which nothing was ever written.

And to the boy's misfortune, he didn't see how bad that was.

"Well, look at it, I don't think I've seen this place for seventy-five years. It's more beautiful than my foggy memories make it out to be." 

A voice that seemed to be altered with auto-tune lightly called out.

"Hey, who's there?"

The boy looked from left to right, unsuccessful in finding the source of the voice.

"Down here, antenna head!"

What happened next brought Naegi Makoto out of reality itself.

He saw a teddy bear sitting on the same bench as him; on one side it was pure white, normal eye and a smile common to all teddy bears. On the other side... It was bright blue with some purple shades, one eye formed by a thin, sharp line and glowing with a green light alternating in blue.

"This... Is this a bad joke about bears? Like that rude bear movie..." he asked to nothingness as he grabbed the bear and lifted it up with both hands.

"I'm not a bear or a bad joke, I'm Makoto Naegi! But I am a bit of a swearer. What to tell you? Living in America changes you."

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh?!"

Makoto dropped the bear as he darted behind a bench and grabbed a branch from the ground as a weapon. At first he thought he had a microphone inside, but when he picked it up, spoke and shook his head slightly, he stopped believing it.

"What kind of a way is that to treat you? Uh, that didn't sound right, it sounds like you hate yourself. That still doesn't happen, does it?"

They both kept looking at each other, one trembling slightly and the other was a chattering teddy bear.

"Look, calm down. Sit on the bench, listen to me, and you'll make all the sense in the world out of this."

The Lucky Student-to-be wasn't sure whether to believe the words of his self-proclaimed 'Hi', and with his mind working at full speed from his nerves about tomorrow and the sudden appearance of the bear, he really couldn't find anything more reasonable in such a random situation.

With no better way out, Naegi sighed and sat back down trying to maintain control.

"Good choice, now, if I may?"

With a somewhat tender gesture, the talking stuffed animal held out its arms asking Naegi to place it on the bench's railing.

When he did so, a fake voice emerged from his non-existent throat and began to tell what it was.

"Makoto Naegi, this is hard to believe, but I am you... from a time far in the future."

Makoto's smile lingered as he thought he had misheard.

'Oh well, it was just... What?!'

"Ah?! You're something like... a-a?!"

"Yeah, a time traveler. And you might ask, 'If he's me, why is he a talking bear?' I've got the answer for you! When my human life came to an end, the foundation I worked for saved my memories at the request that they do this.

"Foundation? What do you mean 'do this'? Send you back in time or go-'cough', become a teddy bear?

"To make me a cool robotic bear, of course. With the technology The Future Foundation had at the time, it was easy. The time travel thing came fifteen years later."

"I still don't understand something, what is this Future Foundation?"

A brief, but icy silence covered them both in an instant. The truth, or its remains, were going to be told before their time and so a chance to avoid it all could open up.

"Sigh, I'll be honest. Parts of my memory were damaged even before they were passed into this apex predator-shaped container. I don't remember any names, none. There's also some information I completely forgot, sorry, but there are a few tidbits I'll have to tell the score."

-It's okay, relax -there it was, the smile the Makoto-bear was looking to see. That was enough to know he hadn't made a mistake.

"I'll start with... what happened to the senior class at Hope's Peak Academy, the seventy-seven and seventy-seven-B."

... ... ...

... ... ...

"Did you investigate our classmates?"

"Of course, Junko-chan! We'd just have to go over it a bit."

"Oh yeah, right!"

Panicking greatly, the young girl with short black hair began to read the list as if her life depended on it.

Maybe that's what the poor girl thought.

"Let's see... Maizono Sayaka, The Ultimate Idol."

"Pass."

"Togami Byakuya, The Ultimate Heir."

"Ah, that guy... Boriiing~"

"E-eh... Naegi Makoto, The Ultimate Lucky Student chosen this year."

"What? What kind of talent is that?"

"It looks like he won some kind of lottery.... Other than that, I can't find anything else. It's almost as if he doesn't exist."

"Hmmm... bah, whatever. Continue."

"Ishimaru Kiyotaka, The Ultimate Prefect. He's also nicknamed "the ultimate moral compass."

"Well, that might be a slight problem... Bah! Still boring!"

... ... ...

... ... ...

For nearly an hour and a half, Makoto had listened attentively to his other self claiming to have traveled back in time.

If at first it was difficult to assimilate a talking bear, then now it was even more so.

The Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic Event in Human History? A murder game? Was The Future Foundation working for the sake of 'Hope'? Were the concepts of Hope and Despair so important as to have the world obsessed with them? How bad was the future?

"It's hard to believe, but it's all true. All executed by a Mastermind."

There was still something the Naegi boy wanted to know, maybe it was useless, but he prayed that it was still there.

"This Mastermind... Can't you remember who it was?"

"I wouldn't want anything else, believe me. But I don't remember any names, only the actions that occurred."

 "Sigh..."

It seemed that all of Makoto's energy had been drained.

In less than a day, what terrible things were coming in the future were made known to him by a bizarre version of himself as the anxiety, nerves and slight anguish for tomorrow continued, now churning even his stomach.

"Do you know why I traveled?" asked the teddy bear out of the blue.

"Huh? Wasn't it to fix everything?"

"Huhuhu, I won't get into details, but altering the past can't change a future already made. The only thing that would cause would be a future separate from the other."

"So why did you travel? Wouldn't that fix anything about your future?"

"Well..." If he had tears, the bear would be wearing them out right now. He had waited so long for this. "I want a happy ending, for everyone. I may even have a grudge against the Mastermind, but no one, and when I say 'no one', is going to die! It will be a real 'happy ending' for everyone."

"... we have the chance in hand."

"Have we?"

"Yes. I-I mean, it couldn't hurt to help, right?"

Now it was definite. Maybe the aging Makoto-bear and his memories couldn't do much, but with his 'he' from that time before The Tragedy, there was a real chance to avoid everything. To go against fate.

"Hu, I knew I could count on you!" As if the tone wasn't enough to emphasize the sincere happiness, the bear jumped up and hugged Naegi as best he could. "This will take a lot, but it will be worth it all in the end."

"If we can avoid what you were saying, then so be it!" Makoto exclaimed with a bit of a flustered enthusiasm, that's for not knowing the identity of the person behind it all.

"Look kid, that's not why you should be suspicious of who you meet from now on."

"You're right, I don't even know who they are yet. They're all just... people I'd like to get along with and spend good days with."

"That's the spirit! You know, maybe we could look into your classmates a little bit. A good first impression is always welcome."

"Hehe. Can you eat? It would be nice to do it over something sweet."

"... if you weren't so fucking soft, I'd think you were insulting me."

"A-ah?"

Chapter Text

Prologue
Cold Inside

The clock read 10:36 PM.
Like a snap, the day was over in a jiffy.

"... Can't sleep either?" this question was asked by an almost drowsy Naegi Makoto. He was exhausted, but his nerves would not let him fall into the longed-for sleep.

"I wouldn't call it sleeping, if not replenishing my battery.... But I guess I can't."

They both sat on the edge of the bed a moment later. They needed to talk better about what they were going to do from now on.

They might have had a pleasant afternoon after the sudden encounter in that park, but that didn't eliminate both of their fears. Naegi Makoto's about something like that happening and the robotic bear's about living again because of all those events his memories harbored.

"I don't know... Sigh, I'm decided on what to do, but I'm still wondering, what one thing can I do? I don't have a real definite talent to back me up or something..."

"Yeah, I thought that before I went on this trip. I may have forgotten things, but if anything I didn't forget 'why' I turned to you."

"So, why did you do that?"

The Makoto-bear opened his 'stomach' revealing a screen showing two lines leading to some sort of cube.

"You see, maybe you can't consider your luck as some talent or something abnormal even if you have the title of the Ultimate Lucky Student," to the bear, it was like reading a book. He remembered well the naivety, kindness and modesty that Naegi Makoto possessed at this time. "That's another time's tale, the point is that the Mastermind ended up being a set of three Ultimate Talents."

"Three talents?!"

"Makoto, let sleep!" that shout belonged to Naegi Komaru. Makoto had forgotten that only he was still awake in the house.

"Cough, yep, three. The talent he entered the academy for was just his facade even though in the past it really was a truth. I forget what his third talent was, but I know that with it he was able to corrupt more than one person and devise his plan."

"So what was the second talent?"

"... Analysis. He was the Ultimate Analyst, that allowed him to predict people's actions, how they felt and their responses to certain actions, even being always one step ahead of those who were chasing him. Imagine giving that to an unstable person."

"Everything he did, was that why? Because he had three talents?"

"Basically. It gave him a dull view of the world, of life, and only a certain emotion gave meaning to his actions, emotion that only the tragedy he caused could give him."

"The emotion was suffering?"

"Something like that... that person was only looking for despair."

A lump formed in Makoto's throat. 

This didn't sound right. Three talents, one of them allowing her to stay one step ahead and predict actions, how could something so banal called luck counteract that?

"Now, look closely at the screen, see that blue line and the green line heading for the yellow cube?" the Makoto-bear pointed directly at his stomach.

"Yes... What does it mean?"

"The blue line represents an ordinary person with their actions already predicted by the Mastermind, the green line represents you," at this point in the talk, the bear was wearing a college graduate hat. "Pay attention to what is about to happen."

Both lines started out going well, following a slow line, but all of a sudden, and having made almost no progress, the green line swerved, circled, even avoided its collision with the cube.

"I-I don't understand."

"Naegi Makoto, your title as the Ultimate Lucky Student is not just for decoration. Your actions, your way of being, even that ambiguous luck you claim to have, prevent the Mastermind from being able to analyze some of your actions and way of thinking. With that, all the talents you possess are put in check," the robotic bear sounded happy, and while the (un)lucky boy's mind didn't believe such a thing, it had relaxed a bit. "The guys at the Future Foundation call it 'the ultimate counter'."

Part 1

Here he was, in front of Hope's Peak Academy. 

With one step forward, a new stage would begin in Naegi's life.

"Are you sure you're going unnoticed?"

《101% sure》, the bear's voice rang in the ears of the lucky boy. Apparently this morning it had changed its form and had become a pin attached to Makoto's jacket.

"Okay, here we go."

Just as he took a step full of excitement toward his new stage in life....

THUMP!

Something crashed into him leaving him lying on the ground.

《Wow, I didn't see that one coming》.

The Ultimate Lucky Student fell unconscious from a bad stroke of his luck, or so he wanted to think. All be it for the irony of life.

... ... ...
... ... ...

"Let's go! We'll be late Muku-nee, and it'll be your fault!"

"Y-yes~"

Ikusaba Mukuro and Enoshima Junko.

Big sister, little sister.

They had decided to walk to the entrance when they told the limo driver to drop them off a block ahead, subsequently Junko gave him the order to bring their luggage this very afternoon, as they would both start living in the dormitories the academy offered.

"Junko-chan, do you have anything prepared for today?" asked Mukuro with a face devoid of any expression.

"Nah. It would be too abrupt to do something at a time like this, it's only the first day, you know? Don't ask useless questions, my dear anti-social sister."

"Sorry..."

The rest of the way they continued in silence until the entrance to the academy facilities where they could see the silhouette of a not very tall boy, with a somewhat strange logo on the hood of his jacket and a peculiar peak protruding from the rest of his hair, a 'ahoge' according to the local dialect. 

In a split second, they heard a commotion coming from the south side of the entrance.

"What is that?"

A few moments later, they watched as another young man laden with clothes and a bunch of pronounced dreadlocks tossed aside the boy they quickly identified as Naegi Makoto.

THUMP!

""Oh,"" said the sisters at the same time.

... ... ...
... ... ...

"Oh come on man, can't you just leave me alone on my first day of school!!!"

"I'm not chasing you porcupine face, I'm running from her!!! I have no idea what she wants!!!"

A three person chase was in action on the south side of the sidewalk surrounding the academy, the participants were a young man with dreadlocked brown hair that was strikingly pronounced, a blond boy with some freckles, not very tall and wearing a business suit and lastly a young girl with pale blond hair and skin like the finest porcelain.

They were Hagakure Yasuhiro, Kuzuryu Fuyuhiko and Sonia Nevermind, the latter being students of Class 77-B.

"Whoooaaa! Almost... there!"

At the last moment of the chase, Yasuhiro lost his balance, moved forward a bit more and felt himself going to take an extra weight with him before impacting a concrete pillar.

... ... ...
... ... ...

"... What... hit me?"

《You stepped on an ice cube》

"Really!"

《I was playing. Open your eyes, last time we had company》.

Slowly Naegi came to himself.

He found himself lying on the concrete bricks at the entrance at the same time he felt something stinging the back of his neck.

"Heeey, are you alive?"

He sat up with some difficulty waiting for his vision to clear and his head to stop spinning.

When the effects of the shock, passed after a few seconds, he clearly saw a young man crashing into a pillar, two girls watching everything from a distance (one holding back laughter), a not very tall blond boy running towards the main building and finally Sonia stinging the back of his neck with a branch.

"Uuhhh... What happened?"

"Upupupupu, it was something worthy of the first day of school," one of the two girls looking off into the distance approached, now she wasn't even trying to contain her laughter or mischief anymore.

 She was also followed by that girl with black hair at the nape of her neck in a bob style, a few freckles on her face, totally cold blue eyes and a freezing expression. Neutral would be the right word to describe her.

"That guy bumped into you, then crashed into the wall," Sonia explained. "We were waiting for you to wake up, so when you did I sent Kuzuryu for our star nurse."

"Thank you so much for that! Sorry I didn't introduce myself," the boy had stood up without wobbling only to extend his hand in greeting. "I'm Naegi Makoto, nice to meet you."

"Sonia Nevermind, class 77-B. Nice to meet you, Naego Makoto-san."

"This is Enoshima Junko! Your idol number that's in all your almost indecent magazines!" without being asked, the laughing girl introduced herself.

"Hagakure..." everyone turned to look at the starry-eyed young man, "Y-Yasuhiro..."

Behind Enoshima, Naegi noticed the only person who hadn't introduced himself.

"And she...?"

"Uh? Ah, she's my disappointing twin sister, Ikusaba Mukuro."

"I didn't know that the great model, Junko Enoshima, had a twin sister," Sonia said in a very uncomfortable tone. It wasn't hard for her to tell that something was wrong. 

However, something told the Novoselic crown princess that it was best to turn a deaf ear.

Too bad the boy next to her didn't know that word.

"Why disappointing?" questioned Makoto with a frown.

"Is that-"

"Hup, hush Muku-nee, I tell you," in the blink of an eye, Junko struck a pose imitating a teacher that quickly dissipated into a rockstar pose. "Duuh, what don't you see her!"

Naegi glared at a Mukuro that was clearly pointed out by Enoshima as if he wanted to highlight something.

The lucky young man blinked once, then twice, then three times and so on. At no point did anything change for him.

"I see her as a normal person, I don't understand what you mean by disappointing, Enoshima-san. "

So, the words are gone. Hagakure was still unconscious, Sonia didn't want to intervene in something like that, Mukuro was just stiff and Junko hiding her bewilderment.

In the past, when she introduced herself to someone and mentioned Ikusaba as her 'disappointing' sister, they either let her go or agreed only on the title that Enoshima bore.

"Hey, Sonia-san!"

From inside the building, two people emerged. The blonde boy from before and a young girl who stood out by a bandage on her leg and many more on her body, what had happened to her to have so many?

"Oh, Fuyuhiko, you're back with Mikan. "

"Tch, it's the first fucking day and it's over. What's next? Will Nagito blow up the kitchen again?"

"Mmm, excuse me. . . " Naegi wanted to ask who the newcomers were, but ended up feeling pity for do it.

"Oh my, where are our manners? Naegi-san, this is Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, our Ultimate Yakuza and heir to the Kuzuryu clan. This is Tsumiki Mikan, the Ultimate Nurse. "

A light bulb lit in young Naegi's mind.

"Did you call her to check on Hagakure-san?"

"Uuh, well. . . " Sonia bit her lip slightly, not wanting to admit that she had forgotten him. "... at first it was because you didn't wake up, but I guess you're all right now. "

"That's right. The truth is, I've had worse hits. "

"A-are you completely sure?" Tsumiki asked in a barely audible voice. "I-it was a bad hit..."

"I'm fine, but thank you so much for worrying, Mikan-san. "

"Hey Romeo, we have to get to the welcome ceremony soon, how are you going to take the porcupine?" Junko demanded with a tone of contempt.

Makoto panicked.

As if it were the most normal thing in the world, he rushed up to Hagakure and made his best attempt to reload him on his shoulder.

They wobbled a little, but it would be enough to get to the gym and then someone to check it out.

"Mikan-san, do you think you can check it out after the ceremony?"

"Uhm... I-I guess so. "

"He, then, thank you very much again. "

That way, Makoto took Yasuhiro inside the building. Soon after, the boy with eccentric hair could be seen walking by himself somewhat slow.

Sonia, Mikan and Fuyuhiko had no other business there. They retreated to somewhere near the fountain leaving only Mukuro and Junko at the entrance.

"What a weird guy. "

"..."

"Should I consider it an obstacle?" Mukuro asked in a firm voice, ready to carry out any order given to her.

"What? Don't! Did you see that teddy bear pin? It looks like Monokuma, and I love it!"

"Huh...?

Part 2

After the welcoming ceremony at the gym by the principal, Kirigiri Jin, Class 78 headed to their assigned classroom with a 15-minute lapse to explore a bit.

At the gym, he met a person from his past, Maizono Sayaka.

Makoto had always thought of her as charismatic, and she was so. Only those moments at the gym and she had already been accompanied by two other girls, Oogami Sakura and Asahina Aoi.

Naegi had decided to walk the halls looking from side to side, only to kill time.

I would have wanted to talk to Maizono but she had been dragged by Aoi and Sakura to explore the pool and cafeteria.

On the way he met more than once with a companion, but it was better to walk away or pass by without saying a word, not because he wanted to seem distant, he just didn't want to bother.

"Hey. . . The pin light has been blinking the whole time, are you okay?"

《I'm seeing what I can get from here, but I don't have the best angle. Maybe something more practical can help》

"What do you have in mind?"

《A pair of glasses?》

"Weren't you the one who fell this morning at the entrance?" a female, yet discreet voice asked suddenly.

《Well, I'd better turn off for a while》

Naegi looked for the source of the voice.

Upon finding her, he could see a girl with opaque lilac hair, slightly taller than him and curiously dressed.

Her purple jacket, black gloves, and even the dark knee-high skirt fitted perfectly with her understated tone, and although Naegi hadn't found anything about her talent when she checked on her peers, she thought all of that might be associated.

"Y-yes, hehe. Pleased to meet you, I am Naegi Makoto," he extended his hand in the form of a friendly greeting.

"Hmmm. . . "

The boy felt that the look stuck into his being, as if he were looking into his soul.

RING!

RING!

"Let's go to the classroom before Kizakura-sensei gets drunk. "

《Hehe, the bell saved you》

"Didn't you turn off?"

... ... ...

... ... ...

"Well, well. . . 'Hip', some of you already know each other, but you need to introduce yourself, say your talents and blah, blah. . . "Kizakura Koichi, the teacher of Class 78, someone applied the whole tone of the word 'party' if asked who didn't know him. Her somewhat long blonde hair along with his short and split moustache reinforced this despite being a stupid belief.

"Professor," a young man with a straight back, short hair, red eyes and a striking white suit rose from the desk. " I think it's immoral to come to teach while you are drunk!"

"I'm not. . . 'hip'-drunk. . . Anyway, if someone comes by and does this whole show of getting into the class, I think I'm going to fall unconscious pretty soon. . . "

A heavy silence fell over the whole of Class 78.

For a few seconds Naegi considered himself the first to pass and break the ice, but the opportunity was taken from him.

THIRK!

A desk screamed as a 'girl' of short orange hair, green eyes not very intense but also not so opaque, an off-green sweatshirt and hemmed skirt got up and walked to the front of the blackboard.

The 'girl' took a breath of air before starting with the simple; her name and talent. Already Kizakura would surely ask them other questions later so that they would make themselves known as a class.

"I am F-Fujisaki Chihiro, the Ultimate Programmer. . . " 'she' was really nervous, but her courageous effort was evident.

"Next," Koichi announced without looking up much.

A certain teenager with an exaggerated Pompadour was who followed.

"Oh well, I'm Owada Mondo, the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader. Can we stop wasting time on this?"

In this way, one by one the members of Class 78 of the Hope's Peak Academy went to the front to say the most basic things about themselves.

"Kirigiri Kyoko, Ultimate Detective. In advance I'll ask you all to spare yourself asking how I relate to the director. "

"Celestia Ludenberg, Ultimate Gambler. "

"Togami Byakuya... Ultimate Affluent Progeny," there was some obvious rejection in the mention of the title. "As the Pompadour guy said, can we get this over fast?"

"Kuwata Leon, Ultimate Baseball Star. "

"Asahina Aoi, the Ultimate Swimming Pro!"

"Oogami Sakura, title of Ultimate Martial Artist. "

"F-Fukawa Touko... Ultimate Writing Prodigy or-or that's what they s-say..."

"Hey, this is Yasuhiro Hagakure. People call me Supernova, the Ultimate Clairvoyant!"

"Yamada Hifumi, but you have the right to call me by my real name, Alpha et Omega. The Ultimate Fanfic Creator is my great title. "

"Ishimaru Kiyotaka, Ultimate Moral Compass! I will be happy to follow the rules of this academy with all of you!"

"Maizono Sayaka, the Ultimate Pop Sensation! I hope, honestly, to get along with everyone here!"

"I am Enoshima Junko, although you should already know that! The Ultimate Fashionista!"

"Ikusaba Mukuro, Ultimate Soldier. "

Ikusaba was startled by Naegi's slight "Wow". She was sure that only she heard it and fought with all her might to avoid blushing.

Koichi glanced to the left and right of the classroom, realizing that someone was still missing.

"You, who has an antenna in the whirlpool of his hair, follow. "

It was time, no more nerves, no more doubts.

After this point and day, Naegi could finally see the kind of people she would spend the rest of her school life with.

People with exceptional talents that many would envy, but that Makoto only admired and surprised.

"Great pleasure, I am Naegi Makoto, the Ultimate Lucky Student!"

... ... ...

... ... ...

"Bhurr!" a series of shivers ran down a striking boy's spine through his untidy white hair.

"Are you all right, Nagito-chan?" asked a girl who couldn't take her eyes off a patterned notebook and the musical notes written in it.

"Mioda-san... I feel a disturbance... "

Conclusion
Euterpe

Just like Sunday, the day passed in an instant.

After the presentations Naegi tried to talk to Ikusaba, get rid of a Hagakure who never stopped apologizing, put up with a few Junko jokes and spend some time with Maizono, Asahina and Oogami

"Hey boy," the bear-pin finally lit up after being quiet all morning. You didn't have to talk on the radio if there was no one around, did you?

"What's going on?"

"Does the academy have dormitories for boys?"

"I suppose so... Why?"

"Hmmm... "Monoegi kept thinking for a while, it might be easier to keep an eye on a possible Master Mind. "I think we should stay on one. "

"I was thinking about it, too, although it would be hard to leave Mom, Dad and Komaru. . . "

"Don't worry, you could visit them on free afternoons or weekends. Also, think of it as a training for when you have to become independent. "

There was no one around, or so it seemed.

From a hidden corner between two trees that gave a complete view of Naegi, retiring and speaking alone, Junko Enoshima was waiting for his 'luggage' to be taken to the dormitories.

Normally, you wouldn't care or look for a way to humiliate the person by recording him speaking alone. What was different... she couldn't predict the Naegi boy.
Not what I was talking about right now, not this morning, nothing.

"... what a strange boy," some frustration was felt in her tone. Until now, she would not have imagined that such a thing would be possible because of something as trivial as 'luck'.

Chapter Text

Prologue
Half

"Don't you think there would be greater hope... if both combined their hopes and worked together?"

"Huh?!"

The Makoto-bear lit up in an instant. It had powered down to avoid bothering Naegi throughout his first day.

It was a damn teddy bear with an interface filled with memory fragments of a Naegi Makoto who had gone through the entirety of The Tragedy orchestrated by the Mastermind. It shouldn’t—couldn’t—be dreaming.

"Then... what was that?"

He remembered seeing the orange silhouette of a young woman.

He would have liked to recall her name, but if he forced himself to do so, he would end up short-circuiting, and his self-repair function wouldn’t take effect for another 10 hours.

He couldn’t force memories, but fragments of them couldn’t help but send him premonitions.

"Class 77-B... If he ever meets someone from there, I have to find a way for both of us to share information."

... ... ...
... ... ...

"What exactly are you doing?"

Dinner time was approaching, and Naegi planned to use it to talk about the dorms and his move. He was preparing for Komaru’s opposition.

"Nothing, nothing. Huhu."

The bear had spent all this time entertained with a sheet of paper and a bunch of markers.

... ... ...
... ... ...

"Muku-nee, explain this!"

"Mmm... You said you couldn’t predict it... so I figured it might be an obstacle in your plan, right?"

Of course, Mukuro had only just realized she had placed it at the beginning—her head was spinning.

"Duh, look at him! That good-natured face and those little arms—do you seriously think that naïve guy would do anything?"

Junko moved the board with Naegi Makoto's name to the very bottom, replacing it with Kirigiri Kyoko, followed by Oogami Sakura and Togami Byakuya.

"Luck isn’t unpredictable, little sister. Komaeda-senpai and many others are proof of that."

For a fraction of a second, Enoshima recalled how she hadn’t been able to see Naegi disagreeing with her regarding Mukuro. What if she really couldn’t analyze him?

"Hmph. Absurd."

Part 1

"Are you sure about this?"

Early on the second day of classes, they found Kizakura Koichi asleep at his desk, having a conversation with the principal in his dreams.

Because of this, each of the students in Class 78 focused on their own things.

At some point, Mondo and Ishimaru started arguing about something related to the rules of coexistence, respect, values, how Mondo was a coward and Ishimaru was uptight, etc. Both sides decided to prove themselves.

"Ishimaru-dono, are you sure about this? I think that senpai with the scarves called our attention."

Yamada, Chihiro, and Makoto were watching the showdown between the Moral Compass and the Biker.

Togami only glanced at them with bored eyes from time to time, while Hagakure was exhausted, trying to convince Junko to return his crystal ball.

"Of course! This punk needs to understand what is and isn't allowed in a prestigious place like Hope’s Peak!"

"I'm not a kid..."

"Shut up, rabbit eyes!"

Makoto and Chihiro didn't want to intervene completely—Chihiro because she was nervous, and Makoto because he was a bit afraid of receiving another uppercut from Mondo.

"Whatever! Naegi-san, start the stopwatch as soon as we turn everything on in the sauna!"

Yeah, they had agreed to settle everything with a sauna endurance competition. Why was there a sauna? Ask the graduates of Class 74.

CLICK!

The moment the stopwatch started, the boys realized this was going to take a while...

Makoto would have liked to follow Sayaka and talk to her a bit more, but it seemed she had agreed with Sakura, Aoi, and somehow Mukuro to speak with the principal about how Kizakura kept falling asleep in class. Toko had gone somewhere in the library with Kirigiri, who hadn't stopped yawning since the first hour, though she hid it well.

Hagakure kept passing by, trying to find Junko, who had taken his crystal ball that morning and hadn’t returned it.

And so, the group of three, plus Togami, got caught up in the absurd competition between Mondo and Ishimaru.

Not even ten minutes had passed before Celestia called Yamada for some reason.

Almost twenty minutes later, Chihiro politely left for the computer room. Apparently, someone from the upper class had broken in and corrupted almost all the equipment. The description given was of a white-haired boy saying something incomprehensible.

"Hey, Naegi-kun."

Makoto turned to his right to see the source of that voice. None other than Junko.

"What's up, Enoshima-san?"

"Yesterday... you had a pin."

"Did... did she notice?"

"Y-yeah, what about the pin?"

Makoto felt very intimidated by Junko’s new and somber attitude. It seemed he would have to get used to her sudden mood and personality swings.

"Could you..."

"Could I...?"

"Get me one like that, please~?! It was really beautiful! It reminded me a lot of him!"

Junko held up a striped notebook in front of the boy.

On it was the silhouette of a bear, half white, half black, but just that. No eyes or nose drawn.

"Did you draw this, Enoshima-san?"

"Yeah, for several years now, I’ve always wanted something like this. Even though it’s my personal creation, I even have a plushie~"

"Hehe. Does it have a name?"

"Well, I haven’t thought much about it..." Of course, that was a lie. "Still, I can claim that I love that bear!"

Enoshima said that with a huge smile. She really looked like a kid asking Santa Claus for her present at the mall.

... ... ...
... ... ...

In what would later become Naegi’s room, many boxes were scattered across the floor, filled with some of his belongings. And in one of those boxes, the old one lay inside.

"I feel like... I should have given him the glasses last night..."

The Makoto-bear was trembling.

It had two options in mind:

1. It was some kind of weird déjà vu.
2. Its motors were cold due to the empty room.

"It must be nothing. It’s probably because Komaru squeezed me, thinking I was just a stuffed animal, and accidentally pressed the Reset button."

... ... ...
... ... ...

"I guess I could get you a pin like that tomorrow, and if not, then by next Monday."

"Of course! I’ll be looking forward to it!"

Naegi would have been more at ease if he hadn’t realized that Enoshima’s excitement made him blush a little.

"Is that all you can handle?!"

"I haven’t given up yet!"

The commotion between Mondo and Ishimaru flared up again.

Junko and Makoto looked through the sauna window, seeing both of them already nodding off. In fact, somehow, Mondo seemed to be snoring.

"Uh, Owada-san, you should take off those clothes. Going into a sauna with them on is like suicide."

"Shut up."

Junko pretended to be disturbed, while Naegi looked genuinely concerned.

Seeing how stubborn those two were, he even feared for their health.

"Hai~ Well, I’m going to look for Muku-nee. See you later, Makoto-kun."

"See you, Enoshima-san."

The Ultimate Fashionista trotted off cheerfully, a sincere joy because she truly wanted a pin like Naegi’s.

Time kept passing—or rather, just five more minutes before the two inside the sauna told the Lucky Student that he could leave if he wanted. They both knew this was going to take a while.

Makoto didn’t see much else to do there and left, wondering how long they would last.

He walked peacefully down the hallway, ignoring the noise coming from the cafeteria.

"Stop right there, antenna-haired boy!"

Naegi turned to look at the boy calling out to him.

He was a bit startled by the guy’s appearance. He had black hair with multiple gray streaks running through it, bandages wrapped around his left arm, a thick purple scarf ending in a strange diamond symbol that matched his long black coat.

He wore a striking earring that gleamed, just like the many rings on his fingers. His eyes—one red and the other gray—were fixed on the tile in front of Makoto.

"Uh?"

"Give me a moment, but don’t take another step! If you do, I swear I will curse your soul to the depths of Tartarus!"

Looking closely, Naegi noticed a small hamster in front of him, staring at him curiously.

"If I had taken a few more steps..."

"Here, Sun-D." The boy crouched and offered his left arm to the hamster, who quickly climbed up and nestled into the scarf.

"Sun-D?"

"Indeed, one of the Four Dark Devas of Destruction . Currently, two of them are still lost because of that punk red-haired kōhai."

"Kuwata-san? What did he do?"

"You know that punk?"

"W-well... he’s my classmate, the Ultimate Baseball Star."

At those words, Naegi bit his tongue. For the past two nights, he had been making a mental note not to refer to people solely by their Ultimate talents—it felt superficial. Unfortunately, his nerves got the better of him this time.

"Hmph, that kōhai was insistent on meeting his female senpais, causing a lot of commotion, and I happened to pass by while I was in a hurry on a plane beyond this one."

"Huh?"

"He broke the seal, and the Dark Devas escaped my control."

"Kuwata must have accidentally stepped on his scarf, and the hamsters got loose... yeah, that must be it," Naegi thought. It had been a while since he’d seen someone with 'Chuunibyou' or 'Eighth-Grade Syndrome,' so it took him a moment to realize what the boy had said about senpais.

"Wait, did you say senpais? Are you from Class 77 or 76?"

"77-B, to be exact. And yes, I’m your senpai."

The Lucky Student’s entire body stiffened.

"Hehe... Where are my manners? I’m Naegi Makoto, from Class 78." He extended his hand, waiting for his senpai’s handshake.

"You’d be wise to avoid greeting me like that... the poison running through my veins would do you great harm."

"Uh... okay..."

The air grew heavy as the Lucky Student didn’t know what to do next. Leaving just like that would be rude, but the student from Class 77-B also didn’t seem keen on introducing himself.

"Hihi."

"Huh? What is it, Cham-P?"

One of the hamsters approached its owner’s ear, making some sounds, and the boy seemed to understand.

"You think we can trust this kōhai Naegi?"

The boy pondered for a few seconds. After reaching some kind of enlightenment, he took a dramatic step forward and struck an exaggerated pose.

"I trust in the word of one of the Four Devas, so if he says I can trust you, then I have no reason to doubt!" He continued his exaggerated poses and dramatic words. "The man who rules over darkness, with poison coursing through his veins and the influence of the Four Dark Devas of Destruction —Tanaka Gundham is my name!"

... ... ...
... ... ...

"I can’t believe Kizakura-sensei... actually made such a promise."

Sayaka commented with a deadpan expression.

She was still shocked by how Kizakura Koichi had burst into the principal’s office, demanding another chance. To prove he was serious, he took the hidden flask from his jacket and threw it out the window.

Aoi was concerned about the pained scream of someone outside right after the flask was thrown.

That’s how Kirigiri Jin convinced some of the girls from Class 78 to give him another chance. If he failed, he would be assigned as a full-time Talent Scout and would lose his right to teach.

Sakura, Aoi, and Sayaka agreed. As for Mukuro... she said nothing, but she did seem a bit frustrated despite her usual poker face.

"W-well... then Junko just has to avoid drawing attention to her analysis..."

The only reason she had accompanied the others was because Junko had told her to make sure Koichi was removed as a teacher. Being a Talent Scout, there was a tiny chance he might notice the model’s ability as the Ultimate Analyst.

Everything would have gone well if the mentioned teacher hadn’t shown up at the last moment... Well, no one except Enoshima could have predicted something like that, right?

"Uh? Is that Naegi-kun?"

The group stopped when they saw their Lucky Student talking to someone they recognized as the Ultimate Breeder in the middle of the hallway.

"Tanaka Gundham is my name!"

Aoi and Sayaka froze.

That introduction confirmed what they had heard about the Ultimate Breeder...

"It’s true, he has 'Chuunibyou.'" The Idol and the Swimmer said at the same time.

Immediately, they decided to ignore the boy’s theatrics and headed toward the cafeteria.

Sayaka and Mukuro felt a little guilty for leaving Naegi there, but dealing with someone like that would be uncomfortable for them. Aoi completely agreed.

In the cafeteria, Sakura and Mukuro separated from the rest. Sakura seemed to be receiving an important call, while Mukuro sat at the same table as Enoshima, who was playing with a crystal ball.

... ... ...
... ... ...

"Hehe, excuse me, Tanaka-senpai."

"Huh?"

"I wasn't paying attention to where I was going and almost..."

"Oh, don't worry. Sun-D wouldn't fall because of something like that. Besides, he tells me you would have noticed before it happened... He really trusts you blindly, you know? And he just met you."
"Really?" Makoto was genuinely surprised. He even felt a little embarrassed, not going to lie. "Tanaka-senpai, is there anything I can do to help? It's the least I can do after that."

Gundham, Sun-D, and Cham-P examined Naegi closely.

Why was he offering to help? His gestures didn’t really explain it.

After a few squeaks and whispers, Gundham spoke.

"Kōhai Naegi, while Cham-P and I find this a bit peculiar, your help is more than welcome."

The Lucky Student’s face lit up.

Well, he may have just run into Tanaka and all, but just looking at him, he could understand how worried he must be. Anyone would be when a pet goes missing, and even more so the Ultimate Breeder.

"Just tell me where to start looking, Gundham-senpai."

"They will go to a familiar face and wait for me. Maga-G may have gotten lost in the dorms..."

"...Tanaka-senpai, don't you think they might be with your classmates? You were mumbling that they always go near a familiar face until you pick them up. I suppose the ham- Cough! I mean, the Four Dark Devas would go to rooms or people they know."

Cold sweat ran down Naegi’s forehead for a moment. Maybe just calling them hamsters would be some kind of insult?

"It’s possible... I've got it! I should check the computer room. Surely the one with and without Luck must know something! As for Maga-G... He has something weird with the music room. The melody it transmits must put his spirit in harmony."

"Or maybe he just wants to bite the instrument strings..."

"S-sure. Then I'll help you, Tanaka-senpai. Just tell me which of the two rooms I should go to."

"I place my trust, energy, and influence in you, Naegi Makoto-san. May the gods guide you on your journey to... the music room."

Part 2

"Excuse me..."

Naegi entered the music room.

There was nothing unusual—various instruments hung on the walls or rested on long-table desks, stacks of sheet music piled up in a corner... Wait, piled up in a corner?

"BWUARGH!"

The sheets shot up into the air along with a figure, making Naegi step back until he fell onto the floor. He trembled slightly from the scare.

"Ahaha! Ibuki didn't expect that to actually work!"

Naegi looked up at the figure that had emerged from the pile of sheet music.

A girl slightly taller than him, like most people, with hairpins forming horn-like shapes in her hair. Her hair was dyed in multiple colors—blue, pink, and purple on her bangs, with some grayish-white streaks along the sides... or was that just the contrast?

She had multiple piercings in both ears, three studs on the lower left side of her chin, and several rings on both hands.

Her bright lilac eyes blinked playfully as she tried to contain her laughter.

"Though, Ibuki really wanted to scare Tanaka-chan when he came looking for that little guy."

Ibuki pointed to a traditional guitar, from which a small hamster—Maga-G—emerged.

"Sorry about that."

"N-not at all, it's fine, uh..."

"Hi-hi! Ibuki Mioda is Ibuki’s name, the Ultimate Musician of Class 77-B!"

"Heh... Naegi Makoto, the Ultimate Lucky Student of Class 78."

They shook hands.

Ibuki tilted her head, glancing at Naegi from the corner of her eye.

"I-is something wrong?"

"Nothing, it's just... Ibuki thinks that for this year's Ultimate Lucky Student, you don't look anything like Nagito-chan."

"Nagito-chan...?"

"Nagito Komaeda, our Lucky Student. He's kind of... peculiar. Did you hear about what happened in the computer room? I wish I had been there!"

"Yeah, a friend of mine was called to check out the problem."

"Oh, well, Nagito-chan was the one who caused it."

Makoto was stunned. Had he really done something serious enough to require the Ultimate Programmer?

"His luck... must be terrifying."

"Haha, it's nothing to overthink," Ibuki said, approaching the guitar where the hamster was sitting. She let it climb onto her left arm. "Tell me, what brings you here, Naegi-chan? Looking for musical guidance? Oh, wait, I know! You want to join my band!"

There was clear excitement in her voice. And judging by the sparkle in her eyes, she was really hoping for a "yes."

Naegi didn't know what to say.

"M-maybe... but I'm also helping Gundham-senpai with something."

"And that something is...?"

"Looking for his hamst—uh, Four Dark Devas!"

Naegi wasn’t superstitious, but he feared his eccentric senpai might overhear him.

"Oh, the hamster. Don’t worry, Gundham will be here soon to make sure you succeeded. That is, if he’s already found the others."

As if summoned, the classroom door suddenly swung open, revealing the dark silhouette of the boy himself.

"Maga-G! Thank the other realm, you're safe!"

"Speaking of the devil..."

Tanaka took Maga-G in his hands and gently brushed its head.

The hamster remained passive under its master's touch, and once he was done, it climbed onto his scarf, joining the other three. Just like that, they once again became the Four Dark Devas of Destruction residing within the seal (scarf) of Gundham Tanaka.

"Kōhai Naegi, could you tell me what he was doing when you arrived?"

"Uh... Well, he was on that guitar. I don’t know much more since I had just gotten here too."

"As I suspected, Maga-G loves instruments to bring his spirit into harmony."

"If he enjoys it that much, I can give him free musical lessons!" Ibuki said excitedly.

"I'm afraid I must decline that offer, Mioda-san."

As quickly as her enthusiasm had risen, it plummeted.

Tanaka paid little attention to this and focused back on Naegi, along with his four hamsters.

"We are grateful for your assistance, Naegi Makoto-san. Jum-P, Maga-D, Cham-P, Sun-D, and I, Tanaka Gundham, acknowledge you as a reliable individual."

"It was nothing, Tanaka-senpai. It’s a pleasure to help."

As always, Naegi wore his bright smile.

Gundham simply nodded.

"That is all. It is time to retreat... back into the cold darkness."

The door closed, and silence returned to the music room.

Now that Tanaka’s issue was resolved, Naegi didn’t have much else to do for the rest of the day—or so he thought.

"Did you know Tanaka-chan has a website about pet care?" Ibuki was the first to speak up.

"Really?"

"Yep! He’s a bit eccentric, but he really loves animals more than anyone. I thought you’d notice that, given how hyped he was during the search."

"I could tell he was really worried, but I never would’ve guessed he had a website."

Makoto fell into thought. The Ultimate Breeder sharing his expertise on animal care online...

"Komaru would love that."

"Naegi-chan, Naegi-chan! I have an idea!"

"Hm?"

"I’d love to see how one of my kōhai handles an instrument! Well, only if you’re up for it, hehe."

"Would that be interesting?" he thought, glancing at the instruments around the room. "Heh, I mean, if there’s nothing wrong with it..."

"Not at all! Oh, right, you pick the instrument!"

After scanning the room once, then twice, and finally a third time, Naegi settled on a keyboard.

Maybe those mobile rhythm games Komaru had shown him would finally come in handy...

He sat down and pressed the keys, trying to recall the order of one of the songs from those games. It seemed his memory had chosen that moment to fail him.

Three minutes later, the Lucky Student had finished. A bit of sweat gathered on his forehead—thanks to nerves and focusing on the keys.

CLAP! CLAP!

Ibuki applauded him with no trace of sarcasm.

"Heh, you’re really passionate about music, Mioda-senpai."

"Of course! Music is a way to express things that otherwise wouldn’t be possible. Let me tell you, you’re not bad at all!"

"Hehe, thanks a lot."

Ibuki gradually moved closer to Naegi until she was right in front of him.

The boy barely swallowed a scream.

"So, Naegi-chan, would you like musical lessons from Ibuki? You could even join my band!"

"Well, I..."

It wasn’t such a bad idea.

I mean, Naegi might never learn to play fluently or compose anything, but the idea intrigued him.

"Every now and then wouldn’t be too bad, right?"

"Not at all! In fact, if you’d like, you could even give me your opinion on my rehearsals! Ibuki would love to hear her kōhai’s feedback!"

Mioda grabbed her guitar and searched for something on the desk next to Naegi.

Then, she froze like a statue.

"I don’t see my notebook... Uh... Hehe, Naegi-chan, you haven’t seen it, have you?"

Naegi stood up and started scanning the room, looking for Mioda’s sheet music notebook.

It was probably the only decorated one, so it should be easy to spot.

Six minutes passed, and the notebook was nowhere to be found.

Ibuki was already bored, so she said something that snapped Naegi out of his focus.

"Let’s play hide and seek! That’ll make things more exciting!"

A few seconds of silence passed, during which Naegi could swear he heard a cricket chirp.

"I guess there’s no harm in it."

... ... ...
... ... ...
After seven rounds, passing through the cafeteria, the grounds near the dormitories, and a few classrooms, Naegi stopped, exhausted.
Ibuki? Fresh as a lettuce.

"Mioda-senpai, what exactly are we looking for?"

"Ohhh, right! Ibuki forgot to tell you. I was looking for a lined notebook where I swear I had some notes I was practicing, but it's nothing to worry about! I have everything memorized!"

RING!
RING!

As the signal, the academy's bell rang, announcing the end of the school day.

"Ewww, is the day over already?"

The musician looked up at the sky, trying to gauge the sun's position. Could she really tell the time just by looking at it? "I'd love to stay, but Ibuki has something to take care of in one of the girls' dorm rooms. Apparently, it lost its soundproofing."

"Huh? Are all the rooms soundproofed?"

"Of course! Ibuki was in charge of supervising it!"

That was certainly surprising to Naegi.

Why had the rooms been soundproofed? Maybe Monoegi could figure something out.

"Mioda-san, come on, we can't waste time."

A young woman called out to Ibuki. She had orange hair that made her blue-green eyes stand out. She was also dressed like a dorm maid.

"I'm coming!" As a farewell, she gave a thumbs-up, signaling "OK." "Have a good afternoon, Makoto-kun!"

"Same to you, Mioda-senpai."

... ... ...
... ... ...

"Oh, Fujisaki-san."

Leon greeted his classmate just as she was leaving the computer room. What a day for both of them.

"Kuwata-kun, what's wrong? You look pale."

"Ugh, nothing. I just saw Mondo and Ishimaru in the sauna while some senpai from Class 76 was lamenting that they were using it."

"They're still there?!"

"Yeah, and it looks like neither of them is going to give up."

"Was anyone from our class there?"

"No one. Why?"

"Those two... They knew it would take a while, so they let Naegi-kun leave... Wait, where's Yamada-san?"

Part 3

Makoto walked toward a section of benches, looking for a place to sit and rest.

As he approached, he noticed someone already there—it was Ikusaba Mukuro.

She looked somewhat... anxious?

"Hello, Ikusaba-san."

She flinched slightly in surprise.

"H-hello, Naegi-kun."

"Is something wrong?"

"N-no, nothing. Um... if you’d like, you can sit down."

"Thank you very much."

The Lucky Student let out a sigh as soon as he sat down. He still had in mind the abnormal amount of energy his musical senpai had—maybe only Asahina could compare.

"How was your day, Ikusaba-san?"

"Ugh... I guess it was fine..."

She was holding her breath a little. It didn’t go unnoticed by Naegi.

"Ikusaba-san, are you sure nothing’s wrong? It’s just... you don’t look very comfortable. But still, sorry if I’m prying..."

"No, Naegi-kun, I appreciate your concern..."

Her time as a soldier had taught her to control her emotions, so why did this moment feel so difficult?

She sighed. "Naegi-kun, tell me, what can someone do when... they've failed and disappointed the person they care about most in this world?"

Images of the cafeteria flashed through Mukuro’s mind like a slideshow.

... ... ...
... ... ...

"Muku-nee, what happened with Mr. Talent Scout?"

"Everything went fine. They’ll remove him from his position, and he’ll go back to being just the academy’s talent scout, but..."

"Ah?! What do you mean, ‘but’?!"

"H-he showed up at the last minute and convinced the others, including the director, to give him another chance."

Junko huffed. She had expected Kizakura to beg the director for something like that, but she thought it would be so pathetic that it would only prove he wasn’t fit for the job.

"I can still take it out on him at least, upupupu~"

"You do nothing but disappoint. You should be the Ultimate Disappointment Student.

Seriously, why do I keep asking for your help when I know that in the end, you won’t do anything but keep failing at everything? First as a sister, as a soldier, as a student, even as an accomplice..."

Those words hit Mukuro like a knife. Normally, they wouldn’t, but this time was different.

She really, really... felt hurt, and she was aware that she had failed her dear younger sister.

"I-I'm sorry..."

That apology cost her a small kick that went unnoticed by everyone. Junko wouldn’t have done it if someone like Kyoko had been in the cafeteria; luckily for her, she was in the library.

... ... ...
... ... ...

"...Something happened with you and Enoshima-san, didn’t it?"

She would have liked to deny it, but no matter how much she wanted to, she couldn’t.

"Yes..."

Closing his eyes, Makoto tried to think of an answer. What can someone do when they’ve failed and disappointed?

He really disliked using himself as an example, but sometimes it was useful to find the answer.

He thought about the time he got a low grade and felt terribly bad, as if he had failed his father, mother, and sister.

What he did afterward was what mattered.

"It’s normal to feel down at first, but we always have to get back up for that person. Even if they’re our actions, that person might feel proud of them, just like we do of theirs."

A thought slipped into the soldier’s mind after that.

"And... what if they’re bad actions?"

It was too late to deny that she had said that when Naegi responded.

"Then it’s not worth it. Would that person be proud because we did something bad at their request?"

The Lucky Student didn’t need to deny it; his expression was enough to show his discontent.

"It’s just use. That person is just using the other to avoid dirtying their own hands."

Mukuro felt a horrible weight in her chest. Naegi was unaware that in her mind, she had formed the example of Junko and herself. "Could she really just be using me?"

She tried to push those thoughts away. Maybe it was true, maybe not. She swore she would notice one day, by being more observant.

Of course, she wanted to believe in her younger sister, but if she was really just using her like that... she didn’t know what she would do.

"I’m sorry, Ikusaba-san, I don’t have much more to say about that..."

"No, I really appreciate it, Naegi-kun."

Compared to her cold expression the day before, this time Mukuro gave Makoto a genuine smile. Honestly, she didn’t even notice it herself.

They continued talking for a while about their day—Mukuro about what happened with Kizakura and Makoto about his encounter with Tanaka and Mioda.

At some point, the Lucky Student let out a heavy yawn.

"Naegi-kun, are you okay? You look exhausted."

"Ugh, Mioda-senpai dragged me all over the place..."

"Are you sure you can make it back to the classroom?"

Naegi nodded.

"It’s nothing, Ikusaba-san, but I appreciate your concern."

"It’s really nothing..." Mukuro’s voice trailed off.

"Naegi-dono!"

Mukuro and Makoto quickly turned to see Yamada running toward them.

"We need your help! Something strange is happening with Oowada-dono and Ishimaru-dono!"

Naegi’s eyes widened. Had they harmed their health from the time in the sauna?!

"Sorry, Ikusaba-san, it's just—"

"Don’t worry, Naegi-kun. Make sure nothing bad happened to those two."

With a light smile, he nodded and ran off with Hifumi.

Mukuro watched her hand for a long time. It was... pleasant, different from how she felt with Junko. Without knowing it, a faint blush had appeared on the Ultimate Soldier’s cheeks.

... ... ...
... ... ...

Aoi, Sayaka, and Sakura were heading to a small bakery a few blocks from the academy.

There were still a few hours before night fell completely, so they had time.

As they left the grounds of Hope’s Peak, Sayaka could have sworn she saw a tuft of hair sticking out from the other side of the fountain.

"Maizono-san, is something wrong?" The question came from Sakura.

"It's nothing, I just had something on my mind."

Sayaka must have been mistaken. She could have sworn she saw Naegi at the fountain.

There was a clear difference the Idol quickly noticed—his hair was a darker shade. And he was also much taller.

... ... ...
... ... ...

"That feeling again..."

A shiver ran down the boy’s spine and ribs.

"Are you okay, Hajime?"

"Yeah, it’s probably nothing..."

"You know, today I saw Ibuki-san and Tanaka-kun with a guy who looked kind of like you."

"Was he from the Reserve Course too?"

Nanami barely shook her head at her friend’s pessimism.

"You both have an antenna on your head."

"Huh?"

"I wonder if you could have a sword duel with those..."

"Nanami-san, are you dozing off?"

"Hummz... zzz."

"... Wow."

Conclusion
Gravitation = Singularity

"Are the rooms soundproofed?"

"Yes. Mioda-senpai made sure of it. Apparently, there were some complaints about how much noise the normal walls could block."

"Oh, I see. Now I won’t be able to stay alert for any suspicious sounds."

"Hey, that’s an invasion of privacy."

"I was just joking... Yeah, just that."

"I’m heading out for a bit. I promised Ikusaba-san that I’d explore this place with her some more."

Wait a minute, was he really this dense...?

"I see. Well, have a good afternoon then. I’ll be in one of the dresser drawers, so we probably won’t see each other until morning."

"Have a good night, Monoegi."

Makoto said goodbye to the bear with a smile.

As soon as the door closed, Monoegi placed his glasses on top of the dresser and picked up the tablet he had been working on all day and night.

The tablet had the names of his possible suspects, along with the members of each of the three classes at the academy. Even though it was written with a marker, it looked like it had been printed from a computer.

Looking more closely at the section for the student council, he thought:

"...this... uh..."

CHIZZ!

A brief short circuit occurred in the bear’s head and throat. He dropped the tablet and collapsed, staring at the ceiling.

Something felt familiar... but what was it?

He had names, but he still didn’t know how to connect them or what role they played.

"Kamakura..."

... ... ...
... ... ...

Makoto had decided to go out and explore a bit more, this time calmly and without playing hide and seek with the Ultimate Musician.

Monoegi stayed in the room, and sometime after the short circuit, he was assembling a kind of lens frame with multiple blue lines running through it. He remained relatively calm until his motion sensor detected activity in front of the door.

"You’re really amazing, Ryouta-senpai!"

Placing one of his microphones against the door, he easily recognized the other voice as Junko Enoshima’s.

"I-I still have a lot to improve, I guess... But anyway, th-thank you... Enoshima-san..."

They talked for a while, but Monoegi could tell the conversation wasn’t going anywhere.

"Junko Enoshima, the Ultimate Fashionista. Class 78."

Two images of the individuals in question appeared on the bear’s visor.

Monoegi stared intently at the image of the other person. Something… felt off, and it wasn’t the stagnant water he had accidentally come across around the academy.

"Ryota Mitarai, the Ultimate Animator. Class 77-B."

The bear shook his head—maybe it was just his damaged interface messing with him.

Deciding not to think too much about it, he crawled into the drawer to continue working on the glasses. About four hours passed before the room’s lights turned off.

It would be a good night.