#Danganronpa reader insert

[fanfictwins]

DR1 - Halloween Special 2024

Summary: “As far as bets go, this was one of the easiest you'd ever had to do. Sneak into an abandoned school building, snap some selfies, and... end up making some new friends along the way?”

Word Count: ~13k

The only thing to leave your lips was a small huff as you hoisted yourself over the window ledge and into the building, your movements slow and steady to avoid catching your skin on any of the broken shards of glass that remained. The temperature inside the school was almost as cold as it was outside, though the lack of a breeze blowing air into your face was a lot more preferable.

“Huh… if they really wanted to keep people out, they should’ve boarded up the windows better.”

The room you had entered into was dark, the only light being the moonlight pouring in through the window you had used to get inside; it was just enough light for you to be able to see, a quick look-around revealing to you that you were in the dining hall, chairs and tables strewn about.

With a quiet click, the area was flooded with light from the flashlight you brought, the sight of the shadows cast by the objects in the dining hall stretching across the room giving it an eerie vibe.

“Okay, so… I just gotta explore this place and get some pictures, right?” You smiled as you held your phone out in front of you, taking a quick selfie before sending it to your friend. “Welp, that’s one picture down, and probably only, like… eh, a dozen or so left. Hah, this should be easy!”

- - - - -

The area you entered after exiting the dining hall appeared to be some kind of living quarters, a variety of facilities appearing to having been available to the students that attended the school in the past, including dorm rooms, a bathhouse that was cleaner than expected, a warehouse that was somehow stocked with still-edible food, and even a laundry room. While you were checking out the laundry room — which had a stack of magazines featuring current celebrities on the table students must have sat at while waiting for their clothes — and taking a selfie with the row of washing machines behind you, you heard a noise come from the direction of the dorm area.

You peeked your head out of the laundry room and looked towards the dorm rooms to see a girl dressed in a dark school uniform exiting one of them, her posture slouched and a tad insecure.

“Well, that’s a bit strange…”

You blinked before pointing your flashlight at the girl and letting a smile appear on your face.

“Yoo-hoo! Excuse me?”

The girl flinched the moment the beam of light from your flashlight landed on her, and again the moment you called out to her, shrinking in on herself more than she already was. Her head was turned away from you, keeping her face a mystery from your eyes, though since she seemed to be wearing a face mask, her face was already obscured from your view, adding to your interest; however, before you had the chance to say anything else to the girl, she darted past the laundry room and straight out of the area, vanishing into the darkness of the abandoned school building.

“...well, that was rude.”

- - - - -

You soon finished exploring everything you could in the living quarters — the dorm room the girl came from surprisingly being locked — and decided to head deeper into the old school building, in the same direction that the girl had darted off into. The halls were only lit with dim lights which flickered every few seconds, so you decided to keep using your trusty flashlight as you walked.

“This place still has power…?”

You took a few more selfies in various rooms you found on the first floor, but didn’t find anything of major interest, the rooms being rather normal for what you expected of a school. The state of the building’s interior was noticeably not as rundown as its exterior, though, which was strange.

“...hmm, at least it probably won’t come crumbling down upon me, then.”

The second floor was in the same state as the first, being strangely clean and well-kept despite the building being condemned. You veered to the left after ascending the stairs, and soon found yourself standing in front of the entrances to two locker rooms, one for girls and one for guys.

And when you went through one, you discovered a pool on the other side.

“...why is there a pool on the second floor?”

The lighting in the pool area was surprisingly bright compared the other areas of the school that you had been to so far, which helped to bring out the crisp white and deep blue of the tiles; your flashlight let out a small click as you turned it off, since you didn’t need it here to properly see.

“Oh!”

And that was when you finally noticed the presence of two other individuals there.

The one sitting on the edge of the pool was very tall and looked absolutely jacked to the point that they could squeeze your head like a grape, and the other was currently swimming laps in the pool, almost resembling a missile as they swam from one side of it to the other. You had no idea why someone would want to swim in the pool here, but the water looked clean enough.

“Hi! Hello there!”

Your voice bounced off of the walls of the pool area as you walked towards the person sitting on the edge of the pool, your lips turned up into a bright smile. The person turned their head to look at you as the person in the pool swam over before popping their own head out of the water, their arms reaching out to cling to the side of the pool to rest on the tiled floor as they stared at you.

“...huh?” The person in the pool — a girl who had arm fins, and fins in place of ears — blinked a couple of times in surprise, before she looked at the other person. “Did we get a new student?”

The buff woman sitting on the edge of the pool, who had two long sharp horns poking out of her head, let out a hum. “I’m not quite sure. I suppose we would have been told about it if we did.”

You looked between the two individuals and noted their unusual appearances, but the thought that you were currently in an abandoned school building that was supposedly-haunted kept you from questioning anything; you would probably end up hurt if you delved too deep into any of it.

“Sorry for interrupting your swim.” You kept a smile on your face as you spoke. “I’m just super surprised to see other people here. Well, I mean I did see a girl with a mask earlier, but she ran away as soon as I called out to her… she didn’t even say anything before dashing right by me.”

The girl in the pool furrowed her eyebrows a bit. “You mean Toko?”

“Is that her name?” You tilted your head. “That’ll be good to know. If I see her again. Maybe.”

The two of them shared a glance with each other before they returned their gazes to you.

“Uh, hey… sorry, I hope this doesn’t sound rude, but… um…” The girl in the pool paused for a moment as she raised a finger to her chin and tilted her head. “What are you doing here…?”

“Oh! I was dared by a friend!” You showed your phone to the two of them, scrolling through a few of the pictures you had taken so far. “I have to explore the place and take some pictures.”

The buff woman crossed her arms. “This isn’t a very easy place to get into.”

“I got in through a broken window in the… dining hall? Cafeteria? …whatever it’s called.”

Your comment was met with a hum from the buff woman, her eyebrows furrowing as she cast her gaze down in thought, and you let your eyes wander over the bulging muscles of her arms before your attention was caught by the girl in the pool, who pushed herself up from the water.

“Well…” The girl shifted her gaze between you and the buff woman, her hands planted on the tiled floor as she lifted her upper half out of the water; her lips were turned up into a slight smile that seemed a little unsure. “As long as you’re not doing anything too bad, it should be okay…?”

“Perhaps.” The buff woman lifted her gaze towards the girl in the pool, who dropped back down into the water at the sound of her agreement. “Though we should inform the others of this.”

You blinked as you glanced between the two. “How many people are here, exactly?”

“Just the rest of our class!” The girl in the pool appeared to be more at ease as she pushed off the edge of the pool, treading water as her smile brightened. “But if you need any help, Sakura and I will be here in the pool for a while. Oh, and you can just call me Hina. All my friends do.”

“Sakura and Hina, huh…” You nodded your head. “Right. I’ll keep that in mind. See you!”

You snapped a quick selfie with the pool behind you, respectfully keeping Sakura and Hina out of the picture, before you bidded the two adieu with a wave and smile as you left the pool area.

- - - - -

“Oooh, I wonder if there’s any valuable classics in here…”

Your gaze scanned the shelves as you entered the library, which was as dark and dusty as you expected for a room inside an abandoned building to be; you could see the individual specks of close-to-ancient dust floating in the air when you swept your flashlight across the area, the sight alone enough to make your lungs contract in refusal to breathe any of it in. You pulled your shirt up over your nose and mouth to try to decrease the rate at which your respiratory system had to suffer, and continued to inspect the room with your flashlight held securely in your other hand.

But you only got a few steps into the library before a slam came from behind you.

The library door had been slid shut, and two figures now stood between you and said-door; the guy with the long legs was a complete stranger to you, but the girl with the mask was not at all.

“Oh, hey! It’s you!”

The two of them flinched when you pointed your flashlight at them, and you lowered it.

“Sorry, sorry… got a little excited there.”

“S-See, Master?!” The girl — Toko, as Hina told you — pointed at you, her voice harsher than you expected for someone who seemed so skittish earlier. “There’s the human, j-just like I said!”

You raised the hand holding your flashlight in greeting to the two of them, your other hand still holding your shirt over the bottom half of your face to keep your lungs safe from the dusty air.

“Hello!”

The guy with the long legs stared at you for a moment, his facial muscles pulled down into a look that appeared pretty negative, being something along the lines of annoyance or disgust.

“...you really ignored all the boarded-up windows and doors that obviously suggested that you are not to come inside? The signs that clearly stated for you to keep away?” The guy narrowed his eyes as he glared at you, his gaze almost seeming to glow. “What exactly possessed you to enter a place like this in the first place? To disregard the various warnings presented to you?”

“Oh, I did it for fifty.”

The guy stared at you for a second, a brief moment of silence settling over the library.

“Fifty thousand dollars?” The guy let out a scoff as he crossed his arms and rolled his eyes, his lips still pulled down into a frown. “It seems that humans really will do anything for money…”

“No, fifty bucks.”

“...what.”

“Yeah.” You had the sound of a bright smile within your voice as you spoke. “My friend dared me to come here in exchange for fifty smackaroos. I thought it was pretty easy cash, so here I am!”

The guy just stared at you with widened eyes, bafflement all across his face.

“...so, how much were you paid to be here?”

The guy averted his eyes to the side. “As if I could be bribed by any amount of money-”

“Dang, you came here for free?” You blinked a couple of times as you stared at the guy. “I don’t know why anyone would wanna come here for free, ya know? It’s all dirty and everything is, like, falling apart, and… and… well, it’s actually cleaner than I had expected, but it’s still a mess.”

You pointed your flashlight at Toko. “She’s definitely got the right idea to wear a mask, at least.”

“W-What’s that supposed to mean?” Toko squinted her eyes, both from the light and seemingly irritation, and brought her hands up to her chest, her fingers twitching. “Y-You think I’m wearing a mask because I’m u-ugly or something? You r-really think you c-can just come here and-”

“Huh?” You cut Toko off, furrowing your eyebrows as your lips fell at her words. “No, I said that because this place is uber-dusty. The dust just in this room could easily suffocate a man, Toko.”

“H-How do you know my name?!”

“The nice girls at the pool told me it.” You shifted your attention from Toko — who kept her eyes narrowed even when you stopped pointing your flashlight at her — to the guy who had legs long enough that it would be impossible to fit him on the cover of a fashion magazine. “And may I ask for your name, good sir? I’d like to put a name to your face, pretty please with a cherry on top.”

The guy still had a look of annoyance on his face, his hand moving up to adjust his glasses just slightly, and he kept his gaze cast down to the side as if he were contemplating something; your flashlight was pointed at him the entire time, the decent lighting allowing you to fully take in what he looked like, and that was when you noticed that his ears were pointed, like an elf would have.

And then he let out a sigh, the light glinting off the sharp fangs in his mouth.

“...Byakuya.”

“W-What?!” Toko snapped her head towards Byakuya, her eyes wide. “M-Master, you’re giving them your f-first name? But you barely know them! Even I don’t g-get to use your first name…”

“Well, if they knew my last name, they’d have to be silenced… permanently.” Byakuya moved his sharp gaze to you, his lips still pulled down into an annoyed frown. “Any objections to that?”

You shook your head. “No.”

“Good.”

The library went silent for a moment as a lull made its way into the conversation, and you took out your phone to take a quick selfie of yourself with a bookshelf behind you. You blinked a few times to readjust your eyes from the flash of the camera, before you snorted at the picture you took; the shirt that covered the bottom half of your face was a bold look that you pulled off well.

“...well, it was nice to meet you two!” You lowered your shirt to allow Byakuya and Toko to see the smile on your face, before you headed towards the exit of the library. “Oh! And don’t forget to be careful breathing in here! Your lungs are important; this place is basically torture for ‘em…”

You then opened the door and left the library, paying no mind to the incoherent stuttering that came from Toko and the glare still on Byakuya’s face, the former letting out an annoyed sigh.

“...just one more headache I have to deal with.”

- - - - -

“Alright… another floor, another adventure! What fun surprises await me here?”

The third floor appeared to be in the same state as the first and second floors, the unusual lack of complete disrepair within the abandoned school building starting to become more normalized to you with every new floor you explored. You forewent taking any selfies in the classrooms, the scarcity of unique picture-taking opportunities a deterrent most effective, and continued walking around before you found yourself in front of a door that appeared to lead to the recreation room.

That was enough to peak your interest and make you grab the handle to enter inside it.

You were met with a room filled with an assortment of interesting items, each one a contender for the backdrop of the selfie you were going to take here; there was a pool table, a dart board, and a few board games stacked on a shelf at the back of the room. The neon signs on the walls provided a unique ambience you hadn’t encountered yet in the school, and you even spotted a magazine rack sitting by one of the neon signs, filled with new releases that were neatly sorted.

And then there were also three people in the room.

“...hey.”

The looks of surprise painting the faces of the people regarding your intrusion hardly surprised you at this point, the girls seemingly only slightly caught off guard by you while the boy was a lot more taken aback. The game in progress on the table in the middle of the room must have been the target of their attention beforehand, though you decided to not pay too much attention to it.

The girl that looked like a gothic version of a life-sized Victorian doll — the kind that you would find in a second-hand shop hidden in a corner and had a good chance of being haunted — was sitting on one of the couches, while the normal-looking boy sat on the other couch across from her. The other girl, who was dressed in a suit so dapper that it was better suited to be seen in an intense crime show than it was here, was standing next to the couch that the boy was sitting on.

“Don’t mind me, folks, I’m just… taking a gander at what you’ve got in here.”

You took a few steps into the recreation room before turning your attention and your flashlight to the various entertainment items within, the choice of what to take a picture with not an easy one.

“Hmm… the security of this building has to be quite poor in order for this to occur.” The girl with the elaborate Gothic Lolita attire had a smooth voice that came out in an accent you had trouble placing, though it sounded vaguely European, and she shifted where she sat before looking at the other girl. “Hasn’t your father been speaking of certain improvements to be implemented?”

“...yes, and it seems we may need to speed up the progress on those.”

“Wow! I wish my school had something like this!” You swept your flashlight over the pool table, the light glinting off of the billiard balls. “...though I’m not sure how many people would actually use it. Would teenagers be interested in playing pool…? …would I even want to play pool?”

“U-Um… should we do something about them…?” The boy seemed to be taking a lot longer to get over the shock of you being here than anyone else had, his lips set into a hesitant frown as he repeatedly glanced towards you. “It’d be dangerous for them to freely walk around… right?”

“Very well.”

You perked up at the sound of heels clicking against the floor, turning your head towards it just to see the gothic girl now gracefully walking towards you, a calm smile displayed on her face.

“Pardonnez-moi, but I believe that you are not allowed to be here.” The gothic girl stopped an arm’s length away from you, the close distance allowing you to catch a glimpse of the fangs in her mouth as she spoke. “May I inquire as to why you are where you are not allowed to be?”

“Because my friend paid me fifty bucks to be here!”

Your lips were pulled up into a smile as you looked at the girl, and you pointed your flashlight at her to take advantage of the fact that she was standing right in front of you to take a closer look at her outfit; it had so many frills and lace sewn into it that you could only imagine the amount of time that must have been spent to craft the elaborate piece of Gothic Lolita fashion that it was.

“Oh, wow! I like your fit! You look like a European queen, but cooler… like a vampire queen!”

The gothic girl silently stared at you for a few moments, her calm smile never wavering, before she then glanced away to the side. “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to let you stay for a little while…”

“Uh, Celeste, is that really a good idea-” The boy cut himself off when the girl in the dapper suit approached you, and he blinked a few times before his eyes widened just slightly. “Kyoko…?”

The girl in the dapper suit — apparently named Kyoko — furrowed her eyebrows as she looked at you, her arms now crossed and giving her a pose worthy of the sharp outfit she was wearing.

“You must be here on some kind of dare, I presume? What kind?”

“The usual. You know, that classic one where you have to go into an abandoned building that’s supposed to be haunted or whatever in exchange for money.” You continued to have a smile on your face as you presented your phone to Kyoko, having it opened to your gallery of selfies that you had taken so far. “I just have to take a few pictures here and there to prove I’ve been here.”

“...mind if I take a closer look?” Kyoko took your phone from your hands before starting to scroll through your pictures. “And you haven’t taken any pictures of anyone you might’ve seen here?”

“Huh? Of course not. That’d be rude.”

Kyoko handed your phone back after seeming to have looked through the entire gallery holding your brilliant exploration selfies. “That’s good. That means there’s no immediate need for worry.”

“How good it is to get that cleared up.” Celeste folded her hands together under her chin, tilting her head just slightly. “Humans can usually be such annoying pests regarding those matters.”

You blinked a few times as you looked between the two girls. “Is… is that a common problem? Humans coming here and taking pictures? I mean, it took some effort for me to get in here…”

The slight nod of her head was what you got in response to your question from Kyoko, who no longer had her eyebrows furrowed and instead had a calm expression on her face that seemed rather stoic. Her arms were also crossed again, giving her an enviable aura of mysteriousness.

“Humans usually don’t manage to make it past the gates.”

“You know…” Celeste leaned towards you. “...the last human who got inside never left.”

You leaned away from Celeste. “W-What…?”

“His name is Makoto.” Celeste straightened her posture, the corners of her mouth still turned up into a calm smile, and gestured towards the boy still on the couch. “He is… okay, for a human.”

“Oh.”

You shifted your gaze towards the boy — Makoto — and watched as he squinted from the light of your flashlight on his face, before you then noted that he did look quite normal; he didn’t have any nonhuman features you could spot during this closer inspection of him, so you could believe that he was as human as you were… which was completely, and you sent him your best smile.

“...greetings, fellow Homo sapien!”

You raised the hand holding your flashlight in greeting, the beam of light now directed towards the ceiling, and you watched as Makoto blinked a few times to clear his vision. He then looked at you as he brought a finger up to scratch his cheek, a nervous smile gracing his human face.

“Uh, hi…?”

“So… may I continue exploring now?” You looked at Kyoko. “I want my fifty clams.”

The dapper girl paused for a moment. “...sure. We’ll deal with this issue once you’re done.”

“Great!” You kept a bright smile on your face as you looked between the three. “If you need me, I’ll probably be on one of the upper floors. Don’t be afraid to come talk to me, I don’t bite! Heh!”

You snapped a selfie with the pool table, and waved to the three before you left the room.

“Kyoko…?”

Makoto looked at the girl in the dapper suit as she turned to leave as well.

“I’m going to inform my father about our… visitor.” Kyoko looked over her shoulder at Makoto, the corners of her mouth turning up into a slight smile as she did so. “Just focus on your game.”

And then she vanished in the blink of an eye, leaving Makoto and Celeste alone in the room.

The sound of heels clicked against the floor as Celeste went back over to the table, gracefully sitting down on the couch. “Come on, like she said. I’m looking forward to how this will turn out.”

“Yeah, okay…” Makoto looked down at the game. “But I really don’t know what I’m doing…”

- - - - -

“Huh…?”

You pointed your flashlight into the room, sweeping the beam of light around to illuminate the art supplies and works of art littering the space; this was obviously the school’s art room, which had to be high up on the list of the most depressing rooms to explore in an abandoned building, due to the fading remnants of the efforts of the people who created art that came from the very soul.

“...is that an anime waifu?”

There, sitting smack dab in the middle of one of the tables, was a perfectly-drawn picture of an anime girl — inked, colored, and ready to be admired. The presence of such a bright and cutesy waifu in an abandoned building like this was incredibly eerie and jarring… though, from all of the things you had seen so far, this building didn’t seem to be as abandoned as you once thought.

You stepped further into the art room before stopping when you heard a squelching sound come from underneath you, and you cringed once you looked down to see that you had stepped into a pile of something green and squishy. You cringed again as you pulled your foot out of the slime.

“Oh, ew…!”

You tried to shake your foot a bit to get the slime off of your shoe, the substance slipping off like jello off of a tilted plate, and let out a sigh of relief when you saw that your shoe wasn’t stained.

“Hmph, who goes there?”

You flinched before swiftly spinning on your heel and pointing your flashlight in the direction of the unfamiliar voice, only for a silent gasp to pass through your lips at the sight of the beam of light refracting through the gelatinous substance in front of you; the way that it bathed the walls of the art rooms in an green light was almost ethereal, a sight so pretty that it stole your breath.

“Whoa…”

“Excuse me!” The mass of green slime sitting in front of you let out a loud huff, raising a hand to correct the glasses sitting on his face and drawing your attention to his head. “It’s incredibly rude to stare! Nevermind the fact that you could have blinded someone with your hazardous actions!”

“Whoops! Sorry!”

You lowered your flashlight as your lips pulled up into an apologetic smile, and got a better look at the boy now that you didn’t have a beautiful display of refracted light distracting you. He really was just a mass of slime, his rotund shape only given form by the school uniform that he wore.

“Apology not accepted!”

The slime boy walked — well, more like slid — around you towards the table that the drawing of the anime waifu was sitting on, and you blinked a few times as you noticed the various sketches and works-in-progress that surrounded the finished masterpiece of sparkly anime cuteness.

“To barge into one’s work space and stare as if they’re some kind of freak? Unacceptable!”

“I… I’m sorry about the second thing, but this is the school’s public art room…”

“That is true, but you’re obviously not a student here. Ergo, you still shouldn’t be here.”

“...okay, I can’t exactly argue with that.”

You watched as the slime boy began to organize the drawings on the table, and noticed that, despite him being made of such a goopy substance, he managed to keep all of them clean as he handled them with his hands; the slime around on the floor of the art room made it clear that the slime boy was no stranger to making a mess, whether intentionally or not, so for him to take time to learn how to not accidentally stain his artworks showed how much they meant to him.

“...I like your drawings.”

“Hmm… I suppose even an impertinent individual like you could appreciate my genius.” The slime boy looked back at you after organizing the drawings into a neat pile, the drawing of the waifu on top, to still be admired by passersby in all of her colorful, sparkly glory. “Perhaps you have potential for character development, after all, even if your intro left much to be desired.”

You silently questioned what he was talking about, before giving him a big smile.

“Thanks! I’ll take that as a compliment!”

“Since you show apt respect, I’ll introduce myself despite your intrusion.” The slime boy huffed as he put his hands on his hips and puffed out his chest with pride, the strain of his action on his shirt causing the hue of his green gloop to be barely visible through the material. “I… am Hifumi, also known as… “The Alpha and the Omega!”. Creator of many beloved fanworks in Japan.”

You had never heard about this guy before, but maybe you just weren’t cultured enough.

“That’s… great! I’m honored to meet you…?”

“Of course you are.” Hifumi pushed up his glasses, and you caught yourself wondering about how someone made of slime could have bad eyesight, before you accepted that it must be due to their eyes also being as goopy as the rest of their body. “Heh, but don’t expect to receive an autographed masterpiece just for meeting me. It’s too early for you to take possession of such a rarity; you’ll need to undergo much training to become worthy of even being able to touch one.”

“...yeah, okay.”

You held up your phone and took a quick selfie with the easels as a backdrop, putting on your best “appreciating artwork deeply” expression that you could muster, before turning to leave.

“I’ll leave your genius alone so you can work! Ciao!”

“So be it.” Hifumi nodded his head, watching your retreating form. “I expect our next encounter to have bounds of evidence to show your growth when it comes to the world of fan content!”

“Okey-dokey!”

- - - - -

The room you found yourself in now was larger than most of the rooms you had explored thus far, the only exceptions being the gym on the first floor and the pool on the second floor, and its size was accompanied with a feeling of high-classiness that the school had seemingly lost over the years from disrepair… or maybe that just came from the grand piano sitting on the stage at the front of the room, rows of cushioned seats facing towards it for an audience to lounge upon.

And there were also two people standing on said-stage, spotlighted under the fancy lighting.

“It… it takes more than just enthusiasm to play music, Leon.”

“I know that! I’m just saying that it’d be a little easier if you helped me out a little.”

The appearance of the girl actually caught you off-guard as a sense of familiarity washed over your brain, the feeling getting stronger when you squinted your eyes to blur the wings that were on her back and her bird-like legs into a human-like silhouette that you could swear that you had seen somewhere before. Then again, maybe your mind was just deciding to play a trick on you.

The boy — Leon, the girl had called him — had red hair sitting atop his head that stuck out into the air, a fiery glow surrounding it; like, it wasn’t actually on fire, but it glowed like the electric log sets in fake fireplaces did. He seemed to have a whole “punk rocker” thing going on with how he dressed himself, which contrasted greatly with the cute school uniform that the girl was sporting.

“Hmm?”

The girl and Leon turned their heads to look at you as you ascended the steps up to the stage, a sweet and melodic hum leaving the girl at the sound of your footsteps, and you waved slightly at them as they looked at you with surprise, your flashlight loosely held in your other hand while off.

“Hello there! Sorry for the intrusion, I’m just having a little look-see around this place.” You stared at the girl briefly, before narrowing your eyes and tilting your head back. “You. Bird lady. I may be going crazy, but you look so familiar and I just can’t place it. Have we ever ran into each other at the grocery store or something? I swear, it’s right on the tip-top of my brain… wait, am I crazy?”

The girl paused for a moment, before giving a smile that metaphorically lit up the room.

“I don’t think we have, but…” She let a soft giggle pass her lips, the sound almost too sweet. “I suppose you might recognize me because of my job? I’m Sayaka Maizono, from the group-”

“Oh! That one idol group!” You pointed at Sayaka as you felt a lightbulb flicker on above your head. “I’m not into the whole “pop idol” culture, but I have a couple of friends who’re big fans.”

The idol kept a smile on her face — it had to have been perfected after lots of training in front of a mirror, her smile neither strained nor lax, right in the middle — and tilted her head just so. “I’m glad your friends like my group’s work. We’ve all worked very hard to get to where we are.”

“I don’t doubt it!” You shook your flashlight like a glow stick. “Especially with all that dancing-”

“Hey, she’s not the only celebrity here!”

Leon directed the attention in the room back to himself, your gaze meeting an expression that was mildly insulted. His lips turned up into a smile — which had an air of cockiness around it — once he registered that you were looking at him, his hair also glowing brighter. “Leon Kuwata. Your pleasure, I’m sure. You might know me as the “baseball star”, but I’m done and over with that life. I’m changing careers to become the world’s newest and biggest music sensation.”

You had no idea who this guy was.

“Oh, I’m not into sports, but I suppose it’s nice to meet you anyway.”

The wind was visibly knocked out of Leon’s sails at your words, his entire being seeming to deflate like a person-shaped balloon, as Sayaka covered her mouth with a hand to conceal a giggle. You used the pause in conversation to take a selfie with the piano, resisting the urge to slam your hands upon the keys to make what-you-were-sure-would-be the most magnificent sound ever, and shot Leon a thumbs-up afterwards, while you started to back off of the stage.

“Good luck with the music career! I’ll totally give your future songs a listen, I promise!”

Sayaka waved you off like an angel, the wings on her back only helping to further that innocent image she worked so hard to cultivate, as Leon sputtered, his hair dimming into barely a glow.

“You- You better! And tell all your hot babe friends about me too!”

- - - - -

Your journey through the fourth floor of the unexpectedly-interesting high school you had been paid to explore continued as you crossed the hallway to stumble upon another room you would never find at any old boring school… like the one you were a student at. The plaque next to the door was engraved to state that the room was the data lab, and you had to see why it said that.

“There’s no way this place has any decent tech-”

You pushed the door open just a crack, and peeked your head in to see a room worthy of the name on the rusty plaque outside. With countless monitors hooked on the walls, showing all of the feeds from every possible security camera in the school building, it looked just like a room that some evil mastermind would use to spy on everybody for some super nefarious purpose.

“...well, never mind then.”

And, as with all the other interesting rooms you’ve been to, there were people here too.

“And… there. All of the new cameras are now up and running.”

There were a total of three people present in the data lab, two of them hovering over the one that had been fiddling with the controls at one of the many consoles in the room, and all three of them staring down at the screen closest to them, checking out whatever was being displayed on it.

“Well done, Chihiro! You’ve done us all a great service!” The figure standing to the left of the one in front of the console fluttered the wings on his back as he spoke, before they appeared to snap back into place, held tightly against his body. Not a feather was out of place, his wings appearing sleek and meticulously-groomed in contrast to Sayaka’s more fluffy and decorative wings. “This will greatly contribute to both the security of our school and the safety of all our classmates!”

The person in front of the console — Chihiro — smiled at her friend’s compliment, a light blush coating her cheeks. There didn’t appear to be anything strange about her at all, unlike a majority of the individuals you had encountered so far, but until you were explicitly informed that she was human, you weren’t about to make any assumptions; better safe than sorry. “Thanks, Taka, but I just activated the cameras. One of the upperclassmen actually installed them around campus.”

“Ah-ha, a group effort! We must show our thanks the next time we see them!”

The third person in the room stood up straight before leaning back, his arms crossed over his chest as he looked down at Chihiro, and… oh, wow, unlike Leon’s hair, this guy had actual fire resting atop his skull. The flames crackled as they jutted outward to form a pompadour, which was rather impressive once you considered that fire shouldn’t act like that… but, to be fair, this guy was dressed like a delinquent, and they were well-known for breaking rules left and right.

That probably went for the rules of physics too, at least within the walls of this school.

“Still, you did a good job, bro. This is what you’re good at, you should be proud.”

Chihiro perked up even more. “R-Right! Thanks, Mondo.”

You pushed open the door further to enter the data lab yourself, the lull in conversation making that action sound a lot louder than it actually was, and you watched as the three turned to gaze at your approaching figure. It took a few seconds before they all came to the same realization.

Chihiro yelped while stepping back, the other two stepping forward. “Oh, no!”

“Ah, a human!” Taka swung his hand up into the air before he pointed at you, almost a bit too comically, with his wings fluttering open behind him. “A human has gotten inside the school!”

“Shit!” Mondo looked between Taka and you, his hair growing brighter as the flames flickered widely, as if they were responding to his panic. “What do we do, bro? Should I knock ‘em out?”

“T-This situation is concerning, yes, but violence should never be the answer!”

“The fuck should I do then?!”

Those two were similar to a comedy duo, you found yourself thinking as you watched the both of them panic over your presence, their back-and-forth only working as well as it did because of how their personalities clashed — one was professional, orderly, while the other was intimidating and foul-mouthed. That said, you could definitely see yourself being scared witless by the two of them… if you hadn’t already met so many wonderful and unique characters this intriguing night.

But, even so, feeling the warmth of the flames of the delinquent’s hair on your skin as he drew closer to you still caused your muscles to tense, a sense of danger arising within your stomach.

“W-Wait! Don’t attack! The human’s not a threat!”

The console shone as sparks coursed over its metal surface, Chihiro soon emerging from the screen and making you realize that you hadn’t noticed the techie disappearing during the all of commotion over you being here. The fact that the seemingly-human’s body was shifting from a static blur into flesh while exiting the screen was also proof to prove Chihiro was not a human.

“I just looked through the camera feeds. The others are already aware of them, and… Kyoko even concluded that they’re not a threat. T-That means we don’t need to hurt them… o-okay?”

Mondo was already much too close for comfort to you before you finally got a chance to step back, the heat from his hair lessening with the distance and the flames resuming a pompadour.

“...tch, got it.”

“Oh, um…” Taka retracted his finger that had been pointing at you, and fidgeted with his arms before they pressed to his sides. His wings followed suit, pressing up against his back after he tucked them away, and his posture stiffened before he bowed to you. “Our sincerest apologies. We did not mean to treat you with any disrespect. We were merely acting as instructed, truly.”

You smiled, waving your hand to the side. “It’s fine. I know I’m technically trespassing anyways, so it’s no biggie. You had a really good response time, though; you were all so quick to act…!”

Your eyes left the three figures in front of you as they instead looked around the data lab, and a long hum left your lips. “...geez, I’m impressed a place like this has such advanced technology hiding within its old walls. I guess I won’t be taking any pictures in this room… it’d be too hard to explain away unlike all the other rooms in this here school of yours. I don’t even want to try…”

“Thank you very much!”

“Just don’t mess with anybody here, eh?” Mondo stared down at you with a firm gaze, his eyes narrowed the slightest bit. “I don’t want you causing any trouble, especially not for my bros.”

Your hand hit your forehead in a salute. “Aye-aye, captain.”

With a wave goodbye, you decided to leave the three be, having caused them enough stress as is. The last thing you wanted to do was get on the bad side of people stronger than yourself.

And, thankfully, your natural charm always managed to save your butt.

- - - - -

This had to be the nicest sight you had seen all night.

You shivered as a gentle breeze blew through your hair, your eyes caught on the sight of the twinkling lights of the surrounding city shining in the distance. It was impossible for one to see the top of the school from the ground, so it was a pleasant surprise to find a garden growing on the fifth floor. Your flashlight turned off with a quiet click as you closed the door behind you, your eyes slowly starting to adjust to having the moonlight as your guide as you explored the garden.

There was tall wire fencing surrounding the very edges of the garden — it was always good to see safety measures in place — and many different plants present. While it was difficult for you to make out the exact plants, you could clearly see that there was a wide variety available here.

“Ooh! Chickens!”

And a chicken coop, with five chickens all sleeping in their nests.

That was the most picture-perfect opportunity you could have ever wished for, and you knew that there was nothing else in the garden that you could have ever wanted to take a selfie with more. You snapped the picture with a bright smile on your face, making sure to not disturb the sleeping chickens in any way, and happily admired the newest addition to your selfie album.

Until you noticed something shiny in the background of your picture, half-buried in the shavings on the coop’s floor, and only having been exposed by the camera flash that your phone gave off.

You turned your head to glance back at the coop, and located it after a moment.

“Huh? What’s this?”

You carefully retrieved the shiny object from the chicken coop, and held it up in your hands, the moonlight glinting off of the oil lamp’s smooth surface. It was in good condition, looking like new.

“Alright…! Three wishes, baby!”

Just as all those protagonists did before you, from those old stories you heard multiple times before, you rubbed your hand on the lamp. You waited for a few seconds before you pouted.

“Well, it was a good try-”

You let out a yelp as the oil lamp shook, dropping it as smoke burst out of its spout.

“Woo-boy! What a nap!”

And just like in all of those old stories, a man appeared from the smoke that burst out of the lamp. He stretched his arms out a bit, before noticing you standing on the ground below him.

“Oh, hey there, dude!” The man carried himself casually, his posture all loose as he floated a few feet above the ground, the bottom half of his body being a wispy tail that trailed back to the fallen lamp’s spout. “Sorry if I scared you! I was just catching a few quick Zs in my lamp, heh!”

He blinked a couple of times before looking around the garden, the area bathed in moonlight.

“...huh, I think I overslept a little.”

The man let out a laugh, his shoulders bouncing as a smile took its place on his face.

“Well, I guess I really needed the sleep!”

You continued to stare up at the man, a sense of nervousness crawling its way up into your stomach as your brain recalled certain folklore related to the being in front of you, before your attention fell back to the oil lamp you had dropped on the ground. You rushed forward to pick it up, carefully cupping your hands around the bottom after dusting it off, and offered it to the man.

“...here. Sorry for dropping it.”

“Hey, it’s cool. No biggie.” The man only had the lamp within his hands for a few brief seconds before he let go of it, the shiny object now floating next to him. “It’s been dropped plenty of times before, but it’s as sturdy as can be. Heck, even with effort, no one’s been able to dent it yet.”

“That’s, um… good to know.” You put your flashlight up to your chin, tapping your face with it, as you attempted to keep your eyes from wandering down to the man’s wispy tail. “Anyway, you’re a genie, right? I mean- a Jinn? Uh… whatever the proper term is for people who live in lamps?”

He shrugged. “Eh, call me whatever you like, dude. It doesn’t matter to me.”

You let your lips turn up into a hesitant smile. “I’m sure it’d matter to some people…”

“The name’s Yasuhiro, but you can just call me Hiro for short.” The magical being dubbed “Hiro” looked down at you with a casual smile, his hand coming up to his chin as he floated around you and inspected you. “You must be a new student, yeah? Haven’t had one of those in a while…”

“Oh, no. I’m just… visiting?” You let out a breathy chuckle before you paused, blinking before taking a closer look at Hiro, similar to how he looked at you. “Wait, you’re a student here? You… well, you look… you know, a bit older than the other folks I’ve run into around here, and, correct me if I’m wrong, but… shouldn’t you be, like… ancient or something? …can jinn be young?”

Hiro let out a laugh, putting a fist to his chest. “Fair question, but I’m actually just twenty-one-”

“Oh, well, that’s actually pretty reasonable-”

“-hundred-years-old, but it’s not like I could learn when I was trapped in my lamp before.”

You stared at Hiro for a couple of seconds. “...well, nobody’s too old for an education.”

“I should probably be heading back inside now, the others must be wondering where I am.” Hiro gave you a slight nod of his head. “Thanks for waking me up, though, dude. I’ll see you around!”

“Wait-!”

Hiro disappeared in a puff of smoke before you could say anything further.

“...but don’t I get any wishes?”

- - - - -

“...oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.”

You shook your flashlight, harshly tapping it on the end as it flickered before it turned off; it had been right by your side for this entire adventure, lighting your way through the darkness, which made the realization of its batteries having lost all their juice feel like you were losing a dear old friend. The dim lighting of the hallway shutting off not a moment after your flashlight gave its final breath was just the icing on the proverbial horror-themed cake you had now found yourself in.

“...and now it’s worse.”

Your body shivered as your hand made contact with the wall after you extended your arm out, though you kept your palm pressed up against the cold surface. Without any sort of light source to assist your eyes, it would be smarter for you to use the wall as a guide during the rest of your journey than to stumble around in the dark like an idiot — you could end up hurt if you did that.

“Huh…?”

The sound of your footsteps ceased as you stared ahead into the darkness, squinting your eyes at a couple balls of flickering light in the distance. The lights danced around each other at the end of the hallway, their edges lagging against their movement like the way you assumed a couple of torches would if spun around. The lights were of a colder hue, though, instead of being the bright, burning orange you would expect of fire; that said, you had heard the hottest flames burned blue.

“...would it count as “following” if it’s the only way I can go?”

With acceptance settling itself into your heart, you started making your way towards the lights, but didn’t get any closer as they moved away from you, matching your pace. You sped up a bit when they turned a corner, wanting to keep them in your sight and not wanting to be left behind.

Even with your only light source being the distant flames, you could tell you were backtracking the path you had taken on your escapade within the school as you followed them. They led you down the stairs, through the semi-familiar floors of the building that were now cast under an inky black darkness, nary a light to be found. While you could honestly say that the entire building did reek of creepiness during your trek upwards, it had been a fun and interesting kind of creepy.

But without the dim lighting, the soft hum of the broken lights, it seemed a lot less fun.

And once you reached the first floor, the balls of light had disappeared too.

You felt two cold hands clasp your shoulders from behind, and flinched forward before turning around on your heel to meet two glowing blue eyes — the same blue as the flames — and lips pulled back into a smile stretched almost all the way to its owner's ears. You couldn’t describe the sound that escaped your throat at the sight, especially with your heartbeat now in your ears.

The girl put her hands up as a laugh passed through her lips, the sound sending a chill right up your spine. “Oh, thank goodness! You can get scared! You know, you seemed pretty fearless when you were sauntering around the school like you owned the place just a little while earlier.”

Your hands were in front of your chest, the grip on your flashlight tight, as you watched the glow in the girl’s eyes dim down to a more natural light-blue color, her smile also shrinking with them.

The lights on the ceiling above you flickered back to life, still as dim as before, but even with the minimal light they emitted, they were enough to lighten the mood in the air from horrifying to just mildly-concerning. You had already gone through the motions to calm yourself and your beating heart before you noticed that there was another girl nearby, her eyes carrying a faint glow too.

That was the only similarity you could find between the girls, as the one that had grabbed your shoulders earlier looked like someone you could find on the cover of a fashion magazine while the second looked like someone you would find on the cover of an army recruitment pamphlet.

Total opposites in both style and the way they carried themselves, making for an odd pair.

“It’s not funny!” You glared at the first girl before you paused. “Wait… you’re that one model!”

You were no expert in fashion, the subject hardly being one of your fortes, but the girl in front of you looked just like someone you saw on one of the magazines in the laundry room, when you were snooping on what-you-had-assumed-to-be the remnants of past students’ interests during your investigation on what to take a selfie with. Those kinds of magazines weren’t material you regularly checked out during your free time, but they made time in waiting rooms fly right on by.

The model chuckled as she pulled back from you. “Oooh, good eye! Are you a fan?”

“Not really, no.”

“Junko, we should hurry and get the human back to the others. They’re waiting on us.”

“Ugh.” The smile on Junko’s face completely vanished when the second girl had stepped closer and spoke. “I know that, Sis. Don’t interrupt me while I’m working! God, you’re such a burden!”

Her sister cast her gaze down, frowning. “S-Sorry…”

You glanced between the two girls as you smiled awkwardly, the pair seeming a lot weirder than anybody else you had met tonight, and you had only been talking to them for just under a minute by now. Though, as bizarre as they were, you were sticking to your guns of not diving under the surface of anyone here by questioning them about themselves for the sake of your own safety.

“Others?” You looked at Junko’s sister. “Do they wanna chat with me some more, or…?”

The girl had only just opened her mouth to respond before Junko scooched herself between you and her, clearly leaning towards you specifically to invade your personal bubble as much as she could without touching you. Her stretched smile and fluttering lashes were but a mild distraction from how she had completely blocked your view of her sister, keeping your focus solely on her.

“Yep, yep! Everyone’s dying to know more about you, who’s caused them all a lot of trouble!”

“I’m sure I’ve only caused, like, a medium amount of trouble around here.”

Junko hummed. “Perhaps… anyway, they regard you as a safety concern. That means you-”

Her finger booped your nose, making you recoil.

“-need to get your little human self to the dining hall, stat. Otherwise… heh, it’d be quite a show.”

The other girl jumped to attention when Junko snapped her fingers at her like one would a dog, her posture — which was already better than most folks’ — stiffening as she stood to attention.

“Mukuro, escort them to the dining hall to make sure they don’t get lost.”

“Ah- yes, Junko! But where are you-”

“Um, a girl needs her privacy! Even you should know that, despite that pathetically flat board that you call a chest. Hm, now that I think of it, you barely count as a person, much less a girl.”

Junko smiled widely — too wide — at you, waving as she took a few steps back.

“Okay, bye~! I’ll catch up later!”

Her voice was sing-songy right before her body spontaneously combusted into familiar bright blue flames, causing you to shield your eyes, and when you finally were able to look at where the model had been standing again, you found nothing remaining. Junko vanished as quickly as she appeared, leaving you alone with Mukuro, and at a loss of what to say in response to it all.

“So, that’s… uh… y’all are sisters?”

Mukuro nodded. “Twins.”

“...neato. A-Anyway, the dining hall, right? I came in through there, so… wanna race?”

- - - - -

The garden had previously been your pick for the place most brimming with life within the walls of the school for two reasons, the first being that there were multiple plants thriving there just like weeds in a crack in a sidewalk and the second being the chickens that were also thriving due to the care the students were giving them… but you could admit that the dining hall easily shoved it into second place when everyone was gathered there, socializing just like normal teenagers.

You recognized every unique individual present at the impromptu meeting, all of them seated at the tables and near others you assumed they were close to — the three you met in the data lab were sitting next to each other, the two ladies you met at the pool were too… but Byakuya and Toko had chosen to sit at a table off to the side, separated from the majority of their classmates.

The interpersonal dynamics of this place on a normal day must be wild, you assumed.

“Hey, hey!” You raised your hand in greeting. “The “safety concern” has arrived!”

You approached the table where most of the students were sitting, and found yourself standing at one end. You weren’t sure whether to sit down or not, choosing a place to sit in a high school cafeteria was never easy, but Mukuro made you feel less awkward as she stood by your side.

Kyoko soon joined your makeshift standing club as she stood near the head of the table, just a few paces away from you. She had to be leading the meeting, if her position meant anything.

“What?” Makoto, who had been chatting with Sayaka, looked up at you at your announcement, his arms resting in front of him, on the table. “You… don’t have to refer to yourself like that.”

Hina leaned forward to look over at you as well. “Where’d you get that idea?”

“Junko told me that you guys were concerned about my presence.” You smiled as you fiddled with your dead flashlight’s power button. “Don’t worry, I think it sounds cool. I’m not insulted.”

“Regardless of how “cool” it sounds, your presence is a concern.” Kyoko crossed her arms as she stared at you. “Your knowledge of us poses a threat to our individual and collective safety.”

That sentence made the tone in the air shift, dampening the atmosphere, and you moved your gaze to look at everyone else, only to see them either staring back at you or averting their eyes elsewhere; even the ones with smiles on their faces — like Hina and Sayaka — had a certain tension laced into their expressions. They really were worried, and it was more than obvious to see, even if you were free of that same kind of pressure that currently hung over their heads.

“Then… how’re we gonna solve this?” You returned your attention to Kyoko. “I don’t want to hurt any of you, and I totally promise to not speak a word of this to anyone, but… I know it’s tough to trust what a total stranger is telling you, huh? You have no real reason to believe in me at all…”

“There’s a few options.” Kyoko paused. “For example… you could be put under surveillance.”

“Oh!” Taka raised his head as he spoke. “Chihiro could keep watch through the human’s phone!”

Chihiro blinked in surprise. “Ah…! I mean, I could, b-but…”

“What? He’s supposed to just keep eyes on ‘em all the time?” Mondo leaned back in his seat, his fiery hair swaying in the air with his motions. “Our bro’s got better things to do with his time!”

The boy in question shrunk in his chair a bit. “Y-Yeah, it’d be really tough…”

“Well, Mr. Demon Prince over there should have no problem dealing with that.” Leon turned to look over at Byakuya, who was looking away with disinterest in the topic at hand written all over his face. “I’m sure you’ve got, like, a ton of henchmen or whatever who could handle it, yeah?”

Byakuya scoffed and rolled his eyes. “I’m not wasting resources on one measly human.”

“But you would be able to do it-” Celeste smiled over at the prince. “-would you not?”

“Of course, and I could get away with it too… but I’m not doing that.”

Toko fidgeted with the mask on her face, the cloth clenched between her fingers. “M-Master said “no” so you should stop asking! He doesn’t have to put up with any of you guys’ s-stupid ideas!”

“That means it’s a no-go on the surveillance idea…” Sayaka’s eyes traveled up as she thought, humming before she looked towards Kyoko. “Oh, what about erasing their memories of us?”

The idol was soon met with almost everyone’s eyes on her, shock within their gazes.

And that included yours. “H-Huh?”

“I mean… they can’t expose us if they don’t remember us. We wouldn’t have to worry, then.”

The human sitting next to the idol smiled hesitantly, and you briefly wondered what Makoto was thinking about you, his fellow human, being subject to all this. “Isn’t that… going a bit too far?”

Hina frowned. “Is that even possible?”

“I’m certain Hiro or Kyoko would be able to achieve such a feat.” Sakura crossed her arms, her frown calm as she glanced between the two she spoke of. “You both possess incredible power.”

Hiro let out a laugh. “Oh-ho, I could! But… something of that level doesn’t come free from me…”

Your gaze traveled around the dining hall as you took in the expressions of the people deciding your fate, most showing some degree of irresolution at the current idea, before you froze as you noticed Kyoko’s hand reaching towards your face from the corner of your eye, and you tensed.

“It’s okay, I’m not going to erase your memories-” Kyoko’s gloved hand came into contact with your forehead first, her fingers trailing over your skin as they moved down the side of your face, to your chin; they left a lingering chill. “-it would be difficult, not to mention morally questionable.”

You eventually regained your mental footing and stepped back, the warmth that was blooming in your cheeks a contrast to the girl’s strangely cool touch. “Uh, and I feel like I should mention that I’ve been sending all the photos I’ve taken here to my friend too. I… well, I think it would be kind of suspicious to not only me but them if I just had a bunch of mysterious holes in my memory…”

Kyoko nodded. “Exactly, so we’ll have to go with a different course of action.”

The silence that fell over the dining hall was interrupted by a sneeze, followed by a loud yell.

“Easy, let’s just kill them!”

Your head swiveled towards the voice. “I’m sorry, what?”

You hardly knew any of these people, that was a fact you wouldn’t deny, but you were confident in thinking that the aura that was surrounding Toko was a lot more aggressive than the defensive one that she had possessed up until this point — to the point where you felt yourself be hit with a wave of mental whiplash — and even her posture had straightened up from a confidence boost.

Mukuro turned her head to look back at you as you shuffled behind her like she was some sort of shield, and, to further ease your worry, most others voiced their displeasure at the idea too.

“That…” Hifumi put a hand to his chest. “That’s way worse than erasing their memories…!”

Celeste let out a hum, closing her eyes briefly as she thought with a smile still on her lips. “That would be effective… but also far too suspicious. They’ve already made someone else aware of their location here, so their disappearance would only lead more people to come to the school.”

“It’s the most idiotic plan so far. Just shut your mouth and let the smart people talk.”

“Oh-ho-ho, whatever you say, Master!”

The group fell into silence once more as everyone thought some more about what to do. Every idea a person eventually brought up was shut down by someone else for either being unrealistic or having too many flaws — plus the fact that you didn’t really like any of them. To your surprise, some of the people here went out of their way to take your opinion into account when they went through the motions to consider each idea, so you knew nothing would just be forced upon you.

That was very nice of them, especially considering that you were a trespasser.

“Geez, you’re all still trying to think of a solution?”

You jumped as you heard a voice come from right behind you, and you drew closer to Mukuro, who was still in front of you, before you looked back to see Junko standing there. That was the second time the model had purposefully scared you from behind… a trend that you did not like.

“I would’ve thought you’d all have come up with something by now.”

“Nice of you to finally join us, Junko.” Kyoko looked over at the fashionista, dropping her hand down from her chin to cross her arms. “If you’ve any ideas of your own, you’re free to share.”

Junko blinked before smiling wide, putting her hands on your shoulders and leaning on you.

“Simple. We just trust the human.”

The model was met with silence, everyone staring at her… including you.

“Are… are you sure that’s the best idea?” Makoto scratched his cheek with a nervous smile on his lips. “I mean, I’m sure they’re nice enough to not tell, but we can’t just blindly trust them…”

“Bold of you to speak up-” Junko’s smile widened further, her eyes beginning to gain a familiar bright blue glow. “-considering we all trusted you after you first learned all of our little secrets.”

Makoto’s eyes flickered away, averted from Junko’s gaze. “Ah, yeah, b-but…”

“But Makoto had me to vouch for him.” Sayaka swiftly stood up, her chair scraping against the cracked tiles of the dining hall’s floor, as she finished the rebuttal. “He wasn’t a total stranger.”

Junko let go of your shoulders as she waved dismissively. “Oh, please… sure, you two may have gone to the same middle school, but you guys never even talked until after our resident human stumbled into here. You can’t use that piece of evidence for this debate, it’s irrelevant.”

The idol’s lips turned down into a frown as her wings puffed up, before she sat back down.

“With that in mind, it’s pretty hypocritical of you all to trust one human you didn’t know but not another. Totally not fair. I mean-” Junko suddenly grabbed your face, pulling you close as she squished your cheeks against her palms, her voice now whiny. “-just look at this human. They didn’t freak out like Makoto did when he first arrived, and they’ve kept you out of all their photos. They’ve been so kind, so for you to point fingers and say they’re a risk to you all is sooo mean.”

Your emotions were a mixed bag right now, from being uneasy with Junko’s close proximity to your face to being appreciative of her words. There was something that didn’t sit quite right with you about her, but speaking against her in this pivotal moment would do you no good right now.

Her touch seemed close to burning, uncomfortably hot against your skin.

“Uh, Junko, I think you should stop-”

“Ew, don’t touch me.”

Junko let go of your face and took a step back from Mukuro, who had been in the middle of reaching out to her. The faint disgust on the model’s face lasted for but a moment before she was smiling again, her posture radiating confidence as she looked towards her classmates.

“Anyways, it’s just some food for thought. You don’t need to think much of it.”

The silence that overtook the dining hall was tense, and you spent a few more seconds just taking in the smile on Junko’s face before you shifted your gaze over to everyone else; there was a clear presence of unease settled over the students, some of their gazes averted fully from you as they thought while others occasionally glanced at you during their contemplation.

Kyoko eventually broke the silence with a soft huff. “Let’s put it to a vote.”

And almost immediately did everyone look at her as she raised her hand slightly.

“If the majority agrees, we’ll let the human go based on… trust.”

Leon blinked as his eyes widened. “Wait, seriously? We’re just going to trust them?”

Celeste let out a hum. “Unfortunately, we appear to have no other options. We can’t keep them under surveillance, erase their memories, or make them “disappear” for one reason or another.”

“This will place the responsibility of our safety onto those who choose to trust the human, if the majority vote yes.” Sakura nodded, her arms crossed over her chest. “That’s a heavy burden.”

Hina looked up at Sakura briefly, before she looked away to think for a moment, a hum leaving her lips. She soon nodded as a smile appeared on her face. “Well, I trust them. Even though we only just met, they’ve been really nice. They… treated me like a regular person, didn’t even blink when they saw my fins, and they made sure that Sakura and I weren’t in their photo of the pool.”

“Oh! They were really respectful when meeting me too, I suppose…” Sayaka smiled, a soft pink hue appearing on her cheeks. “I’m used to people going a bit crazy when meeting me in public.”

Leon scoffed. “Uh, that’s probably ‘cause they’re not into idols, like they said.”

“Even people who aren’t fans of idols can still get star-struck in front of them.” The corners of the idol’s lips turned up further, now a little teasing. “But they didn’t even recognize you at all, Leon.”

Taka stood up from his seat, one of his hands slamming onto the table and the other pointed at you. “Human, do you promise to keep our secret and speak nothing of what you saw tonight?”

“Uh…” You were taken aback by his energy, but nodded. “...yes.”

“Very well! Then you have my vote!”

“You’re really just going to trust ‘em…?” Mondo looked at Taka, before he sighed. “...if my bro says it’s good, then it’s good. I don’t know about all this, but I won’t doubt my bro’s judgement.”

“I suppose I shall vote “yes” as well.” Celeste folded her hands under her chin, tilting her head as she stared straight at you. “However, there shall be dire consequences if you break our trust.”

You looked away from her piercing red gaze. “...y-yeah, of course.”

It was from then that, one-by-one, more people voted to trust you. You were honestly flattered, even if you knew some of the votes came because others they trusted had voted to trust you.

And, in the end, there were only two outliers.

“My vote is Master’s vote, so I’m going with what he wants!”

“I can’t believe you all voted “yes”...”

Byakuya narrowed his eyes as he looked over at all of his classmates, annoyance clear in his frown as he absorbed the fact that he and Toko were the only two to not place their trust in you.

Makoto sent a slight smile to the prince. “Sorry, but it is majority rules…”

“Which means the human gets to go free with no strings attached, except for our trust.” Kyoko turned to look at you, the rest of the students behind her at the tables and all eyes now focused on you. “Please do not betray the trust we have placed in you. This wasn’t an easy decision.”

You took a moment before you smiled, giving a mock-salute. “You can count on me! You guys are too nice to screw over like that. Well… most of you are. I’ll keep my lips sealed, promise!”

“Thank you. Now… perhaps you could show us exactly how you entered the building.”

- - - - -

This was a better ending to the night than you could have expected; you went into the school expecting nothing but cobwebs, safety violations, and an overwhelming gloominess that came with being an abandoned building once used as a lively social environment, but instead went on an adventure that kept you from falling asleep halfway through the late-night, paid-for expedition.

You were even being escorted to the front door after you showed Kyoko the broken window you had climbed through to get inside, the students not wanting you to accidentally cut yourself while exiting the premises. You had also let the girl look at your updated album of exploration selfies to make sure you had absolutely no evidence of any of their existences… and to show off a little.

You were just really proud of your photo-taking skills tonight.

The most surprising thing that happened after you were cleared to exit was the notion that some of the people here were fine with the idea of you coming back. Hina even argued that, since you already know their secrets, there wasn’t any reason for you to not come to visit every so often.

Makoto was used as an example, given that he was human and hung out with them regularly.

Maybe you should ask him sometime about how he got himself into this situation.

“You know… I don’t see how keeping your mouth shut about all this benefits you at all.”

Junko’s voice broke you out of your thoughts, and you turned to look at her.

“...huh?”

That person “escorting” you was Junko… and the situation was more like she volunteered to take you to the exit before dragging you out of the dining hall faster than anyone could argue.

“Like… what exactly do you even get out of not telling anyone about us? I mean, you didn’t even try any extortion. The blackmail material was right there. In fact, it’s still sitting right on the table.”

You came to a slow stop as you continued to stare at Junko, your smile faltering before coming back hesitantly. “U-Um… I’d rather not risk your and the others’ lives? Isn’t that a good reason?”

The fashionista’s frown deepened, before her lips turned into a pout. “That’s so boring… come on, it’d really shake things up if you let something slip. The human world and the monster world clashing… it could be fun…! And I’m sure that you’d gain fame and fortune for your “discovery”.”

“But… you were the one championing the whole “trust the human” thing. Why are you-”

“If I hadn’t spoken up, everyone would’ve just fallen into an endless debate.” Junko waved her hand to the side dismissively, cutting you off, as her other hand traveled up to rest on her hip. “It might’ve been entertaining for a little bit, but it was already getting super stale when I stepped in.”

You had already continued walking during Junko’s “explanation”, and soon reached the entrance hall with the model in tow. The area was in similar condition to the rest of the school building, the doors being boarded up with thick wooden planks… but, if they were going to let you out through them, you assumed the state of the doors was just for appearances and they still opened fine.

“Junko, sorry to disappoint, but…” You turned to look at the model with a smile returning to your face, determination in your eyes. “...I think I’m just going to keep my mouth shut, as promised.”

Junko huffed before looking away with a bored expression. “That is disappointing.”

You almost chuckled at her reaction, but, as soon as you blinked, Junko disappeared from your view, and you felt two hands clasp your shoulders from behind. You couldn’t stop the small yelp that escaped your lips, and your cheeks warmed up when you realized Junko scared you again.

“But that just means you’ll need to stay interesting enough to keep me from getting bored.”

“I… can try?”

The giggle that left Junko’s lips at your response made a shiver run up your spine, the model gently shoving you out the now-open front door — you assumed she had some sort of power that allowed her to open it without touching it, unless she was just very quick and very sneaky.

“Then that’s a promise! Come back soon, ‘kay?”

The door slammed shut before you could respond, and all you felt was the cool air of the night on your skin. You stood there for a moment before turning to look at the school, and there was no doubt in your mind that tonight would feel like a dream when you woke up the next morning.

“...so I guess I earned both fifty bucks AND a bunch of new friends tonight. Score!”

[silverwasafukintrainwreck]

sure the danganronpa reader insert fic i started writing in2022 isn’t that good by any means, but GOD does it have funny quotes. i’ll reread it today and reblog with my favorite bits

[imagineanime2022]

Kianna Is Kidnapped Again

Kianna (OC) X Nagito Komaeda Zoldyck Family X Kianna (OC)

Word Count: 922

Requested: @nunezs-stuff

Request: Original Request

*Part 1*

They were more worried about the fact that someone kept getting into the house to kidnap you, this time they took you and Nagito, however for a long while they assumed that Nagito was the one that kidnapped you. He was the only one that was able to get past all of the safety precautions in the house and on the grounds as well as convince or take Kianna against her will.

Kianna on the other hand recognised the classroom that she had woken up in, or rather she recognised the feeling that she got when she woke up there. Nagito was across the room and she knew that they had to act quickly if they wanted to be the ones with the most information. She stood walking over to Nagito and poked at his cheek, he groaned dramatically before rolling over to look at her. “An angel.” “Stop it, get up, something is wrong.” She mumbled as she looked around counting windows and noting the one door, as usual the windows were barred shut and the only exit was the door. “Not this again.” “Don’t worry, we got out before.” Nagito reminded her. “You almost didn’t.” She argued. “This time will be different,” He promised. “We’re both leaving, I’m sure those assassins are tearing apart the world looking for you… And me.” “But they won’t find us, they didn’t before.” You grumbled as you both looked up at the door as it rattled. “Get up.” “Relax, calm down.” Nagito stood from where he was laying, taking her face in his hands, helping her to school her breathing as a pair of school kids walked in.

Kianna clashed with everyone given the fact that no one trusted Nagito, the only thing going in their favour was that Nagito was exceptionally smart and both of them were pros at manipulating everyone around them. This trial however put Kianna in the spotlight and with Nagito being the only one that could defend her, no one trusted the alibi. “Why would I lie about where she was, I’d die with the rest of you if I did.” Nagito reminded you and you glared at the two accusing you. “Come on you two are way closer than any of the rest of us, you knew each other in the last games. We all came here with one other person from the games that we survived but that doesn’t mean that we liked them. You clearly like each other if not more.” Byakuya explained while glaring at Toko across the room. “You really think that he’d die for her?” Shuichi asked. “Trust me, I know he would.” Byakuya answered. “I liked the other you better.” Kianna muttered as she leant against the pedestal. “I’m sure you did.” Byakuya muttered as she smirked. “The other you?” Shuichi asked. “In their killing games, there was an ultimate called the ultimate imposter and he was pretending to be me that’s all.” He answered. “So how do we know that you’re who you say you are?” Maki asked. “You dare question my handsome man?” Toko asked. “None of that matters because you're all forgetting something.” Nagito spoke up as he looked directly at you. “What?” Shuichi asked. “There are two other people who could have been responsible for this murder, considering one of us is a serial killer sometimes.” Nagito started. “Toko was with me the whole time. Regretfully.” Byakuya muttered. “So why is her alibi any different from Kianna’s?” Nagito asked. “Who’s the other person?” He asked. “Maki, the ultimate assassin.” Nagito answered. “Maki is the ultimate caregiver.” Shuichi lied. “Are you lying in the courtroom?” Nagito asked. “Lying?” Byakuya asked. “Well she is the ultimate assassin after all.” Nagito smirked. “Trust me I know one when I see one.” Kianna said as everyone’s attention turned to Maki. “Although none of that matters.” Nagito said, drawing their attention back to him. “I don’t have time for your games, hurry up and tell me what you know.” Byakuya ordered.

Nagito walked through the gates with Kianna on his back, the family was waiting having gotten the call that they were both back, all different degrees of relief that they were both back however it took the adults of the family less than 3 seconds to separate the two of them “why did you take her?” Silva asked. “Take her?” Nagito asked. “I didn’t take her.” “Nagito don’t mess around, just tell them the truth.” Kianna ordered. “They aren’t going to believe the truth.” Nagito shrugged. “That doesn’t make this a time to test your luck.” She argued. “I don’t need to test my luck.” He smirked. “This isn’t a joke.” Illumi reminded him. “It was the same as before! They took us back to the game. Nagito saved me, they were going to kill me, he’s the only reason that we came back!” Kianna said as she reached from him where he was kneeling in front of Silva. “Saved you?” Silva asked. “Yes!” Kianna said, she was probably one second away from incapacitating Illumi and trying to get to Nagito before they killed him but then Silva lifted his hand ordering everyone to relax and she took a deep breath as she rushed towards Nagito who caught her. “Don’t worry I promised I wasn’t leaving unless you made me remember?” Nagito asked, while Kianna couldn’t see the dangerous look on his face, a promise to the rest of the family that he’d do anything for her or to be with her.

Request Here!!

[cloudedcreams]

thinking of a yandere! ex who blames you for his undoing.

he’s always been mentally unstable. you just happened to be the one he set his sights on, the one he shifted his obsession towards and decided that he wanted to be his.

the way he sees it, you made him worst. you turned him into a version of himself he could barely process, you held him in your palm and caressed him until you got bored and threw him off. you never truly cared for him but it’s okay. he’ll be fine with hearing you lie.

he doesn’t care if you’re feeding him tales. he wants to see your lips curling up into a pretty smile, all for him as you tell him his much you adore him. he doesn’t care if it feels like nails in your throat, or if it makes you cringe out of disgust. so long as he gets to hear those words trailing to meet his ears, it’s okay. it’ll always be okay.

he’s clawing at your door now, leaving scratches on the door. you’re shaking from the other side, clutching your phone and thinking of who to call. it’s fine to him though, they won’t reach you in time.

[l0s3rd0wnt0wn]

HIIII OMG I LOVE YOUR YAN BATFAM X BLACK READER STORYS SOOOO I HAVE A LIL REQUEST I WAS WONDERING IF YOU CAN DO A CELESTIA LUDENBERG ONE WITH THE YAN BATFAM PLEASE (make sure your taking good care of yourself😋)

THE ACE UP MY SELVES

Platonic yandere!batfam x Celestia Ludenberg!Reader

Bio: The gambling bat who spends her time in Gotham's underworld, even though she is the richest girl in the world.

You've always been a gambler. Ever since you were in kindergarten, you gambled kids out of their fruit snacks, Pokémon cards, and maybe little toys and trinkets. It was just a simple game of tic-tac-toe or rock-paper-scissors that you beat them at. You always managed to win and would tell them they could try again next time, make the bets higher, and make the beatings better, but they always managed to lose. You're not cheating, of course; just a better hand. But you're older now, playing for Gotham's underworld at the Iceberg Lounge, destroying mob bosses in games of poker, taking all the chips you can get. They would shoot you down—better not to hurt Gotham, sweetheart. The innocent and most delicate [Name] Wayne, they wouldn't dare pull the trigger because they've already wasted their life savings on this one bet, or they're going to waste their lives in prison. You think not to give a cute little smile as you take the wad of cash away, the money in your hands in your mind, a game won easily. The slot machines hate to see you coming because you manage to get a seven out of seven. It's a lucky number, right? Gotham's crooks and goons every Saturday night see if they can have a chance to beat you, but they never get the heads up because the higher the stakes, the more fun it is, and the more they lose, and the more money you win. I mean, why would a single father go gambling? You should get a nine-to-five. You gamble against a fifteen-year-old, always spoiling your friends with your betting wins, and you always have cash on you because gambling games are what everyone brings. One time, your five-dollar bill had some blood on it. The cashier, just a poor little idiot, believed you. The next game you were playing with Jack always made you giggle, having a royal flush without any trouble. You grabbed all the chips off the deck when you felt a tap on your shoulder. Oh no, you didn't know the bats were going to be patrolling today, and you didn't know your brothers were on shift at Gotham's loveliest casino. "So is this what girls' night out means?" Dick said. You could feel his face scrunch up under his domino mask. Jason had his pistols against the goon's forehead, cold and ready to burn, Tim is asking questions while Damian was trying to take the winnings out of your hands. "I just wanted to have some fun." You put on the biggest baby face, trying to act all innocent, when really you just stole somebody's inheritance. It was their fault for gambling in the first place. They dragged you out of the casino, and Bruce, while in his bat costume, had a stern talking to with you. Someone managed to take a video, and now it's on the news: "Gotham's greatest gambler [Name] Wayne was caught on another one of her escapades. She's now being apprehended by none other than Batman, who seems to have a fatherly affection for this young girl." How have they not figured out the truth yet? Forget it. You're no longer allowed to go anywhere at night—no more underground casinos or Iceberg Lounge. You have to play Saturday night games with your family. Monopoly isn't as fun when there isn't real money around, but you do have a time stealing your brother's railroads. "It's just a game, boys. You're lucky I didn't steal your inheritance." This was a real match for money, so here you are, flaunting the fake dollars you'll get back on your grind, though. The higher the stakes, the more fun.

[malereadermaniac]

ʕっ•ᴥ•ʔっ Arranged Marriage ~ Byakuya Togami x Male Reader

Word Count: 1.3k

Plot: The Togami's never get a choice in their partner, the choice is made for them to the benefit of the family; whether that be for more heirs to be made, or to join forces with other families

Featuring: Top!Byakuya x Bottom!Reader

Note: Regular, non-despair au - Partially inspired by 'The swan princess' - 'This is my idea'

Warnings: Sfw & Nsfw (headcannons) / MDNI ~ amab m!reader / FDNI

You had known Byakuya since you were both very young. Everyone knows of the affluent Togami's, and most people know that arranged marriages are common for them; however, you wouldn't expect the arrangements to start so early. Ever since the age of seven, your summers were either spent within the Togami's main mansion, or the Togami's spent their summers in the [Last Name]'s mansion. Your parents (the powerful, yet less than Togami, [Last Name]'s) had done everything in their power to ensure that you were to marry into the Togami's via Byakuya; from suggesting a powerful alliance to his parents in meetings to outright proposing that you two boys wed. Shockingly, Byakuya's parents were very open to the idea - your family was the next most powerful in the country, and it would not only benefit the Togami empire but also the family's face in the public eye; a gay marriage within the mostly traditional Togami family would surely uplift their image. So, every single summer since you two boys were seven has been spent together; whether you like it or not!

And good lord did you both hate spending time together. Unlike the BORING Togami heir, you had a bit more pep in your step - which inevitably led to you annoying the hell out of the affluent progeny. You would try to convince the blonde to play some game with you but ultimately get ignored in favour of whatever book the boy was fixating on that day, or Byakuya would play along with your game but make fun of you the whole time! And as the two of you got older, your relationship stayed the same - mutual dislike, for changing reasons, however...

At the age of 14, Byakuya found himself still annoyed by you, yet not due to the sound of your voice or your obnoxiously high levels of energy, but rather because you were one of the few people on his level! In fact, you were above his level most of the time. No matter what the young blonde would do, you would one-up him constantly; you have won almost every game of cards the two of you have played, the two of you have always tied on your 'over-summer' academics, and the affluent adolescent could never impress you with his riches due to your parents buying you things to try and impress the Togami's! Byakuya had grown up with the idea that he needed to be above everyone else in all facets of life, so you coming along and beating him at everything made the rich teen see RED. However, every night, of every summer you two were spending together, Togami's parents would remind him that the two of you were pre-destined to be together and that the blonde 'must accommodate for his future'.

Later, at the age of 18, your presence annoyed Byakuya for different reasons. This time, for reasons he chose not to think too deeply about. It was a known fact throughout the entire country that as you two young boys had grown up, puberty had done you both very nicely - tabloids and online forums wouldn't stop discussing how dashing the Togami heir looked in recent photos, and many times you were also discussed. Your perfect skin, your lips, your body, your hair, your personality; you were praised and adored more and more every day. Byakuya wasn't jealous of this though, he'd get hit on constantly at events and other such things. What specifically annoyed the blonde was the fact that people acted on their liking of your looks; and worse, that you responded to advances. Again, Byakuya would never analyse his emotions too much, because he'd realise that he was, in fact, jealous that other men were getting your attention, however, he would feel irked and pissed off whenever he saw you flirt/be flirted at by staff. The heir has fired many bodyguards of his and house staff due to them taking a liking to you, and Byakuya has also been a dick in passing to staff at your own home who flirts with you. But again, Byakuya's jealousy of others receiving your affection isn't something he dwelled on, very rarely would the handsome man think about his feelings late at night and spend hours spiralling about the possibility of him actually liking you!

At the age of 20, it fully dawned on Byakuya just how charming you truly were. Sure, you were the heir of an inferior family, and an annoying man at that, however during the summer you had both turned 20 the blonde truly couldn't deny his feelings towards you. Byakuya had come a long way from when you were both young boys, he had gone from his father forcing him to kiss your hand every time the two of you met to kissing your hand voluntarily. Byakuya was awe-struck by you; not just by your looks, but by your kindness to others (something he'd never thought he'd cherish or admire), and also due to the way you complimented him so nicely - like two pieces of a puzzle, you and Byakuya just fit together, not overlapping but rather harmonising. The smug look on both your parents' faces was enough to make you two men want to argue once again, just to wipe the satisfied looks off of their faces, however you simply couldn't. The summer you two turned 20 was the first time the two of you didn't mind spending time together. Byakuya had finally put down his books in favour of talking to you and getting to know you, and you couldn't deny just how attractive that was from him; the handsome, rich man was interested in you, and not even sexually like other men you had sneaked around with, but rather he was interested in speaking with you.

At the age of 22, the time had come for you two heirs to fulfil your responsibilities; via inheriting your places as heads of the family, and by marrying each other. But unlike how you'd thought your wedding day would go as children, you cried tears of joy rather than of frustration - Byakuya spoke his vows with truth coating his tongue and lips, and you both celebrated the day rather than giving fake speeches and smiles. And the night of your wedding was well spent as well; don't you worry!

As you'd expect, Byakuya is so god damn DOMINANT

His body is also sooo perfect - slim, muscular, tall, he's really just made to ooze sex appeal

The blonde barely has to even speak in sentences to have you on your knees at the foot of your (now) shared bed

His dick is average, a nice fit; skinny and a little veiny, 6-7inches, and his pubes are perfectly trimmed and well kept

Byakuya loves to always feel in control, his masculine fingers threatening through your hair to control your pace as you suck his dick with surprisingly good skill

He also really likes to eat you out, the small noises you make egging Byakuya on as he pushes his warm, wet tongue into your hole along with two of his long fingers

This man is also so into dirty talk, calling you nasty and whorish for enjoying his dick ramming into your ass

But the moment Byakuya lays his eyes on you as your back arches up off of the bed and your dick twitches as you shoot your load..? all the sexy man can say is 'pretty'

Exhibitionism is also something your HUSBAND enjoys on the low - your poor staff!

Seriously, Byakuya loves either getting walked in on as he's wrecking you in doggy, or he really likes to call staff in when they need something, making them watch as you keep sucking his dick under his desk/ as he cums inside of you/ as Byakuya makes out with you desperately as the two of you dry-hump into each other

But in summary, Byakuya can't get enough of you, he'd never thought that he'd be able to say that: he fucking loves you...

[maesaeart]

After school activities ~ 🎶

"Sorry! I'm gonna be busy after school... so I won't be able to hang out but I'll see you later.............. maybe?

??? Komaeda-kun raced over here after class just to talk to *me*? Maybe he's starting to trust me after all...

it looks like Komaeda-kun was trying to get *me* to trust him all along? well... I mean... what's the worst that can happen? haha... "

"Komaeda-kun... is dangerous..."

[no TEXT/TABLE ver. available on my Poipiku]

[Poipiku followers only! thank you!]

[emma045]

[m-y-fandoms]

Commission: DRV3 Boys x Female Reader - Seven Minutes in Heaven

Details: Takes place during the killing game, timeline switched around, creative license taken to imply everyone is alive and has known each other for at least a few weeks and has had time to get to know each other a bit. The threat of the killing game is still there though. Monokuma has announced it, just nobody has been killed yet. It’s also implied that the reader has a crush on the boy in each section however whether or not the boy is oblivious to that fact or feels the same varies.

Word Count: 5K Words

Warnings: SFW - fluff, maybe mild angst, possible V3 spoilers

Everyone needed something to divert their attention and obsessive thoughts away from the killing game. Though nothing had happened yet, the group of Ultimates got more and more antsy by the day. Every dark corner or empty stairwell seemed like a threat, and mistrust grew and loomed over them all like a black mold growing on the walls.

No one seemed to feel safe, though it had been weeks since the menacing-looking monochrome bear informed them that they were to kill each other for sport so they could return home to their regular school life and families. There was no concrete proof that this wasn't an extensive, well-planned practical joke or social experiment, some prank that would result in cameramen and producers springing out of the woodwork once all was said and done, and that was the only thing holding them together mentally. This could all be fake.

Nevertheless, something needed to change. They all had their little subgroups, individual trusted cliques or closest allies, but there was no denying the entire group needed to come together, to get to know each other a bit better and let off some steam. Unity meant potential lasting peace and no fatalities.

Someone suggested they play a frivolous little game that could keep everyone's attention for a while. Even though most of the group hadn't played it since middle school and some never at all, the rules were straightforward and simple enough. In addition to passing the time, it might even spark a little drama or romance. Any emotion was preferable to the fear of death and the sense of impending disaster.

Seven Minutes in Heaven: a game where two people go into a small room or cramped closet alone and have seven minutes to do anything they want to each other. Usually, the goal was the get handsy, to kiss or hug, to confess to someone, to make each other nervous, or to engage in casual romantic activities. It was supposed to be steamy and awkward, to put pressure on the two people. They would all randomly pick straws, and the two people who got the shortest straws would have to go in together while everyone else sat outside and timed their seven minutes. Knowing your peers were mere feet away outside the door only added to the tension.

The location was set: a small, cramped closet on the first floor next to the spare classroom and just before the steps down to the basement. It was dimly lit by an ancient overhead lightbulb hanging on by a thread and had just enough room for two people once the abandoned supplies, tools, and cobwebs were scooted to the edges. The Hotel Kumasutra was suggested first, but was shot down for being perhaps a little too intense, dramatic, and high-pressure for such a simple game. Nobody felt comfortable enough to enter the daunting building as of yet, despite its proximity to the popular casino.

And so, the game began.

Rantarou Amami

Waiting anxiously to see who you'll be paired up with, you pace the meager few steps you can manage in the tiny closet - back and forth, back and forth - working up a sweat that's more nerves than physical exertion. When the door swings casually open and you immediately see a fluffy full head of green hair, a shiver runs down your spine. It's a shiver that is half excitement and half humiliation. Of all fifteen other classmates, of course your crush, Rantarou Amami, was the one destined to draw the other straw and be trapped in here with you for seven excruciating minutes. Anyone else, literally anyone else, and you could've stalled, talked your way through those seven minutes, felt indifferent, and at most a little awkward. Rantarou made your heart flutter, froze you in place nearly every time he interacted with you. You stuttered, felt like you never said the right thing. He was just so handsome, with a smooth voice and a mysterious yet kind personality. You were quite sure, even with the memory loss you'd all suffered, that you hadn't had a crush this intense in quite a while. Certainly not one that turned you into a foolish mess.

Rantarou entered with his head bowed, shoulders shrugged forward. You'd never seen him - a dude who was usually quite confident and smooth - looking so uncomfortable. When he spun to look at you, the door now shutting you two in alone, he was almost wincing, facial expression squeezed into wrinkles and furrowed brows. It was as if his face was trying to say: "I'm sorry about this..."

"Heeeeey, (Y/N)," Rantarou spoke in a sing-songy voice that, again, was out of character for him, yet you felt your body stiffen up all the same. You hugged your body instinctively, feeling vulnerable as your heart beat wildly in your chest. You took a step back to create more space between you and the object of your infatuation and nearly tripped over a cardboard box on the ground behind you. "Yeah, this is about what I expected," he chuckled, his eyes wrinkling closed into kind little lines. He held his hands out in a sign of passive surrender. "So sorry about this, (Y/N). I swear, there was nothing I could do! It was all random." He rubbed the back of his neck, a small dust of pink over his cheeks. You felt your stomach drop. Did he think you disliked him? Was he perceiving your involuntary reaction as disgust rather than flustered? You suddenly felt super guilty. You were just now realizing he probably had taken note of this same adverse reaction every single time you were in the room with him. The logical thought process would probably be that your body language showed disdain.

"Oh, oh no, I hope you don't think I'm upset about being paired with you! I didn't realize my-" you tried to relax your shoulders, not wanting to let your own feelings affect him negatively.

"No, I don't think that at all, actually..." he cut you off, not wanting to let you get too far into this incorrect notion. He paused, thinking over how to word things delicately. "It's quite the opposite. I'm not as dense as you might think, actually. I pick up on things pretty well," he chuckled again, trying to ease the tense atmosphere, "and I... I kinda know you like me. You always get like this... when I talk to you. I'm... a bit more perceptive and empathetic than people think. I just wanted you to know, it's okay! You don't have to feel that way! I was worried about your reaction when I stepped in here. I knew you'd freak out." So subtly - almost seeming practiced and experienced - he gently clasped his rough hands into yours. They felt calloused, perhaps from the travels and adventures he'd vaguely mentioned when you sat there like a statue listening to him talk around the academy. The many bracelets settling on his wrists shook you back to reality, and your face heated up at the skin-to-skin contact. "I mean, I'm not trying to boast because I really don't think I'm such a catch, but I see the way you look at me, I've heard Miu talking about you having a crush as well..."

"I... I don't know what to say," you release a breath you didn't know you'd been holding, "This is a bit embarrassing..." you grumble, looking at the ground.

"You don't need to feel embarrassed. Honestly, I think you're a really cool person as well. I would love to get to know you more, but you always seem to run away after we talk for a little. The others are always around. It would be cool to spend some time hanging out alone, now that... I'm kinda confessing that I'm interested in you too?" He gives you a crooked smile. "Woah... your hands are like shaking."

Was this a dream? Was Monokuma replacing your classmates with clones to prank and humiliate you? There's no way Rantarou, the most attractive and fascinating guy here, was into you...

"I... I would really like that. Yeah, I'm sorry about my... less than pleasant reaction. I really didn't mean to come off as weird or make you uncomfortable."

"Hey, no worries. Well, you know, I played this game a ton in middle school. It was always silly, and stupid, but I have no issue playing it again, especially with you. What do you say? After all, I've played games way worse than this."

Ryoma Hoshi

The athlete strolled leisurely into the closet, hands in his pockets and the stick of a lollipop hanging carelessly out of his mouth. He always had something hanging out his lip, be it a candy cigarette, a toothpick, or something in between. You wondered if it soothed him. You'd gathered from conversations with him that his life had been pretty traumatic, at least in your opinion. His eyes were half-lidded as always, lazy and donning dark bags underneath. He sighed, stepping into the dim lighting provided by the single, dingy bulb above.

"Yeah, so I didn't really have anything better to do. Everyone else was sayin' they'd play and I was in the room at the time so I got roped in. Can't be much worse than anything else I've been through. Figured it might be good for morale, for these people to loosen up and play a game or two together. Lotta mistrust brewing." He looked around, seemingly disinterested and boasting an incredibly calm demeanor. You were wondering how someone could feel not even a little bit nervous playing a game with a premise like this.

"You don't have to stay if you don't want to!" You smiled softly, offering him an out. You liked Ryoma a lot. His chill attitude, mysterious and interesting past, deep voice, and cute face intrigued you enough to even form a little crush, but you didn't want him here out of coercion or peer pressure.

“It’s whatever. I’m down to play. It’s fine. However, I’m sure I wasn’t who you expected or were hoping for.” He shrugs, less self-deprecating and more as if stating a plain fact. It didn’t seem to bother him either way if you did in fact wish it was someone else who was chosen to be with you for this dumb little game.

“Nah, I’m not disappointed,” you smirk a bit deviously, trying to hide the excitement you truly felt. You see his eyebrows raise a tad, which is more expression than you usually get from him. “Someone like you is kind of an interesting partner for this game. I’m betting you have more life experience overall than me. In fact, I know you do, after listening to some of your stories. You probably have more experience in everything: street smarts, common sense, even romance.”

“Uh, let me stop you right there.” He lets out a tiny, brief, dry chuckle, something skeptical in his tone. “Actually, not true at all, that last part. Not much romance in my life. Funny, you and I actually talk more often than I do with the others… I thought you would’ve picked up on that.”

“Oh?” You challenge him playfully, trying to flirt him into a more open mood.

"Yeah, I'd think that would be obvious. Who wants to take a chance on a no-good criminal with a clouded, ominous past? I don't really tell people all the details, and I'm not going to, but then I can't be surprised if people don't want to get to know me or trust me. Also, I'm aware I'm not the ideal, looks-wise. Never bothered me, but-" Once again, you can tell he's not looking for sympathy, but just honestly sharing his thoughts about himself. Before he can talk himself down further, however, you cut him off.

Stopping his words in their tracks, you leaned down to his height, bending at the waist sensually. Without skipping a beat, you casually took the lollipop from his mouth, coaxing it out without much resistance on his part. Smiling impishly, you popped it into your own mouth.

You'd never seen Ryoma Hoshi blush before this moment. It seemed like something he was incapable of.

Korekiyo Shinguuji

The lean, dangerously mysterious anthropologist stood across from you, tall enough and so close that he blotted out the dim light from the single bulb above in the cramped closet. He appeared like a silhouette, like some spooky demon or spirit from the cultural legends he often told you about. He seemed to be giggling behind his mask, amused at your flustered reaction to his closeness before he began to speak in that mystifying voice of his that was like smoke hissing past your ear and tickling the outer shell:

"You know, (Y/N), I almost said no to playing... This seems like such a childish little game, maybe even a waste of my precious time when I could be studying up on literally any other topic. But... then I thought: I've done far more promiscuous things than this before, games and rituals alike, so what's the harm in some little kid’s game? Why not? After all, there's something to be learned from every experience, and this game seemed integral to the middle school lives of our classmates, therefore making it culturally significant... if I... broaden my definitions a little." He rolled his eyes up to the ceiling, making you sweat as he moved even closer during his little monologue.

"I see you're being v-very open-minded," you chuckled nervously, trying to hide the loud pumping of your heart. "Yes, I would've thought you were far too mature for this game!" You were now flat against the wall, nearly caged in by his lithe form hovering over you.

"I thought it might even be exciting," his tone adopted a more predatory note, "to see who I get and explore the essence of who they are, find their inner beauty for myself, one-on-one and in private. When nobody else can hear or see, they might let down some walls, and expose a side of themselves in this killing game that nobody has seen yet. It could be a fascinating study of human behavior. I didn't really care who I got matched with, as everyone here - with such varied personalities and talents - could be an extremely interesting subject!"

"Subject?" Now he was starting to worry you. You had to admit, though, the way he was passionately speaking, the way he pinned you into the corner of this enclosed space... it was rather exciting.

"You seem nervous..." he tilts his head innocently. "There's nothing to be afraid of, little (Y/N). This game, as I take it from the rules, is to start a romantic or flirty interaction, to cause feelings to bubble up in each other - excitement, arousal. These emotions are so wonderfully and beautifully human. Is that what you want, to try this in earnest?" You see one of his hands reach over to its opposite and begin to unravel the layers of gauze bandaging. You nod enthusiastically, almost entranced by his words. He takes this consent as his opportunity to take control, and something in his golden eyes turns animalistic. 

"Good." He purrs.

Gonta Gokuhara

Almost comically shoved into this tiny closet and leaving little to no room for you was your chosen-at-random partner: Gonta Gokuhara, the gentle giant. He was desperately trying not to hit his head on the ceiling while also trying to remember to be considerate of you and your personal space. It was the gentlemanly thing to do, after all.

"Gonta wanted to play, because all of his friends were playing too! This game... sounds fun, but Gonta never played it before. Gonta a bit confused. Gonta love everyone here as a good friend, swear to protect them all, so why we not all play game together, in bigger, more comfortable place?" He asked genuine, thoughtful questions, and it appeared to you that he in fact did not know what he was getting himself into. You'd make sure he understood clearly before playing, as someone had obviously shoved him in here without a clear description of the rules or goals.

"Well, Gonta, this is a game where you're supposed to come in with one other person only and do flirty, cute, romantic stuff. Why did you agree to play without knowing what's going on?" You shook your head, snickering under your breath. You'd always found Gonta's endless positivity and determination to make others feel happy and protected adorable. He probably just wanted to be included, to make sure everyone had fun. And you had no doubt he was intelligent enough to understand the simple rules of this game, it was just very likely someone more mischievous - like Kokichi or Miu - purposely kept him out of the loop.

"Oh! O-okay!" He begins to blush, his mouth pressing into an uncomfortable, pursed line. "Gonta never done anything like that!" He was beginning to perspire on his brow.

"Well, do you want to try? You don't have to, keep that in mind! It's your choice, Gonta." You smiled in encouragement, making sure your body language wasn't applying any pressure to him even subconsciously.

"Ummm... Gonta would like to try if everyone else playing. Also!... Gonta trust (Y/N)." His words are shaking, and you decide you'll do the bare minimum, just a warm-up to see if he truly means his words. Him putting his trust in you was melting your heart.

Gently, as if you were approaching a bird that might fly away at any moment, you took a step closer to him and began to unbutton the tight brown suit jacket from his abs and waist.

Kokichi Ouma

Immediately upon being trapped in the closet with this gremlin, he started teasing you, trying to make you crack, or cry, whichever came first. All reactions were good reactions to him.

"Of all people, you got stuck in here with me. Sucks for you, don't it, (Y/N), you prude!" He swirls a finger in the air and presses it firmly into your chest, taunting you.

He spends the next few agonizingly drawn-out moments poking fun at you, at your flustered reactions, at the way your body responds to both his words and small touches.

"Oh, come on, (Y/N), this is baby shit! I barely even touched you! With my title as Supreme Leader, I've had to seduce hundreds of marks into giving up information or giving me what I want, and you can't even handle this? You wouldn't last two minutes in an interrogation by my organization, let alone seven. Pathetic!" He starts laughing, amused by your humiliation so much that his eyes begin to water.

You're sure his claims of seducing and interrogating victims before are lies, but regardless, your heart was beating out of your chest. Why did he have this effect on you? He had you right where he wanted you, and you were falling into his trap. Every time he ran his chilled fingers up your exposed arm or touched your chest and collarbones, you felt a shiver of desire and fright, a shockwave of panic and delight in tandem.

In truth, the others were worried about you. Most of them, the kinder portion of the group, felt bad about sending you in there alone with Kokichi. They didn't think such a kind, unassuming person deserved this kind of treatment.

With an underlying gentleness that almost betrayed his performative vitriol for you, he pushed your shoulders back, like a bully on a playground. He took note of your clumsiness, of the lack of coordination you must have if such a petite young man like him could nearly topple you over. He seemed to be taking into account his lack of time. Seven minutes wasn't much to work with. He'd had his fun, and was ready for the climax.

You stumble back against the wall, and instantly he pounced on you, cornering you in. Before you had time to adjust, to correct yourself to an upright position, he grabbed both sides of your face, pulling you in for a sloppy, deep kiss that lacked any care or gentleness. Your eyelids flew open as the taste of sweet candies and grape sodas flooded your mouth.

Kaito Momota

Kaito stood with his arms crossed defiantly in the middle of the closet. His taller frame and masculine figure took up most of the space as he stood firm, stubbornly biting the inside of his cheek. His brow was furrowed angrily, but not with an anger directed at you. After all, you must've been a victim in this just as much as he.

"Now, I didn't really wanna do this... it's beneath someone who sees fit to call themselves the Luminary of the Stars. I didn't earn this title through kiddy games after all, but..." he looked frustrated, maybe even with himself, "but they tried to say I'm too scared to play! As if!" He paced once in a circle in the tight confines, then huffed. "I'm realizing just now that I probably fell for it and this was their plan all along." He sighed deeply. "I gotta stop letting these assholes get to me." He conceded, his pride hurt. You had to admit, his reaction to the game was disappointing you, as you couldn't think of a better person to get stuck in here with. You smiled sheepishly, letting the uncomfortable silence mellow out in the air. You only had seven minutes, after all. "Man, it's cold and awkward in here..." Ah, yes. Kaito wasn't the type to let things just be silent. You decided it was your turn to speak now.

"So... you don't want to play with me, at all?" You speak shyly, a bit embarrassed at your own words.

"What, you do?" He counters, a single brow raised as you piqued his curiosity,

"Well... I mean, haha," you thought through how to word this so as to not weird him out or scare him off, or really just embarrass yourself in the process, "I felt really lucky to get stuck in here with you, out of everyone. If I may speak openly and honestly, I've been crushing on you for a while..." You felt your blood running hot.

"You have?" He's flushed pink, pulling his jacket in closer for security.

"Yeah, of course! You're handsome, charismatic, and you make me laugh when we are just hanging out casually. I think your determined spirit is admirable... but if you don't feel the same-"

"No!" He cut you off a little too eagerly before he could remind himself he was supposed to be playing it cool. He cleared his throat, calming down his tone a bit, "No, I mean I think you're great, too. And you're beautiful! Out of all these idiots, I'm glad it's you, too." Your heart swells. "Not that... not that I've been dwelling on this thought for too long." Though it feels like your heart is pumping fast enough to warm the entire room, Kaito was right, it was quite drafty in there. Seeing you shiver at the temperature, Kaito removes his large galaxy jacket and wraps it around your shoulders. It smells of him, of hair products and fresh deodorant. Simple and subtle. "We should hang out some more on our own, when we want to, not when these assholes force us into some stupid game with expectations and shit." He shows you a beaming, celebrity-like grin. "I would be an idiot to not want to get to know you more, especially with your talent!"

Shuichi Saihara

Poor Shuichi. The reserved, introverted detective had found himself shoved into this closet against his will. He'd merely come to observe the game from the farthest corner of the room - bored, and too wary of the threat of the killing game to be alone. Being alone was just the worst option right now: either his own thoughts would consume him or a potential killer might.

So now here he was, paying the consequences of wanting to hang out with a group of his peers. They'd put his name into the lottery without his permission, thinking it a cute and funny little prank, and when he was chosen, it only took two or three of them to shove him inside while he attempted to jump and claw his way out. Now he was a sweating, blushing mess, pawing at the door like a cat trapped in a bedroom. The same students that pushed him in snickered and howled in laughter on the other side, leaning their weight into the door so he couldn't escape. After a while, someone as smart as him knows when an effort becomes futile. He sighs, turning to face you with a warm flush of red over his entire body that contrasts wildly with the blues and blacks of his hair and uniform tones.

"Ugh, I'm so sorry, (Y/N)," he groans, his voice cracking under his nerves. "I told them I didn't wanna play, but..." were you really that bad to be stuck in here with? His reaction seemed... over the top. Your shoulders sank downward, humbled by his response to your existence in the same space as him. He sees your crestfallen expression and panics, guilt overcoming him. "Please, no it's not you! I mean no offense. I didn't wanna come in here with anyone." He takes note of how your mood doesn't pick up in the slightest, and lets his head fall into his hands. "This is so embarrassing. I actually do really like you, this is just so awkward."

"You do?" Your ears perk up at that. Maybe you were mistaken in your earlier judgment.

"Yeah! You've always been kind to me, and you're quite interesting and fun to hang out with in this hellhole. Talking to you... really gets my mind off things..." he admits, clearly self-conscious. "I... well sometimes, I hear you talking about how you think you'll be the first victim of the killing game, talking down about yourself. I don’t think you should count yourself out... we all have our own strengths, though I know I ought to take my own advice sometime." He chuckles in such a gentle, exhausted way that it might as well have been merely an exhale.

Neither of you even noticed that during his little speech of praise toward you, he'd reached out and taken your hands gently in his own. It was a reflexive, instinctive, and intimate move. Rather than pull away, now feeling a bit more stable, and comfortable in sharing his thoughts as you hadn't reacted adversely, he pushes a bit further. He rubs his thumb across the back of your hand, and for seven minutes, that's enough for him.

Kiibo / K1-B0

The almost-human robot is standing across from you, arms flat by his side. He looks far more relaxed than you were, passive and maybe in some kind of rest mode, if he had one.

"Now what?" He asks plainly.

"Nobody told you what to do?" You replied, a bit stunned and wondering why he was even here.

"Vaguely. It sounded like a complete waste of time, though. If it's what humans do, it's certainly not in my programming. Therefore, I might as well learn from this experience as not to be embarrassed later on should the topic come up again." He sounded so practical, so... bored with the current situation.

"Well... I don't know how much you were told but this game is about emotions, feelings... touching and flirting, making the other person nervous and flustered, seeing how far you two are willing to go with each other… in a romantic kind of way. It's uniquely human... it may not be productive for you if you can't comprehend-"

"I have plenty of emotions and feelings! I can understand it perfectly fine!" He retorted, offended and seemingly embarrassed. You didn't know he could get embarrassed. Maybe he could in fact enjoy this game to its fullest. You intended to get something out of this experience. This could be fun. You had to admit, you'd been curious about the extent of Kiibo's understanding of human interactions and emotions for a while now. You wondered how much he could feel, emotionally and physically. If you pulled his hair, would he cry out? If you scratched his thigh, would it bleed simulated blood? There could be a lot of room for exciting discovery that awaited you.

"Well then, I'm curious..." you reach a single, cautious hand outward and stroke his hair. It's stunningly soft. It feels shockingly real, not like some cheap synthetic wig or some type of rubber or metal shaped to mimic hair. Kiibo did something like a vibration or shudder, a chill running down his spine. You wondered if this was a programmed response, all artificial and planned, or if Kiibo's free will really extended that far. How real did his creator intend for him to be? For what purpose was he truly built? What did a scientist stand to gain from making a feeling, loving, human-like young man? You could see a war machine or an endless knowledge bank easily being worth the time, but Kiibo didn't seem to excel in pretty much... anything. "How does that feel?"

"I... I don't know. It's making me... relax? I think that's how you'd describe it. I feel like I am running on low power and sluggish, but in a good way? On purpose..." he speaks softly.

"And this?" You run a hand down his pale cheek, and it's warmer than expected, though below a real human’s body temperature for sure. You're so focused on touching the simulated, soft, supple skin, that you don't even notice Kiibo's eyes blown wide open as if scanning you, entranced and staring almost through you. It was safe to say he might have been touched-starved, unused to the sensation.

[angelfleurry]

Could you do dangonronpa 3 cast x reader where the reader give them a love letter then runs away immediately

DRV3 Boys X Loveletter! Runaway! Reader:

Hello, my loves! I’m sorry I vanished for a good while, been super busy haha. Life is actually crazy right now, but a good crazy.

I only have the boys written, but I’ll get the girls done another time. <3

Also,, this may be slightly out of character?? I haven't properly written nor engaged with DR for a while, but I'll get back into it.

Shuichi Saihara:

♡ He hardly has the time to even process the situation before you’ve bolted away.

♡ By the time he’s clocked the conversation that’s just occurred, you are no longer there in front of him.

♡ ‘You don’t have to read it right now,’ he recalled you saying, slipping the enveloped letter into his hand, ‘Just in your own time.’

♡ But, then he took too long. He took too long to say anything reassuring.

♡ He made a sound, one of surprise, and then:

♡ ‘Is…Is everything alright?’

♡ You tried responding, but your awkward demeanour only caused him to look more concerned.

♡ So, you could only muster out a ‘It’s all in there’, before bolting.

♡ Shuichi stood there for another minute, before slowly slinking away. He's confused, initially, but then he slowly starts to understand.

♡ He decided that, given the nature of your reaction, the letter was probably something that was best read in private.

♡ So, that’s what he did.

♡ And, bless him, his face afterwards.

♡ No wonder you seemed so nervous.

♡ For a while, he sat there, dumbfounded as he read the letter over and over.

♡ Oh, he probably made you feel so silly about the whole thing!

♡ That was what he thought, anyway.

♡ He didn’t even need to contemplate, he knew what his answer was, but he couldn’t articulate that at all - not then.

♡ He doesn’t need time, per say, because he knows what his feelings are.

♡ He just needs to get the words straight.

♡ And, uhm, perhaps his composure too.

Rantaro Amami:

♡ You’re adorable, you know that?

♡ The second he connects the dots, he’s amused.

♡ Not in a twattish way, no. He just finds it endearing.

♡ Yeah he’s chuckling at it.

♡ The way you chose to word everything seems so authentic, not rushed, not dramatic.

♡ It’s just you, and he loves it dearly.

♡ He knows how he feels about you, but he needs time to actually debate what to do.

♡ He has a life of adventure and easygoing, he needs to think over how everything would fit together.

♡ But, he’s a nice boy really, so he won’t ignore you or anything of the like whilst he figures it out.

♡ He has the decency to let you know what he’s doing.

♡ Honestly, I think having received such a letter might actually prompt him to want to spend more time with you - just to get a confirmed feel on what the future might be like if he decides to make you a significant part of his life.

♡ Considers your ambitions, too.

Ryoma Hoshi:

♡ He finds it really sweet.

♡ Even though you’ve gone and vanished before he can even get a word in, he still finds it endearing.

♡ Given the nature of your reaction, he kind of guessed what the contents were.

♡ He finds a spot to sit down at, too curious to wait until he arrives at his room, before opening the letter.

♡ And here he thought you couldn’t get sweeter.

♡ That beanie was going over his eyes, concealing his face, to hide the red.

♡ He shook his head, bewildered.

♡ What a revelation…

♡ Eventually he calms, putting the letter in his pocket, before taking himself out on a walk.

♡ There’s a lot to think about, in his mind, lots of pros and cons.

♡ Not necessarily about you, but about him, and the dynamic as a whole.

♡ Even the future, potentially.

♡ He has to think, and that might take him a little while, but he won’t stop treating you with kind respect whenever he next sees you.

♡ He’ll tell you why he’s not responded, but when you tell him you knew it would take him some time, he has to pause.

♡ You’d really considered how he would feel as well as yourself…

♡ So, he thanks you, awkwardly so, before wandering off.

♡ He’s true to his word, rest assured, so you do hear from him eventually. It’s simply not a black and white matter.

♡ He’ll treat you the same, don’t worry, but it just might be kind of awkward.

♡ Just be patient, he’s going over everything.

Korekiyo Shinguji:

♡ He’s heard of this before, but he’s never been given one himself.

♡ Thinks the concept is beautiful in itself, but then he reads your letter underneath the comfort of a tree, and he can’t help but find it even more enchanting.

♡ These are your own words, so unique and authentically you, directed to him, and it touches him deeply.

♡ It’s precious, it truly is.

♡ Korekiyo’s a whole mixture of emotions; he’s amused, touched, dizzy even.

♡ There was something so innocent about the whole thing.

♡ He would not act for a day or so, thinking over everything.

♡ But, he’s so dreadfully fond of you, he eventually knows what to do.

♡ Your decision to flee greatly amused him, to the point where he’s kind of enjoying not fetching after you.

♡ He’s going to consider everything, as this is something that stems from vulnerability for you.

♡ The human connection is not something to be toyed lightly with.

♡ He appreciates the way you made yourself vulnerable by expressing such feelings, and he takes that into intense consideration as he internally debates how to handle everything.

♡ He’s very patient with you, trying not to make you feel ashamed.

♡ He’s just calm, and that’s what you both need.

Gonta Gokuhara:

♡ He didn’t even get a chance to properly process before you bolted off.

♡ To say Gonta was confused was a great understatement.

♡ He was honestly panicked for you, bless him.

♡ Gonta’s such a sweetheart, you couldn’t possibly stand around and wait!

♡ What if he got overwhelmed? What if he didn’t reciprocate?

♡ What if he didn’t understand? What if, somehow, it made him angry?

♡ You couldn’t be around to face it, not even the simple embarrassment of handing it to him.

♡ So, you hesitantly dropped it off to him, and then ran for it.

♡ Gonta was so very happy to see you, and you just RAN.

♡ Oh, you were stressed!!

♡ He reads it, but has to go over it a few times to properly understand.

♡ He’s such a blushing mess when he finally understands, bless his heart!

♡ Gonta debates fetching after you. He’s fast enough too, so he’d catch up in no time, but he ultimately refrains.

♡ He supposes that, considering you left within the speed of light, you didn’t want to speak about it right now.

♡ So Gonta, being the gentleman he is, finds somewhere suitable to store the letter - keeping it safe for the meantime.

♡ I don’t see Gonta as a frequent user of technology tbh, but due to the modern age, I feel like he would have a phone for means of communication etc. Kind of like he has one, but he’s hardly ever with it, let alone on it. He’s more natural in his ways of bonding.

♡ But, the matter upon him tempts him to actually message you, to inform you.

♡ But, once again in his gentlemanly ways, decides that no no no, this matter is for physical communication.

♡ He just needs to find the right words, and potentially seek some advice in order to successfully articulate himself.

Kokichi Ouma:

♡ Oh, this man does not wait.

♡ You’ve run off, and that’s curious enough.

♡ However, he chooses to read the letter first.

♡ When he does, he instantly bites down on a knuckle, processing.

♡ That’s when he groans, realising he should probably go and hunt you down.

♡ Don’t be a coward, now. If you’re gonna give him such a letter, at least stick around.

♡ But, the chase has already begun, so he decides to do as his thoughts tell him to.

♡ So, that’s exactly what he does.

♡ Although, after a good few minutes of searching, he decides it might be better to wait.

♡ After all, what’s he going to say? How is he going to say it? Is he acting upon shock?

♡ Does he mean it?

♡ So, he spins back around, kicking the ground, not caring if he scuffs a shoe.

♡ He dwells on it for the evening, rereading the letter, before huffing and putting it somewhere safe.

♡ Somewhere in which he won’t lose it.

♡ It’s actually really frustrating him that he hasn’t yet responded.

♡ He’s just itching to say something.

♡ Now, being that this is Kokichi, the next time he catches you alone, he will tease you about the way you went about it.

♡ Definitely pokes fun at the way you ran away.

♡ He will get to the point, in his own way, but he needs to have some banter with you first.

♡ Then he really gauges the fact that you’re genuine. You went to the lengths of writing him a letter, and now you’re patiently waiting through his teasing, head hung low in quiet anticipation.

♡ Oh, how does he go about what he’s about to say next?

Kaito Momota:

♡ He is so touched.

♡ He probably shouldn’t have started to open the letter in front of you. The second he began tearing off the envelope, you ran.

♡ Far, far, away.

♡ That greatly confused him so, naturally, he shouted after you.

♡ But, you were long gone, so he continued as he was.

♡ It was so strange. Why did you…

♡ Oh.

♡ OH.

♡ He sinks to the floor as he reads - not out of despair, but out of concentration.

♡ Can’t help but smile as he reads it all. It’s just too sweet.

♡ The way you get to the point, the words you use, the nervousness radiating from it.

♡ It’s precious, really, and he’s genuinely moved by it deep down.

♡ Now, does he act on impulse or take the time to think it over?

♡ I think he goes back and forth, typing a message before deleting it.

♡ A little birdie also reports that he rereads the letter, over and over.

♡ Definitely consults a certain detective and scary brunette, just to see what they think and suggest.

♡ But then he panics and thinks he should’ve just left it up to his own thoughts.

♡ But, no, Kaito knew he needed the advice.

♡ But no omg what if he messed up and you don’t like him and…

♡ Oh, there’s his answer.

♡ Now, how on earth does he progress from here?!

Kiibo Idabashi:

♡ He does not get the subtly of the letter at first, which only fuels your panic.

♡ He starts reading it OUT LOUD.

♡ So, naturally, you scream, and run for it.

♡ Who wouldn’t tbh.

♡ “Wh…Hey!” He’ll begin, before looking back down at the words, “Did I do something wrong? What’s your prob…”

♡ Oh.

♡ Oh my god he’s an idiot.

♡ “Unconventional” was a word used.

♡ Normally, he’d take offence to it.

♡ However, in the context of this very obvious love letter, Kiibo couldn’t bring himself to be cross.

♡ Aye, aye, aye…his poor head.

♡ So much to comprehend, even despite the obviousness.

♡ Is this what humans feel like when they feel too much? All stuffy, frantic and giddy? Even at the same time?

♡ Oh, wow.

♡ Definitely had a freakout, possibly two.

♡ One to Miu, one alone.

♡ It excited him, truthfully, to have someone he valued that fond of him.

♡ Yet, it also troubled him, for a few reasons.

♡ For one, assuming he did enter a relationship with you, there’s the matter of growing older.

♡ How would this work? You age, as humans do, yet he remains?

♡ You had to think logically here, and you had in your letter, but now it was Kiibo’s turn.

♡ It was difficult, it really was.

♡ But, a time, no matter how long, of love with you seemed…pleasant. It seemed wonderful, actually.

♡ After all, you already knew each other so very well. What would a little relationship do?

♡ Oh, right, complications…

♡ But, you.

♡ UGH! It was so confusing on him, the poor lad.

♡ Kiibo had never had a partner before, so he supposed the concept of that also intrigued him.

♡ There would come a time where you’d both figure it out, where he’d come to a conclusion.

♡ But, for now, Kiibo had to think.

♡ He’d have to think for a while, a considerable while.

♡ Something about this vulnerability made him more softer the next time he saw you.

♡ He was consumed by something, and you knew it was your letter.

♡ The whole vibe of your bond was considerably more awkward, but also simultaneously tender?

♡ It was sensitive.

♡ Just be gentle, be patient, with one another.

♡ This is a big decision, one that causes frustration amongst it’s comfort.

♡ For the mean time, you both just need to be there for each other, no matter how awkward.

[fanfictwins]

SDR2 - Halloween Special 2023

Summary: “As the victim of an honestly moronic prank, you end up somewhere you’d rather not be. Your fear and annoyance keep you chugging along, but, man… you just want to go home.”

Word Count: ~12k

“Ugh, this is just the worst…”

The tapping of your shoes against the tiled floor echoed as you walked through the halls of the abandoned school building, your only source of light being your phone’s flashlight; the beam of light shook with each step you took, illuminating everything ahead of you — the cracked tiles of the floor, the peeling paint on the walls, the dust floating in the air. None of it was an ideal sight.

The thought of being stuck here, in a supposedly-haunted, crumbling old building, would have terrified you if you weren’t already annoyed by how you got into this situation in the first place.

It was more than obvious to you at this point that those so-called new “friends” of yours were anything but friendly, getting you to come here just to trap you inside because it was “funny”.

“I swear, when I get my hands on them-”

The sound of skittering behind you made you tense up, your mouth snapping shut as you swiftly turned on your heel with your phone pointed out to try to catch the source in the light. You felt an intense shiver run down your spine at the idea that rats were crawling around this place, an idea made worse when you thought about what else could be residing in such a dilapidated building.

“...okay, I need to get out of here soon or I’m going to lose it.”

You quickened your pace as you continued to make your way through the halls, checking each and every classroom you passed by in case any had a viable exit, but it appeared that all of the windows — all broken to various degrees of severity — had been boarded up. You had a pretty strong feeling that you would end up with a myriad of splinters and cuts across your body if you tried escaping through them, the rotting wood and jagged glass the opposite of an inviting exit.

Even if you were desperate to get out, you weren’t that desperate… yet.

- - - - -

You wandered around for a short while before you found yourself at the end of a hallway, where you were met with a large entryway with a sign stating that it led to the dorm area right next to it.

“Oh… so this school was one of those schools, huh? …fancy.”

You figured that there was a pretty good chance of there being some sort of fire escape within the dorm area, the image of whatever board of education that used to run the place wanting to make sure their students — the children of a bunch of rich and influential families, no doubt — were completely safe in every way possible floating around in your head, and you entered into the area with little hesitation. The sight that you were met with was nothing much, the edges of the beam from your phone’s flashlight soon trailing off into complete darkness, though the faint outlines of a few doorways located in your immediate surroundings didn’t escape your notice.

And then a sudden scent in the air caught your attention.

“What the…?”

The scent clashed heavily with where you were, being so warm and rich that it reminded you of what it felt like to settle down at the kitchen table for dinner as a child while the building that you were in was both dusty and musty to the point that just being in here was a health concern. Your initial confusion over the scent of cooked food soon melted into unease after a few seconds had passed, the presence of such deliciousness in a place this dank somehow being very unsettling.

But maybe the scent was wafting into the school through an opening somewhere.

That made it worth checking out.

You followed the trail with your nose, giving the air a few good sniffs as you veered to the right within the darkness of the dorm area, until you caught sight of light coming through the crack at the bottom of a door. You lowered your phone, turning off its flashlight, as you hurried through the door, and then came to a halt when you recognized the room as must being the dining hall.

There were tables and chairs placed about the area, a kitchen entrance on the other side from you, but the main attraction had to be the makings of a full spread that covered half of a table in the middle of the dining hall; that was obviously the source of the mouthwatering scent in the air.

“...yeah, okay, this is weird.”

You furrowed your eyebrows at the sight before you, before moving your attention to the source of light in the dining hall: large windows in place of one of the walls. Unlike all the other windows you had seen so far, the dining hall’s windows seemed to be mostly intact with just a few visible cracks here and there; that meant that you couldn’t use them to escape unless you took a chair and used it to smash through them, but that was a course of action you were hesitant to take.

You were hesitant… even if the sight of the sun setting past the horizon outside, the sky above becoming a stunning gradient of orange and red at the bottom to purple and blue at the top, was taunting you as you continued to be cut off from the glorious outdoors you now bore witness to.

Hesitant.

Yeah.

You let out a long hum of disappointment as you shifted your gaze away from the windows, now instead returning to look at the trays of food sitting in the middle of the dining hall, which were as much of a feast for the eyes as they were for the nose. You swallowed as you felt yourself begin to salivate a little as your eyes scanned over the various dishes present, though you knew better than to try sneaking a bite or two from the spread. You would probably end up turning into a pig or something if you did, and you were not taking that risk, no matter how tempting the food was.

The floor then came into view when a huge figure darted past you, its force knocking you to the ground. You let out a small groan as you pushed yourself up onto your knees, before looking to where the figure had run and came to a stop, which was in front of the table with the feast on it.

And you froze.

The figure was tall with a feminine body shape — for a couple of obvious reasons — but it was the several nonhuman characteristics you noticed as your eyes scanned over her that was what drew your attention: furry ears sitting atop her head of unkempt hair, claw-like hands attached to furry forearms, and a tall that relentlessly wagged behind her as she tore into a cooked chicken.

Despite having barreled past you to get into the dining hall, the canine-esque girl didn’t seem to notice you at all, being too busy devouring whatever she could get her paws on; various sauces and juices splattered down onto the table and the ground around her, some even dribbling down her chin and onto her clothes. The way she ate was more akin to a wild animal than to a person.

“A-Ah, Akane!”

The sound of a voice that had a thick Southern accent spoke from elsewhere in the dining hall, the mild panic within it unable to draw your gaze to its owner as you watched the girl — Akane, as the voice called her — down an entire party-sized platter of assorted meats and cheeses.

“I appreciate the enthusiasm about my cooking, but please leave some for the others!”

Akane stuffed a few more bites of food into her mouth before she spoke, her voice coming out completely muffled from how full her cheeks were. “Can’t you just make more if they want any?”

“I mean, I could-” The sound of metal trays being placed onto a table reached your ears as the voice paused for just the briefest moment before continuing. “-but you should still limit yourself.”

You finally managed to get back onto your feet after your shock faded slightly, though your heart was still beating a bit faster than you would have liked for it to, and you leaned on a nearby table to steady yourself before you directed your attention towards the source of the Southern voice.

He didn’t look nearly as threatening as Akane did — the fact that he was much shorter than her being a big reason as to why — though the sight of a pair of goat legs being where human legs should have been made your stomach churn. His attire consisted of a classic chef’s outfit on his human upper-half, with a red apron around his waist and a red handkerchief around his neck; to finish his ensemble, he had a tiny chef’s hat on his head with two horns poking out from his hair.

“Hey, you gonna eat that?”

You jolted out of your thoughts as Akane spoke again, and flinched after you looked over at her just to see her staring at you, the red sauce dripping down her chin making the sight of her look a lot worse than it actually was. You blinked before you looked down at the table you were using to keep your balance, your eyes drawn to the steaming plate of kebabs sitting right next to you.

“U-Uh… no…?”

“So I can have ‘em?”

You stared at Akane for a moment before you nodded your head, removing your shaking hands from the table and instead keeping them close to your chest. The wide grin that Akane gave you in response only made you more nervous as you saw the sharp canines she had in her mouth.

“Aw, nice!”

The kebabs never stood a chance as the canine-esque girl immediately made a beeline for the plate, everything but the iron skewers — which Akane tossed to the side — disappearing in the time that it took you to blink. She then resumed eating as if that entire interaction didn’t happen.

“Hmm? Who might you be?”

Your attention was grabbed by the half-goat man as he spoke, and you flinched again after you turned your head towards him just to see that he was now standing next to you. He was leaning forward as if to inspect you, one of his hands raised to his chin as the other rested on his hip; he let his eyes briefly wander you up and down, before they came to their final stop on your face.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you around before…”

“I-I, um… I’m… nobody important?” You struggled to turn your lips up into a smile, your nerves still a bit shot as you took a shaky step back away from the chef. “Uh, I’m just… well… I-I, it’s…”

The chef let out a small chuckle, a smile coming to his face as he dropped his hand from his chin. “Now, now… no need to get nervous. It’s always exciting to meet new people, you know?”

His voice had an almost comforting quality to it as he spoke, though the fact that his Southern accent disappeared and was replaced with an accent that sounded a bit more posh made alarm bells ring out in your head. You couldn’t think of a single normal reason for a person to do that in a normal conversation, especially after he talked to Akane without doing anything like that at all.

“How about you relax with some of my delectable cooking? You won’t taste anything better!”

You shifted your gaze from the chef and towards the feast, seeing Akane still going ham with it as she devoured an actual cooked ham like it was nothing, before you looked at the chef again.

“...y-yeah, sorry, I’ll have to decline. I’d rather not get between that girl and her food.”

The chef looked over at Akane himself, his smile faltering as he furrowed his eyebrows and let out a small sigh; it only lasted for a moment, however, before his attention returned to you and a smile reappeared on his face. “Oh, don’t worry! I’ll just make an extra-special dish just for you.”

The way he said that made shivers run down your spine, and not in a good way.

“Nope. I’m leaving. Goodbye.”

Without waiting for a response, you turned on your heel and began to walk away, hearing the chef start to call out after you before you suddenly heard him yell at Akane about paying more attention to what she was putting in her mouth, the sound of gagging and silverware hitting the floor following after it. You just ignored the commotion and focused on leaving the dining hall.

- - - - -

The area outside the dining hall was no longer bathed in pitch-black darkness; the lighting that came from the ceiling was dim, but it was enough for you to actually see where you were going.

“Huh… I didn’t think that this place still had power, but…”

It was definitely the least surprising thing you had run into so far, though you chose not to focus too much on what you had witnessed just moments before as you looked around the small area, squinting your eyes to try to get a better look at everything. You decided to start moving towards the dorm rooms, the thought of a fire escape coming back to your mind to fuel your every step.

You passed by a set of stairs — finding an escape on any floor but the first floor was only an “if there’s no other choice” option, so you didn’t have to resort to that yet — before you entered into a hallway with multiple doors on both sides; these were the rooms the students had stayed in.

The doorknob of the first door you approached rattled in your hand as you tried to turn it.

Locked.

You had never felt more like a horror movie protagonist than you did then, only you didn’t have to worry about trying to fit keys into a lock with shaky hands as you went from door to door and simply wiggled the doorknob of each one just to find that they were locked like the first, until you eventually found one that wasn’t. The door hadn’t even been closed properly, being slightly ajar.

The lightest push was all that was needed to fully open the door, the creaking it made from the movement making you cringe as you stepped into the room… which was odder than expected.

You saw the expected items — a bed, dresser, and various personal items neatly placed about — that any dorm room would have, but even if the school catered to rich students, the fairy-tale theme was a little juvenile for a teenager’s bedroom. The bed had a canopy that let shimmering curtains flow down from it to shield the bed from sight when they were drawn, and vines covered the walls, intertwined with fairy lights to create a magical atmosphere; the color palette had been limited to vibrant greens and warm browns, but the walls were painted a light blue like the sky.

The entire thing made you feel as if you were in a children’s storybook rather than a school.

It took you only a moment to snap out of your surprise, the charming nature of the bedroom not enough to distract you for long from the windows located on a wall to your right, but keeping you from hurrying over to throw open the curtains and escape to freedom was the sound of a door opening to your right. The thought of another door being in the room aside from the one behind you caught you off guard, but the steam flowing in from the connected room connected the dots.

The school was clearly for the rich and influential, and personal bathrooms fit in with that image.

You could only silently stare as a figure exited the bathroom, her back to you, and even though that was all you could see, it was almost too easy for something within you to admit that she had an unusual beauty about her. The long blonde hair that flowed down her back, the fair skin free of even a single mark or tiny blemish… and the shimmering wings fluttering ever so slightly from where they sprouted out of her back; it was like you were looking at some kind of fairy princess.

The girl was brushing her hair, the dampness making it clear that she had been taking a shower along with the presence of the steam, and she hummed a tune happily to match the beats of her strokes with the hairbrush, ignorant to the intruder was standing just a few paces away from her.

That was until she turned around, a gasp leaving her mouth as soon as her eyes connected with yours, the hairbrush falling from her hand. You heard a small squeak escape your own lips when you stumbled back, your back hitting the dorm room’s door with a thud as your face warmed up.

“Ah, sorry-!”

“O-Oh my goodness! My apologies!”

Your voice overlapped with the girl’s voice as you and her spoke simultaneously, but while your words were filled with embarrassment at being caught in her dorm room and nervousness about her nonhuman appearance, the girl sounded a lot more concerned instead. You kept your gaze trained on her as you tried to navigate around the open door behind you, your legs a little shaky.

“M-My name is Sonia!” The girl tried to smile to ease your obvious unease, her hands carefully brought up to her chest with her palms facing towards her. “Could you please give me yours?”

Her eyes widened after that passed through her lips, and she raised a hand up to her mouth.

“W-Wait, please do not answer that!” Sonia took a step back, her smile faltering briefly until she recomposed herself. “I mean, could you please tell me a name of which I may address you by?”

You finally managed to break your eyes’ focus on Sonia and turned around, your mouth sealed shut as you bolted from the dorm room while ignoring the shouts coming from the fairy princess; the only thing on your mind was to get as far away from her as possible, something about giving her your name eliciting a deep sense of fear in some region of your being, and you just decided to abandon your plan to find an exit in the dorm area, your feet carrying you past the dining hall.

The sound of multiple unfamiliar voices coming from the dining hall — you shook a little at the thought of there being more strange creatures in the building — only fueled your pace as your feet pounded against the tiled floor. You just continued to run even as their voices got fainter.

You only hoped that no one would follow you.

- - - - -

You slowed down once you didn’t hear anyone coming after you, the once-creepy silence of the school now a relief; even though your eyes were starting to become used to the dim lighting that the building had, you still couldn’t see that far down the hallway, so the lack of footsteps heading in your direction was the best indicator that you were safe… or, at least, you were safe for now.

The thought of using your phone’s flashlight again to make navigation easier passed through your mind for a moment, and you reached down to grab it from your pocket, but instead of the glorious cellular metal slab full of electricity and the internet, your fingers only met with fabric.

“O-Oh… oh no, no no no, this can’t be happening…!”

Your voice came out as a low hiss as your heart sank, the fact that your phone was missing the scariest thing that had happened to you yet. You had no idea where you could have lost it, your phone having been in your hands the entire time… that was, up until Akane knocked you over.

“...it’s fine, everything’s fine; it’s just a phone, I can survive without it.”

You placed a hand against the wall to stabilize yourself before you started moving again, trying your best to push back the panic and keep your mind focused on the goal of escaping the place of horrors you were trapped in. You focused on minimizing the sound of your shoes against the floor, on keeping your breathing steady, and on trying to quell the jackhammer inside your chest.

And then you heard voices coming from down the hallway.

The sensation of your entire body tensing up to resemble a stone statue was not comfortable in the slightest, but you forced your body to take a few steps forward anyway. When you were just a few steps away from the corner, you leaned forward to take a peek at the source of the voices.

“I just thought…”

There was one girl and two guys walking down the hallway in your direction, the girl’s face being visible due to the light from the attachment on the video game handheld she held as she spoke.

“...a video game tournament with the class could be fun.”

“That sounds great!” The guy on the girl’s left smiled at her, the dim lighting making it hard to make out anything specific about his appearance, though his silhouette seemed normal. “But the outcome seems a bit obvious if you’re playing. No one here’s as good at them as you are.”

The girl only let out a small hum in response, his gaze cast down at her handheld.

You squinted as you continued to look at the three figures — they appeared to be around your age, but you couldn’t be completely sure yet given everything you had seen so far — and after you had done so for a brief moment, you had to admit that there didn’t seem to be anything that was nonhuman about them; that normally would have been reassuring, but the three were still lurking about an old abandoned school building in the dark of night, which wasn’t normal to do…

…and while you were also doing that, the difference was that you didn’t want to be here.

“Oh?”

The guy on the girl’s right caught the attention of the other two, the both of them following his gaze to see you peeking from around the corner at them, your body freezing at the attention.

It felt as if the world stopped for a moment, the three of them staring at you as you stared back at them. Your chest felt empty, your heart devoid of beats and your lungs devoid of air — maybe they really were as frozen as the rest of your body, your head feeling light to a sickening degree.

“Ah, hello?”

It was the girl who broke the silence first, movement slowly returning to the world as she tilted her head; the light attached to her handheld revealed the pale mauve color of the hair framing her face, and reflected off of the small Galaga pin clipped to a lock of it. Her face remained the main point of focus to you, her dark hoodie blending into the dimly-lit hallway with minimal effort.

The second thing to break the silence was a weak cry that escaped your throat as you shrunk behind the wall, only the top half of your head still visible to the three as you still stared at them.

The girl furrowed her eyebrows, concern on her face. “W-Wait, there’s no need to be scared…!”

“Huh? Are they a new student?” The appearance of the guy on her left became more defined as distress sharpened your senses, your suspicions of him seeming normal confirmed; while it was a bit rude to admit, he had a pretty unremarkable face, and even his outfit of a simple white shirt with a nice tie and dark pants was extremely basic at its very best. “I don’t recognize them…”

The girl shook her head after a moment. “We would’ve been told about a new student…”

You shrunk back a little further as the girl took a slow and careful step forward, leaning forward to get a better look at you. The way she held herself was very calm, not a hint of hostility seen in her body language or on her face, with even her gaze softer than expected when it met yours.

“Hey… my name’s Chiaki. Do you need help?”

Her voice was very soft as she spoke, her tone sounding too genuine for it to be part of some ruse to get you to lower your guard; she was even avoiding getting too close for comfort to you.

“That… that depends.” You peeked your head out a bit more around the corner, returning to how you had originally been before you shrunk back in fear. Your gaze flickered over to the two guys, before you refocused it on Chiaki again. “This might sound a bit strange, but… are you human?”

Chiaki paused as she blinked, and the three shared a glance with each other, the silence shared between them holding some sort of unspoken conversation. They then resumed looking at you.

“Uh, y-yeah…?” The guy with the unremarkable face spoke up, his lips pulled up into a smile that didn’t look entirely convinced of what came out of his own mouth. “We’re… we’re human…”

Despite how hesitant he was with his words, you felt a little calmer than before at the knowledge that there was a fellow human nearby, and you stepped out a bit more from behind the corner; a shaky smile made its way onto your own lips as well, the first step to confidence. “Ah, really…?”

The guy on Chiaki’s right caught your attention as he raised a hand slightly, and you were taken aback by how sickly he looked now that you could see him better; the unusually-fluffy hair on his head was a strange off-white color, and his skin looked too pale to be healthy. He almost looked like someone that should be on strict bed rest rather than hanging around a filthy place like this.

“I think the better question would be… are you human?”

And you suddenly felt not so calm anymore. “W-What?”

“Ugh, Nagito…” The other guy looked at Nagito as he narrowed his eyes into a glare, his lips now turned down into a frown that had clear annoyance written all over it. “That’s not helping.”

“Oh, I just think it’s rather important to know.” Nagito had a slight smile on his face, his posture relaxed despite the obvious tension now present in the air. “Because I’m sure we’ve all figured out what’s going on here, and it’s best to not keep anything hidden in the dark, right, Hajime?”

Chiaki ignored Hajime and Nagito as she kept her gaze trained on you, a soft smile coming to her face as she held a hand to her chest. The light attachment on her handheld was no longer casting light on her face as she held the device by her side, and due to how dim the lighting in the hallway was, you had difficulty deciding if the light blush dusting her cheeks was real or not.

“Hey, it’s okay. You’re okay.” She extended a hand for you to take. “Let’s get you out of here.”

You blinked a few times, staring at Chiaki as surprise washed over you, and that was when you felt your nerves finally starting to settle; even if everything else within this old abandoned school building was making you freak out, the girl in front of you seemed to be a real light in the dark as she provided you respite from all the craziness you had witnessed. You hesitated for a couple of seconds more before deciding to go for it as you reached out your hand towards Chiaki’s hand.

The moment you were just an inch away from her, you felt a spark shoot from her to you.

It almost felt like static electricity.

“I-I saw them go this way!”

You flinched at the sound of a familiar voice echoing through the halls, retracting your hand towards your body and wincing slightly at the sight of Chiaki dropping her smile from shock.

“Don’t worry, Miss Sonia! I’ll catch them!”

“Hmph, as if a mere calcium crusader could catch the culprit that the lady saw! Go, my Four Dark Devas of Destruction, and find the intruder that has dared to roam these accursed halls!”

It took less than a second for your body to start moving again, your footsteps pounding against the tiled floor as you darted past the trio of maybe-humans; your mind felt blank aside from fear as you ran, hardly able to make out Chiaki’s words as she called out to you, her voice becoming mixed with various other voices that sprouted up somewhere behind you — you almost felt as if you were an animal, acting without thinking at the first sign of possible danger presented to you.

You just hoped that Chiaki wouldn’t think of you as rude because of this.

- - - - -

You hunched over where you stood, grasping at the wall and gasping for air as you felt your heart pound in your chest; you could still hear voices echoing in the hallways, the sound only helping to keep your heart rate elevated as you tried to figure out where exactly you were.

“Ugh… I-I think I ran past the entrance hall…”

You let out a small groan as your eyes scanned over your surroundings, the corridor completely unfamiliar to you. There was a staircase a few feet from where you stood, but you weren’t dumb enough to ascend it and get trapped on a higher floor where your only option of escape would require jumping out a window; even from just the second floor, you would have to hope that you could stick a safe landing in your panic-filled state. That left a door next to where you stopped.

There was a sign sticking out from the wall above it, but you couldn’t focus enough to read it.

“The others should be in the dining hall by now, young master.”

“Hey, I thought I told you not to call me that…? I cut your strings for a reason, ya know?”

You tensed up at the sound of a pair of voices coming from the staircase, footsteps starting to descend accompanying them, and your thoughts turned to finding a place to hide as you turned on your heel towards the closed door next to you, flinging it open as you attempted to run inside.

But you only took a few steps before crashing into something and getting knocked backwards.

You placed a hand on your head, rubbing it as you blinked a couple of times and looked at the sight in front of you; in the dim lighting, you were able to make out a girl wearing clothing similar to what a nurse would wear — or maybe it actually was a nurse’s uniform, you didn’t really know — who had also been knocked back onto her behind, a small whimper soon escaping her lips.

“A-Ah, I’m so sorry!” You pushed yourself up onto your feet, crouching down to keep yourself on the same level as the girl. “I-I didn’t mean to knock you down, honest! Are you alright? Hurt?”

You were, unsurprisingly, unable to make out much in the dim lighting, but from what you could tell, the girl was relatively unharmed. You did notice bandages wrapped around a couple of her limbs, but given that they were already there and the girl seemingly had no time to patch herself up after running into you, you assumed that they must be from previous injuries she had gotten.

You crawled a bit closer to the girl as she continued to tear up, stopping only when your hand touched something other than the cold tiled floor. The girl’s cold fingers twitched at your touch as you gently took a hold of her hand, the girl herself quieting down too as she looked at you.

You stood up, your grip firm on the girl’s hand. “H-Here! Let me help you up-”

The weight you pulled up in your hand was surprisingly light, and you looked down at your hand to see the girl’s hand still clinging to yours… and you saw only her hand, with part of her forearm attached to it. Its grip was weak, just barely seeming to hold on without falling to the floor below.

“W-What…?”

You slowly let your gaze fall from the hand you held and down towards the girl still sitting on the floor, your eyes immediately going to focus on her arm that was closest to where you had picked up the hand from to see that she was, indeed, missing an entire hand and part of her forearm.

That of which you were currently holding.

It moved slightly in your grasp, the fingers attempting to tighten around yours, before your own grip loosened completely and the hand fell to the floor. Your knees shook before giving out, your eyelids drooping to partly consume your vision with blurry darkness as you lost your balance.

The last thing you heard was a nervous voice shouting before it all went black.

- - - - -

“Wow, humans are even uglier up close!”

“Hiyoko, don’t say that!”

“What? It’s true!”

You let out a groan, shifting your aching body before noticing that you were laying on something soft, the plush surface under your head feeling like a pillow. Your fingers twitched for a moment before grasping at the thin sheets under you, and your mind finally realized that you must be on a bed right now. That didn’t really explain why you could smell food from the dining hall, though.

“Ah, they’re waking up!”

You opened your eyes and blinked a few times, your vision clearing up before you squinted at the fluorescent light that filled the room; this was the best lighting you had seen so far within this abandoned school building. You rolled your head over to see two figures standing at the side of the bed, and your body immediately reacted by making you sit up and push yourself away from them, but you snapped out of it when you almost fell off the other side of the bed, only managing to barely catch yourself. You glanced around at your surroundings, realizing that you were in the nurse’s office, before you refocused your attention on the two unfamiliar figures, still a bit tense.

The first was a girl with red hair — actually, they looked more like petals that wrapped around her head from the top to form a bob — and skin that had an odd green tint to it that made you feel a bit squeamish. The only other thing attention-grabbing about her was the camera hung over her shoulder, the device resting at her hip with her hands free and clasped in front of her.

The second was a smaller girl — who looked much younger than anyone else you had seen so far — dressed in a traditional kimono; however, ruining the otherwise innocent appearance that she had were the horns sprouting out from her head, the bat-like wings flapping from where they stuck out slightly below her shoulders, and the scorpion-like tail swaying side-to-side behind her.

You froze when the small girl grinned at you, her grin filled with unbelievably sharp teeth.

“H-Hey, you don’t need to be scared…” The redhead smiled at you when you shifted your gaze over to her, her smile much less threatening than the small girl’s grin, even though it seemed to be unsure at the moment. “I’m Mahiru, okay? Everything’s fine, and no one’s going to hurt you.”

“Says who?”

Mahiru looked at the small girl next to her, her smile shifting to a stern frown. “Hiyoko-!”

“E-Excuse me…” The sound of a soft voice cut off Mahiru before she could say anything else, and you looked over at the source, seeing the girl you had bumped into earlier standing a little ways away from the bed you were sitting on. You raised your eyebrows in surprise to see that you had guessed correctly that she was donning a nurse’s uniform, before you noticed that her posture appeared very timid; she was slouching, shrinking in on herself as if to make herself seem as small as possible. “I-If you don’t mind, I need to check to make sure you’re okay…”

Not a single sound escaped you as you stared at her, the girl staring right back at you.

The presence of a proper light source above you allowed you to now notice the varied colors of her skin, all being varying shades of pale green, with stitches connecting the patches that made up her body. You even noticed how her limbs were attached to her body with thin strings as well, meaning that, due to your sudden collision with her, her arm had completely detached from her-

The girl widened her eyes in panic. “Wha-?! I-I’m sorry! Did I do something wrong…?!”

You took a deep breath, your vision blurring slightly as tears pricked at your eyes, and your hands tightly gripping the sheets of the bed you were sitting on, your fingers digging into them.

“No, no, Mikan! You didn’t do anything wrong!” Mahiru looked at the nurse, her lips pulling up into a rather successful reassuring smile. “They’re just scared! It’s okay, this is totally normal!”

The sight of the zombified nurse almost breaking down into tears did help to calm your nerves the slightest bit, undeniable humanity within her action that broke through the dread pooling in the pit in your stomach. You attempted to relax your grip on the sheets beneath you as Mikan wiped at her face with her hands, and you did the same to your own face after a few moments.

“I’m s-sorry! I didn’t mean to-”

“N-No, I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have s-scared you…!”

“Oh, god, there’s two of them now.” The small demon girl — Hiyoko, as Mahiru said — rolled her eyes, her lips pursed in annoyance. “I don’t know if I can handle having two crybabies around…”

“See? Everything is fine!” Mahiru ignored Hiyoko as she kept her focus on you and Mikan, her reassuring smile still present on her face. “There’s nothing to be scared of, or to worry about.”

You sniffed, taking a few breaths to calm down before you focused your gaze on Mikan. “S-So… um… you said that you needed to check to… make sure that I’m okay, or… or something…?”

“Y-Yeah!” Mikan nodded, her voice determined despite the stuttering. “I-If you’ll let me…”

You flinched when Mikan drew closer to you, though you still tried to stay as still as possible as you let the nurse check you over for injuries; her touch was ice cold — if her appearance wasn’t enough to tell you that she wasn’t alive, her lack of body warmth was — and you shuddered as you tried to repress the urge to gag at the thought that an undead body was touching your own.

You tried to focus on something else, anything else, to distract your mind and stomach during the inspection, only to find your eyes drawn towards the stitches that littered Mikan’s body. The main thing to draw your attention to them was how they looked unusually loose, the strings that kept her limbs attached to her body specifically appearing to lack the tension needed to keep them from detaching like they did earlier, and it was a little odd that she hadn’t tightened them.

“E-Everything looks fine…” Mikan removed her hands from your body, clasping them together under her chin. “I-I don’t think that you’ll have any lasting injuries from w-what happened…”

“Great!” Mahiru looked at you with a gentle smile. “That means you can come with us!”

You blinked in surprise. “...huh?”

“Yeah… Mr. Fool’s Gold says that we’ve gotta have a meeting!” Hiyoko too had a smile on her face, though hers was a lot more unnerving than Mahiru’s as she smiled wide, letting you get another look at all of the sharp teeth she had in her mouth. “And you’re the guest of honor!”

- - - - -

You looked down at the plate of food that was now in your hands as you left the nurse’s office with Mahiru and Hiyoko, the food being the culprit for why the nurse’s office had smelled like the dining hall — apparently a “Teruteru” had dropped it off for you while you were unconscious after hearing that you fainted, but while it was a kind thing to do, you weren’t very hungry right now.

“Alright, we’ll escort you to the dining hall.” Mahiru was a couple of steps in front of you, looking back over her shoulder at you with the calm and friendly smile that you had come to appreciate greatly from her still present on her face. “It’s where our class always holds our meetings.”

The reason why you appreciated the plant-esque girl’s smile so much was that it was nothing like Hiyoko’s smile, which was always filled with either disgust or malicious intent; you had only known her for about ten minutes or so, so you were baffled as to why she was so mean to you.

The small demon girl raised her hands into the air happily. “Yep, it’s time for you to die!”

“What?!”

“No, that’s not what’s going to happen!” Mahiru put her hands on her hips, leaning slightly towards Hiyoko with her eyes narrowed into a soft glare. “Don’t joke about things like that, Hiyoko. It’s not funny, and we really don’t need them passing out again like they did earlier.”

Hiyoko looked to the side, her lips forming a small pout. “Aw, but that’s no fun…”

Mahiru glared at Hiyoko for a few moments more before she let her lips turn up into a smile again and straightened her posture. “Now, with all of that out of the way, let’s get to the-”

You blinked as Mahiru cut herself off, before you suddenly became very aware of a presence behind you, a shadow being cast over your shoulders even with the dim lighting in the hallway; the lack of fear on Mahiru’s and Hiyoko’s faces was reassuring, only slight surprise within their expressions, and you hesitated for just a moment before turning around to see a familiar face.

There was a hungry grin on Akane’s face as she looked down at you — or, more precisely, the plate you were carrying. You felt your body tense up at the sight, the way the canine-esque girl was towering over you making her expression seem more menacing than it actually was, but when you caught sight of her tail wagging excitedly behind her, you almost felt the urge to smile.

You held the plate out to Akane, your hands shaking just a little, and watched her grin grow as her tail wagged even faster. You felt the plate be hastily torn from your grasp before it clattered on the floor, the food completely gone; not a single morsel or crumb was to be found anywhere.

“Aw, thanks! I was starving!”

“We ate half-an-hour ago-” Hiyoko pointed accusingly towards Akane. “-you overgrown fleabag!”

“Oh, really? Huh, it felt longer than that…” Akane flashed a grin at you and the two girls, the sight of her canines a lot less scary to you now. “Well, training makes me hungry, you know?”

“AKANE! Your speed is admirable, but you shouldn’t run away from your training!”

The ground shook as a figure arrived around the corner in the hallway, both tall in height and wide in length; the silhouette of the new arrival was rigid and jagged, the dull gray of his stone body becoming more obvious to you as he drew nearer to you and the three girls around you.

“Sorry, Coach Nekomaru!” Akane continued to grin as she turned to face the stone man, her demeanor casual without a single care in the world, though her tail was still wagging slightly as if she was an excited puppy. “My nose caught wind of good food and I couldn’t control myself.”

“A healthy appetite is a good sign…” Nekomaru looked down at Akane with a frown etched onto his stone face, his facial features all being very sharp and serious. “...but that’s NO EXCUSE!”

“Hey, that’s enough yelling…!” Mahiru raised her voice as she put her hands on her hips, her lips pulled down into an annoyed frown. “You might scare our… er… guest? …yeah, guest! You shouldn’t yell inside anyway. Now, since they’re awake, we all need to head to the dining hall.”

“Gah-hahahaha! Okay!” Nekomaru shifted his attention back over to Akane, the jagged stone features of his face turning up into an excited grin; it was both unnerving yet fascinating to see stone more so fluidly, appearing both uncanny yet natural at the same time. “Akane, we’ll use this as a part of your training! Go around the school and inform the others to head to the dining hall pronto. I expect you to finish and be in the dining hall yourself within the next ten minutes!”

Hiyoko piped up, an innocent-looking smile on her face that didn’t fit the patronizing tone that came out of her mouth. “Yeah, Akane! And if you manage to do that, we’ll give you a treat!”

“Treat?”

The werewolf let out an ecstatic howl before taking off, disappearing in the blink of an eye and leaving nothing but dust in her wake, which you accidentally breathed in and had to cough out.

Mahiru let out a groan. “Come on, let’s just go already.”

- - - - -

You plopped yourself down into one of the chairs in the dining hall, and fiddled with your hands in your lap as you glanced towards the large windows you had seen earlier; unlike the beautiful sunset you witnessed before, there was just complete darkness on the other side now, the light of the lights inside only helping to make the night outside look even darker than it actually was.

The dining hall wasn’t completely empty when you arrived here.

The chef you saw earlier — who you learned was the “Teruteru” that had dropped the plate of food off for you in the nurse’s office, and had been in possession of your phone that you did, in fact, drop after Akane knocked you over earlier — was still there, cleaning up after having made the whole buffet by himself. Hiyoko had actually taken the effort to point out to you that Teruteru was the class pervert the moment you crossed the threshold into the dining hall, and it was nice to know that your gut feeling about him before was correct, and not just a product of your terror.

But at least he seemed decent enough to return your phone without trouble.

That said, the fear bubbling up inside your stomach still had quite a lot of fuel left.

Due to the lights in the dining hall being brighter than the ones in the hallway, you had to bear witness to what everyone truly looked like as they filtered into the room over a short period of time. You already knew what Mahiru and Hiyoko looked like in good lighting, the nurse’s office also one of the few rooms in the building that had some, but Nekomaru took your breath away when the light revealed the cracks and scratches on his stone body, which he just laughed off.

You had to admit that, even with how unsettling their monstrous appearances were, there was also something so intriguing about them that appealed to the natural human instinct of curiosity within you… but then there were the cases of those who appeared so human on the outside.

Chiaki looked as normal as any girl you might run into in a gaming store, and she had taken a seat right next to you after noticing your obvious discomfort with your current situation. The old handheld was still in her hands, the light attachment removed due to the better lighting, and she tried to pull your focus towards her video game to help distract you and calm you down; it might had worked better if it weren’t for the tingly “static electricity” sensation you got around her that you had felt earlier, the sensation a clear sign that she wasn’t as human as she appeared to be.

Nagito just looked even more ill than before, the bright lighting only making his pale skin stand out a lot more, and his behavior as he conversed with the others — he was seemingly ignoring you, which you couldn’t complain about — made it clear that he was a little off in the head. On the other hand, Hajime both looked and acted like a normal guy, though there was a noticeable scar on his head that was only partly hidden by his hair, the sight of it making you shiver a little.

It didn’t take long for Mikan to enter the dining hall after those three, stumbling a bit like how the zombies in classic horror movies often did when walking around. “S-Sorry for taking so long…!”

Mahiru smiled at Mikan reassuringly. “Don’t worry, Mikan! The meeting hasn’t started yet.”

“O-Oh?” Mikan looked around with a nervous frown on her lips, seeming to take a moment to check who had arrived in the dining hall before she did. “S-So… I didn’t keep you waiting…?”

“No, you didn’t.” Hajime also piped up to reassure the zombified nurse from where he sat at a circular table. “Most of the others aren’t here yet, so… you could say that you’re actually early.”

“A-Ah, okay…”

The nurse looked both relieved and slightly disappointed at that revelation, but she didn’t say anything more as she took a seat at the table Hajime and Nagito were sitting at — needing at least three reassurances that she was actually allowed to sit with them instead of on the floor.

The next to enter was a girl who you had never seen before, and the moment she opened her mouth, you were honestly surprised that you hadn’t at least heard her during your time here; the windows in the dining hall were already cracked, but you swore they grew a bit when she spoke.

“Whoa-ho! It’s true! It’s true! A human’s inside the school!”

Chiaki looked up at the girl calmly. “Ah, Ibuki… you might want to lower your voice a bit.”

You had to take a few moments to focus after your eyes stopped ringing — thankfully, your ears didn’t start bleeding from just how painfully loud Ibuki was being — before you managed to look at and take in the sight of her. Her appearance was a mess, her hair particularly wild with some of it having been dyed pink and blue, though she somehow managed to make it all work for her.

“Oh, sorry!” Ibuki sent you an apologetic smile, rubbing the back of her head as she made her way towards the table. “Ibuki sometimes forgets that humans can’t handle her natural voice.”

You raised an eyebrow as you stared at Ibuki. “Your natural voice is… screaming?”

“Haha, yeah!” Ibuki plopped herself down in the seat opposite to you. “It’s kinda hard to control, but don’t worry! I just gotta use my indoor voice, and then everything’s gonna be all rock ‘n roll.”

She appeared to focus for a moment, closing her eyes and putting her hands up to her head as she repeated the words “indoor voice” to herself over and over again. Even though you were still a little confused, you appreciated the effort she was making to not absolutely destroy your ears.

Your attention was pulled from Ibuki when you saw Sonia enter the dining hall with a nervous anticipation about her, her wings fluttering behind her and sparkling beautifully in the bright light of the dining hall. The worry laced in her expression only lessened the moment she saw you.

“Oh, thank goodness! You are alright!”

There were two guys that followed Sonia into the dining hall, who were also people that you had never seen before, but then you remembered hearing her voice in the halls accompanied by two others earlier; these had to be who she was talking to. The one to draw in most of your attention was a skeleton that had glowing pink hair that was only partially hidden under a beanie, and the other was a guy who had almost every inch of his skin that was visible wrapped up in bandages, though the attention that you gave him was soon lost to the hamsters that sat on his shoulders.

The hamsters were also wrapped up in bandages, which admittedly made them cuter.

“So… this is the foolish mortal that has dared to enter onto this accursed land?” The guy that was wrapped up in bandages crossed his arms as he stared at you with an overly-intense gaze, only breaking it from you when the hamsters sitting on his shoulders squeaked as if responding to him. “It is! My Dark Devas say that their scent is the same as the one lingering in the halls!”

The skeleton let out an annoyed sigh, and you silently wondered how he did that. “Geez, dude, Miss Sonia could’ve just told us if they’re the one or not. She did see them in her room, after all.”

“Oh! Uh…” You looked at Sonia again, your cheeks beginning to warm up from embarrassment that you had almost forgotten you experienced earlier. “...s-sorry about earlier. For both entering your room and then just running off like that… that was probably super rude of me, wasn’t it?”

“It is quite alright.” Sonia smiled brightly at you, her wings fluttering again and sparkling more as they caught the light in just the right way. “As long as you are uninjured, that is all that matters.”

Sonia then sat down in the other seat next to you, and it only took a couple of seconds before the two guys started arguing over who would get the seat on the other side of her; it was hard enough to keep up with the argument as they spoke over each other, but the fact that the guy with the bandages was spicing up his language only added another headache to the situation.

You hesitated for a moment before gesturing to them. “Is this normal, or…?”

“Yes, but please just ignore them.” Sonia continued to smile as if it was nothing. “Kazuichi and Gundham tend to often get into… tussles with each other, so please do not pay it much mind.”

“Kazuichi’s the skeleton and Gundham’s the mummy!” Ibuki piped up, her voice loud but not at all like the painful screeching you heard from her earlier. “They fight over Sonia all the time! It’s a classic love triangle, though… heh, Kazuchi refuses to realize that he’s on the losing side!”

“I’m surprised that both of them aren’t on the losing side.” Hiyoko had a smug smile on her face, her hand held up to her mouth and barely obscuring it from view. “It’s just corpse number one or corpse number two. Tell me, which one would you prefer? A bag of bones or a rotting fleshbag?”

“H-Hey!”

Kazuichi tore his attention from Gundham to look towards Hiyoko with shock on his face, and you were surprised to see how expressive he could be for a skeleton with no facial muscles.

“I’m not a “bag of bones”! I’d say my bone structure is actually quite good!”

Gundham crossed his arms, his hamsters following suit soon after. “Hmph… I’ll have you know, my corporeal form has been purified and treated with the salts of this mortal plane, and wrapped in these mystical strips of flax, to prevent the curse of organic decomposition from taking place.”

“I made it!”

That shout bounced off of the walls of the dining hall as Akane dashed into it, her tongue sticking out of her mouth as she panted crazily and her tail wagging violently behind her.

“I did it in under ten minutes, just like you said to, Coach!”

Nekomaru let out a loud laugh. “I expected nothing less! Your speed is always improving!”

“So…” Akane glanced around the dining hall, an expectant glimmer in her eyes to match the excited smile on her lips. “...where’s my treat? All that running around made me super hungry!”

“Don’t worry, I didn’t forget!” Nekomaru turned in the direction of the kitchen, where you could see Teruteru drying the last of the dishes from the feast he made earlier. “Teruteru, how about whipping up something to reward Akane? I’m never one to discourage a healthy appetite!”

“W-What?” Teruteru widened his eyes as he stared at Nekomaru, before looking between the dishes he had just cleaned and the stone man. “B-But I just finished cleaning up from dinner…”

The chef just stared at Nekomaru, the stone man staring back at him, before he let out a small sigh and began gathering the cooking equipment and ingredients needed to whip up a quick treat for Akane. He soon disappeared into the depths of the kitchen, and your focus was pulled to the entrance of the dining hall as two more — again, unfamiliar — people entered the room.

The girl appeared to be made out of some kind of wood, her movements a bit stiff with a faint creaking sound emitting from her joints as she crossed her arms; she was clearly a puppet of some kind, but lacked the expected strings. “So… this is the human who entered our school…?”

“Well, that’s idiotic of ‘em.” The guy seemed human at a first glance until you noticed the few reptilian features he had, such as his tail and the horns atop his head, which still seemed like they needed more time to grow. He also appeared to have a few scales peppered across his cheeks, which made you think of freckles. “This place is obviously boarded up for a reason…”

“Oh, oh! Almost everyone’s here!”

Ibuki smiled wide as she looked at you, pointing a finger at the girl and then the guy.

“The babe’s Peko and the little guy’s Fuyuhiko!”

Fuyuhiko almost immediately glared at Ibuki, going from zero-to-a-hundred quicker than most would; his temper seemed to go hand-in-hand with his height. “The fuck you just called me?”

“Greetings.” Peko was much calmer in comparison to Fuyuhiko, seeming to pay little to no attention to how Ibuki introduced her, but the way her gaze pierced into you was much more intimidating than you would have expected, and that was when you noticed the sword on her back. “I hope you aren’t here to cause trouble. I would prefer to not have to take you out.”

“Then you can take me out, Peko-Peko!” Ibuki sent a peace sign to Peko, then winked. “Wink!”

You looked around the dining hall as everyone began to mingle with each other, you no longer being the main center of attention, and you realized that if it wasn’t for their — most of their — appearances, they would look like a normal group of teenagers hanging out. It actually caused you to seem even more out of place, being both human and an obvious outsider to their group’s dynamic; you actually started to feel a bit jealous of how close they all seemed with each other.

“Ah, good. Everyone’s arrived in a timely manner, I see.”

“Whoa! You’re the last to arrive?” Hiyoko looked at the last arrival to the dining hall with mock shock displayed on her face, widening her eyes slightly. “That’s not like you, Mr. Fool’s Gold!”

“Hmph, I was just finishing up some last-minute business before coming down here.” The last person was rather large, an almost intense aura of seriousness and regality surrounding him as he stepped further into the room. “This was just an outlier in my otherwise-punctual reputation.”

You couldn’t help but admit to yourself that he looked somewhat familiar, like someone you had seen before somewhere but didn’t personally know. However, there was something seriously off about him, something uncanny that made you tense up as your gaze was solely trained on him.

His footsteps were heavy as he approached the table you were sitting at, and you shrunk a bit in your seat from his piercing gaze, his eyes zoning in on you easily since you stuck out so much.

“Ah… so you’re the human who’s gotten inside our school?”

You swallowed as you stared at him for a moment, before you hesitantly nodded.

“And why exactly are you here? The boarded-up windows and doors clearly suggest that you are not to come inside, and should’ve been warning enough to prevent such irresponsibility.”

“I, uh…” You swallowed again, your mouth feeling dry as your eyes flickered around at all the people surrounding you. You had people sitting on both sides of you, and some even standing behind you, so you couldn’t exactly run away from this. “...I came here with some new friends- well, not really “friends”, but some people I met at my new school. They… they tricked me into coming here and locked the door behind me, so I was just trying to look for a way out…?”

“Hmph.” He crossed his arms, averting his gaze. “...so you’re here because of a juvenile prank.”

“...yep.”

Hiyoko stifled a laugh with her hand. “Oooh, so they’ve sent you to your death?”

“Please stop saying stuff like that!” You clasped your hands in front of your chest, keeping your gaze cast down at your lap. “I’m sorry if I did something wrong! I-I didn’t mean to come here!”

“Hey, it’s okay.” Chiaki placed a hand on your shoulder, and you winced as you felt a small bit of static electricity come from her touch. “You didn’t do anything wrong. There’s no bad guy here.”

“Well, prank or not, this is still a serious matter.” Nekomaru put his hand to his chin, seeming to think for a moment. “This human’s gotten inside the school and seen all of us. That’s not good.”

“To be perceived by a mortal’s eyes…” Gundham crossed his arms, his hamsters resting on his shoulders and snuggling into his scarf. “Truly a troubling situation, a fortune most unfortunate.”

“Oh, I don’t mind being perceived-” Teruteru finally joined the group, placing a plate in front of Akane before wiping his hands with a dishtowel. “-especially when it’s by such a darling human.”

You scooted slightly closer to Chiaki, leaning towards her for comfort.

“I don’t get what the big deal is.” Akane stuffed her mouth full of her “treat”, which turned out to be some kind of meat that smelled really good. “I mean, we let Hajime and Nagito hang around.”

Hajime let a faint smile onto his face, his hand raising to touch the scar on his head with his fingers, letting them trail along it. “Yeah, but… I think our cases are a bit different than theirs.”

“The only thing we share with them is biology.” Nagito also smiled a bit, his elbows resting on the table in front of him as he leaned forward. “But besides that… there’s nothing in common.”

“Well, if you want them silenced…” Fuyuhiko smirked. “I’ve got methods.”

The dining hall went silent aside from a few gasps escaping from some of the members of the group, all eyes on the reptilian boy; the fairy princess sitting beside you notably put her hands over her mouth, her eyes widened, while Chiaki furrowed her eyebrows. There were a few jaws dropped, Ibuki’s and Kazuichi’s more prominent than everyone else’s, and you couldn’t help but be thankful that most of the people here seemed to not want your human blood on their hands.

Peko blinked as she looked at Fuyuhiko, her eyes widened slightly. “Young master…?”

“Huh? What?” Fuyuhiko dropped his smirk as he looked around at everyone, genuine confusion on his face before brief realization and then a glare. “Goddamnit, I don’t mean killing them! I just mean blackmail and threats! There’s more than one way to keep someone silent, you guys!”

The presumed ring leader of the group, Mr. Fool’s Gold — no one had called him anything else — let out a hum. “While that is a solution, this situation doesn’t really call for that kind of action.”

You felt another zap of static electricity shock your shoulder as Chiaki gave it a gentle squeeze, and you looked at her to see her smiling at you; even though her presence meant having to get zapped every so often, she was definitely one of the more approachable people you had met.

She then turned her attention to her friends, her smile unwavering.

“I don’t think that’s necessary. They’re not a threat, and we can definitely trust them… I think.”

“I second that!” Sonia put a hand up into the air, a smile gracing her lips as well. “I do not believe they mean us any harm. Punishment for being the victim of a prank is not needed.”

“Well… if Miss Sonia says so…” Kazuichi looked a little uneasy, scratching his neck before he gave a thumbs-up. “Then they’re also good with me! Miss Sonia’s never wrong, after all!”

The hamsters on Gundham’s shoulders squeaked, and he chuckled. “Both the Dark Fae Queen and my Dark Devas say that the mortal is trustworthy… their judgement is not to be questioned.”

“Ibuki trusts them too!” Ibuki was shouting again, and had to pause briefly as she lowered her voice. “Though Ibuki hasn’t known them long, they don’t seem to be anything to worry about!”

“Well, duh!” Hiyoko giggled. “Even Mikan could easily take them out. They’re totally pathetic!”

Mikan nervously smiled, fidgeting with her hands as she kept her gaze averted from everyone else. “N-No, I’m sure they could maybe fight back… a-a little. If they tried really hard to do so.”

“I don’t think they would fight back.” Mahiru adjusted her camera in her hands, a smile also on her face. “They don’t seem like they want to hurt anyone at all, that picture’s pretty clear to me.”

“Well, then.”

The attention in the dining hall was brought back over to Mr. Fool’s Gold, and you shrunk a little under his gaze, though the feeling of another shocking squeeze to your shoulder comforted you.

“You. Do you have any intention of telling anyone what you saw here?”

You shook your head. “No…”

“You’ll make no mention of anything that happened? About the school or the people here?”

You shook your head again. “No.”

Mr. Fool’s Gold seemed to think to himself for a moment, his arms still crossed and his posture still perfectly straight, and after a few seconds of pure silence in the dining hall, he let out a sigh.

“Then I suppose you may go… but if you do happen to reveal the truths of this place to anyone on the outside, we will find out. That would be troublesome, though, so please do not do that.”

“Okay…”

He glanced around at the others, everyone still focusing their attention on him. “Now, will someone please escort them out? And check the doors while you’re at it as well, please.”

Chiaki stood up, her hand still on your shoulder, and you stood up soon after her, the others in the dining hall beginning to chat with one another again — though some still had words for you.

“Oh! Oh! Since you know everything now, you can totally come back if you want!” Ibuki jumped up from her seat, climbing atop the table to look down at you from her new vantage point as she formed glasses with her fingers. “Ibuki’s spotted a new friend, and she can’t just let that go!”

“It would be lovely, if you could!” Sonia continued to sit in her seat, her hands in her lap before she raised them up to clap them together once, her smile bright. “We don’t get to show our true selves to others often, so it’d be nice to have another person we can just be ourselves around.”

Gundham let out a low laugh as his hamsters squeaked. “The Dark Devas of Destruction give you their blessing to return, if your mortal heart would even be able to withstand their power.”

“Just… stay safe and all that.” Hajime had a slight smile on his face. “You should probably not sneak into any “abandoned” buildings again. You’re kind of lucky that we’re all you ran into.”

Fuyuhiko put his hands in his pockets, his lips turned down into a stern frown as he approached you. “Remember: keep quiet. You don’t wanna know what might happen if you don’t, ya hear?”

You just gave a slight nod before Chiaki escorted you out of the dining hall, the sound of various goodbyes and farewells ringing out from everyone; the shift from a bright crowded room to a dim empty hallway was jarring, but the dusty old building seemed a lot less intimidating than before.

You were finally going to get to leave.

- - - - -

The front entrance door was covered in wooden boards, the glass cracked with some pieces of it missing underneath; it was just like you remembered it being from all those many hours ago.

Chiaki pushed open the door, letting a cool breeze of the night air blow into the entrance hall and into your face — the air was so fresh and crisp compared to what you had been breathing for the last couple of hours that you could almost start crying, but you were also too tired to do so. The area outside the door was empty of life, the sound of city life echoing in the distance.

Those “friends” from before were gone, almost as if they had never been there.

They probably left hours ago after getting bored, while you had been fearing for your life.

“You okay?”

You snapped out of your thoughts as you looked over at Chiaki, a curious look on her face as she tilted her head. You blinked a few times as your brain thought about what she asked you.

“...yeah, I’m fine.”

Chiaki let a smile onto her face, letting out a small hum as she placed a hand on her chest. “...you know, you really can visit whenever you’d like. I don’t think anyone here would mind.”

“That’s… a nice offer.” You smiled back, shifting a bit in place where you stood. “Though… do you guys always meet up in the middle of the night, or was this a special thing, or, like, what…?”

“Yep.” Chiaki nodded her head. “It’s the safest and most convenient time for us to gather at the school. We all have lives during the day, so nighttime is pretty much the only option that works.”

“...got it.”

You took a few steps out into the cool night air, taking in a few deep breaths of air that made it feel as if your lungs were singing at how fresh it was, and you shivered slightly before hugging yourself with your arms. You then looked over your shoulder at Chiaki, who still smiled at you.

“I… don’t know if I’d be able to come here often, but… I could visit every once in a while…?”

Chiaki seemed to perk up as her soft smile brightened a little under the moonlight as she closed her eyes and removed her hand from her chest. “That’s great! We’ll all be looking forward to it!”

You managed to wave at Chiaki, the gamer girl returning it, before she closed the entrance door to the school, a loud click sounding as she made sure to lock it properly. You let your eyes linger on the school for a moment, taking in how it really did look abandoned; there was no hint or sign that there was anyone currently occupying the building, the school grounds just quiet and dark.

You then turned away from the school and let out a small sigh, beginning to walk away from the old school building. Your footsteps crunched under your feet from dead leaves and branches.

“...I really hope I’m not going crazy.”

[guillotinesandroses]

My Beautiful Destruction; Junko Enoshima + Female Reader

You always knew she would eat your heart out. Brutal and bloody, not a single part of this woman is holy. The side of your head bleeds, red seeping into the white of your suit. She designed it herself, what an honor it is that you get to wear it. Manicured nails grip your chin as gleeful laughter fills the room. 

"Oh, I can't wait to really watch the life fade from your eyes! This is the second best thing to losing you for good!" She squeals, dragging her nails down your cheekbones. "Bringing you to such a hopeless state... you look so empty. What a sight!" 

Stepping back, she runs her hands down her arms with a giddy grin. "It's almost like you've died already. I can't remember the last time I heard you talk." 

Lowering her head, she frowns, voice trembling as she toys with the ends of her hair. "You must be in absolute agony. I've never seen you this battered. Even worse, you're so used to the pain your body cannot bring itself to react to it. The human form has always been so adaptable, so moldable." 

A small pouting smile spreads to her lips as she peers over you, raising the pitch of her voice. "Still, I just can't help myself, you know? You look so hopelessly cute laying on the floor like that! I'm giving you so much attention because I just wuv you so, so much! I've just got the most adorable GF, yes, I do!" 

She throws her head back, letting out a boisterous laugh. Grabbing the back of your head, her rough voice yells in your face. "C'mon, is that all ya got? I should be embarrassed just being in your presence! The way you're looking at me makes me wanna pluck your ugly eyes out, or even my own!" 

"You'd fucking like that, wouldn't you? Just the thought of having something in common with me gets ya soaking wet!" She cackles again, harsh chuckles growing into bourgeoisie giggles. "The royal we demand you to rise to your feet! Do not deny us, peasant, the Divine Avatar of Despair commands you!" 

Not a muscle shifts, you do not allow it. She will make you suffer regardless of whether or not you obey. The effort to stand is in no way worth it. Whatever she could do to you, it can only hurt as much as anything else she has done. Even if she were to finally kill you, the one reaction she would receive is a quiet sigh of relief. 

Every single second that passes, the thought of freedom by death brushes through your mind. However, finding your corpse would bring Junko far too much euphoria for you to give in. Although at this point you cannot be sure this stubbornness is even worth the pain, you cling onto life through pure spite. You have endured too much to die like this. Somehow, someday you will escape and build something new, but for now, all that builds is the ache in your head. 

"Ah, I see. You are awake, yet you refuse to follow simple commands. By now, my dear test subject has understood that both options lead to an equal amount of pain. This is a common behavior of the human mind. When faced with two options that lead to the same result, an organic life form will always choose the one which uses a smaller amount of energy." 

Placing her notebook aside, her expression drops as her voice takes a monotone turn. "There is nothing you can do but endure. You are starving and weak, you cannot kill me. Your circumstances are beyond your control. Resilience will only aid in your downfall." 

"Not to worry! I won't punish you this time for not responding. Next time I'll cook up an even better serving of horrors, such terrible things you must give me a most glorious reaction! Your beloved headmaster, Monokuma will take care of everything!" Junko grins as she drops the stuffed, black and white bear replica. 

Giggles escape her lips as she crouches before you again. She cradles your face, careful not to touch your wounds and bruises. Gentle lips press over your temple. They trace over every inch of your face before ghosting over your own charred ones. She pulls you into her arms and rubs slow, comforting circles against your back. 

"You were delightful today, sweetcheeks! Really though, I'm impressed. By now anyone else would be totally swimming in grief and begging at my feet! The longer our little game goes on, the more I want to watch you break apart! " She pulls your face away from her shoulder. 

You allow her to move you like a ragdoll. Resistance would only get her more excited. She tilts your head up with a nail covered in crimson- maybe blood, maybe nail polish- and coos. "Before I let you go, lemme just patch up all your little ouchies-wouchies! I've gotta make sure my GF is always in tip-top shape and looking adorable, after all!" 

True to her word, she takes out a damp cloth and wipes the blood off from the side of your face. Removing your clothes dirtied in red, she stitches up the gash in your abdomen, not using anything to numb the soft flesh. After a sufficient amount of cleaning has taken place and the bandages have been applied, she places a kiss onto your forehead. The action reminds you of the better days, when you still thought of her as innocent. You refuse to tear up, even as she forces you to look her in the eyes. 

Her narration habit takes hold as she giggles onto your lips. "The Ultimate Despair healed her lover. Soon said girl will understand the wonders of despair. She will fall and love again. After that they were always together, and lived a delightfully horrifying happily ever after!" 

[imagineanime2022]

Kianna Coming Back With Nagito

Kianna (@nunezs-stuff's OC) X Nagito

Requested: @nunezs-stuff

Request: Okay could I please ask for another zoldyck family but how would they react to kianna being kidnapped and being put into the killing game just to end up escaping and surviving with nagito

Like say he ends up living and she introduces him to them as her boyfriend

How they react to both of those scenarios

Illumi Zoldyck

📍 Illumi actually hates him, from the moment that he met him to now he hates him and there is only one reason. 📍 Nagito had no concept of fear or a single instinct to preserve his life, so Illumi had no power over him, the only person that he listened to was Kianna. 📍 If they are left in the same room for any amount of time, the room ends up destroyed and Nagito always seems to have come out better. 📍 Illumi has tried on a number of different occasions to get Kianna to break up with Nagito but as we know you can get her to do anything that she doesn’t want to do, so instead he has to endure him. 📍 Illumi avoids him as best he can and hates that he lives under the same roof as him with no sign of leaving. 📍 Honestly, I don't think that they will ever like each other. In fact hating each other is probably the only reason that they both still breathed, being too wary of each other to let their guard down.

Milluki Zoldyck

🦟 Milluki is not much better than Illumi, he hated him a lot less because his luck provided Milluki with a lot of things that he wanted on draws in his games and auctions for all of his figurines. 🦟 Other than that he thinks that he’s a little childish and annoying (hypocritical…) and wants nothing more than for Nagito to get lost. 🦟 That being said he is the one that Nagito is most likely to annoy if only because the man can’t chase him and he’d get the most enjoyment from it. 🦟 Kianna has had to smooth over a few disagreements and take on a few jobs to really get him to forgive. 🦟 Milluki hardly ever left his room so his interactions with Nagito was wildly limited versus the rest of his family so he could deal with him for a lot longer than most. 🦟 They’ll eventually get to an understanding, they will occasionally aggravate each other but all in all not completely destructive.

Killua Zoldyck

⚡ Killua loves Kianna and was happy that she was able to come home but the moment that he met Nagito he didn’t trust him, the only reason that he was still breathing was because he brought Kianna back. ⚡ It honestly didn’t take long for Killua to figure him out, enough to trust him with Kianna and get to know him a little better. ⚡ They are actually chaos together considering how childish they both are and the fact that Killua loved a good prank and Nagito is a mastermind, they might have caused a family war. ⚡ He actually teaches Killua a lot about using his brain when on missions, he could see that Killua was smart but he relied on what was given to him by his family. Nagito gave him something else. ⚡ Killua spent a lot of time with Kianna and therefore a lot of time with Nagito (who hung off her or became her intimidating shadow), it took a while for it to become easily social but they got there. ⚡ They do actually become friends, kind of, Kilua doesn’t trust him to save his life but he knows that he can trust him with Kianna’s and that was good enough, he could look after himself after all he proved that.

Alluka Zoldyck

🎭 Literally found her room by accident, as we’ve established his luck would put him in the right place at the right time. 🎭 Alluka loves anyone that comes to visit her, she showed him all of her toys and even played a few games with him, it took them all ages to realise that he was missing. 🎭 Not going to lie Alluka was the reason that they all realised how dangerous Nagito was because as they all tried to kill him he survived everything and even asked Nanika for help without having to give anything in return. 🎭 Kianna again was the one that stopped the fighting long enough for everyone to realise what happened and then keeping Nagito alive was a strategic move. 🎭 Alluka would seek him out, when hse was given the time she would play with him and want to be with him and Kianna, they stopped trying to keep him away from Alluka in the end, it was pointless after all, he got what he wanted. 🎭 Alluka loved having Nagito around and was the first and quickest to accept him but given her naivety that was to be expected.

Kalluto Zoldyck

👘 Kalluto did not deal with Nagito passed a formal introduction, but it was a long and weird introduction. 👘 When Nagito first arrived Kalluto observed him from afar, never approached him, he reminded him of Hisoka in a weird way so he watched him carefully. 👘 Nagito knew he was there as well, they basically played a game of cat and mouse for about 3 days before Kianna took control of the situation. 👘 The introduction was wary, Kalluto doesn’t trust very many people and Nagito didn’t inspire trust, not even a little bit. Kalluto did trust Kianna though so gave it a go. 👘 Kalluto never really cared about having friends or anything past his family so being more than just acquainted with Nagito was never really on the cards but he’d keep him safe since he makes Kianna happy. 👘 Kalluto is indifferent to Nagito and doesn't care if stayed or goes. He was annoying and disruptive but Kalluto was never home so it didn't matter much to him.

Silva Zoldyck

🟣 It’s Silva’s job to be suspicious and he would continue to be suspicious for the rest of his life. 🟣 He listened to Kianna’s story of what happened and how Nagito helped her and then asked the same story of Nagito to make sure that they match but even then he wouldn’t trust him (and when he accidentally broke into Alluka’s room didn’t help). 🟣 Silva realised quickly that his skill for being lucky was useful and after 3 missions without Kianna, he realised that she was the only one that he would listen to so even if he was useless he would not send him out without you. 🟣 He was careful around him, suspicious of him and used him where he could, and he might even believe that he had control over him because he has control of Kianna. 🟣 No one actually knows why he keeps him around, the trouble he causes is not worth what skills he brings but for some reason he can not seem to tear him from Kianna, she seemed far too happy with him to do that. 🟣 Silva is quite literally watching every move that he makes, might even give him his own little house on the edge of the estate to try and stop him from causing anymore chaos.

Kikyo Zoldyck

👒 She is jealous, not of Kianna or of him but of the relationship that they both have, whenever they were together he was always all over Kianna, like he truly loved her. 👒 Like she walked into the living room and found Kianna and Nagito talking but Nagito was laying across Kianna’s lap and listening to her intently, nodding along and never interrupting. 👒 On the flip side when a threat presented itself, the first thing that Nagito did was place himself between Kianna and the threat. Kikyo hated them for that, she didn’t particularly like Kianna anyway but this made it worse. 👒 She had attempted to get Nagito thrown out, she did in some ways fear him, especially when two younger members of the family started to like him. 👒 She hates how smart Nagito is, he sees through most things that she has planned and even planned to expose her at one point. 👒 She doesn’t want anything to do with either one of them to be honest she hates seeing them around and so she avoids them.

Zeno Zoldyck

🐉 Zeno could see it from the moment that Kianna brought him back, he was cunning, manipulative and dangerous. Then he saw the way that his luck worked assuming it was some kind of nen ability, he had to be a specialist. 🐉 Zeno accepts him being there pretty easily, so he decided to try and get to know him, in case he ever needed to kill him. He played games of tactics and tested his mind. 🐉 Zeno often expected to see him around, Nagito was everywhere and nowhere all at the same time. 🐉 Zeno was very aware of the metal hand, especially when he started training him and as smart as Nagito is, he was easy to manipulate where Kianna was concerned. 🐉 Nagito respects Zeno, even if it doesn’t seem like it, he very much understands that he is the strongest of the family. 🐉 There’s a mutual respect between them for the brains and the physical power that they both have given their gifts.

*Part 2*

Request Here!!

[weemopuu]

stupid warm up i got too invested in

pt.1 || pt.2 || pt. 3 (+18)

[cloudedcreams]

•°. *࿐ Nagito K. x Reader

‘‘Candy cane, Nagito?’’ You offered, your arm extended.

He looked up at you in shock, not having expected you to approach him. You gave him a bright smile as he stared between both your hand and your face. When he reached up to retrieve the candy cane from you, his hands remained on yours for a moment longer than necessary, his hands shaking as he brought them back to his desk.

‘‘How sweet of you. To extend an offer to a charity case such as myself..’’ He responded. It was the last day of your second term at Hope’s Peak Academy and to greet such an occasion you had gone about delivering candy canes to each of your classmates. Nagito had been last on the list, and whilst the two of you had never talked amongst idle conversation, you couldn’t deny that you would miss him during the small break.

You shook your head at him, planting yourself on his desk. He seemed a bit taken aback by your desire to talk to him, though you sensed no discomfort on his expression. You crossed your legs over one another, thinking of ways to start the conversation.

In the background, you could hear your classmates chattering as Christmas music played in the background. Corny songs, like ‘Last Christmas’ and ‘All I want for Christmas’ and yet it was enough to put a smile on everybody’s face. They all exchanged presents with one another, some making plans with another over meeting up.

‘‘You didn’t put your name down for Christmas Santa then?’’ You asked, and he shook his head, his wild curls bouncing as he did so.

‘‘I didn’t want to burden anyone with having to buy me a present. Though I’d be joyous with anything an ultimate gifted me.’’

You stared at him with empathy for a moment, before speaking again.

‘‘I never thought that would have been the reason. When I heard you were the only person not participating I couldn’t help myself from buying an extra gift bag though.’’

You hand him a small bag you held in your hand. His face contorted in shock, before he began to wave his hands, a small blush pooling on his face.

‘‘R-really? You don’t have to be so kind! I-I don’t have anything to gift you back or-’’

You interrupted him by thrusting e bag into his hands. You smiled at him.

‘‘Even better. Isn’t Christmas all about giving without the expectation of receiving? Please Nagito. I’d be upset if you declined. We’re friends after all.’’

You said. He remained silent for a while, sinking in your words before he gave you a soft smile. He nodded, holding the gift bag closer to his chest.

‘‘I guess we are. Friends.’’

He said, a pure look of content on his face. You nodded at him, giving him a smile as one of your classmates called you over.

‘‘Happy Christmas, Nagito.’’

Merry Christmas in advance! This was rushed, I’ll be posting more (and hopefully better) content before the 25th. ᰔᩚ

[shsl-simp]

thinking about ojima takeshi. thats it thats the post i have severe ojima brainworms send help