"Hope!" Normal Speech
'Despair!' People's thoughts
"Truth!" Flashbacks
Disclaimer: I have as much ownership of the Danganronpa series as you do dear reader.
AN: First thing I want to do is to give a shoutout to Dancantsin on Twitter and Instagram. I've known him for a while and he has just made a bit of fanart about this story which I think its pretty damn cool. This story probably wouldn't exist without him too, so to anyone that wants to check it I'll be putting the link in my profile. Thank you for the support!.
Update 26/11/2017: Proper thanks to RWBYJNPR for fixing this chapter.
Prologue
Uncertain Future, Changing Present
The future is not set in stone.
He couldn't remember where or when he had heard those words for the first time. It might have been on a T.V show or maybe even in a video game. Maybe he had heard his parents saying it while they ate dinner or he could have just read it somewhere like a magazine or the internet.
He truly wasn't able to remember even when he tried, however by now such a thing mattered little to him. What he truly cared about was the meaning of the phrase itself.
He knew a lot of people might consider it childish or maybe even cliché, and he understood why they would think that way. Thinking back on it he probably thought the same too, even if the words had sounded cool to his ears.
However, when your whole reason for living was set around that same exact phrase you stopped thinking about how silly or cool it might sound and instead you simply prayed to whoever was listening for those words to be true.
It might sound like an exaggeration, that much he knew. He understood that if he ever told any of his friends just how obsessed he was with the fact that the future could be changed by his actions they would probably think that either he had gone insane or that he was pulling an extremely dumb prank.
And he wouldn't be able to blame them for thinking that.
Because unlike him, they didn't know what kind of future awaited them.
They didn't know about the apocalyptic world that a high school girl was going to create. They didn't know how some of them would be forced to participate in a sick game in which they had to kill their friends while not even remembering the last two years of their lives. They didn't know how some would be manipulated to join said high school girl's side while having their minds broken until they became the world's #1 enemy.
And he was glad they didn't know about it. He was happy that they could all live their lives without knowing just how utterly hopeless things could get in even less than a year.
He was truly happy that they didn't have to face such despair.
But even so, he would never trade his own position for anything in the world. Would he be happy right now if he didn't know what was to come? Definitely, or at least it would stop the nightmares that he sometimes had.
But he refused to forget. He refused to act as if everything he knew was just a bad dream or some sort of lie. He couldn't, not when those memories were the only weapon he had against her.
Those memories were his strength, and that belief, for the future to be able to change by his actions, was his hope.
"I know you're awake, you know? Pretending to be asleep just to ignore me, how rude of you, Naegi-kun."
Ah, he almost forgot why he had started an internal monologue just like that. It wasn't like he did it often or anything, although he certainly did it more than he would like to admit but at least right now he had a good enough reason for that!
Well, maybe it wasn't the best of reasons, but in his defense, he had been asleep. Sure, he woke up and instead of moving he had decided to just play it silently with his thoughts as his only partner in crime but hey, considering the person that had decided to sit on the opposite side of the table he had used to rest it had seemed like a good idea at the time.
And in fact the only reason he didn't stick to his act and keep his head down between his arms was because of a certain someone suddenly grabbing a sensitive part of his body and suddenly tugging it with all of her might, with both the force and the unexpectedness of the action being more than enough to get a reaction from him.
"Ugh!" He groaned in pain just as he quickly raised his head in order to escape the grasp of the person in front of him, while his hands were quick to move to the top of his head as they carefully touched the spike resting on top of his brown hair.
He could even feel the ahoge almost twitching in his hands. It was a rather sensitive thing after all, and judging by the expression of the one responsible for his pain she was certainly aware of that fact.
He could only glare in response.
"Was that necessary, Enoshima-san?" His voice came out slowly as a frown set itself in his face just as his hazel eyes focused on the girl sitting in front of him.
Strawberry blonde hair tied in a pair of pigtails and light blue eyes which rested on a face that could only be described as beautiful, there was definitely no denying who was sitting in front of him. After all, not only was she pretty much a celebrity while also being someone that he saw almost daily, but she was also the one responsible for his current state of mind.
The Ultimate Fashionista, Enoshima Junko. A well-renowned name and title that belonged to the unique girl that was his classmate. A student of the famous Hope's Peak Academy with a knack for pranks while also being the sister of the Ultimate Soldier, who also just so happened to be another one of his classmates.
Yes, all of those descriptions could definitely be used to describe the blonde girl sitting in front of him, but to him she was so much more than that. Her current reputation truly didn't do her justice, and in his heart there was only one way that he could refer to this woman even if the events that would give her that title had yet to come.
Ultimate Despair…
"It's your fault for ignoring me." The smile she was giving him easily told him how little she cared if she got him upset or not. Not that such a thing surprised him of course, in fact what actually surprised him was the fact that she hadn't done more.
Compared to what she tried to do to him during their two years in this school, just tugging his ahoge seemed like child's play.
And that was just ignoring the type of things that he knew could cross her mind.
"I wasn't." He ended up simply denying it, even when he knew it was futile. "I was just a bit tired…"
It wasn't a complete lie, and although he had gotten better at those he still knew that someone like Junko would be able to see right through him easily.
Maybe coming to the library of the school just to rest his eyes a bit had not been the best idea in retrospect.
The small humming sound he received from the girl was enough to tell him just how much she actually believed him.
"What? Is mister popular here too tired of playing with his dogs and bitches?" And if there was one thing the Fashionista knew how to do, it was how to get a rise out of him. Not that such a thing was particularly hard in her opinion, mind you. "I wonder how long you will be able to keep that one going…"
He knew what she was implying, he knew that she was simply taunting him with her words and her grin. Her words sounded simple, but when it came to matters between the two nothing was ever simple.
He did the only thing he could think of as soon as those words reached his ears and simply glared at the blonde model. It might sound like a simple reaction, but for those that knew the young man, they would be truly surprised at seeing such a sharp expression on his face.
He wasn't the only one that would surprise others with his actions though, after all even the actions of the blonde beauty in front of him could only be described as strange to those that had gotten used to how she normally acted.
From changing her personality by the second out of sheer boredom to simply messing with others just to see how long it would take until they broke, not even her sister was free from such actions and yet none of that could be found on her right now.
It was as if they were two completely different individuals, but even they knew that this side of them would only be shown to the other like this, when it was just them and no one else.
Because to him he simply couldn't do any less. Enoshima Junko was the girl that had almost single-handedly brought the world to its knees, or rather she would try to do so in the future. She would be the one responsible for friends and loved ones killing each other, families being torn apart as the world around them was set on fire and all in the name of her deranged obsession.
Against such an adversary he simply couldn't leave his guard down. There was just no time for him to feel inadequate or intimidated, not when his friend's hope rested on his shoulders.
He had made a promise to himself and to the remaining members of Future Foundation as soon as he had been given such a task. He would stop Enoshima Junko from filling the world with despair. He would stop The Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic Event in Human History from happening, and then…
He would show Junko the hope that not even she could deny.
With such a task how could he act any less than his best when she was sitting right in front of him?
But for the woman in question things were completely different. She didn't have the memories of a future yet to come like he did. She didn't know the type of world she would create, or how even her own life would end because of the actions of the boy in front of her.
But what she did know was simple. Naegi Makoto was interesting to her.
No, saying that he was just interesting wouldn't do him justice by now. He had grown past just that a long time ago and by now he was an existence that had firmly planted himself in both her mind and heart to the point that she couldn't think of a single moment in the last year in which thoughts of the Luckster didn't swarm her head.
She hated him, she despised him.
She hated his stupid optimism even when things looked as bad as they could get. She hated how one smile and a few words from him were enough to get everyone to smile again. She hated how the whole school was putty in his hands just because he never knew when to shut his mouth.
She hated how even her failure of a sister had ended up falling for such a guy to the point she actually dared to defy her.
She truly loathed every cell that made one Naegi Makoto.
And yet… With those sharp eyes glaring straight at her, even she couldn't deny the tingle of excitement that went down her spine. She even had to stop herself from licking her lips like a hunter that had found the most delicious prey.
Because those hazel orbs were looking at her in a way that she knew was reserved to only her. Only in them was she able to see it all. The negative feelings that someone like him shouldn't have. They were there for her pleasure, and she would never get tired of seeing such a thing.
The pain, the anger, the fear and the resolution, all of that was being displayed in his gaze with such an intensity that she can still remember almost choking on it the first time she saw his expression. She didn't know how someone as ordinary as him could show her such a sight, but by now she was addicted to it.
She loved it, and she needed so much more of it.
There was no need to change personalities or to just mess around with him when he could offer her so much more that could entertain her. He was the one that dared to oppose her openly, but by now she wouldn't have it any other way.
After all, it would only make it sweeter once she ripped away that disgusting hope from every inch of his body.
Her plans for the world could wait, they could wait until she finally had her trophy by her side, broken to the point that the Naegi Makoto, Ultimate Lucky Student of class 78 became nothing but a distant memory and only Despair remained.
And only then would he be hers and hers only.
She honestly couldn't wait.
And it was only after minutes of hazel brown eyes matching light blue ones in a staring contest that a sudden sound around them was able to break their locked gazes, with said sound signaling them that it was now time to go back to their classroom.
After all, she might be a deranged girl with plans of world destruction in her head, while he was a time traveler with nothing but sheer optimism as his weapon, but even so, those weren't excuses to arrive late to class!
It was another loud bell that announced the end of the class, and as soon as said sound filled his ears the Luckster of the classroom could only release a relieved sigh, his head almost hitting his table as he felt his strength leave his body.
Hope's Peak Academy wasn't called one of the greatest, if not the greatest place for learning just for nothing. After all, even if the school focused more on each individual's personal growth related to their talents, the normal classes that they still had were nothing to scoff at.
Heck, this was his second time learning all of this and he still found it hard to grasp! At least it was easier this time he guessed, both by the fact that he, in theory, should already know this stuff and also because of the help some of his friends were giving him when it came to the academic side of things.
And speaking of his friends…
A hand was suddenly slammed right onto his desk, the smack itself easily being loud enough to fill the classroom with noise. Which was surprising when you considered the amount of sound filling the classroom, most of the said noise being that of chairs being moved and people's steps.
"Oi, Makoto!" He also wasn't even surprised by the sudden action, since by now he was far too used to such a thing. In fact, the only thing that surprised him slightly was the person that was addressing him, not because it was something weird, but rather because of how far apart their seats were from one another.
He didn't dare to look just to see what type of mayhem such an action could have caused, considering the apparent mad dash that the guy responsible for calling his name had done just to reach his desk first.
But then again, he really wasn't kidding about getting way too used to such things.
"C'mon, dude! The other guys at the gang keep pestering me about bringing you along again and this time I'm not taking no for an answer!" The loud, almost scary voice that regarded him could truly not be mistaken by anyone as to who the owner of the said voice was, and once he looked up his eyes were quick to confirm it.
Owada Mondo, also known as the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader, stood right in front of him with a massive grin plastered on his face. The taller boy's enthusiasm was certainly contagious to the point that he found himself simply smiling in kind. Sure, his classmate could be intimidating but by now he knew that someone like Mondo would never hurt him.
He opened his mouth, more than ready to actually agree with the idea. Sure, he was tired and doing something as riding alongside the biggest biker gang in the whole country was still more than a little intimidating, but how could he say no to such an honest invitation?
Not like he was given the time to answer anyway, since another hand was also quick to slam itself on his desk, with the owner of this one alternating between glaring as best as he could towards Mondo and smiling confidently down at the Luckster.
"Hold your horses there dude, Makoto and I are going to go pick up some chicks today!" It was Kuwata Leon, the Ultimate Baseball Star that spoke with a tone as if he was explaining the most obvious thing.
Before anyone else even got the chance to speak a third hand had descended quite abruptly on Makoto's poor desk. He could even see cracks starting to appear already! Not like this was the first time it happened but he was sure by now that the Headmaster didn't like having to change his desk every week.
"I'm sorry, bro, but Naegi-kun and I were going to discuss matters about joining the Student Council!" That loud voice, alongside the way he used to call Mondo, could only be related to one Ishimaru Kiyotaka, who proudly held the title of Ultimate Moral Compass of their class.
"Bro, you…!"
"I don't care about any of that! Makoto, you coming or what?"
"Naegi-kun would never break a promise between us brothers, that much I can guarantee you!"
And suddenly all their gazes were aimed straight down at him to the point that he actually felt slightly nervous with the intensity of their stares. It didn't matter how many times he was caught in a situation like this one he still didn't think he would ever get used to such a thing, even if he knew that he could only blame himself for this.
Not that he regretted it in any way, mind you.
The discussion was far from over though, for a small, almost melodic chuckle was heard by the group of four coming right from behind the Luckster. Said chuckle was followed by a tone of voice that was enough to make Leon, Mondo and Kiyotaka more than a little nervous.
"I'm sure Naegi-kun here would prefer to spend his day with someone like me rather than with a group of brutes such as you three… Isn't that right, Naegi-kun?" The way her almost devilish expression turned into an angelic smile as soon as the object of her attention changed was so fast that everyone present was sure they would have missed it if they had blinked.
Not that such a different way of treating others was a rare thing coming from Celestia Ludenberg, also known as the Ultimate Gambler, although it was still quite the sight. Celestia's, or rather Celes as she preferred being called like that by him, sudden proposal was even more surprising than the rest, at least to Makoto.
Not that he was given time to answer this proposal anyway.
"I-I'm sorry, Celestia-sama, b-but I can't give Makoto-dono's free time away just like that!" The voice began as a stutter, but it quickly gained the eccentric high spirit that could easily be associated with Yamada Hifumi, the resident Ultimate Doujin Author, however any confidence the artist might have had was quickly swept away as soon as everyone aimed their glares at him.
Wondering if he would ever be allowed to speak, and knowing that he most likely wouldn't, Makoto was once again stopped from voicing out his thoughts by a small, shaking hand touching his shoulder, which got him to turn on his seat around while sporting a slightly confused expression.
"I-I thought you c-could help me with my i-idea today…" His own gaze softened almost instantly as soon as it landed on the Ultimate Programmer, Fujisaki Chihiro. The smaller boy was even shaking from nervousness and considering how hectic things were getting he couldn't really blame him for that, although it seemed it didn't stop Chihiro from still requesting his time.
His original plan of simply accepting the first invitation he received was already going down the drain by the number of people that were gathering around his desk. Sure, getting asked out by more than one of his friends wasn't particularly weird, but this one seemed like one of those days in which everyone wanted to chime in.
He guessed that it was because they didn't have class tomorrow or something, but just as he had predicted it didn't take long for the rest of his classmates to join the already turbulent fray.
"Naegi promised to train with us! He's ours today!" This time it was Asahina Aoi, the Ultimate Swimming Pro, the one that voiced out her complains while crossing her arms over her chest.
"Asahina is indeed correct, we should be going to the gym by now in fact." The calm voice that followed belonged to the taller girl standing right behind the swimmer, and with such an imposing figure said individual could not be mistaken for anyone except the Ultimate Martial Artist, Ogami Sakura.
"That's not fair; you two keep hogging Naegi-kun too much already!" The quite pleasant to hear voice was followed by Makoto feeling another hand resting on his free shoulder, with said hand belonging to the girl that would normally be sitting on the desk right beside his "Naegi-kun was going to listen to my new song today, isn't that right, Naegi-kun?"
The sweet smile he received from the popular phenomenon known as Maizono Sayaka, The Ultimate Pop Sensation, was almost enough to get him to blush more than what he would like to admit.
Now he was really starting to remember just why he had decided to sleep for a bit in the library.
"Don't listen to them, Makoto-chi! I have seen it already, going with any of them will only end in disaster for you!" The older student of class 78th suddenly spoke, with said title belonging to none other than to Hagakure Yasuhiro, who also proudly sported the title of Ultimate Clairvoyant.
And while the Luckster in question was actually a little bit touched that his friend would do him a reading for free, especially considering how iron-willed he always was about charging, he also found himself doubting just how effective said prediction actually was.
"A-as if someone like Makoto-sama would listen to an idiot like you…" And it seemed he wasn't the only one that dared to doubt the clairvoyant's ability if the words of Fukawa Toko, the Ultimate Writing Prodigy, were anything to go by. "N-not like he would waste his time with any of you since he p-promised to proof-read something for m-me today anyway!"
…He was starting to notice a pattern here. Maybe he was really throwing out promises way too lightly but how was he supposed to say no when someone asked him to spend time with them like that?!
And by the way he felt Sayaka's grip on his shoulder becoming even fiercer he had a feeling things were about to go south pretty quickly.
"You shouldn't let them push you around like that, Naegi-kun." And while the ahoge boy knew that not every member of his class had gotten into the argument, he still hadn't expected for anyone of the remaining four that had not spoken to suddenly speak out, let alone the girl that always sat right behind him "If you do, they'll never learn their lesson."
He turned his head around slightly to look behind him, his brown eyes quickly meeting a pair of cold blue ones that he recognized instantly. He couldn't help but smile slightly at the Ultimate Soldier, Ikusaba Mukuro. After all, he knew she meant well with her words, but he also knew how others might take them.
And judging by the heated stares he could feel from everyone, alongside Sayaka's grip which was even becoming painful by now, they certainly heard her icy words.
Luckily the argument, which he knew was just seconds away from escalating into something worse, was stopped by another voice, this one being a confident sounding one to the point of arrogance. However, knowing just who the owner of the voice was, Makoto could only hope that he wouldn't make things that much worse.
"Huh, someone like Naegi finally standing up to these idiots? I would certainly pay to see that happening." The Ultimate Affluent Prodigy, Togami Byakuya, was not one to mind his words, nor did he care when everyone's glare moved quickly towards him. In fact, his only response was to smirk slightly just as his sharp gaze focused on the Luckster of the class. "However since I would rather end this monkey show already I'll even do you a favor. You're coming with me, end of the discussion."
The blonde's words actually got the whole classroom to fall into silence for a total of five seconds, but just as a tired sigh escaped Makoto's lips the shouting match between his classmates began once again, this time with somehow even more fire than before.
At least his shoulder wasn't getting crushed anymore, that was always a good thing in his books.
Luckily for him, the two remaining members of class 78 had apparently decided to not participate in the argument for who deserved to spend their free time with him, and for that, he was honestly more than a little thankful.
Junko joining would definitely only make things worse by default, but it seemed the Fashionista was satisfied enough with just watching everything from her seat while a small crown rested on top on her head, as she incited the so-called commoners around her to entertain her.
And as to the last student of the class, his hazel eyes were drawn to her form, with said gaze quickly meeting a pair of purple eyes. To call Kirigiri Kyoko, the Ultimate Detective, stoic would be kind of an understatement for almost anyone that knew her, however, he would have to be blind to not notice the small smile she was sending his way from the back of the classroom.
He wasn't able to hold the awkward chuckle that escaped his lips just as he scratched his cheek with his finger. After all, they both knew that he was the only one to blame for things getting this heated up, and judging by the glint that he was able to detect in her purple eyes he also knew that he was alone on this one.
Then again, he had a feeling that the only reason his lavender-haired friend wasn't adding her two cents to the mix was because he had already spent most of his time yesterday with her, and apparently being with him two days in a row was against the rules.
Their words, not his. He hadn't even known about the existence of rules until a few months ago! And even now he still didn't even know what those rules entailed since apparently not talking about the rules was their first rule.
But even so, he knew he had to do something by now, especially going by how Mondo was starting to crack his knuckles as he walked slowly to a scowling Byakuya. He would definitely prefer if they were able to keep the same classroom for a whole month without something breaking, it would certainly be at least a new record for the class.
"Everyone, please!" He stood up abruptly while his voice came out loud enough to gather everyone's attention on him. After all, him raising his voice like that was something that rarely ever happened and the occasion demanded their attention almost immediately.
And to his credit, Makoto didn't shy away from the focused stares everyone was giving him. He could even see Junko from the corner of his eyes also looking at him with her crown now forgotten.
The brown-haired teen took a deep breath as he thought about what he could say to calm down the situation he had gotten himself in. He wasn't kidding about it all being his fault, even ignoring how he had promised to spend time with everyone, which he couldn't deny although he certainly didn't remember anyone saying it would be today.
But then again it seemed as if there was a force out there in the universe that was extremely keen on not letting Makoto speak out, for as soon as he opened his mouth to address all of class 78 another loud noise stopped him in his tracks while shifting everyone's attention towards one of the doors of their classroom.
The sound itself had been caused by someone sliding open said door rather strongly, and even Makoto found himself surprised as to the identity of the person that had just opened the door, although judging by the stares from his friends to said person they were definitely more annoyed than surprised.
"Y-yes… I made it first…" Said individual was obviously more than a little bit tired if the way he was trying to catch his breath was anything to go by, however even that wasn't able to stop the guy from grinning enthusiastically as soon as his pink eyes made contact with Makoto's surprised stare.
"Yo, Makoto!" The newcomer said with a friendly wave while completely ignoring the rest of the students in the classroom in favor of focusing on his favorite Luckster "Let's get out of here quickly before the re-gah!"
Whatever Soda Kazuichi, the Ultimate Mechanic of the class above them and one of his senpais, was about to say would be forever lost in time since he was then tackled out of existence by a silver blur, leaving the open door rather empty while obvious sounds of struggle could be heard right outside of the room.
A part of Makoto would really like to say that this was all a rare occurrence inside the walls of Hope's Peak Academy, but he would only be lying to himself if he did.
And already having an idea as to who the silver blur that had tackled Kazuichi was, he wasn't really surprised when another figure, this time one even smaller than him, appeared on the still open door.
"Keep him there Peko, serves him right for trying to get a head start by pretending to be sick." The growling voice and obviously angry form of the Ultimate Yakuza, Kuzuryu Fuyuhiko, was the next thing that the students of class 78 saw at the door, although just like his classmate before him Fuyuhiko's expression was quick to change as soon as his golden eyes landed on Makoto while a smirk was quick to form on his lips.
"C'mon Naegi, you're eating dinner with me today. My sister keeps pestering me about bringing you to the house again anyway, so that makes two birds with one stone." The proposal only got a nervous smile from Makoto, who could remember quite vividly just how hectic things got last time he went with the Yakuza.
He had never been in a proper gunfight before so at least it had been a learning experience.
Unlike the Mechanic before him though, Fuyuhiko actually did notice the heated stares he was receiving from everyone except Makoto, but it wasn't like he was going to let himself be intimidated by his underclassmen, especially with what was at stake.
However it was the sound of commotion becoming increasingly stronger outside of the classroom that stopped the blonde from blowing off everyone else, and by the way his expression soured as soon as he looked to the side, more problematic individuals were getting closer.
"Shit, they're almost here." Fuyuhiko cursed just as he sent Makoto one last nod. "Let me deal with my annoying classmates first, don't you dare leave."
And with that, he closed the door, and simply going by the sudden shouts and tremors that could be heard and felt from right outside it told the 78th class just what kind of battle their seniors were experiencing.
Makoto could only sigh tiredly, thinking about how the Headmaster was going to want an explanation about whatever was happening here. The rest of his classmates, with the exception of Junko who only looked bored out of her mind, were sending each other firm, determined glances and nods. Even people as shy as Chihiro and cold as Byakuya were following suit, after all it was simply one more of their unspoken rules.
They were all rivals that faced each other when it came to their Luckster, but when it came to the other classes that were trying to get their Naegi Makoto away from them, the 78th class became a united front.
It was a necessary precaution, especially when their seniors were hardly the only class more than a little interested in their Ultimate Lucky Student.
And speaking of the devil…
Already wondering just what could make this situation even more chaotic, Makoto's thoughts were answered by the other door of the classroom also being opened with more force than necessary, making everyone's eyes go from one extreme of the room to the other one, with Makoto himself starting to have some cold sweat down his forehead as soon as he realized who had opened the door this time and just what it meant.
Iruma Miu, Ultimate Inventor of class 79, stood there almost breathlessly with the sweat dripping down her forehead an obvious sign she had run here with all of her strength. It seemed that Makoto's eyes had some sort of ability to cure tiredness though, because just like with Kazuichi before her as soon as Miu's grey eyes landed on the brown-haired Ultimate her gaze lit up with an almost childlike enthusiasm, all evidence of her exhausted state completely disappearing in the blink of an eye.
However, unlike Kazuichi before her Miu wasn't given time to even say anything, since as soon as she even tried to open her mouth while putting a foot inside the room she was suddenly tripped by a shadow behind her, getting the blonde girl to yelp in surprise before moaning in pain as soon as her face made contact with the floor in quite the spectacular manner.
"The fact that you thought no one would notice you suddenly disappearing somehow makes you look even more stupid than usual, you useless pig." They couldn't see the owner of the playful voice that was now dragging Miu outside of the room, but the groans that escaped most of Makoto's classmates told anyone that saw them that they had an idea as to who it was and that they weren't thrilled by having him here.
"Naegi-chan, I got us a new game! We can use the pig's dirty body to play Surgeon!" And sure enough, their suspicion was proven correct once Oma Kokichi, the Ultimate Supreme Leader, stuck his head inside the classroom with an innocent smile plastered on his lips.
"Oma-kun…" And the Luckster had to admit that, barring Junko who was on a whole different level to him by default, dealing with the purple-haired Ultimate was probably one of the hardest things he had to do on an almost daily basis. At least he was a lot better by now, although he also knew just what kind of reputation Kokichi had earned for himself among his friends.
Then again it seemed that this time he would be free from figuring out how Oma Kokichi worked, for just as the Ultimate started waving at him he was shoved to the side with so much strength that, if his screams of shock were anything to go by, he had been launched head first into whatever type of argument the 77th class was still having.
"Serves him right for pushing me down the stairs!" The one that took Kokichi's place, who was also responsible for throwing said Ultimate to the wolves, complained slightly right before his boisterous voice reached Makoto alongside his enthusiastic grin. "Oi Makoto, let's do something today! I even brought Maki Roll with me!"
"If you call me that again I'm really killing you…" The contrast between Momota Kaito, Ultimate Astronaut, and the cold-looking girl that he had apparently dragged here, who was none other than the Ultimate Child Caregiver Harukawa Maki, was like day and night. Although in Makoto's eyes he was just glad that the red-eyed Ultimate was starting to get along with the rest of her classmates, or at least the fact that she let Kaito drag her here seemed to indicate that.
After all, he knew first-hand that if Maki didn't like it she could have easily blown Kaito off, although something told him by the way those red-eyes focused on him that she really wanted him to accept the invitation if just so that Kaito would finally release his hold on her wrist.
Something that the astronaut actually ended up doing, although for completely different reasons. The sound of even more people coming towards the door only filled Makoto with even more dread, with his ahoge even twitching a bit almost as if it could feel Makoto's worries.
Kaito's words just confirmed it even more.
"Damn, those guys are faster than I thought!" He said with a smirk while his fist met his other palm, his eyes going from the hallway back to Makoto "We're grabbing a bite after this so just you wait there!" And without even waiting for a response the younger Ultimate closed the door, although his voice could still be heard by those inside the classroom.
"Yosh, I trust you with my back on this one, Maki Roll!"
"…You really have a death wish, don't you?"
"I'll let you have half of my time with Makoto."
"…Fine."
And then the already loud hallway became even more of a mess. Sure, no one inside the classroom could actually see what was happening, nor were they interested in actually seeing the mayhem, but just based on the sounds of the whole thing it definitely looked as if they were all going all out on each other.
'I'm so sorry for this, Headmaster…' For his part, Makoto simply sent a silent prayer to the older of the two Kirigiris that he knew. He could only imagine how much extra work this was going to give the man.
At least his classmates had stopped arguing with one another, so at least not everything was as bad as it looked.
In fact, everyone simply stood there, covered in an eerie silence that the Luckster didn't dare to break. Sure, the noise outside could hardly be ignored, but as long as everyone inside the classroom remained calm he was sure that he would be able to figure something out.
Was he getting way too used to something like this happening? Yes, yes indeed. Did he have any idea as to how handle it properly? That one could be argued.
He should have known though, with the only warning that he received being certain blonde model smiling coyly at him, that it would be Junko the one that would bring about his demise.
"So do you want to go on a date with me, Naegi-kun?"
And with that the momentary truce that class 78 had ended up being broken in less than a second by mere words, with words and arguments flying through the air between the Ultimates almost as if they were bullets.
And in the center of this Naegi Makoto could do nothing except sigh tiredly, although in his face there was no hint of annoyance whatsoever. Instead, there was nothing but a small, honest smile that he did his best to hide from his friends by lowering his head.
It might have looked weird for an outsider looking in, but how was he supposed to not smile when he could hear everyone talking excitedly around him?
Sure, the subject itself could have been better, but the fact that they were all arguing about something as simple as to what to do after classes was enough to make him smile.
He would just have to make sure that times like these never ended both to him and to everyone that put a foot inside Hope's Peak Academy.
His whole body felt like jelly, almost as if his knees would give up at any second, sending his body face first into the floor.
Luckily for him, he had been able to reach his home before something like that happened. Sure, he got back later than usual since he had helped clean the mess that had been created in what could only be described as the third multi-class showdown of the month but hey, at least it had been a nice bonding time between his friends.
Besides most of the time he spent there had been him trying to convince a certain Ultimate Moral Compass that not everything was his fault just because he didn't stop everyone before they made a mess.
That didn't make him any less tired though, and he was truly glad that his parents had bought a house so close to Hope's Peak just because of him. There were always the dorm rooms back at the school, but he actually preferred simply staying at his house, closer to his family.
He didn't like to sound like a kid, but he to admit that the first thing he had done after landing back in this time and waking up just to see his parents and his sister eating breakfast as usual had been to cry his eyes out.
He smiled tiredly as the memories of his parents and Komaru trying to calm him down while not even knowing why he was crying assaulted his mind. Convincing them that he was fine after that had been another hard task, but the last thing that he had wanted to do had been to take away their smiles by telling them the truth.
He opened the door to his room, his legs dragging his tired body slowly towards the bed right after turning the lights on. There was no one else in the house besides him, since apparently both of his parents had to work late today while his little sister was having a sleepover at a friend's house.
With how much his body demanded rest he didn't even have dinner today, and instead he had opted for just coming right into his room. The way his hazel eyes shined as soon as he saw his bed could have lit up the whole room, and not a second later he was resting face up in the bed, eyes closed as slow breaths left him.
Today's events weren't the only thing that had made him this tired though since it was rather a combination of some of the things he ended up doing mostly out of his desire to stop whatever Junko might be scheming in her mind and his lack of sleep.
You would think that after two years of reliving his time at Hope's Peak those nightmares would have ended by now, but even after seeing that everyone from his class was safe and sound, that his family was alive and happy and that the world was still intact the nightmares still ate away some of his nights.
That video had really done wonders for him, hadn't it?
He opened his eyes slowly as he raised his body from the bed. At least he was better now and he didn't have to deal with those every single night, something that he could only be thankful for.
Although if he had to guess as to why he had gotten better there was really only one possibility in his head, and almost as if someone had read his mind a sudden buzzing sound, alongside the feeling of something shaking, suddenly came out of one of his pant pockets.
He was quick to remove the object making said sound from his pocket, and with a quick movement of his fingers he unlocked his cellphone, allowing him to see just what exactly was making it sound so much.
And just as he guessed based on the sound his phone had suddenly just received more messages that he could count, and just watching as some more texts kept arriving he already had an idea as to just how long he would be answering all of them.
But even then he did nothing but smile softly in response, because to him this was nothing but the proof that his work so far had actually been worth it and that the future could, in fact, be changed!
After all wasn't it around this time that everything started going badly for everyone? And yet here he had the proof that it wasn't like that this time around.
Stopping Enoshima Junko from filling the world with her despair, that was his objective. A part of him still didn't understand why from all the remaining members of Future Foundation he had been the one chosen for the task. Surely someone like Kyoko or Byakuya would have been better for this mission, right? A part of him still believed it so.
But yet here he was, doing his best to stop Junko from going on a rampage. From stopping her from gaining the tools that would allow her to accomplish The Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic Event in Human History, to making her focus solely on him by openly going against her despair since day one, he honestly believed that he had done everything in his power to stop her.
Well, there was still one last alternative, but he refused to go through with it. In his heart he truly believed that even someone like Junko could still be saved, he just had to find out how.
Befriending everyone like how he had done so by now though, had not been entirely part of Future Foundation's plan. Yes, they had told him to keep an eye for anyone that Junko might turn into Despair like her, but just like with the Remnants of Despair he had decided to do it in his own way.
From the senpais that he knew little of, to his own classmates whose deaths back in his time still weighted heavily on his mind, to even the underclassmen that he didn't even remember having, he had decided on a simple way of making sure they would never fall into Junko's clutches.
He would simply be there for them. He would be their friends even if they hated him, and he would do everything in his power so that none of them ever fell into despair, not only for their future but because they all deserved better.
He still wasn't completely sure if he deserved the title that Kyoko had given to him the first time Junko had been defeated, the one of true Ultimate Hope, but if that talent was really as powerful as she had believed for it to be then he couldn't start faltering now.
He had made a promise to all of them, and their hopes for a different future became his own true hope. He would use that to defeat Enoshima Junko and her Despair once and for all.
First of all, I just wanted to state the obvious. This story is heavily inspired by some of my favorite Danganronpa fics on this site like "The Unlucky Luckster And The 77th Class" from Veos G17, "The Luckster and his luck" by Jibster and "King of Hope" by Putain de Plagieur as a lot of you can probably tell.
I simply wanted to try something with some of their ideas that I loved to death while also trying something else so that it didn't come out as just a rip-off, and the result is this little shitstorm.
Yes, this has Time Travel and this is Naegi after the events of the DR3 anime. Yes, this has the V3 crew even if their story doesn't fit properly here for obvious reasons and yes you can expect some OOC stuff from some characters since after all a big part of this story will be their unusual behavior when it comes to our original ahoge boy.
Another thing that I wanted to try, and one of the reasons I even added the walking problem that is time-travel, is to write more about Naegi's character. Yes we all know him, he's the original Hope boy (sorry Komaeda and Kiibo) but I wanted to try more with him to see where I can take him on this ride.
In the end this chapter I can only describe it as a tease just to put the idea out there and so that I can show the key factors of the story, which is why I didn't go as far as to show each character or give more time to the ones that appeared. More about each character will be shown in the future of course.
Thank you all for actually reading this far and I apologize for any butchering of the language that you might find while reading the story. Hope you have a great day!
Next Chapter: Walking to school shouldn't be this difficult.