SDHSL Smartass: AU: (In which Naegi doesn't get knocked out by Oowada's punch in Chapter 1)

"Oh shit! Sorry, man. I lost my temper. But I gotta say, kid, you're a durable one. Not many people remain conscious after I punch them. Intentiationally or not." Oowada said.
"That doesn't surprise me, given what we just learned. But all the same, that hurt. My brain feels like rattling inside my skull." Makoto Naegi said.
"Maybe you do have some luck after all. Must make up for a lack of skill in life." Togami commented.
"What?"
"Unlike the rest of us who got here on a combination of talent and hard work, you got lucky. Nothing more."
Celeste Ludenberg strutted forward. "As the SDHS Gambler, let me speak from experience. People may be born with an inherent quantity and quality of luck, but it can still be manipulated somewhat. Luck can be every bit of a skill as the next ability. And in my experience, luck can be manufactured. A clever enough person can create their own luck. And in this place, sometimes a little luck can make all the difference in the world."
"Manufactured luck? Maybe in your lifestyle. But in general? How absurd. The best rise to the top, always."
"That may come back to bite you later." Celeste called to Togami as he walked out of the gymnasium. "Haven't you ever heard of an upset?"
"The usage of a Xanatos Gambit." Naegi commented.
"A Xanatos Gambit?" Celeste replied.
"You know, a maneuver where no matter the outcome it benefits the user. Haven't you ever been on Tvtropes ?"
"I'm sorry, Naegi. I've never actually heard that term before. But it's a good one. I'll keep it in mind."
"Now that that crisis has been averted, what do we do now?" Yamada queued the group.
"I-i-t-it's obvious, isn't it?" Fukawa replied. "We look for a way out."
"I doubt it's going to be that easy." Fujisaki said.
"Still, we must try." Maizono said.
"Yes, of course, we must try." Kirigiri said. "But I doubt very much that we're just going to get be able find the exit and leave."
"This isn't going to be easy." Enoshima pointed out.
"But where's the fun in something if it's too easy?" Leon replied.
"Says the baseball star who never goes to practice." Asahina said.
"Okay, how about this? How about we split up into various groups?" Celeste suggested.
"That seems good enough." Oogami replied. "We just need to make sure everybody searches."
"Naegi, are you going to be alright?" Maizono asked Naegi.
"Yeah, I'll be fine. I just need stop the ringing in my ears."
"You might have a concussion." Fujisaki said.
. Enoshima walked up and studied Naegi.
" You don't have a concussion. You'd already be vomiting all over Sayaka if you did.
"Uhhh, how did you know so much about concussions, Enoshima?" Naegi's eyes widened. His classmates were getting more and more strange. But he supposed that this situation was making them act more serious than they normally would have.
"I'll tell you later."
"Fair enough."
"However, you should probably go and get some rest now."
"What?"
"That was a meaty punch by Oowada, we're going to need everyone at full strength. I assume there's going to be some beds somewhere. Somebody should accompany you.
"But I can still help!"
"See, you're already starting to stumble. Leon, why don't you help Naegi find his room?"
Kirigiri's eyes narrowed, something seemed off about this Enoshima. She'd have to keep an eye out on her.
"I'll take him." Maizono volunteered.
"Nobody has to accompany me anywhere." Naegi protested. "I'll find my room on my own."
"Stubbornly independent as ever."
Now it was Maizono's turn to be suspicious.
What was going on? This wasn't how she projected Naegi to be from their brief interactions in middle school. She had developed the ability to read people pretty well. It was something she had picked up from her idol career where if you took a single misstep and you were considered over. And those words 'As Ever'? That made it sound like Enoshima and Naegi had history together. But Naegi had indicated to her in the moments leading up to Monokuma's appearance that she was the only person Naegi actually knew. Does this mean they had an encounter and Naegi forgot whereas Enoshima remembered? She decided to try and get a read on Enoshima.
"Naegi, I'll be back for you later. In meantime, get some rest." Maizono shot Naegi her million smile.
"I guess I don't have a much choice in the matter." Naegi grumbled.
"Come on." Leon said, putting Naegi's arm over his shoulder. "Let's find your room", he said as the two semi-stumbled out of the gymnaisum.
Naegi could hear Ishimaru's voice ringing through the gymnasium.
"Alright, troops, let's move out."
"Ooohhh, stoppp with the hardline military attitude." Fukawa protested.
Meanwhile, Maizono was determined to figure out Enoshima's connection to Naegi, and the best way to do this was while the two were investigating. After all, if the two were stuck in here for a long period of time, she would have plenty of time to figure out the rest of them.
"So Enoshima, do you think anybody would seriously murder someone else in here?"
"I can't say for sure."
After a brief moment...
"Cut the crap, Maizono. We both know why you decided to search with me."
"Alright, what's your connection to Naegi? It seems like the two of you have met before."
"Why? Are you in love with him?"
"So what if I am?"
"That may come back to bite you."
"Explain to me how caring for the one peer whose ever treated me as a person could ever backfire."
"The nature of this game."
"We'll see."
"Yes, we will see."
"Now I have a question for you, Maizono."
"What is it?"
"You claimed that Naegi is the only peer whose ever treated you as a person. Explain."
"Well, you should know what it's like when people treat you as a means to end."
"Yes, I should. But I get the feeling our experiences in this matter are severely different. So go on."
"Hmmm, throughout middle school, it was day after day of boys hitting on me, trying to be my boyfriend. Trying to win my affections. It was girl after girl trying to become my best friend to become relevant. It was teacher after teacher allowing me to cheat on tests and bend the rules so that I could become their favorite teacher."
"Is that so?"
"Yes, they all had the same objective. To get me to actually care about them so that they might become famous by proxy."
"And Naegi?"
"Naegi treated me like a girl. With feelings. Who should have control over her own life."
"I see."
"I saw it."
"Saw what?"
"In his eyes. Every time a boy hit on me, every time a girl tried to sidle up to me. Every time a teacher gave me the green light to break the rules."
"What did you see?"
"The question. 'Why are all of you doing this? Can't you see she doesn't want to be around you? So why do you people continue to bother her?"
"Okay, Maizono, but couldn't you just have been applying context where there wasn't any?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, did the two of you ever have a full conservation?"
"Not for a lack of trying."
Leon and Naegi made it to Naegi's room.
"Oh, crap. It's locked."
"Not to worry, here are the room keys for the two of your rooms." Monokuma said.
"Thanks, Monokuma!" Leon said. Naegi silently snarked at his idiot moment and lack of awareness.
"Wait, Monokuma! Go away."
Monokuma chuckled.
"If it's going to keep going like this, I might not actually want to see any deaths at all. Uupppuuuu."
"Huh?"
And at this moment, Naegi realized something very important as the door opened and he staggered to his bed.
"You good to go?"
"Yeah."
"Hey, before I go, I have one question for you, Naegi."
"Yeah, what is it?"
"What's your history with Maizono?"
"Why?"
"I got a look at her face right after Oowada punched you, and well, she looked like she was going to go right over to Oowada and knock his lights out."
"What? Maizono? That doesn't seem in character for her."
"Yeah, man, I never thought that a pop idol could appear so scary. And if she looks pissed enough to take on the outlaw biker for your sake, you must be really important to her."
"So that's why you're asking about our history?"
"Yeah."
"There's not much to it. We went to the same middle school, we were in different classes. I hardly ever spoke to her."
"Then why do you think she cares so much for you?"
"Huh?"
"Let's just say I've met my fair share of obsessed girls. Maizono had the same look in her eyes. That look of 'This guy is mine. And as long as we could still get together, I'll maim or even kill any possible reasons preventing us from becoming a couple."
"Seriously? What did I do?"
"Did you treat her any differently than the other guys in your grade?"
"I suppose not. I never really cared about her career that much. I mean, I knew of it. But I never really went around trying to get into her good graces."
"So you were saying you were just your standard nice guy?"
"Yeah, I'd like to think so."
"Well, there's the answer."
"What?"
"You treated her normally. My guess is the rest of the guys who paid her any attention were always trying to get into her good graces. Become famous by proxy. They were never interested in her for her. There were interested in her for her wealth and fame and connections."
"What?"
"Yeah, so it makes sense that she would like the guy who legitimately treated her as a person, not a vehicle for stardom."
"So you're saying that being nice actually won the affections of the attractive girl? How about that."
Leon chuckled. "Apparently so. The cliche has been broken."
"I think that's a first."
"Yeah... she'll end up being your girlfriend if you're not careful."
"What do you mean?"
"What I mean is this, if the two of you enter into a relationship, it should be on equal terms. She shouldn't force you into it."
"If you say so."
"You don't believe me, do you?"
"Not really."
"I see. You're just the plain guy, aren't you? Not used to having the attractive girl's affections?"
"I guess you could say that. I'm just an ordinary, average guy. There's not much to me."
"I don't know, man. No matter what the prick says, you've certainly given off the impression that there's a hellvua lot more to you than just some luck."
"I'll take your word for it."
"Alright, I'm going to go help the others search for a way out. You really should get some rest."
Naegi's eyelids agreed with that statement.

- AUTHOR NOTE: Please go ahead and leave a review or recommend this to fellow fans. I want to hear the reactions from readers.