Danganronpa 2.5: Return To Hope's Peak Academy (Athene & Potter-kun)

LadyAthene

LadyAthene

Supernova
Joined
May 12, 2015
Location
West Coast, USA

How long had it been since everything finished? Some days, she couldn't recall. Actually, scratch that. Most days, she couldn't remember. Then again, who would want to force their brains to think back to such painful memories?

It was rather ironic, really. It hadn't clicked until after she'd gotten out that, in all honesty, it dawned on her. The true reason she had been kept a prisoner in what was supposed to be a safe haven was because the outside world had all but turned to a literal, living hell.

"But now what?" the young woman muttered, pacing nervously back and forth. "I can't undo what's already happened!"

As if on cue, a voice in the female's head piped up.

Nope. Buuuuut it's not too late. There are others you can save from the exact same despair you just had to face mere months ago.

Okay. But I go about this all how now?

The sounds of steady but very determined footfalls were the only things that could be heard within the mostly empty halls of Hope's Peak Academy. The lone figure cautiously moved, her muscles and body all seeming to act of their own free will.

It wouldn't be until she reached the Headmaster's Room, where a single laptop was the first thing to catch her attention. Her head couldn't help but tilt as she sat in front of the device.

Admittedly, she had no clue what she was looking for at first.

What started as mindlessly browsing the web, however, turned into hopeful revelations. Apparently, quite the array of deadly games had occurred within this very school! The thought made the young woman's eyes widen in shock.

"So ... even Hope's Peak isn't safe?" she mused, feeling her heart temporarily sink. That was horrible. Stressful, even.

However, when her eyes found some very specific names, with images below them, hope swelled through her once more.

"I'm not too late!" she happily declared to herself. "I know! I can stop this! History's already repeated at least once! I can prevent it from doing so again!"

The mysterious silhouette hastily tapped away on the keyboard, jotting down certain names that especially grabbed her interest and attention. By the time the figure finished, there were five names.

Thus, the next four to five hours were spent with the long, tedious task of making then mailing out letters. It took so long not because paper couldn't be found; however, precautions needed to be taken. After all, among the names was the Ultimate Detective.

It wouldn't be good if everything was figured out and solved all at once.

So, even though they weren't actually ransom notes, they had a similar appearance via cut-out letters and sentences.

Hopeful eyes carefully scanned the surfaces of each envelope, the lone woman studying and remembering each name she read.

Aoi Asahina, Hajime Hinata, Kyoko Kirigiri, Nagito Komaeda, and Makoto Naegi.

"I'll see you all soon ... "

Inside would be little more than a single sentence that hinted something precious to them was here.

For some of these names, it would be true. For other individuals, it would be a white lie. However, she as confident. This would all be worth it in the end. Finally, she could succeed where everyone else failed.

Soon, they would be safe.

No more murders. No more chaos. No more despair ....

Or that was her hope, anyways.
 

Byakuya had told him it was trapped and warned him against going...and Byakuya was normally right about such things. Still, this wasn't something Makoto Naegi could just walk away from. Not when he and Kyoko had both gotten letters, not when it said his sister was being held at Hopes Peak Academy. So it was that he found himself here in front of the Academy he swore to never come back to.

Too many bad memories filled his mind....the dead friends, the class trail...the despair. Out of all of that though, the survivors had found their hope in each other, and that was certainly a precious memory he would always cherish. His hand reached up and brushed the vault like door that had sealed them in for what felt like an eternity. The Kanji "Mirai" appeared on the door....Future. That was what Makoto believed and hoped in, the future. He believed in a better future and a better tomorrow and he would do everything in his power to help realize that, even if it meant coming back to this dreaded Academy.

He had arranged with Kyoko to meet up with her soon, but he wasn't alone either. Beside him stood two student who knew the Academy as well, but in a vastly different sense. With him were Hajime Hinata and Nagito Komaeda...two former members of Junko's old gang, the Ultimate Despairs who had brought about the hellish nightmares that nearly ended all life on the planet.

Their memories of the Academy were different than Makoto's; while Makoto remembered the hellish "student life" Junko had put them through with none of his school memories ever returning, both Hajime and Nagito remembered their Academy lives well...including participating in the slaughter of a good chunk of the student body. In some way though, their memories were similar to Makoto in that all three associated the Academy with despair.

The former members of the Ultimate Despairs had been working with Makoto in the others in helping to rebuild the world for the better. It had been rough at first, but they were all now what could be called friends. Nagito had taken an almost unhealthy obsession with Makoto when he learned they were fellow Lucky Students. To Nagito, Makoto was the epitome of what he wished he could be, and he basically hero worshiped the young man.

Hajime meanwhile still only retained his persona that had been forged in the game world but he held all the memories of his previous life and this often resulted in pangs of guilt and regret, but he did his best to help the Future Foundation and had formed a sturdy partnership with many of the members, including Kyoko and Makoto.

"Should be here any moment now." Makoto looked into the wasteland that surrounded the Academy as he tapped his foot lightly against the ground. His watch showed the arranged meeting time fast approaching, and it was unlike Kyoko to be late.
 

The moment the letters arrived, Kyoko's detective instincts kicked into high gear. something was wrong. Very much so. It was far too convenient. Not only had she gotten a letter, but so did Makoto and the very frantic Aoi who was all but bouncing up and down beside her. "I'm telling you," Kyoko repeated for what felt like the millionth time, "No. I have to agree with Byakuya on this. It's clear as crystal that this is a trap. We're not meeting up withe others."

Truth be told, she was a bit disappointed that Makoto had taken the bait so easily.

Then again, his message had been a personal one. Very much like Aoi's in fact.

The Ultimate Swimmer stomped angrily down as she shot an unorthodox glare at Kyoko. "I know I'm probably being an idiot and letting my feelings get in the way, alright?! But I'm obviously not the only one! How can you so easily say no to this?! After three to four years, I finally have a lead on my brother! I'm not just letting this opportunity slip!"

Kyoko sighed, moving a few strands of hair behind her ears. "Because," she stated in a very calm, matter-of-fact tone, "My talent is in my blood. Just like it is with everyone else. And I don't think, I know something is wrong with these letters. Then if we furthermore add in the others who survived ordeals like ours - Hajime and Nagito also receiving these - it screams that trouble has somehow found us. We really shouldn't --- "

Yet as she lifted her head to look at the athlete, she saw Aoi was gone.

"Did she just? She did, didn't she? Ugh ... that hasty woman ... " Kyoko muttered in annoyance, groaning under her breath as she broke into a run. "Oi, Aoi! Wait!"

So much for using caution, I suppose, Kyoko lamented, suppressing a frustrated sigh from escaping her parted lips.
Apparently, Aoi had been very desperate. Because she hadn't hailed a taxi or tried to find a means of public transportation. Granted, there weren't many that worked nowadays, but there were some. No, though. Aoi had run the entire way from the Future Foundation office to Hope's Peak Academy. Kyoko furthermore found that all of the guys were already waiting in front of the door. "I'm ... going ... to repeat Byakuya's advice one last time. We really should --- "

Before she could finish the warning that no doubt Makoto and Aoi had been told, the doors opened up, all but inviting them to walk right into whatever awaited them.

" ... Oh yes. That's not ominous at all," Kyoko muttered, studying each person in hopes of trying to gauge their reactions. Could any of them even be talked out of this crazy idea?

Probably Hajime and maybe even Nagito.

I can't imagine either of their letters were as sensitive as Makoto or Aoi's, after all ...

"I agree," Aoi chimed in. "I mean ... yeah. That's definitely a red flag if I ever saw one. But .... with that being the last obstacle to lead me to my brother ... " Her head moved from side to side, causing dark brown locks to lightly whip the sides of her face. "You and Byakuya will have to forgive me. I've waited long enough! I'm not doing that anymore!"

"Aoi, please just stop and -- "

Alas, the dark-skinned swimmer apparently was done waiting. She ran in, not even bothering to hear the detective out.

"Goddamnit," Kyoko muttered, flashing an irked glare at the others, "At least go to the bath house! No unwanted eyes will be upon us that way! Oi, Aoi! Get back here!" As Kirigiri ran in, a knot formed in her stomach. It would be confirmed she had been feeling fair incentives to do so. The moment everyone walked inside, a loud thud resounded. One glance behind any of them would reveal the door had shut, and the numerous clicks that followed hinted they had been locked inside.

... Home again, home again, Kyoko bitterly thought, lightly scoffing as she went to try to find Aoi and guide her to the proposed destination. Being locked in here yet again was going to be frustrating enough. It'd only be worse if that athlete died before even an hour ticked away. She already had a hell of a to-do list to go through with, and none of it made Kyoko even somewhat happy. Talking with Byakuya would be a pain, as would confirming their guess on this being a trap would be.

... So she intended to make everything that was about to happen as painless as possible.
 

Nagito's and Hajime's letters were indeed less personal in nature; while Hajime might have been able to be reasoned with, Nagito was determined to explore the Academy, even it was on his own. He wanted to see the bastion of Hope with his own eyes and see exactly what had happened to it.

Not that any of them had any choice in the matter though, just as soon as greetings were exchanged, the door slowly swung open ominously. As Kyoko was getting ready to deliver her warning, Aoi bolted through the now open door, the three boys stood there for a moment, surprised at the action of the girl but all quickly sprang into action. Even if any of them could have been talked out of it, with Aoi inside now, they had no choice but to enter.

As soon as they were all in the door swung closed behind them, Makoto had a very similar thought to Kyoko but thankfully he had talked to Byakuya about countermeasures for such an incident. He had told his fellow Future Foundation member that if he and Kyoko didn't report back after a certain period of time to send a rescue force to the Academy.

He wasn't going to say that out loud though..not with the camera's around.

"We should head to the baths....like Kyoko said." Makoto spoke firmly and decisively...while Byakuya was the brains and leader of the group, people often looked to Makoto for inspiration and he made for a surprisingly good leader.

Hajime simply wondered why they needed to go to the baths but followed along with Makoto.

Nagito meanwhile was root to the spot for a moment, taking in the oppressive atmosphere of the school.

"To think....such a bastion of hope would be tainted with this much despair....it's a disgrace!" He muttered to himself before following after his partners. He had heard what had happened to Makoto and the others, but even he didn't expect the atmosphere of the school to be drenched with such despair.

The trio of boys arrived in the baths, sitting down and waiting patiently for the arrival of their partners and now fellow inmates.
 

Kyoko supposed there was one plus about Aoi having received a personal letter. It made tracking down where she was within Hope's Peak that much simpler for the detective. Add in the fact the swimmer was making no effort to lower how loud her footfalls or voice were and ... well ... it was all the more obvious on why the scene played out as it did.

"Yuta! Yuta-ototo! It's me! I'm here no -- mmff!"

"What is wrong with you, huh?!" Kyoko angrily hissed into Aoi's ear, pressing her hand tighter against the darker-skinned woman's mouth. "I listened to you. It is officially your turn to do so to me. Come on! We're walking and talking, whether you like it or not. Now then, can I trust you to calm down and hear me out?"

Only after Kyoko saw Aoi reply with an affirmative nod did her hand move off, grabbing onto the closest arm instead.

"Shit! Not so rough!" Aoi protested, almost immediately going quiet after noticing Kyoko glare in retaliation.

"I'm going to pretend you said nothing. Now then, I want you to stay silent. Everything I am about to say is a rhetorical musing, and thus not to literally be directly answered. I realize how important that letter was despite not acting like it. Still, the moment everyone else got one, didn't that alone scream out 'trap!' to you? Do you even know what happened after you ran inside?"

Aoi slowly moving her head from side to side, causing Kyoko to elicit an irked sigh.

"Everyone else ran inside. Not too long after that ... the door slammed and locked itself. Look around, Asahina. Aside from our captor and the guys, does it really look like anyone else - Yuta, for example - is truly here? You did exactly what this person wanted. Now ... we're basically at their mercy."

Aoi swallowed, finally seeming to comprehend how dire of a situation she may be in. "Oh god," she muttered. "We don't have to kill again, do we?! Fuck! This is my fault. I --"

"It doesn't matter now. Apologies don't, at any rate. However, nothing has been announced by who ever is keeping us here. We're going to take advantage of that and come up with a plan."

Several minutes later, a very irritated Kyoko walked in. She was still guiding Aoi, but not because the swimmer was fighting or struggling. If anything, the shock and dawning of her choices made her muscles temporarily forget how to function.

Kyoko sighed, merely letting go after they entered the bath house and leaned against the wall.

"If anyone wants to be hasty and run, fine by me. But I refuse to be responsible for any foolish choices -- or lack of. Is that clear?"

While observing everyone's answers, Kyoko glanced around, audibly sighing in relief as she noted something. "Good. The cameras are still absent from this room like before. Okay. At the very least, we will have this advantage against our captor. While we were gone, did any thoughts about anything come to you guys? It could be about literally anything; our situation, the letters, guesses on who is keeping us here, a suggested routine ... as I said, anything. Within reason, of course."

Her arms crossed over her chest as Kyoko waited for any of the three males to speak up and offer input of any kind.
 

As Kyoko and Aoi entered the bath house, Naegi let out a sigh of relief as he saw the two were okay. He had been worried that something might have happened to them, though he wasn't worried too much because they had found a note in the bathhouse. He was getting ready to show the girls when Kyoko spoke up. He waited for her to finish before he spoke up.

"We found a note in the bath house, it seems whoever trapped us here knew we would come here first....it says, " I am keeping you here for your own protection, the only rule is you are not allowed to leave. You do not have to take part in a Killing Game like before, please just stay safe." Naegi read the note and handed it to Kyoko for the girls to examine.

"I compared the handwriting to the notes Makoto, Hajime and myself received, the handwriting is a definite match. Whoever trapped us here is the same one watching us, likely." Nagito spoke up next, pointing to a set of three letters on a bench nearby.

"For now....I think we should just try to calm down. Lets explore the school, make sure everything is how it was when you three left and then try and come up with a plan." Hajime spoke out next, tapping his foot against the ground lightly.

"I agree. I also think we should stick to the Nighttime rule, just to be safe. We should be in our rooms at 10. In fact, we should all sleep in the same room in case whoever trapped us in here is wandering around." Makoto spoke calmly, despite all that had happened. He had hope in his heart, as always.
 

Even though Kyoko didn't visibly glance over or speak to Aoi, she couldn't help but note the poor girl still had yet to snap out of her shocked state. To some degrees, she could understand. Still, she needed Aoi now. Seeing the swimmer stay in this kind of mood, funk even, made her realize this was her fault. A good part of it, anyway. And it wouldn't bother her except ... that wasn't the type of woman Kyoko had been those three to four years ago. Strict when needdd? Oh most definitely. But she didn't send people down guilt trips either.

"Asahina? I really am sorry. Please know that much, at least," she whispered, her attention shifting to the guys as they made their revelations one by one.

... And already feeling a bit creeped out once it all started. An eyebrow raised as she looked over to the note. "So ... this confirms a thought I've had for a while. We weren't chosen randomly. No, this was very deliberate. They also know a lot not just about our current situations - where we live, work, and so on - but about our past, already heavily implied from the notes Makoto and Aoi received. Things like siblings weren't likely included in our school records; not without a really good reason, anyway."

Her 'detective mode' was already in a hyperdrive-esque state. And because of that, quite a few ideas were rapidly flowing to Kyoko's mind.

" ... Please stay safe though? That line in particular stands out at me. It just ... feels off, somehow. Perhaps not amiss, but definitely out of place. It sounds like less of what a captor would say and someone who's supposed to be a friend. Or at least an individual close to one of us."

"But that's impossible!" Aoi finally exclaimed, shaking her head quickly from side to side. "Not all of us are from the same set of Killing Game incidents! We don't all have a common link!"

Kyoko flashed Aoi a knowing smirk, nodding her head. "Exactly. Which makes the fact they seem to know we would come here that much more nerve-wracking. We don't have a common link, yet they already seem to have figured out we wold head right into here and put these notes down. I wouldn't be too amazed if this is the Ultimate Shogi Player or something given how far ahead of us they are."

"W-Wait a minute." Aoi paused, looking incredulously at Kyoko before blinking and eventually chortling. "Oh. My. God. Did you actually make a joke? Sorry but ... you?"

Kyoko shrugged, unsure if anyone caught onto that; and at the very same time, not overly caring. "Well, it's not like freaking out will do any of us any good. For now ... they're right. We probably do need to explore. I'm actually kind of hoping whoever this is will speak with us via any of the monitors. Maybe I can get a hint or two from talking with them."

... True. Night would eventually fall. Not now, as it was still relatively early in the afternoon. But as someone who had been forced to live here once before, she knew as well as the others six to eight hours could easily tick away.

" .... I don't know about everyone being in the very same room. However, I do agree no one should be alone. Me and Aoi should probably use one room while you three take another."

It was no doubt very old-fashioned. A rule only someone with a huge morale compass would have suggested. On one hand, Kyoko did realize she was among other humans, and knew that several had been attempting to have a life outside of Future Foundation. An intimate one, to be more precise. Of course, given they all worked ith Byakuya ... the man made nothing simple, including finding time to seek out a suitable partner for such things.

Due to that, she already had a fair guess on at last one person who wouldn't be overly fond of the idea.

" ... Alternatively, if that wants to be figured out in any other form or fashion, fine. As long as both or all parties get consent to be in the same room. I'm fine with keeping my role as detective. I refuse, however, to go as far as chaperone."

"W-What does that mean?!" Aoi blurted out.

"Just what it implies. If any of the guys ask you to stay with them, you have the right to accept or reject that offer, as do I. And they will - I hope - have the decency to respect if you or myself tell them no and leave it at that. We are now officially past the age we thought we were. Remember? We all believed we were nineteen due to the memory loss. In truth, we were seventeen. We're now twenty to twenty-one respectively. We're all adults here ... biologically and physically, anyway."

The last four words were hastily muttered under her breath. Still, before anyone could inquire about those, Kyoko spoke once more.

"Now ... unless anyone has any objections or further things they want to say, we should begin exploring as Hajime suggested."

Turning around on her heels, Kyoko opened the door, allowing the others to first exit. Once all the guys plus Aoi left the bath house, she walked outside, making sure to close the door behind herself.
 


"I agree with Kyoko. While this might sound strange....what if whoever brought us here actually did so to try and keep us safe. I mean, I will admit it would be in a twisted manner...but if we take this note at face value...." Hajime looked at the note, his face one of deep contemplation as he tried to think. Makoto spoke up not long afterwards.

"I think it's still to early to assume anything. I think that would be a best case scenario. For now, we should at least be on guard and assume we might be in danger. Whoever did this knows enough about our pasts and the Future Foundation to lure us here." As Makoto finished speaking, Kyoko spoke again, making her joke to which he couldn't help but laugh. Kyoko had changed over the past few years and he knew that he was a part of that reason.....despite their crazy work lives and the ever present gaze of Byakuya, the two had found time to start a relationship with one another, but had told no one.

Thus, when Kyoko mentioned people sharing rooms with consent, his eyes seemed to glimmer slightly as he gave Kyoko a knowing smile before she asked for objections. There were none, however, Nagito spoke up a few moments afterwards.

"I agree with us exploring the school...and I believe we should stick to pairs. However, since there are an odd number of us, one of us would be left out if we pair up into two. I'm going to explore on my own, if that is alright. I can look after myself.....there are somethings I need to see in this school with my own eyes....lets meet up here again at 7....shall we?" With a cunning smile, Nagito dashed off after his statement. Hajime saw this coming...he knew Nagito often preferred to work alone. He also knew about the budding relationship between Makoto and Kyoko, so before Aoi could barge in, he stepped towards the tanned girl with a smile.

"Asahina, since my memories of the school are still somewhat foggy, could you be my guide, please?" He decided to try to get Aoi to show him around to give Makoto and Kyoko sometime together.

Once they were alone, Makoto gave the detective a small chuckle as she closed the door.

"That was coy of you, Kyoko....suggesting that we can pair into rooms however we want.....was that for me?" He gave his girlfriend a playful wink as he gently took his hand into his own and gave it a squeeze. They were still often shy around each other when it came to romantic things, but Makoto had been stepping up recently to try and take the lead in the relationship as he felt like he should.
 

"Agreed," Kyoko concurred, nodding her head as Nagito suggested a time to rendezvous up again, "Seven works. This way, we'll have enough time to eat and discuss our findings before ten rolls around."

Meanwhile, hidden away in the school, the still very carefully hidden figure had been watching. Waiting. Where had they all gone? It wasn't out. No, that had been something she took damn good care of ensuring. Every window had stayed covered up, and if anyone thought the locks had been annoying before, they would no doubt be even more frustrating.

... Hmmm. Did I miss something? the woman thought, tilting her head as she dwelled on her musings. Apparently, the answer was yes. As everyone walked out of the bath house, the immediate thought was to remedy that not having any cameras.

.... No. After thinking more on it, she decided against it. They didn't know she was being honest, after all. As far as they knew, they were in danger of having to repeat history. If it would make them feel better, fine. They could have at least one room that was free from her sight. Yes. That was more than fair enough. Nodding her head slowly, the figure decided that would be the best course of action. "Be safe everyone .... you especially," she muttered, sneaking a quick glance at the face that caused her to go through with this abduction in the first place before closing her eyes. They'd probably wander around for a bit. This would give her time to rest up and prepare for explaining certain things to them all.

Nagito, meanwhile, would either hear - or not, depending on how much attention he was paying - a series of .... whacks? Thuds? Definitely something smacking another thing. Or was it a person? Regardless, it seemed like it was close to the stairs. The gym, to be more exact.

"I ... hmm?" Aoi had temporarily zoned out, likely thinking about her brother. When she registered Hajime spoke to her, however, she turned her attention to the reserve student. "Sure! Yeah, I can do that no problems. Hmm. I suppose it'd be best and easiest to start on the first floor and work our way up. So ... okay. Let's go towards the classrooms on this floor then."

Kyoko waited for everyone else to move. Although a small part of her was a tad irritated with Nagito up and leaving, it wasn't amazing to her either. Nagito was quite the restless and independent type. That had been some of the more ... tame adjectives Kyoko associated with him, and they only seemed to strengthen over the years. An audible sigh of relief would be the first thing Makoto would be greeted with before a weak chuckle. "Goodness. What a group we ended up with, huh? The room arrangements was only partly for you, yes. What I said about refusing to be a chaperone, however, was also true. They can - at least I'm assuming - take care of themselves. But ... you are definitely right. It was partly a way to ensure we could finally have some alone time, yes."

For all of his more positive traits, the truth was Byakuya was quite the slave driver, more often than not. It only seemed to be worse if the tasks were linked to the Future Foundation. Therefore, it had been a good number of months since she'd been able to have a proper date with Makoto.

Naturally, they had made sure to keep Byakuya in the dark ... knowing it would bite them both really hard in the ass when he found out. It would happen; there was no question about that. But while he was still ignorant of them being more than co-workers, both had decided to take advantage of that status.

"I think," Kyoko finally relayed after silently contemplating and weighing her options, "The Headmaster's Room should be examined."

Intertwining her hand with Makoto's, she began hurrying up the stairs, her own footsteps causing her to miss the noises Nagito may have heard earlier. "Assuming every location is still open for examining, that would be one of the bet places to go to."

A faint smirk crossed her lips as she placed them right beside Makoto's ear, "Behave until night rolls around, alright? I'll make the wait very well worth it."
 


Nagito was going to make his way to the classroom Makoto had told him about, the one where they saw all the blood.....he needed to see with his own eyes the tragedy that had taken place in this bastion of hope. He was however, wandering...he didn't quite know where it was. That was when he noticed the noise; he had always been perceptive and this was a noise that just couldn't be ignored. After all...if they were trapped in here on their own, what else could possibly be making that noise?

He made his way to the gym, his hand in his jacket pocket. He always carried a survival knife with him for his protection...that outside world was still a dangerous place after all. He gripped the handle of the knife in his pocket and gripped the door to the gym, slowly opening the door and walking in....

Hajime was rather enjoying the tour with Aoi. Even with their current situation, the girl was cheerful and upbeat and that made him naturally feel better. As they toured the school, memories came back him...happy ones, and painful ones....He grasped Aoi's hand gently....he needed the support right now.

"Sorry....I'm....just remembering somethings...." He squeezed her hand as he sighed before looking towards her, giving her a small smile.

"You are the Ultimate Swimmer, right, Asahina? After we explore for a bit would you like to go swim? Make take our minds off things for a bit?" He decided to ask the girl. He could use a distraction right now.

Makoto was happy to hear that she had done it even partially for him. He had been more teasing her but the words made him smile as he squeezed her hand again as they made their way towards the Headmaster's Room.

"I won't call this a blessing....but I'm happy we'll have some time together finally, Kyoko." He gave his girlfriend one of this kind smile she had fallen in love with, but he quickly blushed when she whispered quite suggestively in his ear. They were near the Headmaster's Office, but he gripped Kyoko by the shoulders and pressed her against the wall, gently, yet firmly. His eyes gazed into her own, looking at her with a mixture of affection and teasing desire.

"Just a little to tide me over...." He whispered back before pressing his lips up against her own quite passionately, his chest pressing against her own as his tongue lashed at her lips and sought to gain entry to her mouth and tongue.
 

Nagito would be greeted with a new face. An unfamiliar one at that rate, which made it all the more odd. Not that the situation wasn't already, but now it obviously added a new factor into this mystery.

The woman was tall -- even a bit more so than Nagito himself. Maybe one to three inches at most, but it was probably a first for him. Given the difference, it was easy to assume she was anywhere from five foot ten to six foot two; very likely favoring the latter range, or somewhere near it. Flowing red hair cascaded down the lone woman's back, stopping at about the half-way point. The sounds, it turned out, were from said woman repeatedly punching and kicking a respective punching bag. Were it converted into a human body ... they would be lucky to breathe properly. What was likely the chest and sternum areas were heavily beaten, definitely bruised. The bag was lightly swaying, and it was fair to assume she had been going at this for quite some time given the sweat pouring down her body and labored breaths passing her parted lips.

"Better all be gone now ... " she muttered, wiping several beads away from her forehead before finally allowing her clenched fists to fall at her sides. Slowly, she turned on her feet, starting to leave the gym and get a shower in ...

And felt her eyes briefly widen before chuckling as her crimson eyes found Nagito standing nearby, let alone armed. "I see. You finally done hiding and knocking me out the cheap way, huh? Or ... no. Cowards stay cowards. They also had a different ... feel, aura even, around them. So ... you can't be .... fuck! Then I still don't even know that?! Urgh .... fine. So then ... who the fuck are you? Another 'forced guest' or whatever the hell constitutes being forced to remain in Hope's Peak Academy?" Just in case he was wondering if she'd seemed to trail off at a wrong time or whatnot, the red-haired woman's head shook from side to side. "I'll give my name and talent out. Just not now. I'm not really a lady as far as mannerisms go, so the 'ladies first' proverb doesn't apply to me."

Although she wasn't expecting Nagito to still come and rush at her - simply because she took the more diplomatic approach over aggressive - the young woman kept herself mentally prepared. Should he run and try to stab her, she would be ready to fight back, no matter how tired and sore her muscles and joints were.

".. Hajime?"

The sudden hold on her hand caused Aoi to turn, confirming it was at least the same man she'd left with. The gesture was ... confusing. Very unexpected but ... nice. Gentle. Reassuring somehow. When he explained why he had so abruptly intertwined his hand with her own, she slowly nodded in understanding.

"Yeah. I ... had my own share of painful moments."

Her teeth latched onto her lower lip as Aoi felt her brain immediately go right to the first - and, for her, worst - flashback; Sakura. That hadn't even been a murder. No, she took her own life, which made it that much more painful.

Granted, it was an interesting loophole; that Sakura mustered the strength and courage to take her own life just so no one had to commit a murder. But ... it was still so very wrong. Fucked up in its own rights.

No! she inwardly scolded herself, I'm trying to cut down on donuts! Don't tempt yourself to go binge eating them!

Thankfully, Hajime gave her a reason not to think on that flashback very long. An offer was extended, one that made her smile and return to her much more happier mood. "Sure! I'll ... have to see if this captor was generous enough to provide clothing. But yeah! I can do that after we look around for a bit more!" Her head tilted as Aoi curiously added, "Can you even swim, out of curiosity? I have known a few people who were never taught so ... making sure that won't be an issue. Or, alternatively, I can help out if that is the case."

Kyoko flashed Makoto a sly smirk. "Well, I'd hope no one would deem this a full-fledged blessing. It's ... not quite that, per se. An interesting way to earn a vacation from Byakuya, no doubt. Otherwise, though, nowhere close to a blessing of any kind, no. Still, what we've agreed on is true. The chances to be alone and intimate are very much appreciated."

Her own set of crimson painted her face as Makoto lightly but quickly guided her back against the wall. She chuckled softly, staring down while trying to ignore her rapidly beating heart.

... This was, admittedly, something she had also wanted. But they really had to get to work; especially before anyone walked in on them. So ... she came up with a compromise.

"A little," she agreed, making sure Makoto heard the very heavy emphasis on her response. Licking her lips, she leaned forward, giving Makoto entry inside and began deeply making out with him. Soft moans resounded from the detective as she held Makoto's body close against hers, helping her breasts push up more against her lover's chest.

... Maybe she needed this ore than she realized. Scratch that, she definitely did. Kyoko had never felt so desperate, so wanting in all their time they'd been together. Now, a very small part of her was legitimately concerned they may end up taking too long with what was meant to be a temporary indulgence in the more intimate moments of life. But ... she would worry about that fear if any good reasons arose, be it hints people were coming this way or if it did begin feeling like too much time was ticking away.
 
Nagito didn't recognize the person in the gym....and his first logical leap was that this person was the mastermind of this all. Still, his rational mind rapidly went to work...the mastermind wouldn't reveal themselves like this...so openly and seemingly without regard, it just didn't make any sense. He kept a firm gaze on her, not wavering for a moment...it was the glare of one who had seen much death and sorrow in his life. He gripped the knife firmly as he listened to her speak, he scoffed slightly at her words.

"Not the most polite person on the planet, are you..." Nagito chuckled slightly...but it was more of his bemused than an amused chuckle. Still, he did pocket the knife and bring his hands out in full view so this stranger could see that he didn't have an ill will....yet at least.

"So if what you say is true....then you are an Ultimate as well, huh....well then, I guess I'll be willing to tell you about myself at least." Nagito didn't move from the spot, keeping his eyes on her.

"I'm Nagito Komaeda....I'm the Ultimate Lucky Student of my year.....I'm here with some other people too." He spoke, his voice firm and unwavering.

Hajime found solace in the fact that he and Aoi had both suffered...maybe not together but they could empathize with each other for sure. When he saw her beginning to remember things herself, he gave her hand a supportive squeeze as he smiled gently.

"Hopefully they still have everything here from before....Makoto told me a lot about what you all went through." He didn't let go of Aoi's hand as they continued to walk.

"Yes, I can swim, I rather enjoyed it when I was younger...though I could never beat you in a race I imagine." He chuckled as he looked around the hall they were walking down, thinking for a moment.

"I know a lot of bad things happened here....but did you get any good memories out of it at all?" Hajime ventured a question, hoping not to offend the girl on accident.

Makoto chuckled as his girlfriend relented to his request. His tongue slipped into her mouth and began to wrestle with her own, swirling around and exploring her mouth. He kissed her passionately, loving the feeling of her breasts molding against his chest. His hands began to wander. One slithered around her backside and gave her rear a firm squeeze. The other began to rub and travel up her thigh, feeling her creamy skin through the fabric of her clothes. His hand moved closer and closer to her crotch.....just as it got near though, he pulled way, both his hands and his lips.

His lips lingered for just a moment over her own, his hot breath on her face before he chuckled and nibbled on her lower lip for just a brief moment.

"Just a little....right?" He teased her, whispering in her ear. Truth be told, he wanted to take Kyoko right then and there...but he also wanted to respect her wishes. If she decided she wanted to continue now, he'd be more than happy to....but if she wanted to get back to the investigation, he was fine with that too.
 

Akane's own eyes lingered carefully on the newcomer. If she ever blinked, it was only long enough to keep her eyes from itching or reacting badly. Otherwise, her attention remained right on the new figure across from her. It wasn't the knife that made her nervous; it was the fact she actually didn't recognize Nagito. For a good reason, too ... but one that she didn't really intend to reveal. Not unless absolutely necessary, anyway. Then again, that didn't yet matter.

... And there it was. Finally, the knife was put back into the boy's coat. With that, Akane's muscles visibly relaxed. As much as she typically enjoyed fights, this had definitely been one of the few times she was relieved about taking the 'flight' option.

... You know what you mena. The one that keeps you from doing anything violent or stupid like you usually would ...

Akane fought off the urge to roll her eyes at herself. But that didn't last when Nagito finally spoke. "Hmmm. What gave that away, hm? Look, boy. We all got our preferences and shit. I'm blunt. I'll get down to the points I wanna make. And if I need to guide a person should they be too ignorant or whatever, I'll help, though they may wish I didn't. If you don't like that? Well ... " Akane shrugged. "Tough." When he brought up if she was an Ultimate or not, a low "Hmph" followed by an affirmative nod would be Nagito's response.

"Well, yeah. I don't usually just make shit up. You kinda caught me in the midst of my talent. I'm the Ultimate Brawler. Street fighter ... whatever you wanna call it. I almost got the label 'Punk' but they decided to stick with something that would actually imply a talent, not a stereotype-sounding brand of sorts." Raising a hand, Akane deftly grabbed the hair tie that had kept her hair up in a ponytail. One quick tug allowed it to unfurl. As Akane began re-tying her pony tail, she observed Nagito for a few more moments, smirking as he relayed he was the Luckiest Student.

"Oh? That seems ... debatable. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who agrees being trapped in here counts as being 'lucky' of all things. Eh. Maybe some good will come out of this. I guess we'll find out. Well ... since you made the exchange, it's only fair I return the gesture. My name's Akane Fujitora. So ... " Taking a moment to sneak a peek past the door, only to see no one walking by, she then looked back into Nagito's eyes. "Are you alone? How'd you even get here, anyway? Were you forced here also?"

There it was again. Another light squeeze of her hand. This time, Aoi smiled as she returned the gesture to Hajime's hand. "It's ... uncanny. Even with the likelihood of not having to play another killing game, this schools holds as much despair as it did the first time around. I'm ... it's hard to forget about those types of feelings, you know? But if those letters were true ... then I'm trying not to let the fear take over me." Her head tilted back as Aoi elicited some deep exhales before re-making eye contact with Hajime.

"Well ... given we work together, I'm not overly amazed. You probably know a good amount about everyone else who was with me the first time around."

Aoi felt just a bit lost. She could have kept talking about her past. But the better wording was she really didn't want to. Not if she could help it. "Are you a mind-reader or something? You pick the best times to change the topics and make them more positive. Great! Let's go and see what we can find then! Also, you'd be right. I definitely haven't lost a swimming race in years for obvious reasons. Luckily, I think I'm just gonna use the pool to chill out in rather than race. So you won't need to worry about trying to beat me or anything."

With the promise of being able to get into what may as well be a natural environment for her, Aoi ran forward with a renewed sense of determination and vigor, helping him hurry towards their destination. "These rooms aren't gonna check themselves! The sooner we finish, the better!"

"Mmmmhh ... "

Each touch and additional kiss caused a new set of shivers to trail down Kyoko's body. She stayed forward, ensuring her lips remained locked as long as possible ... up until she had to pull away and regain all the oxygen that had been temporarily lost.

"Hah .. hah ... gods, Makoto. So good .... "

... And just like that, it all stopped as suddenly as it'd started. On one hand, Kyoko was a bit irritated. Not at him, though. Nah, that was solely on herself. She had too much of a work ethic and even more pride to cave into what she wanted. Still, she had meant her earlier words. She would make the wait worthwhile, and it'd be even sweeter now that Makoto showed once more he'd restrained himself and respected her wishes.

"Unfortunately, yes. It'd be really bad of me to return without any clues. What kind of detective would I be, hmm?"

Yet before anyone could get to their destination - or begin moving to one for those who hadn't yet reached a room - all of the TV monitors and screens turned on simultaneously. The background revealed what was definitely the Headmaster's Room. Inside was a chair that was turned around, keeping the back exposed and thus what was probably fair to assume to be their captor hidden from view. A few seconds of silence would linger before a voice spoke.

"Glad to see you're all safe."

Even in that single phrase, there was a very odd thing for everyone to note. The gender of this person wasn't able to be heard. They were using a device of some sort to make whether their voice was actually masculine or feminine impossible to determine.

"You all will have to forgive me for the deceit. And, in Akane's case, slight use of ... well ... more than only tricking her."

"You fucking prick," Akane growled, her attention almost immediately going to the screen as it lit up. "Why should you expect me to be happy?! Forget the fact we're stuck here, you injected me over and over again!"

" ... Still as colorful in your language, are we? I truly do apologize. But it was easy to notice you wren't going to be cooperative. So, yes. I had to make you take a few naps. I also had to make sure you didn't wake up too soon. But I did everything properly. You didn't receive too many doses, as hinted by the fact you're alive. So don't completely lash out on me, hmm?"

"Tch," Akane scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I wanted to simply confirm those notes were true. There won't be any killing games. You are all here so you can remain safe. That being said, I regret to inform you that the letters you all received to come back here were lies."

Mostly, of course. But if she revealed one held the truth ... then it would be too simple for everyone to find out her identity, let alone a way to get out. Thus, even though it pained her to lie to him, it was for all of their good.

"I also wanted to warn you now that there are some rooms already locked. The HeadMaster's Room, the morgue and biolab, the Audio & Video room, the Data Processing Room and the Monokuma Control Room. Although the library and faculty rooms will be open, you won't find anything to work on discovering anything more about me out. I do apologize for the secrecy, but ... it's for your own good. All of you, whether you believe it or not. Now then ... for anyone not nearby a clock, it is 17:10. Enjoy your stay~"

Before anymore retorts or retaliation of any kind could be hurled at teh screens, they all clicked off. A very ticked off Akane, taken aback Aoi, and heavily thinking Kyoko were left with their repective partners.

"Hmm," Kyoko mused, finally nodding and walking up to the Headmaster's door. Sure enough, she turned it ... but to no avail. "They were being honest," she relayed, even jerking on the handle several times to show Makoto as much. "It is indeed locked. But that also means .... oi! You still in there?!"

If they were, there wasn't an answer to Kyoko's question.

"Hmph. Smart answer." A frustrated sigh passed her lips as she looked back to Makoto. "Well ... since that's no longer an option, got a back-up room? I was thinking the audio/video but after hearing that announcement, it's another pointless room. Assuming everything they've said and written so far is true. Well ... most, save for the letters about what was here to lure us, anyway."
 

Nagito took note of Akane's name and talent. It wasn't a name or Ultimate trait he had heard of before. Still, many people had gone to Hope's Peak and while he did obsesses over it, he couldn't possibly know the name of everyone who attended. The way she carried herself and talked very much fit the stereotype of a punk though. Nagito noted the way she reacted when the Mastermind came on over the TV. He was trying to see if she was putting up an act and might have been a spy, but she seemed genuinely angry and upset....those emotions were all to fake.

Once the announcement was over, Nagito gave Akane a shrug, "I guess my planned trip to the library won't do me any good. As for if I'm with anyone....as you heard, myself and four others were lured here by letters. They are Ultimates too, so I'm sure if we all work together, we'll figure something out." Nagito's hopeful attitude shined through as he moved to exit the gym.

"I'm suppose to meet back up with them at 7 in the bathhouse....we still have some time to explore so why don't we?"

Hajime was happy to see Aoi starting to cheer up, the resolve the find her brother really was inspiring....after the announcement though, he couldn't help but frown, giving her hand another squeeze. He couldn't imagine the emotions running through the girl right now....her only lead on her brother in years and it had been a lie and they were now trapped here as a result...

"Asahina....I'm sorry...." He pulled her into a comforting hug, gently stroking her head. He figured she'd need the comfort right about now and he wanted to do everything her could to help her.

"I know we are suppose to be exploring...but how about we take that dip in the cool and relax for a bit...?" Hajime offered, hoping the idea of relaxing in the pool for awhile would help the Ultimate Swimmer cheer up.

Kyoko's words and moans nearly pushed Makoto over the edge, but then the tvs blared to life. He noted the name Akane....that must have meant someone else was here with them....someone that didn't know. He was worried about that. Makoto was however happy to hear that his sister wasn't being kept here...she was likely still safe then and that was good.

When Kyoko suggested rooms, Makoto thought for a moment....he realized that with the announcement that the letters were lies, Aoi likely would be depressed....so her and Hajime might not end up covering as much ground.

"Well, with learning those letters were lies.....Aoi isn't likely going to be in the mood to explore so I don't expect her and Hajime to get much done. We should check the cafeteria and storage room to insure there is still enough food and supplies. If we are going to be stuck here....we need to at least make sure we have the supplies to survive first, right? Maybe we'll bump into this Akane person too?" Makoto suggested a plan with a smile, grasping Kyoko's hand again and squeezing, waiting for her approval or denial of his suggestion.
 

"... Okay. So ... I get that you're not alone. That's not the confusing part. Why us? Was it just random? Without me ... it probably wasn't. But now ... why? I mean .... agh! I've never been good with this shit."

A frustrated groan resounded from Akane. Her head shook in annoyance as she weakly chuckled. "Whoever that just was, they're good at keeping me irritated and confused. I can usually revert to a much more calm and collected mood but ... I'm finding that really hard to do. Well ... fuck. I guess one of the better things we can do is keep moving until your meet time arrives. Hopefully someone will have found more helpful hints than I've been able to."

Moving her head up and down a few times to confirm to Nagito she was more than okay with exploring, Akane slowly moved closer ... stopping when she was a few paces behind him. "You seem like you have a good head attached to your shoulders, so I don't think my caution needs to be heavily explained. Trust from your or your other comrades will have to be earned." Her right hand let go of her newly bound ponytail and subconsciously rubbed the nape of her neck. If Nagito was fast enough to try to look, he would see several small holes, all very close to one another.

Which implied Akane had been sincere about hinting how exactly she got into Hope's Peak, and thus probably wasn't helping the so-called 'Mastermind' out in any form or fashion.

After lightly massaging the punctured areas, Akane let her hair fall back down, covering the wounds and offering Nagito one more small nod. "It's been a while since I attended here so ... I'm probably going to be doing more following than leading. I can try, alternatively; but I can't make any guarantees my memory will be overly good." Regardless, she would begin walking and following once Nagito started exiting the gym.

" .... Oh god."

Everything that had been fueling Asahina on almost immediately was replaced by the very familiar emotion of despair. She hadn't had an overly horrible episode since ... years ago. Probably when she found Sakura dead. Her hands rose as she quickly covered her face, her whole body beginning to tremble.

"The one time I was so sure he was fine. Alive and well. Now ... no. That was a lie. He probably is gone like I've been fearing."

The words were barely audible, uttered in a mostly hushed volume.

"Kyoko was right. This is all my fault. I could have just come here myself. At least that way none of you would be dragged here. I ... " The more her body trembled, the easier it felt to lose her balance. Even with holding onto Hajime's shoulders, Aoi felt drained. As if she'd finished literally a dozen races with almost no breaks .... and lost, to make the sensation that much more worse. All logic and will power had, for now, disappeared.

So what if she was allowing herself to be pulled into a rather intimate gesture? Damn everything, especially herself and the consequences. "I don't know," she managed to weakly murmur, "I ... I don't know about it. Swimming. But ... part of me does want to try." As her hands moved off of her face, Hajime would see what anyone could have deduced; Aoi had broken down and sobbed a bit. Shaky hands moved up, wiping what tears remained away before she looked back down to Hajime and nodded several more times.

"Y-Yeah. Let's try to go swim for a bit." After pulling away from the hug, Aoi pivoted on her feet - albeit somewhat shakily - the Ultimate Swimmer hurried towards the stairs leading to the second floor, going first for the changing rooms. In her haste, however, she didn't notice Nagito and Akane ... though the newcomer and Lucky Student may see them.

"Akane, huh?" Kyoko nodded, her face a bit red. The announcement had happened far too close for her own comfort. It was basically right when they finished ---

... Wait. Were we seen blatantly making out? Tch. Duh. Probably ... very likely were. Ah well. Can't turn time back.

And hell, at least they had been able to finish. Moreover, their actions hadn't been included in the announcement, which was definitely appreciated. "I get the feeling Nagito's luck will come into play with locating Akane. Either way, there's a good chance we'll see her when we meet up at seven o'clock."

Her first thoughts definitely hadn't been checking the storage. However ... Makoto had a good habit that she did. When the two brought up points to anyone else - including Byakuya - they were always good ones. They had logic and reason behind them, and now was no exception.

"Hmmm. Yeah. I don't think that'll be a concern, simply because they took us here. I'd assume they would plan for this, and that would thus include making sure food portions and whatnot are alright. Still, yes. We can quickly double check on that. Even though they're certain the faculty lounge and library won't have anything .... perhaps they missed something? I'd rather try that than leave the rooms alone. So after making sure we'll be fine for our stay, we can go to those rooms. Seem fair?"

While waiting for an answer, she began slowly helping Makoto descend the stairs, now working on getting back to the first floor.
 

Nagito took note of the injection points on her neck...they seemed legitimate enough. However, Nagito was about as close to being an Ultimate Detective as one could get...he knew there was a chance, no matter how unlikely that those injection points could be planted or fake. Still, he would trust her for now, there was no reason not to.

"I'm a fairly trusting person....my friends though...they might not trust you right off the bat. We've all been through a lot and well...we've been through a certain incident that brought us closer together that might make you feel like a bit of an outsider, just a warning." Nagito waved his hands as if to dispel the idea that his comrades would instantly distrust her.

Nagito saw Asahina running towards the changing room....he figured she was upset about the news of the letter...that wasn't surprising. He saw Hajime on her tail...he decided to give the two time alone, Aoi would need it and Hajime could help comfort her....no need to inject the new person into that situation.

"There is something I want to see on the top floor...will you come with me?" He asked Akane, giving her a wary smile as he distracted her from the pair that ran into the changing rooms. He still needed to see that classroom after all.

Hajime did his best to comfort Aoi, stroking her head gently until she pulled away. She took off fast and he was after her in a moment. She was faster than him though and he lost track of her around a corner. He came upon the two dressing rooms, however the colors and signs on the doors had been worn by age so it was no longer clear which was was.

Hajime was also worried something might happen to Aoi if she was left alone. So without think he moved to the door on his left, opening the dressing room and entering it....not realizing at all that it was the women's dressing room and not the men's.

Makoto noticed Kyoko blushing and chuckled....he had noted the timing of the announcement as well....he wondered if that meant the person making it waited for them to finish so they could enjoy the moment...that would suggest someone close to one or both of them. Still, that was an idea he kept to himself for now as he gripped Kyoko's hand and walked downstairs with her.

"Are you saying his luck is better than mine...." Makoto puffed out his cheeks, acting upset at his girlfriend's words....he knew, even if she wasn't showing she was stressed out over this and he wanted to do what he could to make her feel better. At her suggestion, he nodded his head.

"You are right...there is no telling how much time they had to prepare. If they were rushed, they might have missed something."

He was hopeful in that aspect as they entered the first floor and moved to the cafeteria.
 

Akane merely shrugged, seeming to understand and accept Nagito's reply on how the others may view her. "Ehh. That's fine. In truth, that's probably the smarter way to approach everything about this new situation. I wasn't expecting any overly warm welcomes right away, so ... I'm ready for whatever may or may not come." After all, there were the two classic options; she could simply fight - if it really came down to it - or run. She'd found tons of hiding spots.

Mind you, that wouldn't be her preference. But if too much shit hit the fan, it'd be wise. And even during times Akane did things she didn't enjoy, she had enough common sense to know when she was about to be beat or not. It was one of the things that had helped keep her record and title as the Ultimate Brawler intact. Akane wouldn't directly see Aoi or Hajime run past them. She did, however, most certainly hear the footsteps run by ... and also see Nagito wearing a knowing grin. Which implied he had seen whomever she just heard.

... If it was important enough, he'd tell you ...

That was how he came off to her, anyway. And so, even if she barely knew Nagito, she would enough trust into him. She expected - even if only for his own sake - that if it was super essentail she should know whom just ran past them, he would say so.

" ... Sure. I got nothing better else to do, and I'm done with my workouts. So yeah. I'll join you." Just as Nagito didn't have a reason to not trust her yet, the same was true with Akane. Hopefully, things could stay that way, even if only for a little bit. Still, her cautious side didn't truly vanish, as proven by the same slight distance she kept between herself and Nagito. As they left the gym and began ascending the stairs, Akane made sure that she wouldn't lose sight of him ... and yet at the same time, Nagito wouldn't simply be able to turn around and grab or attack her suddenly.

"Good," Aoi muttered, taking note of the numerous one-piece bathing suits. The smallest of smiles spread over her face as she walked forward and held one against her body. Somehow, after all this time, they hadn't been touched or affected by any dust. That in itself was a miracle.

.... In fact, now that she took the time to go back and think about how the interior of the school looked, it all was clean. Almost unnaturally so.

You should bring that up to Kyoko! she happily thought, already feeling her mood start to improve. That simple but vital observation would definitely make up for not examining many of the rooms like she originally agreed to. She had just finished slipping out of her casual attire when the door opened once more. Aoi took a deep breath, originally thinking that was Kyoko who had already found her. It wasn't that impossible; she was the Ultimate Detective, after all.

"I'm sorry! I know I'm not really investigating, but .... "

Her apology stopped as a nearby mirror showed behind her, instead, a very mouth-agape Hajime. Aoi's own mouth fell open as the suit damn well almost fell out of her hands. Instead, she managed to cling onto it and keep it pressed tightly against her body -- the front of it, anyway. "W-Wrong room ... " she muttered, her face immediately flushing. Though it seemed pointless, she turned, pressed her rear and back against the wall behind her, and shivered slightly. None of this was the best cover-up, really.

But at least now Hajime wasn't staring directly at too much of her flesh, either. It was the best compromise she could come up with.

"No," Kyoko quickly quipped, smirking as she took note of Makoto's face. "However, given the way we split ourselves up, it has to be his luck we rely on. For now, anyway. You'd literally have to turn and abruptly decide to go on your own to even have a chance at finding Akane. Given how our investigation's gone though, it seems like you're not going to do that so easily."

The detective would leave her quip at that for now; just to avoid sounding too cocky. It was something she was slowly working on over the years. She knew many viewed her as a cold-hearted woman. For a while, that used to be somewhat true. The death of her father had ended up being a first stepping stone into helping her change, with meeting and helping Makoto throughout their Killing Game being another.

Soon, the two would enter the storage room. "Hmmmm," she mused, tilting her head as she found there was more than enough food to last them all for quite some time. "Whoever this is, they have definitely been busy. Given the time frame from our last visit to now, it shouldn't be as ... clean and full a it is. Don't get me wrong; I'm glad. But it's making me wonder ... just how long have they been here? I'm feeling like this person has planned this specific day out for a long while, but only chose today to put their plan into action. Does that make any sense?"
 

"Sadly, this kind of situation is only new to you." Nagito chimed in as they climbed the stairs, cluing Akane in to just what the others might have gone through before. Still, he decided to not say anymore about it...if the others wanted to inform Akane of their situation, they could. He was in no position to due so for them, it just wouldn't feel right. He could feel Akane's gaze on him as they walked, he was surprised she trusted him somewhat already...he would be the first to admit that he often gave off what could be described as a shady aura. Still, he could tell she hadn't let her guard down either. He kept his hands out of his pockets, hoping that would put her slightly more at ease, knowing his hands weren't close to any weapons.

Once they reached the floor he wanted to be on, Nagito picked up his pace a little, walking quickly towards the classroom he had been told about. He had noticed how clean the other rooms were...there was a chance this room had been cleaned as well, scrubbed of the memories of what happened here. Still, he couldn't be sure and he steeled himself, grasping the door before forcing it open and walking in.

Hajime quickly realized his mistake as he walked it, but he couldn't exactly look away either. Aoi had as perfect body and he was taking it all in the brief moment he had. Her curves were perfect, her tanned skin seemed to shimmer in the light. Her breasts, quite large, were cutely covered by her hands. He wished he could have seen her backside for more than just the brief moment he had seen it before she pressed her back against the wall, but he had to leave quickly before she condemed him eternally to be a pervert.

"So...SORRY!" Hajime quickly yelled and bowed before stumbling out of the room. He wasn't normally one to lose his cool, but he figured any man his age would after seeing a sight like that. He doubted even Byakuya would maintain his normal calmness. Still, he managed to get his way into the male locker room and changed into a pair of swimming trunks. It was a quick change as he tried to cool his head off.

He walked out into the pool area proper and examined it...just like everything else, it seemed to be well maintained, despite how long they had been gone. He was wondering if someone had been living here ever since they left....he put that thought to the side as he waited awkwardly for Aoi to come out of the locker room.

Makoto chuckled at Kyoko's on the nose quip. She had changed quite a bit over the past few years, becoming a lot more social and kind, and he rather liked seeing that side of his girlfriend.

He noted the state of the storage room as well and nodded. "It is strange.....I mean, while society has been recovering...gathering this amount of supplies would have taken awhile, even with a lot of wealth. I can't help but wonder if whoever trapped us here has access to such wealth...and also, if they've been living and if so, for how long..." Makoto tapped his finger against his head, a habit of his while he thought. He had shown natural gifts of deduction and reasoning during the Killing Game and his time with Kyoko had only honed those gifts. He considered himself a pretty decent partner to the Ultimate Detective now.

"We'll need more clues....how about you lead us to wherever you'd like to look next?" He gave her a smile as he looked out a screen that no had the time printed on it...it seemed they at lest had an hour and change until their arranged meet time. Still plenty of time to explore.
 

... Oh yay. Once again, you're the oddball. Ugh.

Akane rolled her eyes as she finished inwardly scolding herself. The walk up was done at a calm, steady pace. After going up a few more flights of stairs and seeing his hands stay away from his pockets, namely because of the knife she knew was still hidden there, Akane did indeed begin to feel better. Enough to close some of the gap between them and get just a bit closer to Nagito. But still not enough to fully let her guard down.

"So ... you said you were lured here by letters?" Akane repeated, her brows furrowing a bit. "That's ... really weird. I ... was transferred into here. The moment I stupidly let my guard down .... they drugged me. Kept me in a bedroom, bound in place for most of the day. Only until ... this morning, I think, did they finally allow me to explore the school."

For someone like Akane, whom hadn't been in Hope's Peak partially because of her previous location, it was an odd sensation. There wasn't really any nostalgia for her. It was like she'd never been here. But ... that couldn't be true. Her label of being the Ultimate Brawler was proof enough of that much. Perhaps she had concentrated on trying to finish her sentence for so long that she forgot how things went here? How it used to be? Maybe. That was definitely a huge possibility.

Her head lightly shook. Honestly, right now, none of that mattered. "So ... what the hell did you wanna see exactly?"

When Nagito opened the door, he would see .... it wasn't spotless. But there were hints that someone had made an effort to get rid of the blood. It didn't completely succeed, as hinted by the lingering stains. Still, the amount of gore was significantly reduced. Akane's eyes narrowed as she slowly examined the room before looking over to Nagito, "The hell is this supposed to be? Some really old crime scene or something?"

... No. That couldn't be right. This was in a damn school. The thought made her scold herself once more. No major crimes like murder would happen in a school. Maybe to a student or instructor attending said place, but ... in? That sounded insane. ... Then again, with how this world was ... maybe? The thought sent a few shivers down. Even for a punk like the Ultimate Brawler, Akane had to admit that sounded really fucked up and equally creepy.

A few seconds after Hajime ran out, Aoi couldn't help but giggle. Even though he had stared at her for a brief time, he at least did the right thing and apologized. He hadn't been a complete pervert. It was something Aoi greatly respected and appreciated. Plus, really, it was partly her fault he walked in on her. She had been too hasty and failed to tell him which door was the right one. So ... that much was her bad.

Within mere minutes, Aoi would exit the changing room and join Hajime in the pool. Her smile widened as she stared down at the water. Under her arm, she held her normal outfit and a spare towel tightly in place. A navy blue one piece adorned her body, hugging each curve and seeing to accentuate them even better than her top and bra had been doing. "Ummm ... don't worry about earlier. Really. Accidents happen ... hehe." By the time she set her clothes and towel down in a nearby chair, Aoi was still chuckling softly.

"So ... the trick is to just dive in. Stepping in - especially slowly - is only going to make you colder. The faster you move around in the water, the quicker you warm up."

Knowing how to swim was one thing. Already having tips and tricks about it was a different story. One that not everyone immediately knew any - definitely not everything - about. So in case he hadn't known, there it was. Both friendly advice and a subtle way to reassure him she wasn't going to hold a grudge against him.

Slowly, Aoi made her way towards the diving board, standing atop it. She walked toward the edge .... before running back and forward once more, jumping off as her toes touched the last bits of the tough wooden plank. A gentle splash was the first official signal she had disappeared from sight. Soon, Hajime would see her head break the surface of the water. "Whew. Alright! Come on in! The water's actually not as cold as you may be fearing!"

The more Kyoko looked around the storage room, the stronger her guesses and assumptions got. Someone had definitely been here, and rather recently too. There wasn't just a large surplus; everything that had fallen down or gotten a tad messy was cleaned up. Someone had no doubt put a considerable amount of time and effort into getting Hope's Peak Academy ready. Very likely for this day, which only strengthened her belief this day had been very premeditated. Alternatively, this person simply could be able to think very quickly, which implied if this wasn't thought about beforehand, they were smart. And not just in knowing the layout, but all of the people - including this Akane - she somehow got to come to Hope's Peak.

"This will be an interesting battle of wits when we finally can speak or meet with the Mastermind behind all this. I'm curious what exactly they're aiming for. Trying to protect us is a bit too simple. If they could find out who we all were, they should know we don't really need it, as well as realizing the world is ... tamer compared to several years ago. Yet, they've obviously gone through all this hassle. I also doubt the fact there are three of each gender is purely coincidental. Unfortunately, more will become clear when we can meet and talk to this new Akane person. Maybe there's a pattern with her and how she got here."

Once her lover gave her the green light, Kyoko nodded. "I'm still standing with my earlier decision. So ... faculty lounge."

No sooner than Kyoko utered the words did she begin leading them to that very room. The chance was honestly a very slim one, more likely than not. But it was worth seeing if this person had left anything that could help out behind.
 

Nagito stared at the room, his eyes unmoving and unchanging. It seemed his worst fear had indeed occurred...so much hope....snuffed out before its prime. He dropped to his knees as he gripped his head and began to laugh. It was unnerving and Hajime would have recognized it at once.... it was the laugh of a man who's internal self was filled with contradiction and hypocrisy. The laugh of a man who held hope in the highest respect....to such a degree he put it above his own safety.

"To think....such despair occurred right here in this bastion of hope....a true disgrace indeed...." His chuckling began to die down as he stood back up, his eyes less crazed as he turned and gave Akane a smile. "We took care of the one who was responsible for this.... now then....how about we had to the bathouse and meet up with the others, its about time soon...." His tone was back to his cheery and normal tone as he acted like that drastic shift in character had never occurred.

When Aoi came out in her swimsuit, Hajime couldn't help but stare for a moment. Even after seeing her naked....the were something about her in a swimsuit that almost seemed even sexier, especially the way the suit hugged her body perfectly. He quickly snapped out of it and he was grateful she had forgiven him and was acting normal.

"Thanks, I appreciate it." Hajime accepted the forgiveness with a chuckle. He watched as she hopped into the pool and he took her advice, diving in in one go not long afterwards. He was assailed by the rush of cold water, but something about it seemed to rejuvenate him and make him feel more relaxed. As he popped his head above the water, he let out a blissful sigh.

"This is lovely....helps take your mind of things." Hajime spoke aloud, not to Aoi in particular but rather, just voicing his thoughts as he began to swim.

Makoto chuckled when Kyoko mentioned a battle of wits. Testing her wits and deductions against people was always his girlfriend's favorite past time and she was constantly looking for ways to test her wits even outside of work. It was a rather charming trait, but it had its downsides at times.

"I honestly do think this person might just be trying to protect us all....I don't think there is anything more complex than that. It must be someone who knows all of us and whom thinks we'd be safer here than outside....maybe someone just went through a traumatic experience..."Makoto thought aloud but no one came to mind....he didn't know of anyone close to him having been involved in anything recently.

When she mentioned the gender ratio though, he couldn't help but blush. "Are you suggest that whoever did this paired it up so we'd all enter relationships and then have kids...are you implying this is like a new Eden or something." Makoto couldn't help but sound embarrassed at his suggestion, but he squeezed Kyoko's hand regardless.
 

Ooooooookay. God. Is he ... not all there or something?

Unfortunately, Akane was merely the Ultimate Brawler, not the Ultimate Psychology Expert. She couldn't make a fair assumption based solely on what she saw. Well ... not about his sanity, or maybe lack of. She could, however, fairly deduce one thing. Her caution to keep some distance hadn't been a completely unfair move on her behalf. In fact, it was rather smart, all things considered.

More nerve-wracking than Nagito himself, however, was this room.

"What in the fuck is this? Why ... does it look like this?"

Even when she had lived in her former 'residence', Akane had never been informed about something like this happening. Her teeth latched onto her lower lip. More than feeling unsafe around Nagito, she was suddenly feeling on edge about having been dragged here. Suddenly, Hope's Peak was feeling way more chaotic and less safe than when she had last attended here.

Jesus fucking Christ. What's happened since I was here last? It's like the whole world's gone to shit!

" ... Yeah. Sure. Mind ... filling me in? I never even hear about ... whatever the fuck 'this' is supposed to include." The thought that she may have to e more honest about herself did not make Akane overly happy. However, with how clueless she was, it was feeling more and more necessary. Besides, if the others may be as cautious as Nagito had hinted, there would likely be one person to demand she give more information about herself to the other members.

And if only to clear her name - once and for all - she would. Not happily, but that was fine. This was one of those moments Akane would force herself to swallow her pride and do the right thing.

Mostly, anyway, Aoi silently agreed, nodding as Hajime commented how the water was already helping ease his mind. The news that Yuta wasn't here would very likely haunt her for quite a while. At least the rest of the day if not a bit longer. It wouldn't be forever. She would make sure of that much. Still, with Aoi now knowing she had been so dumb and hasty to heed a clearly suspicious note, she wasn't feeling overly well about herself now. Worse off, if her sibling truly was alive ... then she had ruined any chance to actually look for him. What was practically killing the swimmer - more than anything - was that factor.

The what-if. Was Yuta even alive and well?

It was something she'd feared for years. Now ... well ... her concerns had returned once again. Slowly, Aoi turned her head and finally found a topic to bring up to her assigned partner. "Hajime? What do you think about all this? I mean ... if we're not here to do another set of killing games ... what is going to happen to us, then?"

"Hmmm. Those all have valid points," Kyoko agreed, mentally tucking each thought Makoto brought up away in her head. "It could be someone we know from somewhere, yes. But are the chances honestly that high?"

... Not really. At least, it didn't seem that way to her, more so if the voice earlier had been dead serious about Yuta not being here.

"Under normal circumstances, I'd say that logic is too simple. However, a lot of other things thus far have been that way. From the letters to even the old 'ransom note'-esque way of making them. Though this person does have some hints of intelligence and took a lot of time and effort to make this work, it's not looking like there's any ulterior motive aside from keeping us safe. So .... maybe you're on the right track."

Despite not possessing an athletic skill, Kyoko was no klutz. So when Makoto brought up her 'Eden theory', she didn't stumble while ascending the stairs like she could have. Her own face burned as she quickly moved her head from side to side.

"W-Well ... I didn't mean to quite imply that. But I am saying what I probably have already stated. This doesn't feel as random as it could have been. Still, it'll be easier to make that verdict when we all meet this newcomer, Akane. Anyway .... "

Taking a moment to clear her throat, the couple would soon arrive in front of the Faculty Lounge. Kyoko first took a deep breath, half-expecting a Monokuma to pop up as her hand stretched out.

Nope. Thankfully, that didn't happen. And it was indeed unlocked, just as the person had promised.

"Good. Let's check it out."

Not only was this room clean, but from a quick glance, it looked like checking here would be pointless. All the same, it didn't fully stop the Ultimate Detective. She briskly walked inside and began to thoroughly check the place out hoping something - anything - out of the ordinary would stand out.
 

After Nagito had calmed down he looked at Akane....he seemed almost confused at her reaction. How had she not heard of it...if she came from the outside world than surely she knew....everyone outside knew about the disaster. Maybe she had lived under a rock literally some how for awhile, but that seemed unlikely. Still, Nagito decided to explain...she might have had her memory wiped like they had before.

"Well....a Disaster happened here is what happened....the student at Hopes Peak Academy began to kill one another....various things happen, and then the world ended."

Nagito ended the line with a chuckle and very nonchalantly at that, it seemed almost like he was telling a joke, but the way his large grin quickly turned to a stone cold frown indicated that he was telling the truth.

"How did you not know that....Akane? Tell me....what year do you think it is? What's the last thing you remember hearing about Hope's Peak?" Nagito questioned her, taking a step towards her. He had to make sure, for the sake of his friends, that she wasn't a spy or possible traitor before it was too late.

Hajime just let the feeling of the water take over a he swam; he tried to empty his mind, to clear his head and to forget for just a bit that he was once again trapped somewhere. There were so many other things he could be doing, to help the Future Foundation and to help rebuild the world rather than be here right now and that is what annoyed him the most. Still, there was not to be done about it right now. Hopefully Byakuya would realize something was amiss and send him.

Aoi's voice roused Hajime from his thoughts or lack there of as he tread water and pondered for a few moments.

"Well....if the person is really being honest with us...maybe they do really want to just protect us? Maybe they someone know what we've all been through and even if the outside world is getting better they don't want to risk it happening again? It seems ironic they'd try to protect us by imprisoning us as we were before though...." He shrugged his shoulders and gave Aoi a smile, indicating that was all he could think of at the moment.

Makoto saw Kyoko blush at his words and he couldn't help but chuckle as she tried to hide her embarrassment somewhat. Once they reached the Lounge though, he was glad they found it unlocked...it made believing the "No Killing Game" line that much easier.

As Kyoko began to look around, Makoto did his best to look through the Lounge as well, but nothing seemed at all out of place and after a few moments of fruitless searched, he turned to Kyoko with a small sigh and a shake of his head.

"No luck....anything on your end, Kyoko?" He asked as he approached his girlfriend, hoping she had somewhat better results than his worthless search had yielded.
 

"A ... what?"

The familiar sensation of a knot forming and tightening in her midsection quickly returned. She had felt like there was quite a bit she hadn't known about. And in truth, her return to Hope's Peak was something she couldn't help but feel was ... off. That something was very amiss about suddenly being brought back here, let alone during such a major event. But now, that was all confirmed. "What the fuck do you mean the world ended?! How?! I never even ... "

Akane slumped into the nearest desk, beginning to think back to her prior 'residence' before all of this happened. The more she thought on it ... the more she felt like smacking herself for failing to notice the signs. All the days the guards refused to relay anything to her or even the others. The lack of phones or TVs. The things that seemed inhumane ... weren't that at all. They were precautions. Ways to keep riots from happening. To ensure chaos didn't overrun the entire place, let alone everyone ....

"Year?" Akane weakly repeated, shaking her head from side to side. "I just know I was transferred before .... " Her teeth latched onto her lower lip as she slammed a clenched fist angrily against the desk. "Well, fuck. I hadn't wanted to relay this. But I guess there's no helping it. I'll give the full story when you meet up with the others. For now, I'll give you the summary. I .... didn't last hear anything about Hope's Peak, per se. However, the last time I was here ... was before I got arrested. For manslaughter. I won't blame you if you wanna pull that switchblade out again, restrain me, or whatnot. But note the keyword there; manslaughter, not murder. There is a huge difference."

Her eyes locked right onto Nagito. While she'd said she was fine with him using his knife, that was also as long as he used it for self-defense. If it looked like it'd be used for something worse, she mentally prepared to fight for her life.

"Hmmm .... I mean, it could be that simple. But ... ugh. Yeah. This person really does have a warped sense of 'helping', let alone 'saving' people. They also seem to e quite the neat freak, which is ... interesting." Aoi elicited another frustrated sigh as she looked up at the ceiling. "Don't get me wrong. I'm glad to be in what may as well be my natural habitat or something, but ... it's kinda irritating at the same time. Knowing Yuta really isn't here only makes it that much more frustrating. I ... can't even try to help anyone, let alone him. And I .... "

On the flip side, were they purposely trying to make them all feel a sense of despair? See who'd cave in first and resort to heinous acts?

It was an easy way to go about that, Who said you needed to force a set of killing games to occur just to ensure they could happen? No, all that truly was needed were the right stimuli and incentives. Given even she had felt close to caving into those emotions the first time around, proven by attempting to tamper with Sakura's suicide scene, would she be able to stay sane?

For a few seconds, all of Aoi's muscles froze up. Her body paled, as if she were stuck under a sheet of ice rather than floating casually in a pool. It wasn't until she noticed her vision got a bit blurry that Aoi realized her body had frozen up so badly she started to sink. Her arms broke free of whatever had kept her still and thrashed about as she desperately tried to get an almost literal hold on herself. It'd be embarrassing and just as ironic for the Ultimate Swimmer to die by drowning of all things.

" .... Damn .... " Kyoko muttered, clicking her tongue in annoyance. "Well, this confirms one thing. Whoever is keeping us here was likely here for some time. A week, maybe even longer. They definitely did their homework, though."

Any last chances of hearing a horrible attempt at a joke would be dismissed as Makoto saw Kyoko move her own head from side to side. "No, unfortunately. Not a damn thing. Anything that would have helped us out has been removed completely." Her head tilted as she looked around, managing to find the nearest clock. "We still have well over an hour or so. Should we head back now? Check another room out ... ??"

"Something else?"

Maybe it was because she was still more used to being a detective than lover, but Kyoko couldn't find it in her to utter that last line. It was always easier to say such things when she knew she could get away with them. As things were, it was 60/40, with the latter being how much of a chance she actually had to sneak in some more intimate moments with Makoto. Moreover, they were also how likely she could not only make out with him, but do so without getting walked in on by any of the others.
 

"I see...so you were captured before it all happened....strange. I wonder who it was that had you then." Nagito pondered, stroking his chin as he thought. If it was prior to the Disaster....then there was a chance it might have been the early off shoot of the Future Foundation...but then, why hadn't they been told about her? It seemed more likely to think it might be some other organization....in which case, as the person who trapped them all here. All those thoughts floated through Nagito's head as Akane continued to talk.

She seemed to be telling the truth, Akane didn't seem like the type to be a good actress and when she admitted to being arrested for manslaughter, that actually only made him trust her more and not less. She could have easily lied about such things, but she appeared to be telling the truth.

He walked over to her with a smile on his face and his heads out of his pockets. Once he neared her, he gently patted her head.

"We all have things we regret so you don't have to worry about it. You seem like a nice enough of a person, so for now, I'll trust you." Nagito's smile was about a sincere as it got, completely different from the sinister grin he had on just moments ago.

Hajime couldn't help but chuckle as she mentioned her brother. She talked about him so much, it was clear how much she cared for him and it pained him to know the two were separated and that he might not even be alive. Still, the love she had for her brother was a genuine as it got and that was a wonderful thing to see in trying times like this.

"You really love your brother, huh, Aoi?" He asked, not realizing she hadn't been talking for a few moments. It took him another few moments to register the silence as unnatural before he started to hear violent splashing of water. He looked an noticed Aoi was no longer swimming but drowning. Because she was the Ultimate Swimmer, part of him had considered that an impossibility but once he realized what was going on, he sprung into action.

"AOI!" He cried out as he dove underwater. He wasn't the best swimmer, but he managed to dive down to where she was and wrapped and arm around her waist as he began to frantically swim upwards. Because he wasn't the best swimmer, is ability to hold his breath wasn't the best either, and as he neared the surface, he felt his lungs straining, dying with a need for air. He would find it ironic if they both ended up dying because he wasn't too good of swimmer if he wasn't violently swimming for the surface.

Finally, he cleared the surface and drew in a deep breath, a breath he knew Aoi definitely needed more than him.

"Aoi! Hold on!" he called out as he pulled her above the surface and with a surge of adrenaline he managed to haul her out of the pool and onto the floor. He quickly pulled himself out and without any hesitation began to administer CPR to the girl, doing his best to suck out the water while also giving her air as his lips engulfed her own. He didn't have time to think about it now....saving her was the only thing that mattered!

"I see....I guess they were telling the truth about not giving away anything, huh? At least this person seems trustworthy so far...." He chuckled, trying to find some good out of the fact that their search had been fruitless, ever the optimist that he was. As Kyoko mentioned their options, he noticed her linger with the final question and his smile widened. He saw the brief shimmer of the thought in her eye and it wasn't like her to linger like that...she had clearly wanted to say something else. Makoto knew his girlfriend at least that well.

"Were you....going to suggest something else?" Makoto asked in a slightly teasing voice as he approached her. It had taken him awhile to get used to taking the leading role in their relationship, but when he realized that while Kyoko might be very forceful and upfront in most things...and love she seemed to be rather reserved and shy...and he loved seeing that part of her.

He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her into his chest with a surprising amount of strength. Her breasts pressed against his chest, molding against his form as he gave her a playful wink.

"I wouldn't mind...another option...." He whispered hotly in her ear, nibbling and sucking on her earlobe slightly before starting to plant kisses up and down her neck, his hand began to run her back, but began to slow but surely venture down south towards her rear, playfully rubbing her ass before giving it a light spank to see what reaction that would draw.
 

Besides the fact Akane was the Ultimate Brawler and not Actress, lying just wasn't in her nature. All the times she had tried to get away with it resulted in failure. So, she opted to take the more direct approach. Hence why she was so blunt and seemingly brash with other people. Plus, this truly was one of those topics that would have been discovered. Even if not immediately, it would have found out in a matter of weeks, possibly sooner if not later.

Even as she watched Nagito approach, hands appearing to choose not to go into his pockets, she was still nervous. They weren't exactly the worst case scenarios, per se. But a good part of Akane truly did expect some precaution from Nagito, be it taking her offer to restrain her or something else. So when he simply patted her head, she felt ... torn. Grateful on one hand it hadn't come down to needing to resort to those types of measures. But at the same time ...

Annoyed. Very much so, and it showed as her eyes narrowed.

"I'm not a goddamn pet or child that needs to be praised or some shit," she muttered, taking a few moments to straighten her hair back and also calm herself. When she felt fine about the latter being done decently enough, she elicited a deep breath and looked up to Nagito. "You are, by far, one of the strangest people I've met. You've got your moments that make me question if you're ... all there or not. And then, you show you have an insanely good judgement of character. Guess it comes with your luck, huh? Still ... I do appreciate the faith you're putting in me. I doubt anyone else would even bother doing that, so ... thanks."

Noting a clock over Nagito's shoulders, Akane briefly shifted her gaze. After reading that there was about an hour left before everyone was supposed to meet, she glanced back to Nagito, "Sooo ... I know this was the only place you were originally thinking of going to. But ... well, now what? From what I saw of the school before you guys arrived, I didn't really find much. Though, to be sorta fair, I was a bit more focused on trying to find an escape route instead of clues as to who was behind my transfer into here."

As if a light bulb suddenly appeared over her head, Akane quickly got up to her feet. "There is at least one room unlocked that has a computer somewhere? Isn't there?! I think I may have an idea how to get even a small bit of a clue as to who's behind this .... assuming they haven't tampered with what I'm thinking of."

It was rather satirical. Mere moments ago, Aoi had felt as if she were drowning in a sea of emotions, fighting between not giving into despair while clinging onto hope. Now? She was literally drowning, and in a goddamn pool no less!

NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, SHIT!

Had it always been this deep? Odd. She was almost positive it wasn't. Not usually. Was there even such a thing as too deep for a person like the Ultimate Swimmer? At least for now, the answer seemed to be yes.

Not like this! Please god, not like this ...

She couldn't feel anything though; not the step ladder nor Hajime's hand. Her head lulled forward as she felt gravity guide her body down .... and barely registered something fighting against that very force. Had Hajime found her?

Someone had; that she knew for sure in her barely conscious state.

Her pulse was still there. Not as strong as usual, but at least he would note her chest weakly rising and falling. Hajime wouldn't get any type of response until seconds after performing CPR, when Aoi's eyes shot open as she coughed, aiding the water leave her system.

"D-Did I really just almost ... ??"

Her head slowly turned and paled as she saw the pool beside her. Aoi shivered, swallowing nervously before bowing her head. "I'm so ashamed. First, I drag us all in here and now I nearly die in the stupidest possible way. I'm so sorry, Hajime. I'm just ruining everything."

"Umm .... well ... " Kyoko flushed, sheepishly grinning at Makoto. "I guess there's no way to hide certain thoughts or things from you. Guilty, yes. I was. I .... know I said I'd make it up come night time. And I still will, but ... "

Her voice stopped, getting caught in her throat as Makoto pressed her breasts into his own chest. Her heart pounded quickly, something he would be able to feel with next to nothing separating them. "Geez. Sometimes, you can really sound and act like such a horn dog. Mmmm ... "

Then again, they were only human. Add in the lack of private time, and even Kyoko couldn't otherwise argue with Makoto's actions. She just ... had never seen them in such a bold fashion. She began leaning forward, originally intending to press her lips upon his.

Only to let out a shocked gasp as he dared to spank her rear.

She stared down in disbelief, not saying anything for quite a while. Without giving any hints or saying any words, Kyoko hurried to the door ... but didn't leave like he may have expected. Instead, she locked it, took her turn to press Makoto against the wall, and made out with him. Her tongue hungrily rubbed against his lips and tongue, eagerly entering the moment his mouth opened. Muffled moans slowly began filling the room as Kyoko allowed a hand to trail down and land in between Makoto's legs. After lightly rubbing the clothed member, she moved it up ever-so-slightly ... before finally resting on the zipper and button, beginning to hastily work on undoing his pants.
 
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