Chapter Text
Makoto didn’t understand Byakuya Togami. They had been trapped in this killing game for a few weeks already and he still wasn’t any closer to understanding him. During the first trial after Sayaka had been… killed, Togami didn’t seem to care. In fact, he appeared satisfied that there were now two fewer competitors to deal with. Three after Junko had also… Uh, anyways. It wasn’t that Makoto didn’t see what Togami was all about, no, how he felt about their situation and all of them was very clear. He didn’t. He was cold and disinterested at all times; and it became near cruelty every time he made a remark about winning the game at the cost of all of their lives or he dismissed them all as beneath him. That part of Togami was easy to see and understand, Makoto was commonly the target of these words.
What he didn’t understand about Togami was what drew him to the heir. It should have been easy for Makoto to accept that Togami didn’t like him (or anyone else) and move on, put his effort into making friends with people that actually cared to do so. But still, Makoto found himself coming back to Togami again and again, even if the only outcome of such visits were verbal abuse or tense silence if he was lucky. Even at his best, Togami would still just order them all around. So why did he keep going back? Makoto felt like there could be more to him, as cliche as that sounded, and he wondered if he could actually be a good, or even nice, person deep down. Probably very deep down.
It didn’t hurt that Togami looked like that. Makoto had realized he was bisexual at a young age and that aspect of himself certainly became very clear whenever he looked at the Togami heir. Not that he was attracted to him or anything! He could just recognize that he was attractive! Great figure, nice long legs, soft-looking well-styled blond hair, and those eyes… intelligent and cool. Um, so yes. Makoto could acknowledge that Togami was good looking and… pretty even. He could admit that that may be a part of his strange interest in the man, but that didn’t mean he understood it, or Togami, at all.
Still, it really made no sense for Makoto to be heading to the library where he knew Togami was. It really made no sense why he would want to inflict upon himself the psychological trauma it would entail to hang out with him. Nonetheless, he still found himself heading in the direction of the second floor. Where he bumped straight into Toko, who was heading the same way.
“W-watch where y-you’re going b-bastard! Are you t-trying to make m-me trip!?”
“Ah, Toko! I apologize, I don’t want you to fall, I was just… “ Thinking about Byakuya. “...lost in my own thoughts.”
“Well, just w-watch it next t-time!”
Makoto nodded and started off in the direction of the library again.
“W-wait! I need a favor.”
Makoto paused and turned to face her again.
“Yeah, Toko?”
“Could y-you… go talk to h-him for me…?”
Makoto responded with a confused noise.
“..who, Toko?”
“B..byakuya of course!!!”
Ah okay. She had seemed a little… obsessed with the man lately. To put it lightly. Well, he was already headed there and now this just gave him an excuse to talk to Togami.
“Uh, I don’t really understand why, but sure.”
Instead of responding, Toko flushed a deep red and nodded her head excitedly. Makoto smiled awkwardly and led the rest of the way to the library.
Togami’s head didn’t rise upon their entrance from where it was buried in a book. He sat, one leg propped up on the other at a desk. A cup of coffee was at his side and a lamp was turned on to illuminate the unhelpfully dark library. Glancing over at a nearly drooling Toko and then back at the unresponsive Togami, Makoto was starting to regret this.
“Uh. Hi.” Wow, great start Makoto, why don’t you just speak in the most insecure voice you can to the most pretentious and confident person in this school. Unsurprisingly, Togami ignored him.
“Togami? Hello?”
Silence.
But just as Makoto was going to speak again, Togami spoke without looking up from his book.
“Fukawa, leave.”
“B-but…”
Togami looked up and leveled her with a glare that sent a chill down Makoto’s spine.
“That’s an order.”
To Makoto’s surprise, Toko didn’t seem upset from this reaction, if anything she seemed even happier.
“Okaay maassterr!! Hehehe.” Toko flushed an even deeper red and actually started drooling before she almost skipped away.
“Wow uh… I guess I should probably go too then, huh?” Togami glanced at him cooly.
“Do what you want.” He went back to his book.
Huh. It may have been a dismissal, but he wasn’t telling him to leave either. Makoto took this as a good sign and decided to browse the selection of books on the wall. After selecting a random fiction novel that seemed fairly interesting, he sat down across from Togami. There was a tense silence in the air and Makoto wondered if he should break it. Or possibly move further away from Togami. He seemed to like his personal space.
Minutes passed and Makoto couldn’t help but glance up at Togami occasionally. Subtly he hoped. Suddenly, Togami broke the silence.
“Did you want something Naegi?” Apparently not subtle then.
“Uh, n..no. I just wanted to read this book!”
“Yes of course, and what was the name of it again?” Makoto made to glance at the title. “And no you can’t check the cover.”
Makoto froze and stumbled for words.
“That’s what I thought. Now either tell me what it is that you want or leave. Stop wasting my time.”
Makoto blanked for what he should say. He really didn’t have a real reason to be bothering Togami. He had just wanted to… to what? Become his friend? Get to know him better? None of those seemed likely. So what was he doing here?
“Well, I guess I just wanted to… hang out..?”
“Ridiculous. This was an even bigger waste of my time than I thought. You can leave now.”
“W...what!? I just wanted to…”
“I said you can go now.”
Well, Makoto could take a very overt hint.
“Um, alright. Bye Togami.” Togami didn’t acknowledge this.
Makoto left the library, a little downtrodden. Wait. What was he disappointed about? It’s not like he really expected anything from Togami. Right? Well, Makoto had gotten a little out of the experience, this was the first time Togami had ever really acknowledged him. He had even used his name! This was definitely a step in the right direction, albeit a small one.
The sudden appearance of Monukuma interrupted his musings.
“Ahh, young love!”
“Wha- Monukuma?!”
“Who would've ever guessed you would go for someone like him?”
“W-what!!? That’s not what this is at all!”
“Don’t worry I don’t judge, Byakuya certainly has his charms nyooohohohoho! Just be careful with someone like him, it could lead you in the totally wrong direction!”
“This is just a misunderstanding, I don’t-” Monokuma was gone.
Great, now Monokuma had the wrong idea about all this. Ah, what could he do. Makoto suddenly felt exhausted.
“I guess I’ll head back to my room now.”
-
Monokuma had gathered them all in the gym for another school announcement. Makoto just hoped it wasn’t another motive. That proved to be a hopeless wish as Monokuma announced that he was bored and wanted to motivate them again. Makoto’s blood ran cold, thinking of the last motivation he gave.
His destroyed house.
Then Sayaka’s body.
Then Leon’s execution.
He had zoned out when Monokuma suddenly threw an envelope with his name on it at his feet. Makoto went rigid as he quickly pulled it open.
"Makoto wet the bed until he was in the 5th grade."
What. That was it?? Sure it was embarrassing, but Makoto wasn’t going to kill anyone over that. He was relieved that the motives seemed trivial and no one would have to die because of them. At least he thought so until his eyes found Togami’s face a few meters away from him.
It was very subtle but Makoto saw how Togami’s eyes widened a fraction and his jaw tightened marginally. In fact, his whole body seemed to minorly tense up. Makoto’s jaw nearly dropped, this was the most emotion (other than contempt) he had ever seen the heir show. But as soon as it was there, it was gone again. Togami looked just as indifferent and cold as usual. Makoto wondered if he had imagined it, but no, Togami had definitely looked… pained. Even… afraid. Curiosity over what could have been written on the letter to make Togami drop his usual look was quickly overcome by concern. Togami may not have been his friend (yet) but Makoto still cared about him and was interested in being something more than acquaintances in the same terrifying situation. Whether friendship (or something else, a small part of him wondered) was possible would remain to be seen, but that brief flash of emotion showed Makoto that his strange interest and even attraction to the Togami heir might not be so misguided…
Then Togami caught him staring and shot him a glare cold enough to freeze water, and Makoto thought maybe not.
-
The next morning Makoto woke up in a panic. Monokuma was in his room and after that shock wore off, Makoto’s stomach sank in despair. There was probably another body. Another one of his friends was most likely dead. And unbidden, Makoto’s thoughts turned to Togami. What if it was…. No. No way he would have been killed. Could he be the killer though… No! Makoto refused to believe he was capable of murder. He seemed to have a distaste for it, though he did really want to win… And he didn’t think that Sayaka or Leon were capable of murder either… These thoughts didn’t help him anyway! He had to look for everyone.
After checking up with everyone, including Togami in the library who had given him a cold dismissal, Makoto found himself at the doors to the locker rooms on the second floor. Then, a calm voice rang out behind him.
“Suspicious isn’t it. The locker rooms.”
“Ah! Togami… hello.”
“Enough of that. It seems that no one has checked the locker rooms, yes? Let’s start with the girls locker room.”
He was nearly talking to himself, and without waiting for Makoto's response he pushed the door open.
Time seemed to freeze and then Makoto was screaming. Chihiro Fujisaki was suspended in the middle of the room.
-
And now Byakuya could test Makoto Naegi for himself.