Ren

"FIX IT." He slams the door on us, leaning against it.

We sit there silently for a few minutes, just two guys forced into the men's bathroom to get along. Tozen gives me a glance. "I'm pretty sure I'm a little stronger than Yuu. Both of us combined could easily push him aside and get out of here."

"Hi, I don't know what's happening, but I was told to block the door until you guys are ready!" Gou calls out.

"We're ready!" I yell immediately.

"No, they're not," Yuu contradicts.

"Shit," Tozen mutters under his breath.

I groan and head to the sink. I splash my face with cold water, and it sends a mild shock through my system. Droplets slide down to my neck and I don't bother drying off. I lean up against the wall and sink to the ground, groaning for a second time. I pull myself into a ball.

He sits at the opposite wall and we stare at each other from about ten feet apart. "It's strange... I never thought I could wind up missing someone I live with," he sighs, not making eye contact.

I knock at the wall. "Could you at least bring me my acoustic guitar? It's comforting."

"...I gotcha," Yuu agrees after a moment. A few minutes later, he opens the door just wide enough to slip it inside gently.

I take it into my arms and cradle it a bit, idly plucking at strings. I stare down at the city nightscape painted on it. "I miss you, too." He does the sensible thing, which is to not ask me what the problem is, then. Instead, he pulls a candy bar out of his pocket. "Hmm? I thought you only eat two desserts a week. Isn't that your rule?"

"Can you really blame me?" He gives a shaky smile. "I have another, for sharing. Here." He slides a sealed one across the floor. It doesn't get quite far enough, so I have to inch over to grab it and then head back to the wall.

"Just be careful, dude. I know you worry about your willpower, so your good habits are important." I open the bar and take a bite; sweetness dances along my tongue.

"I'm fine."

"Would you please just stop lying to me?" I scold. "Lying is what got us into this mess."

He sighs. "I'm not fine. But what else is new?"

I snicker. "True. I'm also not fine."

"I wanted to give you space, like you asked for. You're still not doubting what you told me when we talked about it? Y'know, the morning after the quiz?"

"Jesus fucking Christ. No, I'm not doubting it. You haven't 'lost' me or some contrived crap like that. I promised we're still tight, so we're still tight."

"Are you still... angry?"

"A little." I take a breath and start strumming. It's got no words, it's just a fray of chords that start off warm and airy and slowly descend into spiteful, quick eighth notes without much as a pause. "Ugh. The acoustic makes me feel safe but maybe I should've asked for the electric." I keep going, and the bitterness transforms into a melody that's just as fast but more frantic and confused than genuinely mad. I tear my eyes off the guitar to stare at him, still playing. He blinks and then shovels the last half off his candy bar into his mouth. "Stop," I blurt out, "How many desserts HAVE you had this week, anyway?"

"Please don't."

"Toz, I know you're scared, but I'm trying to HELP you!" I snap.

"I know! I know, I know. I'm trying to let myself be helped, but I don't—"

"How many?!"

"Five, okay?! And... three last week. I'm fine." He crosses his arms over himself self-consciously.

"Take it back!"

"I'm not fine!"

"Toz, I don't want you hurting yourself over this! Stop!"

"I don't wanna have to think!"

"You owe it to Azumi to think!"

"I'm thinking about that already! I swear, I've pretty much thought of nothing BUT that since she confessed. Love... as scary as it is, I can think about it just fine. I don't wanna think about letting you guys down... or letting myself down."

"Tozen, you're in a self-fulfilling prophecy. You need to get out of your own head before things get worse. Since you got here, it feels like you've gotten way more open, and that's fantastic, but talking won't help if you don't let yourself think!"

"Thinking is what made me so screwed up in the first place!"

"Shit, don't you get it?! Stop running, stop trying to distract yourself! You're just gonna swap one bad habit for another, and stress eating is arguably worse than overworking yourself!"

"I'm sorry!" he cries out, shutting his eyes and covering his ears.

Before I even recognize what I'm doing, I've set down my guitar and made my way over to hug him. Yuu opens the door. "I'm sorry. We were wearing earbuds to stay out of your business, but that got a smidge too loud and we needed to make sure you two are okay."

"We're not okay, but we will be," I reassure them, still hugging a trembling Tozen. He and Gou join in in the hug as we completely cocoon my best friend. I pry one of his hands off his ears. "You have people, now, my guy. We're willing and able to support you."

He lowers his other hand and lets himself be held, and, though obviously I can't read his mind to tell for sure, I think he lets himself think. "I'll... get better. For real. And then, when I get home, I'll give my little sis a hug."

"That's the spirit!" Gou encourages, giving him a playful noogie and making him laugh through breaths that gradually get steadier.

"I think we're ready now," I smile.

"Fixed it?" Yuu confirms.

"Fixed it," I nod.

"Good. Now meals will go back to normal and I don't have to hear myself talk for half an hour straight," he jokes.

"What a shame. You are very interesting to listen to. A great shoemaker who really puts his heart and sole into it."

"Oh my GOD," he groans playfully. "I'm rubbing off on you and I don't know whether I'm proud or disgusted."

Tozen stands up, chucking his candy wrapper in the garbage bin. I grab my guitar, and we leave the bathroom. It seems, to me at least, that there's a certain resolve in his eyes that wasn't there before.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fujiko

"Are you really gonna let me hold it? It's from your big bro," he asks, staring at the jewelry box. It's my sweet little memento, my special scrap of home... and it's the same one Bisque fixed for me, all those months ago.

"Yeah. I trust you, you know?"

"You don't have to do this... I know you're concerned about that motive, but it's okay. I know you trust me, Fuji."

We got called for a literal THIRD motive. Monokuma says that there's a traitor among us. Some of us are choosing not to believe it— Azumi thinks it's a scam to try and make us paranoid and potentially lead Yuu to backslide into a bad place, and I don't necessarily think she's super wrong or anything, but the thought still makes me nervous. Monokuma is a slimeball who's literally tormented us for— wait, lemme count— almost five months now, but I don't think he's ever actually LIED about anything so far! Unless we've just, like, never caught him in the act? I don't know, I don't know, I don't know!

What I know is that I have to put faith in my friends. Monokuma might be, like, mega desperate to get a kill or something! We've gone two weeks past the amount of time it normally takes! It's mid-December already. And to think this whole thing started in late July.

I take my jewelry box and hold it out for Chimon, my favorite little dude. "Wait, before you do that, I should offer you a similar courtesy." He takes off his key necklace and sets it on my nighstand before taking the box. He holds it very gently and cautiously as he inspects it with curious, doe-like eyes. I take his key and hold it between my fingers. The string of the necklace is a little white ribbon that's sort of yellowed with age, and the key itself is a slightly worn-out metal that I can't immediately pin down.

"So clearly, you've had this cute little thing for a WHILE! What does it mean to you, exactly?"

"Ah... my papa gave it to me when I was seven. It reminds me of happier times."

My doorbell rings. I head to open it. "Hi, Gou!"

"H-Hi. Can you try teaching me makeup again?" he asks timidly, shuffling his feet.

"Oh, gosh. Okie dokie, we can give it another go. If Tozen's willing to let me cook after causing two grease fires, I can try to help you again after mistaking bronzer for foundation."

"Ooh! Can I watch? I'm gonna learn from a master!" Chimon asks, beaming.

"Of course, duder!" he nods.

But when he isn't looking, Chimon gives me a smirk that totally reads, "I'm just here to watch the chaos unfold." I try to give him a stern "Don't be mean" type of look, but I think it fails because I have to stop myself from giggling. Oh gosh, we're both bad people, but it's too funny.

"Okay, so luckily, I wrapped up my skin care routine a bit ago, so we're gonna do color corrector first! Even for me, the colors to use are easy to remember. Cause it's about opposite colors and stuff! Red and green are opposite colors, so the green color corrector is for rosacea, acne, and other red spots, for example."

"What's this peach one for, then?" he inquires, tapping on the container an itty bit.

"Hiding dark circles under the eyes. Better for her skin tone than orange," Chimon answers without a hint of hesitation. I raise my eyebrows in surprise. "I-I mean, that'd make sense."

I let Gou have at my face, instructing him on how to properly use the beauty blenders, and he wears a cheerful smile as I then (very forcefully) tell him which one is the foundation. "Gosh, you really do just super like learning how to do, like, everything, huh? I can't see how much use you'd get out of this as a race car driver!"

"Sure," he laughs, "I definitely won't be doing my makeup for a race anytime soon. But with every hobby, you have those moments where you wish you were good at them, whether it's because that talent is useful or because it'd just be plain ol' fun! Imagine yours truly doing his friends' or cousins' makeup for dates!"

"Oh, gosh, you're so right about those moments though. I was trying to help make a poster for a play at my school, and I was like, 'OMG, why can't I use a paintbrush nearly as well as a blush brush?!' Chimon, what about you?"

He closes one eye and looks into the distance, trying to think. "Umm... coding, I guess. It'd be helpful to have my own website, but I don't wanna pay the money to have someone make one for me."

"You're the type to aggressively coupon, huh, Chimon?" Gou teases as I teach him about contouring.

"Y-Yeah, what of it?" he agrees, nervously playing with his hands. "Ack! Gou, you're putting the blush too high! And in the wrong direction!" he corrects frantically.

"Oh, shit! Goddamn, no matter how many times Fujiko shows me, I just can't seem to get this right," he grimaces.

"Hey, hey, no need to worry! This is only, like, the third time. It took me a long time to get good at it! Do you get sad this easily with everything you're not immediately good at?"

"It's embarrassing fucking up. Especially if it could make me look like I'm not listening. Part of the whole deal is to show interest in people and make them happy... if I can't follow basic directions, how does THAT look? Chimon seems to get it better, and he's not even the one being taught," he sighs.

"N-No, that's not—! I mean, I—!"

"Don't worry, Gou! From what Kana told me, you definitely improved a lot at dancin! You can get better at this, too! Trust me, it can be super complicated-- there are tons of containers of different stuff and they all go in different places and use different techniques. You're doing just fine, honey! Now, c'mon. Let's keep going. A bit of a blush problem is less noticeable than putting bronzer on my whole face, y'know."

He laughs a bit. "You're right. Thanks. And... about Kana... it's clear she impacted you a lot, and I can see it. I bet she'd be so proud of you."

I hug myself. "Thank you."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Azumi

His expression is determined, and a pang of fear and anticipation washes over me as I part to let him inside. I can feel the familiar tingling numbness creep in, and, in response, I hold my head between my knees whilst sitting on my bed.

"D-Do you need a second? I don't want you passing out," he asks, ever attentive to me.

"You shan't dally a moment more, if the subject matter of this conversation is to be the answer to my confession."

"It is, and as such, I won't dally." My heart rate elevates considerably.

"Carry on, then. I lay receptive."

"I... I'm not ready to date again. Yet."

"I-Indeed?" I ask, attempting to answer as though to one of Keiji's facts— interested but not invested.

"Yes. I still have a lot to grow. I've always prided myself on being open to progress and self-improvement, but I've been holding on stubbornly to a lot of... backwards thoughts, and running from things that scare me. I want to reach the point where I feel truly confident in myself, so that I can feel like I deserve romance. As well as so that, when I decide I'm finally prepared for dating, I won't be quite as likely to hurt people I care about, like I hurt you and Ren."

"How prudent," I nod, feeling my throat start to burn. "And I will gladly assist you in your endeavors. You have my unending support."

"Thank you. But..."

"But?"

"But when I get there... when I reach that goal... I would love to date you then. I do like you. I'm sure of that. There are so many little things about you. I love how articulate you are, and the gentle way you smile. I love how my world seems more beautiful with you in it.  I could never thank you enough for the way you constantly remind me of my value. Before I date you, though, I want to be able to know my value on my own, so that I'm not so doubtful and I can earnestly believe what you tell me. If you don't want to wait for me, if you don't feel like you can, I could never, ever blame you for that, and I'll be okay."

"Patience is a virtue, and I happen to find that you are worth waiting for," I agree with a warm smile. Even so, I find myself feeling like Sisyphus, like the boulder comes tumbling down the mountain and I have to watch helplessly. The hourglass has been turned back around.

I rise to my feet and he embraces me then, holding me firm against him. He's warm... and his typical scent of ginger and orange is stronger when I'm pulled so close. The fabric of his shirt is slightly coarse and I let my eyes shut, wishing beyond belief that I could relish in this without a hint of melancholy. "You promise you'll tell me if you change your mind?"

"Promise," I nod.

He grips me by the shoulders and pushes me a bit away from him. "Then here's my promise." He bestows upon my cheek a nearly imperceptible kiss, as though a delicate butterfly lands upon my visage and, after a moment of lingering, flutters away. "I'll see you at bedtime, Zu." And with that, the door creaks open, and he leaves me to my thoughts.

My breaths are shallow. I could use a drink. I take a swig of water from my bottle, and then let my head hit the soft pillow, pulling the fuzzy blanket across my shoulders. The clock ticks by, steady and unforgiving as ever. In the past, I've found it comforting. Now, however, it is merely bothersome and distracting. I settle into shavasana pose and attempt to lull myself into meditation. I ground myself, preventing my thoughts from drifting too far from the present moment. I just need to remain here.

After a while of meditating, I rise from my bed, and, finding myself in much the same mental state, I sigh and leave my quarters. "Ren...? Ren?" I call out, taking my hair sticks out of my bun and twirling them idly between my fingers. I find him in the parlor, strumming with a contented smile.

"Oh! Hey, Azumi," he greets.

"Might you wish to listen to sad music? And perhaps make some funnel cake as a treat?" I ask.

He quirks up an eyebrow but then immediately seems to understand. "Oh, Zu!" he sympathizes, setting his guitar down to immediately enfold me in a hug. He nearly squishes my insides out.

"I... was not rejected, per say. But he is making me wait again... and I could not possibly hope to guess how long this one will take."

"How are you feeling?"

"I am alright."

He gives me a bit of a glare, unimpressed. "You two were made for each other. And while that would normally be a compliment..."

I give a huff of laughter that winds up devolving into a sniffle. "I cannot fault him for desiring to be in a better mental state before pursuing romance. I am the one who is most well-equipped to handle these things. I am the one who is 'wise,' and I am the one who is 'balanced.' I ought not to be falling apart over a boy who didn't even truly say no."

"You don't have to be the one who has your shit together. You can just be Azumi Hirabayashi, a human with human emotions, some of which are unpleasant."

"When did you get so sagely?" I ask, patting him on the head.

"Ha. You guys have all taught me a lot about how people work. I guess I'm getting better at it. Now, c'mon, let's go to the kitchen. You need to whip up some funnel cake while I play music so sad you weep your eyes out."

I laugh. "I will attempt not to get any tears in the batter."

"And you can tell me as little or as much as you want."

Of course, in the process, I cry. And I prepare my heart, fortifying it and bolstering its resilience for the wait to come.