Heir & Heiress

Alliance

The next morning, we were summoned to the gymnasium. The thought of stepping back into the same room where Junko was impaled made me shake with nausea. I grunted and sighed through the entirety of my shower only to realize that getting dressed wasn't going to be any easier. I didn't bother to tie my hair up in its' usual ponytail, deciding dressing down was just easier for the time being. Just as I rounded the corner, I spotted Naegi leaving his room, "Makoto!" I jogged to catch up, "How are you holding up?" I glanced back at his door, remembering Sayaka's body slumped against the bathroom wall.

"I'm...alright," he forced a grin. "What about you?" he asked, glancing at my Juicy Couture tracksuit and messy hair. Neither of us looked as if we'd gotten much sleep; falling asleep here the first night was difficult and only worsened as time went on.

"It's been a rough night". I tried to answer casually by stuffing my hands into my jacket pockets, only to be bitterly reminded. I carefully removed my hand, uncurling my fingers, and nodded. "Rough night," I repeated.

"Well, don't you look worse for wear!" Monokuma didn't miss a beat in drawing attention to me. I clicked my tongue, took a deep breath, and sat on the bleachers, watching Ishimaru follow the dumb bear's exercise routine. "Come on! I'll be nice and won't ask you to do push-ups!"

"Fuck off!" I stormed past the astonished stares to the front, "I was trying to save my friend. She bruised your ego and you killed her".

"Bruised my ego? You're talking to the wrong person, sweetheart!" Monokuma nudged an elbow in Byakuya's direction.

"Just what is it that you want from us?" Sakura redirected the conversation.

"You guys are no fun," Monokuma pouted, kicking an imaginary rock. "Anyway, there's a brand new world open to you, so go and explore!". He bounced away back into hiding, laughing.

Hina's voice was the first thing I heard, gushing about there being a pool. I chuckled while Byakuya rolled his eyes, "She's endearing".

"Oh yes, listening to her obnoxious babbling is quite 'endearing'," Byakuya glanced down at me, sighing at my pout.

We entered the only interesting room on the floor, the library, where we found Kirigiri, Yamada, and Fukawa already inside. Kirigiri was fumbling with a laptop; I took her sighs to mean that it wasn't cooperating. Yamada and Fukawa were occupied with bickering about literature and the lack of choice on the shelves. Without bothering anyone, I walked around the room and scanned the various titles lining the shelves. Mystery novel after mystery novel, I reluctantly pulled a few off the shelves to glimpse at their contents. Mystery is an interesting genre but wasn't my preferred choice of reading material. I enjoyed poetry and YA novels over most genres with the occasional romance manga (a secret I hid well from most).

"Karen," Byakuya waved me over, handing me a letter. 'Difficult decision...certain severe problem...proper abolishment'? I skimmed the words in disbelief. I checked for any indication of a date, but not even a name was written. The letter would explain why we were the only ones here.

"But what's the 'severe problem'? Is it related to our problem?" Makoto beat me to the other important question.

"If our situation is related, then we discovered a clue to the culprit's motivations," Kirigiri's gaze shifted, tapping a finger against her arm. While the letter felt like a breakthrough, even to a small degree, I couldn't shake the concerning thoughts of what exactly caused Hope's Peak to shut down. I was somewhat clueless when it came to politics and government-related business, but I was quite familiar with the press and scandal. One false move and your name would be black-listed in every paper and magazine, yet no one had any recollection of a 'severe problem'.

With how these investigations were ending, our hope of getting out seemed to be growing dim. My shoulders hung, exhausted, once the meeting finished; I didn't think it possible for the atmosphere to grow any heavier. Everyone had quickly gone back to their dorms after the nighttime announcement. Three doors left unopened. Maizono, Kuwata, and Enoshima's faces flashed through my mind; who else was going to die in this prison? Shaking the thought from my mind, I slipped out of my shoes and jacket and laid back onto my bed. "What the...?" a bundle of fabric pressed awkwardly against my shoulder. I realized I was laying on Byakuya's clothes that I still hadn't returned. "Uuuuuggghh," although it was past curfew, I made way to return them before I could forget again.

"Who is it?" I cringed at his tone; I had most likely woken him.

"uh...it's Karen". A few seconds passed before I heard a soft click and the door swung open. I held out the borrowed pajamas and was prepared to make a swift retreat until I realized that he was still dressed, just missing his blazer and tie. "I thought I had woken you up," I shifted weight, peering past him to find the desk lamp turned on.

"I was reading. You could've waited until tomorrow, though," he scolded, tossing the garments aside. I nodded, shrinking under his scrutinizing glare. His hand flew out, pulling my arm towards him, "What did you do?" I forgot my jacket! I stammered for an answer, but it was clear what I did, but I knew that's not what Byakuya meant. He sighed, releasing my arm, and removed his glasses to rub his eyes. Once again, I felt a twinge of guilt for causing him trouble, but I wouldn't apologize for trying to look out for myself. "Next time, come to me. Haven't we established that we can trust each other?"

While I appreciated the concern, no matter how Byakuya expressed it, I didn't want to accept the offer. "What's the point? There can only be one that survives and I'm reasonably certain that you'll win".

"So that's it then? You're giving up?" Byakuya crossed his arms, glowering. "Do you honestly believe that I wouldn't try to find a way for both of us to live?"

"Don't sacrifice your life over some arrangement," I blinked in disbelief.

"I established the arrangement and fully intend to commit to it".

I...like this Byakuya, a ball of heat spread throughout my chest. I couldn't stop the smile that began to spread across my lips, "So...we're in this together?" I rested a hand on his arm, curling my fingers. Byakuya's arms unfurled as he brought his hands up to my face, holding them just under my jawline. The bloom in my heart began to spark as he slowly pulled me in; the sight of his half-open eyes made me tremble. The pressure of his soft lips against mine and hands cradling my face had me swooning.

"Do you have any terms you'd like to state?" He smirked.

I rolled my eyes, "Must everything be a business transaction with you?" Huffing a sigh, I slowly pulled away and turned to leave. "Just...don't keep me in the dark, okay? I know you like to keep secrets," I winked, giggling.

Contemplation crossed Byakuya's features yet he nodded. "Goodnight, Karen".

"Goodnight, Byakuya," I watched his brilliant smile disappear beyond the door.