Chapter Text
Naegi eyed the money up and down, considering his options for a moment. He was the very best at assassination, at least the best Hopes Peak could find. And after all, it would be just like his usual work: Killing for money, getting paid if he got away with it, being put on death row if he were to be caught. Yeah, it wasn't much different at all... He shook his head. No, it would be better not to take the risk. People like Kyouko Kirigiri and Byakuya Togami would be his downfall in the end, they were smart. He had grown a little fond of the other students, anyways, he'd have to watch them all die if he did get away. Yeah, definitely not worth it.
Togami noticed the look of contemplation on the boys face, taking note of how he looked at the money. Almost like he was... No, he wouldn't believe that Naegi would ever consider murder. It was hard to believe that the person that gave the group hope would do such a thing. With a sigh, he left as soon as Monokuma dismissed them, heading towards the library. The look on Naegi's face was still on his mind, however, and he remembered the room where he'd found the police files on Genocider Syo. Perhaps there was something on Naegi there, too...? He doubted it, but it was better to be safe than sorry. With that, he searched through the files, until he finally found a thick folder with the label 'Hope Murders'. "What a strange name..." He mumbled, opening up to the first page of the many papers and pictures there were. There was a brief summary on the first page.
'There has been a string of murders going on for the past year, all of which there was a note left at the crime scene that said "Don't lose hope, like I did". This leads the police to believe that they were all committed by the same person. The victims are seemingly random, however there is an ongoing investigation on why these people were murdered. One theory is that this killer is doing it for money, though this can't be confirmed with the little evidence that was found.'
On the next page there were a few pictures from the crime scenes, but one was different from the others. This one was taken off a security camera, and one thing stood out above the rest: The symbol on the hoodie the man was wearing. It... was the same as on Naegi's. With a frown, Togami inspected the picture closely, looking for any other clues. Everything else that could point to it being him was covered up, his hair under the hood and there was nothing around to use as a reference for his height. He was facing away from the camera, too, so his face couldn't be seen. He was even wearing gloves so that his skin color couldn't be used, either. But the symbol... Shaking his head, the blond decided to keep reading. Maybe there was something that could disprove what he was thinking...
Naegi, meanwhile, was on his way back to his room, unaware of the predicament he was going to be in shortly. He had no idea that there was a file on him, or that Togami, who was probably the closest thing he had to a best friend here, was reading it and figuring him out. It had taken him a while to get to where the personal rooms where, since he had come from the gym. He had also stopped in the kitchen to get something to eat, so by the time he got back to his room, there was someone there waiting for him. "Oh, hey Togami," he greeted as he walked up. The blond was leaning against his door, his arms crossed as usual. "Naegi, would you mind coming to my room? There's something I need to talk to you about." It didn't sound like much of a question, more like an order. But seeing as he was unarmed, Naegi decided to go along with it. "Um, sure..."
Togami lead Naegi to his room, unlocking the door and making the other go before him. "Togami, why did you bring me here? Did something happen?" The brunette asks, wondering why the man had brought him here. He was nervous, as Byakuya was blocking the door, and had a thick folder in his hand. It couldn't be, right?
"Tell me, Naegi, is there something you'd like to confess?" Togami says, crossing his arms and facing Makoto. He shakes his head. "No, what would I have to confess about?" Togami opens up the folder, revealing a police file on a serial killer. This file wasn't on Genocider Syo, however...
Naegi's eyes widened as the blonde showed him the reports, the pictures being all too familiar to him. He tried to hide his slight panic, asking what this had to do with anything. Togami pointed the symbol that was always left at the scene of the murder. "Look. It's the same as the one on your hoodie."
The boy grit his teeth. It was true, the symbol was the same. "That's just a coincidence! They could just buy the same brand as I do.." Togami narrowed his eyes. "This isn't a logo. The only other time I've seen it is on your jacket." Naegi was about to retort, tell him that he was wrong, but there was more than just that.
Byakuya started listing off every piece of evidence that pointed towards it being him. From the way his profile had his talent as ??? to the way Naegi acted around the corpses: strangely calm, not having a problem with blood or touching the bodies. Every time Naegi tried to object, another piece of evidence came up. This was bad...
In a flash, Naegi knocked over the lamp lighting the room, causing a pitch blackness to take place. There was a loud thud, and the door swung open. It was slightly lighter in the hallway, but it was the night hours, and most everyone was asleep. Naegi darted out, but his jacket was caught in the door. He opted to just leave it, he didn't have much time before Togami would be after him. He heard the blonde getting up, and he scrambled to find his room. The door... It was locked. The keys were in his jacket. "No no no no..." He could hear Togami's footsteps approaching...
"Naegi. Calm down." He froze up. This was it. Someone had finally figured it out. Being without a weapon, and not being very physically strong, Naegi was already at a disadvantage. He could try to kick him down again, but chances are that he'd be prepared this time. "Don't try to run. I'm not going to hurt you." The brunette almost rolled his eyes at that. As if! Any sane person would kill him on the spot. With a sigh, he turned to face Byakuya.
"Hey, I have a confession I'd like to make."
There was a brief pause. He considered his options one more time before closing his eyes and speaking.
"My talent isn't actually luck, as you've guessed by now. It's something I'm ashamed of, really. I've lied to everyone here, and not just about my talent. I don't know where to begin with that. Yes, I am a murderer. And I carry the guilt with me every day. It's not like I wanted to do this, it's a horrible, horrible job. I hate it. But it's the only thing I'm good at. Makoto Naegi, Super High School Level Assassin. All those people I killed? I was hired to do that. I never had anything against them. I just wanted the money. So what are you going to do about it, huh? Kill me? Tie me up? I wouldn't blame you."
Another moment of silence, before Togami spoke.
"As I expected. And no, I won't do either of those things. You're smart enough not to murder in this situation, I know that for a fact. If, however, you're stupid enough to kill, this file will pretty much prove it was you anyways."
"You're... Not even going to lock me up? Don't you understand?! I kill people for a living! It's my job! Now that money's the motive, it's a hard offer to resist!"
"I'll help you resist it, then. What do you want the money for?"
"Help me- er, I was actually saving up for college, it's just so expensive... I use it for other things, but that's my main purpose."
"College? I'll send you there once we get out of here. Just don't take the risk."
"Okay, that's great and all, but why? I should be nothing to you."
"...Let's just say I've grown fond of you over the past few weeks. You could say I consider you a friend now."
"You consider me your friend?"
"Don't make me repeat myself."
A slight smile cracked on the assassin's face. Even after finding that out, Byakuya Togami still considered him... a friend. Maybe it wasn't so bad that Togami knew about his true identity.
"Now come on, let's go get your jacket." The blonde said, and Naegi followed him back to the heirs room. Yeah, maybe it wasn't so bad after all...