Chapter Text
If you asked Makoto Naegi, he would tell you that he was utterly, irrevocably, average. He had an average life, an average family, average looks, he was average all around. The only extraordinary thing about him was the university he attended.
As a fresh high-school graduate, he had gone on the hunt for a university. His sister Komaru had seen an online post about a raffle, and had gone running to Makoto to show him.
"Look look look!" she cried, dragging him to the computer. He stumbled over his feet to get there, and his eyes widened as he saw the screen. A chance to join the most prestigious university on Earth: Hope's Peak Academy. She managed to convince him to enter, and by some miracle, he was the one picked to attend.
He had been a student there for a bit over 6 months. He got along nicely with a lot of his classmates, and considered most of them friends. The girls of the class had their own friend group that they had decided to adopt him into. It consisted of Junko Enoshima, Mukuro Ikusaba, Kyoko Kirigiri, and Sayaka Maizono. Makoto had been friends with Sayaka for years before Hope's Peak. They met in middle school, and remained loosely in touch for years until they found each other again at the university.
The five had gone out to lunch together on a day they had no classes. The lunch was more of a bribe for Makoto to be Junko and Sayaka's pack mule at the mall, but he would take a bribe.
Junko had been obsessed with the concept of a 'hear me out' lately. She begged the other girls for theirs, and they whispered and giggled. Makoto couldn't hear what they were saying, but he also wasn't paying attention, too preoccupied eating.
"What about you, Mako?"
He looked up as Junko said his name.
"Huh?"
"Do you have a hear me out?" Kyoko asked, a sly smile on her face. His cheeks warmed. The problem here was that Kyoko knew what he'd say. He trusted her with this kind of thing; his feelings and such. She and him would hang out some nights and talk about random things. He suddenly regretted that.
"I... You're a traitor, you know that?" he muttered, stabbing his fork into his food. She laughed.
"I do, but it's fun."
"Ooo! That means it's more than a hear me out, it's a crush!" Junko cried, clapping her hands excitedly. Makoto buried his face in his hands.
"Who is it?" Mukuro asked. She didn't sound as excited as the other two, but she did sound intruiged.
"No," he said.
"C'mon!" Sayaka said happily. Makoto groaned, which made the girls giggle.
"If - If I say," he said, looking through his fingers before putting his hands in his lap, "it never leaves this table."
All four nodded, Junko even crossing her heart playfully. He took a deep breath, preparing for the blackmail he was about to give them.
"...it's Togami."
The girls (except Kyoko, who was covering a laugh,) all stared at him for a second, before Junko slammed her hands on the table and yelled "WHAT?!"
Makoto would always be the first to admit that Byakuya Togami was a spoiled, rich asshole who most of the school couldn't stand. At the same time as that, he would also say that he was dreadfully sexy. He was a sucker for tall men, what could he say?
"Listen!" he cried, trying to defend himself. "He's really good looking!"
"Yeah, but have you met him?" Junko asked.
"That's the problem! I have met him! And he's been nice to me!"
"He's capable of being nice?" Mukuro asked, a half-smile on her face.
"He was to me."
"When was this? In a dream?" Junko asked huffily. Makoto frowned.
Makoto found himself running down the hallway with a box of books in hand. He was assigned to get this box to the school library by one of his professors. He had to help Yasuhiro with something, and now he was racing to get there before the librarian locked up for the night.
Unbeknownst to him, his professor's clock was a few minutes behind.
He skidded to a halt in front of the door, and tried to pull it open with one hand, to no avail.
"No no no no," he muttered. He knocked desperately on the door, begging for some miracle. After a full minute, he let himself give up.
"Crap," he whispered, slamming his head against the door.
"Injuring yourself won't do you any good, you know," a voice said from behind him. Makoto flinched so hard he dropped the box, a few books spilling out. He dropped to his knees to put them back, and the source of the voice did as well to help him.
"I apologize for scaring you," Byakuya said, a bit softer. "It wasn't my intention."
"Oh, uh, no, you're good," Makoto replied, "What are you doing here, though?"
"I was on my way to my dorm when I saw you here. I noticed you struggling and thought I might... assist you."
Makoto paused for a moment, staring at Byakuya's face. He continued to pick up books, but glanced up when he noticed Makoto staring. It made him look away.
"Well, thank you, but how exactly? The library is locked."
Byakuya's smug smile found its way onto his face. He put the books he gathered in the box and stood up, towering over Makoto more than usual. "I just so happen," he said as he reached into his pocket, "to have a key."
Makoto's eyes widened, and he picked up the box as he got up. "You do?"
Byakuya scoffed. "Of course I do. Who do you think I am?" He put the key in, unlocking the door.
"Thank you, Togami," Makoto said earnestly. Byakuya's smug expression softened slightly, and he looked away.
"Don't thank me. This is just a favor for someone who obviously needs me."
Makoto huffed a laugh, a little smile on his face. "Sure. Thank you anyway."
He hurried to go put the box on the librarian's desk, trying not to keep Byakuya waiting. Byakuya locked the door behind him, and pocketed the key again.
"Well," Byakuya said, returning to the asshole persona he was known for, "My work is now done, and I am going to my dormitory."
"Good night, Togami," Makoto called out as he walked away. Byakuya paused in his steps, turning back slightly.
"...Good evening, Naegi." He turned back around and walked away.
"No," Makoto said, "it wasn't a dream. He just... was, okay?"
Junko rolled her eyes, crossing her arms across her chest. "Color me a skeptic."
"I believe you," Kyoko said. Makoto looked over to her.
"You do?"
"Sure. I believe he's capable of being nice, and I believe you're an easy person to be nice to."
Makoto smiled slightly.
"Well, either way," Mukuro said, moving the topic onto something about the mall to Junko. Makoto looked between the twin girls, and continued to eat his food. He was glad to move on from the topic. He wasn't the biggest fan of being judged for his taste in men. He had gotten that enough from Komaru over the years.
Everyone looked at Junko when her phone rang. She answered, and after a moment of talking, hung up with a pout. "Aw. No mall today, Mako. I forgot I've got a lecture today."
"Ah, you're good," Makoto shrugged. "What do I owe you for lunch?"
"Nah, it's on me," she said. "I'll see you guys later!" She put her polka-dotted purse back on her shoulder, and dashed off. Everyone called out a goodbye behind her.
The group finished lunch pretty quickly. Junko had left her wallet with Mukuro, so she payed the tab and the group dispersed. Makoto had come in the same car as Kyoko and Sayaka, so he followed them.
"Do you really have a crush on Togami, of all people?" Sayaka asked suddenly. Makoto huffed.
"What does it matter if I do? Does the world stop spinning?"
"I didn't mean to upset you," she said with a frown, "I'm just suprised."
He sighed quietly. "You didn't upset me. I just... I don't know. He's good looking, and nice when he wants to be. It's not like I have a chance with him."
"You're very sure of that," Kyoko said. He gave her a disgruntled look.
"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked indignantly. She just smiled. She had a very annoying habit of knowing things Makoto didn't, and making him figure it out.
The three made it back to their dormitory. Kyoko and Makoto walked Sayaka back to hers, and Makoto walked Kyoko to hers. While on his way to his own dorm, he passed by Byakuya. He was talking to Celeste in a language Makoto didn't understand, but he waved anyway. Byakuya noticed, and gave him a small nod as he passed. He wasn't expecting to be acknowledged, and clearly Celeste didn't expect him to acknowledge him, either, judging by her tone shift and expression.
He tried not to think much of it, but smiled as he walked away.
Makoto unlocked the door to his dorm, and went inside. He flopped onto his bed and sighed. A glance at the clock told him it was 5. He didn't have much else to do that day.
He thought back on the library interaction with Byakuya, and his nod from a few minutes ago. Maybe it'd be worth to pursue a friendship with him. Nothing more, of course. Byakuya was way out of his league. But maybe being friends would work. Yeah. He'd ask if he wanted to hang out later in the week.
He ignored the part of him that hoped for a yes.