Chapter Text
Day 1 - Monday.
Byakuya was sitting at a desk in the library of Hope’s Peak Academy, looking through various stock market charts on his laptop. The heir was trying to focus on the changing numbers displayed in front of his face, but it was only giving him a headache. No activity allowed him to forget about what had happened over the weekend. Why had it even come to this? He didn’t really understand it, and it irritated him immensely when something presented him with an intellectual difficulty. The library was filled with deafening silence, interrupted only by the sounds of books and textbooks being opened and metal chairs being moved around. Byakuya took off his glasses, rubbed his face, and sighed deeply. It wasn’t long before Nagito Komaeda and Kokichi Oma sat down in front of his desk - his only... friends? Calling them friends was too much for him; he had never given anyone that title before, perhaps except for... Well, exactly.
-Ah, Mr. Handsome has finally shown up - Nagito remarked, sitting backwards on the chair with a wide smile - where were you when you weren’t here? - he asked with exaggerated optimism, which only irritated the Ultimate Heir even more.
- What do you care? - he hissed and started tapping on the keyboard without lifting his eyes from the screen.
- Awww, someone didn’t get their coffee brought to bed hot enough today - Kokichi replied with a grin, placing his elbows on the table and resting his chin on the inside of his hands - why were you so quiet over the weekend? I had no one to annoy and I was boooooored - he whined with feigned sadness.
- You could’ve annoyed him - Byakuya replied, nodding his chin toward the third companion, still not looking at the two men.
- Naaaaah, you can’t annoy him! He agrees to everything and never complains! - Kokichi said, then leaned toward Togami - between you and me, he’s such a weirdo. I’m surprised you can stand hanging out with him.
- Kokichi, I can hear all of this - Nagito interrupted, though he was still smiling at his, as he considered them “friends.” - soooo... what did you do over the weekend that you didn’t even reply to a single one of my messages? Togami Company going bankrupt?
- In your dreams - the blond man spat, then sighed heavily - I was busy.
- Did Celestia tie him to the radiator again and make him polish her shoes? Did I guess it? - Oma suggested, clearly pleased with himself.
- Fuck off - Byakuya muttered, then bit his lip - Celestia and I broke up - he said quietly before swallowing. He hoped the boys wouldn’t notice, but unfortunately, he was wrong. However, the news surprised them both so much that they didn’t even fully register the new information in their minds.
- Yeah, I broke up with Himiko too. From now on, I’ve decided to cut myself off from everyone, including you idiots, and live alone on a deserted island. Togami, your family must have some abandoned piece of land somewhere. Maybe you could send me to one? - Kokichi began rambling nonsense, before realizing that Byakuya wasn’t joking - wait, wait, you’re serious?
Nagito raised an eyebrow, then scratched his forehead in confusion.
- Yep - Byakuya replied shortly, still typing random letters onto the computer screen. Luckily, the device was turned away from the other two, because Byakuya himself had no idea what exactly he had typed.
- Why? - Komaeda asked, his expression dropping for the first time since he had entered the library.
- How should I know? -Togami spat.
- Well, you of all people should probably know - Kokichi shook his head in disbelief - you were there when it happened, weren’t you?
- I was and I still don’t really know why - he replied, finally looking at his companions, irritated.
- Maybe it was just an argument? Maybe you said something that upset her? We all know Celestia is rather... explosive? - Nagito replied, trying to maintain a caring and comforting tone.
- God, can you just leave me alone for once? - Byakuya snapped, nervously closing his laptop - do you two have to stick your noses into everything and care about everything, you’re just...
Byakuya didn’t get a chance to finish, because suddenly they heard an announcement over the speakers in the library, followed shortly by the voice of the principal - Kyoko Kirigiri’s father, who was in Byakuya’s class.
- Attention, all students EXCEPT classes 77, 78, and 79, please leave the building and the entire school grounds immediately. I repeat, this is not a drill. All students except those from classes 77, 78, and 79 are requested to leave the school grounds. Classes 77, 78, and 79 are requested to report to the gymnasium on the first floor immediately. I repeat, classes 77, 78, and 79, attendance in the gymnasium is mandatory. Thank you.
The announcement ended, and the three boys looked at each other in confusion. Why their classes specifically? Ironically, each of them belonged to one of those classes. Nagito to 77, Byakuya to 78, and Kokichi to 79. Before any of them could say anything, Byakuya got up from his desk, packed his laptop into his briefcase, and headed toward the gym.
30 minutes later...
The gymnasium was crowded. Nearly fifty confused students, shouting, laughing, and talking, made Byakuya regret belonging to one of the classes designated by the principal. Why were they even having this meeting? Did their classes have to organize something separately? Why had everyone else been forced to leave the high school? Byakuya stood in the corner, leaning against the wooden bleachers and observing everyone. He knew most of the students, while he only vaguely recognized some of them as people from classes 77 and 79. From his class, a worried-looking Makoto stood nervously holding his girlfriend Kyoko Kirigiri’s hand. Byakuya didn’t really understand that relationship. Kyoko was definitely “a couple of levels above” her boyfriend, colloquially speaking, but hey! Love doesn’t choose... apparently? The couple was talking to Aoi Asahina, Sakura Ogami, and Yasuhiro Hagakure. The Ultimate Swimmer looked particularly concerned about the current situation.
Byakuya looked at the students from the other class. Mikan Tsumiki looked as though she was about to cry. Ibuki Mioda stood beside her, hugging her and gently stroking her back. The nurse immediately turned red in the face. Hajime Hinata stood beside them, along with his... “girlfriend,” Chiaki Nanami, who didn’t seem worried about the current situation at all and was rapidly pressing buttons on her Nintendo Switch. Despite the fact that Byakuya kept telling himself that Komaeda wasn’t his friend, he knew far too much about him, and that was exactly why he couldn’t understand why Komaeda was in love with Hinata. Hinata had always seemed average and uninteresting to him, while Nagito could talk about him for hours. Most people had figured out that the Ultimate Lucky Student had a crush on the boy, but Hinata either tried to deny it or was genuinely as oblivious as Byakuya believed him to be. Ironically, Byakuya had only just thought about Komaeda, and the boy magically appeared beside his crush and his girlfriend.
He knew class 79 the least, apart from Kokichi and his perpetually lethargic, complaining girlfriend Himiko Yumeno. That relationship was the one Byakuya understood the least, perhaps except for the fact that they matched in height. Maybe Oma had fallen in love with her because he had finally found someone slightly shorter than himself? Who the hell knew. From class 79, he recognized “Piano Freak” Kaede Akamatsu and that weird emo detective who followed her around everywhere like a dog. Byakuya simply didn’t like cluttering his mind with unnecessary information. There was one thought, however, that wouldn’t leave him alone, one he desperately tried to push out of his head.
Where was Celestia Ludenberg?
- Calmed down a little? - Kokichi asked, clumsily starting to climb onto one of the bleachers so he could be roughly the same height as Byakuya.
- Let’s say I have - the taller boy replied, shrugging before crossing his arms over his chest - any idea why we’re here? - he asked, turning toward him.
- Yep, I know everything! - he shouted proudly.
- So? - Byakuya looked at him skeptically.
- So Principal Kirigiri decided that because of your ever-inflated ego, arrogant attitude, and making everyone else’s lives miserable, he was going to shoot your bitch ass into space, and we get to watch it happen - he said with a grin stretching from ear to ear.
Byakuya only narrowed his eyes in annoyance.
- My mistake, I asked the most inappropriate person possible - he sighed, adjusting his glasses.
- I don’t know what’s going on, Togami - Oma replied in a more serious tone - I tried asking anyone I could, even the principal’s daughter, but everyone brushed me off! Can you believe it!? They brushed ME off? A cute boy like me! - he finished sarcastically.
Byakuya decided to ignore the Ultimate Dictator’s further ramblings until he said something useful.
- ...and are you finally going to tell me what’s going on with Celestia?
- I don’t feel like talking to you about it -Togami replied - it’s my private matter.
- Sure, private matter - Kokichi bit his lip - and how many times did me or that idiot lucky guy have to listen to you argue with that crazy gambler? Dude, maybe it’s a good thing it happened! That girl is completely nuts, and on top of that, she was only with you for your parents’ money... - Kokichi tried to continue, but Togami had had enough. He grabbed him by the collar, pulled him closer, and hissed through his teeth.
- You. fucking. do. not. have. the. right. to. talk. about. her. like. that.
Byakuya thought Kokichi would be frightened by his fury, but Oma only smiled at him.
- That was a lie - he said and Byakuya angrily let go of the shorter boy - I just wanted to see how you’d react. I know perfectly well that you still love her, that she’s the love of your life, that you wanted to propose to her after high school, that she’s the person closest to you, that you let yourself go at the mere thought of her.... - Kokichi kept rambling until Byakuya finally grabbed his head, clutching his blond hair in frustration.
- Oh my God, can you finally shut up? PLEASE.
- Oh, if you ask so nicely, then of course. I’ll be silent as a grave - he said, smiling warmly.
Suddenly, Fukawa appeared beside the two, looking frightened and uncertain. Byakuya’s mood worsened even further at the sight of her.
He couldn’t understand why Fukawa couldn’t just leave him alone. He had been with Celestia for over five years, yet Fukawa’s obsession with him still lingered somewhere in the background. He had lost count of how many arguments he’d had with Celestia about Toko, despite assuring her that she shouldn’t even think about being jealous. Unfortunately, despite the numerous, truly numerous remarks he had made to Fukawa telling her to leave him alone, Toko always hoped that eventually he would choose her instead of Ludenberg.
- M-Master? - the writer stammered uncertainly, but Byakuya didn’t even look at her.
- Toko, not now. Go away - the heir replied coldly and Kokichi immediately started parroting him.
- YEES! Exactly, Toko, get out of here! Maybe go do something useful and check at home to see if you’re even there - Kokichi rambled completely nonsensically, but Togami didn’t have the energy for it. Fukawa started arguing with Oma about something, but Byakuya ignored them because, finally, after that damned Friday, he saw Celestia.
Celestia was walking alongside Chihiro, who was excitedly telling the gambler about something. Ludenberg didn’t look interested. In fact, she looked... tired. Her makeup was smudged, her face paler than usual, her red eyes were more bloodshot, and a few stray hairs had escaped from her pigtails. Byakuya stared at her, then nervously swallowed. He wanted so badly to hug her, especially now that he didn’t know what was happening, now that she looked sad, now that he’d had enough of all these people around him. In his head, he ran up to her, took her hand, and they left this madhouse and went back to his house. Happy again, together again, just the two of them. But he couldn’t do that.
All he could do was look at her.
Celestia looked away, and their eyes met. They were both simply sad, even if it couldn’t be seen in their facial expressions. Their eyes were sad. Celestia pressed her lips together, then looked back at Fujisaki.