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cautiously...pops head in here?

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Aw jeez. Mahiru wants to roll her eyes at him, really, but she surprises herself by laughing a little instead. "I'll have you know, I'm an exceedingly positive girl most of the time. And maybe you shouldn't make assumptions about girls based off one lousy impression, huh?" Rather than coming off like the scolding she was doing before, though, it almost sounds like a teasing sort of jab. "Anyway, it was very painful. I might need to attend therapy to work out my post-traumatic stress over it."

At first, he wasn’t sure if he was the kind of asshole she was describing. Or, more accurately, trying to be. But her last line and the smile that came with it chased off his doubt. He grinned back, wider, more teeth and energy. “You think so? Heh, you realize that wasn’t completely negative just there? Just when I think I got a girl figured out.” He gave half a laugh, smirk growing lopsided. “Did it hurt? Sayin’ I was cool just now? Didn’t think you had it in you to compliment me. Glad you did, though. Makes this way easier.”

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Oh dear. Mahiru frowns a big frown and reaches out to rest a hand comfortingly on the young girl's shoulder. "Hey, hey! It's okay! We can try again! Don't get upset, okay? We're just having fun here. And if you can't do it yourself or don't want your hands to get sticky, I can make the chains for both of us and you can keep dancing for me! How does that sound?"

She smiles a big toothy grin, then, doing her best to make the crying girl feel better. "Hey, your dancing was really good by the way! Prolly the best dancing I've ever seen ever! In my WHOLE ENTIRE LIFE!" Her hands continue to work at the flowers, stringing a few more together. One of them is soon closed into a full circle, and Mahiru slips it onto Hiyoko's wrist as a little flower bracelet.

"Or we don't hafta do any of these things if there's something else you're in the mood for! Whatever will make you happy again will make me happy, okay?" The small redhead is very genuine, her entire demeanor radiating a cheerful vibe. "By the way, I love your kimono! It's very pretty!!"

 ”     Oh, oh ! I’m really, really good at dancing ! It’s my favorite thing to do, like, ever ! But my feet get hurt a lot because stuff gets into my shoes a lot, y’know ? I don’t even know how it gets there, like burrs and needles and stuff. But I’m still a realllly good dancer !    ” Saionji stood up and demonstrated herself, swaying and twirling in various ways. As a joke, she finished off by extending her foot forward and using jazz hands. She jumped back into her spot in the grass with the other young girl. She picked up too flowers, repeating Koizumi’s directions, but it wasn’t much success. When she pinched the stem to begin linking them, she ripped through the step on accident.  ”     Ewwww ! I got plant juice on my fingers… “ The blonde wiped the watery liquid off of her fingers using the sleeve of her kimono. Her eyes began to tear up and her lip quivered. Out of rage, she tore the rest of the flower apart, then rolled her hands with the flower clenched inside so it only was bits and pieces of petals and leaves. Her tears acted up again and she sniffled with a red face,  ”     I didn’t do it right, I think…     “ 

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"Hey, um, Hajime...? I heard it was your birthday today, so I just made you a little something--well, two things, but neither of them are a big deal, really. Just--here, take it."

Mahiru shoves a gift bag at him, seeming bashful. Inside are two things: a big framed photo collage, full of lovely pictures of Hinata with his friends, Hinata snowboarding, and even one of the two of them, her blushing but smiling. There's also a really long and soft hand-knit scarf in dark green.

"I know it's not much, but...um, yeah. Happy birthday."

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Oh. Could it be--a shred, a glimmer of trust, perhaps? Reluctant as she may seem, Touko has just shared a small piece of herself, of her life. Mahiru listens carefully, but finds no real venom in her words; could she truly be opening up, just the slightest bit? The photographer ceases her fidgeting, looks directly at Touko and listens. Her sharp eyes pick up details, piece them together to form a complete picture: hesitation before words break free from lips, no doubt. Uncertainty in her averted eyes, a dash of bitterness in her words--but honesty, an admission of weakness, sincerity.

"It must have been intimidating, having all of those people come to you with their admirations and expectations. I don't think I could do it, myself. Not that I have fans, anyway." There's an ever-present sincerity in her own voice, one which lays no judgement on Touko for choosing not to subject herself to those experiences.

"It's not your job to help them, anyway. You're an author, not a therapist. Their disappointment is unwarranted."

The topic is abruptly changed, however, when Touko's eyes actually fix upon Mahiru, wide behind the lenses of her glasses, looking at her as though she's seen a ghost. In her voice, a nervous sort of tremble. She questions the choice of name usage, and Mahiru blinks, uncomprehending. "...Yes, of course I did. I call all of my friends by their first name--well, the girls, anyway. Is that a problem?" She doesn't know, doesn't realize that her habit could be such a big deal to someone.

[ Support implies a level of camaraderie that’s both presumptuous and bites back her own words with a ferocity Touko should have expected but still recoils at. Pastry crumbs coat her fingers and fall to the napkin and linoleum floor carelessly when she looks away, an exasperated final resort to counteract the fact she does not have a decent rebuttal. The author cannot account for the surprising lightness of her chest, and so tries her best to ignore it instead. Brushing off Koizumi’s words is easier said than done; she will not be ignored, there’s a certain assurance that commands her attention. It makes her skin itch, being under that kind of scrutiny. Silence, at first, bitter lips entrapping bitter words with frosting and feigned indifference. Then: ]

                                                    …I don’t do signings anymore.                                                 …At least… I haven’t in a long time.                      Without fail… someone would try to s-start a conversation with me.                 They’d ask for… advice. Cite my books as a reason to tell me their woes.    The… disappointment on their faces w-when I told them I had no… real experience… [ Far from the sole reason she had refused to appear in public, but a reason nonetheless. The words slip through hesitant lips, drawn out by a dip in the upperclassman’s over voice, a certain edge shed, a song only understood by those who heard doubt echoed back at them. There’s something comforting about mutual embarrassment, and the light weight of her hollow bones still has not been bogged down by second guessing. ] [ But then, belatedly, she turns, she watches Koizumi’s lips move and the syllables form in slow motion, but time liquefies and it is ages before she registers a frivolity of her first words ( they might be the final, at this rate: perhaps she’s got the patience of a monk but Touko is exceptional at wearing it thin ). T o u k o c h a n. She can comprehend the characters; break down each pen stroke needed to spell it in black and white but it doesn’t sound real. It does not sound like her own name. The first reaction is the weight of the world slamming against her bones, airy feeling squeezed out with a hard-K consonant. A rise in pitch, a timorous tongue: ]                                                                           W… Wait.                                                     You… y-you called me…. Touko.

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before 2014 ends inbox me one thing you’ve always wanted to know or say to me and i have to reply to all of them

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"Could you show me? I'm curious to see what it looks like." Mahiru seems impressed, and she's sure to convey that. "The fact that you've put money and time and effort into this is really admirable, Hiyoko-chan. There's no shame in using those kinds of photographic "shortcuts" but striving to go without them is what will distinguish your skill!"

She smiles supportively, rests a hand on the dancer's shoulder. "You won't look like a fool, believe me. Have faith in your abilities--I sure do!"

"I don’t know the name of it, actually. I just bought the most expensive thing with the most expensive attachments I could!"

"And I didn’t use stuff like autofocus or face recognition or tripods or anything like that! I never see you using that stuff, so I figured if I was gonna be even as close to good as you, I’d better do the same stuff you do!”

"Not that I’ll ever be that good, but I just wanna get to the point where I can take pictures with you and not totally embarrass myself!”

"Aw, who am I kidding? I’m gonna look like a total fool no matter what I do. Oh well.”

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"Lame? No, not at all. Almost everyone does like tea. I've just seen a few guys before who like to pretend that they're "too cool" or whatever, but they just end up looking like assholes instead. It's like trying to pretend you're too cool for water or something. I mean, honestly." She shakes her head, seemingly missing his self-doubt. "Besides, if you go around telling people you drink gunpowder, that sounds cooler than soda to me." That statement is actually accompanied by a bit of a smile.

"Who doesn’t like tea? Is that weird? Like, it doesn’t match my style or somethin’?" Suddenly he felt worried. Tea was served at every restaurant he went to. Was he supposed to turn it down and ask for water instead? How had he overlooked something so obvious? "I thought everybody liked tea. I mean… They serve it everywhere, right? You don’t even have to order it, they just bring it with the menu. Do you think that’s lame?"

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The precocious young'un nods eagerly. "Sure! It's real easy!" She sits down across from Hiyoko, also on her knees since she's wearing a skirt and it wouldn't be very ladylike to sit with crossed legs. Mahiru starts picking a few of the weed flowers by the base of their stems, then shows them to Hiyoko.

"See, you gotta make a little hole in the bottom of the stem with your nail. And then you stick another stem through there--" As she speaks, she demonstrates. "Then the two are connected! And you keep going for the next one and just keep going and going till it's a chain."

She smiles a big friendly smile at the smaller girl, handing her a few of the little flowers and watching to see if she'll do it right. "Oh, and if you want, when you think it's long enough, you can connect it in a circle to make bracelets or necklaces or crowns! Cool, right?"

In response to the question, Mahiru has to think for a moment. "Well...I like to sing, too! And draw, and dance, and lots of other stuff. What about you?"

 ”     Really ? Can I ? I’ve never made flower chains before, but it sounds super fun ! Will you teach me how to make them, Mahiru-chan ?     “    Nobody ever really treated small Hiyoko nicely, they always had thought she was weird for her admiration of her own culture, or how she wasn’t as expressive or ‘cool’ as every other kid. She never really got how she was supposed to be social or cool since she normally locked herself in a bubble where she would rarely talk to anyone unless they talked to her first. Meeting Mahiru felt better than being alone, so she decided to herself that if she could make friends with at least this girl, then maybe less people would pick on her.    She sat on her knees since she was one of those kids who thought sitting ‘criss-cross apple sauce’ was uncomfortable and began picking flowers off of flowers, finding some kind of enjoyment in it since there was nothing else to do.   ”     So, what do you do for fun, Mahiru-chan? “ She began a storm of giggle-snorting as she said,  ” Other than making flower chains, of course !     “

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Well. That's that, then. Mahiru nods, thinks, Koizumi-chan. That's kind of cute. And taking the way he covers himself up with the blankets as a cue to leave, she finally turns and heads for the door.

"Night, Souda-kun. I'll keep that in mind." The honorific tastes funny on her tongue, but it's a fair response to his. She won't be making a habit of it or anything.

The cool night air outside feels nice on her skin, and she pauses for a moment outside to look up at the bright array of stars. Her grip on the spark plug has not loosened.

She will make it through, somehow. 

With confidence in his own abilities Souda took full credit for the minor improvement in Mahiru’s mood. He had little experience in this so he considered this a great success. Well, that was his own mood boost for the evening. Pulling his sheets over his body, he descended back onto the mattress he’d earlier been sleeping on. From under the covers, he stuck an arm out and waved towards his friend. His face hidden by his blankets, continued to smile; so much so, that his cheek began to ache. Someone was going to have pleasant dreams tonight…

        “G’night Koizumi-chan! My bed’s always free for you, don’t forget that!”

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The little Mahiru tilts her little head sideways, giving the small blonde girl a curious look.

"Why'd I tell them off? 'Cause they were being bullies, silly! It's the right thing to do, everybody knows that." She nods firmly, sure in her convictions, and places her hands squarely on her hips.

"If they do it again, I'm telling a teacher. Got it?" She pauses for a moment, then drops the bossy routine and smiles a big friendly smile. "Nice to meet ya, Hiyoko-chan! My name is Mahiru! Do you want to make flower chains with me?"

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 ”Hey… ! I’m Saionji Hiyoko…I was wondering why you had told those bullies off ? You didn’t have to do that, and I didn’t have time to tell you thank you, Onee-chan.”    Earlier, Saionji was playing in the sandbox during recess. At this time, she hadn’t developed as sharp as a tongue as she would have in the future. She just got mad, but didn’t know hwo to react. In the sandbox, two slightly older boys kicked sand in her face and made fun of her for her complexion, like a baby’s. They also made fun of her family name, but a red-headed girl had chased them off with her powerful words. 

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A big, strong guy like him--somehow, that actually manages to evoke the tiniest laugh from her, whether he meant it to be funny or not. And of course he's right; Mahiru is a strong girl, and she needs to act that way. So she nods, slides herself off the bed with a hesitance that she hopes isn't recognizable, and stands there for another moment.

"Okay...that sounds fair. Think of something, and let me know...you know where to find me, so." A little half-shrug accompanies the statement.

"Thanks again, and...I'll try my best to move forward with everyone, okay?" Her eyes travel over to his for one last extended look as she takes a slow step back, then another. Her heart doesn't want her to leave, to be sucked back into the silence and darkness and nightmares of her own cabin, but she sure can't ask to stay, right? So she clutches the spark plug like her life depends on it and tells herself to be brave, to just deal with it like a big girl.

"...I guess I'll...um...goodnight, then.." 

Hoping to cover up his own weakness, Souda turned his head away for a few seconds abd wiped his face on his arm. Mahiru may have already have already noticed the forming of tears, but the young man convinced himself otherwise for the sake of his pride.

        “It’s not bad though huh? Getting a little pep talk by a big, strong guy like me? But you’re a big, strong girl, so I don’t expect this to become a habit or anything! Still, if you ever need another hug—…”   Was he pushing his luck a little too much? Maybe. He worked over his suggestion and his lingering bashfulness with a laugh and interlaced his fingers against the back of his head.

        “I don’t need anything right now so it’s a pass. But if you really wanna make it up to me, I’ll come up with somethin’ good! Then you can pay me back in full. Until then, you can relax, Koizumi. If anything, you gotta start feeling better, ASAP. Aaand that’s pretty much it.”

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Shit. Seriously? Of all the men forced into this stupid class (seriously, why is this necessary?) she had to get paired up with that guy? Not that any of the others are anything to write home about, but he's the only one who'll probably end up stepping on her toes on purpose. And judging by his quite vocal reaction, that might be exactly the case.

"Yeah, well you're not exactly a catch either," she grumbles, crossing her arms and eyeing him critically. "And I bet you don't even know the first thing about dancing. Do you even know where to put your hands?"

She eyes the teacher, setting everyone else up, and instructing them all to take the starting position. It's all him now, time for him to step up and be a man.

♬ (emphasis on HAS to, and neither is too happy about it)

♬:Would you care to dance? My muse has to dance with yours.

"…You have to be fuckin’ kidding me!"

The exclamation was all the boy let out at hearing the news of his assigned dance partner.Never being a fan of dancing in the first place, having to dance with someone you strongly dislike is not a very appealing situation. Not to mention that dancing was something that does require a bit of trust in your partner even if it’s just trusting them to not trample over your feet. However, Fuyuhiko couldn’t even dream of placing any trust in Koizumi.

After taking a deep breath followed by a very irritated sigh, he grudgingly walks over to the girl, already avoiding eye contact. 

"Alright then…Let’s get this shit over with.."

(this…is not going to be a very graceful dance)

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His grip is tight, and Mahiru looks down in surprise at their joined hands, hardly expecting such a gesture from him. But it's good, it's a sign that he really has changed. She nods, looking back up at him and squeezing his hand back just as tightly.

"I'm really glad to hear that."

She has no idea what the future has in store for them, no idea what Monokuma might have up his sleeve, but she's starting to feel, even despite the events of yesterday, that the rest of them can make it through this somehow. It's not like things could get worse, right? And having the cooperation and support of all of her classmates, including Kuzuryuu...

"We're gonna be okay. Eventually. We're all gonna make it out of here and find a way to go on with our lives." She nods, almost trying to convince herself as much as she's trying to convince him.

Her hand releases his, and she takes a small step back. "Do you want me to leave you be, now? You should probably get some rest, anyway..."

Days ago, Kuzuryuu wouldn’t have listened-he wouldn’t have even looked Koizumi in the eye out of spite. He had hated her-he had almost killed her, and now he was actually considering her request, and agreeing with things she said on his own; not because he felt he had to. He didn’t realize it then, but at some point in the future, he would realize his mindset changed for the better.

Koizumi was right. Keeping secrets, not communicating, going against the group’s wishes; they all only lead to the same outcome on this island: death. It had been proven twice with both Hanamura and Pekoyama, and the unfortunate victims were Togami and Saionji. Kuzuryuu never wanted another case like theirs to happen again, and if learning to get along better was going to help prevent it, then he would do it. No matter how hard he had to work.

竜"Yeah…I can do that."

He gripped Koizumi’s hand tightly-an act of affirmation rather than affection.

竜"I’ll support you guys."

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two away from 400!!

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Mahiru holds onto him for maybe a little longer than she should, trying to reign in her overflowing emotions. She's surprised to find, however, that there's really a certain warmth and comfort to be found in such an embrace. For the first time in what feels like ages, she actually feels almost...safe?

That's not to say that the memories and the pain have gone away, of course, but for a moment their full effect is dulled. It's with great reluctance that she slowly pulls back and swipes at her eyes, and only because she's embarrassed. In all honesty, she would have gladly stayed, but how weak would she look then? How needy?

"Look at me, being consoled by a man like this..." Her words aren't bitter or accusatory, though; she actually lets out a self-depricating chuckle, hardly even taking herself seriously anymore. She notices that his eyes are wet too, and somehow that actually makes her feel better, that she's not alone in feeling this way.

"If...if there's anything I can do for you, in return..." Her grip on the spark plug has not loosened, she might never let the damn thing go.

        Koizumi…         She’s really crying…

Kazuichi had been left absent of thought and speech; caught in the arms of Mahiru, he could only freeze not too unlike a deer before headlights. So much for no hugs huh! Quite honestly Souda was quite flustered, left in a stated of stunned silence. This was the first time he could remember ever being hugged. Well, by someone that wasn’t his mother. That and…

    K a z u i c h i.

    She’s calling him by his first name?

Those tears of her, they must have been infectious, because pools of them began to form in his own eyes. How lame, he grimaced. Koizumi would scold him if she noticed on any other occasion, but maybe for now it was fine. Maybe.  It didn’t make him any less ashamed that he was so easily swayed by another person’s emotions. The mechanic couldn’t help but hold onto her tightly. For the both of them, but mostly for his classmate.

        “I-It’s…It’s no problem… Really…”

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Mahiru smiles just a little as she watches him speak, admiring that spark of passion behind his words. She already knew of his family; her mother filled her in on everything when she was initially informed on the engagement. As a matter of fact, she should probably fill him in too, because he doesn't seem to know the full story.

"I know of your family," she nods, careful with her words. "And my mother has her...reservations. But, you see, our mothers are actually very good friends, for many years now, and it seems they've been working out some sort of plan for a while now. When you make your eventual rise in the political world, you'll look that much more reliable if you have a faithful and stable marriage, and a strong and capable woman by your side, right? Plus, assuming I follow in my mother's footsteps and become truly respected for my photography, that'll do your family name some good as well. And when you do eventually reach your goals, then both of our families will benefit from it...makes sense, right?"

She shrugs, seemingly resigned to her fate for the most part. "My mother told me that if we're both truly miserable, we don't have to go through with it. But we should really give it a try and see if we can't work things out somehow, for the good of everyone."

Mahiru spat a brief history of her family to him, covering the basics flatly as though she were already weary of the subject. Her family sounded simple, average enough for them to avoid the consequences of becoming involved with his family. Kiyotaka could only wonder if she even knew. If her mother bothered to tell her the disgrace which followed the Ishimaru name. Either way, he supposed he would be revealing that to her now.

His face scrunched while he spoke, as if recalling a memory long past. “My father is someone who I hold very dear, he is a man of great honor—a detective! When I was younger, I recall aspiring to follow in his footsteps, however now… Koizumi-san, I’d like for you to know that you are not marrying into a wealthy family, nor a prominent one. In fact, I am surprised any family would want their daughter to take on my name! My own mother has been forced to take on work as well, every bit of income counts. I, myself am also an only child, although I do like to imagine how it would be to have a younger sibling! Most of my time is spent studying, ensuring that I remain at the top of the class; one day, Koizumi-san, I hope to become Prime Minister of this country. I want nothing more than to lead our country to greatness, and erase the stigma put upon my name!” Kiyotaka smiled at that, feeling his pride slowly swell within his chest. He wasn’t one to brag about himself, much less to a classmate whom he was only just becoming more accustomed to. However, this was the torch they were meant to carry.