Izuru took a moment to think, focusing on the facts, and ultimately deciding if he was going to trust this girl or not. Even if she had a strange way of presenting them, she seemed to have some good points and ideas. Maybe this was really it, the day when his life as Super High School Level Hope really took off. He never expected or pictured it to start off like this, but if this is what it took, he was light years beyond willing to go with it. Sure, it would be irritating to spend amounts of time with Junko, but when were tests ever really not irritating in some way or another. It was a small price to pay to be able to kickstart his new life. After a few more moments of careful consideration, weighing the situation ever so carefully in his manufactured mind, he sat up straight, squaring his shoulders and looking Junko in the eye.
"Alright." He began, bluntly. "I’ll agree to this test of yours. If it’s for talent. I’ll go along with it. Be reminded, however, that I am still in recovery, and that it will be a while before I’m fully ready to reach my full potential, and no amount of your yapping will change that. But," he sighed, "I do believe I’m ready and…willing to accept and attempt this test.”
His insistence on recovering fully was bore-bore-boring! (But she could see it buzzing under the surface, the same desperation that drove one of those poor normal boys into this program at all, and she could see just where to twist her nails in for real effect.)
"Lesson one! My word is law. If I say you're ready, you're fuckin' ready, right? Ka-mu-ku-ra-kun? I've got a whole fancy bag of talents here, and they're all super top secret, but trust me, yeah? If I say you're ready, you're so fucking ready!"
"- actually, that should be rule, like, zero? Rule one is this: know your enemy! You're gonna be hope, right?"
Leaning closer, she fluttered her lashes at him.
"Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight? Yeah you are! So if you're going to inspire hope, you're going to have to know what inspires despair! So that's what we're gonna be looking at first! You're super duper lucky to have me here, Izu-tan, because I happen to be -"
(lowering her voice, confident that the cameras won't hear, she tells him.)
"Super high-school level despair! But - that's just our little secret for now, yeah? If anyone finds out, they'll be the ones who try and stop me! But I don't want to lose to any-any-anyone! But! The student named as super high-school level hope! It's you and me, honey, the ultimate showdown! You think you got what it takes?"
Junko leans back, and throws him a peace sign.
"Unless you don't think your talents will be enough?"
Something in his mind clicked, and suddenly he remembered what exactly he was living for. He lowered his face, and his expressions darkened. He had gone about this all wrong. His thoughts were all jumbled up in one big, hazy mess. His mind was clouded, but right at that moment, it began to clear. Hope was disgusting, and despair was blissful.
"Y’ain’t let me down. I let you down.” He snatched her hands in his, a tight grip with his nails digging into the flesh of her skin. A wide smile plastered his features, and his eyes danced erratically.
"I think about what it’d be like if I were the one t’ kill ya, ‘n I’d do it in such a way that ya’d love it so much. Ahh, Junko-chan, look, ‘m shakin’!" Sure enough, his hands were trembling and his legs started to wobble.
"Junko, maybe… maybe, maybe, maybe I could have yer eyes, ‘r yer brain if ya die? So I could see the world the way ya see it?!"
"Ne, Junko-chan, wha’d’ya say?" He reached for his special screw driver, and placed it against his beloved queen’s lips.
Junko squealed, hands slipping from his collar. Her bright-red nails rested against his pulse points, her eyes brighter than ever.
"No, Sou-da-kun! We let one another down! Look at us, look at all these super duper nasty hopes we were holding! I don't think I've felt a despair like this all month!"
"Would you do it? Could you really really be the one to kill me? So many lovely pretty boys have tried, Sou-chi, but are you going to be the one to make my - upupu - hopes come true?"
She opened her mouth slightly, the metal of the screwdriver clicking against her bottom teeth as her smile spread.
"Try, then! Just try! I don't think you can, but the despair of being proven wrong - the betrayal - it would be so perfect!"
My, I’ve done that enough, so I’m just trying to find my own hope, now, you see? Aheheh, you seem such the lively person, no wonder you have so many title, Miss Enoshima.
You're new to this, so I'm gonna cut you some slack, yeah? First one's free!
This thing you got going on, trying to find some hope, trying to climb out of despair - I like that! Shit takes guts, Lottery, but you're doing it all backwards! You talk like you're gonna get hope without despair, and that ain't even close to true!
It's all about balance, see? The hope for despair, and the despair caused by hope! Like two super sexy snakes - (that's us!) - with their tails in one another's mouths! You get it now?
What on earth had a surgeon told her? Why was she given information from his doctors that he wasn’t getting? It was probably nothing. Probably. However, she definitely claimed to have permission to be doing whatever it is she was trying to do, which was pretty odd, considering the fact that she seemed a little…eccentric? No, perhaps “off her rocker” would be a better expression. But, she was here for some important reason, nonetheless, and she claimed it had to do with his recovery, and more importantly, hope, so he decided that he’d let her continue for a while before getting her kicked out.
"It isn’t about not being able to handle it, Enosh…Junko.” He countered, correcting himself and switching to her preferred name. No one had spoken to him so informally before, not since he’d been here, anyway. “Perhaps you could tell me what it is I’m supposed to be handling? Why exactly are you here?” He asked, gently attempting to free himself of her grasp. “For all the time you’ve spent talking, I still have next to no idea what the reason for your visit is.”
"I'm going to have to put my face back on for this, alright? I don't do the gentle downtime thing for very long - it's boring, you know? If you can't handle it, just, like, safeword out. Let me know it's too much, and I can just come back when they say your recovery is back on track."
Junko pauses, to make sure he understands what she's saying - not the concern nonsense, but the implication that backing down is weak! That it makes him a failure!
And then -
"But, like, wow babe!" She exclaims, turning her personality on like a spotlight - and aiming it right at him. "You seriously don't look ready to be talking to anyone! Didn't you listen to a word I said, Mister Headmaster Name? Haven't you worked out what my talent is yet? Just, just think, right!"
"Just turn your brain on! Switch should be right next to that fancy plaque saying Property Of Hopes Peak! I'm a super high-school level gyaru! And you're the hope of all my classmates! Who better to teach you all about talking to people, all about shaking up the gross hopeless foundations of the world than me, huh? I'm telling you, boo, we're going to fuckin' rock this joint!"
She leans even closer in, and winks.
"You and me? We ain't born typical! But you can't show 'em that, all wrapped up here in bandages and complacent obedience! You're the symbol of the new world - not them! They gotta get you recovered, but you don't have to listen to them! They're not the future! They're not the genius! You are - and here's your first test, duh! Yasuke Matsuda, the headmaster, all of them, they tell me that you can learn any talent? So learn this one!"
A study trip..? So, you don’t just want to hang out with me…? That’s alright, I understand… Hm. So, do you want to pick out clothes for me, or should I pick my own clo—
[ They shrink under the affection, their shoulders and arms going inwards in nervousness as they’re touched. ]
Should I pick my own c, clothes?
… Mmm.
His name is… Ayiad Adawoo. He’s… tall.. and has a pompadour. He’s very confident and… Is an older man.
Well, duh, I want to hang out with you! I wouldn't be talking to you if I didn't want to hang out, like - c'mon! There's a ton of people I could be getting fashion tips from, but I want them from you, because I, like, like you? And your style? And I want to just! Totally study everything about you in a friend-way until I know all your likes and your dislikes and how to make you laugh and everything friends should know!
{She laughs, and doesn't pull her arm back.}
He sounds like a total babe! Shame he's imaginary, because I almost wanna date him! Tell me more, Chi-hi-ro, tell me more!
Gather 'round, kiddies, let me tell you a tale I like to call Junko Enoshima-chan and her super super super best friends!
Once upon a time, there were two totally bangin' chicks, and they wanted to tear the world apart! Well, okay, that's a total lie, because only one of the chicks was totally banging! The other was, like, the most dead-eyed boring worst sister anyone could have, except for how perfectly loyal and useful she was! Those girls were Junko Enoshima-chan (that's me!) and Mukuro Ikusaba (boo!).
Junko Enoshima and her perfect pretty sister were lonely, though! The kind of despair they wanted... They just couldn't do it on their own! And that's when Junko Enoshima met the first of her fifteen new super-best friends!
Her name was Tsumiki Mikan, and the world had been literally just the most awful worst to her! People tripped her over, and called her names, and screamed at her - but all Tsu-chi wanted was a friend to call her own! Junko Enoshima-chan looked at the nurse and fell in love. Instantly. Mikan-sempai was just, like, totally fuckin' perfect! All Junko had to do was tell her that she loved her, and watch Tsumiki's clever clever attention-seeking brain join the dots!
Then, Tsumiki and Mukuro and Junko got lonely again! And Tsumiki suggested that Junko try and find friends who understood in her class, and maybe she could help find great new friends for Junko to make!
First, Junko met Komaeda Nagito, who was, like, super mixed-up about what hope was there for! (It's to be crushed, duh! He thought it was to win, isn't that just, like, the funniest thing?) He wasn't really friendship material, but Tsumiki begged and begged and begged, and Junko Enoshima loved her too much to say no!
Then, Tsumiki introduced Junko to another total hottie with great pink locks! Kazuichi Souda was super super super super sad and lonely, and Junko fell in love. Instantly. With her help, Souda-sempai found out the real truth about who he could be! His talent was amazing, just like him, and he worked super high-school level hard to help his beloved Junko-chan get whatever she wanted! And pretty soon, he wanted what she wanted!
The next friend, I - I mean, whoops! Junko - made was the Lady Sonia. Souda did that one all on his own! She was, like, super duper fed up with being a perfect plaything for people she owed nothing to, but nobody knew that! And then Souda did the most lovely thing - he spread his own despair to her! Where before he'd stop hounding her and hounding her for attention if she put her foot down, now he pushed even harder! Because, see, Souda-chi knew the big secret now! That causing someone despair is the most loving thing you can ever do for them! And he loved Lady Sonia so very very very much! When the time came for Junko Enoshima-sama to talk to her, Sonia had already begun to understand for herself! It barely took any convincing at all for Her Majesty to break out of her perfect puppet princess prison and really raise some hell!
Now, Sonia Nevermind had a very very nasty boyfriend whose name was Gundam Takana. He was lonely and terrible and bullied, just like Sou-tan, but he didn't let it break him! If Lady Sonia hadn't helped her new best friend out and whispered the total and utter beauty of despair into his ear even as her darling sweetie Souda-pop was trying to beat it into him, well! Who knows what could have happened? But humans are just another animal, Sonia and Souda and Junko and everyone! Everyone ever! Agreed! Just stupid silly animals who need training. Gundamn-kun was a perfect angel, once he began to see that! Hamtaro-chan, Poison-sama, he understood! And he passed his understanding back to Sonia-chan, so she could rule her people even better!
So, now, Junko Enoshima-sama had lots and lots and lots of lovely friends! But she was still lonely...
That was when she met Ibuki Mioda! I-bu-ki Mi-o-da! Was super cool! And super loud! And super lonely! And all of her friends were just super duper mega really awful to her, and tried to put her down because she kept her bright happy face up! But Junko Enoshima-sama was the queen of fake smiles, and she asked her new friend Sonia-chan who was just the Queen (upupupupu!) to help her talk to Ibuki! Ibuki was mega strong and put up a brave front, but what's a Light Music Club Member without a band behind her?
Though Ibuki's music, the newly-formed band known as "Super High-School Level Despair (And Komaeda)" met Hiyoko Saijoni. Now, Hiyo-chan was another tough nut to crack, because she was a silly silly little girl and held out hope! She thought, see, that if she could just hold on until puberty, all her problems would be over! People would stop calling her a child, or looking down on her, and everyone would take her seriously! But... Poor Hiyoko, she was lied to! Sure, sure, she grew up big and beautiful and busty, just like her soon-to-be new friend Junko Enoshima (but not her twin, whoops!), but that didn't fix anything! Now people looked down on her for different reasons, and nasty gross rats like Souda-sempai would leer at her, and she couldn't even put on her clothes properly any more!
Of course, Hiyoko would have stayed on the outskirts forever, if not for my super high-school level favourite press agent: Koizumi Mahiru! Koizumi, you see, had a lot of reasons for being mean and hurt feelings, but she covered them all up! Super-well, too... Until a silly little Yakuza brat got it into her head (... somehow!) to pick a fight with them! Now, I won't tell you what happened, because that would just be! Wow! Morbid! But I can tell you that what happened afterwards sent Junko Enoshima's favourite little tag-team running straight into her arms for solace - which she was more than happy to provide.
Speaking of secrets! Isn't it time we talked about Byakuya Togami? Upupupu! Or should we talk about the nameless nothing nobody who was parading around that class pretending to be Byakuya Togami? This fake person was a fake friend of Junko's new lead singer, Ibuki Mioda, and, like, totes noticed that something was going on. Junko Enoshima-sama almost courted him for the Togami money, but found something far more valuable! Nobody-sempai was a big fat liar! A big fat nameless empty void of a person, just waiting! Just wait wait waiting to be filled up with a name and a voice and an identity of his own! (What better place to come than Hopes Peak, then? I hear they're all in the business of giving worthless non-people brand new inspirational lives to lead! Junko Enoshima just managed it without any brain surgery, upupupu!)
We've gotten off-topic, though! I was telling you all about a nasty dead Yakuza brat! Because it turned out that her death was the flames from which would be born the beautiful murdering phoenix you worthless cretins can call Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu! Now, Kuku-san was, like, yet another super high-school level talent who was managing some super high-school level expectations! Junko Enoshima-chi had predicted that, but she'd never predicted how quickly he would break once his mouthy little shit of a baby sister got herself murdered! Who knew that sibling death was so inspirational? Maybe I should try some for myself!
Oh, and with Kuzu-tan came his cute little met, Pekoyama Something. But she was super super boring, because she was just a dumb worthless weapon! And there's no point in listing every weapon everyone else brought to the table, is there? Of course not!
Teruteru Hanamura, the super high-school level momma's boy came next! Super High-School Level Despair (And Komaeda) had more than more than enough super lovely friends now, but we all agreed! It would be super terrible and mean to leave the others out! So we planned a super-fun party weekend to make two more friends! Mikan-chi got to show off her skills with Hanamura-sempai, and prove how brave and beautiful she was, by finally finally offing his stupid dying mummy! Teruteru-teru was super torn-up about her health finally failing her, and his new friends were right there by his side the whole time!
Akane Owari came next, in the same super-fun party weekend! While Mi-chi (And Komaeda) were busy ferreting out the fake symbols of hope - all those lousy useless talents who weren't inspiring people to do anything but despair! (Tsu-chi was really super good at knowing what to say to Nagito, wasn't she? What a perfect babe!) Muku-ro-neesan got to show off her own talent! That is... On Junko Enoshima's orders, she dedicated her weekend to protecting the only one of Owari-oh's siblings who hadn't... Mysteriously! Died! In the last week! It was, like, super tragic. Mega tragic. Just awful. Everyone in the 77th class was in tears that weekend! But the power of our friendship pulled through, and I - whoopsie! I mean Junko Enoshima, Junko Enoshima was just totally glad to see everyone pull together even tighter afterwards.
Our story time is nearly up, but there's still just enough time to talk about the team-leader, the brave hero, the last to fall. That's right, I'm talking about Nekomaru Nidai, who else! He was a super tough nut to crack, too stupid and brave and self-assured to give in to nasty creeping doubts! But nobody can be strong all the time, and it just, wow, super sucked for him, seeing his dearest friend Owari-sempai breaking down! Being able to do nothing to help her, even. It wasn't long before he came to Jun-chi to ask for help comforting Akane, since she was doing such a good job! His transformation was the most beautiful thing Super High-School Level Despair had ever seen, even Nagi-kun agreeing that his dedication to the ultimate despair was admirable! Of course, he thought an even stronger hope would come after - and Nidai-sama probably even fell for that! Good work, (And Komaeda)! Good work!
... This story is nearly done, but first I have to tell you about my super high-school level favorite, Izuru Kamukura! See, he was the Hope of Hopes! He was the best! He was better than you, and you, and you, and everyone ever all put together at once! He was a beacon in a dark time!
But Junko Enoshima-chan was his very best friend, and he loved her so much, that when she asked him to kill the rest of the student council - well! It wasn't even a question! Family Comes First, and Enoshima-sempai was certainly that! In fact, all of the organization known as super high-school level despair were! One! Big! Happy! Family!
Of course, Junko Enoshima - I! Me! I'm bored of third person now!
Of course, I can't let you go away knowing all of this! You might give away all my deepest secrets to nasty nasty do-gooders looking to break up our beautiful family! I'll have to make sure you don't remember this!
Ready!
Set!
Go!
(Just kidding! Forget beams aren't real! God, how fuckin' stupid do you have to be to think that something as silly as a few arm gestures could wipe your memory? Don't you know how delicate an operation that is? See, what's going to happen is, we're goi
He wasn’t used to her touches; they had only touched long enough for him to be dragged from place to place. The feeling of her nail running along his jugular, and her rough, small kiss along his jawline made him confused. Why this all of a sudden? He was only offering to terminate himself in order to keep her alive.
After all, if there was no Enoshima Junko, there would be no Super High-School Level Despair.
"Maybe it is selfish, Junko-chan, but I got m’ reasons fer doin’ so." Wrong choice of words in front of your superior, Souda.
"It ain’t because I want all the despair fer m’self, no, it’s ‘cause I feel y’should be leadin’ us, not throwin’ yer own self out int’ dange-…
"Ya know, come with me ‘n we’ll cause mass destruction, a’right? You ‘n me, let’s go."
There was one thing that was stopping him from moving, though. Punishment.
She pulled her hand back for a snap, and then - folded. Deflated, almost. It was her own fault, really, for letting him get ideas. Such a shame!
"Kai-chi, I... I'm sorry."
Instead of backhanding him, she straightened out his collar, and pressed a trembling kiss to his cheek.
"I'm pushing you too hard for this. It's just... I'm worried. I'm worried that we aren't what we were. You were one of my most trustworthy friends, one of the most valuable relationships I ever forged. And now, here we are, arguing over a murder. Be honest, do you- do you want to keep em away from the despair-inducing sight of my own murder because you want me safe?"
A beat.
"Or are you doing it because you don't care about me any more?"
Her fingers stayed wrapped around the collar of his shirt, twisting and untwisting.
"I've let you down. I can see that now. I'm doing what they did to you... I'm neglecting you, ignoring you. I'm just - just as bad! Worse, even! You should - you should throw me away right now! I'm just... Just an idiot, just a useless nobody! Following you around like I did, hoping that a makeover and a bottle of pink hair-dye would cover up how unlovable I am! You must hate me..."
Wow, creep! Go jump out a window, you weirdo! I told you I don't have time for you and whatever weirdo punk-rock stunt you're pulling this week, so piss off!
Izuru became increasingly uncomfortable, almost falling out of the bed in an attempt to keep his distance from Junko. Every word that flew out of her mouth was like something vile, something absolutely disgusting, covered in powdered sugar. It might even be the first time he’d felt that strange churning in his stomach, what was that again? Never mind, no time to figure out feelings. She wanted to change his course? The path to ultimate hope that had been perfectly set up, and hadn’t led him astray even once? Everything was exactly the way it was supposed to be, and this girl wanted to change it? No. It wasn’t up to her. She was only a student. He opened his mouth, determined to tell her off, and to get out of his sight, until she said that.
“Look at you, wow, you don’t look like anybody’s hope!”
Everything after that sounded fuzzy and far off. Didn’t she understand? He needed to recover, he just needed a little more time, just a little longer, then he could surpass everyone’s expectations. Just a little longer. A little longer. He’d get there, right? He’d recover smoothly and get right to fulfilling his purpose as soon as possible, right? Right? Right? Right?!
Right. This was ridiculous. Since when wasn’t he sure of himself? That feeling wasn’t to occur once during his life as Kamukura Izuru. Taking a deep breath, he placed a hand on Junko’s shoulder and began gently pushing her back a little, glaring right into her sickening blue eyes.
"There isn’t a reason to worry. I might not be doing much yet, but I’m getting there, I assure you. It’s imperative that I stick to the doctors orders. When I agreed to be part of this, I agreed to follow all of their instructions. I’m not going to be doing anything differently, for the time being. I don’t need you, Enoshima-san. Also, I’d appreciate if you stopped yanking my hair."
Junko snickers, the picture of pretty amusement! He's doing that thing, that nasty thing people do sometimes when she starts talking, where they curl up into themselves like wary animals, and it's really cute on him. Annoying, sure, but cute.
"Izzy, baby, did you not even listen to me? Think I'd be here if I didn't have permission? Huh?"
Tutting, she makes a show of rolling her eyes - but she'd hit a nerve. She could feel it, like a rotten tooth, something hidden away and rotting.
Instead of pushing that angle, though, she eased up. Voice flooding with quiet pity - the ol' Real Junko Enoshima schtick, let the plebs think there's a good girl under all the attitude. Bless.
Her hands come out of his hair, and she puts them over his own - anchoring him to her shoulders.
"It's Junko. Please, call me Junko. I'm a friend of Yasuke Matsuda - he was the leading surgeon on this project. He told me -"
- and, pause. This year's Oscar goes to Junko Enoshima, for her role of innocent girl who accidentally said too much!
"- well, no, that doesn't matter. But if you're to be a beacon of hope, you have to learn to act like one, right? My talent is all about that. Getting in people's faces, in their hearts. Inspiring them. Yeah? I'm here because he asked me to talk to you about it. It's a good test of how well your recovery is going, too."
She stares at him, and then flinches her gaze away. Chewing on her lip, she adds an apology.
"I realize I can come on pretty strong... I'm sorry if I upset you. He told me to really come on strong, he said you could handle it. I didn't realize- Maybe I'm too good at being obnoxious. It's not your fault."
There's this nasty nasty awful girl who keeps trying to start fights with me, thinks she owns the fashion scene! I've been wanting to ruin her for, like, ages! What better than to hand her over to the most famous serial killer the world has ever seen?
.. I’m a superhero..? … Yeah. I’d love to be a superhero.. In my superhero world, I’d have… wings… With a halo. I’d be an angel superhero.. That would be my theme.
All superheros have themes, right..?
O, Oh! Well, um.. If we go shopping, I’m going to.. Um.. Change alone, if that’s alright… Thank you for calling me gorgeous, i-it means a lot, coming from someone like you.
[ They hold up a finger, rushing to their bedroom real fast. They grab their bag, putting it over their shoulder, and coming back. ]
… I’m ready to go. And I’ll t, tell you all about.. hypothetical.. N, Not real eyeliner boy.
That would be, like, the best superhero ever! Especially if it was you, since, you're a literal angel anyway!
Well, duh! This is a study trip for me! I wanna see what outfits you put together, not get all up close and personal trying to dress you like me! With curves like this, the only person I'm qualified to dress-up is that gynmast fighter chick from the class above! It's like... I want to see what you'd wear without me getting in the way?
{She slings an arm around Chihiro's shoulders, and kisses the side of their head.}
100% fictional, totally not even close to real hypothetical eyeliner boy got a fake name, then, gorgeous?
