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[And that's when he falters; he doesn't seem about to cry, but a strange sort of shock jolts through his system at that - he hasn't really felt much since he'd spoken to her. Sure, there was the anger at Kuwata and...general frustration at Hagakure, but those had been shallow distractions; the rest of his time has been spent autopiloting and trying not to process the growing ache in his chest.

For now, though, he's quick to turn back to keep sorting things.]

Because leaving her with people like that is out of the question, for one thing!

[His words are sharp, almost hostile, and for a moment it seems as though that's all he's going to say; he's sorting his general assorted...crap on the bed with the usual brisk efficiency when he speaks again, his words no less harsh.]

...I need to see her for myself. I can't have her just arrive here one day - I need to see her for myself.

[He's not expressing what he wants to say very well and he knows it, and it's only serving to frustrate him further; this hurts, for some reason he can't place.]

I-I...I d-didn't say we should leave her. I just said that you don't have to be the one picking her up.

[ Despite the sharpness and near-hostility coming from Ishimaru, Naegi manages to keep his own words calm and unhurried once he gets past the initial bout of stuttering. ]

Have you thought this through?

[Ishimaru just keeps his gaze trained downward toward his work, not looking at Naegi; just the same, Naegi's tone seems to be calming him a little.]

...I won't be going alone. Alice-san and my brother are going to come with me; we'll only be gone for a few days. We all have Fly and Pokémon capable of using it, after all.

[......]

You've met Alice-san, haven't you? She means well.

Ah...all right. [ Naegi nods slowly, his eyebrows arched into a frown. ] Do what you have to do. I just hope you won't regret it. I can tell you're upset and I really don't want you to feel worse.

[ ... ]

I have. Our first conversation didn't go over so well, but I talked to her later. I want to get to know her better.

I...she told me about it. I told her not to mention things like that around you anymore; she'll keep her word about not doing that, I trust her.

[He pauses for a moment, finally; he still doesn't look up.]

I don't...know how I feel about Celes-kun being here.

Ah...I feel a little bad for getting annoyed at her, but what she said really didn't sit well with me. But that's to be expected.

[ One doesn't leave Hope's Peak without scars and assorted baggage of unpleasant things to carry forever, after all. ]

It's okay not to know, Ishimaru-kun.

[Ishimaru is quiet for a moment after that; his gaze darts off toward the ground, though he isn't exactly upset...more like a little lost, maybe.]

Ah. Is it really all right...?

[...as though he hadn't really thought about this before.]

It's something I feel like I should have an answer for. I'm used to having answers; it seems like there should be an answer for this as well.

But there isn't, is there?

I don't think so. But that's all right.

[...]

Sorry, I'm not...sure what to say to make you feel better.

...You don't have to. Say anything specific, I mean.

[The words are hesitant; after a moment, he looks back in Naegi's direction again.]

I'll be okay. I just don't want to be alone, for the time being.

[ In response, Naegi steps forward from where he had been standing close to the wall, and places his hand on Ishimaru's shoulder. ]

I'll stay as long as you need me to, Ishimaru-kun. [ He gives the shoulder a firm squeeze to assure him that he'll be there no matter what. That's what friends do. ]

[And on some level, Ishimaru understands that; he's never been good with social nuances and he doesn't always catch undertones and implications, but at the very least this is something he gets and this time he doesn't flinch away from the touch at his shoulder once it happens. He reaches up after a moment to lay one of his hands over Naegi's - just as a solidarity thing - and it's clear from his expression that he's pleased to hear that, at least.]

You've been so good to me, Naegi-kun; I can only hope to return the favor one day.

[ Naegi's hand stays where it is on his shoulder, although he loosens his grip somewhat when he feels Ishimaru's hand over his own. ]

I'm just doing what any friend would do. But thank you.

[He remains where he is for a moment longer before allowing his hand to slip away; he seems a lot more settled now, at least.]

It really is good that so many of our classmates have arrived, though - I hope all of them can come to be happy here. Even Celes-kun; I don't want anything to happen to her, either.

[ Naegi lets go of Ishimaru's shoulder when the hand slips away, letting his arm fall to his side. ]

She's one of us, regardless of what she's done. I won't let her go back to that place.

[ That's the special Naegi brand of determination speaking. This isn't the first time he's said something like that, and it definitely won't be the last. ]

[Ishimaru's always liked hearing Naegi talk like that; there's something good about seeing that much determination and optimism in a person. It's uplifting.]

That makes both of us, then.

[He laughs a bit; it's a bit strange-sounding, tired maybe. But it's not fake, either.]

In the meantime, it seems as though I have quite a few more of us to look after here - and here's hoping for a few more, right?

The others will show up sooner or later, I'm sure of it. With ten of us here, we're only missing four. Oogami-san, Yamada-kun, Maizono-san, Fukawa-san...

[ ........ ]

...Ikusaba-san.

[...did the temperature in the room just drop all of a sudden or is it just his demeanor that's gone cold? Because wow.]

...That's five, Naegi-kun.

[You had better get to explaining the discrepancy there, boy.]

[ It's a good thing he's wearing both a blazer and a(n incredibly trendy) hoodie because man

that's cold. ]

...I know, Ishimaru-kun.

Is there a reason for that?

It's...something I've been thinking about. I know you and the others are going to disagree with me and say it's a bad idea, but I think I want to bring her here as well. She's a victim of Enoshima's game, too.

[He just bristles at that, really.]

For the time being, I understand that we have no say in who arrives, who stays, and who is sent home.

But the second we manage to gain any control over that situation, know that I find that stance completely unacceptable. I won't allow it.

S-s-sorry. I shouldn't have mentioned it...

[ He lowers his head, suddenly finding the floor much more interesting to look at than anything else, regretting that he said Ikusaba's name. ]

[He can feel himself shaking a little; he forces himself to return to the task he had been carrying out on the bed earlier. Sorting things. Simple, repetitive motions. He's not really aware of what he's doing; he's just working through established habit now. Giving his hands something to do.]

...I guess I can agree that the loss of Ikusaba's life was unfortunate, in that it was a life lost at all. There's never an acceptable justification for killing someone else. She was a victim in that way, yes.

And I'll admit that I don't...want to pass judgement on what should be done with her, because I'm done deciding who lives and who dies.

[His words are strange, an almost unnaturally blank sound behind them; he shakes his head a bit before he continues.]

But my feelings on the matter aren't something I can just ignore. You have something to return to, Naegi-kun - if you're sent away from here, you have a world you can go back to, and even if it isn't ideal, you know that you survive. But for several of us, there's nothing waiting for us but the knowledge that we're going to die in that school.

We don't have a real future anymore, Naegi-kun. Not outside of this place. You can't expect me to simply accept one of the people responsible for my death, and the death of seven of my classmates.

You can make a case for it when the time comes; we'll decide then. But know that if you do, I intend to fight it.

[ Naegi lifts his head to actually look at Ishimaru as he talks, but doesn't say anything to interrupt him and waits until he's done speaking. ]

...I will do that, then. If I haven't changed my mind when the time comes to make that decision.

[ Though, with Naegi being...well, Naegi, it's unlikely. Even if it means he'll be the only person arguing for Ikusaba. He has a lot of mixed feelings about her but at the same time, the thought of just leaving her dead feels...wrong, on some level. He doesn't know (or perhaps more accurately, he doesn't remember) what sort of person she was underneath the wig and the makeup and the claims of image editing, nor does he know her motivations for helping Enoshima. ]

Once again, I'm sorry. It was tactless of me to bring it up.

[Ishimaru gives him a bit of a strange look for that, but it passes soon enough; the smirk he offers afterwards is a bit of a wry one, but at the very least his tone is genuine.]

You're very determined, aren't you, Naegi-kun? I admire that about you, you know, even if I can't agree with your position.

voicemail.

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