Danganronpa Agere Oneshots!

🍀✨Studying isn't easy📕📌

Pairing: Kiyotaka and Makoto (could be read as either platonic or romantic)
thanks for reading as always! :D

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Homework was littered all over Makoto's desk, and in all honesty, he wondered how he came to be sitting in his dorm room and studying. This amount of homework was ridiculous.

Four worksheets in math, two tests to study for and one worksheet in literacy, a test in social studies to study for, and three science worksheets. Eight long worksheets and three tests to study for.

He had a week for the tests, sure, but he needed to get these worksheets done in two days. He didn't want to put it all off until tomorrow— he wanted to get it over with.

But... he didn't understand half of this! Had any of his teachers even taught this?

Makoto felt like he was a failure, tears brimming his eyes as he took a deep breath. No. No crying. He would finish these and he'd be oka—

"Naegi-kun! As the Hall Monitor, it is my duty to make sure all of the students are studying! Have you been working on everything?"

The loud and clear voice of Kiyotaka Ishimaru clattered throughout the room, and Makoto felt the tears spill over. He was trying— he was! Still, he felt like he was such a disappointment.

"I-Ishimaru-kun!" Makoto sounded startled as his voice wavered, and really, he was. He felt a little fuzzy, and scared, and... no! He couldn't be regressed! Kiyotaka was right there!

"Naegi-kun?" Kiyotaka tilted his head, blinking, "Are you... crying? What's the matter?"

Makoto knew that was Kiyotaka's normal tone, his normal voice was loud and booming, yet somehow it still scared him. He flinched, sniffling and looking down to the floor. He wanted to be alone!

"G-Go 'way, Taka! Don' wan' you here right now!"

Kiyotaka looked a little confused, but the only thing he was aware of was that Makoto was upset and crying, and that was enough for him to slowly walk into his room.

"Naegi... kun? Are you okay? Has anything happened?"

Makoto sniffled as the warm tears poured down his face, and he only seemed to slip further as he buried his face in his hands. He didn't want to be small in front of Kiyotaka! He didn't! He just... he just wanted to be alone. He oh so desperately wanted to shut the door and turn of the lights and simply lie in bed with his stuffed animal alone, but he didn't think the Ultimate Moral Compass would leave him alone when he was in this state, as much as he wanted him to.

Kiyotaka approached Makoto, his loud and firm demeanor he had previously gone as he kneeled down, softening his gaze and gently reaching out to tilt Makoto's face upwards.

"Hey, Naegi-kun? Calm down, you're fine! You're okay! See?"

Makoto simply sniffled. He felt a soft hand cup his face, and the tears disappeared as they came, Kiyotaka lightly brushing them away.

"'M... sorry, Taka," Makoto forced out, and he felt so fuzzy and small, "Didn' mean ta bother you."

Kiyotaka tilted his head, questioning the slurring in his words. He'd recently began studying a new topic... oh, what was it?

Ah! Age regression! Where someone reverts back to a childlike state in order to cope!

Kiyotaka certainly wasn't an expert, but Makoto seemed to be exhibiting some of the behaviors someone regressed would.

"Hey, Naegi-kun?" He asked calmly, and if he was wrong about this— he could just pass off the question as trying to calm Makoto down and bring him back to the present, "How old are you right now?"

Makoto sniffled.

"'M five."

Hmm... so he was right. So he would need to treat Makoto as if he was five, right? Kiyotaka could do that! He was Kiyotaka Ishimaru!

Besides, he'd consider himself pretty good with kids!

"Really? That's pretty big, wouldn't you say?" Kiyotaka offered him a grin, reaching out to brush away his tears, "What's gotten you upset, bud?"

Makoto pouted, his gaze flickering over to the papers stacked on his desk.

"Homework. 'S really hard— don' get it."

Kiyotaka stood up, sympathy in his eyes.

"Hmm... I could help you with it when you're bigger. However— you're far too little to be doing that right now, huh?"

Makoto didn't confirm nor deny that, only reaching out and holding onto Kiyotaka's sleeve. He looked calmer now, but he definitely wasn't completely stress-free.

Kiyotaka hummed thoughtfully.

"Here— Do you have anything you want to do to take your mind off of this?"

Makoto glanced up, thinking for a moment before shyly murmuring, "You color with me?"

Kiyotaka had a wide smile on his face as he ruffled Makoto's hair.

"You got it, bud!"

He'd definitely need to talk to him when he was in an older state of mind.

But for now, Makoto wasn't, and Kiyotaka was going to do his best to help him feel safe.