Masked Hope (Nagito x Fem!Reader)

Blackout (Daily Life Part 12)

Everyone was enjoying the party, and I can't say that I wasn't either. Soon enough, Teruteru left to get more food from the kitchen, leaving me thinking about the mess that Byakuya had left there.

"Hey, Y/N," Nagito snapped me out of my thoughts. "Everything okay? You look bothered. . ."

"Ah, it's just. . . when Byakuya went into the kitchen to confiscate dangerous items, he left a huge mess in his wake," I explained. "I'm just gonna go clean it up, I won't take long. . .!"

With that, I left the banquet hall and headed for the kitchen. When I opened the door, Teruteru was standing by the counter mumbling something. The kitchen was still a complete mess, so I started picking up some of the pots that were left on the floor.

"Ah! M-Miss Y/N!" Teruteru jumped as the pots banged together. "Wha-What are you doing in here. . .?"

"I came to clean up the mess that Byakuya made. . ." I replied. "I couldn't stop thinking about it. . ."

"Oh, don't worry about it!" He dismissed while carrying a platter of food. "Would you mind taking these to the banquet hall? I can take care of the mess!"

"A-Are you sure. . .?" He practically forced the platter into my arms and guided me out of the kitchen.

"I'm sure, now go! Akane's probably finished that table by now. . .!"

Before I could object any further, I was back in the hallway outside the kitchen with a food platter in each hand. I sighed and did as Teruteru asked, carrying them into the banquet hall. Just as he predicted, Akane had just finished eating all the food at her table and was starting to eye the next one. I came into her gaze and placed the new plates down.

"Hey, have I told you how amazing you are, Y/N?" Akane praised with stars in her eyes.

"You're welcome, Akane." I accepted her compliment as I grabbed a glass of sparkling cider from a tray.

"Hey, Y/N!" Mahiru called from the other side of the room. "C'mon! I'm taking pictures!"

I quickly ran over and posed with Nagito, raising my glass and putting a hand around his shoulder.

"All right, say 'cheeeeeeeeese!'" Mahiru instructed.

*Snap!*

Her camera clicked and I couldn't help but start laughing. I kept my arm around Nagito's shoulder and took a sip from my glass. Everything was finally going as Monomi wanted: everyone was getting along. At least. . . I thought they were.

*Beep beep!*

". . .Hey, did you hear that?" I asked.

"Hear what. . .?" He looked down at me in confusion.

*Bzzap!*

Suddenly, everything went dark. The power had gone out.

"Uwah! It's a b-blackout!" A girl's voice cried. I think it was Mahiru. . .

A-A blackout. . .? No. That isn't possible. . . The arm I had around Nagito went limp as I froze in fear.

"Hey, I can't see anything!" That was definitely Kazuichi.

"I-It's pitch black! My future is pitch black!" I heard Ibuki panic.

I could hear everyone's frantic footsteps as they stumbled around the banquet hall. Mahiru tried to calm them all down.

"E-Everyone, calm down!" She shouted. "We gotta stay calm in a situation like this!"

"Waaaah! Don't step on my feet!" Hiyoko cried.

"What the hell!? What's going on here!?" Byakuya demanded answers.

The covered windows in the banquet hall didn't help with the darkness. I just stood there amongst the panic and tried to calm myself.

"Th-This is. . .!"

"Ow!"

"Turn the damn lights on!" Akane ordered. "I can't eat like this, y'know!"

"You guys? Where are you? W-Wasn't the blackout. . . just in the kitchen?" It seemed that Teruteru had made his way into the banquet hall.

"Perhaps the breaker overloaded?" Sonia suggested.

"H-Hold on a sec! I'll go along the wall and. . . do something about it. . .!" Kazuichi assured.

The panicked footsteps eventually subsided and we soon stood still, waiting to be released from the darkness.

*Zap!*

"Ah. . .!" Hajime gasped as the lights in the banquet hall turned back on.

"Th-That is. . .!" Sonia reacted to the scene unfolding in the middle of the room.

I just stared blankly as I tried to calm my breathing. Mikan had been. . .compromised once again, so everyone was off helping her.

"Oh, I'm glad! The lights are back on here, too!" Kazuichi noted as he re-entered the banquet hall.

My mind kept tuning in and out of the conversation, not allowing me to focus.

". . .Byakuya is missing." I heard Sonia say.

"Th-That's weird. . ."

"Did he run off. . .?"

My head started pounding and the room started spinning. I raised a hand to my temple and tried to focus.

"Hey, Y/N. . ." I looked up and saw Nagito looking over at me, worry written across his face. "Are you alright? You look pale. . ."

I took a breath and tried to speak. "I-I'm fine. . . I think I just need to sit. . . down?"

I placed my glass down on the back table, but what made me tense up was the visible stain on the tablecloth. A bright pink stain that was only getting worse.

Don't tell me. . .

"Hey. . . do any of you. . . smell somethin'. . .?" Akane asked, confirming my fear.

I leaned down and pressed my finger against the wet stain. I examined my finger, not wanting to believe what it was.

". . .It smells like blood." Akane sniffed more and pointed over to where I was. "It's comin' from over there. . .!"

"Uhm. . . G-Guys. . ." I called. "Y-You might wanna come take a look at this. . ."

I grabbed the tablecloth and took a deep breath before lifting it up and confirming what I feared. Byakuya was lying face down in his own blood, which had also stained the surrounding tablecloths. He was loosely gripping a set of what looked to be night-vision goggles in his left hand. From where I was kneeling, I could see blood seeping through his white suit and covering his stomach.

Byakuya Togami, the Ultimate Affluent Progeny, had been killed.