Scissors

Soldiers and Fashionistas

Today was another confusing day for Makoto, though honestly at this point he was starting to get used to it. Was this something that happened to everyone as a teenager, just no one talked about it? Maybe... He didn't want to mention it and seem weird, though. His parents might take him to the doctor, and that was the last thing he wanted... Much to his relief, he managed to take the test he had without one of those strange 'blackouts' happening, and he was pretty sure he did okay on the test, despite him not remembering to study. Heh, he had honestly expected to fail, but somehow the answers seemed to just... Already be in his mind. It was a little weird, but he wasn't complaining! He probably passed! Thank god... His parents would kill him if he kept nearly failing.

The brunette let out a relieved sigh as he heard the lunch bell ring, picking up his backpack and taking his lunch box out. He was starving! He got out his usual lunch, which was never very filling, but it was just enough to get him through the rest of the school day. Something strange was going on, though... He found himself sitting alone. His friends usually came and talked to him... Were they avoiding him? He knew he'd seen them in the halls earlier today... It didn't bother him that much, as they weren't close friends, but still, he didn't understand why. Had he done something wrong? Huh... Maybe they were more popular now, and he wasn't popular enough to hang out with them now? That was ridiculous! Oh well, there wasn't much he could really do about it...

Lunch was going as it usually did, other than the lack of people around him- in fact, his classmates as a whole seemed to be avoiding him- until someone he didn't recognize walked through the classroom door. She had short black hair, gray eyes, and a very serious, almost scary expression on her face. Who was she? She clearly wasn't from this school, as she had a paper in one hand that she kept checking. A schedule, maybe? Was she new? No, the teacher would've introduced her if so... She read what was on the paper one more time, before looking up, her cold gaze searching the room.

"Is Makoto Naegi here?" She asked, before she finally noticed him sitting at his desk. "Ah, there you are."

The mysterious girl walked over to his desk, her once icy stare seeming to melt slightly as a small smile formed on her face. "Come on, Junko's waiting for you on the rooftop. Did you forget we were meeting there today? You were supposed to come as soon as lunch started."

"... What?"

Junko? Who was that? And why were they meeting on the rooftop? Was this discussed during one of his 'blackouts', and he'd forgotten it? This was so confusing... He guessed he should just go with it to avoid making a scene.

"Did you seriously forget again? You've got a terrible memory... Come on, there's not much time left before lunch ends." The girl sighed quietly, shaking her head before grabbing his arm and practically dragging him out of the classroom. Makoto would've asked who she was, but she seemed to know him, and he didn't want to seem like a complete idiot- or say anything that would warrant some suspicion of amnesia or something.

The two made it to the rooftop within a minute or two, the harsh grip the girl had on his arm loosening as she carefully opened the doors. There, standing in the middle of the roof, was a fashionable, familiar girl. Her strawberry blonde hair was tied up into huge pigtails, and her striking blue eyes lit up when she saw them, the impatience in her expression seeming to disappear instantly.

"There you aaare! It's about time! I have some good news for you, Mako!" The girl presumably named Junko cheered, grinning at him.

It took a moment for the face to register in Makoto's mind as- Supermodel Junko Enoshima?! What the hell was an actual celebrity doing at an ordinary school like this? And how did she know him?! And... Why was she calling him by a nickname? Had they somehow known each other for long enough to call each other nicknames?