Heir & Heiress

Lies, Hypocrisy, & Scissors

By the time I returned to my room, there was no point in going back to sleep. I waited for the last fifteen minutes to tick away, staring blankly at the monitor. I started my shower immediately as the announcement played, scorching my body with hot water. I stared at the tiles beneath my feet, "What the hell am I doing?" the words bounced around me, losing themselves in the streams of steam and water. Monokuma....no, the Mastermind was right; I wasn't sure of anything anymore. How was I going to apologize to Byakuya? If I tried to defy Monokuma, the consequences would be even worse. Sakura didn't actively do anything, but I had. And if the others found out..., I shut the water off, shutting my mind down with it.

I hurried to leave, go to the dining hall, and return to my room, but I was greeted with suspicious looks as soon as I shut my door. I could walk past Hina and Sakura, but seeing Toko and Byakuya ahead made me cower. Byakuya stared directly at me, watching me shrink and turn around. "I'm sorry," I whispered to Hina and Sakura in passing. Walking the other way around, I hurried past everyone and slipped into the empty dining hall. In a matter of seconds, I knew the others would be filing in. I poured two cups of coffee, staring at the second one with a twinge of sadness. Force of habit, I thought, wondering if I should leave it or dump it. Would Byakuya go as far as to not have any involvement with me, even something as indirect as this? Right in front of my eyes, the cup slid out of view and into his hands. Before he could leave the room, I stammered over syllables before getting his name across my lips, "Byakuya, wait!" He paused in the doorway but didn't turn to look. "I...I'm sorry. I don't know what else to say other than I'm sorry".

He glanced over his shoulder, exposing pure disgust in his expression. "I don't need a hypocritical traitor's apology". I couldn't say I didn't deserve that.

I washed my cup, leaving it to dry and braced myself to rush out of the dining hall. "Where is it?" Kyoko asked, not allowing my feet to even pass the kitchen doorway.

"Where's what?" My heart constricted; I know that she was sleeping when I stole the laptop. Did she go and check before coming here?

"I think you know very well what I'm talking about. Where are you hiding Alter Ego?" Her eyes glanced at both Byakuya and me.

"I don't even know where you moved the damn thing!" Lying became easier when you were already fed up with the person you were lying to.

"Maybe you wouldn't, but Byakuya would. You followed Makoto and me that night," Kyoko waited to Byakuya to respond.

"Why would I bother gossiping about where you and Naegi were?" He sighed.

"Both of you have been acting suspicious. I mean, what was up this morning?" Hina asked, looking at me.

"None of your concern," I said, just as Byakuya had responded with "we had a fight".

"A fight? What exactly could send you in different directions?" Kyoko wasn't convinced.

Byakuya and I stared at each other, both uncertain of what to say. "Our lack of common ground in regards to the motive". For not being a common liar, Byakuya made it look easy. Still, Kyoko wasn't convinced, but she did notice the distance between us. "We haven't spoken nor seen each other since last night". He had the perfect opportunity to explain what I had done, but I almost sighed in relief that he chose to keep my agreement secret. Although, judging by how he glared, Byakuya knew fully well that I had been the one to take Alter Ego. "If need be, we'll search every room until we're certain the computer is gone".

"Alright," Kyoko stood from her seat and crossed her arms, "then, let's get started".

I waited in the library, wandering back and forth, and stared at the spines I've nearly memorized. Of course, Kirigiri had rushed off on her own, possibly in search of Naegi later. I could've acted as if I had a reason to search, but there wasn't much of a point when everyone suspected it was me. I sighed, watching the dust fall as my fingers met the shelf in front of me, until the click of the door jolted me from my trance. "Who-? Oh," my shoulders sank, "Do you need something, Fukawa?"

"What did you do to him?" her eyes pierced into me, calculating my shifting stance and tensing jaw.

"Wha...what? What did I do to who? Byakuya?" I blinked rapidly, trying to process the building fear in my throat.

"Of course! Who else wou-would I be tal-talking about?" Toko stepped away from the door. "I've noticed the changes in his mood; the sullen frustration. Ev-every time he looks at you I s-see anger that melts into yearning sorrow. What's that all about?"

The pins pushed deeper in my chest. I chuckled, "You act as if anyone could bring him to his knees". I waved her observations away and turned back to the bookshelf, internally wishing she'd disappear.

"But you're not just anyone. I've wa-watched closely and can tell when someone's in l-love". Her words echoed closer, too close for comfort.

"Don't say that," I forced a laugh. "It's not love, rather a...social contract". A flash of silver whisked past my eyes. Fear sped through my nerves; adrenaline puckered my muscles. A pair of Genocide Jill's shears gleamed in front of my face.

"So, you were seducing him? Lulling him into a web of rose-scented lies," the meek girl sounded personally offended, yet certain, even when she coward from her own actions.

I curled my lips inwards, shutting my eyes for a moment. "I...it wasn't a lie. I'm just trying to protect him". Fukawa pulled another set of shears from underneath her skirt, staring at the floor. "Please, don't do this, Toko. Byakuya wouldn't want this".

Her eyes flickered back, seething with rage. "How can you know what he wants when all you do is hurt him?!" The sheers shook in her furious grasp. "I can't let someone like you escape with him. I won't let you toy with him any longer!" Raising the gleaming silver, Toko lunged forward, barely clipping my arm with the edge of the scissors.

The blood wept freely as I reach out and sent a line of books cascading between us. Whipping around the short bookshelves, we paused at the sight of each other's frantic gazes. "Toko, please. Byakuya would never forgive you if you killed me," I slowly pressed my hands against the bookshelf.

"Shut up!" she swiped the scissors out, barely missing my wrists as I pushed the bookshelf towards her. I launched backwards at the door, pushing it off its tracks as I slammed it open. Byakuya and the others stood in awe of the chaos. "Why you little-!" I heard her cry out. Another gleam of destruction passed my eyes and burrowed into Byakuya's shoulder. Blood speckled across my face as he careened against the door frame. Byakuya's shirt and hand were slick with blood. Once more, the red haze blurred my vision, burning as I focused on Fukawa's regretful face. I felt hands grasp my wrist and shoulder, but the rage made it only easier to slip away. Within moments, Fukawa's long braids were in one hand and a pair of sheers were in the other, raised just above her neck.

"Celeste was right. Love does drive one mad," my voice steadily rose, inching the scissors closer.

"And if you love me, you will drop the scissors," Byakuya called out through the hissing pain, poking holes through the crimson. I glanced back at him, feeling the wave of emotion resurface. As the haze cleared, the scissors fell to my side and I released Fukawa. I turned my attention back to his weeping wound; although deep, the scissors were sharp enough that the damage wouldn't be extreme.

I took my cardigan off and gently wrapped it around the sheers, focusing on how much pressure I applied. "We need....gauze, bandaging. Oh, and sterilizing alcohol, and," Byakuya's hands wrapped around mine. "Don't try to tell me to calm down," I said, feeling the sting of tears welling in my eyes.

"I'm not," Byakuya said, his voice low and strangled in pain. "I'm showing you that I'm going to be okay," he nodded to the others. Sakura and Kyoko went to aid Fukawa, leaving the others to walk with us to the infirmary.