Truth, Perjury, and Sacrifice

Homecoming

"Last few boxes incoming!" Hina announced, rushing up the school's driveway with Sakura following behind her. Stacking the boxes in the correct groups, Hina used her sleeve to wipe sweat from her forehead. "Finished!" She bounced and excitedly accepting the water bottle Komaru held out to her.

"Yeah, but we still have to take this all inside. And stack it, sort it," Toko rolled her eyes, ready to call it quits for the day.

"You would think all that running around in Towa City would make stuff like this easier for you, Fukawa," Hiro sipped on bottled green tea, sitting against the brick wall.

"You haven't done anything! You've sat there, spewing false prophecies about the future of the school and drinking tea." Toko, like the others, had been repeatedly walking up in the early dawn for the past week in preparation for Hope's Peak Academy's re-opening. Komaru patted Toko's shoulder, reassuring and comforting her.

The group took a moment to stand back and admire their efforts. "It's already been a year," Makoto shielded his eyes from the sun.

"Yes, and a few months," Kyoko smiled. "The building preparations are tentatively complete. Have you determined someone to be a recruiter?"

Makoto shook his head, glancing in Togami's direction. "I debated asking Byakuya, but I know he's busy with his business preparations. And...the situation with the others."

Kyoko nodded, "Have you spoken with him about that?" The couple watched their friend talk on the phone for a minute. Byakuya eventually noticed his audience and quickly waved in their direction.

Makoto waved back, "No. He claims that I'm not to blame, but I can't bring myself to ask him about her." The last time he attempted to discuss the 77th class, Jabberwock Island, or the Neo World Program, Byakuya remained vague and distant throughout the entire meager excuse of a conversation.

"You're not to blame for Karen's decision. She admitted she was unstable and needed time away from everything."

"But what if she doesn't come back?" Makoto hated to ask, but he feared the possibility was far from simple imagination.

Kyoko paused, glancing at the others. "The others have asked the same question. Personally, I think that possibility is slim. However, we still don't know the full reason behind her decision."

"You would have thought every rational being in the world had lost their sense of financial and business knowledge," Byakuya sighed, tapping on his phone as he approached them. "So, this leaves personnel and financial preparations, correct?"

"Yup! Everything's going smoothly, I think," Makoto smiled, catching his sister's excited face.

Byakuya hummed, his finger hesitantly hovered over the touch screen. "Might I ask what you were discussing prior to my arrival?" Neither Kyoko nor Makoto spoke. Byakuya nodded, "As expected. Might I also ask why you insist on rehashing the same conversation when you know as much as I do?"

"Are you worried she won't come home?" Kyoko crossed her arms.

Byakuya tucked his phone in his blazer pocket, staring up at the Hope's Peak symbol. "It's been nearly three months since they departed. They haven't managed to contact us. She hasn't managed to contact me. So, yes, Kirigiri, I am worried." He fidgeted with the temporary metal band that decorated his ring finger. "You would have thought that after signing the papers and escaping that wretched place that she'd decide to stay."

"Hey!" Komaru yelled, running over to them. "Look at this! It was stuffed in a box in another box." A yellow monitor and matching speaker were tucked amongst the mass of crumpled paper and bubble wrap.

"How long has this been here?" Byakuya looked between the three equally confused individuals.

"I'm not sure. Possibly since we received the shipment of documents and supplies from...," Makoto's voice trailed off. The trio ran back to the building, scouring the new lobby for an outlet. Komaru grabbed several boxes to stack the monitor on top of, while Kyoko pressed buttons in hopes of triggering a reaction.

"Oh, it beeped!" Komaru pointed at the speaker she was holding. The monitor crackled to life with fresh energy rushing through it and presented a 'searching for connection' message.

Within a few minutes, the monitor displayed the inside of the island's hotel lobby. "No, you have to hit the button three times before you can trigger the bonus sequence."

"Normally, I wouldn't doubt Nanami's advice, but it's not working Hajime," a different voice replied.

"It's probably your terrible luck. Let me see it," Hajime swapped seats with the other person.

"Hajime?" Makoto spoke in the speaker.

The two voices appeared at Hajime and Nagito, who gawked on the screen. "Where the hell have you been!? We've tried calling every day for the past month!"

"Sorry! Your package was put into one of the supply boxes."

"Damn it, Kazuichi," Hajime muttered. "That doesn't matter right now." Hajime prepared to ask, but Nagito had already run off in search of the others.

"How is everyone?" Makoto

Hajime laughed, "Doing just fine. But I have to warn you," he pointed at Byakuya. "She's changed in...a few ways. Nothing irreversible or terrible." Hajime paused. "Well, the first part might be debatable."

"Stop speaking in riddles and tell me what happened," Byakuya demanded.

Hajime grinned, "Oh, she'd kill me if I did. I'll let her explain." His eyes shifted off camera, leading to him side-stepping out of frame.

Karen filled the frame with a smile. Her lower-back length blonde hair had been cut to shoulder length and the bullet scar was visible for anyone to spot. "Well, look who finally returned our calls." She huffed, resting her fist against her hip, still smiling. "Stop gawking. Come on, tell me what you think!" She ruffled the ends of her hair.

"You look like you're doing well," Kyoko broke the radio silence.

"I'm trying my best to. You look tired," she stared at Byakuya, "Are you over-working yourself again? You won't be able to do much of that when I come home, okay?"

"Tell him!" Mahiru and Ibuki prodded Karen in the back.

"Tell me what?" Byakuya's heart was slamming against his ribcage.

"I've put you all through so much. I'm really sorry for all of the drama and stress I've caused you, Kuya. But I'm glad you called today or else I would've had to just show up with no warning."

"You're coming home?" He stepped closer to the monitor. "When?"

"We'll all be coming home. Tonight." She beamed with childish excitement, the kind you were a monster for crushing.

"Wait, all of you? Karen, I told you before you left." Byakuya was caught off by Karen's hand signal.

"I've already arranged everything. Don't worry about it. I have everything under control."