Comfortember 2022

Escape - Makoto Naegi & "Nikei Yomiuri"

20. Self-Care

Warning: spoilers for Final Danganronpa 4: Another Despair chapter 3 (fanfiction)

***

Makoto was in the middle of crying into his pillow when a huge rumble came out of nowhere. He immediately sprang to his feet and tried to locate where it was coming from. After a minute, he realized that it wasn't coming from his direction, and he raced for his dorm's door.

As soon as Makoto stepped outside, the power went out. One by one, the other participants of the killing game emerged from their dorms as well. "What's going on?!" Himiko screamed from her door.

"Stay in the doorframe, it might be an earthquake!" Maki quickly assured her. But as suddenly as it began, the rumbling ceased in an instant.

While the participants expressed their confusion, Makoto quickly did a headcount. The people present were Hiro, Hajime, Kazuichi, Akane, Fuyuhiko, Maki, and Himiko...

"Guys, where's Nikei?!" Makoto shouted over everyone, quickly grabbing their attention. "Did anyone see them leave their room?!"

"N-No, no one did," Fuyuhiko replied, looking over to the 'lucky student's' door. "The rumbling came from that direction. They might be in trouble."

"We should break down that door!" Akane suggested, cracking her knuckles. "Who cares about the rules?! Someone as weak-looking as them could be killed easily from whatever caused the rumbling!"

"Well, if Monokuma were here, he would have addressed what caused this by now, right? But the power's out, and he hasn't shown up," Kazuichi observed. "Maybe he's connected to the power?"

"Either way, we have to get Nikei out of there!" Hajime exclaimed, beckoning Akane to come to the door with him. On the count of three, the two of them crashed into the door, which didn't budge. 

Upon there being no sign of Monokuma, Hiro, Makoto, Maki, and Fuyuhiko joined the duo to break down the door. On the count of three, they crashed into the door again, and its hinges creaked. One more time, they ran into the door and broke it down. 

As they burst inside through the broken door, the first thing Makoto saw was the large hole in the wall, showing the outside world beyond the academy's walls. But right now, that wasn't his focus right now.

Fallen beside their bed, Nikei looked uninjured save from blood pouring from their nose and ears. "Nikei!" Makoto shouted, rushing towards the fallen albino and kneeling down beside them. "Come on, wake up!"

"No time for that, Makoto! Look outside!" Hiro exclaimed, rushing towards his friend and pointing towards the hole. Makoto squinted as he looked outside, noticing Hiro picking Nikei up from the corner of his eye. In the sky outside of the academy, there was a helicopter approaching the island.

***

That's how Makoto ended up with Nikei in his house, laying where Kyoko used to lay. The helicopter piloted by Kyosuke Munakata had been prepared very early, according to him, and they had arrived at the mainland quickly.

The first place they went was to the infirmary to make sure that Nikei was alright despite their bleeding. Maki did a full analysis of their condition, and a doctor hired at Hope's Peak Academy did a check as well, and nothing was found to be wrong with them.

While Hajime, Kazuichi, Akane, and Fuyuhiko had to go back to Jabberwock Island, and Maki and Himiko had to tell their classmates about their ordeal, Hiro helped deliver the unconscious 'student' to Makoto's house.