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It would be an understatement to say that Asahina Aoi and Toko Fukawa hated each other with a burning passion. Usually the swimmer girl preferred to stay away from any conflict or negative people, but being locked up in here with someone who insulted her every chance she got was really playing on her nerves.
Hope's Peak Academy was supposed to be the best time in her whole life, a privilage all her hard work resulted in. And this is how it turns out to be in reality? Some freaking psycho killing game? Hina didn't know anyone there, but they all felt like friends to her. And the longer the school life went on she had to witness all of them to drop like flies, one after the other.
Well, that was a half truth. She considered almost all of them friends, besides Byakuya, she has never met someone so stuck up and arrogant. But while Hina disliked the aloof behavior of the Togami heir, what irritated her more was the blonde's loyal dog - Toko Fukawa.
There was nothing more irritating that the amount of insults she heard during their stay here, it's insane. And the Sakura's situation was making everything worse.
Hina could take Toko's annoying comments, it was just simple bullshit. But not when both Toko and Byakuya were attacking Sakura for no reason at all! Well... Okay, being a traitor is something awful, but it's not like Sakura every hurt them! No, the exact opposite, actually, always helping guard the bodies of their deceased friends and giving useful information at the class trials. And now they're all turning on her. It wasn't fair!
Now, they were in the middle of another stupid fight about how they should treat Sakura. Hina couldn't stand how cruel Byakuya was right now.
"It wouldn't matter if something bad happened to her." Byakuya scoffed, stunning the Ultimate Swimmer into silence. "If Sakura were to die, that's one less person for the mastermind to control. I have no problem with that."
That cold attutide, that arrogant glare hidden behind his square glasses. Hina felt her blood boiling the longer she listened to this rant.
"In fact, if she did die, that would settle this entire issue, wouldn't it?" At that, Aoi gritted her teeth, her hands curling up into fists. She couldn't understand what the hell Toko saw in this arrogant little bastard.
"It would put the whole probem to rest!"
This made Hina snap, she couldn't bear to hear more of this about someone she cared for so dearly. Sakura didn't deserve this treatment.
The Ultimate Swimmer lunged forward, slapping Byakuya as hard as she could, leaving a prominent red mark on his cheek. She was full of emotions, yelling out every single thought that has passed her head since Sakura's secret was revealed to them by Monokuma.
That Byakuya is the monster here, that he disgusts her. How he should have been the one to die. Togami took everything so calmly, only pissing her off more. Tears started flowing out of her eyes, she couldn't listen to his words, not anymore.
"...I'm going to my room." Asahina mumbled feeling her cheeking slowly getting wet. She wiped her eyes with the back of her palm, pushing Byakuya out of her way as she left the cafeteria.
In the corner of her vision Hina could notice the terrified Toko. The other girl was tugging on her____, probably worried about Byakuya. Despite the sadness she was feeling, she managed to scoff. Seriously, what the hell does Fukawa see in that guy? Sure, Toko isn't some saint herself, but it makes her heart ache to see anyone so mistreated by Byakuya without any complaint. At least Geneocide Jill didn't listen as much, but she also was absolutely infatuated with that arrogant sleezeball. Gross.
Hina locked herself in her room, shaking slightly. She was a bit embarrassed. Okay, a lot. Outburts like that one rarely happened around this many people. It was nice to slap Byakuya, he totally deserved it, she just had some issues with her emotions. Roaring with anger just to be shaking and crying in just a minute or two. How is someone like her supposed to help Sakura get out of the mess that Monokuma put her in? God, Hina felt pathetic, utterly pathetic.
However, her self pity had to be interrupted at some point. For now, she stopped sobbing a while ago, right now just laying on her side, eyes dry and puffy. There was a knock on her door. Part of Hina wanted to yell out to whoever it was to leave her alone, but at the same time it would be wrong of her to cause even more conflict in the group.
Reluctantly, the brunette got off her bed and dragged herself to open the door to her room. To be honest she expected anyone but Toko to be standing in front of her dorm.
"Uh..." Asahina stuttered, surprisided by the sight. She didn't feel very comfortable with letting someone like her into her private space, but it seemed like she had no choice.
"M-master was the o-one to send me here, s-so don't get all excited!" Toko stammered out, tripping over her words as always. She still seemed to be salty about how Hina treated Byakuya. The Ultimate Swimmer sighed, opening the door wider and stepping aside.
"Are those... donuts?" Aoi asked, her tired eyes brightening up a little bit. So what if Fukawa was the one who brought them here? She should appreciate every gifts one brings her, no matter if it's a friend or an enemy. "Um, those aren't poisoned, right?"
"A-as if! I'm not like... her." Toko mumbled out, setting the plate on Hina's desk and crossing her arms. She disliked talking about Geneocide Jack, always getting uncomfortable when the topic was brought up. "And Makoto s-said I should give them to you if I'm apologizing."
"Why are you apologizing?" Hina asked, a half eaten donut already in her hand. Sure, she disliked Toko and would gladly hear an apology from her about all those cruel comments, but she honestly doubted this is the point of her visit.
"Well, M-master is too honorable to apologize to a... s-slut like you, and Makoto wanted s-some to settle this, so I got chosen..."
Ah, there it was. To be honest, Toko went way longer than expected without calling her something like that, so that was something new. Not an improvement yet, no, not even close to that. This time Aoi let it slide.
"Hey, Toko...?" Asahina spoke up, her voice weirdly soft. She rarelly got quiet moments around Fukawa. "You don't really think Sakura's going to hurt any of you, right?"
There already was some tension between them and this out of nowhere question only made it thicker. Toko looked away from Hina, crossing her arms.
"I d-dunno. Master seems to think that a-and Master is always right."
"Sure, whatever, but what's your own opinion? Without involving Byakuya into this?" Aoi sighed, tired of Toko's lack of personality. It was always Master this, Byakuya that. Tiring for anyone who was withing earshot of Fukawa's blabbering.
"H-how dare such a l-low life use Master's name? I bet you think y-you're so much better than me because you have b-bigger knockers, huh?" Toko barked weakly at Aoi. Her voice was always so quiet, like a whisper, but always saying the most foul stuff. "B-but I'll show you. Y-you're nothing and I'm going to come out on top."
"God, why do you have to keep insulting me? It's just a simple question and you're turning it around on me as always!" Asahina sighed, gritting her teeth. Even her favorite donuts tasted like sand when she heard yet another comment like that come out of Fukawa's mouth.
"T-turning it on you?" Toko wasn't the one to get involved in full blown arguments, usually settling for little snide comments and quips at other people. "You're t-the one who think you're s-some hot shit because you have a pretty face! A-and you think you get to insult m-my Master?"
"Jeez, what the hell did I do to you that makes you hate me so much!?" Hina yelled out, suddenly very thankful for the sound-proof rooms Monokuma supplied the with. Makes the arguments way more comfortable to have.
"Hate you...?" Toko seemed shocked at the sudden conclusion Aoi had jumped to. But before she could even defend herself, Hina interrupted her.
"Just... Just get out. I know you don't want to be here, we both know that, so stop wasting our time." Even if Aoi stopped yelling, her voice was still sharp as an icycle and just as cold.
"But-"
"I meant it. Leave me alone Toko, I don't have enough patience to deal with... anyone right now."
Fukawa only mumbled something under her breath, but left obediently, not protesting too much, at least not out loud. Toko didn't understand, she did everything right. It was like this in her own family, so what's wrong now? She gave Hina compliments, she called her pretty, didn't she? So what the hell is wrong?
"S-stupid girl..." Fukawa mumbled under her breath, gritting her teeth as she walked, wrapping her arms around herself. It wasn't fair, she tried to do everything right, but it just ended up in being kicked out. Maybe she should mention Master less? Was that what irked Asahina so much? It's not that weird to admire someone else, right?
Toko sighed, sitting down on the floor's cold tiles in front of her own room, not wanting to get inside just yet. She wrapped her arms around her knees, pulling them up to her chest. She looked down at the ground beneath her, giving up on trying to figure out what was up with her and Aoi lately.
"Weren't you supposed to be with Hina right now?" Makoto's voice sounded weirdly loud in the empty hallway, brutally pulling Fukawa right out of her thoughts. She scoffed before answering, though that sounded kind of forced.
"P-please, don't insult me. You t-think I want to spend time with s-someone like her?" Toko snarled, as if disgusted at the sole idea she'd want to hang out with Aoi.
"She kicked you out, didn't she?" Naegi sighed, raising his eyebrows. To bo honest that was kind of the situation he expected to happen. He was hoping that she would change her ways, be a bit more understanding with Hina, without the insults, but that's not very realistic.
"...Yeah." Toko mumbled, almost immediately loosing her firey attitude, settling for something softer and pitiful. She seemed disappointed in herself.
"You know you can't go around insulting the people you like, right?" Makoto asked as he sat down next to Toko, leaning his back against a wall. He was talking to her like with a child, sensing she's new in the territory of actual romance. Naegi wasn't some expert either, but he was definitely the most normal one in this school.
"Wh-! I don't like that b-bimbo!" Toko scoffed, glaring daggers at Makoto. She felt her heart squeeze in fear when she realize how fast he caught on. God, she wanted to strangle that little gremlin. "B-besides, I don't insult her!"
"Um, Toko, we've all heard how you talk to her. Calling someone a slut or a bimbo, especially in that tone, is exactly what insulting is."
"No it's not! Y-you probably think I'm s-some fuck up with a f-fucked up home life, don't you?" When Toko was cornered, she resulted to accusations and rude comments, just like now. She and Makoto spend enough time together for him to know about her two moms, one dad situation and how it was sometimes in her house with her parents.
"Listen, all I'm saying is this isn't how you treat someone, regardless if you have a crush on them or not." Naegi was... surprisingly patient with her. He was understanding with everyone in Hope's Peak Academy and it felt nice for Toko to be included in that kindess for once.
"Ugh, th-then what the hell am I supposed to do w-with her?" At this point Fukawa gave up on trying to defend and hide her feelings. She's written tons of books about romance, all of them great hits, of course she was able to recodnize the flutter of love in her own heart.
"Maybe... stop calling her a slut so often? Or saying that she's just a dumb head with a big chest?" Makoto suggested, scratching the back of his neck. It felt incredibly awkward for him to bring up those insults. "I feel like that's a good start."
Toko sighed, looking away from Naegi and resting her head on her knees. Maybe he was right for once in his little pathetic life.
"And... hm, to be honest, my best advice is to just be nice." Makoto admitted, an embarrassed smile coming up on his face. He really was no expert in romance, especially if the person he was giving advice to was so in the wrong as Toko. "You know, the typical stuff. There's a lot of tension right now, with Sakura being the traitor. She's Hina's best friend, so if you insult her, it's like you're insulting Hina as well."
"T-there's so much to remember..." Fukawa grumbled, rolling her eyes. It was all far too complicated.
"Nobody's going to be perfect at it, that's for sure. But you should definitely apologize to her as fast as possible."
"For w-what?" Toko asked, tilting her head to the side. This caused Makoto to let out another soft sigh.
"For all the insults, not just the ones that happened today. To start fresh, you know?"
Toko hesitated for a few seconds. This whole situation was complicated and Makoto's advice, instead of actually helping, confused her even more.
"Alright, alright... I d-doubt she'd want t-to see me now. Or e-ever again in her life." Fukawa mumbled, reluctant to actually go and apologize, not now at least. She knew that there was still some tension between her and Hina, that they both needed some time to calm down.
But sadly, she didn't really get a "later" to do that. Before Toko could even have a chance at a real conversation with Hina, she needed to talk it out with Sakura. And what happened in the rec room happened just a bit too fast for her to acknowlage what was going on. In one second she's hiding, in th next one Sakura is... dead? It's not her fault, right? Hiro did it, it had to be him!
It turned out to be something even more surprising than ever. It was... suicide? Even Toko couldn't believe that someone as dedicated as Sakura would do this. But Fukawa's shock quickly turned into a feeling of anger and disappointed directed at Hina. She's responsible for their loss of alter ego, she was the one to almost get them all killed for fuck's sake, that goddamn-...!
It wasn't the time for yelling and accusing, not the time for wishing death upon her. She didn't really want her to die.
After the trial Toko went to look for Hina. Maybe it wasn't the best time for lovey dovey apologies and confessions, but who knows if she'll even get another chance to say sorry to her?
Fukawa went around half the school looking for that girl. She was a bit surprised to find her sitting in the rec room, right besides Sakura's chair, the place where they found her. It made sens for her to be there after Toko thought about it. They were best friends, no? And when she looked closer, Hina was gripping a paper tightly to her chest, probably Ogami's last words. What a pathetic, yet saddening sight.
"H-hey, Hina..." Fukawa softly spoke up, opening the door to the room Aoi was. She wasn't used to comforting people and this must have been weird for both of the girls. "Um, I j-just wanted to say s-sorry for... this whole thing..."
Asahina tilted her head up, towards Toko. Her blue eyes, usually so bright and carefree, were red and puffy from tears. At that sight, and the silence around them, Fukawa took example of how Makoto treated her earlier, sitting besides Aoi.
Both of them kept quiet, sitting together. Toko could feel her heart beating a tad bit faster, maybe because of the close proximity or maybe because of how unusual this situation was for her.
"Um... I sh-should have treated you and S-sakura better.." Fukawa mumbled, feeling a bit awkward. She gripped tightly the edges of her sleeves, not sure what more to say. Real, geniune apologies alwats felt so weird to her.
"Can I... hug you?" Hina asked softly, her voice a bit hoarse from her earlier crying. She could sense that Toko really did mean that sorry, that this meeting could mean a change in their... friendship(?), if she could even call it that.
"Oh, er, s-sure..." Fukawa mumbled out, surprised at the request. She nodded, opening her eyes.
Almost immediately Toko could feel Hina press closer to her, her arms wrapping tightly around the writer's waist. The hug was awkward, but only for a little bit. The brunette rested her head on Fukawa's chest, hidding herself from the world and the reality of Sakura's death. Toko hesitantly hugged her back, sneaked her hand in Aoi's hair. Her other hand wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer.
They stayed like this for a while. Neither of them ever expected to enjoy each other's company, especially not in this kind of way. No matter how surprising this moment was, Toko seemed to be enjoying it.
The embrace was soft and warm, unspoken affection between them instead of the constant tension and anger. It felt relaxing, it really did. Toko didn't get this kind of treatment from Master. At first she couldn't choose between the two, both of them the objects of her interests. But it was now clear who really deserved her affection.
Fukawa remembered what Makoto told her a short while ago. Just be nice, huh? She rarely listened to his advice, but maybe this time it was just right. Guess even someone like him had good ideas in his head.
Toko sighed quietly, not wanting to disturb the silence between them too much. She rested her cheek on Hina's head, her brown hair slighly tickling Fukawa.
"Thanks Toko..." Aoi spoke up, her voice weirdly soft compared to her usual energetic and excited way of speaking. "I really needed that."
"O-of course! M-maybe it's my chance to f-finally be useful to someone..." Fukawa stammered out, her second sentence was as quiet as a whisper, talking to herself rather than to Hina. Byakuya never thanked her for anything, never said he needed her. As selfish as it sounds, Aoi's words felt really... good.
Toko closed her eyes, trying to enjoy this moment as much as possible. She never cared much for Sakura, but she did care for Hina. And that girl was worth of her devotion.