Chapter Text
Absolute Delusional Girl - Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls
Komaru stared at the canvas in front of her, her breath getting caught in her throat with nerves. Kitagawa-sensei was already making the rounds in the classroom, examining everybody's work.
Once again, everybody else in her art prep school had done leagues better than she had, but this time, she'd remembered the advice that Kitagawa-sensei herself had given her, as well as the advice Makoto had relayed to her from his classmate, Ishimaru. She'd just gone with the flow and tried to make something unique and crossed her fingers that her instructor would like it.
Art prep school had been way more difficult than she'd anticipated, but she needed at least SOME sign that she was getting somewhere with it.
"Alright, it's your turn, Naegi-chan," Kitagawa said as she walked over, straightening her glasses as she looked at the young girl's easel.
Komaru held her breath as her instructor silently examined her work.
"Hm...Yes...The touch is soft and unique..." She voiced her thoughts aloud, "I can see you've put in a lot more practice and effort over the course of the last few lessons. Good work."
"A-Ah! Yes! Thank you very much!" Komaru beamed politely.
"Yes, I'm glad to see you've taken your lessons seriously," the instructor smiled warmly at her, "With that being said, I would still advise you to look at the subject more closely. As much improvement as you have made, your way of capturing the form requires a bit more studying, I think."
Komaru's high lasted a matter of seconds, and her stomach sank once again.
"Right...I understand..." she bowed as Kitagawa-sensei moved on to the next student.
Komaru knew her art instructor meant no harm. She was the right level of strict; she never made herself sound bossy but was always willing to give a little bit of tough love. However, when you were the primary target of that tough love, it became hard to not see it as abuse.
Even though Kitagawa-sensei had briefly praised her work, Komaru was certain that everyone else was secretly laughing and judging her. Her drawing was definitely the worst of the class; no doubt about it.
When she had started this endeavor after following Makoto's advice, she had thought that the anime illustrations she'd made all her life would help her have a bit of experience before jumping into a proper art class. But the more lessons she went through, the more she felt like an idiot for even considering it.
She had always loved anime, manga, and video games, and she thought she was good at drawing; she was wrong on both counts. It turned out that the style of illustration she enjoyed the most was the complete opposite of how a "normal" artist was supposed to draw.
As a result, she felt completely and utterly useless and a little ashamed of the fact.
She had to change her approach. That was the only way she was going to get through this.
"Alright everyone. That concludes our overall review," Kitagawa called out, putting her hands together, "Please start working on your drawings again, taking into consideration the feedback you've received today."
"Yes, sensei!"
The students started working again, and Komaru tried to focus. She was determined to redeem herself this time, but she felt a hole form in her stomach when she noticed just how quickly her classmates started working.
They had already done so much, and she was behind.
She was always behind.
How could they all draw so confidently without hesitation?
She looked at her paper. The blank space stared back at her. She could barely make out a single line without her hand shaking. She was a lost cause.
*What am I doing here...?*
She was trying her hardest. But it wasn't good enough. What was the point if she could never catch up to the people around her?
X
She was briefly snapped out of her depressive trance when she suddenly felt her phone vibrate in her pocket, signifying that someone was calling her.
She quickly took her phone out of her pocket, hoping that the screen would show her a caller ID of a familiar face. Maybe Makoto wanted to call her and cheer her up. Maybe it was one of her friends from the Phantom Thieves? Maybe it was Toko calling to check in on her?
Unfortunately, it was none of the above. Even though she didn't think it could, her heart sank even deeper when she saw two solitary words on the call screen...
"Ryuunosuke Tsumura."
The hand that she held her phone in trembled. Why NOW of all times!? It's almost as if that guy KNEW she was in an emotionally stressful and vulnerable position.
She probably shouldn't answer it, but something in her gut told her she had to. She was afraid of what would happen if she didn't.
"K-Kitagawa-sensei?" Komaru held up her phone, "May I be excused? I need to take this call; it's a bit important."
"Of course. You can take it outside if you wish," the instructor responded, "just try to keep it brief."
"I will! Thank you!"
Komaru practically bolted out of the classroom. She rushed to the back door of the building, which led to a courtyard. She opened it and closed it behind her, the noise of the city street not far away.
It was too late for any good news; she knew that for certain. Her heart raced as she stared at the screen, the number glowing ominously. And with a deep breath, she pressed the answer button and brought her phone to her ear.
DSO_Despair Syndrome - Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls
[Ah! Miss Komaru Naegi!]the voice on the other end of the line oozed with faux delight,[you finally picked up. I was wondering how long it was going to take.]
Just hearing this man's voice made a shiver run down her spine. His tone of voice alone, no matter what he said, was unbearably unsettling. And she didn't have time for formalities.
"What do you want, Tsumura?" she demanded, keeping her tone polite and neutral, "I'm a little busy with class."
[I'm sure your class isn't as important to you as that girl is,]Tsumura jived,[Kotoko Utsugi, I mean.]
"Seriously," Komaru tried not to spit through the line, "What are you bothering me with this time? I already set up the bank line directly to you. All the funding the government and Hope's Peak have given us for Kotoko's rehabilitation should have been deposited into your account. That goes for the insurance payout too. So what could you possibly want from me?"
[I wouldn't call it bothering you, Miss Naegi. We're just having a friendly chat between coworkers,]Tsumura said, his voice not hiding a trace of menace,[I just wanted to congratulate you on such a good job at getting Utsugi her rehabilitation. But now that you bring it up, I suppose we should talk about that. It's not enough. Not by a long shot. I did some counting and calculating, and I don't think what you gave me will cover the whole thing. You've got some more to pay, dear.]
Komaru's eye twitched with anger, and her jaw tightened, her teeth grinding together.
"Well, that's the problem," she hissed, "What I gave you is all of it. I'm only 15; I don't have the money to be making these payments to you."
[Maybe you are young, but you're still her legal guardian, aren't you?]he asked,[Shouldn't you be responsible for her well-being? You are aware that, without that insurance payout, you won't be able to keep her under your wing for long, right?]
Komaru knew that this wouldn't matter. Kotoko was going to be adopted by the Kitakes soon enough, and all of this would be over. But she couldn't, under any circumstances, let Tsumura know that. He would find a way to turn it around and use it against her.
"That's not my problem," Komaru growled, "I'll figure something out."
[Well then, perhaps I should give you another offer,]Tsumura offered,[since you're clearly struggling, I sincerely wouldn't mind taking the girl under MY own wing.]
"Not a damn chance," Komaru could no longer hide her hostility, "I'm not giving her up that easily."
[Oh, I wasn't asking for permission,]he threatened, his tone getting deeper,[but maybe you should. If you don't comply, then I will have to take her off your hands myself. Besides, what can you do against me? I'm rich, you're not. I'm more connected to her than you are. Who do you think the courts are going to take the side of if we end up having a legal battle?]
"Well, I guess we'll have to cross that bridge when we come to it," she sighed, "Now tell me what you want this time so I can hang up."
[Yikes! You're very demanding, aren't you?]Tsumura chuckled,[But fine, you win. I'll get right to the point. You see, I've been looking at the funds you gave me, and they're not as high as I was expecting them to be.]
"I'll get the money," Komaru growled, "but you're gonna need to give me time. And a fair bit of it."
[I'm sure if you beg mommy and daddy to give you an extra allowance, you'll be able to scrape up the necessary funds,]Tsumura taunted,[but as it stands, it's simply not enough.]
"Yes, you've made that clear," Komaru glowered, "and I'm telling you, I will do whatever you want. Just...leave Kotoko alone...!"
She hung up, not caring about what that man had to say. She leaned against the brick wall behind her, sliding down and sitting on the ground. Her face scrunched up, her hand clenching her phone tightly.
This was it. This was her breaking point. All she'd done since the beginning of the school year was nothing but stress. School, the Phantom Thieves, and now this.
What the hell was she going to do now?
DSO_All All Apologies - Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls
Komaru trudged through the front door, her shoulders slumping under the weight of the day.
It just felt like everything had gone wrong, and the fact that she was about to be confronted with another reminder of her failures wasn't going to help matters.
"Hey, Komaru, is that you?" Makoto's voice rang out from the kitchen.
The house was mostly quiet, and Komaru had entered only with the soft hum of the refrigerator and the faint ticking of the hallway clock. So she nearly jumped out of her skin when her brother called out to her.
"Yeah," she called back, not trying to hide her annoyance, "it's me. What are you doing here?"
"Well, I had some time to spare," Makoto entered the entry hall from the side, "and I remembered you had another art school day today. I haven't had a chance to check how that was going, so I figured since I had time, I'd pick up a treat for us and see if you were willing to talk about it."
"Thanks, but not really in the mood," she muttered, not even bothering to kick off her shoes properly; just slipping out of them and leaving them askew by the door.
Of course, Makoto immediately suspected that something was wrong. He knew that art prep school had been challenging for Komaru, but she'd had such a happy look on her face when she'd returned home after her day out with Kaede the other night. He thought that she would face the day with a bit more energy.
"What happened?" he asked, not wanting to pry but not wanting to ignore it either, "Did something go wrong at class?"
Komaru didn't respond. Normally, she would make an effort to be cheerful—to greet her family with a smile even when she didn't feel like it. But today, it seemed she had no energy for that. She couldn't even muster the strength to pretend.
"Komaru?" Mrs. Naegi suddenly poked her head in from the living room, "Is that you? Did you have a good day at class?"
"Mmm..." she shrugged, "it was...fine..."
Mrs. Naegi also wasn't falling for her daughter's fake response.
"You can talk to us about it, sweetie," her mother reassured her, "you know that. You can trust us."
"There's nothing to talk about," Komaru grumbled, "I just had a rough day, that's all."
"Well, maybe this will cheer you up?" Mrs. Naegi smiled, "Kotoko-chan and I made dinner. She was pretty excited to help me make your favorite meal."
"Not hungry..." Komaru murmured.
"Are you sure?" Kotoko's small, timid voice spoke up from the doorway to the living room, "I...I worked really hard. I thought it would make you happy..."
"It does..." Komaru assured her, "It's just...not a good time. Thanks for making it, though. I'm sure it'll be great."
Makoto, Mrs. Naegi, and Kotoko all looked like they were about to say something else, but before they could, Komaru wordlessly headed straight upstairs, dragging her feet on every step as though gravity itself was trying to pull her back down.
Even though he didn't want her to act like this, Makoto quickly realized that sitting at a table and trying to make conversation with her while she was like this was going to be impossible.
"Um...Mom?" he spoke up, "maybe it would be better if we let her blow off some steam first."
"Oh, right," Mrs. Naegi nodded, "I suppose there's no use pushing her. I'll keep her food warm for when she decides to come back down."
"Okay," Makoto turned to Kotoko, "you did a great job with the food, Kotoko. I'm sure it'll taste really good when she's ready for it."
Kotoko quietly nodded while Makoto and Mrs. Naegi went back to the kitchen, the latter putting the meal Komaru had rejected into the refrigerator. She looked up the stairs toward the landing, a worried look on her face.
DSO_Desire for Execution - Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls
Komaru reached her room and closed the door quietly, not wanting to draw any more attention to herself today. As messy as she had left it, her bed looked so inviting right now, and she longed to bury herself in the blankets and just...sleep.
But she didn't want to sleep. She wanted the pain to go away. She needed an escape.
Without changing out of her clothes, she collapsed onto her bed, took out her phone, and opened the Phan-Site app, checking the latest posts while curling up on her side. The tears she'd been holding back all day finally slipped free, soaking into the pillow and the blanket, but she didn't bother wiping them away.
She couldn't remember the last time she had cried like this. All of the deranged, insane, and terrible things the Phantom Thieves had encountered over the last few months, and even then, this was the most depressed she'd ever felt.
She hated it. She hated this feeling of helplessness so much. And today, it had been too much. She'd reached her limit.
"Big sis...?"
The one thing that got Komaru to sit up was the sound of the little voice on the other side of the door. A voice that could belong to only one person.
"Kotoko-chan, what are you doing here?"
"I...I'm sorry..." Kotoko sighed, "I just got worried after I saw you, is all. And it looks like I was right to be."
Komaru didn't stir when Kotoko entered the room and sat down on the edge of the bed.
"Normally, you're the first person who says hi to me when you come in, and it's always with a smile, even when you've had a rough day," she said, "But today...there was nothing...Did someone hurt you? Or are you angry at me for something? I didn't mean to upset you if I did..."
"No, it's not that," Komaru sniffled, "I'm not angry at you, Kotoko-chan. You did nothing wrong, I-...I just...need to be alone for a bit..."
Kotoko shook her head, her pink pigtails bouncing slightly.
"Why would you want to be alone when the rest of us are right here?"
Komaru sighed and wiped away her tears.
"Because...I don't want you to see me like this," she whispered, "I'm your big sister. I'm supposed to be the one protecting you, but right now, I can't do anything. I feel like such a failure..."
Kotoko took a shaky breath and placed a hand on her cheek.
"You're not a failure, Komaru. You're just human," she said, "and sometimes things don't go the way you want them to. That doesn't mean you failed or that you're a bad person. It just means that sometimes the universe gives you a bad deal. But I'm sure everything will be okay. And I don't think it's fair for you to try and keep everything bottled up. If something's bothering you, then I want to hear it. Please, let me help."
Komaru sniffled and looked down at her lap.
"You're probably right..."
"I know I am," Kotoko harumphed, "I usually am."
Komaru finally let out a quiet chuckle as she sat up.
"Yeah, you are..." she rubbed her sore eyes. Kotoko's bright smile was able to get through to her, even through her bleary vision.
"It's okay if you don't want to eat dinner, but can I hang out here with you instead?" she asked, "Maybe we can watch funny videos on the laptop? Or I can read you a bedtime story? Whatever you want."
Komaru hesitated for a moment before nodding.
"I'd like that," she said.
DSO_Beautiful Dead - Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls
A few days passed, and when they did, Komaru returned to her art prep school for another lesson. But despite the encouragement Kotoko had given her, she couldn't find it in herself to look forward to it.
As soon as the day ended and her teacher released her, she began to leave, not looking up from her phone. But as she left the classroom, she felt her stomach sink once again.
"Naegi-chan!" Kitagawa-sensei called for her, "Before you leave, could I speak to you privately for a minute?"
Komaru groaned and turned around, trudging back into the classroom and closing the door behind her.
"What is it, sensei?" she asked, "Whatever I did, I'm sorry; really, I'll do whatever it takes to make it up to you."
"Naegi-chan, that's not-"
"O-Or are you about to tell me that my drawings are so bad that they're beyond fixing?" she went on, "I get it, I suck, I know, I'll do better; just please, for the love of God, don't-"
"Will you just let me talk?" Kitagawa said with a stern expression, "You really shouldn't assume the worst, you know?"
Komaru sighed, realizing that she got a little carried away.
"I'm sorry," she muttered, "I've had a rough week...I've tried not to let it affect my work, though."
"I can see that. You finished within the time limit, after all. And I'm very sorry to hear that. I know your family situation is complicated," she said, "I won't pretend to understand everything, but I do know that you've done a very good job with the task you've been given. Even if your technique could use a little polishing, I can see your dedication."
"O-Oh!" Komaru blushed, "Thank you!"
*This is the part where she tells me where I screwed up...*she swiftly reminded herself.
"There is one thing I would like to talk to you about your drawing today, though," Kitagawa said, right on cue, "compared to your last piece, the atmosphere of your drawing has changed. And changed quite a bit at that. I'm curious to know why that is."
"Oh..." Komaru sighed as she began to explain, "Well, I did some thinking after what happened last lesson. I felt that the way I've been doing things so far wasn't working out, so I tried drawing in a similar way to everybody else. Not that I think there's anything wrong with the way I've been doing things, but, well, the others are professionals. They know more than me."
"Hm...Well, your technique has certainly helped your work," Kitagawa continued, "there's more cohesion now, and the overall balance of the portrait is well-rounded."
"R-Really?" Komaru gasped, "That's...well, that's not the feedback I was expecting, but I'll take it."
"Yes, but..." she frowned, "I have to admit that I'm a bit disappointed."
"H-Huh!?" Komaru gasped, "Why?"
"While the changes you've made are definitely a step in the right direction, I can tell you didn't put your heart into it," Kitagawa explained, "it's as though you were copying the example provided to you instead of using it to improve. You need to take inspiration from others, not blindly imitate them. And speaking honestly, I think I prefer the picture you drew in the previous session. For this one, it's like every trace of your uniqueness is...missing."
"My...uniqueness?" Komaru parroted, "But...I'm NOT unique. I'm nowhere near as good as anyone else in this class, and I'm a normal girl that you can just find anywhere. I'm not talented or creative like everyone else here."
"You don't need talent to be an artist," Kitagawa smiled, "Art is about self-expression, and that's not something anyone can be born with. But I'm sorry; I wouldn't be a very good teacher if I just gave you the answers to all your problems."
Kitagawa began to pack up her things and walked over to the door, pausing when she opened it.
"But there's no need to rush," she said, "after all, the lesson has barely even begun. All I'm saying is I hope you don't forget the feeling of creating a picture that truly reflects yourself as seen through your own eyes."
"Y-Yes...I understand..." Komaru lied.
X
After grabbing her things, Komaru walked out of the room and down the stairs. Once again, her teacher had left her with more questions than answers. But as she exited the building, she stopped in her tracks when she heard someone call her name.
"Man, Makoto wasn't kidding. You look like you got chewed up and spat out by a giant dog!"
Komaru turned her head and was surprisingly greeted by the sight of her best friend leaning against the wall.
DSO_Day Before The Future - Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls
"Toko!? What are you doing here?" she asked.
"Heh, what does it look like I'm doing?" Toko scowled, "Makoto told me how you were feeling shitty the other day. So...as your friend...I've come to treat you to something nice. Lift your spirits, you know?"
"That's...well...that's nice," Komaru did truly feel quite warmed by the gesture, "but you didn't need to do that."
"Cool, I'll see you later then," Toko pushed off the wall and turned to walk away, but Komaru grabbed her by the shoulder and held her back.
"Hey, I didn't say no! Okay, okay, fine, I do wanna talk to you about something," she admitted, "I've been a bit stressed recently, so, um..."
Toko rolled her eyes and smirked.
"Just follow me..."
Wonderful Dead 002 - Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls
A short while later, Toko and Komaru had arrived at a cafe downtown. It wasn't a large building, and it had a fairly minimalist decor. The furniture was black and the walls were a very light gray, which Komaru found strangely comforting.
"Okay, we're here. Now spill," Toko demanded, "what's got you all mopey?"
"Well...a lot's happened," Komaru sighed, "I've been having art classes at that prep school, and things have been going well enough. I've even managed to impress the teacher, Kitagawa-sensei, and she told me I have real talent. But at the same time, I'm not doing well enough. The teacher wants me to start improving."
"In what regard?" Toko asked.
"That's what I'm confused about," Komaru explained, "I tried to go with the flow at first, then I tried to follow along with everyone else. But today, Kitagawa-sensei told me to try and draw in my own style while imitating others. Now I'm not sure what to do..."
"Right...I get it..." Toko nodded, "Honestly? I don't know a lot about art, but the struggles of the creative process clearly apply to other fields."
"Have you been through a similar situation?" Komaru asked, "Did your teacher also tell you that you were being too self-indulgent and had to start writing for a living audience?"
"Nope, I'm self-taught," Toko reminded her, "You know that there's nobody in my childhood that can be called the "supportive" type. But I guess the idea of having to change your entire writing style isn't too different from changing the way you write an essay."
"Exactly! I thought imitation was important!" Komaru exclaimed as their food and drinks were brought over, "Trying to draw in your own style right away feels more challenging than anything else. How can you expect to be creative if you're just copying what other people have done already?"
"Well, I think it's a little deeper than that," Toko said, "It's not like you can't be influenced by others at all, right? There's always going to be some element of the creator's experiences and feelings that come through their work. Even if they're not drawing something autobiographical, it's still going to have elements of the artist's own personal tastes and experiences in there."
"Well, for you, that's easy," Komaru sighed, "All of your stories are based on your personal fantasies. No one can recount them other than you."
"Yes, but let's just say that if I put my words down on the paper as they came to me, my works would be...mm..." Toko groaned, "How do I put this delicately...?"
"NSFW?" Komaru suggested.
"I...sure..." Toko sighed, "It's not just the content. The actual writing would be a mess too. It would be so bad, there would be no way it could be read by a human, let alone published."
Toko cupped her teacup and took a sip of her coffee.
"Let me put it this way," she said, "I'm not the only person who writes romance novels. And I'm not the only successful high school author either. But the reason why my novels are so popular compared to most of what's on the market is because I understand the genre and my audience. I'm able to provide readers with something they can identify with—something they've never experienced before. I'm able to take the raw feelings and ideas they have in their heads and transform them into something they can read and enjoy that stands out from the rest of the genre. And if you think about it, the same principle applies to your art."
Komaru took a bite of her cake and thought for a moment.
"Yeah, I get that..." she huffed, "Looking at the other kids around me, I just felt like I couldn't keep up. It's like we were all aiming for different things."
"Then let me ask this," Toko suddenly leaned forward, her face becoming deadly serious, "do you want to make a living off of art?"
"Huh?" Komaru was taken aback by the question, "No, not really..."
"Then what are you aiming for?" The Ultimate Writing Prodigy asked, "Why persist with this stuff even when it's clearly taking a toll on you? Why keep drawing when the results aren't coming as easily to you as they once did? Surely it can't just be because it serves your own interests?"
"Well, sure, that's A reason, but it's not the whole reason," Komaru grinned, "Makoto and Kotoko like my drawings. And you too, even though you won't admit it."
"Don't flatter yourself," Toko scoffed, "I'll admit, the way you've drawn me is a lot more attractive than the real thing, but that's because you're making me out to be someone I'm not. If you tried to draw me, then-"
"That's the point," Komaru cut her off, "I'm not drawing what the world thinks of you, or the world thinks of me, or anybody. I'm drawing my interpretation of what's in your heart. I'm putting a piece of myself into each drawing, and, as much as I want to, I can't do that if I'm trying to fit into some ideal mold. And I want people to see it and say, "Hey, I like that! It's pretty different, but I like it.""
"So what I'm hearing is you're mainly doing it for the praise?" Toko asked.
"Oh, don't say that like it's a bad thing!" Komaru whined, "Don't you mainly write novels for the same reason?"
"True. Writing has always given me a sense of purpose and achievement, where I otherwise would be lacking in any sense of self-worth," Toko admitted, "but I mainly stick to doing it because it's the best way to express my inner desires. My novels explore emotions that I can't freely show to people in real life, and I channel those suppressed fantasies into my work. Plus, every time I write a novel, I'm effectively creating a whole world in the form of some words. One that I can control, unlike my real life."
"Control...?" Komaru parroted.
"Yeah. I know it sounds menacing, but we both know that life is chaotic and overwhelming to a tee. For someone like me, who feels powerless and misunderstood in basically all my day-to-day interactions, having SOME sense of control over it is crucial. You get me?"
Komaru got her more than she was willing to admit. She knew what it was like to live in a world that seemed to hate you, that rejected you and everything about you. She knew what it was like to try and escape, through whatever means necessary.
"I suppose it's not THAT different from how I want to create art," she mused, "but...I also don't think it's that complicated..."
"Why?" Toko asked.
"You're...gonna be mad at me for saying this, but..." Komaru sighed, "...I feel like drawing my goofy sketches is...the only thing I'm actually good at. I mean, everyone around me, not just you and the other Phantom Thieves, is passionately pursuing their interests. You're doing your writing; Chiaki has her video games; Kyoko and Shuichi have their detective work, etcetera. But I've never really had something I can put my heart and soul into. That is, until I started drawing."
"So?" Toko frowned.
"SO!" Komaru snapped, "I just wanted SOMETHING that I loved that I could get absorbed in. It comes second nature to you, but you Ultimate's aren't just students. You're getting by doing what it is you LOVE, and what you're good at doing. Even if I'll never be as good at art as you are at writing, I still wanted something to call my own. I can't help but feel a bit jealous."
"Hmph, fair enough, I suppose," Toko sighed, "but I don't think you should feel the need to compete. If what you've just told me is true, then do you really need to worry about what other people think?"
"Eh?" Komaru was surprised to hear her say, "What do you mean?"
"It's as I said before," Toko explained, "If you're just drawing for the sake of yourself and the people close to you, then that should be enough, right? Take it from someone who cares too much about everything; you're so concerned about what other people think of you that you've forgotten what it is that YOU want."
Komaru took another bite of her cake.
"What do I want...?"
"If you really do want Kotoko, Makoto, and everyone else around you to praise you for your art, then that means at one point, you really enjoyed the stuff you were drawing," Toko continued, "and that means you should try and re-ignite that feeling. Don't force yourself to do something if you don't love doing it. You'll only end up hating it.
"I...You're right..." Komaru smiled sadly, "Back when I was a kid, first getting into anime and manga, drawing pictures was fun. As long as I was satisfied with what I drew, that was enough for me. But then I started being praised for what I was writing by my parents, my older brother, and some friends I had, and that was a new feeling altogether. It's not something I had experienced before, and I think I've gotten caught up in the attention and praise. But in the end, I still want to enjoy drawing. I don't want to make something if I'm not going to enjoy it."
"Then you already know what to do, right?" Toko said.
"Yes...yes, I do..." Komaru grinned, "Thanks, Toko."
"Heh, I'm no therapist, but I do know a thing or two about being a creator," Toko smirked, "Don't get used to me giving you these pep talks though. I'm not the kind of friend who's always willing to give a helping hand."
"I know," Komaru replied, "but, hey, if we're already here, do you wanna walk back to my house when we're done? I'm sure Kotoko will be happy to see you."
"Sure, whatever," Toko shrugged.
X
With Toko by her side, Komaru returned home with a clear head and a new sense of purpose. She couldn't help but think about how lucky she was to have so many good people in her life to support her.
She for sure had to do something to show them her appreciation. This time though, she was determined to walk through this front door and greet her family with a smile. For sure this time.
"I'm home!" Komaru called cheerfully as she opened the front door.
But there was no response.
Komaru frowned. Perhaps her parents were at work and Kotoko was still at her friend's house. But the house was eery quiet, and that couldn't be right. Makoto, at least, should have been here.
Toko, standing behind her, nervously tugged on her own hair and glanced around the hallway, breaking out into a sweat.
"I don't like this..." she said in a hushed voice, "Something feels...wrong..."
Komaru nodded in agreement, but then heard some familiar voices echo through the hallway from the dining room. However, instead of the usual sounds of her family welcoming her, Komaru instead heard the low murmur of a collection of anxious voices...
One of them...carrying an unsettling...smug tone...
"Oh no...!"her face went blue with fear.
Like I Would Become a Monster - Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls
"What's wrong!?" Toko hissed.
"Come on!" Komaru whispered urgently, pulling Toko inside the house and quietly closing the door. The two girls hurried along the floorboards towards the dining room, and when they stepped inside, the scene before them made Komaru sick.
Makoto, Mrs. Naegi, and Mr. Naegi were all seated on one side of the table, bearing expressions of distress, while on the other, appearing equally as distressed, were none other than Mr. and Mrs. Kitake, the kind old associates of Junya Utsugi who had accepted Kotoko as an adoptive daughter.
But the girls' attention was immediately directed toward the third party. A man standing near the corner of the living room, slowly walking around the table, with a sharp, well-groomed appearance. His eyes flicked to Komaru as she entered, his smile widening, as though he'd been expecting her.
Komaru felt her blood boil upon the very sight of him, and she stepped forward into the room, the impact of her foot on the floor making a loud thud as she spoke his name with a cold venom that even the Phantom Thieves would be impressed by.
"Tsumura...!" she growled, "How the hell did you find this place!? Why are you here!?"
"Tsu-who?" Toko frowned.
The man stopped and turned his entire body towards her, the smirk never leaving his lips.
"Oh, come now, you really thought I didn't know where you lived this whole time? It was my own personal moral standing that stopped me from coming here," Tsumura answered, "but now that the circumstances have changed, I see fit to visit."
"What are you talking about?" Komaru spat, rounding on everyone else, "What's going on here!?"
Mrs. Naegi and Mr. Naegi didn't look away from Tsumura, the former looking frightened and nervous, the latter bearing Komaru's same look of malice.
On the other side of the table, Mrs. Kitake looked away, wiping a tear from her cheek, while Mr. Kitake stared at the floor, his hands clenching into fists.
It was Makoto who stood up.
"Komaru," he said, "he just randomly showed up at the door with the Kitake's. He's here about Kotoko..."
Komaru glared at Tsumura, her eyes flicking between the two sides of the table.
"What more do you want from me?" she demanded, "I told you on the phone the other day that I would find a way to get the money. You still owe me time."
"Oh, I remember. But I'm afraid your time has been wasted," Tsumura's smile never faltered as his smooth and insidious voice echoed throughout the house, "The truth is the circumstances have changed a tad..."
He casually strode over towards the Kitake's and placed his hands on both their shoulders, as if he were their friend, and the two looked away, tears streaming down their cheeks.
"What did you do!?" Komaru snapped.
"I'll put it plainly," Tsumura explained, "your friend, Kotoko, will be taken away from you. And the arrangement for adoption...is off."
Komaru felt the color drain from her face, and her legs suddenly felt like jelly.
"No..." her voice was hoarse, and her chest tightened, "You're...kidding me, right...? You're kidding..."
"Just ask Mr. and Mrs. Kitake here if you don't believe me..." Tsumura's grip on the man and his wife tightened, "certain...legal matters have come to light, you see? In accordance with certain agreements her father made with me before his...unfortunate incarceration, it seems only proper that she return to where she belongs."
Komaru felt her blood run cold as she stared at the couple, and they turned away, unable to look her in the eye. Mrs. Kitake opened her mouth to protest, but her husband gently squeezed her hand, shaking his head with resignation.
"This is all bullcrap," Mr. Naegi said suddenly, "you have nothing on us, and we have nothing on you! The adoption agency doesn't even know where we are!"
"Oh, please. It's not the agency you have to worry about," Tsumura sneered, "There are legal channels that allow certain parties, such as myself, to be privy to the whereabouts of children. The system isn't perfect, but it's not unbeatable either."
"So, what now?" Mr. Naegi stood up and slammed his fist on the table, "You're gonna take her back, just like that!?"
"Just like that," Tsumura leered, "well, I WILL within 48 hours. You're passionate, Mr. Naegi, just as your daughter is. But I assure you, this is all perfectly legal. The documents have already been drawn up, and once they're signed, Kotoko will be coming with me. And there's nothing you or anyone else can do to stop it."
The room fell into a heavy silence as Mr. Naegi forced himself to sit back down. But just when it seemed like things couldn't get any worse, the front door opened once again.
"I'm home!" Kotoko called from the doorway, quickly hurrying into the room, "Sorry, I'm late! Oh, and guess what happened on my way home? Some of the students from Hope's Peak-"
Her sentence was cut off the moment she spotted Tsumura standing in the corner of the room.
Her face turned white with terror, and she immediately ran away.
"Kotoko!" Makoto called after her fruitlessly.
"Look at that!" Tsumura exclaimed, "How can any of you be trusted with that child!? Did you see how scared she was!? How could I possibly leave her in the care of a girl like that!?"
"Bastard!" Toko roared, her temper flaring, as he rounded on the man and resisted the urge to pound his face in, "You're the one she's scared of, not Komaru."
"The legal system would beg to differ," Tsumura slimily responded, "Besides, if you were truly a friend of the family, then you wouldn't be trying to harm me, now would you?"
"Harm...?"
"Oh, yes. I could have you arrested for attempted assault. That's an illegal act, is it not?"
"Arrested...attempted assault..." Toko was dumbfounded. She backed off, her face contorted into a terrified expression, her eyes darting around the room.
"Wh-What are you talking about!? She's literally on the other side of the room from you! She didn't touch you...!" Makoto glowered.
"They~ won't~ believe~ you~" Tsumura taunted to the tune of ring-around-the-roses, like a child, "Even with almost a dozen witnesses in the room, they will never take your word for what happened—not when they have me to turn to. So why not do yourself a favor and give up? This isn't a battle you can win."
Toko, in spite of her fury, was wise, and she knew when to back off. She retreated back to where Komaru was, looking to her with wide, frightened eyes.
Komaru clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms.
"You can't do this," her voice was low, "Kotoko is HAPPY here. I can't let you take her away from this family."
"In that case, I look forward to your attempts to stop me, Komaru-chan," he said, as he reached into his pocket, "As long as you don't make any more threats, I'll consider that the end of our conversation. But remember...Time is not on your side..."
Tsumura knew that he shouldn't overstay his welcome. With that, he turned on his heel and strode out of the house, leaving an oppressive silence in his wake. The door closed with a quiet click, but the tension lingered in the air.
X
And it broke when Komaru suddenly grabbed a vase on the mantlepiece and through it onto the floor, shattering it.
The Destruction of Darkness - Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls
"GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGHH!" she screamed, "That...BASTARD! That son of a bitch! I'm going to kill him! I'm gonna wring his fucking neck, and then I'm gonna beat the shit out of him!"
"Komaru!"
Everyone around the table lurched to their feet. Mr. and Mrs. Kitake backed away in the far corner of the room to get away from the raging girl, while the Naegi's and Toko rushed to Komaru's side.
"Calm down!" Makoto demanded, "You're scaring the guests!"
"HOW COULD YOU!" Komaru rounded on them, petrifying the poor couple, "HOW COULD YOU LET THAT MAN CONTROL YOU!? BRAAGGH!"
She continued to break things, and everyone was helpless to stop her! The poor girl was seeing red, having officially gone over her breaking point!
X
And she only calmed down when she felt someone's palm collide with her face.
Komaru rubbed the sore spot to see Toko, hand raised, trembling, and tears streaming down her face.
"S-STOP IT!" Toko snapped, "D-Do you think throwing a tantrum will fix this!? Do you think acting like a child will make things any better!?"
Komaru blinked, her anger melting away. She glanced around the room at her brother, her parents, and the Kitake's. Her eyes settled on her hands. She saw that she had been gripping onto a photo frame, which, in her rage, had cracked, and she was holding it upside down, so the broken glass dug into her palm.
She let the picture drop and watched it land face-down on the floor as the blood trickled from her hand, and a few droplets landed on the frame and the shattered glass.
And she covered her face and screamed into those bleeding hands with anguish, falling to her knees in the middle of the living room.
Silently, Toko kneeled down and wrapped her arms around her friend. Makoto knelt down too and rested a hand on her shoulder, and Mr. and Mrs. Naegi followed suit; their faces filled with a similar mix of despair and hopelessness.
The Kitake's didn't dare approach. After what felt like an eternity, Komaru's cries died down, and she lowered her hands, revealing her reddened, tear-stained face.
"I'm sorry," her voice was hoarse, and it hurt to speak.
"Komaru, this is no time for you to apologize," Mr. Naegi said, "Tsumura is the one at fault here."
"He's right, sweetie," Mrs. Naegi agreed, "don't let that horrible man make you think otherwise," Mrs. Naegi carefully pulled her daughter away from the broken objects and wrapped her in her arms, "Come on...let's get your hand fixed up."
"Komaru..." Makoto interrupted them for a moment, "This isn't the first time you've spoken to that man, is it?"
All eyes were on her, and Komaru felt her breath get caught in her throat.
"Back a few months ago, when you first decided to try the art prep stuff," Makoto recalled, "I remember you kept stepping out to take phone calls from someone. Every time, you'd come back looking a little distraught."
"Feh...I should've expected you would notice," she sighed, "Why did I even think I could hide it from you?"
"I thought that maybe you were getting harassed," Makoto continued, "but the more I thought about it, I couldn't figure out who it could have been. And even now, I'm not sure, so..."
"Will you please tell us?" Mr. Naegi pleaded, "We're your family. Komaru. We're supposed to be there for each other, no matter what. Whatever the problem is, we can solve it together."
"I know..." Komaru nodded, her shoulders sinking, "I'm so sorry."
This Is The Path We Follow - Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls
Some time passed, and everything calmed down. The Naegi family moved their meeting to the living room, and the Kitakes were allowed to stay and listen. Toko, too, had remained to support her friend.
"I'm so sorry," Komaru told them at the outset, "you didn't deserve to be subjected to my tantrum."
"Please," Mrs. Kitake smiled weakly, "you had every right to be angry. I can't imagine what you must be going through. We...didn't want to go along with his terms, but..."
"We didn't have much of a choice," Mr. Kitake added, "He told us that if we didn't do as he said, he would take legal action against us. And after hearing his case, the adoption agency would no doubt believe him."
"Why?" Makoto asked, "Who the hell is that man?"
Komaru took a deep breath as her mother passed a cup of warm drink into her bandaged hand. She paused to take a sip before speaking again.
"That man's name is Ryuunoskue Tsumura," she revealed,"he's...he's Junya Utsugi's stepbrother."
The air left the room.
"Wait," Mrs. Naegi gasped, "Junya's...? You mean Kotoko-chan's father...?"
"Yeah, him. The one who abused Kotoko and put her up for prostitution," Komaru clarified, "a few months ago, I was contacted by Tsumura, claiming that he was a lawyer. After hearing about Junya's arrest, he got in contact with me and started making some demands. He told me he had legal power over the children and could use it against me."
"What...did he do to you?" Toko asked, clenching her fist.
"Well...at first..." Komaru said slowly, "He demanded that all the government money that was provided to us for Kotoko's childcare go to his account instead. And he said if I didn't funnel the cash into him, then he'd do whatever he could to take Kotoko away from us. As her direct family, he has a legal right to the money, but the fact that Kotoko was a child and the fact that she was still being supported by the government gave me the advantage."
"He wanted the money for himself, huh...?" Makoto acknowledged.
"Hold on a second," Mr. Naegi frowned, "but that doesn't make sense. We get regular payments for Kotoko's childcare from the government. How could he be getting it?"
Komaru's face scrunched up as she let the truth out.
"No, you haven't," she unveiled, "The money you've been getting is money from MY pocket. I started working a part-time job to make ends meet and substituted the funds with my earnings from that."
"You've been doing all of that for us!?" Mrs. Naegi's jaw dropped.
"Komaru..." Mr. Naegi muttered, his eyebrows furrowing.
"Why did you do that!?" Makoto snapped, "Why did you try and deceive us like that?"
"BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT ANYONE GETTING HURT!"
She blurted this out, frightening everyone again before she composed herself.
"If Tsumura was bold enough to make these sorts of demands of me, then there's no telling just how much power he has. For all we know, he could crush us in the palm of his hand if he wanted to. I mean, look at the Kitake's!" she gestured over to the other family, "After everything that happened with Kirie Akamatsu, I wasn't about to take any chances!"
Her face looked desperate and despaired.
"I know everyone thinks I'm just the dumb, silly younger sister of a prestigious Ultimate. And I'm fine being delegated to the comedic relief!" she said, "But I'm a person, and how can anyone trust me if I can't deal with these matters by myself!? Kotoko is here in the first place because of me, so it's only right that I protect her. If anyone should have to suffer, then let it be me."
"You've got it all wrong!"
Komaru jolted back in shock as her father suddenly shouted at her.
"It's not your job to protect her!" he told her, "it's OUR job. We're the ones who took her in, and it's our responsibility to look after her. It doesn't matter whether the government is involved. You're not an adult yet, Komaru. You shouldn't have to make these kinds of decisions on your own."
"Dad..." Komaru stared at him in disbelief.
"We're your parents. We're a family," he continued, "if you were having these sorts of problems, then you should've come to us. What exactly were you trying to prove?"
She went silent. Mr. Naegi relaxed and sat back down.
"I'm sorry," he sighed, "Now is not the time to scold you. Not after all of that. What happened after you started siphoning Tsumura the money?"
"After I gave him the money, I thought it was the end of it," Komaru explained, "but then he came back and said it wasn't enough. So, I kept giving him money, and I engineered almost every funding outlet we had. But I didn't spend a yen that wasn't mine, I promise."
"We believe you," Mrs. Naegi nodded, "Go on."
"After a while, it was hard for me to find the time to work," Komaru continued, "and I could barely keep up with the classes and my chores. It was hard, and I was exhausted. And Tsumura kept pushing me, telling me to give him more, but the more he wanted, the harder it was for me to earn. And then he kept threatening to take Kotoko away from us and played it up like he could do it with a snap of his fingers if he wanted to. So I kept working, and I was able to scrape up enough cash for him to leave me alone. But in the end...it wasn't enough..."
Makoto nodded.
"What about you two?" he turned towards the Kitake family, "iIt doesn't take a genius to figure out that Tsumura has something on you two. You're nice people, and you wouldn't give up on Kotoko so easily. You can tell us, I promise."
The Kitakes looked towards each other.
"Very well. I suppose it can't get much worse than this..." Mrs. Kitake acknowledged.
"Tsumura came to us yesterday afternoon with a document. He gave it to us and told us it was proof that he could take Kotoko away from the Naegi's. The paper stated that the money was going directly to him rather than to us. If he brought it to the courts, then it would be considered proof that we weren't capable of caring for her, and he could take her away."
Komaru felt a pit form in her stomach.
"So Omaru's money-lending gave him a paper trail?" Toko grimaced, "What a scumbag."
"And you really had no choice?" Makoto asked, "You really had no choice but to comply with his wishes? You couldn't bring yourselves to fight him?"
"We're not as weak as we come across," Mrs. Kitake assured him, "of course we would have fought it. We know Komaru-chan is a lovely girl who would never willingly do such a thing."
"And we DID fight it...We knew immediately that that rotten bastard was playing us...But he had a contingency plan," Mr. Kitake sighed, "Alongside the money documents, he presented to me a letter, proving that I...colluded with Junya Utsugi and played an active role in Kotoko's abuse."
"What!?" the Naegis cried.
"But...you said you had no knowledge of Junya's abuse!" Makoto exclaimed, "only suspicion!"
"I DIDN'T!The document is forged, no doubt about it!" Mr. Kitake snapped, "but it had the wording, and the official seal of where the government is housed. It's the most true-to-life forgery I've ever seen; wording and everything, and if it gets shown in courts, we're done for."
"That...slimy...SCUMBAG!" Makoto clenched his fists, "He's blackmailing you!? This is insane! He has no right to do that!"
"There's nothing we can do about it," Mrs. Kitake sighed, "All we can hope is that Komaru-chan doesn't pay him again."
"If I don't, then he'll take Kotoko!" Komaru clutched her head, "This is all my fault!"
"No," Mrs. Naegi stood up and walked over to her daughter, placing her hands on her shoulders, "You did your best, and we're proud of you for that. I wish you'd told us about this sooner, so you didn't have to suffer in silence this whole time, but the point is, you're a strong girl. You didn't have to shoulder this burden all by yourself, and for that, we're grateful."
"Yeah...you're a hero to that girl, through and through," Toko crossed her arms, "but you ARE still an idiot."
"I know..." Komaru sighed, "At this point, I have everything to lose. If Tsumura meant what he said, he's pulling out all the stops to make sure he gets his hands on Kotoko. And I'm not sure if there's anything we can do. I don't want to hurt the Kitake's, or Kotoko, or Mom and Dad."
"That's not for you to decide," Mr. Naegi said, "as long as that man has power over us, then we won't have peace."
The silence lingered, with everyone struggling to find a solution. But then something popped into Makoto's head.
"Why though?" he said suddenly and quietly.
"Huh?" Komaru frowned.
"Komaru. It's safe to say that by extorting you to this breaking point, Tsumura's REAL goal is that he wants to reclaim custody of Kotoko, right?" Makoto asked.
"Y-Yeah, I guess at this point that's obvious," Komaru nodded.
"And if his motive was to get the money, then he wouldn't be going through all this trouble or taking the risk of having the papers traced back to him, right?"
"That's true," Mrs. Kitake nodded, "It doesn't seem like Tsumura is in dire straits, so there's no need to resort to such tactics."
"Then, the question is, why does Tsumura want to get custody of Kotoko? Sure, as Utsugi's stepbrother, he's got familial attachments, but did he ever let slip what his real motivation for wanting to get Kotoko back was? If he does, then he has no right to extort you anymore."
"Well, I immediately assumed that he would come onto her, like all of Kotoko's "clients" did," Komaru explained, "If he got his hands on her, I assumed he'd want to make money off her too. And I know that Kotoko's a little bit older now, but...I just couldn't stomach the thought."
"Then, maybe that's what Tsumura was banking on?" Makoto suggested.
"You mean, he's trying to force Komaru-chan's hand?" Mrs. Naegi frowned.
"If you don't do what I say, then I'll make your worst fears come true, and do it anyway," Makoto explained, "It's the oldest trick in the book. That way, he'd be able to claim innocence in the event that we went to the police, or he would use the threat of legal action to prevent us from doing so."
"What a disgusting man," Mr. Kitake snarled, "using a child's trauma against us."
"And then there's the forgery," Makoto added, "we'll have to get those papers checked and have the Kitake's name cleared."
"How do you expect to do all of this?" Mrs. Kitake asked, "In such a powerless situation..."
"Clearly, you don't know me very well. I thrive in overcoming hopeless situations," Makoto boasted, "but it's not like I don't have a plan. My best friend is a high-ranking, brilliant detective at the Kirigiri Detective Agency. All I need to do is put in a call to Kyoko-chan, and we can get her help on the matter."
"But Kyoko's already busy with...that other matter," Komaru said, "I can't just go crying to her for help."
"Dumbass. You should've gone crying to her the moment you got put in this hot water," Toko hissed, "you only didn't because you didn't want to rely on anyone else for this."
"Like I said," Komaru sighed, "it was my responsibility."
"Jesus Christ, Omaru. What do you think the police are for?" Toko growled, "If Tsumura is threatening you, that's a crime."
"I'll give her a call later tonight," Makoto promised, "We'll sort this, I promise."
Komaru quietly nodded. She wasn't sure if she could believe in her brother, but at this point, it was her only hope.
"For now, we should get some rest," Mrs. Naegi told everyone, "this day has been tiring enough as it is. Takao? Could you walk the Kitake's home?"
"Of course," Mr. Naegi nodded, rising from his chair, "let's go."
"Thank you for your hospitality," Mrs. Kitake bowed.
"And we're so sorry for the trouble," Mr. Kitake added.
"It's our pleasure," Mrs. Naegi smiled warmly, "Believe me, you are the last people I blame for this."
"We'll see you soon," Komaru waved at them as they left before slumping back down in her seat.
"Oh, Komaru-chan," Mrs. Naegi shook her head.
"Mom, I'm really sorry," she whispered.
"Shh, you have nothing to apologize for...Well, maybe you DO a little bit, but it's going to be alright," Mrs. Naegi soothed, gently patting her daughter's head, "You were doing your best. It is true that you shouldn't have lied to us, but we understand that you were under a lot of stress. Don't feel bad, okay? You did the right thing in the end, and that's what matters. We'll get through this, I promise."
Komaru didn't respond and instead leaned into her mother's touch.
"Big sis? Is everyone gone?"
Komaru sat up as the door slowly creaked open, and Kotoko stepped inside.
"What's wrong, honey? Were you worried?" Mrs. Naegi asked.
"Well, yeah, of course," Kotoko shrugged, "everyone was yelling and shouting, and the house was shaking. And...Is Tsumura gone now?"
"Yeah, he left a while ago," Makoto affirmed, "are you alright?"
Kotoko sheepishly nodded.
"Did he say anything to you?" Komaru asked.
"No," Kotoko replied, "but he was being...mean to Big Sis. So I was worried."
"You don't have to worry, honey," Mrs. Naegi told her, "we've got everything under control. Right, Komaru-chan?"
"Yeah..." Komaru sighed.
"Don't lie, Mrs. Naegi," Kotoko pouted, "You were worried too, weren't you? You looked scared. But it's alright. You shouldn't have to feel bad about me. You've given me so much, and you didn't deserve to get hurt like this."
"I'm not afraid for me," Mrs. Naegi denied, "it's for you. For everyone. You shouldn't have to be put in such a position. We'll take care of it, so don't worry about anything. We love you."
Kotoko blinked.
"Really? You...love me?" she asked.
"Of course we do," Komaru confirmed, "why wouldn't we?"
Kotoko's eyes began to well with tears.
"I...I'm sorry...Seeing Tsumura earlier reminded me that...I've never been loved before..." she sobbed.
"Well, we do," Makoto assured her, "so, please, believe us. We'll work this out, okay?"
"Okay..."
Kotoko hurried towards them and pulled her sister into a tight hug. Komaru broke down and began to cry, holding Kotoko as tightly as she could. Makoto and Mrs. Naegi both joined the hug, wrapping their arms around them, and the four of them stayed like that, letting out their frustrations and hoping for the best.
Toko kept her distance until she saw Komaru reach out a hand towards her, and with a sigh, she accepted it and joined the group hug.
