(Makoto's PoV: a week later)

"Alright it's time for your first group project," Mr.Monokuma said.

"Group project?" Kiyotaka asked.

"Yep~! I will pick your partners for you. Then afterwards you will be chosen in groups of four with you, your partner and someone else with their own partners," Mr.Monokuma explained.

"But what kind of project should this be about?" Kyoko asked.

"It can be whatever you want as long as it's about your talents. You can combine your talents and base the project on that," Mr. Monokuma replied.

"Alright here are your partners!"

Aoi Asahina - Sakura Ogami

Byakuya Togami - Mukuro Ikubasa

Junko Enoshima - Hifumi Yamada

(Save his poor soul)

Makoto Naegi - Toko Fukawa

Mondo Owada - Kiyotaka Ishimaru

Celestia Ludenburg - Kyoko Kirigiri

Chihiro Fujisaki - Yasuhiro Hagakure

Sayaka Maizono - Leon Kuwata

Huh, guess I'm with Fukawa, I thought as I looked at the purple braided girl.

She didn't look happy about it and was looking at Ikubasa with jealousy.

"Alright! Go to your partners and I'll call out the groups that you'll be in. You may share the work between the four of you but your part counts for both you and your partner," Monokuma explained.

Everyone seemed to shuffle around  and I walked my way to Fukawa.

"Hey...," I said, awkwardly. All she did was grunt.

"Now that you are with your group partner, I'll be calling out your groups," Monokuma said.

He begin to call out the groups.

Group 1: Celestia Ludenburg, Kyoko Kirigiri, Byakuya Togami and Mukuro Ikubasa

Group 2: Chihiro Fujisaki, Yasuhiro Hagakure, Makoto Naegi and Toko Fukawa

Group 3: Sayaka Maizono, Leon Kuwata, Aoi Asahina and Sakura Ogami

Group 4: Mondo Owada, Kiyotaka Ishimaru, Junko Enoshima and Hifumi Yamada

"That's all. Now go and get with your groups to discuss what you want to do with your project," Monokuma said.

"Well I guess we go with Fujisaki and Hagakure," I said awkwardly.

"O-ok but don't e-expect me to g-get along with th-them," Fukawa explained.

Guess she isn't the social type, I thought as we walked to the rest of our group.

"Yo Naegi, Fukawa," Hagakure waved his hand once he saw us.

"Hi," Fujisaki said shyly.

"J-just don't think I-I'll be all b-buddy buddy with you th-three. Alright?" Fukawa said.

"Well as long you don't insult us all the time and you work on your project, it will be a-ok!" Hagakure said.

"F-fine whatever f-floats your boat," she folded her arms and sat down.

I followed her lead and sat down as well.

"So any ideas for what we want to work on? Mr. Monokuma said that our project can be whatever you want as long as it's about our talents," Fujisaki asked.

"Well let's brainstorm stuff that we can do with our talents. That would be a good place to start," I suggested.

"Hmm," Fukawa grunted but it sounded like she agreed.

"Alright you three got your pencils?" Hagakure asked.

We nodded and began to write down stuff that we can do with our talents.

Mine didn't have much other than stuff I could get lucky with. Both good and bad.

(Small time skip)

"Alright what do you guys got?" Hagakure asked.

"Well I got that since I'm a programmer, I work with computers, I can make many programs to either hack, gain information, fix bugs and have like an artificial intelligence to help others out with simple things like turning off the lights and more harder stuff like say you forgot your password to your computer and this A.I can hack into it to see what your password is," Fujisaki explained.

"S-sounds dangerous and something o-out of a science fiction b-book," Fukawa muttered.

"I think that's amazing. Your talent is really cool Fujisaki-san," I exclaimed.

She blushed slightly at this.

"Th-thank you Naegi-san," she muttered.

"What about you Fukawa?" I asked politely.

"W-well it's not like it's i-important but with my t-talent, I can write books and stories that could make a bestseller and could maybe change other people's views of the world and other people. Like recently, I have teamed up with a gay man to write a short story about LGTBQ+ and the struggles that they go through. I mainly write romance books but this was a different view and I quite liked it," she explained.

We stared at her in awe.

"Wh-what you three l-looking at? Is it b-because you think I'm u-ugly isn't it?" Fukawa stuttered angrily.

"No no. It's just that, it's quite impressive. Your talent is also so cool," I assured her.

"Yeah what Naegi said. I'll make sure to read that short story when I have the time," Fujisaki said.

"Yeah you even lost the stutter there," Hagakure exclaimed.

"Hmmph! Wh-whatever," Fukawa said.

"What about you Hagakure-san?" Fujisaki asked.

"Well my talent I can predict events of the future. However I'm only about 30% right. But with that 30% I have predicted pretty wild predictions," Hagakure explained.

"Oh really? W-well see if you can p-predict who my soulmate i-is?" Fukawa asked.

"Huh? Why soulmate?" Hagakure asked.

"W-well I just want t-to know. Nothing wrong with th-that," she explained.

"You want to know if Togami is your soulmate right?" I asked recklessly.

"D-don't say M-Master's name like that!" Fukawa snapped.

I flinched at her tone.

"Alright alright. I won't," I said and she sighed sharply.

"Alright let's see...," Hagakure stared at her for a long time.

Fukawa fiddle with her fingers when this happened.

I just rested my head on the table and Fujisaki started to draw.

"Sorry to say that I don't know who your soulmate is BUT! I can tell you that you'll meet them very soon," Hagakure finally said.

"Hmmph. Sounds ph-phony to me," Fukawa said.

"Hey it's a lot more difficult for me to predict something like that. I usually use my crystal ball for that but I can assure you that you'll meet them soon," Hagakure assured her.

Fukawa said nothing to this.

"Alright people class is over! Head to lunch and stay in touch with you partner so you can continue with your project," Mr. Monokuma said, clapping his hands loudly.

But I haven't even-, I thought but got interrupted by Hagakure.

"Sorry Naegi. You didn't get to share but maybe next time you'll quickly share and we'll brainstorm on what we want to do. Ok?" He asked.

I swallowed and nodded. Both Hagakure and Fukawa left.

Fujisaki peeked over at my paper.

"Wow your talent looks interesting," she said.

"Really? All I put down was things I can get lucky with. Both good and bad," I scratched the back of my head.

"I think having luck is a gift on its own. Most people complain that they don't have that. Both good and bad. Think about it. Without luck, you would have never gotten to Hope's Peak and would have never met us," she explained.

I stopped, mid scratch.

"I- really?" I asked and she nodded.

I glanced at the drawing that she was making.

It looked like it was a sketch of a person.

They had spiky hair, looked male and had one completed eye with another a work in progress.

"That's a nice drawing you got!" I blurted out.

Her face flushed red at this.

"Th-thank you!" She squeaked.

"Hey are you two going to lunch or what?" Mr. Monokuma asked.

I forgot he was even there.

"I! R-right! See you at lunch or next class," Fujisaki grabbed her things and left.

I sighed to myself at this.

"Looks like someone's got a crush~," Mr. Monokuma said.

"What? No! I only known Fujisaki for a week," I explained.

"Hmm sure whatever you say Egg. Now go to lunch and eat some food. I don't want to hear any complaints that you haven't eaten," Monokuma shooed me away.

Did he call me Egg? I wondered as I entered the cafeteria.

"Ok everyone. Time for your Nom Noms," Ms. Usami cheered.

"What age do you think we are? Three?" Someone from another class yelled.

"Eek! I'm sorry," Ms. Usami said.

"That's not very nice of you Kanade. Apologize to Ms. Usami," a girl with pink hair said.

"Right. I'm sorry Ms. Usami," her (what I assume) twin apologized.

"It's ok," Usami hiccuped and served the food.

As usual, I sat with Hina and Kyoko. But there was someone else sitting with us.

"Hey is it ok if Sakura sat with us today?" Hina asked.

"I see no problem with it," Kyoko said.

"Sure," I replied a little too quickly.

All three of them looked at me.

"Are you ok Naegi-kun? You look different," Hina asked.

"Different? Different in what way?" I asked.

"Well you looked moony, like you're going to daydream. In deep thought and like you're reflecting on something...or someone," Kyoko explained.

"What? What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Hmm I see. Naegi, you have a crush on someone," Ogami said.

...

First Mr. Monokuma and now the girls! Why? I thought.

Hina gasped dramatically and excitedly.

"A crush? Really? Who is it, maybe they're your soulmate," Hina said in a low voice.

"It's not a crush, it was just a conversation with Fujisaki that's all," I explained and instantly regretted it.

Hina looked so happy that she could have bursted out with a happy shout. Thankfully she didn't. Ogami gave me a thumbs up and Kyoko faintly smiled.

"You two would be so cute together," Ogami said.

"I don't have a crush on her," I tried to explain.

"Nonsense. Your expression says otherwise. Besides this is the first phrase of that you're in love. Or at least a part of it. Denial," Kyoko explained.

"Are you mixing it up with the stages of grief?" I asked but she shook her head.

"They go hand in hand but with grief it becomes more sadder while with a crush, it becomes more happier. But they both end in acceptance," she explained.

God, it's scary how much information she knows. Guess they don't call her the Ultimate Detective for nothing, I thought.

"It's best if you take this one step at a time. Befriend Fujisaki, get to know her, make sure that both of you feel comfortable discussing topics. You know, all of that," Ogami explained.

"You sure seem to know a lot Ogami-san," I said.

"It's what most studies say but the rest is up to you," she said.

Up to me?

"We'll help the best we can," Hina said.

"I...really?" I asked and she nodded.

"That's what friends do," she explained.

"...thank you," I muttered and they all smiled at me.

A/N: ✨wholesome ✨

So before anyone gets confused, when it's in the PoV of someone who doesn't know that Chihiro is a guy, Chihiro will be known as she/her but when it's revealed that Chihiro is a guy to said person, he will be known as he/him. Just need to clear up.

Ship ideas?

I got some but I'm stuck with a few.

Hope you enjoy it -Flare