Youth Center/Hotel Place

---

Graham laughed nervously, admittedly afraid to start pouring his feelings out for the fear of not being able to stop. It was selfish of him to put this burden on Madoka, but if he had to hold it in anymore he was afraid he'd explode--and again, he'd offered. If anything, he'd brought it on himself.

"Do you think there's something weird going on between Mercy and Faqir?" He blurted out. The abruptness of his question took even him off-guard. Was it really bothering him this much? "I mean, it's probably none of my business, right? It's completely none of my business! And it shouldn't even bother me as much as it's bothering me, but it is, and now I feel weird around them and I feel like I'm kind of losing my best friends, which I'm not! It's probably just all in my head and there's not even anything going on between them, even though Mercy totally came back with her hair mysteriously down and they were spending a lot of time together a-and you know what? Since when has Mercy been cuddly?!"

He groaned, hating how stupid he felt. "Please tell me it's all in my head. Just tell me I'm being stupid so I can get over this nonexistent thing and not feel weird trying to hug Faqir. Jeez, you were probably expecting something heavier, but this is such a stupid thing to be upset about. I'm really stupid. It's just that after fainting and nearly leaving Fauss and Levi to die, not being able to keep it together, nearly triggering Fauss again after he was trying so hard and being so nice, being a general failure, feeling like I'm a third wheel all of the sudden, and then seeing everyone in there with someone to hug e-except me, I-I...I-I...I couldn't keep it together, I just felt like I was gonna explode! With tears! A-and sadness! A-and now I'm doing this to you, and I wanted to be here alone so that I could cry and I didn't have to make everyone feel worse, b-but I..."

"No!" He cried suddenly, mind going back to Mercy and Faqir. "Faqir totally said he loved Mercy! It's not in my head because I actually heard it while I was next to them! But darn it, if they really like each other and want to do--to do whatever, that makes it even more stupid that I'm upset about it! Augh, Madoka, why are feelings so stupid?! It's not even that kind of jealous, it's just like...l-like I'm losing my friends! Does that even make sense?! I bet it doesn't because I'm stupid!"

At least during his ranting, his crying had lessened some. He was too focused on getting all of his frustration out that he was forgetting about all of the reasons he had to cry.

Madoka opened his mouth to insist that yes, it made sense, and no, Graham wasn't stupid.

But then he paused.

And thought.

And the more he thought about it...

"O-oh my gosh. You're right."

But that's not really what happened, is it? ...Wait a minute, where was Faqir before he came and found me? W-what were they doing...?!

"I-I can't believe I didn't think about that!" Madoka gasped. "I-it's not stupid at all! That would be like..."

Like Faussin and Levi...gyaah! Madoka, don't even let your mind go there! That's definitely not happening! E-even if Clair was definitely acting super weird around him that one time and...o-oh my gosh!

"That's super weird! W-why was I not paying attention? Of course this must be awkward for you! I-if my best friend ran off and...w-wait, actually, C-Clair did do that. A-and it was weird! This is weird! No wonder you feel so weird!" Madoka's head spun. He bit his lip, patting Graham's back. "D-don't worry, I promise not to go run off and...w-well, the only person I'm interested in turned out to be a boy so obviously that's not happening! A-ah, geez, n-now I feel all weird too...i-it's okay, I'm super jealous of Levi being so close to Fauss even though I'm pretty sure they don't see each other like that or anything, s-so I guess in a way I kinda get it? Not exactly, though, because this is...s-since when was this happening? Has this been going on right under our noses and we were just too blind to see it? Almost literally in my case!"

It made sense the more that he thought about it--Mercy must have gotten overwhelmed, so maybe after Faqir calmed her down he took advantage of her vulnerability in the moment to...

But Faqir isn't that much of a jerk, is he? ...Is he?!

Oh crap! I have to hurry back to Levi before it's too late!

"D-do you think we should say anything? N-no, probably not...ah. b-but what if we're just misunderstanding things...? No...no, I don't think...I'm worried about Levi all of a sudden! And you! Y-you probably shouldn't spend too much time alone with Faqir, okay?"

---

"You get it!" Graham cried, relieved that this wasn't just all in his head and yet even more distraught to realize that this wasn't actually just all in his head. "You--yes! I'm not just being stupid, it makes sense! And I'm not stupid for feeling weird, either, because anyone would feel weird in this situation! I-I mean, I don't mind them being together and liking each other because if they like each other that's fine, but darn it, they could've--they could've told me, right?! Do they not trust me? Have I always been the third wheel and I've just never noticed it until now? ...Oh my gosh, d-do they hate me?"

Desperately not wanting to go down that line of thought, he shook his head, trying to focus on Madoka. "W-what do you mean, don't spend alone time with Faqir, though? H-he's still my friend, even if he--even if...even if all of this stuff is happening and no one bothered to tell me, and then if that wasn't bad enough, they just decided on their own that I don't get hugs. Ugh, I--I don't want to be so upset about this but I am and I can't stop being upset!"

He threw his blankets to the side, sighing. "This sucks. Everything sucks! This--sh-should we just...I mean, it's not like there's anything...w-why would we say anything? It's their business, right? ...Do you think it's not their business? I-I don't want to be some weirdo who interferes with my friends'...r-relations. We're not their parents, we can't just tell them that's icky and make them stop, o-or anything like that. ...D-do they...oh gosh, are they...?! M-Madoka, I'm really worried now! Are they using protection!?"

Madoka's face promptly drained of all color. He held Graham closer, admittedly extremely worried about the thief (and also about Levi--Faqir's teasing was suddenly more sinister now).

"Y-you don't think Mercy is..." Madoka let out a gasp. "Wait, w-would Monokuma even make that an option?! O-oh gosh, is she gonna get pregnant?! N-now we have to get out of here! What if something awful happens and...a-and now I really don't want you being alone with him for too long! W-what if he snaps and tries to take advantage of you or something?! Mercy is probably super emotionally vulnerable right now and oh gosh, I-I have to make sure Levi is okay!"

Had everyone just split off into teams without telling Madoka and Graham? How had they somehow ended up the third wheels?

"Y-you don't think Levi and Fauss are the same, do you...?" Madoka couldn't help asking. "I-I mean, w-when I caught Fauss and Clair that first time Clair seemed super aroused and now I'm just thinking, w-what were they doing together that whole time...?! I-I'm pretty sure Levi isn't into guys after what he said and what he went through, b-but also Clair was super promiscuous so...did our friends just pair up without telilng us?!"

Now that his mind had started down that path, Madoka couldn't stop himself.

"I-I knew Levi intimately way before Fauss did!" Madoka paused, his face growing warm. "Th-that--that came out wrong! Y-you know what I meant, I--I just mean we knew each other really well a-and now all of a sudden he's been really into Fauss lately and I shouldn't be jealous because I'm sure it's not like that but I am jealous and what if it is like that? G-Graham, I think we've been third wheeled!"

---

Graham hesitated. "I-I don't know! It's--I-I mean, they both get really weird about being hurt, right? D-do you think that they'd...oh gosh, Madoka, I think we are third wheels. H-how long has this been going on? Does everyone know but us? Were we purposely left out of the loop while they--while they were doing things with each other?! And, I mean, no offense to Mercy but I'm kind of worried about her parenting skills and I don't think she wants to be a mother, w-we may need to say something before it's too late!"

He paused, suddenly even more uncomfortable than before. What was this talk about Faqir "taking advantage" and "snapping?" Madoka didn't think Faqir was a bad guy, did he? Sure, he made bad jokes, but...

"Wh-what do you mean about Faqir?" He asked, unable to let it go. "Y-you don't think he's doing anything wrong, do you? This may be a really, really bad idea, but that doesn't make him a bad person. He probably just isn't even thinking, r-right? I mean, yes, it's weird and--and honestly really hurtful that they didn't even bother to tell us, but we're not gonna stop being their friends, right? We need to talk about this! W-we should confront them in a friendly-like manner and voice our concerns to them because--because this has the potential to end really badly and we should stop them before it's too late! Oh gosh, b-but is that weird of us? Should we not even be thinking about this at all? Th-this is so weird, Madoka."

Who were they to interfere in things that had nothing to do with them--with things that they had been specifically left out of? Was he supposed to respect their privacy, or was he supposed to step in as a concerned friend and tell them that maybe this wasn't the best of ideas? And then there was the matter of Faussin and Levi...

"Y-you don't think they're going to end up seriously hurting each other, do you?" He asked warily. "F-Fauss and Levi, I mean. If they're even doing what we think they might be doing. There's not really any concern about pregnancy since they're both guys, b-but the stuff they like is...kind of weird...a-and dangerous."

He squeaked suddenly.

"Y-you don't think being tied up turns them on, do you?"

Madoka whimpered, then held Graham at arm’s length, expression serious. “Don’t worry, Graham. I promise I’ll never push you aside again! We third wheels have to stick together!”

His serious concern for Levi just kept getting worse and worse and now he was worried about Fauss and Mercy too. While one was emotionally vulnerable and the other two were tied to mattresses, was Faqir preying on all three of them? He was better than that, wasn’t he?

Madoka looked around worriedly. “About Faqir...I-I mean, Mercy wouldn’t have just agreed to that, right? A-and after what happened in Eriko’s room she must have been really scared, s-so...he must have coerced her into it! Otherwise she definitely would have said no, right? D-do you think he’s getting restless after being trapped here so long…? What if he goes after you next? Or Levi! Levi’s still tied to that mattress…”

On that note...what if tying the two up like this did turn them on? Levi had outright admitted to being masochistic, hadn’t he?

Madoka’s heart rate jumped at least three levels.

“I-I think we should handle this like adults,” Madoka said, trying to keep his voice calm, “and just keep an eye on them to make sure nothing happens again. Although maybe we should warn Mercy...a-and I don’t know if I want to be privy to whatever bondage fantasies Fauss and Levi might be living! W-we should probably let them up...b-but what if they hurt each other again? W-what if they kill each other? I-I mean, what they're into isn't really my business but they could end up really hurting each other after all...m-maybe I'll talk to Levi about it.”

Everything is different now.

---

"Wh--y-you don't actually think Faqir would do something like that, do you?! N-no! No way! H-he has bad taste in jokes sometimes, but I don't think he'd ever take advantage of someone. I trust him," Graham said, serious. He hesitated, however--Madoka did have a point. There was no way Mercy would agree to that, right? He was leaving Faqir's involvement up to the fact that he didn't really think about things sometimes, but Mercy...Mercy was smart. "...M-maybe Mercy's just really horny? I-I don't know! She talked about being alone, so maybe he made a move on her and she just wasn't thinking because she was emotional and feeling bad and--and stuff!"

Thinking about all of this was beginning to creep him out.

Shuddering, he continued anyway, determined to sort this through with Madoka so that they could make sure nothing terrible ended up happening. "Th-that sounds like a good plan. K-keeping an eye on them, I mean. ...W-we sound like their parents. A-actually, Mercy never actually had parents, right? She had her dad's friend, but he--he got sick and he had to leave and all of that stuff she told us, so...w-wait, did Mercy ever get 'the talk'?"

Why did talking about this make him feel so weird and uncomfortable? He coughed awkwardly, hating that he'd even had to bring that up in the first place--but it was a valid question, wasn't it? For years now Mercy hadn't had any parental figure and was in that house all alone, so maybe...

"N-now I'm even more worried about Mercy! What if we try to tell them and they just don't listen to us?! And you're right, what do we do about Fauss and Levi? I-I mean, it's not like they can hurt each other tied up, b-but now I don't even want to be in the same room as them anymore...! They can't hurt each other if we keep a constant eye on them, right? W-we just need to keep them separate and stuff! Levi doesn't even want to talk to Fauss, so it'll be fine...r-right?"

He bit his lip, remembering how Faqir and Mercy had been constantly cuddling and whispering to each other downstairs. That... that wasn't dirty talk, was it? Oh no. The more Graham thought about it, the worse it got.

Madoka went pale. "H-her dad's friend would have told her, right?" he urged, admittedly trying to assure himself as much as Graham. "D-do you think she actually doesn't know? Maybe we should talk to her after all! I-I mean, if there's a chance she's ignorant of what the consequences should be, someone should talk to her, right? O-otherwise, this might happen again and..."

Wait--Madoka and Graham were both out of the nurse's office, right?

And Levi and Fauss...well, one was unconscious and the other was tied up and extremely vulnerable.

What if...

"D-do you think they're doing it again right now...?!" Madoka didn't want to think this had all been a ploy to get them some alone time, but... "W-what if they let us run off on purpose so they would have time alone? A-and what are they doing to Levi and Fauss...?! A-ah, Graham, I'm freaking out! W-we should get back down as soon as possible so we can make sure no one is doing anything irresponsible!"

The more he considered things, the worse Madoka felt. Finally, he stood and began pacing, mumbling to himself and fiddling with the apatite bracelet. He tried to remember what Mercy's gemstone had symbolized--was it all a sign?

He vaguely remembered something about "stimulation". Madoka was suddenly extremely concerned.

---

Graham stood, neatly folding his blankets in case they decided to go back down immediately. "There's no way they would--that they would involve Levi and Fauss, right? Th-they don't even like them on a friendly basis, but oh gosh--oh no, no, no, I-I don't even want to think about it. You said we didn't actually need to get the blankets for everyone else, right? Sh-should we just go back down right now?"

He blinked rapidly, wiping the last bit of tears from his face. The concern for their friends had stopped his crying, but honestly, he wasn't sure if that was a good thing. He'd much rather stay a crybaby then have whatever this was on their hands. On a similar note, though, he was glad he'd mentioned this to Madoka--if not, who knows what would've ended up happening?

"I can't believe they'd have the gall to do something like that," Graham admitted, picking up his chair and holding it in a way that would be relatively easy for him to carry. "I-I mean, you'd think they'd try to be more discreet, right? B-but maybe they're just going crazy from being in here. I don't know! Madoka, I'm worried about our friends!"

He moved toward the door, gesturing with his head for Madoka to follow him. "I-I'm sure there's nothing actually going on, but you worrying is making me worry more and now we're both worried, and to be honest we may be worried for good reason, and I think we should go check on them and make sure they're not--they're not--y-you know!"

Madoka trotted behind him, pausing to pick up another blanket just in case, along with a new pillow. His head swirled with thoughts, most of which only served to make him feel worse. For a moment, he reached out to help Graham carry the blankets, then he remembered the Ultimate Thief would probably never let anyone else touch those blankets again and settled with walking alongside him to keep him company.

"Faqir is always hitting on Levi," Madoka mused. "You...d-do you think he would dare try for both of them at once...?! H-he's always making threesome jokes too! What if they weren't jokes?! What if nothing was a joke?! A-and didn't he mention getting hit by girls as a fetish once? What's going on? W-we should hurry, because now I'm even more worried and I need to make sure my Levi--m-make sure Levi is okay!"

Ah! Madoka, don't call him yours! Th-there is absolutely nothing going on and I'm definitely not freaking out about this because I'm jealous! Absolutely not!

He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. "W-well, ignoring that whole mess, m-maybe we're just overreacting and everything is fine. ...E-everything is probably fine, right?"

---

"I-I'm sure everything is fine and we're just blowing this totally out of proportion, but on the very off chance that we aren't, I think we should walk a bit faster," Graham declared, handling his chair and blankets with surprising ease. He'd had a bit of trouble lugging the thing around at first, but over time he'd actually become quite good at it. The thief was used to hauling around the things that he'd stolen anyway, so it wasn't really anything unusual.

Graham took a deep breath, continuing to walk. "A-and those were jokes. They were jokes! He even said they were jokes, didn't he? Darn it, no. I'm not doubting him. Faqir is my friend and he's always been there for me and everyone else, and I'm not going to think these bad things about him because I honestly don't think they're true. We're assuming the worst, and--and like I said earlier, Faqir is...I feel like he could do something like this without realizing the consequences and still be a good guy. He is a good guy. I know he is, even if he says the wrong things sometimes."

He held his chair closer to him, confident in these words. "Everything downstairs is fine. Th-they very well may be getting into some weird stuff, and--and we may be third wheels now, but I know for a fact that nothing is worse than that! It's all fine! They're just...i-irresponsible!"

Madoka moved to pick up the pace slightly, fidgeting with his bracelet.

That's right. Everything is definitely fine. Levi isn't cheating on you or anything--

Ah, Madoka, stop that! You're not even dating in the first place! What's gotten into you?!

He sighed miserably hugging the blanket and pillow he'd grabbed on the way out. "I-I think you're right," he admitted. "I-I'm just so overprotective now...ah, w-when did I become so completely infatuated with Clair--Levi? I-it would have been fine if it was Clair, b-but I've never looked at another guy like this and it's weird and he still acts just like her, j-just a bit more sassy sometimes, b-but it's still Clair, right? A-and now what if he's off doing weird things with other guys but not me? W-why am I even jealous about that? I-I don't even want that, b-because...a-ah, I-I'm sorry, Graham. Th-this is all just so weird for me, e-especially after he took my eye out..."

The others were definitely fine--he felt sure of that, really--but thinking about it, why was Madoka still so incredibly worried?

"I don't know what to think," he muttered miserably. "I-I mean, I-I've only ever been attracted to girls and when I think about it, I-I don't think I would ever feel this way for any other guy...b-but when I already fell in love with Clair, I-I just can't separate her from Levi and it's making me feel all mushy and weird and I keep thinking strange things and saying strange things and I shouldn't even be jealous about his friendship with Fauss b-because it's not like we're dating or anything, and I-I don't even know if I want to be dating or anything but at the same time I definitely do, b-but he doesn't even like guys so th-that'll never happen and...m-maybe I would feel less weird if I hadn't straight-up kissed him...a-ah, Madoka, y-you've got to stop thinking about such weird things all the time..."

Now that he'd said anything, Madoka was finding it difficult to stop himself. When he thought about it, maybe he had just needed to confess all of his complex feelings to someone who wouldn't judge him or tease him or turn him down. Graham seemed like a good candidate for that.

I wonder why we've never really talked before...

---

If Graham's hands weren't full with his chair, he probably would've given Madoka a hug of some kind. He would have to remember to hug the student later on--it was especially important now that they were each other's hug buddies. He'd proposed the deal, so he had to honor it.

"I can't really relate to the whole girl actually turning out to be a guy thing," Graham admitted, laughing nervously, "but I think I kinda get where you're coming from. And I think that it makes perfect sense that you still have feelings for him, even if it turned out that he's actually a guy and you're not really into that. You fell in love with Clair for not just her looks, but for her personality, right? You went through all of that stuff with her, looked out for her all of those times and are pretty much the only reason she's--he--er, they're alive right now. So this isn't weird. It's natural. You still like Clair--Levi is still Clair--it's just that the attraction part is...well, you said it yourself: you're not into guys. It wouldn't be as weird if you were jealous of Clair hanging out with Fauss, right? This is all of the mushy feelings from before, they just feel weird now because they were actually for a guy this entire time."

He paused, realizing that Graham's response may not have been the one he was looking for. After a moment, he started to panic a little bit.

"A-ah, sorry if that wasn't the thing you wanted to hear," Graham said quickly. "I guess I just--I-I don't know, you seemed distraught about it, and I thought maybe if you heard my thoughts on it then that might help you out a little, but I don't know. I don't know a lot of things."

Graham bit his lip, not sure where he was going with this, if anywhere at all. He decided with a both safe and true answer: "W-well. I-I don't think I'm being very helpful right now, but I will say this. I think we should get to know each other better, because we are now hug buddies and that means something. That said, if you have things you need to talk about or vent about or cry about or anything of the sort, you can come to me, because I want to be better friends with you and I am almost always willing to listen. And if you just want me to listen and not screw everything up, I will gladly do that. I will sit silently and listen and just give you a ton of hugs until you feel better."

Madoka took a deep breath, exhaling in a sigh. He changed course to head down the stairs, glancing at Graham to make sure he was handling his things alright.

He offered a tired but sincere smile. "Thank you, Graham," he said sincerely. "I really appreciate it. A-and I want to get to know you better too, so if you ever need anything you can look for me. Faqir wants to implement a buddy system, so maybe we can be buddies when the others inevitably pair up with each other. H-ha...I-I'm gonna make things depressing. I'll stop before that happens."

Thinking about it, he did appreciate Graham's comfort. Things were weird exactly because he loved Clair's personality so much, right? This was just proof that his feelings were real, wasn't it? If they weren't real, they would have gone away with Clair's physical aspects instead of sticking stubbornly around.

It both helped tremendously and made everything ten times worse. If nothing else, talking about it had made him feel better.

"Should I be mad about my eye?" he blurted. "I-I feel like I should...I haven't had a lot of time to think about it, but looking around now I keep suddenly realizing that everything...everything looks different and there's nothing I can do about it. It's...it's scary. It's scary, but somehow...somehow I feel like I can't stay mad at Levi for it. I know he was just acting in the moment--h-he was scared and everything was falling apart--s-so I...I don't want to stay mad. I told him I forgive him and I think I do, but maybe...maybe I just feel like I'm supposed to feel worse. Maybe I just haven't thought about it much. Ah, I-I'm sorry for dumping all of this on you all of the sudden, b-but you offered just now and I guess...I just need to process through some things. Everything happened so fast and I haven't had enough time to...that reminds me, c-can you draw?"

Switching subjects so fast probably wasn't good, but there was just so much Madoka wanted to talk about with someone and so much he hadn't had enough time to think about. He felt the urge to get through as many of them as possible before they got back downstairs--somehow, he didn't get the sense the others would be able to help much.

Talking about the things that bothered him with Graham felt more...comfortable was the right word, probably. Fauss was too delicate--one wrong move and he could ruin everything. Mercy was still emotionally fragile and didn't seem to know anything about feelings anyways. Faqir would just tease him about it and might make him feel worse. Levi...Levi was close, but Madoka couldn't talk about his deep love for Levi with Levi. He would only freak the makeup artist out and probably chase him away forever.

It was different talking to Graham. In a strange way Madoka felt he was the most..."normal" of any of the remaining students. Sure he was excellent at thieving things--at that, Madoka thought to check his pockets--but aside from that, he seemed the closest to Madoka's own "level". Being that Madoka was completely, one-hundred-percent, without a doubt, assuredly average in every possible way, spending time with all of these people who had these special skills, over-the-top personalities, or tragic backstories made him feel even worse. Graham hadn't had an easy life, but somehow, Madoka still had the odd feeling he could connect most to Graham of any of the remaining students.

At least he didn't grow up in a warzone or kill anyone or get violently abused or lose both parents in a tragic accident and then lose his last remaining parental figure, Madoka thought to himself. A debilitating illness--that was something that felt oddly normal compared to what everyone else had suffered.

Madoka couldn't help but feel it was one of the best decisions he could have made to insist on following Graham upstairs.

---

"I... I don't really know," Graham admitted, attention shifting to the bandages covering one of Madoka's eyes. He shuddered, remembering the scene he'd stumbled onto when he'd finally gotten back to Eriko's room with the syringes. Faussin bleeding out all over the floor as he tore into his side, the terror on everyone's faces, and...Madoka...

N-not gonna think about that, he quickly told himself, already feeling nauseous again. Just keep talking to Madoka. Everything's fine, Graham Cracker.

He took a deep breath. "I-I guess it's hard to say? I mean...eyes are pretty important, so I wouldn't blame you for being upset. I think anyone would be upset, to be honest, but as for angry--well, it depends on the person? I don't know. Because, like, if I took out Mercy's eye while I was distraught the way that Levi was, I think she'd be very angry with me. But if my best friend did something like that, I don't think I'd know how to feel either. Because, it's a pretty big deal...but they're still your friend, you know? Maybe it's a thing that you've just got to give yourself some time to process through. It hasn't been that long since the whole thing happened, after all. Guess that depends on your perspective of 'long' is, though. ...This day has been very long."

Graham sighed, feeling drearier all of the sudden. Talking to Madoka was helping him keep away from bad trains of thought--and making him feel better just knowing that he could be there for the student now was a definite plus--but being reminded of all of the terrible things that'd conspired that day did nothing to keep him 'happy.'

"I can't really draw, sorry," Graham replied suddenly, remembering how Madoka had asked him. "If I could, you'd know, because I'd spend half of my time trying to sketch my stuff to perfection. Why are you asking? Also, it's totally okay that you're 'dumping this all on me.' Like I said, I want to be able to be there for you. It's...h-honestly, I just like talking with you right now because you're just...you're nice. That probably sounds silly, but I've met a lot of mean people in my life, and just being able to talk with someone who I'm fairly sure isn't going to make fun of me is just a really nice feeling. So thanks for that."

Madoka smiled, relieved. “I think that’s exactly right,” he declared. “It’s strange, b-but I can’t seem to find a way to be angry about it. I-I’m upset, sure, but that’s more about the situation than at any one particular person. And it’s not that bad, really. At least he didn’t reach my brain or anything, and Fauss and Levi ended up fine because Faqir did something, so…”

Madoka trailed off, suddenly remembering Graham’s reaction to the whole endeavor. Talking about it now probably wasn’t the best idea, but maybe…

“U-um...Graham, don’t...don’t feel bad about what happened, by the way. I wasn’t sharply aware of what was happening but...w-well, I guess I’m just trying to say I wouldn’t have been able to watch either. I-I already lost consciousness from the shock, so...so, um, you don’t need to feel like you did anything wrong. It was a perfectly normal reaction and I know that because it was mine too. Ah...I-I’m probably not helping, I-I guess my point is that I don’t hold anything against you or anything…”

Madoka, you probably should have stayed quiet…

He paused, honestly unsure if he wanted to burden Graham with remembering Vivara’s portrait. It was bad enough the fact was keeping Madoka restless--the others didn’t need that.

But as Graham continued, Madoka realized not explaining things would probably only make things worse--talking things over honestly would help them grow closer, and if Madoka lied to him it could make things tense.

“Vivara…” Again, Madoka paused.

It’s okay, Madoka. He offered.

“Vivara doesn’t have a portrait,” he finally said. “She was making one for all the students who died, but...since she...well, I won’t go into that, but the point is she doesn’t have one and I have to change that. I-I can’t really draw--certainly not as well as her--so I’m asking around now to see if anyone else can help. I think Faqir might be able to draw at least a bit and Levi’s title has ‘artist’ right in the name and Fauss seems creative, so one of them can probably help.”

Once again, just telling someone about it lightened the load on his chest. Madoka let out a sigh.

“I almost didn’t want to say anything,” he admitted. “It’s already bothering me so much, so I don’t want it bothering everyone else...but maybe if we share it, it won’t feel so heavy. And, um...th-thank you again for offering. I think you’re really nice too.”

Somehow, hearing Graham talk about other kids teasing him so freely only made Madoka feel more comfortable. That was something he could relate to.

“I-I’ve always been really shy and awkward, s-so I’m not very good with other people. I didn’t have a lot of friends growing up--m-mostly the other boys used to pick on me for being quiet and not very tough--so I guess I sort of get it? I-I had a few friends, but they were mostly younger kids who were able to look past my inability to communicate well or girls who thought the stuttering was endearing and just kinda adopted me as their little brother. W-which was fine, but it...didn’t lead to a lot of genuine, meaningful friendships. I had acquaintances, I guess, but...not really any friends. I-it’s fine, though, because I always had my sisters and my parents, s-so things weren’t as bad…”

---

Graham's gaze drifted toward the floor. As much as he wanted it to, Madoka's reassurances about him fainting did nothing to make him feel better. Heart heavy, he offered Madoka a tired smile. "If Faqir hadn't done anything, Fauss and Levi would be dead. I could've been there to stop them before that happened and before Faqir got hurt even more, but I fainted. It's...I'm still really mad at myself for that. So thanks, but..."

But I'm never going to stop feeling bad about that. He took a deep breath, then sighed.

"...Sorry. I appreciate you saying that, though. A-anyway, about Viv not having a portrait. I think it's really awesome that you want to fix that because--because you're right. She's our friend, too, and she should be honored just as well as all the others," Graham replied. He bit the inside of his cheek--and as much as believed that, he doubted the people left had the drawing expertise to so much as come close to what Vivara drew for the others. "B-but what if what we come up with is a disappointment? I...we should do something for her, but m-maybe we can try something we know we're good at so we don't tarnish her memory? I don't know. I worry a lot."

He readjusted his grip on his chair, smiling slightly. Graham didn't have a lot of friends, either--over the years, he'd learned to be grateful for the ones he did have and more than anything, his dad, who'd always been there for him. In this, he could relate to Madoka a lot. "It... it kinda sucks, huh? But you're right--we always have our families. Oh, man. Having siblings must be so cool. Since my mom left, having a little bro has never really been something that seemed possible, because...well, yeah. But I've always wanted to have a little brother or sister to keep safe, or an older sibling to keep me safe. My dad thinks I'd actually hate having a sibling, though. He says they'd steal all my stuff and I'd get mad, which...which I probably would."

He paused, remembering how Madoka had thanked him again. Somehow, being called nice put a skip in his step. "You should smile more, you know. Everyone looks so great when they're smiling. It's--it's hard to smile right now, but...but still. We're gonna get to a point where we can really smile again. I can feel it."

There it is, Graham thought, relieved. I'm getting back on my feet, like a big kid. Finally. Now I just need stay up and hopefully, things will turn out okay. They have to be okay.

"And we're going to help Levi and Fauss find their smiles, too," Graham added, after a deep breath.

Madoka nodded slowly, chewing on his lip. “Y-you’re probably right, but...somehow I feel like if we work together, we can do it and make it look really good. Not as good as it would be if she did it, but...somehow I feel like Viv will be satisfied with whatever we come up with.” He paused, feeling himself smile. “Yeah...whatever we can do, as long as we can honor her, I think she’ll be happy.”

For a moment, Madoka tried to imagine Graham with siblings--more specifically, with Madoka’s own two sisters. Admittedly, he could only see it ending poorly.

“Siblings are nice most of the time,” he decided. “B-but sometimes my sisters used to take my stuff without asking or drag me out places to help them go shopping--and by that I mean so I could carry their stuff--a-and also for some reason Juri really liked trying to make me put on her clothes. Sh-she seemed to think I was her little sister instead of a little brother, w-which is kind of fine most of the time but sometimes it was pretty embarrassing…”

After a moment, he sighed, his smile wavering. “...I miss them. I miss my sisters a lot. E-even if sometimes they were kind of mean to me, they were always there to look out for me when I needed them and they didn’t judge me for crying a lot. So...s-so we have to get out of here, Graham. We have to so you can see your dad and I can see my sisters. That’s why I’m not going to give up. I’m never going to give up even though things are really hard, so…”

With every word, his smile grew larger. Madoka headed for the next flight of stairs, grinning. He turned to face Graham, a skip in his step he hadn’t had since childhood.

“So, let’s not give up, Graham! And let’s make sure no one else gives up either! We’ll find our happiness like Yuno said and we’ll smile until the end. Everything is going to work out just fine, because we’re together and there’s nothing you can’t do when you have other people around to give you courage and strength and to help you find your happiness.”

Yeah...we’re going to be fine.

God in heaven, thank you for getting me this far. I think we’re going to be alright.

---

"We'll find a way for Viv," Graham agreed, nodding. He moved forward, trying to keep up with Madoka as well as he could while still carrying his chair and blankets. "And you're right. We're not gonna give up. We're never gonna give up. Everyone's going to smile again, everything's gonna be okay, and we're gonna make sure of it."

He took a deep breath, trying to convince himself of these words. As much as he wanted to feel renergized, his less happy thoughts from before was still lingering, leaving a fog over him. He put on a smile for Madoka, however, wanting to be supportive. If he was happy, then that was already amazing.

"We should try to think of something to do that'll make everyone happy," Graham proposed, starting down the next flight of stairs. "I mean, I know we're going to try and draw something for Viv, and that'll be nice. But we should do something to--well, I don't know. What do you think?"

Graham bit his lip. He wanted to be able to something that'd bring everyone together. They all spoke of being a team and working together, and yet he got the feeling they weren't as close as he wanted. They were all going through this together, so they needed to want to be there for everyone--and that meant everyone. Really, he was more concerned that he and Madoka were the only ones who actually cared about Fauss and Levi. Mercy was going to let them die and Faqir had said on several occasions how they'd be much better off without the two. That being said, even Fauss and Levi themselves didn't even want to live.

What were they going to do when they got to the final trial? What if they tried to vote themselves up? Or worse, what if Faqir or Mercy...

They wouldn't...right?

“Mmm…” Madoka placed a finger to his chin, thinking. “You’re right, we should all do something fun. Well, Faqir wanted to have a team meeting, right? Maybe we can talk about doing something then, when everyone is awake and can contribute. Maybe we can have Fauss put on a magic show!”

Come to think of it, hadn’t Eriko asked him to do something way back at the second trial? And it seemed magic was the only thing that got Faussin truly excited and happy (well, besides planning his own death, but Madoka chose not to think about that). Mercy seemed a bit cynical, but maybe she would warm up to the idea if she remembered that Eriko had first suggested it.

Then again, mentioning Eriko again would probably just throw everyone off. Four of the remaining six survivors had had some kind of role in her death, after all, and Madoka knew for a fact all four of them were still kicking themselves over it.

Still...what better way to endear Faussin to the others and cheer him up at the same time?

“It might be risky,” Madoka admitted, “but at least he would get to show off his talent and we could all relax and watch him together and maybe Levi will finally feel comfortable talking to him again. If three of us are sure to look out for him, I’m sure he’ll feel better in no time, right?”

As jealous as he was, Madoka was also extremely worried about Levi and Faussin’s friendship. It was obvious in the way the two spoke about each other that they really did adore one another, but with things as they were now Madoka couldn't think of a way to fix it.

He sighed. “Well, maybe we can bring it up, at least. I-if he gets scared we’ll just have to calm him down. It can’t be that hard, right?”

Sure it can. Levi has failed three times now and they were best friends.

Madoka pushed that thought away, choosing instead to focus on the positives. Everyone was going to be alright--they just had to be careful.

---

"A magic show would be fun," Graham said, "and yeah, maybe it could make Fauss feel better, too. He can dazzle everyone and then maybe they'll start to warm up to him more. He--again, I feel like he's actually really nice and sweet, and even Eriko's note said that he had good intentions and to be supportive, so...if we could just get the others to care, we'll all be okay."

He paused, mind going back to the last trial they'd eventually face. If they could get everyone to like and care about Faussin, that would be great, but...if he was triggered during the trial, who was to say he wouldn't end up voting someone up? And worse, what if that made someone else snap and vote Faussin up? It could easily end in everyone dying, couldn't it? What if he singlehandedly votes everyone up during one of his episodes?

"I think it's really important that we make sure Fauss likes everyone else too," Graham realized, suddenly scared. "L-like, really important. Of course, we can't really make sure that happens unless everyone else actually tries, but we'll find a way. R-right? We've got to find a way. And we will find a way, because we're all going to get out of this together."

Madoka, you seem so optimistic, Graham thought, glancing over st the lucky student and flashing a smile. P-please don't lose that, I need it right now.

It only took Madoka a second to understand exactly what Graham was so worried about.

He didn’t think Faussin was the type to lash out during an attack--if anything, Levi was more dangerous in that regard--but then again, Faussin himself had confessed to actually killing before.

Madoka took a deep breath. We’ll be alright. We have to be alright. We’ve gotten this far, I’m not willing to quit yet. Come on, Madoka, get that optimism back and let’s all get out of here.

“That’s a good point,” he mused. “W-well, I know he already really likes Levi and I think he likes us too, s-so I guess we should just make sure he can get along with Faqir and Mercy. Those two are a little difficult...e-er, I like them and I think Faqir is warming up to Faussin at least, but yeah, considering their interactions so far it’s safe to say we have some matchmaking to do...h-haha.”

Madoka adjusted his grip on his blanket and pillow, clapping once.

“Well, then that’s just further reason why everyone still needs us, right? Now we definitely can’t give up, and so long as we keep trying, everyone will get along just fine.”

---

Graham nodded. The thief was still just as worried, but at least Madoka seemed to be maintaining his optimism. Empowered by it, Graham took a deep breath, smiling slightly. "Right. We'll find a way. Everything's going to be okay, and we're going to get out of here--together. Thanks, Madoka."

Whatever ended up happening--if they couldn't get Faqir and Mercy to get along with Fauss and vice versa, if Madoka and Graham were doomed to be third wheels forever, or if just about everything started falling apart again, everything would be okay. That's what he was telling himself--and even if there were parts of him that didn't believe it, he had to stick with it. Otherwise, he'd break down yet again, and there was a chance he wouldn't have the strength to get back up next time. If he fainted again...

Graham took a breath, willing himself not to think about it. If they were lucky, a situation like that wouldn't come up again at all. There wouldn't be anything for him to faint over. Of course, they weren't really known for being lucky, were they? It felt like all of the worst things that could possibly happen to them were always happening. It was disheartening, exhausting and despair-inducing--every time they had some glimmer of hope or positivity, it just seemed to get stomped on.

Three trials ago they'd sworn that there would never be another trial ever again. Every 'happy' situation was always followed by something terrible--the day they'd all hugged and welcomed Clair (Levi) back in and things started to feel like family again, Lottimelia killed herself; their final investigation that would lead to freedom and seeing their family again ended in near suicide, Madoka losing an eye, and Graham fainting; the list went on. Why was this going to be any different?

He held back a sigh, knowing it'd do him no good to think like that. He had Madoka's brief optimism now, but the last thing he wanted to do was burden the 'lucky' student with Graham's own problems. Madoka had enough to deal with already, after all.

Madoka smiled, admittedly rejuvenated. Things would work out somehow. It would take work, but it would work out. They just had to cater to Faussin and Levi and make sure Mercy and Faqir didn’t do something reckless. Surely they would--

“Ah, shoot…” Madoka hesitated going down the last flight of stairs. “...I-I forgot Levi’s clothes in the market.”

The whole reason I went up there and I completely forgot about it. Ah, Madoka, focus…

“I’ll be right back,” he promised. “U-um, you can go ahead to the nurse’s office...o-or wait here. In any case...I just have to go get that. I’ll be back!”

That said, he hustled up the staircases again to fetch Levi’s clothes.

When he finally made it back, Madoka met up with Graham and headed for the nurse’s office. A piece of him dreaded finding out what would happen, but more importantly, he was extremely eager to get back to Levi and make sure nothing awful was happening.

He expected the worst, to put it lightly.

O-oh gosh, please don’t tell me he’s being assaulted again.

---

Graham descended the last flight of stairs alongside Madoka and headed toward the nurse's office. He was pretty sure nothing awful was happening inside, though he was wary of what might happen later--it was the question of how long it would take for Mercy and Faqir to sneak off again and be irresponsible.

Sighing, he briefly placed his chair down to open the door to the nurse's office. Scooting it inside, he walked in after it, waving to everyone with a fake but much more convincing smile than before. "See? I told you guys I'd be back soon. No need to worry, right?"

Mercy halfheartedly waved to him and Madoka. As Graham had predicted, everything was the same, save for Mercy having finished helping Levi eat and had returned to sit next to Faqir. Seeing them together felt weird, especially after his discussion with Madoka upstairs, but he pushed those feelings aside for the time being. Everything was going to be fine.

"Now that you two are back, we can finally go to sleep," Mercy sighed, leaning back against the wall. "If you couldn't tell already, I'm rather exhausted."

Graham nodded. "I think we all are. I honestly can't wait to pass out for a couple of hours. ...Ah. Actually, if I didn't need to bring the blankets, does that mean we're all sleeping in our rooms? Because I think I actually like that more than all of us sleeping in here. It's--it's kinda cramped."

"Sort of," Mercy muttered. "But no one's allowed to sleep alone, just...as a precaution. The buddy system or whatever. Because of the room rule, Faqir and I will sleep in the market, and you three can figure something out on your own. Got it?"

"Uh. Uh..." Graham bit his lip. ...Are they...is this...?

He glanced at Madoka, concern clear on his face.