Kirigiri and Naegi sat under a tree, while despair took over. However, as it was Christmas eve, they stopped despair until the Christmas holiday was over

Then Chaos would start again.

Naegi said he was sorry to all his friends. He thought it was a lie, that Hope would push them forward. He thought he was wrong.

"Watcha talking about, Naegi-chii?" Hagakure exclaimed.

Asahina nodded. "I rather be out here with you guys than there with... Her."

Togami even agreed. "I'm going to build up this city again, the Togami Family has not died yet."

Fukawa didn't respond. She just wanted to be with Togami, honestly.

Asahina and Hagakure left to get more wood, while Togami and Fukawa tried to get more food supplies. Naegi had been feeling dizzy lately, so Kirigiri firmly stated she was staying. yet it was cold.

There was hardly any electricity in the left over lampposts, and they only had a few small blankets as well as bunched up curtains as was a hard life, yet they were lucky it had not snowed.

"It's funny." Kirigiri broke the silence.

"As children, we wish for snow more than anything. Now, we wish it would not."

Naegi chuckled at Kirigiri's comment, then started breaking down, coughing.

He could feel a sharp slap on his back repeatedly. It helped him.

He calmed, then leaned back. Kirigiri removed her hand.

"S-sorry, Kirigiri-san..." Naegi said, barely even whispering.

Kirigiri said nothing, looking up at the sky every now and then.

"Are you... Worried?" Naegi asked hoarsely.

Kirigiri snapped out of her daydream and looked at Naegi. There was a shine in her eye. The shine slipped down, then streamed down her cheek.

A tear. Then another.

Naegi wanted to comfort her, but he couldn't do much but just trouble her in doing so. He reached for her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. He was embarrassed, but it was the only way without hurting himself and bothering Kirigiri.

Kirigiri held on tight to his hand, gasping slightly, trying not to cry so much and swallowing her gasps.

"It's fine... Just... Cry..." Naegi smiled at her. Kirigiri looked up at him again, until her eyes flooded with tears.

Kirigiri had opened up more to the others, but seeing this much strong emotion was hard to see right now, after her always having a poker face.

Kirigiri just collapsed into Naegi's limp arms, and continued sobbing into his chest, still holding tightly to his hand.

It was quiet when Kirigiri calmed her sobs and was returning to her steady breathing pattern, yet she didn't move. Unsure what to do, Naegi called to her as loudly as he could try, which wasn't that much.

"Kirigiri-san, are you... Okay...?" He asked slowly, head pounding.

It was silent for a few moments. Naegi wondered if she was asleep.

"I don't want..." Naegi could barely hear her. He found himself straining to listen.

"I don't want you... To just leave me..."

"What..?"

Kirigiri clung tighter to him and buried her head into his chest.

"You're not well, right?" She asked.

"No but I will..."

"Get better?" Kirigiri finished. "Be right as rain tomorrow morning?" She asked in a more firmer and angrier tone.

"We don't even know what day it is, Naegi-kun.

Everything... Everything is hopeless-!"

Naegi wrapped his free arm around Kirigiri, feeling like he might cry himself.

He didn't want this. He wanted everyone to cling onto Hope as long as they could, yet Hope right now, was nowhere to be found. He didn't want to give into despair, even while the Princess of that matter was dead.

"Don't... Don't say that Kirigiri-san..." He whispered.

Kirigiri bit her lip hard.

Naegi was HER Hope. He had believed in her when others suspected her.

He had got them out of there, stitched everyone together as friends, idolising hope.

She felt tears build in her eyes again. Kirigiri blinked hard, willing them to go away.

"Do you really believe you'll live? Really?" Kirigiri asked, hoping it would be yes. Even if it was a lie, even if this was just some another hopeful thought, if Naegi said so, it was set in stone.

Naegi was quiet.

"It could be nothing..." He said. "But if that's the case, if it's that bad I..."

A whimper escaped Kirigiri's lips. No she thought. It can't be.

"I'll be here as long as you need me." He finished.

It was quiet again.

"That time is a lot longer than you think, Naegi-kun." Kirigiri finally said.

Kirigiri pulled back, wiping her eyes. She let go of Naegi's hand and held it out, only having her pink finger lifted up.

"That promise, back in Hope's Peak." She said.

"I never broke that promise, so you owe me."

Naegi smiled, and lifted up his hand slowly with as much strength as he had. He lifted up his pink and wrapped it around Kirigiri's.

"I promise..." He whispered.

Kirigiri only replied with a frown.

"You're so weak..." She mumbled, blinking hard once again.

Naegi shrugged lightly, lifting his hand and running his hands through Kirigiri's hair.

"Always wanted to do that." He said in a hoarse voice, smiling weakly.

Kirigiri was frustrated.

"Don't say it like it was on your bucket list!" She remarked.

"Seemed like a good time to." Naegi said, trying to make Kirigiri laugh.

Kirigiri smiled, giving him a light slap on his shoulder, VERY lightly.

"Hey, don't be thinking you're the Super High School Level Comedian, now." She said, and sat back against the tree next to Naegi.

"It's really soft, by the way." Naegi added. Then realised what he just said. He blushed.

Kirigiri made a kind of happy noise.

"You're hair looks really spiky. I bet if you weren't so nice you would use your hair as the murder weapon, and no one would know." Kirigiri said, chuckling.

"I don't think I would risk getting my hair all bloody, Kirigiri-san." Naegi said. Yet he was smiling.

"Mhm." Kirigiri just smiled, then she looked like she got a idea.

"Close your eyes."

"What?" Naegi was confused.

"I said, Close your eyes." Kirigiri commanded. Naegi did as he was told.

There was nothing. He waited, then debated wether or not to open his eyes, when he felt a hand run through his hair.

His eyes snapped open and he blushed, heart beating rapidly.

He looked up at Kirigiri, who was looking at him.

"Amazing." She commented. She looked over at Naegi's hair again, reaching for his ahoge. It twitched.

Kirigiri's eyes lit up. Naegi sighed.

"you gave me a fright."

She chuckled again. "I'm sorry to say, but your hair can't be used as a murder weapon."

"How so?" Naegi asked.

"It's not as sharp or spiky as I thought."

Naegi grinned. He acted like he lost something dear and precious.

"Oh no." He said, as Kirigiri watched intently.

"How shall I kill someone now, WITHOUT being caught?"

Kirigiri hid her smile with her gloved hand, then sat back again, resting her head on Naegi's shoulder. Naegi was surprised, but allowed it. It was nice.

"How long do you think they'll be?" Kirigiri asked.

"What?"

"I said, how long do you think they'll be? Asahina-san, Hagakure-kun, Togami-kun, Fukawa-san."

"Don't know." Naegi said honestly. It just occurred to him. "It's so much hassle to add honorifics. But I guess it's polite."

"Naegi-kun." Kirigiri whispered. "You're nothing but polite."

Naegi looked at Kirigiri and touched her hair again.

Kirigiri raised a eyebrow, but didn't object.

"I know I shouldn't say this... But..." She trailed off.

"If you don't keep that promise, you can't touch my hair anymore."

Naegi felt kinda sad. He hoped more than anything he could keep that promise.

"Kirigiri-san... I know, that... I shouldn't talk like this but..." He swallowed. Kirigiri looked up at him, with almost pleading eyes that he wouldn't say anything relating to how sick he was.

"If I don't... You know, stay..."

"Stop that!" Kirigiri said sharply. Naegi just grabbed her hand.

"No, listen- if I don't... I wanted to say that..." Naegi trailed off, feeling embarrassed.

"I've... Ever since you helped me with investigations. I started to like you... A lot."

Kirigiri's eyes widened, her face going red and tears threatening to fall in her eyes.

Kirigiri held his hand back, and closed her eyes. The tears fell down her perfect doll-like pale face.

"I felt, and feel the same way. That's why... You have to stay." She whispered in the cold winters night.

Naegi nodded. Tears even started to form in his jade green eyes. He wanted to spend more time with Kirigiri, with everyone. Even Togami.

Kirigiri found his hand in the darkness. It got dark really quickly, she l\thought, and intwinded his fingers in his.

Hope was there, just hidden.

They both hoped- Naegi would be there.

To keep their promise.