...He was certain.
Even though it would be a long, long road to travel, the boy could tell that no other opportunity would arise like this again. If he could maintain the new identity he'd been given, who knew how much information he could secretly try and get from the mastermind? Maybe his 'Luck' was finally doing something for him..?
But, of course, as his heels clicked sharply along the laminated floor, he was swiftly reminded of one of the more painful actions he'd have to take.
What was it Monokuma had said? 'You're gonna have to tell 'em you didn't swap for some reason?'
Looking into the gym, the remaining members of the group were bundling together. It looked as if they were discussing a plan, but the details of it didn't bother Makoto too much. More importantly...
With an apprehensive deep breathe, Makoto finally fully turned the corner, taking multiple steps into the gym. Taka was one of the first to notice, immediately calling out to him with Kyoko's firm voice.
"Ah! You came back!" The rest of the group's attention all seemed to focus in on Makoto, "Identify yourself!"
Admittedly, Makoto hadn't quite thought this far ahead. Was he just... Going to act like Junko? Talk like her, do what she would do, all that?
Well... He didn't really have a choice, did he? Not if he was going to fool Monokuma -- as far as he could tell, the relationship between Junko and Monokuma seemed like a loyal one.
"Uh... Hello?" The voice of Junko responded from him, intentionally trying to sound confused, "Like, obviously? I'm Junko Enoshima, Ultimate Fashionista."
That was how Junko talked, right? He didn't try to force that 'valley girl' angle too hard, did he?
On the bright side, it appeared as if nobody here had actually interacted much with the real Junko. They still hardly knew each other, after all.
"If you are the real Junko Enoshima, then why did you run off?!" Taka's voice boomed as much as it could, making a frighteningly good point. Makoto had to think of something, quick..!
"'Cause you guys are all running around yelling! Nothing even happened, but then you bundled up in a group and started yelling. Like, what am I meant to think?"
Makoto was almost shocked at how well that came to him! He was never a particularly good liar, but the adrenaline in the situation must've been helping his thoughts.
A moment of silence from Taka and the group as they considered the information -- apparently, the impression had been surprisingly on-point. Despite the side-eyes they were giving each other, they seemed hard-pressed to come up with any additional arguments.
"...Let's just assume she's telling the truth," the body of Byakuya suddenly spoke up, cutting calmly through the point, "We'll figure out later if it's a lie. We need more information, first."
"Huh?" Taking another step forward, Makoto continued to ignore the discomfort in his chest, "W-Why would it be a lie?!"
"If you are telling the truth, Junko..." Taka took over, "Then that means you're one of the only ones unaffected. Every one of us has had our bodies swapped!"
The exclamation was dealt with a heavy amount of force, meaning Makoto had to pretend and act way more surprised than he actually was. The fact that he was leading Taka on like this was more than a little disconcerting...
"Huh?! Right, like, no way... That's something out of a movie or something, right?" Etching his expression into one of incredulous confusion, he lightly began to tread his hands through his hair once again. It still felt so... Fake.
"Doesn't look like it, Miss Enoshima," Byakuya's body stated calmly, still having failed to reveal who he was, "However he did it, Monokuma swapped our bodies around. That much is for certain."
This was his chance - an opportunity to preempt the question that would eventually come.
"Wait! Then..." Unsure how a pensive Junko would look, Makoto elected to simply look down at his nails, giving them a small flick, "If that's true, then why am I the only person who wasn't involved?!"
The Byakuya lookalike folded his arms, "No idea: although, it may be because there are only 15 students. Monokuma, for some reason, might have wanted an even number of people, therefore ignoring 1 to create more tension..."
While just a theory, it was one Makoto was more than willing to roll with. Before he could, however, Taka kicked in once again.
"That doesn't matter right now, anyway! We can figure that out later!" Pushing his now-gloved hand forward, a determined look came across his face, "We need a plan, and we were just working to figure it out! Do you want to join in with us, Junko?"
...
Makoto had to think about this one. If he stayed around, he would definitely risk saying something he shouldn't and blowing his cover -- but of course he'd be able to help the group in spite of the current hand he was dealt. It was a risk, but perhaps one worth taking!
Alternatively... He didn't need to help, did he? He didn't know anyone else's identity and was unable to say his own, so what would he be able to bring to the table? If anything, would he not be better off going to his (or, more accurately, Junko's) room in order to see what he could find? And what about the real Junko? What if she came back, or was among the group in the gym without his knowledge?
This was an important decision to make.
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