HUGE FRIGGIN' ANIME TIDDIES!
A/N: Now that I have your attention, please read this.
Some things you should know before you read this fanfic:
- This story contains HUGE spoilers for the entirety of the plot of "Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony". Read at your own discretion.
- This story does not contain huge anime tiddies, except maybe for Miu Iruma.
- This story revolves around the characters Kaede Akamatsu and Rantaro Amami, and the intent is to slowly develop their relationship into a romantic one. If you are not a fan of this pairing then you might not enjoy this story. As of the moment of writing, I have no intent of adding multiple pairings to this story, or turning the main relationship into a love triangle, or anything of the sort.
- This is NOT a one-shot. More chapters will be written based on the story's popularity. The more feedback I recieve, the more chapters will be written. This is to prevent me from spending my scarce free time into a story no one is interested in.
- This is a canon AU/divergence AU fanfic. This means that this fanfic follows the canon storyline very closely, but with small alterations. As such, this is still a story about a Killing Game, and there IS a chance that your favorite character might die in it. I will not 'resurrect' characters upon demand nor will I kill/ship them over requests. Also, I am playing the game as I write this, so as to avoid any plot inconsistencies and to make this plot as close as possible to the original.
- Concerning the way the characters address each other, I'll be using the Japanese version of the game as reference. Calling people by their first names in Japan usually indicate some kind of proximity with said person, so I will try to explore that. As such, characters will be addressing each other by their last names, but that might change based on how close they get to each other. Also, it's important to mention that Angie Yonaga refers to people by their first names regardless of how close she is to them, which is part of her eccentric trait, and that characters like Kokichi Ouma are prone to use first names as a means to mock and to be insulting. This will be preserved in the story.
- This story might contain minor descriptive scenes of violence, suggestive themes and foul language. While it is nothing gory, overly explicit or exaggerated, do keep this in mind if these make you uncomfortable. The rating of the story remains at T until future content raises the possibility of changing it.
- Cover art by ロンパ詰め on Pixiv.
- I do not own Danganronpa, and I gain nothing from writing this story other than personal satisfaction.
With that said, please enjoy this story I wrote at 3 AM.
CHANGELOG:
Update 09/12/2018 (non-retard units): Minor grammar mistakes fixed. A few lines were rephrased and some were added here and there.
Update 11/12/2018 (non-retard units): Minor grammar mistakes fixed. More important notes were added above.
Prologue: Hesitation
...
...
...
"...Ah, geez! Why is this thing so damn loud?!"
An unsettling song reverberated within the walls of the mysterious school, making it impossible to go unnoticed by everyone inside it. The classroom Kaede was in was no exception, courtesy of the huge speakers attached to a monitor in the ceiling. Said monitor was displaying cartoonish pictures of people killing each other, which just made the song even more ominous. She tried to ignore it by focusing on the occasional, barely audible sweeping sound and the tense footsteps that followed it. Small piles of dust appeared everytime the girl moved her broom, which had her sweep carefully so as to not end up smokebombing herself with all that dirt. She stopped for a moment, wiping her sweaty forehead with the back of her hand and letting out an audible sigh.
The classroom was huge, and was unlike anything she'd ever seen. Just like every other place in this school she had visited so far, the room was filled with greenery, with the ceiling covered by long plants that resembled vines. The windows were blocked by large wired fences; a subtle reminder that there was no escape from that place. The blackboard was a huge blue LCD screen, and that was new for her. Thankfully, it wasn't being used to display those heinous images or play that song. Next to it was the teacher's table, which was something more like the kind of stand you'd see in debates or interviews. There was a vent on the wall by the teacher's table, which was connected to the library. It made the room smell slightly like musty books, but Kaede was used to it by now. There was also a small bookcase by the blackboard and random notice boards on the walls. The floor had steps, and so the desks and seats were arranged in a way that the students in the back would have no problem seeing the blackboard, as the classmate in front of them would be slightly below them. It was an interesting idea, and it sure looked nice, but just as Kaede found out (the hard way), it didn't exactly made the classroom easier to clean.
Finally deciding to rest, she stabbed the floor with her broom and rested her other hand on her waist. As she did so, she glanced at the classroom door for what seemed like the millionth time, everytime expecting a certain someone to show up, and feeling nervous when that wouldn't be the case. Unconsciously tightening the grip on the broom's handle, she tried to shake away her unease by focusing back on the plant-filled classroom. She was cleaning the room with no particular interest or care, but she did it anyway so as to keep herself busy and ease her tension.
"Saihara-kun is taking so long... I wonder if everything's alright." She talked to herself, unable to ignore the boy's absence any longer.
A few days had passed since Kaede met Shuichi and the other Ultimates, but they still hadn't made any significant progress on figuring out where they were, how they got there, or more importantly, how to escape that place. Although Kaede couldn't complain about the food, the accomodations, and the few genuine friends (or so she liked to believe) she made there, she definitely didn't want to remain locked in that school for the rest of her life.
And then there was the whole Killing Game thing. Some talking teddy bears randomly showed up from time to time and told them to kill each other, claiming it was the only way to escape that mysterious school. Of course, they wouldn't simply take the bears's words for it and do something so outrageous right off the bat. But as time passed, Kaede couldn't help but grow more and more uncertain about this whole situation. With each passing day the bears would grow more impatient, complaining that there were no murders and coming up with incentives to get them to kill. And as much as she'd like to believe they would never get what they wanted... She wasn't so sure anymore.
Ever since the fiasco at the tunnel underground, which is supposedly the only exit besides graduating from the killing game, the students had slowly started to distrust each other. It was only a matter of time. Once they realized that there was no escape, and that a murder could take place at any time, all the unison that Kaede fought hard to build between them went down the drain.
And if there was any chance of restoring that trust, it was lost with Monokumas's incentives.
A time limit was in effect. If a murder didn't take place soon, then they were all going to die. Which was why the sinister song and video were being played all over the school: A painful reminder of the fate that awaited them. Not just that, but there was an additional motive to kill. Whoever committed a murder would be able to leave the school without going through the class trial. An advantage that no one else would have.
"Saihara-kun... Please come back already..." The pianist muttered, feeling more anxious and scared with each passing second.
Being by herself in an environment where people were being coerced into commiting murder wasn't exactly her idea of a fun activity to pass the time. She could already picture someone other than Shuichi entering the room and killing her out of desperation, and that made her feel terrible. She wanted to trust everyone, be friends with them, learn more about them. What they liked to eat, what they did for fun, their favorite color. But under those circumstances it all sounded like an unreachable dream. She trusted Shuichi and believed in him, probably more than he believed in himself. She could see he was a kind boy despite all that insecurity and shyness, and she knew that the others were good people too. But unlike Shuichi, she couldn't really trust most of them.
She wouldn't call it 'trust', but she felt at ease around Gonta. She just couldn't think someone as innocent as him could ever bring himself to harm someone, even if it meant saving his own life. Kirumi also seemed reliable, but the fact she had a somewhat unhealthy desire to serve others, to point where she'd do nearly everything that was asked of her, was rather concerning. Kaede also had some degree of trust for Kaito, who went out of his way to cheer her up after their failed attempts at the tunnel. He sure liked to blurt out motivational speeches, but he was a nice guy. And then there was...
Rantaro.
Kaede instinctively looked at her hands once she thought about him, admiring the nail polish art he did for her awhile ago with a smile on her face. In her honest opinion, there was no better word to describe him than mysterious. Kaede considered herself to be someone who could read people well after some time around them. But from his forgotten talent to his personality, everything about Rantaro Amami was an enigma to her. At first she thought he was a womanizer from the way he dressed, and also from his invitations to hang out and drink some tea with him these past few days. However, she was surprised to find out he is actually a pretty approachable, chill guy to talk to. But, at the same time, he can turn equally intimidating if need be, like earlier that day when he convinced Ryoma to take back his suggestion of sacrificing himself.
"Ryoma, There's no need for that, because I'm going to end this killing game. I've already decided. It's not about outfoxing everyone on this killing game. It's about ending the game itself. That's the real goal."
His words replayed on her mind, and once again she found herself wondering about what could he have meant by that. The idea of someone ending the killing game by themselves seemed unrealistic, and she would be lying if she said she wasn't a bit skeptical about it. But there was something behind his conviction that... made her think it was possible. The way he remained unruffled and collected when the exisals first showed up, the way he was able to calmly analyze the situation... While others, Shuichi included, saw that as suspicious, Kaede couldn't help but find it... Enticing. There was more to the talentless teen that met the eye, and deep down she believed that he could, somehow, end the game after all.
Geez, there must be something wrong with me. I am about to die and all I can think of isn't about my family, friends or even the piano... But a guy I had tea with a few days ago.
Blushing, she perished the thoughts for the time being. Right now, she was waiting for Shuichi in the classroom by the basement's staircase. The detective left a while ago to make sure their plan wouldn't be foiled by the small group of students that went down to the basement shortly before he left the classroom. The idea was to capture the mastermind before they could enter the hidden door in the library, which Shuichi believed to lead to the place where the Monokuma spares were created. They also set up cameras to automatically take pictures of the mastermind, so that they'd have evidence to show their fellow colleagues. If they could pull this off, then maybe they could stop the killing game before it even started. There were no guarantees that it would work or that the mastermind would even go to the library as they expected. But it was all they had, so it was definitely worth a shot.
She had to remain focused. After all, Rantaro was among the small group that went to the basement a while ago, and that meant there was a small chance that he could be the mastermind. But he wouldn't say those things if he were, right? No, she knew he wouldn't. She couldn't tell how, but she was sure of it. She wanted to trust him, and she was going to. Whether that was the wrong decision or not, she'll deal with it when the time comes. All she can do right now is stick to the belief that everything would work out.
Kaede let out a breath of relief when Shuichi's slender figure came through the door. The boy stopped in his tracks and looked at her in confusion.
"...Akamatsu-san? Why are you sweeping?" He asked, his eyes barely visible thanks to his hat.
"Huh? O-Oh, no reason..." She blushed, suddenly feeling stupid. She tried to change the subject. "Anyway, what about the people down in the basement?"
Shuichi scratched his chin. "Everything is okay. They all went to the Game Room."
The Game Room? Why there?
Kaede pondered in silence. She doubted they were there to play anything. What other reason could they have though? Glancing at Shuichi, she could tell that he too was curious about that.
But before she could ask him about it, the monitor on the ceiling emitted a loud beep, and the images displayed changed. There was now an image of a laughing Monokuma, and next to him were the words...
"In 1 hour... Everyone dies."
"..."
Kaede looked at the words with dread, and suddenly felt herself unable to speak. She gulped, her anxiety returning stronger than ever.
"...There's only one hour left until the time limit." Shuichi broke the silence. From his tone Kaede could tell that he wasn't looking forward to it either.
She nodded nervously, unsure about what to say. "Yeah, it's almost time..."
Silence. Both were nervous and trying their best to stay calm. But how could they, knowing they could die in less than 60 minutes from now?
"I'm sure the mastermind will make their move soon." Shuichi started, but it didn't seem like he believed in his own words. "If Monokuma is going to show up when time runs out, the mastermind will go to the library and go through that door. We'll get them when that happens." He told her, glancing at her from under his hat.
Kaede flashed a weak smile. "...I hope so." Her voice didn't sound like her, and both of them knew that. Sighing, she looked through the barely open door with a melancholic gaze. "I know it's probably too much to ask, but... I'd really like it if this had a happy ending. One where no one got hurt..."
The detective looked at her with concern. Her body was trembling and she was visibly scared, but he wasn't sure how he could cheer her up, specially when he was going through the same. But seeing her like that was worse tha facing his imminet death. He slowly brought his hand to his head and removed his cap. The pianist watched in awe as the scene unfolded, surprise and amazement taking over her thanks to that simple gesture. He timidly brought his eyes to hers, and mustering all the courage and determination he could..
"We'll make it happen, Akamatsu-san. We'll put an end to this."
Stunned for a few seconds, Kaede finally recovered from her daze to flash the detective an honest smile. "Yeah... I'm counting on you, Saihara-kun."
The boy shyly smiled back before turning his face away, trying to hide the fact he was blushing. Kaede watched him with amusement, her smile still on her face. It slowly vanished as he glanced at the monitor again. Sighing, she adjusted her backpack straps on her shoulders, feeling the weight in her back reminding her of what she had to do in case everything went wrong. Shuichi didn't know about it. If he did, she wouldn't be carrying that thing right now.
A shot put ball.
"...We'll put an end to this, Saihara-kun... No matter what it takes, we'll end this game." She thought, watching in silence as the timer on the screen kept decreasing...
...
Meanwhile...
...
Even the basement's hallways wasn't devoid of the heinous song that started playing a while ago, though he could say it was slighty quieter since there weren't any monitors with speakers out there. The boy was moving fast, yet one could say his steps were almost stealthy, as if people would be able to hear him through that loud song if he made enough noise. He clenched his fists. He had something he had to do, something that only HE could do. And he wouldn't let anything stop him.
Reaching the end of the hallway, he slowly opened the rear entrance to the library and looked inside. He looked back the way he came from and cautiously entered the smelly room. Thankfully, it was empty, otherwise he'd have some trouble on his hands. He frowned in annoyance, realizing that as it turns out, Monokuma had fulfilled his objective after all. Despite his best intentions to cooperate and his honest desire to work together with everyone, Rantaro simply couldn't bring himself to trust anyone. Specially now that the people around him had more than enough reasons to kill, he wouldn't carelessly involve himself with the others. He tensed as he delved further into the book-filled room, inspecting every nook and cranny to make sure he didn't have company. His instincts were screaming at him, telling him something bad would happen. He just wasn't sure what.
Trying to remain calm and composed, he took a deep breath and took a good look at the student handbook he'd been carrying with him. At first, any student would assume it was just his Monopad, which wasn't anything new since everyone had one. But there was more to it than that. Once he turned the screen on, what popped up wasn't his name, or the usual Monopad functions. Instead, scribbled in the middle of the screen were the words...
Survivor Perk
"..."
The green haired teenager stared at the Monopad in silence for a few seconds. His ever present smile gone, one could say his expression was anything but friendly right now, perhaps even a bit menacing. He checked his surroundings for possible eavesdroppers or witnesses once again, frustrated at how paranoid he was acting. His life was on the line though, so how he was acting was hardly of his concern right now.
"...I don't get it." He said to no one in particular, furrowing his brows as watched the screen change into a map. Holding the monopad on his left hand, he moved his right index across the screen, studying the scattered pieces of the map until he found the one he was looking for. The screen displayed a simplified version of the basement, showing both the game room he just exited from and the library, where he was currently in. At first sight, one could easily miss what was wrong with that map if they didn't pay enough attention. But as Rantaro made sure to check and re-check, there was no doubt.
There was a hidden room in the library.
After studying the map for some time, he finally tapped the small icon next to the map, with resembled a message balloon. Immediately the screen changed again, this time showing him a text he could never get used to reading.
"Clue to end the killing game
The mastermind who is behind the killing game is hiding somewhere in the academy. Your best chance of exposing them is when Monokuma needs a spare. At that time, the mastermind will go to the library's hidden room.
To prove this hint is accurate, I'll predict something. The first thing you will remember is the Ultimate Hunt.
Only share this information with people who you know you can trust. How you determine that will mean your life or your death.
-Rantaro Amami."
"..."
Time slowed down everytime he readed that message, and this time was no exception. He scanned the entire message twice in just a few seconds, but his eyes would always stop moving and stare questioningly at the signature written in the end. He kept staring at his own name for what seemed like an eternity, unable to refrain from giving it some thought.
The questions he made himself everytime he used that Monopad crossed his mind as usual. What exactly was that perk? Why did he have it? What did it mean by 'Survivor'? Was it related to his talent somehow? Then why couldn't he remember anything? His talent, writing that message, the Ultimate Hunt... Was it all planned by Monokuma to confuse him? If so... Then why him?
Nothing made any sense. All those questions and their lack of answers were taking a toll on him, and as much as he tried to deny it, Rantaro felt lost. He didn't know what to believe in anymore, and that included himself. He couldn't even tell if he had some kind of amnesia or not. What if he never even had a talent in the first place? Why did he of all people had to go through this?
But this time, he had no time to ponder about any of it. If Monokuma intended to keep his word, then he was an hour away from losing his life. He had questions he couldn't answer, but he had no intention of dying without figuring them out. If it was his fate to die a meaningless death in that school, then he would at least find the answers he sought before that.
No... That wasn't good enough.
If that's my fate... Then I'll change it. I will survive... No matter what.
He clenched his fist. Rantaro wasn't going to die with nothing but his name. Even if the answers he wanted weren't ones he wanted to hear, he was going to seek them.
And he was going to obtain them.
Rantaro studied the library and didn't take long to find where the hidden door was hidden. The map gave him an idea of where it could be, but it was still a hidden door and therefore not meant to be found so easily. But since he knew exactly what he was looking for, it took no more than a few moments to figure out the door was behind one of the bookcases, and the subtle markings on the ground were quick to give away which was the one. Unconsciously tightening the grip on his perk Monopad, he stared at the bookcase uncertainly. He couldn't bring himself to simply believe in that message without some kind of evidence, but he didn't have any other leads. He had to open that door.
A deep breath. He closed his eyes as he did so, mentally preparing himself for the moment that could decide his life or his death. Slapping his cheeks, he glared at the bookcase in silence as he placed his Survivor Perk in his pocket. With both his hands free, he reached for the bookcase, and...
He stopped.
As if moving by itself, Rantaro's arm pulled back, returning to it's natural position. The bookcase remained untouched, somehow compelling him to do it. But he just stared at it with gritted teeth and clenched fists, unable to do so for some reason.
"What the hell am I doing?" He asked himself, wondering just why would he hesitate at such a critical moment. His instincts were telling him to not touch that bookcase, that his fate would be sealed the moment he did so. He tried to ignore it, but simply couldn't bring himself to do it. There was something ominous about it, something he couldn't understand. He spend several seconds just watching the bookcase, trying to ignore the urge to leave and never approach it again. But another side of him kept telling him to stop hesitating and open the damn door already. After what seemed like an eternity passed, he finally made up his mind.
This wasn't the time to be uncertain about anything. He HAD to open that door and stop the killing game before it started. There shouldn't be any doubts, and he wouldn't allow himself to have any. He reached for the book case again, this time absolutely resolved to open it. Nothing in this world would stop him this time.
"Hey, Amami-kun!"
...Except for that.
Rantaro turned back with a surprised expression, only to find Kaito and Tenko approaching him. Apparently, they entered from the library's main entrance, which was directly behind him. He wouldn't have heard them coming if Kaito hadn't yelled, thanks to that ridiculously loud song. Forcing a convincing, casual smile, he turned towards them and waved his hand in a friendly manner.
"Ah, hey Momota-san. Chabashira-san. Didn't see you coming." He told them, his voice welcoming despite his conflicting emotions.
"Hey man. Weren't you going to the bathroom? What are you doing here?" Kaito asked, sounding confused, but not hostile.
On the other hand, Tenko glared at Rantaro with suspicion and something akin to disgust. "Hmph, obviously he lied to do typical degenerate stuff. I bet you were looking for porn magazines, weren't you?!"
Both men in the room sweatdropped. Despite the rudeness, however, Rantaro just raised his hands defensively and laughed it off. "Haha, no, I'm afraid not. I just figured that since the library was on my way there, I should stop by to try and find this book I've been meaning to read." He then sighed and brought both hands to his waist, looking troubled. "I don't mean to sound negative, but since there's a chance we could die soon, I'd like to at least see if the main character finds his pig." He told them, satisfied at how convincing his lie was. Tenko didn't seem to believe him, but from her stare it was probably just because he was a guy.
Kaito punched both hands together and frowned. "Hey, don't give me that. If you give up before you even try, then how are you going to achieve anything?!" Then, as soon as it came, his frown was replaced with a huge smile and a thumbs up. "There's no way we're dying here! We won't let things go Monokuma's way. Isn't that why we grouped up in the game room in the first place? And don't worry, I'm sure he'll find his pig!" He exclaimed, suddenly enthusiastic.
"W-Why are you fired up all of a sudden?! And what the hell kind of book is that anyway?!" Tenko asked in an annoyed tone after jumping in surprise from Kaito's yell. Her expression showed as clear as day that she was convinced the book was porn.
Rantaro laughed again. "Haha, I guess you're right. It's too soon to throw the bucket."
"It sure is! So let's head back and think about how we're gonna put that bear in it's place!" Kaito punched his hands together in front of him again, this time flashing a determined smirk. "You'll have plenty of time to read once we get out of here. Isn't that right, Tenko?!" Kaito elbowed Tenko's shoulder playfully.
"L-Like I care! And don't touch me, degenerate! Next time I'll give you a taste of my Neo-Aikido!"
Kaito smiled and nudged her again. "Oh, come on! You don't really mean th-"
"HIIIIIYAAAAA!"
In a second, Kaito's body was thrown into the ground like a piece of trash. It was so fast that Rantaro was barely able to see what happened, widening his eyes in surprise and amusement at the scene. Tenko frowned and raised her hands defensively at the fallen astronaut- or what was left of him. Dazed and not sure what just happened, Kaito just groaned in pain as he slowly got up.
"W-What the hell was that..." He managed, surprised nothing in his body was broken. Rantaro offered a slightly concerned look, while Tenko just kept her guard and her glare up.
At that moment, the huge monitor on the library let out a beep, and soon the images that were displayed changed.
"In 1 hour... Everyone dies"
All three stared at the message with complicated expressions. Eventually, Rantaro broke the silence.
"Welp, guess we're running out of time. That's enough foolin' around, you two."
"F-Fooling around?" The neo-aikido fighter said, concerned for a moment that it could've been interpreted that way, but then remembering it came from a degenerate male and sulking.
"Shit, you're right... We better get back to the others." Kaito said, sounding a bit more serious, though limping rather dramatically as he went for the door. With a 'hmph', Tenko followed right behind, still on guard and ready to throw both Kaito and Rantaro away should they piss her off. Once both left the room, Rantaro threw a glance at the moving bookcase that he didn't get to activate. For a moment he thought about doing it now, but perished the thought. Perhaps now wasn't the time. Monokuma won't need a spare until the very last minute, so he could wait until then. He decided to trust his instincts, hoping he wouldn't regret his decision.
"Hey, you! What are you waiting for, degenerate?!" Tenko yelled from the door.
"Coming!" Rantaro replied casually, turning his back on the bookcase and leaving the room.
He closed the door behind him, unaware of the looming shadow that watched him leave with hatred in their eyes. The bookcase left untouched, the menacing figure on the other side backed off from the hidden door and made it's way to another hidden passage, silently vowing to kill the green haired teen next time.
...
"In 15 minutes... Everyone dies."
"...You fool. You really think we could do something so absurd in such little time?"
"Hey, we'll never know until we try!"
With a sigh, Rantaro lazily swirled a finger around a thread of his messy hair, watching the scene before him with a clear lack of interest, but making his best effort to hide his apathy behind his ever present smile. Sitting on a chair with it's back facing him, Rantaro leaned forward and rested both arms on it, his foot tapping somewhat impatiently on the floor.
The last forty-five minutes haven't been productive at all. Rantaro, along with six other students, had gathered in the game room to try to come up with a plan to defend themselves against Monokuma and it's alleged army of spares once the time limit expired. The strategy meeting, which was 'organized' by Kaito, was composed of himself, Tenko, Maki, Gonta, Himiko, Angie and Rantaro. According to the astronaut, they needed to discuss a way to fight back against Monokuma once he attacked them, and with that in mind, he only invited people who he thought that could put up a fight.
As much as the idea made sense, Rantaro couldn't understand or agree with this line-up. For starters, he invited Gonta for his inhuman strength and Tenko for her talent, which made sense. But he didn't consider the fact that Gonta wasn't really the intellectual type, or the fact that Tenko despised men and wasn't likely to listen to their opinion, which meant neither would contribute much to the discussion. Himiko and Angie were there because Kaito believed that their magic and belief in Atua respectively would prove useful for fighting Monokuma, which was obviously some ridiculous reasoning. He picked Maki, whose talent was pretty much the opposite of fighting, just because he thought she could fight. True, she did look intimidating, but that was hardly a reason to invite someone to a discussion that could mean their lives. And then there was himself, someone who didn't even know their ultimate talent. And yet, he was probably Kaito's best pick of them all, though the astronaut himself was probably unaware of that.
Needless to say, the meeting was a complete mess. Gonta had locked himself in the AV room to watch a movie about bugs, since he claimed it would help him build his spirit to fight. Angie didn't contribute with more than a few preaches about Atua, and was now calmly on her knees, praying with a serene expression in her face, as if her life wasn't about to end in 15- no, 14 minutes. Tenko kept insisting that Himiko should use her magic, but aside from the small girl's clear boredom and laziness, Himiko insisted that she didn't have enough energy to conjure magic, so they weren't much help either. Kaito kept coming up with ridiculous ideas, like having Miu Iruma build a spaceship to get everyone out or flooding the school to destroy all Monokumas. Maki would calmly (despite being clearly annoyed) point out how ridiculous Kaito's plans were, so they were basically arguing between each other. Rantaro couldn't really find any openings in any of the conversations to participate in them, so he just watched everyone's antics. He had to admit that it was amusing at first, but it got boring fast.
...Tch. I knew this was a bad idea. I have no choice... but to follow my original plan.
Rantaro got up. The mere gesture was enough to catch the attention of Kaito and Maki, who turned to face him. The others either didn't notice or didn't care.
"Alright everyone, I guess that's enough wasting our times." The talentless teen said as he pushed the chair out of his way, his tone not as casual as it usually was, despite his smile being there. This time, he got the full attention of everyone in the room. Maki furrowed her brows, seemingly being on guard against the subtle change in Rantaro's behavior. Tenko glared at him for getting Himiko's attention away from her, but stayed silent.
"Amami-kun...?" Kaito asked, fully turning towards the teen with a curious gaze.
Rantaro wore a troubled expression, resting both hands on his waist and letting out a sigh. "I mean no offense, Momota-san. But it's clear that we're getting nowhere like this. Time is running out and we couldn't think of anything, and at this point I doubt we will. I guess it's pointless to keep this meeting going." He said, not holding back any of his thoughts or trying to pick any nice words.
The meeting was a mistake from the very beginning, and Rantaro knew it. It was unfortunate, but he couldn't simply deny Kaito's invitation, since it could draw unwanted suspicion towards him. It did seem like a reasonable idea at first, until he realized Kaito was definitely not the best at organizing strategical meetings. It was too late to quit though, since again, it would sound suspicious. He went along with it, using the meeting as an excuse to go to the basement and, later on, the library so that he could investigate the hidden room. But he didn't expect that Kaito would go looking for him, claiming he didn't want to continue the meeting without Rantaro present. The teen did appreciate the astronaut's thoughtfulness, but it undeniably ruined his plans. If there was any chance that his plan could still work, then he needed to leave that meeting as soon as possible. There was no more time to waste.
"H-Hold on, Amami-kun. I know we haven't made much progress-"
"Or any at all." Maki pointed.
Kaito frowned, but continued nevertheless. "...but we can't give up yet! We'll come up with something, I just know it!"
"Hmmm, are we now?" Angie asked no one in particular, oddly calm despite the situation. "Then we must wait for Atua's guidance. If we all believe it with all our hearts, he'll show us the right path." Angie murmured, closing her eyes and slightly opening her arms, as if ready to reach nirvana.
"Atua isn't getting us out of here!" Tenko exclaimed, and for a second Rantaro thought she would actually contribute to the discussion with a reasonable suggestion for a plan of action, but- "We have Himiko-chan's magic, and that's more than enough! Isn't that right, Himiko-chan?!" The neo-aikido fighter turned excitedly towards the small girl, who seemed deeply annoyed.
"...I told you already. I don't have enough MP to cast any spells right now." The girl looked down, pouting.
Everyone in the room didn't seem convinced, except for Tenko who got even more fired up and started to drool. "That's alright! Just teach me how to transfer MP and I'll give you all my-"
"You really think it's that simple, huh?"
Rantaro cut her off, his expression having grown considerably darker as he held his thumb and index to his chin and peered at her sideways. His long bangs casted shadows around his eyes, which were nearly wide open in a somewhat intimidating look of annoyance and anger.
Tenko flinched at the sudden pressure from his eyes, instinctively shutting up. After a split second of shock, she then glared at him uncertainly, mixed emotions filling her head. Maki observed him in silence, still tense.
Kaito didn't fail to notice the sudden change in demeanor. "...What do you mean by that?"
As soon as it came, Rantaro's menacing expression vanished, being replaced by his usual smile. He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Nah, it's nothing. Forget I said anything." He opened his arms and palms sideways in a non-hostile gesture. "But really, I see no point in this rendezvous anymore since we're not getting anywhere. I mean, it's not like I've been of any help so far anyway, right?" He scratched the back of his head and smiled awkwardly again. He then turned his back on everyone. "Don't take this personally, Momota-san. I won't stop you from discussing, but count me out."
Without waiting for a reply, Rantaro slowly made his way to the exit. Somehow he wasn't surprised to see Kaito standing his way, though that didn't make it any less troublesome.
"Oy, wait a second! Are you serious about that, Amami-kun?!"
"Let him go, Momota." Maki said in an uninterested tone. "He isn't wrong. We've been doing nothing but wasting time. However, if he doesn't want to stay then there's no point in keeping him."
Kaito eyed Maki, then the green haired teen. They stared at each other in silence for a few moments, until Kaito finally looked away with a defeated sigh.
"Fine. I won't get in your way." He rubbed the back of his head. Kaito didn't seem angry or disappointed, instead accepting his decision without resistance. "Just answer me this: Where are you going now?" He turned and asked Rantaro. From his expression he was just curious, and maybe somewhat concerned.
Rantaro offered a reassuring smile and chuckled. "Are you worried that I might do something... reckless?"
Kaito had a troubled frown on his face "Wha- The hell?! No, I-"
"Haha, relax. I'm just teasing. Well, I don't blame you if you do. Anything is possible at this point, isn't it?" He crossed his arms and looked away, letting out a sigh. "But don't worry, it's nothing like that. To be honest, I have a plan of my own that I'm willing to try. I'm not sure if it's going to work, but I'll give it a shot before it's too late."
Kaito raised an eyebrow. "Huh? Wait, you have a plan?"
Angie, who was seemingly deep in yet another prayer, suddenly opened and widened her eyes, pointing her index up and looking surprised. "Oohhh, that reminds me... Rantaro, didn't you say earlier that you were going to end the killing game?"
Everyone in the room suddenly looked surprised.
"Whoa whoa, wait, what?! Is that true, Amami-kun?" Kaito asked, evidently curious.
Great. Me and my big mouth.
Rantaro raised his hands defensively and smiled awkwardly. "Well, that was the idea. I know it's easier said than done, but who knows? I might be able to pull it off."
"How?" Maki inquired. Her expression didn't betray her skepticism.
The green haired teen sighed. "Sorry, can't really share the details. It's something I have to try by myself. Besides, you're not wrong to doubt me. As I mentioned, I'm not that sure it might work either."
Maki said nothing, silently staring deep into Rantaro's eyes as if to try and see some kind of lie or malicy through them. Suddenly the room was quiet,save of course for the loud music that was still playing. Everyone else exchanging glances and murmuring between themselves. It was evident that everyone was curious about the alleged plan, but no one knew what to think of it when he barely said anything about it. The teen said nothing himself, knowing better than to expect everyone to understand and trust him when he wasn't exactly acting like the most trustworthy person in the room.
Eventually, Kaito nodded and scratched the back of his head. "Alright. Well, I won't stick my nose in it! I decided to believe in you. But don't do anything too rash, okay?"
Maki and Tenko didn't seem pleased with this outcome and looked like they wanted to say something, but they stayed quiet. Rantaro crossed his arms.
"Well, that was easy. Are you sure you're ok with that?" He asked. He could tell Kaito wasn't fully certain about what to make of the situation himself, but was taken by surprise when the astronaut extended his arm towards him and flashed him a huge grin and a thumbs up.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I believe in you because I want to. Do I need a reason other than that? I mean, sure, I might get betrayed in the end, but... If I worry about that, I won't be able to believe in the people I wanna believe in!"
Rantaro's eyes widened. To think someone would actually trust others despite being thrown into this game... It was a bit hard for him to understand, mostly because he had more reasons to be paranoid than anyone. But it was still rather admirable, and he had to admit it wasn't a bad thing, though he couldn't really bring himself to believe it 100%.
His face then slowly turned into a smile again. "Haha, you're something else, Momota-san." He said, honestly meaning it. "I'll do my best to meet your expectations then, hm?" He turned towards the others. "What about you guys?"
Maki looked away as she brushed her hair with her hand, a stoic look on her face. "Why are you asking us? No one is holding you here."
"The less males, the better." Tenko scowled, still somewhat tense as she faced Rantaro.
Neither Himiko or Angie seemed like they had anything to say, or that they were any interested whether he stayed or not. Rantaro nodded in satisfaction, taking this as his cue to leave.
"Alright then. Sorry again, everyone. I wish you guys good luck with coming up with something. And please, don't go after me this time." He turned his back on everyone and walked away, reaching for the door handl-
*ding dong, dong ding!*
What...?
Rantaro stopped on his tracks immediately, widening his eyes as he suddenly had a feeling that something was wrong. Horribly wrong. The fact that the loud song that had been playing nonstop for the past hour had suddenly ceased made alarms ring on his head. He knew he hadn't ran out of time, so what just happened?
"W-What was that?!" Kaito exclaimed.
Everyone in the room went tense, a sudden wave of anxiety overwhelming them. Everyone's attention soon turned to the monitor huge monitor in one of the corners of the room, which they hadn't even realized that had gone off until it made a new sound. The black screen suddenly shifted into an image of Monokuma holding a glass of what seemed like champagne. He was sitting in an expensive-looking office chair and was behind a neatly organized wooden desk, filled with tasty-looking food. While Rantaro couldn't care less about Monokuma was doing, what the bear said sent shivers down his spine.
"A body has been discovered! Everyone please gather in the classroom 1-A!"
And with that, the screen went off again, leaving the room in a deafening silence.
Rantaro's eyes widened as far as they could, taking a few seconds to fully absorb the information. Suddenly, he found his body moving before he could process it, and when he realized, he was already bolting through the basement's corridor, towards the stairs.
"A-Amami-kun!" He heard Kaito yell, and soon he could hear the sound of several footsteps behind as everyone ran out of the room. He didn't pay them any mind, too focused on going up the staircase as fast as he could, very nearly jumping several steps rather than running up normally.
This can't be...
He hoped with all his might that it was some kind of joke, that Monokuma was somehow resorting to desperate tactics to mess with their minds, but it didn't take long for him to crush whatever hope he had into pieces.
He hadn't even finished going up the stairs when he realized where he was supposed to go. He hadn't really stopped to think about where he was going when he bolted out of the game room, but he inadvertedly ended up there. After all, there was only one classroom on the first floor.
The one right by the stairs to the basement.
Suddenly, the world started moving a lot slower as the image before him was burned into his eyes, and he found himself unable to move. He knew there were people gathered there already, but his brain couldn't even process who they were. Some of them were screaming in horror and some of them were talking among themselves, but he couldn't make out what they were saying. All he could see was red. There were big and small stains of a red liquid splattered all over the walls, a few drops of it slowly streaming down and dirtying the walls even further.
And there... Lying on the ground, unmoving in a pool of their own blood...
Was the Ultimate Detective, Shuichi Saihara.
...
...
...
To be continued...
A/N: Well, there you have it! How did you like the first chapter?
I am aware that many of you will hate me for killing Shuichi, but come on, how could I write a story about Rantaro and Kaede with Shuichi there, ready to snatch the waifu away? I'd have to go with the typical overused cliches, such as Kaede being rejected by Shuichi and seeking comfort in Rantaro. Sorry, but no. Love triangles annoy the fuck out of me, so they won't be staining this story. Also, this is an unpopular opinion (triggered noises incoming), but I find Shuichi's character as boring as stale white bread, like pretty much all protagonists from this series except maybe for Komaru. One of my intents with this fanfic is to explore how the game would've been if Kaede had been the protagonist from beginning to end, won't that be interesting?
So please, do try to not hate me. Besides, this is a killing game fanfic. Characters WILL, unfortunately, die for your entertainment, but hey, you like Danganronpa. You can handle that!
As I hope you've noticed, I made use of several actual events that happened in the game and phrases that were said by the characters, so as to make this fanfic as close as possible to the real thing. I also tried to describe them based on how they look in their sprites. I don't like to make the characters OOC or to make up stuff, so I hope you didn't get this impression. Everything you've read here is information you've seen in the actual game, but in the future chapters I might add some things from my own head so as to fill in possible story gaps and make things a bit more interesting. Look forward to it!
I guess this is it for now. I hope you enjoyed the prologue, and if you did, please do leave a review to let me know. Your feedback is very important to me!
Thanks for reading! See you in the next chapter!