Junko Enoshima clapped her hands together.
"O-kay! Now that everyone's here, let's begin the meeting!"
The assembled Despairs waited as Junko began her speech.
"Listen, I know you guys have been going around getting revenge on everyone you hate and all that this past week, but there's more to despair than that y'know?", she said with a pout, leaning on her microphone.
"There's all kinds of despair! There's the despair that comes from having your hopes and dreams shattered. The despair that comes from hurting yourself and the ones you love. The despair that comes from killing your family and friends. And finally...the despair that comes from your own death...ha...ha..."
Junko Enoshima wiped at the drool that was beginning to drip from the corner of her mouth, then straightened.
"That last one is pretty final, so we'll focus on another type of despair, for now.", Junko said, then posed, one hand in front of her face and the other propping it up.
"In the coming week, you will kill your closest family, friends or acquaintances. You have no choice in the matter. In doing so, you will reach levels of despair that previously you could have only dreamed of before. I don't care how you do it: burn them, run them down, shoot them, strangle them, crush them, poison them. I just want them dead by the end of the week."
Junko dropped her persona and grinned, giving an eye-smile that sent shivers down the Despairs' spines.
"And don't worry, I'll be watching all of you verrrrrry closely to see that you complete your goal. After all, it wouldn't be fair to the others if only you got to keep their precious people now would it? Some people might get jealous, or even resentful...", Junko said, her eyes glinting in the night.
Enoshima paced back and forth on the stage. "Some of you may be thinking, 'But Junko-sama, you haven't killed your sister yet!' And this is true! But I still need her for part of my plan. Plus she's as hard to kill as a cockroach and smells like one too..."
Mukuro Ikusaba sniffed her jacket. "Sorry sis..."
"Shut up! Anyways, one eager despair-seeker has already killed their loved ones...and the witnesses...and everyone who was around the general area at the time. Let's give her a big round of applause! Come on up, Tsumiki-san!"
A trembling figure broke from the group, and carefully began walking up the stairs to the stage that had been erected for the occasion amidst Junko's lone applause. With a gesture from Junko, Mikan Tsumiki took up a position beside her. Junko then threw her arm around her shoulder and gave her an almost friendly smile.
"Now tell these nice young Despairs exactly what you did yesterday!"
Mikan nervously pushed her fingers together. "W-well first I gave everyone a p-paralyzing agent...then I administered a combination of t-toxic substances into their bloodstream..."
"Ooohoo! Sounds painful!", Junko Enoshima said with a laugh. "What kind of substances, exactly?"
"W-well I used a variety of d-different substances...like m-mercury, arsenic and myotoxins and n-nuerotoxins from snakes' and spiders' venom...They died at different times in different ways, d-depending on the combinations of the doses I gave them..."
"I see...And how did it feel?", Junko whispered into her ear, "Watching them squirm and scream and beg and knowing that they were at your mercy...?"
Mikan's breathing became heavy, her eyes taking on a glazed look. "It was wonderful!...That feeling of total control and the look of betrayal on their faces as they passed away...such beautiful despair...Some of them could still speak, you know? They begged and pleaded for me to save them, to help them. I ignored them all...and watched them die...Nobody ever saved me you know? Nobody ever saved-"
"That's enough, Tsumiki."
"O-of course, Junko-sama! Forgive me!"
Mikan tried to quickly make her way back down the stage to join the other Despairs. But she went a little too quickly. Mikan tripped on the stairs, snagging her foot on some of the microphone's wires, contorting and wrapping them around her body before it somehow turned into shibari. Mikan rolled down the last few steps, whimpering pathetically.
Junko sighed. "So that's the plan. One week. Your closest people dead. Any questions?", Junko asked, rubbing her forehead. She could feel a headache coming on. And not the kind filled with despair.
"Uhh...I have one."
"Who...Oh Owari-san. What's your question?", Junko Enoshima asked, raising an eyebrow.
Akane cleared her throat before she spoke. "Could we-ya'know, maybe...convert them to despair instead of killing them?"
Junko's grin, previously large, stretched into almost inhuman size.
"You can try."
Akane Owari was doing something that most people who knew her well would never accuse her of doing.
Thinking.
As she jogged home, through the deserted and run-down streets of her neighborhood, she was attempting to come up with a plan to keep all of her family alive, yet simultaneously drive them into the depths of despair.
It wasn't going well.
It had been relatively simple for her to understand despair. She could easily equate it with the sensation of hunger. Not the tingling in your abdomen kind of hunger which lets you know when your stomach is getting empty. The hunger Akane was thinking about was the raw, aching belly kind of hunger. The bent over, physical pain kind of hunger, The kind of hunger that gnaws and gnaws and gnaws away at your stomach and your mind without end, never stopping until you are completely consumed by the need, the desire, to EAT.
Akane had felt that sensation before. She had grown up with it most of her life. In fact, it was only recently that she had managed to escape that never-ending hunger and could afford a place to call her own. She still lived in the slums; it was all Akane could afford while also providing for her younger brothers and sisters, but it was a lot better than she was used to.
Speaking of her house, Akane was quickly approaching it. It wasn't much to look at, just a one story building with two bedrooms and bathroom, furnished with peeling paint, leaky pipes and drafty rooms. But it was her home now. There was running water, electricity, and a kitchen. They even had a basement, with a walk-in freezer to store food in!
And food was no longer an issue for the Owari family. Before, every cent that Akane earned, every scrap of food that she could steal made its way back to support her younger siblings. All seven of them. The oldest son, Takuro, age 13. The twins, Naofumi and Megumi, both 11. The shy Sakiko, age 9. The kind Yukinaga, age 8. The energetic Haruhiko, age 6. And the youngest, Hikari, only 5 years old.
Akane frowned. She doubted she could come up with a plan to make her family fall into despair. They were content, and wanted for nothing anymore. Her siblings had never experienced stabbing hunger pangs because they had missed a meal. They never had to scrounge through alleys and dumpsters looking for leftovers just to survive. They had a difficult life, to be sure, with danger and the threat of death lurking around every corner. But they were always taken care of by their beloved big sis.
It hit Akane like a bolt of lighting. A plan. A plan that would accomplish all her goals at once. It was quite simple, and it would be painful, for everyone involved, but it was the best she could come up with with the time she had available. Akane knew what she needed to do.
She was home. Akane slowed her pace to a walk, and made her way to the front door.
She was interrupted; however, by her siblings as they burst from the house and jumped her where she stood.
"Aka-nee!", Haruhiko exclaimed, "You're home!"
"We missed you, nee-chan...", Sakiko quietly said.
"Sheesh you guys, let her breathe!", Takuro said, exasperated. "She just got back!"
"How was your day, Akane-nee?", the twins asked in unison.
"Are you tired, onee-chan? Would you like to sit down?", Yukinaga offered.
Hikari just silently hugged her leg.
Akane looked down at her beloved brothers and sisters, and her heart ached. But she knew that she had made her decision long ago, and that now there was no going back. She would try her hardest to save her family, even if it meant breaking them. Even if it meant sending them into despair. So Akane gathered her siblings together for one last group hug.
"Huh? Are you okay onee-chan? You look like you're crying."
"I'm sorry...", Akane choked out.
"Sorry? Sorry for wha-"
Cold.
That was the first thing Takuro thought when he blearily slipped back into consciousness.
It's cold in here.
He tried pulling some sheets away from his brothers, but found he couldn't move his hands.
That was when Takuro woke up in earnest.
Blinking, he observed his surroundings. A plain gray, rectangular room. One door, firmly closed, with a small window near the top. Six other bodies. And he could see his breath when he exhaled.
Takuro realized he probably was in the freezer in the basement, which meant he was still in his home, at the very least. But if he was still at home, then where was-
"Akane-nee!", Takuro yelled, trying to force his way up into a sitting position, which was difficult since his hands were tied behind his back and his feet were tied together. The other bodies, which he recognized as his siblings, were also rousing from their slumber.
"First one awake, huh? I should've guessed, since yer the oldest and all.", came the muffled voice of Akane Owari from the other side of the freezer door.
"Nee-chan, what's going on?", Sakiko asked, shaking. "I'm scared."
"Don't be scared, Sakiko.", Akane said. Her face, which was pressed against the window, was distorted. "This is the only way to save all of you."
"What do you mean, Aka-nee?", questioned a nervous Haruhiko.
Akane lowered her voice."You guys gotta feel the same despair as me, or else y'all be killed."
"Killed?! By who Akane-nee? You can stop them, right?", Naofumi and Megumi asked in unison,, leaning up against one another.
"By some scary guys. And I can't beat them...they're stronger than me...", Akane said, resigned.
"I thought you were the strongest Aka-nee! You can just punch them a bunch and beat them all up!"
"I am strong! These guys are just stronger, okay?", Akane said in a huff. "Anyways, it's just until you feel despair, ya'know? Once you start feeling reeeaaally hungry, you'll know what I'm talking about. I won't be eating either, so it'll be fair."
"What are you talking about Akane-nee?! Just let us out!", yelled Takuro, who was quite confused.
"Umm...Takuro-nii, I can't wake up Hikari. She looks really cold.", came the quiet voice of Yukinaga.
The older siblings scooted closer to check on Hikari. She did look cold. Her lips were blue, and her skin looked waxy. She wasn't moving.
"Hikari, wake up!", Takuro said, nudging her with his foot. She still didn't move.
Takuro turned toward the door. "How long have we been in here, Akane-nee?", he asked.
"Hmm...I think its been around seven or eight hours.", Akane replied in an unsure tone.
"What?! Onee-chan, Hikari dosen't look so good! You've gotta take her to the hospital or something!", exclaimed Yukinaga.
"Sorry Yukinaga, I can't let you out until ya feel despair, otherwise you'll all die!"
Yukinaga wiggled to his feet, using the walls of the freezer for support. "How can you say that onee-chan?!", he said hopping to the door. "Hikari could be dying right now! There's no time to-"
Unfortunately for Yukinaga, the floors of freezers tend to be slippery. Yukinaga's last hop landed him on a wet patch of the floor, slipping him up and sending him careening into the door. With his arms tied up and no way to brace himself, he fell onto the door handle, head first. On contact, a sickening CRUNCH was heard, before Yukinaga hit the floor with a THUMP, his body limp.
There was a split-second of horrified silence. Then the screams began.
"Yukinaga-nii, are you okay...?", asked a crying Sakiko, cradling his body in her arms.
"This can't be happening...", muttered a terrified Naofumi. Megumi sobbed into her twin's chest.
"Is he okay? Please tell me he's okay Sakiko-nee!", begged Haruhiko.
"Akane-nee!", Takuro cried. "Open the door!"
"I...can't...", Akane snarled, her face a mixture of pain, sadness and anger. "You'll die..."
"We ARE dying Akane-nee! What are you so afraid of!?"
"I'M NOT AFRAID!", Akane shouted at them as she pounded the door. "I'M NOT WEAK!"
Then she left.
The only sound that remained was the steady dripping of blood off the door handle.
Time passed. How much time? No one knew. Akane would stop by every now and then to ask them if they could feel it yet, if they could feel despair. They always answered no, and begged Akane to let them out. She ignored them, and the cycle continued.
Eventually, they freed themselves from their bindings. Akane wasn't the best at tying knots, so they simply helped each other untie their arms, then their legs. They weren't free, but at least they weren't tied up.
Takuro and Haruhiko moved Yukinaga's body to one side of the room, near Hikari. After a moment's hesitation Takuro announced that they had to take their clothes.
"WHAT?", exclaimed Megumi. "We can't do that!"
"We need them Megumi, otherwise we'll freeze. Like Hikari did."
"He's right sis.", said Naofumi, nudging Megumi. "Aren't your hands and feet freezing?"
"...Fine", Megumi grumbled at last. "But I'm not touching them!"
"I understand.", said Takuro. "I'll take care of it."
And so, more time passed. Minutes turned into hours, and hours turned into days. And slowly, ever so slowly, they could feel it creeping in. The hunger.
It wasn't just affecting the kids either. Akane was beginning to act strange, and the longer she fasted, the stranger she got. When she stopped by, her words would slur, and occasionally she would forget what she was doing or start off into space. Her visits too, became more and more random; sometimes she returned immediately after she left, sometimes she didn't return for hours at a time. One time, she just stood there, on the other side of the door, watching them for a good two hours before she abruptly left.
And then, one day, it happened.
Naofumi beat on the door with all his might. "Akane-nee! Come here! I have something to tell you!"
Akane staggered back to the door from where she was resting, and turned her bleary eyes toward Naofumi.
"Whaddya want?", she asked.
Naofumi took a deep breath. "We've felt it.", he said.
"What?"
"Like I said, we've felt it. Me, Megumi, Takuro, Sakiko and Haruhiko. We've felt the hunger, the despair. So let us out Akane-nee!"
Akane's expression turned dark, and her eyes flashed.
"...Are you makin' fun of me?", she asked in a low voice.
"No of course not Akane-nee! We're just saying-"
"DO YA THINK THIS IS A FUCKING JOKE?! YOU'RE IN DESPAIR!? DON'T FUCK WITH ME! YOU HAVEN'T FELT IT FORNEARLYLONG ENOUGH TO KNOWANYTHINGABOUT IT!"
"Akane-nee..."
"TRY LIVING ALL YOUR LIFE NEVER KNOWING WHEN YOU'LL EAT AGAIN OR BEING AFRAID EVERY DAY THAT SOMEONE MIGHT JUST KILL YOU FOR NO REASON! BUT I STILL SURVIVED, I STILL LIVED! BECAUSE I'M. NOT. WEAK!"
Akane stomped away without another word.
Naofumi collapsed in tears. His twin, Megumi, moved over to comfort him. Everyone else stood where they were, awkwardly watching Naofumi cry.
"...She's not the Akane-nee that we know.", he sniffled out.
"No duh Naofumi-nii, we can all tell something's wrong with Aka-nee.", Haruhiko said, rolling his eyes.
"No, I mean that that isn't Akane-nee anymore. Its something else...", Naofumi said, a sad look in his eyes.
"What do you mean?", Takuro asked.
"I don't think we're getting out of here, guys...", Naofumi finally responded. "Whatever she else she says, she wants us to suffer."
"Don't say that Naofumi-nii! I'm sure she'll let us out eventually! She's our sister! She loves us!", Sakiko exclaimed.
"..." Naofumi was silent.
Later, when everyone else had fallen asleep, Naofumi shook Megumi awake.
"Are we really going to do this, Naofumi?", she asked, apprehension clear on her face as she sat up.
"You know its the only way to end it, Megumi.", Naofumi replied. "She'll never let us go until we give her something we don't have, and I don't want to see you suffer anymore..."
"...Okay bro, but we do this together, like we always have.", Megumi said, her hands on her hips.
"Of course, sis. I wouldn't have it any other way.", Naofumi said with a smile.
Then they hung themselves.
Using the same rope used to tie them up, they looped it over the rafters and created makeshift nooses for the both of them. They didn't know any complex knots, so they just used a double shoelace knot to keep it in place and form the noose. Then, using the bodies of their dead siblings, they climbed up and put their heads in the noose. With one last nod at each other, they kicked the bodies of Hikari and Yukinaga away.
Since they were novices at noose making, their necks didn't break. Naofumi and Megumi slowly suffocated during the night while everyone else was asleep, limbs twitching occasionally as oxygen was cut off from their brains.
When the remaining three Owari siblings woke up in the morning. They were greeted with a gruesome sight. But it was a testament to what they had already went through that only one of them reacted poorly.
"LET ME OUT!", screamed Sakiko, pounding once more on the door. "LET ME OUT LET ME OUT LET ME OUT LET ME OUT LET ME OUT Let Me Out let...me...out...please..."
"It'll be okay Sakiko...", Takuro soothed, reaching out to Sakiko."Everything's gonna be okay..."
"I can't take this anymore...", Sakiko said, distraught. "This place, this situation...I feel so..."
Sakiko blinked.
"Wait...is this it...?"
"What are you talking about, Sakiko-nee?", Haruhiko asked, curious.
"Is this the despair she was talking about? This thing...that I feel now..." A manic grin appeared on Sakiko's face. "So this is despair!"
"Haruhiko!", Takuro said with a stern voice. "Back away from Sakiko...slowly."
Haruhiko did as he was told, nervously glancing between Sakiko and Takuro.
Sakiko's turned her head to them. "Hey...what's wrong?...Where are you going?...", she asked, crawling on the floor after them.
"Sakiko...calm down. Don't do anything you'll regret.", Takuro said, shielding Haruhiko with his body.
"I don't know what you're talking about onii-chan! I feel great!", Sakiko said, smiling.
Then she launched herself at Takuro, her hands wrapping around his throat. She squeezed.
"Hey Takuro-nii, you know, I never liked you.", Sakiko said, a wistful look on her face. "You were always trying to show off to Akane-nee and our other siblings, trying to be the strong older brother..."
"G-ack! Gluck! Ack!"
"Leave him alone!", Haruhiko said, attacking Sakiko with his small fists. Sakiko ignored him.
"But you never were, were you? You still always ended up getting saved by her. In the end, you were just another mouth for Akane-nee to feed..."
"H-ck! Ick... Gah..."
"But it's okay...there's fewer mouths for her to feed now...fewer burdens for her to carry...Don't worry, I'll make sure you all have a proper burial! Ahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaa-urk!"
Suddenly, Sakiko gripped her chest. She let go of Takuro's neck and stood up, wobbling as she did so. With a last horrified look at Takuro and a strangled cry, she fell over, still clutching her chest. She was dead.
Takuro gasped for breath as his lungs tried to fill themselves with oxygen. Heaving, he looked down at Sakiko's body, blood already pooling from her open mouth.
"What-ha-ha-happened?", he asked, gulping down air.
"I dunno...", Haruhiko said tiredly.
"It-ha-must've been-ha-a heart attack.", said Takuro, squatting down on the floor.
"Takuro-nii...", came Haruhiko's small voice, "What are we gonna do?"
Takuro pulled Haruhiko into a hug.
"It'll be okay...", he lied.
More time passed. Akane had stopped coming to the door to check on them. Takuro was going delirious from hunger. He was almost convinced that nothing else existed in the world but this accursed freezer. On and on the hours passed. Time had no meaning anymore. But everything comes to an end eventually.
Haruhiko was dying. The youngest Owari male was taking the lack of food especially hard. Combined with the cold, his energy was constantly being sapped. And one day, he didn't wake up.
"Haruhiko! Wake up!", Takuro said, shaking his younger brother's body.
"Ugh...hmm? Takuro-nii...?", the formerly energetic Haruhiko mumbled out.
"You gotta stay awake, okay?", said Takuro, temporarily relieved.
"Sorry Takuro-nii...I'm too tired...", replied Haruhiko slowly. Too slowly.
"No! You can't die Haruhiko! I won't let you!", Takuro yelled.
"S'okay Takuro...I'll be fine. Promise me you'll get out of here though, okay?..."
"I promise Haruhiko! I promise! Please don't die! Haruhiko?"
Haruhiko didn't respond.
That night, Takuro, the last Owari sibling, cried himself to sleep.
And in the morning, she came.
With a squeak of the hinges and a rumbling sound, Akane Owari opened the door to the freezer. What she found there was Takuro, arms around his knees, staring straight at the wall.
"So, do ya feel it, Takuro?", she asked him.
"Y-yes.", he croaked out. "I feel it."
Akane broke into a genuine smile. "Great! Now wake up the others and let's get some food!"
"...What?"
"Wake up your siblings, Takuro. Hikari, Haruhiko, Sakiko, Megumi, Naofumi, Yukinaga...they're gonna miss our feast if they don't wake up."
"...Are you serious?"
"Geez. C'mon, hurry and wake them up! I'm starving her-"
Takuro attacked Akane. Lunging through the now open door, he tackled her and sent her sprawling to the ground. He then sat on top of her and proceeded to punch her in the face repeatedly before choking her. Normally, this would be no problem for the SHSL Gymnast, but she was weak from days upon days without food, and Takuro was fueled by pure rage.
"FUCK YOU!", he screamed at Akane as he strangled her. "ARE YOU SICK IN THE HEAD OR SOMETHING!? THEY"RE DEAD! AND IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!"
'What's happening...' thought Akane as she began to black out. 'I'm...dying? NO! I can't die here...I'm-'
"I'M NOT WEAK!", she roared, ripping Takuro off of her before grabbing him by the legs and spinning him into the concrete basement wall.
SMACK!
Akane panted for breath. That maneuver had taken the last of her energy. Now she was running on empty. The hunger was unbearable now, and it ate away at her mind, her sanity. Scrambling to her feet, she briefly turned to the boy bleeding from a head wound on the floor. He mumbled something-I love you Akane-nee-but whatever, he wasn't around to take Akane's food anymore. Akane stumbled to the stairs. She was so close! So close to the food. If she could just climb these final steps...
But darkness crept in at the edges of her vision. She wasn't going to make it! At least clear the stairs...prove that-
"I'm not...weak...", Akane said, as she fell the floor, unconscious.
"You are weak."
Akane coughed as she slowly rose from the ground, spitting dirt and grass out of her mouth.
"Your fighting style is sloppy; attacking an opponent head on only works when you are much stronger than them. Your speed and power are nothing special, merely the result of conditioning over the years from your childhood."
"Shut UP!", Akane yelled, as she charged once more at her opponent.
She promptly ended up back on the ground, gasping for breath from a punch to her gut.
Mukuro Ikusaba looked down on the girl, who was struggling with wobbly legs to rise to her feet once more.
"Perhaps most importantly, there is nothing you are fighting for. You seek out strong opponents and challenge them simply for the fun of it. And when they inevitably win, you declare them your rival, and continue to challenge them again and again, never changing how you fight."
Mukuro bent down on her knees, and stared Akane straight in the eye.
"So I'll say it once more; You are weak, Owari-san."
"You...bastard...", Akane ground out through clenched teeth as she glared at Mukuro.
Mukuro broke eye contact, rose from her crouching position, then turned and began walking away.
"There's still someone stronger than me, ya'know!"
Mukuro paused.
"Pardon me?", she said.
Akane smirked. "I'm not the strongest, ya'know? There's someone else in my class who I bet could-"
"If you are referring to Nidai-kun, I have already beaten him. He managed to last quite a while against me though, despite having no formal martial arts training."
Akane Owari blinked. "Huh?"
"Or perhaps you were referring to Pekoyama-san? Her sword techniques were impressive, but I managed to disarm her and she surrendered."
Akane's throat went dry. "W-what?"
"I meant what I said, Owari-san. You are weak. There are many who are stronger than you. Nidai-kun, Pekoyama-san, Oogami-san, myself...I don't like to boast, but I am probably one of the strongest, only beaten outright by...him..." Mukuro scrunched up her nose in disgust.
Akane stared at the ground in defeat, shock evident on her face.
"And you Owari-san, are near the bottom. I struggle to think of another 'fighter' who is as weak as you. Maybe Oowada-kun?..."
"You're lying."
Mukuro cocked her head. "Hmm? What was that?"
"I said YOU'RE LYING!", Akane said with a snarl as she jumped to her feet. "There's no way they could've lost to you! I've felt yer punches, and sure, ya hit hard, but they're nothing special. It would take a lot more than that to-"
Akane's rant was cut of by another fist in her stomach.
Only this one hurt.
A lot.
Blood bubbled from Akane's mouth as she fell, twitching, to the ground.
Mukuro Ikusaba looked down on Akane once more.
"I was holding back. For your sake. Please don't try to get up again."
"Aww...Mukuro-nee. I just told you to rough her up a little, not to break her!", came the lilting voice of Junko Enoshima.
"H-huh? But didn't you say to..."
"Shut up Mukuro-nee, your voice is giving me a headache."
"Ah, s-sorry Junko-chan..."
Junko Enoshima walked over and bent down to look at Akane's unmoving body. "Hello there Owari-senpai! Let's have a nice chat when you wake up!", she said, giving Akane a pat on the head.
She turned to Mukuro.
"But still sis, I never would have thought you had it in you, acting so cold and sadistic!"
"I-I was just acting like you said to, Junko-chan."
"What did I just say?"
"O-oh...sorry sis..."
The last thing Akane remembered was a grin so wide that it seemed to split its face in half.
Then blackness claimed her.
It was the smell of cooking that woke Akane Owari up.
A flavorful aroma of spices and cooked meat made its way to Akane's nose, rousing her from her slumber. Her hunger returned in full force, and she staggered her way into the kitchen, intent on devouring whatever she could find. But when she got there, she was met with an unexpected sight.
"Eh? Hanamura? Whaddya doing here?", Akane said, surprised.
"Ahh, Owari-san! I was beginning to think you would never wake up! If you had slept any longer, I was going to be your Prince Charming and wake Sleeping Beauty up with a kiss..." Teruteru Hanamura said as he winked at Akane.
Akane cracked her knuckles. "You didn't do anything stupid, did ya Hanamura?", she growled.
"O-of course not Owari-san. I was just joking! But you were asleep for an awfully long time...", Teruteru said, brandishing a ladle. "So long, that I decided to make a meal that would rouse the dead! It's my newest recipe! I figured you would want to be the first one to try it, given your...enthusiasm for food."
Teruteru gestured to Akane's small table, which was now covered in several different dishes, all of which looked delicious. There was everything from sandwiches and soups to salads and sausages. It was enough to make Akane's mouth water. She dove into the feast with gusto, shoving food in her mouth, forgoing silverware entirely in order to eat with her hands. Normally, Akane had at least some manners, but she was just so damnHUNGRY.
"Hey, Owari-san?", Teruteru said, sitting down in the chair across from her.
"Mmph?", Akane asked through a mouthful of food. "Mmaff emph phmet?"
"You weren't at the meeting a couple of days ago, you know? I asked Junko-sama about it but she just said you were 'taking care of things'. Did you...do the deed?", Teruteru questioned, leaning forward to stare at Akane.
Akane swallowed. "Yeah, I did. I took care of them...", she said glumly.
"I see.", Teruteru said, sitting back down.
There was an awkward pause.
"I see you still haven't tried my newest dish yet, Owari-san.", Teruteru said, pointing to a tray that was covered by a sliver dome and sat in the center of the table.
"What is it?", Akane asked, pulling the tray over to her.
"That's a Hanamura family secret!", Teruteru said, smiling and touching his nose. "But I'm sure you'll love it anyways. Go ahead, give it a try!"
Akane took of the lid and looked at the food. It was a pale meat, lightly seared, with a dark glaze coating most of the dish. The only other ingredients were salt, pepper and a sprig of parsley. It had an...unusual shape but it smelled delicious.
"It doesn't look like much. Oh well...", Akane said, bringing some of the meat up to her mouth.
Teruteru smiled. "It's my best dish yet! I'm quite proud of it! The ingredients are a bit hard to come by though..."
"Whatever.", Akane said, taking a bite.
Bliss.
That was the first word that came to mind after Akane took a bite of the meal. It was delicious. No, more than that. It was exquisite. It was the best thing she had ever eaten. She tore through the succulent pale white meat with her canines, juices dripping from the flesh. It melted like butter in her mouth; the meat was tender and sweet, with just a hint of saltiness. The dripping glaze complimented the meat perfectly, adding a tang with a slightly coppery undertone to the dish. The flavors balanced each other flawlessly, one never overcoming the other. It was simple, it was delectable and Akane needed more.
She looked down to find that both her plate and the tray were empty. She turned to Teruteru.
"Hanamura! This stuff is great!", she said, then gestured to her empty plate. "You got any more?"
"Of course I do! Who do you think I am?!", he said, puffing out his chest with pride as he hurried to refill her plate.
"You're lucky you know.", Teruteru said as he laid the plate down in front of her.
"Whaddya mean?", Akane asked, drooling at the sight of the meat.
"This meat is hard to...acquire. And the day I come over to check on you, I found out you have a freezer full of this type of meat downstairs! Lucky, huh?"
Something about that statement struck Akane Owari as odd.
"What was that?", she asked, already on her third plateful of the delicious dish.
"I said this meat is hard to...hey are you alright, Owari-san?", Teruteru asked, looking at Akane.
Akane's eyes were wide, and she had a look of dawning horror upon her face. Without warning, she jumped up from the table and ran downstairs to the basement.
"Hey!", Teruteru Hanamura called after her, "Where are you going?"
Akane burst into the basement. She had a feeling something was very, very wrong. Once down there, she looked around to see if anything was out of place. Everything appeared to be in order...wait. The freezer door was open. Slowly, Akane crept towards the door, idly noting a bloodstain on the floor. She would have to clean that up later. Akane reached out, grabbed the freezer door handle and pulled. With the freezer door now completely open she found...
Nothing.
Well, not literally nothing. Her meat was still there, in a pile in the corner of the room. Some of the meat had chunks cut out of it, no doubt it used in Hanamura's cooking. But other than that, nothing seemed out of place other than the freezer door being open.
As she shut the door, Akane wondered if she should get some meat hooks. Keeping meat on the ground like that was probably not sanitary.
Her fears subsided, Akane made her way out of the basement, turning the light off as she went.
She had a meal to finish.
"I didn't think you had it in you, Owari-senpai."
Akane turned away from the ocean to see Junko Enoshima was standing behind her.
"To do what, Junko-sama?", she asked.
"To do what you did.", Enoshima said with a knowing smile. "I was watching remember?"
"I-I don't understand, Junko-sama...", Akane said, slightly flustered.
"Huh? Huh? Huh? Do you really not know? Or are you just pretending?", Junko asked, her face getting closer to Akane's with every word.
Getting increasingly aggravated, Akane spat: "I have no idea what you're talkin' about! I just did what you told me to do!"
"True, true. But after after that...what did you do with their bodies, Owari-san?", Junko asked, amused.
"Well I...huh? That's weird..." Akane said, gripping the sides of her head. "I..I can't...I can't seem to remember..."
"Hmm...So you don't remember when you...", Junko moved beside Akane Owari and whispered in her ear. As she spoke Akane's face turned more and more pale, until she was nearly white.
"I...I really did that?", Akane croaked out. She was shaking. Her breath was coming in increasingly short gasps. And worst of all, she could feel a pressure building inside her head. It felt dark and viscous, and impatient to be released.
"Yep! Sure did! But here's the question Owari-senpai: did you enjoy yourself?" Junko's eyes were spinning round and round, two black pits of despair above her trademark grin. They were swirling and whirling hypnotically, drawing Akane further and further into their blackness...
"Y-yeah...I did...", Akane Owari mumbled, slipping onto her knees on the ground. "I felt...something I've never felt before...I felt...free."
"Yep, that's definitely despair! It's very cathartic, when the world is pulled out from under you, and all that you can do is fall further and further. All your troubles fade away...just let your instincts take their place. And now that you've truly tasted despair, all you have to do...is embrace it."
Akane knew that Junko was saying something, but she couldn't hear her any more. It was like there was cotton stuffed in her ears. She screwed her eyes shut and let go of her head, and as soon as she did, she could feel something break. A warm, heavy and sticky feeling flowed through her body, making it feel tingly all over as the blood rushed to her head. Akane blinked, shook her head and then slowly opened her new red eyes to look up at Junko Enoshima.
"Good morning sunshine! Welcome to the new you!", she said, smiling, as she took Akane's hand and hauled her to her feet.
"So listen, I've got a job for you Owari-san. It may involve death, destruction, and healthy dose of property damage. Perhaps an orphanage or two. You ready?" Junko asked, turning back to look at Akane.
Akane nodded. She was eager to begin spreading despair and anxious to prove she wasn't weak.
Besides, she was getting hungry.