A/N: Hello everyone and welcome to the Chapter 1 of my Danganronpa fanfiction.
I hope you readers like the Prologue, it took quite a while to get right, but once it was i couldn't help but post it. the quicker it's up the better, that way I won't get tempted to change or add anything. This time around the first official chapter took like three rewrites so it wasn't so bad.
A little thing about this story, I will be using a different chapter format, instead of regular chapters, I will be splitting each chapter into Acts, since I want to keep it true to the games. Each part will be split into the normal school life, named Daily Life, where we will see Yuno interact with his friends and other students of Hope's Peak Academy, including exploration and free time events. Note that there will be a few people he doesn't talk to during his free time, but there will be tiny subplots to at least acknowledge them.
The second part of the chapter will be split into the Deadly Life part, which will involve the investigation and the Class Trials. At the end of each trial there will be an execution, and after each one, there will most likely be an omake detailing what happens after the trials.
However many acts each chapter has depends on how much I feel like writing, currently, Chapter one has three acts. I'm not sure if each chapter will have three or more acts, so there isn't a solid number.
I've also been struggling with a pairing for this one, since there are a lot of girls that would fit my character right. But I finally decided on an Oc x Sayaka pairing, since she was one of my favorite characters in the original Danganronpa and I was saddened that she and Leon were killed off so quickly. Makoto Naegi will be paired with Mikan Tsumiki, because I feel that would be a really cute pairing, since she is an abused person and he generally brings hope to everyone he meets. Anyway, I've rambled enough, onward and upward, Chapter 1 Act 1 is incoming.
Update: As of 6/26/17 Chapter 1 Act 1 of The School Life of Mutual Killing has been re edited and re posted...aside from some grammar fixes and some stuff at the end, nothing much as changed...
Danganronpa
The School Life of Mutual Killing
Chapter 1
Act 1
Academy of Hope (Daily Life)
It had been around an hour since Makoto had been knocked out by Mondo, and Yuno along with Mikan and Sayaka, decided to wait in his dorm until he woke up. Past those doors, none of them knew what was going on. Yuno had been quite surprised, seeing the nice spread of his classmate's room. He had a twin sized bed, along with a desk, which was behind his bed. He also had a dresser, on the other side of the room. There was a small white trash can next to it, the only chair in the room was taken by Sayaka, who sat beside Makoto who was restfully sleeping on his bed. The windows, had been bolted down much like the rest of the building.
The lighting in the room was different than in the hallways, instead of being purple, green or blue it was a florescent white, how it would have normally looked. The floor tiles were a neon blue in color, something that he didn't quite expect from the academy. Finally, across the bed, was the door to the bathroom. He hadn't peeked inside yet, mostly due to the fact that the door wouldn't open for some reason or another. Yuno had been sitting down on the floor, leaning against the small plant that was placed across the room. It was synthetic of course, but it at least kept his hopes of seeing a real one alive.
Mikan had sat down on top of the dresser, the worry on her face not exactly leaving. He assumed it was mostly because of her background as a nurse. She seemed busy readjusting the bandages on her arm. Sayaka kept her eyes trained on her eHandbook, almost willing it to tell her something.
In his mind, Yuno had to wonder, what the motive was. What was the point of holding Seventeen students against their will? For personal gain? For monetary again? He didn't know, but what he did know was that there was a reason. A sick reason, a reason he wanted to discover, a reason he was afraid to discover.
His thoughts drifted back to his missing memories. Nothing new had resurfaced, other than stapling the fact that he did indeed have an older sister. The memory was foggy, but he remembered playing with her when they were around twelve. He didn't remember her face or her voice, but he knew she was older than him. He sighed, looking at the tiled floor, he felt a tear slide down the side of his face and he was quick to wipe it. When he looked up though, he caught the worried looks from his two female companions. They wanted to say something, but likely felt it wasn't their place to say anything. He looked at Sayaka, chuckling a bit.
"I'm pretty sure you know what I'm thinking right now right?" he asked.
"Yes, but only because it's the same thing we're all thinking. What's the reason behind all this and who is doing it?" she replied.
"Yup, right on the nose." he said with a grin.
"T-there must b-be something r-right?" Mikan said, pulling their attention toward herself.
"Maybe it's money. I myself am pretty wealthy, mostly because of my career. Byakuya is the heir of a large conglomerate, Junko is a Fashion model, and Celeste is a gambler who hasn't lost a game since she was five."
"It can't be that Sayaka, trust me." Yuno said.
"Why not?" she asked.
"If it was monetary, then they would have already threatened all of you to give them everything you own. No one goes through this much trouble to lock up seventeen high school students. Besides, if that was the case, only you four would be locked here right now." he said.
"I suppose that makes sense." she said, leaning back into her chair.
"W-while its true that c-capturing us is a little w-weird. Doesn't that mean whoever d-did it has a motive?" Mikan asked.
"That's something I'm trying to figure out." he said.
Looking back at the ground. He ran his fingers through his hair, something often did when he was worried or confused. He glanced at the ceiling, allowing his hand to rest at his side.
"However, that is going to take a lot of investigating, clue gathering and culprit deducing. I'd have to put it all together until it makes sense. It's very simple." he said.
"Um...aren't you an archer? How is something as complicated as an investigation be simple?" Sayaka asked. He shrugged.
"It's not hard to solve something when you come at it logically. Say there is a can, at...um...1,000 meters, and you are told to hit it dead center. Something like that may be impossible for others, but logically it isn't impossible." He said, grabbing a sheet of paper. He crumbled it up, turning it into a ball.
"It's actually very simple, all you have to do is pick the right bow, the right arrow and accurately judge the distance and wind direction to figure out how and where you are going to strike your target. An investigation is the same, you gather the clues, your bow, deduce the culprit, your arrows, judge them fairly, and then sentence them to whatever punishment they deserve, thus firing your arrow." he said. He tossed a crumpled up piece of paper at the trash can, nailing it perfectly within the can.
"That's amazing. You can do something like that so easily?" the blue haired idol asked, earning a nod from him.
"Well, it's a little harder than that, but if you use your brain, it should become easier and easier. Not a lot of archers delve into this crap, but I actually do calculations in my mind. I calculate trajectory so I can hit my targets dead center. Sometimes, the farther something is, the harder it is to hit, so I also have to calculate altitude as well." he said.
"I d-didn't know archery was s-such a difficult s-sport." Mikan said.
"It's not really. Well, if you want to be the Ultimate Archer, you have to put some effort into it. I can compare it to being a nurse, you had to go through various tests right?" he asked.
"Oh yes, you not only need to know how to treat injuries, but you also need to be able to suture, hook up IV and Blood lines, and make split second decisions without much time to think, especially when a patient needs a certain kind of medicine." she said.
"Wow...I guess being an Idol is the same too, seeing as I have to write my own songs, record them, edit them and all that stuff. In the end, all of our special talents are the same in some way shape or form. That's really cool." Sayaka said with a smile.
"However, starting an investigation is nigh impossible. We have no leads on who the person in charge is, thus nothing to go on. I feel that all the answers are locked within the academy, if we can locate the real headmaster, we might get some answers." He said.
"Speaking of him, there's no way he would allow this crap to happen right? Unless...the mastermind is the headmaster?" Sayaka said, eyes widening a bit. Mikan started shaking.
"T-this...he can't." she said.
"He's not!" Yuno said firmly, startling the two girls.
"How can you be so sure?" Sayaka questioned. Yuno placed a hand over the pin he had on his lapel, feeling that it was still there. He sighed, closing his eyes.
"I don't know. It's not him though, I feel like it's not."
"Y-you haven't even m-met him before." Mikan said.
"I know...but..it's just a feeling you know?" he replied.
"I'm sorry for questioning you. If you'd like you can draw on me...people say it helps relieve stress." she said, a few tears slipping from her eyes. Yuno shook his head.
"No thanks, I don't break people's minds by drawing on their skin." he said firmly.
They all heard a groan, and looked toward the bed, seeing Makoto was starting to wake up. Yuno quickly stood, standing by his bed. Mikan was beside him, already checking him over. His eyes lazily opened, and he didn't focus on anyone.
"Where...am I?" he asked.
"You're in your dorm. After Mondo decked you, I carried you here. Sayaka and Mikan have been keeping you company as well." Yuno said. Makoto focused on him for a few seconds, before looking at the two girls.
"How...long has it been?"
"A few hours." Mikan replied. She poked the bruise on his cheek, making him wince a bit.
"Sorry...you'll need some ice for that, but for now I'll just put this bandage over it. It will make it easier for when we get ice." she said, placing a medium sized square shaped bandage on his cheek. He chuckled, feeling the bandage.
"At least he didn't knock a tooth out. That would have sucked." he said.
"Guess you got lucky." Sayaka said, giving him a wink, which in turn caused the brown haired teen to blush. Yuno cleared his throat, now gaining their attention.
"Listen, there's something I want to discuss with you now that Makoto is awake. It's about my missing memories." he said.
"Did you get any back?" the spiky haired teen asked, earning a quiet no from the archer.
"Only you three know about my amnesia. I was planning to tell the others so they would be aware of it, but since that sadistic bear showed up, I fear my condition will only raise suspicion against me." he said.
"How do you figure?" Sayaka asked.
"Think about it, someone with near total amnesia is a little too convenient. He is missing memories from not only a few days back, but from most of his family and other important events. It's safe to say someone would have reason to doubt him, perhaps even blame him for our situation." Makoto said.
"T-that makes s-sense." Mikan said quietly. Yuno gave her a nod.
"As such, I want to keep this fact between us. I can't trust the others as much, but I have actually spent longer than five minutes with each of you. I can tell none of you are going to kill someone else...so if possible I'd like it if we could hang out more. At least so we can watch our backs."
"I wouldn't mind hanging out with you. I actually want to get to know you better." Sayaka said.
"I-I've never had f-friends before. I-I'd like to talk some more." Mikan said.
"Same here, if we work together we can make it out of here." Makoto replied. Yuno gave a firm nod.
"Now that Makoto is awake, why don't we explore the school? We might be able to find something." he said.
"That isn't a bad idea. Oh, I can be your assistant Makoto, that would be cool." Sayaka said.
"Sure, I'd like that." the brown haired teen said, standing up and putting his sneakers on.
"U-um, could I b-be your assistant Yuno?" Mikan asked, glancing at the purple haired teen. He gave her a nod.
"Why not? Although a Nurse having an assistant? Isn't that odd?" he asked.
"It is odd, I'm sorry for bothering you." she said, glancing at the ground. He chuckled, placing a hand on her shoulder. She looked up, a few tears running down her cheeks.
"Hey, I didn't say no did I? Let's follow Makoto and Sayaka's example and get explorin!" he said excitedly.
They decided to start with their own dorms first. Ironically enough, his own dorm was next to Sayaka's room. He slipped his key into the door handle, before throwing the door open. His room looked almost like Makoto's, the set up was the same at least. On the walls however, were several paper targets, each having several holes on it, though the most prominent one was on the very center. Each target had a clear bulls-eye. Above his bed, was a paper target in the shape of a person, with several holes in vital areas of the torso.
Next to his dresser was a manikin of sorts, with a few arrows sticking out of it. Finally, hanging next to his flat screen television was his violet carbon fiber compound bow, along with his quiver of arrows. There were a few band posters as well, Pierce the Veil being the most eye catching one, as well as a single anime poster, which was a limited edition poster for Highschool of the Dead. He stepped inside, noticing his suitcase was sticking out from underneath his bed. Opening one of his drawers, he saw all of his clothes had been neatly placed inside.
"Looks like someone took the liberty of decorating my room for me. How wonderful." he deadpanned, the thoughts of having his unmentionables touched by someone else really annoyed him.
"They saved you the trouble right?" Mikan said. He gave a shrug.
"I suppose." he muttered.
He walked over to the bathroom, opening the door. He had to admit, the bathroom was impressive. The shower itself was all tile, and had a really nice shower. There was also a glass wall separating the shower from the Porcelain Throne. At least it wouldn't get wet during showers. He closed the door, noting that it didn't have a lock on it.
"Hey look, a note." Mikan said, pointing to a paper that had been taped to the wall. He walked over it, seeing the words written upon it.
"A new semester at Hope's Peak Academy has begun! Just as a reminder, the water supply is cut off at night time, so if you wish to shower, then do so before 10PM. Only the bathrooms of the girl's dorms have locks on them. As a final note, I have decided to bestow upon everyone a gift, for the Girls, I have left for you a Sowing Kit, with a detailed chart of vital organs. Use this to your heart's contents girls. And for the guys, I left you a Tool Kit. One blow from any of the tools should prove efficient enough, I hope you all use them to commit some crazy murders. I hope you enjoy your time here."
Yuno grit his teeth, pulling the paper from the wall and crumpling it up. He tossed it into the trash bin, wanting to forget the things that had been written on it. Mikan looked at him, wondering what had been written on the paper. She decided against it, not wanting to anger the first friend she had made in the academy. Afterwards, he accompanied her to her dorm, which happened to be across from his.
Her room, while being almost the same as his own had notable differences. Her bed sheets were white instead of blue, and the bathroom was placed on the left side rather than the right. She had a similar note on her bathroom door. Since she had seen his reaction, she didn't even bother reading it, instead she just tossed it in the trash bin. He looked around, taking notice of the antiseptics lined up neatly in the very back. The scent of rubbing alcohol lingered in the room as well, and was the most notable scent in the room. In the very back, next to her bed was a white bag, with a red nurses cross on it.
"Looks like all my things are here." she said quietly, after checking through the dresser. She opened up her small bag, looking through it as well.
"That's good I suppose. Makes me wonder who took the time to put all our stuff here."
"Well...I believe that in order for all of us to wake up here, we must have been heavily sedated. The thing is, I don't remember anything after I walked into the school grounds. Perhaps it was there when we were drugged."
"Maybe." he muttered quietly.
They left her room shortly after that, passing by the other dormitories. They discovered the Incinerator, which was blocked by a large white grate. The room itself was quite large, and the machine itself took most of the room. Yuno looked around, but noticed there wasn't any doors leading outside, nor was there a visible trap door leading to the bigger trash room. After getting all the information he could, he moved on toward the other side of the Despair Hotel.
He easily found the Laundry room, which was empty, save for the large industrial sized washing machines and dryers. Some clothes lines had been rigged to hang above the washers, and a few articles of clothing hung on them, mostly expensive looking blouses and skirts, meaning Junko had recently done laundry, for whatever reason.
Across the plaza, they were able to find the cafeteria, which was rather fancy looking. It was large, and had several small round tables, along with one large rectangular table, with seventeen chairs placed around it. In the far back, was a set of double doors, that presumably lead to the kitchen. Large glass windows, opened out to the outdoor part, which had several natural trees, two of them bearing fruit. The larger windows that allowed sunlight in were bolted shut, preventing a means of escape. He sighed audibly, almost expecting to find an escape.
"Well, I suppose I could use a snack. Want anything?" he asked, looking at Mikan who had been looking around the other wise empty room. She shook her head.
"I'll wait here." she said quietly.
He gave her a nod and strode to the double doors in the back. Giving them a light push, he was able to enter the kitchen. It was of course state of the art, with large stoves and refrigerators, filled to the brim with all sorts of food. Pots and pans hung over one of the cooking stations and several appliances had been placed near the largest stove. Two ovens could be seen in the back, and when he peeked inside, he was surprised to find two trays of cupcakes being baked inside. The bottom one held a tray of brownies, along with what looked to be a large cake. It smelled really good too. He heard a chuckle behind him, and turned around, spotting the Ultimate Baker, leaning against the wall.
"Beautiful isn't it? I always dreamed of having a kitchen this spacious all to myself. Though I haven't delved into to many food related recipes, since I only studied baking. I sort of went crazy and made more than just cupcakes." he said with a chuckle.
"Hey, I don't blame you. You did this to distract yourself from what's going on, and I commend that." he said. Nick nodded, looking at the far wall.
"We all needed to calm down after that, so I felt the need to make something that would ease us all a bit. It helped that I was in a good mood too, the fridge is stocked to the brim with food, including good old fashioned cola." he said, holding up a can of Mountain Dew.
"That's a good thing then." he said, moving onto the large fridge.
When he pulled it open, he let out a surprised gasp, seeing all of the things that were kept inside. It was a chef's dream fridge. It held to many things to name at once. His eyes settled on a bottle of Dr. Pepper Cherry, and he grabbed it, slowly closing it.
"A good choice." he said. Yuno also spotted the fresh vegetables near the large pantry, that held all of the baking ingredients.
"Will all of this be enough for us? Feeding Seventeen students takes a lot of food." he asked curiously, grabbing a pack of cookies from the pantry.
"Actually, the kitchen is restocked every day according to what we have consumed, Monokuma said so himself." Nick said.
"You talked to him?" Yuno asked surprised.
"Well, me and Chihiro were exploring the place and she asked the question. He came out of nowhere, told us that and then left just as fast as he showed up. It's a good thing though, at least I have fresh ingredients to work with. Like I said before, I may not be a chef, but I'll do my best to make something for all of us." he said.
"I know you will."
"Hey, would you like to help me decorate the cupcakes and the cake when their done? We can make them all pretty if you want." he said. Yuno chuckled, shaking his head.
"Sorry, I'm still looking around. I haven't exactly explored what lies outside the Hotel. I want to check out the rest of the first floor." he said.
"Alright, it's a shame though. I have a feeling you would have made some really funny cupcakes." Nick said. They heard a loud slam outside in the cafeteria, prompting Yuno and Nick to go look.
They were greeted with a scared Mikan, and an angry looking Bryce, his notebook was on the floor, spilling his blueprints everywhere. His hardhat lay on the ground beside him, and he seemed to be glaring at the fallen nurse. He noticed a few of the others had come back as well. He had his teeth grit in anger. The nurse was tightly grasping the table behind her, her knuckles turning white from how strong her grip was. Byakuya, who had sat himself at one of the round tables looked at the scene in amusement, while Touko stood a few feet away from him, biting her thumb nail. Leon stood a few feet away from Bryce, clearly not wanting to get involved in whatever was going on. Finally, Bryce moved, grabbing a handful of the girl's apron tightly in his hand.
"Listen here you bitch. I have no idea what possessed you to do that, but you are going to pick my shit up." he said.
"I-It was an a-accident. P-please don't h-hurt me!" she wailed, fresh tears running down her face.
"I don't give a shit. You do not bump into me, and you do not throw my shit on the floor, know get on your knees and pick my shit up." he shouted, tossing her onto the floor. The poor girl gave a cry of pain and quickly set to complete her task.
"If it makes you feel b-better, you can draw on me, or punch me." she said.
"Shut up. Though that is an interesting offer, I might write the word slut on your forehead, and maybe I'll cut your hair, seeing as it looks like shit."
"HEY!" Yuno howled, finally having enough. He gave his soda to Nick and marched right up to the architect's face, pushing him away from the frightened nurse.
"What the fuck is wrong with you? You fucking think it's okay to hit women?" he asked.
"Excuse me? You did not just push me." Bryce countered, pushing Yuno back. He almost tripped over his feet but quickly regained his footing.
"Don't you ever, Ever, lay a hand on Mikan again." he said.
"Pfft, or what? What is a skinny bumfuck like you going to do? Shoot me with your arrows? As a recall that will be counted as murder." he sneered.
"I am the Ultimate Archer, I know where to hit people and not kill them. I can use my sharpest broadheads, and shoot you right in the knees, stop you from walking again. I can shoot your hands so you can never write or draw, hell I can even sever your spinal cord, and leave you as nothing more than a vegetable, laying on a bed, wishing nothing but the sweet embrace of death. I can ruin your life, and it wouldn't make me a murderer." Yuno said firmly, making the architect gulp. He looked at Mikan, who was staring at the two wide eyed. He smirked, glancing back at Yuno.
"Oh, I get it. You are thinking of the endgame. You don't have the heart to kill, so you are already planning on living here for the rest of your life, with that useless slut as your fuck buddy." he said.
"Excuse me?" Yuno asked, clearly taken aback by this new comment.
"Oh yeah, you took a liking to the nurse girl, since she's willing to do anything you ask of her. That's kind of kinky you know. I might make her do some other things later on." he said.
"You disgusting pig." Touko shouted, earning a glare from the architect.
"Shut up you. Worthless, all of you are worthless, don't any of you care what is going on? Who gives a shit about this pig faced slut?" he shouted, glaring at Mikan who cried out in fear. Yuno grabbed a hold of Bryce's shirt, holding his fist upright.
"That is enough you two. There are more pressing matters than this petty squabble." the violet haired girl said.
She stepped into the cafeteria, followed by Makoto and Sayaka, along with Junko and Mondo. All of them had been curious to see what the shouting was about and had decided to come investigate. Bryce scoffed, looking away from her.
"Don't get involved with this Kyoko, it has nothing to do with you." he said. Yuno looked at the girl, now finally knowing her name.
He had to admit, it seemed familiar to him, but he couldn't quite place it. Leaving those thoughts for another time, he returned to the current matter.
"She's right about there being more pressing matters. However, if I ever catch you mistreating Mikan again, or even so much think of laying a finger on her, I will make your life a living hell, more so than that piece of shit two toned bear that locked us in here. I will make you suffer." he said coldly.
"Whatever, have fun procreating with that thing. I have better things to do, late." he said, grabbing his blueprints and hardhat.
Once he was gone, Yuno felt a his adrenaline rush start dying down, tiredness washing over his entire body. He looked at Mikan who was still on the floor, sobbing quietly. He knelt before her, pulling her into a hug.
"Are you okay? Did he hurt you or hit you?" he asked.
"No...I-It was an a-accident. I tripped and b-bumped into him. Then he p-pushed me back. I-I'm sorry!" she cried out. He sighed, running his fingers through her hair. He looked up at the others who gave him a sympathetic look.
"Well, I have to say, I have been quite entertained." Byakuya said, leaning back in his seat.
"If you want to be entertained, why don't you retire to your dorm and stare at your tiny dick. I bet you that's more entertaining." Yuno said, glaring at the heir. His face contorted into anger before he looked away, muttering things under his breath.
"Is she okay?" Sayaka asked, looking worried.
"She's fine. That dick hole, who does he think he is?" he said angrily.
"I can't respect a man who hits a woman. The hell is he thinking?" Mondo added, taking a seat at the long table.
"He's not. Instead of putting his efforts toward getting outta here, he's just dicking around, hitting girls." Leon added. Yuno helped Mikan up, holding the girl close to himself.
"I'm gonna walk her to her dorm. Afterwards, we can all discuss our findings." He said.
"I'll go with you. We have yet to talk." Kyoko said.
Yuno looked at her oddly, before giving her a nod. The three teens left the cafeteria, heading toward the dormitories. All of them remained quiet until they reached Mikan's dorm. She opened her door, looking back at Yuno.
"Thank you for helping me. I'm sorry for everything." she said, before he could reply, she closed the door, locking it afterwards. He sighed, looking at the floor.
"Damn it, poor thing must be scared half to death." he said. He glanced back at Kyoko, who had been watching him closely, eyes narrowed. He looked at her, a bit weirded out.
"Um...you wanted to talk to me?" he asked.
"Yes, out of everyone here, you were the only one who didn't introduce themselves personally. I found it a bit odd." she said.
"I'm sorry...I probably didn't see you...especially after everything that happened." he said, glancing away from her.
"I don't blame you. My name is Kyoko Kirigiri, you are Yunosuke Nagahama correct?"
"Yeah, the Ultimate Archer. Would you mind sharing your talent?" he asked.
"I apologize...I think I'd rather keep that to myself for now." she replied.
"I understand, I'm not going to press you for answers if you don't feel like answering them." he said with a shrug.
He turned toward the cafeteria, only to be stopped by the violet haired young woman. She stopped before him, holding his eHandbook in her hand. He looked at it awkwardly before accepting it.
"I forgot about this thing." he said, placing it in his pocket.
"You and I are alike in many ways. Already, you are trying to deduce who could have trapped us here, and I can tell you are going to be a key player in this game. Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing, that is beyond any theory I have now." she said. With that she took her leave, leaving him standing in the hall all alone.
Everyone, except Mikan and Bryce gathered up in the cafeteria, in order to share what they had discovered about the first floor of the academy. So far, the only places they could go to, was the Gymnasium, the Dormitories, the School Store and the Gift Shop. The Nurse's office had been closed down, and unless someone had a serious injury, it wasn't going to be opened, the same went for the bathhouse, which was blocked by caution strip.
Taka, using his talents as the Moral Compass, convinced them all of meeting up in the cafeteria every morning for a role call, if only to ease the burden on everyone. Celeste had also imposed a rule where everyone would stay in their dorms at Nighttime to avoid anything happening. Yuno felt it was a weird rule, but it did make sense in the end. They all had dinner, and desert, provided by the Ultimate Baker, and after that, retired to their rooms.
Three days passed, and nothing had yet to happen. Everyone was on edge, and the more time passed, the more tensions rose. Almost no one wanted to say anything to each other, for fear of what would happen, but even then, there were a few who still had hope of them getting out of there.
Yuno sat at one of the round tables, near the main table where everyone was sitting. He had decided it was a little to crowded for his taste. He was reading a comic book he had found in the School Store, and drinking a cup of black tea to soothe his mind. Celeste had decided to sit with him for whatever reason, but hadn't shared anything other than a quiet Good Morning. Mikan sat at a table by herself, not wanting to be near Bryce for fear that he would snap again, or near Yuno since she felt she was annoying him. In fact, she had avoided him for the three days they had been there, and when he made conversation she just shied away. He made a mental note to confront her later on.
"Alright, now that we are all gathered here, we must continue our efforts to find a means of escape." Taka said, standing proudly at the head of the table. Mondo sighed, leaning back in his seat.
"Dude, give it a rest. We've scoured every part of this damn place and we aren't going to find an exit." he said.
"What about those red doors we saw? What if that's the exit?" Sayaka said, earning an eager nod from Taka.
"Yes, we couldn't open those doors at all, perhaps they hold the answers we seek."
"Hate to break it to you all, but those doors do not lead outside. They aren't welded shut sure, but there wasn't any fresh air or sunlight coming in. I doubt you all forgot what the sun looks like." Bryce said.
"I don't know retard, every time I try to look at the sun my eyes threaten to explode." Yuno said, taking a sip from his small cup. Celeste let out a little giggle, clearly amused by his comment.
"I'm not gonna dignify that with a retort."
"Meaning you don't have one."
"Classmate Yuno, please stop instigating this fight. Fighting is not welcome..."
"In a school environment, I get it, whatever." he muttered dryly, returning to his comic book. Taka smiled proudly, finally getting through to one of the people that was causing trouble.
"Come on guys, we can't give up hope. It's been three days, surely the Police are already looking for us." Hina said, a hopeful look on her face.
"Ha! That's a joke. You thinking the Police are going to help you."
Everyone looked at the head of the table, seeing Monokuma leaning back, paws behind his head. His glowing red eye seemed to be focusing on them.
"What do you want bear?" Byakuya snapped, glaring at him. The bear chuckled.
"I just came to wonder why I haven't seen a body yet. And I hear this shit about the police, please. Just give it a rest and accept the fact that you aren't getting out of here unless you murder someone." he said.
"I thought we made it clear that we aren't going to kill anyone." Yuno snapped. A chorus of agreements assaulted the bear, seemingly annoying him.
"Hmm, that is true. But I just realized the reason why and that's because you guys aren't motivated yet. So, how about we have a good old fashioned assembly? Everyone head to the A/V room on the first floor for something beary important announcement." Monokuma said, hopping off the chair and waddling off. Yuno gulped a bit, glancing at Celeste who had a curious look on her face. She fished her tea, setting the small cup upon its plate.
"Most intriguing. I wonder what our mastermind friend has whipped up for us." she said.
"You can't be telling me you are enjoying yourself." Yuno said, matching her pace. He rolled up the comic book, placing it in his back pocket. She smiled, placing her interlocked hands under her chin.
"Oh dear Yuno, this is all just a game. A game I don't intend to lose, after all, I haven't lost a game since I was five." she said.
"Heh, if anyone is going to win this game, it's definitely me." Byakuya said, brushing past them.
Yuno sighed, glancing behind him. A few steps back was Mikan, who was looking around all worried. She met eyes with him, and stopped looking like a deer in headlights, before glancing away, finding the metal plating more interesting.
They arrived at that A/V room, one of the rooms that had been previously closed off, now was open. Makoto was the first one in, followed by everyone else. It had several computer stations, each with the best looking hardware Yuno had seen, in front of them was a large screen, which held nothing but static. On top of the table was a cardboard box, labeled movies. Makoto peeked inside, eyes widening a bit.
"They're disks, and all of them have our names." he said.
He started passing all the disks around, and everyone quickly found an empty computer to sit at. Yuno finally got his, and he saw his name was scribbled on it with crayon of all things. He looked at it curiously. Monokuma appeared on the large screen, a grin on his face and a glass of wine in his hand.
"Ah, it seems you've already passed out the DVD's. Well, it makes it all the easier on me. Before coming to Hope's Peak Academy, all of your friends and family members wanted to wish you luck, but what happened to them while you are all here? Who knows? Maybe those DVD's hold the answers? Upupupupupu."
With that, the large screen shut off. All the students shared a look, before glancing at the disks in their hands. All of them were scared, fearing for their friends and loved ones. Yuno finally took a seat, realizing he was sitting next to Sayaka. He looked at her, seeing her warm smile.
"It can't be anything bad right?" she asked.
"Anything that's coming from that psychotic bear, I wouldn't trust, it's probably fake." he said.
Yet even as he said that, he couldn't help but wonder if what was on that video was real or not. Taking a shaky breath, he slipped the disk into the disk drive, booting the computer up. He grabbed the pair of headphones connected to it, placing them over his ears.
"Yunosuke Nagahama, the Ultimate Archer who has several awards under his belt, was recently accepted into Hope's Peak Academy, the school he had admired for quite a while."
Yuno narrowed his eyes, glancing that blank screen. All that he could hear that that psychotic bear's voice. There wasn't a video at all. Suddenly, a bit of static appeared on screen, and the silhouette of a young girl appeared on it.
"But, is that really who he is? There's someone out there who's willing to bet against it."
"Who are you people? What have you done with my big brother? Leave me alone!"
"Oh, don't worry Little Actress, we're going to be really gentle with you."
"Gen...tle?"
"Wanna find out who that is? Wanna regain your lost memories? We'll you'll just have to wait and see."
"Find out after Graduation!"
The video ended, leaving Yuno startled and confused. That voice...it felt so familiar to him and yet he didn't know who it belonged to. She cried for her big brother. Was that him? He closed his eyes, trying to think. Suddenly the image of a pink haired ten year old filled his mind. Her bubblegum pink hair, her vibrant pink eyes and her love of acting. Her hatred of unpeeled chestnuts. His heart twisted in agony and he stepped back, slamming into the wall behind him. The head set hit the ground with a dull thud.
"Kotoko." he cried out.
Sayaka let out a shout next to him, pretty much in the same state. Tears ran down her cheeks and she grasped her hair in her hands.
"I-I gotta get out of here." she said.
"What is the meaning of this?" Byakuya cried out, anguish clear on his face.
"Who are you really? And what do you want?" Kyoko asked, glaring at the screen. Monokuma laughed, taking a sip from his wine.
"I don't want much. Just your despair." he said.
"You bastard." Bryce shouted, throwing his disk at the giant screen. It shattered into a million pieces, making the two toned bear laugh harder.
"Oh man, the despair on your faces is delicious. If you want to find out what happened after those videos then go ahead and kill each other. The answers will be there when you graduate."
"Give me back my little sister you sadistic fuck. She has nothing to do with this." Yuno shouted. This only made Monokuma laugh even louder, before tuning off the screen. Yuno fell to his knees, unable to stay standing.
"It'll be alright...it'll all be alright. Kotoko will be fine...but I just...have to make sure she's...okay." he said, taking shaky breaths.
"Yuno...are you alright?" Makoto asked, getting a small smile from the violet haired archer.
"Everything is peachy. Just peachy...I'm just gonna go. I'm gonna get out of here, I'm gonna save Kotoko." he said, standing up. As he turned around though, he felt someone take his hand. He saw that it was Sayaka, who's face was still covered in fresh tears.
"Don't...you'll do something stupid...we have to get out...but not by killing someone." she said quietly.
"I'm...not..I."
The blue haired girl stood up, pulling him into a tight hug. He was completely expecting her to run out of the room, screaming bloody murder. Her reaction was enough for that assumption at least. He wrapped his arms around her smaller frame, letting the tears flow down his face.
"Oh god...that bastard is doing things to my sister. She's only ten!" he exclaimed.
"It's alright. We'll get through this." she said quietly.
In that moment, Yuno felt true despair. He had gotten a memory back, one of his precious memories. His sister was being held captive by that psychotic bear. She was most likely being put through hell, and he was given an ultimatum, kill someone to save her, or let them do as they please. He couldn't have felt anymore useless.
Omake:
Yuno was rather bored, being told he had to spend the rest of his life within the confines of Hope's Peak Academy had startled him quite a lot. Without contact with the outside world, it was pretty much impossible to tell if someone was attempting anything of the sort, so for now he had to follow along with the bear's intentions and live within the school.
Worry filled him, knowing the seeds of despair had been planted deep within their minds when the Graduation Clause had been announced. Few of his classmate's chose not to interact with each other, mostly to keep themselves away from a potential murderer. Only those with high confidence, like Byakuya Togami and even the quiet gambler Celeste had been accepting of their situation, most likely intrigued by their current dilemma.
Yuno had to wonder though, what was the ulterior motive? Capturing Seventeen students and locking them away? For what purpose? It couldn't be just because they were the rising hope right? Hope's Peak wouldn't lock them up just to prevent them from being tainted by the world, it was preposterous and undignified of an academy of their stature. No, he figured it must have been another reason.
Sighing to himself, he stood up from the chair he was occupying in the cafeteria. He had yet to check out the school store, and he was hoping there was at least something to keep him pacified until the bear got bored and let them go. Quietly making his way out of the cafeteria, he shared a brief look with Makoto, who had been quietly chatting with Sayaka about one thing or another, he did hear something about a crane and Junior high, so it might have been something revolving around their past. He glanced at the metal plating on the walls, wondering just what kind of machine was able to lift up plating of that size.
It had to have been noticeable, there is no way no one wouldn't have noticed the additional changes to the school building. Then again, people didn't even notice the Reserve Course building being built a few years prior.
Finally making it to the store, he pulled the glass doors open and made his way inside. Surprisingly enough, he found Celeste in the store, glancing at a few things that had captured her interest. Instead of the usual books and other things students may have needed, the store was filled with various things, from assorted candies, to anime masks, even impractical things like wooden swords.
There were some machines in the back filled to the brim with cold drinks, as well as some filled with chips and other snacks. There was some Hope's Peak Academy uniforms hung high on the walls, along with some varsity jackets baring the school crest.
The oddest thing about the store itself, was the large machine that sat at the very back. It looked like something out of an arcade, with white blinking lights that seemed to grab anyones attention. The machine was filled with various prizes it seemed, what were contained inside was anyones guess. The machine itself was black and white, and had Monokuma's face printed onto the side, as well as the bottom where the money would be placed. The machine only had a lever, with the grip being the shape of Monokuma's head. It also had a single glowing button. The top of it read MonoMono, and depicted several golden coins with Monokuma's face on them.
"Man, whoever is controlling Monokuma has a goddamn fetish for the fucking thing." he thought to himself.
Celeste, who had been calmly watching him since he had entered, finally walked over to his side, both staring at the machine in front of them. They didn't say a word to each other, simply enthralled with the piece of hardware before them.
"Figure out how it works yet?" he asked quietly. She shook her head, placing a finger on her chin, her silver claw glinting from the light.
"I did figure out something, it seems like all the prizes are determined by luck. Perhaps it has to do with the money it takes as well, if you've noticed, it seems like this machine doesn't take Japanese Yen, or even American Dollars." she said.
Now that she mentioned it, he did notice the coin slot was different. It didn't have a specific monetary amount. Usually, arcade machines and prize machines had some form of labeling, telling the players how much money it took to get credits. But it seemed this machine was entirely different. He also noticed the capsules within seemed to be in various sizes, some ranging from palm sized while others were the size of a water melon. How they fit through the prize door was beyond him.
"If it doesn't take real money, then what does it take?" he asked curiously.
"Upupupupu! I'm so glad you asked Yuno, I was beginning to think no one would take interest in my beloved MonoMono machine!"
Yuno and Celeste visibly scowled, seeing Monokuma waddling into the store, a bright grin on it's robotic features. The duo had to wonder just how sharp those teeth were, seeing as they looked like the tips of knives.
"If no one took an interest in it, perhaps it's due to the fact that no one has money on them, and even if they did it wouldn't serve them any good." Celeste replied.
"You guys must have not been looking around hard enough, I left plenty of MonoMono coins for you to find, for the sole purpose of getting the goodies inside this machine. Trust me, there are some reeeally good ones inside." the bear said.
"I haven't found any of these coins. It's not like I'm searching for them in the first place, I would have thought escaping your clutches would have been priority number one for everyone." Yuno said, crossing his arms. Monokuma turned around, looking at the floor.
"I've done so much for you and you can't even find a pack of coins? This despair is...absolutely wonderful. I suppose I can help you out this time. I'll give the two of you 100 coins to start with, and I hope you have fun with the things that you get from inside!" he said.
He pulled two black and white pouches from out of nowhere, handing them to Yuno and Celeste, he left without a single word, waddling away as always. Yuno opened the small pouch, seeing the golden coins stored within.
"Well, he is rather bold. I'll give him that much." Celeste said getting a weird look from Yuno. She merely smiled, tilting her head a bit. Shrugging, the young archer pulled out five golden coins, slipping them into the coin slot. The button flashed brightly, displaying the credits he had gained.
"Well, don't know how this works but I'll give it a go." he said, pulling the lever.
The machine dinged loudly, Monokuma's annoying laughter filtering through the speakers, finally a pink capsule, around the size of a soft ball appeared on the screen. He pressed the button to claim his prize, and grabbed it from the slot. He popped it open, finding a perfume bottle within. It was labeled Blueberry Perfume. He took a whiff of it, almost gagging.
"Oh great, something that isn't for me." he said distastefully. Celeste giggled, watching Yuno attentively. He glanced at her, noticing the unopened bag in her hands.
"Aren't you going to try it out?" he asked.
"Hmm...I think I'd rather watch you. I might get an inkling of how to procure the higher grade items." she said.
"Suit yourself." he said.
He set the bottle down on the counter next to them. He slipped five more coins into the machine, this time pulling out a smaller capsule. He popped it open, spotting a small barrette inside. It depicted a small cute cat.
"A kitty barrette, why am I getting girl stuff?" he muttered dryly.
He set it aside, slipping two coins into the machine this time. He figured it was better to use less coins. A blue capsule dropped down, and when he opened it, he was greeted with another Kitty barrette. He tossed it aside, and continued playing.
After twenty seven tries, he finally gave up. The others had heard the angry shouts and swears being thrown at the machine every time Yuno had failed and had come to investigate what was going on. They arrived to see an amused Celeste and a very distraught Yuno, holding an empty cloth bag in his hands.
"I used up all my coins, and all I got were Kitty barrettes, disgusting perfume, and a stupid ring. Oh, and this blank book, the fucks the point?" he said, tightly gripping the empty book he had gotten.
It was black in color with Hope's Peak Academy's crest, but when you looked through it, all of the pages were blank. He tossed it in the nearby trash bin, scooping up his kitty barrettes and perfume bottles.
"Alright then, I'm going to wallow in my dorm, don't bother me." he said, brushing past the other students, dropping a few barrettes along the way. Nick chuckled, shaking his head.
"I thought something was going on here, but it's just someone who's bad at a stupid arcade game." he said.
Celeste giggled, finally deciding to try her luck. She was gifted with a rather large capsule, and when she opened it, she was surprised to find an Antique Doll resting within.
"Oh my, what a beautiful doll. This will certainly fit well within my dorm." She said rather happy.
"Hey, I want to try my hand at that machine, I found some coins laying around." Bryce said, stepping up to the machine. Byakuya sighed, turning around.
"This is asinine, we shouldn't be wasting our time with silly arcade games." he said.
"Hey, if you don't like it, there's the door." Bryce said, pulling the lever. He claimed his prize, opening the small capsule. Inside was a stone arrowhead. He looked at it oddly.
"What am I suppose to do with this?" he asked.
"Who cares, it's my turn." Leon said, brushing past him.
The architect shrugged, shoving the prize in his pocket. He had spent his only few coins so he had decided to look around the store, by now most of the others had left as well, leaving only Celeste, Makoto, Sayaka and himself.
"A crystal skull...It looks really cool." Leon said, holding it up to the light.
"I still can't believe Yuno got so many kitty barrettes, think he'd let me have one?" Sayaka asked.
"Maybe, he's a nice guy." Makoto replied with a smile. Bryce grimaced a bit.
"Ugh...how can someone as cute as her be interested in a douche bag like him? That asshole needs to pay for what happened yesterday." he thought, a grin forming on his lips.
"What are you grinning about?" Celeste asked, shaking Bryce out of his thoughts.
"What? Oh...I just thought of a good idea for lunch, something I haven't eaten in forever. I'm gonna go make it, just for myself though, I'm not a servant." He said, taking his leave.
"What an unbearable prick." Leon said, crossing his arms.
"I agree. Well, I do say I am wholeheartedly impressed with this trinket machine, I might return when I have more coins." Celeste said, still glancing at her new favorite doll.
"Same here, there's bound to be some cool stuff in there. Though I don't want to get twenty three kitty barrettes, that would suck." the baseball player replied.
"Maybe he can use them for something else." Makoto added.
Meanwhile, back in his dorm, Yuno was staring at himself in the mirror, carefully pinning a kitty barrette to his hair, muttering things about how he wasted all his coins on them. He was sure to get revenge on the bear for tempting him with that stupid arcade machine. If he didn't find anymore coins, there would be hell to pay, that was for sure.