A/N

Updates Updates all around. I'm sorry- I lied so much about my updating process. ;n; I'm not gonna lie, I'm starting chapter three already- I just wanna get the Introductions done as soon as I can. Then we can get on to the big picture. Killing! Anyways, I'm not overly proud of this chapter- I don't particularly like the way I did the introductions this time around- they could've been more detailed but I didn't want to cram too much at you guys considering how many characters are getting introduced this time around. Definitely more than the last chapter I tell ya what. Anyways, the fully completed list can be viewed in the last update with the list of characters. I believe I've already notified people who needed to be notified for various reasons and well- yeah. Thanks for swinging by. Don't forget to review- that means leave any criticisms you may have as well as things you'd like to see in the next chapter. Or PM; I don't really mind which way as long as I get some feedback so I can improve. Have a nice Saturday and don't stay up too late kiddos. :C

Chapter 2: Freaking Clowns Man

"Whoa- wh-what are you screaming for?!"

"Stay away! Don't come any closer!"

"Huh? You're intruding in my room and what do you mean don't come any closer? You leave!" The girl simply continued to back away from the male, eyes wrenched together to avoid seeing him which only seemed to perplex him even further. According to him, they were currently in his apartment and it seems that she was the source of the scream...

"I-I don't even know how I got here and all of a sudden when I wake up there's a clown in the room!" She declares loudly, pointing at him. This motion caused her to jab the bamboo sword he was gripping tightly that had been pointed directly at her chest in a matter of moments. "Then you try to attack me for no reason like some deranged psycophathic clown!" Not even giving him a chance to speak, she quickly darts over to where she assumed was the door which wound up being the bathroom's entry. She tripped heading inside, falling with a soft thud but quickly got back up to close the door and lock it.

'...what just happened...'

The boy stood there completely confused by what just happened, the sword he had been gripping tightly for some time now fell to the ground as he crossed his arms. He stared at the door, frowning a bit as a hand snaked up his neck to tug at a lock of his hair, curling it around the index finger repeatedly. He wondered what a girl was doing in his apartment- not that it was odd or anything considering his main friend group consisted female companions but they didn't stay overnight; usually.

"And she freaking said I looked like a clown!" That seemed to be what ticked him off the most. After all, he was known for his impeccable fashion sense and such an accusation insulted him. Huffing loudly, he stomped his feet as he made his way over to a mirror perched on the wall of his room to observe his reflection and immediately shrieked loudly with fear and surprise.

"What is this!?" Settled on his shoulders was a rather disturbing looking clown-like face- perhaps a mask considering how surprised he was. He hadn't recalled owning something like this, much less putting it on before he had went to slumber. The mask had a sullen look with a toothy smile etched into with the appearance of blood between the crevices of each tooth. A bit had pooled over onto the lips and over one of the eye holes was black star. Furthermore, the clown mask lacked any sort of hair giving it a rather aged look along with the wrinkles. The wearer of the mask's eyes twitched as he started tugging the accursed thing off.

"Who'd dare do something like this- it's revolting!" Once it was off, he tossed it to the ground with as much hate he could muster before stomping on it with his combat boot clad foot. "Hmph! I would never in my life willingly wear something like that. It's an insult to my name." He raked his hands through his raven tresses which also bore a crimson tint to them that slightly matched his reddish brown eyes. Returning his gaze to the mirror he had looked at just moments ago he smiled a bit to see that his appearance had returned to normal.

"That girl...she seemed to be afraid of me... Because of the clown mask...? ...Clown...?" His attention returned to the mask on the floor and he hesitantly picked it up to stare at the grotesque thing. "..." Discard it once more, he made his way over to the bathroom door whilst rolling up the sleeves of his buttoned up hoodie. He cleared his throat before knocking on the wooden surface of the door with the back of his hand.

"...Naoki-senpai?" He called out her name softly, the slightest bit of uncertainty present in his voice. There was a long silence before the slight click of the door was heard and creaked open slowly.

"..." The shorter girl appeared in the crack, a gray eye appearing and staring up at the taller male with a small bout of fear. "...How do you know my name...?" She subconsciously opened the door a bit wider seeing as how the 'mysterious clown man' was no longer present. Doing so revealed that she was indeed shorter than him as she stood up straight, reaching to about his chin. Her long navy tresses were braided into a fishtail braid with a white ribbon, resting against her back. Her lips trembled as they stood out against her pale skin as she looked around the male in search of her attacker, unaware that he was the one who had frightened her so badly.

Hamasaki Naoki (17) Senior in Saint Oracles

SHSL Literature Writer

'Well...at least she's calmed down a bit...' "Kobayashi- Kobayashi Dia? I'm a friend of Carol-senpai. Remember?" He pointed to himself as he did his introduction in hopes that she would remember him. Her gaze refocused on him, blinking a couple of times before realization dawned upon her. Her gaze turned into a much harsher one as she glared at him, sending chills down his spine. "...Uhm...Naoki-senpai...?"

"...You... You're friends with that she-demon...?" Naoki asked before shaking her head. "An-Anyways that means you're in Silver Wing... Is your door unlocked?" Her voice had a steely edge to it, certainly making Dia very uncomfortable. He wondered- had he hit a nerve somehow? That seemed strange to him since they hadn't had much of a chance to talk considering she dove into the bathroom at her first opportunity.

Kobayashi Dia (15) Freshman in Silver Wing Eastern Academy

SHSL Couturier

"Nao-"

"HEEEEEEEY!" A loud voice interrupted him mid-sentence followed by the intense banging of the door. This certainly made the girl jump as she quickly latched onto Dia's arm, nearly cutting off it's circulation. Her eyes wrenched shut once more, turning her attention away from the door as she tried to close out the obnoxious noise. "HEEEEEEEEEEEEEY!" The voice shouted once again, sounding just as eerie to her as it did the first time. However, for Dia it was simply a nuisance and he frowned before trying to make his way over to the door with the girl crushing his right arm.

"No! Don't open it! We'll get stabbed to death by a serial killer!" She shouted, digging her heels into the hardwood floors which hardly did anything. Dia rolled his eyes at that, wondering if she really was an upperclassman much less an associate of Caroline.

"Calm down, it's probably just someone from another apar-"

"HEEEEEEEEEEY! ARE YOU ALRIGHT MISS?!"

"I swear to God." Once he reached the door, he gripped the handle tightly and swung the door open just in time to receive a steady set of knocks against his face. His expression solidified, a blank look appearing on his face as his bangs covered his eyes.

"...O-Oops..." Kiyoshi mumbled, staring at the boy who obviously appeared to be a bit irritated about what just occurred. A forced smile appeared on Dia's lips as he glowered at the boy who mirrored his own height. "S-Sorry about that..." Not wanting to be yelled at or receive any form attack, the calligrapher immediately took a few steps back, tripping over his feet.

"Oh! Didi!" A feminine voice laced with a heavy accent exclaimed before someone lunged their body at the male who immediately fell down. Not to mention Naoki had continued to cling to him and wound up falling with them. "What great timing we have- I was just talking about you to Sir Kiyoshi! I never expected we would've met up so conveniently!" The boy being crushed under her weight writhed underneath her, his body not designed to handle the weight of another human being.

"Yes yes- that's wonderful Caroline-senpai. But for now could you please get off of me. You're heavy." He tried lifting her off of him but with one arm out of commission the task proved to be quite difficult. "And I'm pretty sure we're killing Naoki-senpai." This seemed to capture the blonde's attention as she immediately removed herself from the floor and Dia's body.

"Naoki's with you? Oh joy!" 'Not for Naoki-senpai' "Where is she?" The magician asked eagerly, happy to see her dear friend after such a long time. Unfortunately, the reunion would have to be on hold for a bit. After being crushed by the two, Naoki continued to lay on the ground unconscious once Dia himself had stood up.

"...This wasn't my fault." Dia calmly states, as he tries to haul the girl up using his arm for support but failing to do so. "...Can I get a hand, please?" He directed this to Kiyoshi who stammered out a 'yes sir' before moving to aid him in holstering the girl up. Though it would've been a difficult task for them to manage by themselves, the two freshmen managed to hold her up with ease.

"Now that has been taken care of- let us continue our search for more people!" Caroline declared, marching off in another direction, clutching her top hat as it nearly fell off her head as she made her move. The two simply looked at each other before sighing as they followed after her.

'She's so irresponsible...' 'She certainly goes at her own pace..."

Were the thoughts that passed their minds, as they trudged after her with an unconscious girl in the clutches- totally not looking suspicious.

As they took their path they failed to notice the individual whom had been watching from a cabinet in the hallway. Slowly, the door creaked open revealing an individual as they scrawled out of the cramped space. Staring after the group that had disappeared into the inky darkness of the corridor, they made their way into Dia's forgotten room. Once inside they retrieved the bamboo sword that had been left there throughout the entire ordeal.

"Hmmm..." They hummed, a small grin tearing at the ends of their lips as they practiced swinging it with as much force as they could muster- perhaps enough to crack a skull open. "It seems...I missed my chance... Though I'm sure there'll be another one." Humming to themselves, the mysterious thief slowly left the room whilst whistling the tune of an old nursery rhyme.

"Like I said, the scream came from this direction so we should obviously head this way." A male stated calmly, crossing his arms as his chestnut coloured eyes glared at a young lady several inches shorter than he almost menacingly. She seemed to be a bit put off by his glare, her gaze wandering elsewhere rather than his face. Or perhaps she was avoiding his gaze initially in order to keep from noticing the glare.

"No- I'm certain it came from this direction. My instincts never lie!" She spoke, confidence enriched in her words as her body lurched back as she spoke, slowly increasing the distance between them. Though, they were fairly close considering how they were inside a hallway so it didn't exactly do much.

"Yeah, well that obviously isn't the case." He countered, rolling his eyes a bit, obviously referring to something else judging from the tone in his voice.

"Oh shush- that is a completely different matter. This is something completely unrelated!" Her words proved this to be the case, as she huffed loudly and turned away from him. Both were stubborn in their views and it didn't seem like they would be changing their minds any time soon.

"G-Guys..." Another individual spoke up, her soft voice making it's presence known and seeming to attract the current discussion to herself.

"Ay Asane, what do you think?" "Asane-san, what are your thoughts?" The arguing pair spoke simultaneously, turning their attention to their companion who had been silent for the most part while they debated on which direction they should go. The young man, believed that the scream they all heard had came from the left whereas the young lady states that it originated from the forward hallway and that they shouldn't change course. Asane simply stood there as they immediately glared at each other again for a brief moment before turning to her again.

"Left, right?" "Definitely forward, right?"

"U-Uhm..." The poor girl couldn't even voice her opinion before the pair started arguing once again.

"You know, I think it's great that we broke up!" The girl declared, briskly turning away from the pair as her long chocolate locks tied into a high ponytail swerved with her movements. She was heading down the path she desired before a scoff suddenly caused her to halt and she turned around staring at the male. Her large green eyes looked like a storm ready to boil over and her rosy cheeks looking more red than pink at this moment, perfectly contrasting with her rather pale skin. Her pink and blue hoodie covered with a few pins from her favorite shows clung to her body over the standard Asukawa uniform which consisted of a simply white dress shirt and a short blue checkered tie along with a skirt of the same color and pattern.

"It was one date. One." He corrected before raking his hand through his messy black tresses, making his way down the left path. His retreating back clad in a light gray hoodie partnered with a pair of black sweatpants. As he took his leave he lifted his rather toned arm and waved farewell with his gloved hand before slipping it into his pocket.

Hitaka Yuushi (18) Senior in Asukawa School for Higher Learning

SHSL Fighter

"Same flipping difference!" She called back after him, hands making their way on her hips as she sighed. "Geez..." Continuing on her intended path, the girl retrieved a piece of a candy from her pink messenger bag. Unraveling it as she disappeared into the darkness, she popped the hard candy in her mouth.

Kiyomi Madoka (16) Junior in Asukawa School for Higher Learning

SHSL Matchmaker

Asane simply stood there for a moment, not entirely realizing what had just occurred in the span of a few short minutes. "A-Ah! Ki-Kiyomi-san! Hi-Hitaka-san! Come back!" She cried out for the two, standing where the hallway had split off before crumpling to the floor, defeated. "...We... shouldn't be splitting up..." She shook her head briskly, slapping her cheeks to get some vigor back in her and forcing a smile to tug at her lips.

"I shouldn't be moping about like this... Right? ...Right!" She answered herself, pumping a fist in the air. "I dunno which way to go so I'll just pick one at random." Standing back up, the auburn haired girl began humming a tune as she pointed to each hallway, using this as her method to pick which way to go.

Asane Komuro (15) Freshman in Saint Oracles

SHSL Acrobat

However, as she began the rather childish act she failed to notice the approaching figure that was coming from behind. Their footsteps were silent against the carpeted floor, cushioning each and every sound as they wobbled slightly toward it's target. A hand reached out once they were right behind her, standing right around her height. A sharp intake of breath could be heard before they spoke softly into the unsuspecting girl's ear.

"Aaaaa...saaaaaane... chaaaaaaan..." Their voice broke slightly between each syllable, causing the acrobat to freeze in her spot. When she felt the hand on her shoulder, all restraint she had broke.

"...Ah..."

"...Aaaaaaah...?" The voice repeated, the slight break appearing again.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!" Without missing a beat, the frightened girl darted down the path Kiyomi chose, though, she broke off into a few flips almost reflexively as she did this. As quickly as the wind, she too was gone and deep in the inky darkness of the hallway.

"...Did...I break the flag that quickly...?" The figure asked itself, coughing a bit as she patted her chest a few times. "...I just wanted help finding the kitchen... I really need some water, my throat is killing me." They coughed a bit more, wobbling as they followed after the poor girl they scared the living daylights out of.

"Oh well, it was fun seeing Asane spazz out like that hehehehe!" A small smile tugged on their face, amused by the fright they had caused just moments ago.

Hitaka continuing down his path stopped every so often, looking over his shoulder to see if anyone had followed after him. Yet each time he looked the result was ultimately the same- nothing but darkness. Letting out a small sigh, he rubbed the back of his neck as he contemplated whether or not he should go back or not.

"Yeah...I probably should keep on going. Wouldn't want to make anything worse." He'd admit that he was a bit rude- okay really rude to her and no matter what there wasn't a reason good enough for his behavior. This he truly believed and he was ready to apologize the first moment he saw her. "I should probably 'pologize to Asane too..." He murmured to himself as he turned around the corner, stopping when he came face to face with a pair of boys. They stopped in their rather slow pace to stare at him while he stared back, arching a brow at them.

"...What's up?" He greets, waving his hand a bit to the two.

"...The ceiling and then the second to sixth floor and then the roof." The reply came from the gentleman sporting a labcoat over his right shoulder. A gloved hand rested on his hip- though unlike Hitaka's his sported covering for his fingers. At this response, the fighter let out a short laugh, forcing a small smile as he wondered if that was his attempt of a joke.

"Right... So anyways, I don't suppose you two found yourselves in a weird place when you guys woke up, did you?" He inquired, recalling from his own experience just an hour ago. Rather than being stuck in an apartment he was tied to one of the toilets in one of the girl's public restroom facilities. Why the apartment complex even had those, no one ever bothered to question it. It wasn't bad per say, considering how they were far cleaner than restrooms you'd see in other public places like a library or a restaurant. The problem was the fact that he was found that way and effectively cursed at even though it wasn't his fault. A slight shudder made it's way down his spine as he recalled that incident, not wishing to encounter such a thing again.

"...No?" The response came from the other male sporting a pair of headphones and was taller than the two. A mop of medium-length black hair sat atop his head, covering the top portion of his eyes. Speaking of his eyes they were a green eyes stared down at Hitaka with a sort of questioning gaze as he wondered what he could be referring to. A pair of large headphones sat on his head with dials on both sides.

"Ah, sorry... Hello, my name is Izuna Kokomaru. A pleasure to meet you." Izuna sported black jacket- which his hands currently occupied the pockets of -zipped all the way up with a blue shirt peaking out from the top. He was feeling pretty casual considering he was wearing a pair of blue jeans and black sneakers as opposed to the school uniform for his affiliated school. Around his neck was a red scarf wrapped several times around him and forming a large lump of fabric on his shoulders as well as effectively covering a portion of his face. It was a surprise Hitaka could hear him with the accessory blocking out the volume of his already soft voice.

Izuna Kokomaru (18) Senior in Asukawa School for Higher Learning

SHSL Musician

"Ay, nice to meet you too man. The names Hitaka Yuushi." He stuck out a hand for him to shake but the musician simply stared at the hand, not moving to produce his own. "...Ooookay..."

"He seems really familiar though. Izuna was it...? Hmmm..."

Putting the thought in the back of his mind, he turned to the other male, a larger smile adorning his face. "And your name?" No response. The male was gazing elsewhere, hand to his chin as he seemed to be in deep thought. It wasn't until moments later that he realized that words had been directed towards him and he looked over to Hitaka.

"...Mm, I'm sorry. I didn't quite catch that..." The male blinked lazily at Hitaka, waiting for him to speak. Like Izuna he too sported black hair albeit a tad bit darker- not like anyone could tell -tied in a short ponytail. Like a large portion of the population his eyes were brown though much darker than a lot of the others and seemed to have a downward tilt. Or maybe it was nonexistant- can't really tell to be sure. His attire consisted of a long sleeved light gray dress shirt though it was rolled up to his elbows, likely to keep them from getting wet from earlier. (Refer to end of last chapter) A blue tie was fastened snugly under the collar of his shirt, giving a bit of color to his outfit considering he sported a pair of black slacks and black leather shoes. Not to forget, he also had a lab coat useless hanging over his shoulder adding plenty to his style.

"Your name. Do you think I could get it?" Hitaka asked once more, keeping his smile as he did so. He wondered if this guy truly had been in such a daze that he really didn't notice what he said in this silence.

"...Oh. I see. Yes, you may. My name is Shirotani Kurose. And you are...?" Izuna smirked a bit, trying to keep from laughing at the aloof male's question. Hitaka's patience didn't seem like it was fading as he just nodded his head.

Shirotani Kurose (17) Senior in Valiance Elite High School

SHSL Anatomical Pathologist

"Nice to meet you Shiro! The names Hitaka Yuushi. Nice to meet'cha." Like with Izuna, he thrusted his hand out to the anatomical pathologist to which he immediately backed away slightly. Hitaka's eyes widened slightly, giving him a rather odd look with the smile plastered on his face.

"...If you'll excuse me," Shirotani states before briskly walking past the male, leaving him behind with a perplexing expression as he stood there with his hand out. Izuna couldn't contain his laughter any longer and wound up clutching his sides as jovial laughs and gasps escaped his lips. Surprisingly enough, his laughs sounded far louder than his speaking voice which proved to be rather interesting.

"...S-Sorry... That's just how he is. I don't know what he does when he leaves like that but it's pretty important since he does it every five minutes or so." The headphone wearing musician explains after regaining his composure, patting Hitaka's back. "Let's get a move on then, don't want to get left behind, right?" Giving him a light smile, Izuna began walking in the direction that Shirotani had just fled. Hitaka shook his head before muttering a soft 'okay' and trailing behind him.

"What an odd crowd."

A/N

And that makes 10/16 characters introduced. Whoop whoop. Only seven left to go- that includes the host for the game. c: I'm not too entirely sure if I want to do the remaining characters in the next chapter plus the host or if I want to wait until the chapter after it to introduce them. I'll leave it up to you guys- what do you think would be a better pace for the story? :O

Anyways; it's review answering time!

Chi-Mibuu- Bathrooms are always the best place for spooky encounters~ Or finding fun objects in the sink to escape a room. I kinda wanted to make it longer and creepier but...I think that would be an unwanted wall of text. I'm glad you thought everything transitioned smoothly- I shall try my best to ensure things stay that way. But I'm still a writing scrub so please berate me if I fail to do so. .v.'''' Secretly everyone is dead. Plot twist :OOOO

Dreaded Prinny- Stahp, you're making me blush (/)/w/(\) But no seriously, thank you so much for that. Even it fuels my ego it certainly makes me happy that my skills can be determined as excellent. I can only dread what you might say for this chapter.

Cappuccino Milk- Golden? Why thank you very much! My cheeks have now been deemed apple cheeks, thank you. I hope you like the characters presented here as well and the secret to the recipe is a dash of screams, a pinch of interruption and a tablespoon of Panic!

OrangeLover10- Or maybe- just maybe. We're the same person but from different timelines. :O It could happen man- it could happen!

Adzan- The magician never reveals her secrets c: Perhaps...perhaps she did it from the inside! :O :O :O That will be a reveal for some other time perhaps. When I come up with more intriguing awakening scenes and all that jazz. And huwah, I'm glad Kiyoshi was to your liking. w I really enjoyed writing him- along with the other characters. Sen-chan is definitely a little funny guy. And oh my god, your review reminded me of the little character thingy thing that was on his DIG-ID. So just a note to everyone, expect more of those little ones next chapter.

The OC Maker- ;v; Thank you so much ser. Unfortunately I am no longer accepting though we already had a heartfelt talk earlier. ;v;

GinMerric- Oh wowie, my fic was referred? Thank you so much (I know who you are, expect roses in the male c:) I'm sorry to hear about writer's block assaulting you like that, I totally know that feel along with other authors and character creators in this realm we reside in. Thank you so much for reviewing and I'm glad it was to your tastes. I look forward to hearing from you more along with everyone else. Also my apologies on the closing of the submission phase- I really would've liked to at least see your OC ;v; And you may refer to me with whatever gender pronoun you please. Just no calling me an it please ;w;

Also, if you submitters have anything to say about the portrayal of your characters regarding how off the mark I might have done so please do so in PM to keep others from getting details about how your character is supposed to be. ;P Character development is a secret until it happens. Okie dokie. Until next time!