A rush of blood to the head is a sickening, painful experience that threatens to crush your skull in the moment that it first pulses. Your throat tightens and a dizziness courses through your body while your vision flashes and it feels like it might never end.

And then, if you're lucky, the pain passes.

Unfortunately, Asuka had never been known for her good luck. With her head still swimming in agony, she spun around on her heels, squinting in the near darkness.

The lobby wasn't visible from her current position, so she ran for the stairs and leapt down them two at a time. Asuka could vaguely recognize that a few people were following her, but she wasn't able to pick out who they were. The shrill scream continued to repeat in her head like a unstoppable tape deck.

As she and a few others landed in the lobby, some of the lights came back on. She brought a hand to her forehead as her eyes adjusted to the change, then stopped still.

There was blood on the floor. Asuka felt hot bile rise in her throat.

Someone… Someone actually fucking…

The screaming, she suddenly realized, had long since stopped. The only noise in the lobby, besides the sound of her own heart palpitations, came from Masuyo, who was crying in Hachirou's arms.

"What just…" she whispered, her voice catching in her throat.

Saki pushed past her, Kousuke following on her heels. The dark haired girl shouted, "Is everyone okay?! Can someone please explain what just happened?!"

"I'd like to know too!" Monokuma's ear-splitting exclamation rang through the lobby as he appeared out of nowhere, "Hmph! I go to all this effort to protect the environment, and you bastards immediately make me turn the lights back on. Unbelievable."

Hachirou pointed across the room, his lips curled into a snarl, "Perhaps that maldito bastardo can tell everyone what's transpired."

Asuka followed the aim of his finger, her eyes resting on Minoru. He was holding a hand over his nose and mouth, but it was difficult to hide the blood running down his face and onto his clothes.

Arata gaped, "What the fuck did you do?!"

"I-" Minoru began, breaking off as more blood dripped out of his mouth.

Kazue passed him what looked to be a handkerchief, "Here."

Natsumi raised an eyebrow, "So if Fujita-kun's at fault, why is he the one bleeding?"

"I punched him," Hachirou replied simply.

"You fucking what?!" Asuka blurted.

Hikari quaked, "T-there's no reason for v-violence!"

Hachirou sneered, "No reason? Not retaliating against lowly scum who would attack an innocent girl is an injustice in and of itself."

Saki's nostrils flared, "He… attacked Masuyo-chan?"

"Cold…" Ayano whispered, pressing her hands against her chest.

"It's fucking heartless," Itsuki snapped.

Shun raised a hand awkwardly, "We might be misunderstanding the situation."

Yumiko scoffed, "What's there to misunderstand? This is clear cut."

Kenta nodded darkly.

Kousuke rubbed his brow, "Everyone, please stand down. This situation is not going to resolve itself if we continue to make accusations without hearing everything."

"It's also really late," Asuka threw in, "It… might be easier to work through whatever the hell happened in the morning."

Saki nodded, "Y-Yes. Everyone who isn't directly involved should go to sleep. The three of us will work out a solution, I promise."

Three of… Oh. I'm included in this equation.

Asuka straightened her back, watching carefully out of the corner of her eye as the group began to filter back up the stairs. A few people - namely, Hiroki and Kazue - lingered in the lobby for a few moments, taking in the scene. Nobody spoke until the six of them were alone.

Saki folded her hands neatly, "Now, which one of you would like to explain, in full detail, what happened?"

Hachirou glanced at Masuyo. The small girl was still shaking and unresponsive. He cleared his throat and said, "When I was returning to the hotel, I heard Okawa scream. I threw open the doors to the lobby to see her on the floor in a heap, and that scum standing over her."

"Did you see anyone else?" Asuka pressed, casting a glance at Minoru.

Hachirou shook his head, "Only those two. So, assessing the situation, I did what any self respecting gentleman would have done, and punched him in the face."

Kousuke scribbled his words down on his clipboard, "I… see."

"I was aiming to break his nose," Hachirou continued, "but I missed the proper place of impact, thanks to the darkness."

Minoru whimpered pitifully. Saki shut him up with a withering glower.

Kousuke said, "And Fujita-kun? Can you give us your side?"

Hachirou scowled, "Nothing he'll say will be true."

"Hey, we let you speak," Asuka snapped, "At least let him defend himself."

"You would trust the words of a suspected criminal over those of a clear victim? Tu me dégoutes," Hachirou replied.

Kousuke raised an eyebrow, "You're not the victim."

Saki said, "Masuyo-chan isn't in a position to speak for herself at the moment. I'd say that speaks volumes about the situation."

"It was an accident-!" Minoru choked out. Blood filled saliva fell to the floor, leading him to cover his mouth again.

Hachirou spat, "Don't try and pull the 'accident' card now. I should have hit you again."

"We shouldn't fight-" Kousuke was almost instantly cut off.

Minoru's expression darkened, "What're you gonna do, kill me in front of them? Better make it count. Better get me in one shot."

Asuka stamped her boot down, "Okay, all of you, shut the fuck up. This is going nowhere fast."

Saki cleared her throat, "She's right, this is getting out of hand. Hachirou-chan, take Masuyo-chan back to her room. Maybe… stay with her and make sure she's okay. We'll deal with him."

Hachirou's gaze flitted between Saki and Minoru for a moment, before sighing with complacency, "Ti capisco. I'll be leaving this situation in your… capable hands."

With the volleyball player still silently clinging to him, Hachirou left the lobby. Asuka could hear his grumbles most of the way up the stairs.

Saki cupped her hands to her mouth, "Hey, Monokuma! Are you still hanging around?"

As if he'd been waiting for acknowledgement, the bear in question perked up, flashing a sadistic grin, "How may I be of service?"

"About the rules," she said carefully, "Are there any particular restrictions against… isolating someone? By force?"

Kousuke furrowed his brow, "Yamura-san, that isn't a good idea."

Monokuma replied, "Weeeelllll… Technically there's nothing that goes against it. As long as you don't kill your subject, which may I remind you, I'm not opposed to, then you're more than likely in the clear!"

Saki beamed, "Great."

Asuka said, "You can't seriously be considering this."

Saki grabbed Asuka's hands and stared up into her eyes, "Listen to me, Asuka-chan. Our priority is the safety and protection of everyone. Can't you understand where I'm coming from?"

Asuka frowned.

She… isn't wrong? But even so, locking up someone isn't a fucking solution… even if Fujita himself is in danger from Ikeda.

"I don't-"

Kousuke cut in sternly, "This is inhumane. I won't stand for it."

Saki broke away to glare at him, "And which one of us is in charge here?"

"You put yourself in charge!" Asuka cried indignantly.

Kousuke added, "Wanting what's best for everyone is one thing, but this is going too far."

From behind them, Monokuma trilled, "Are you going to argue all night or what? I'd like to turn the lights out again."

Saki clenched her jaw, "We'll be done soon. Look, you two. Being a leader means that sometimes, you have to make a hard decision. And this is the one I've made."

"What if there's-" Kousuke paused a moment- "a fire? How would we get him out in time?"

Saki said, "We can cross that bridge when we come to it. Stay here, I'm going to see if there's rope in the storage room. Asuka-chan, make sure he doesn't run off."

Considering he's still standing here, I doubt he plans on it.

Still, to placate the other girl, Asuka walked over so that she was next to Minoru. Under her breath, she whispered, "I'm so fucking sorry about this."

"Don't be," Minoru muttered, his voice muffled slightly by the handkerchief, "It's not your fault."

Saki returned a moment later with a coil of rope in her hands. Without even looking at the rest of them, she tied Minoru's hands behind his back, and led him inside the storage room.

Asuka exchanged a glance with Kousuke. The boy seemed close to enraged. Not that Asuka could blame him, though.

This is fucking sickening.

With hesitation in her step, she followed Saki inside, Kousuke on her heels. The confidant had apparently sat Minoru up against the wall in the corner, and was currently rooting through a cardboard box.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Asuka asked.

Saki replied, "Looking for cloth."

For wh- Oh. Fuck.

Kousuke seemed to reach the same conclusion as her, "No. You will not gag him. I absolutely refuse to stand for this. I've put up with every other decision you've made so far, but this, all of this, is crossing a line."

Saki crossed her arms, "Then what do you propose we do?"

Kousuke said, "We stop this charade right now and sleep. In the morning, we can have a calm, rational discussion about where to go from here."

"Maybe get some input from everyone else," Asuka added, "Instead of blindly choosing for them."

Saki narrowed her eyes, "Fine. Fine, we'll do it your way. Good night, you two."

Asuka watched the girl leave the storage room. A chill ran down her spine as she did. She glanced over her shoulder to see if Kousuke was coming, only to pause.

His pack was hanging in front of him by one strap, and was open. In his hand, he held a tied up blanket, which he appeared to be unrolling.

"Do you need help with that?" Asuka asked.

Kousuke nodded, "If you wouldn't mind."

She helped him unfold the blanket and lay it over Minoru. The black haired boy managed a smile, "T-Thanks."

"Of course," Kousuke replied, "From what I've observed, it shouldn't get too cold, but you can never be too careful."

Asuka threw in, "We'll get you out of this in the morning."

Hopefully.

With that, she and Kousuke left the storage room. The lights had turned off again since they went inside, and the red gleam of Monokuma's eye had vanished.

She glanced at the taller boy, who was barely visible, and asked, "Why do you carry a blanket with you?"

"It's for emergencies," Kousuke replied quietly, "I suppose it was a good thing that I had it with me."

"Yeah…" Asuka murmured.

Kousuke added, "It's not a very large bag, so I really only carry that and some first aid supplies… I'll have to restock, I suppose."

Asuka nodded, "Mm. Uh, good night, Kotara. I'll see you in the morning."

"Indeed. Thank you for being reasonable," Kousuke said, "Oh, before you go…"

Asuka blinked, "What?"

He pressed a metal can into her hands, "Here. In case of a flood, or a rainstorm… It'll waterproof your shoes."

...What the fuck?

"Thanks?" Asuka said, stuffing it into her pocket, "I'll use it. Good night."

"Good night," Kousuke said, waving awkwardly.

Asuka nodded and headed for the staircase, guided by the dim bulbs in the high ceiling. It was dead quiet, save for her echoing footsteps, and the beat of her heart.

She reached her door and twisted the knob. For a moment, she hovered just inside the doorway, then slammed the door and stumbled towards her bed.

Asuka barely managed to kick off her shoes before falling forwards onto the quilt and passing out.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

"A-hem! Hope's Peak Vacation Faculty Committee has an announcement to make! It is now 7am! It's time to rise and shine, vacation waits for no sleepyhead!"

Asuka's eyes snapped open about one second before she rolled off the bed and hit the floor.

She groaned and rubbed her forehead, the weight of the impact causing a dulling pain throughout her.

"Fuck," she muttered, sitting up. Her mouth felt like it had sand inside it.

She gripped the bedpost and got to her feet, wincing. The room was spinning in circles.

Deep breaths. You're still fucking alive, so act like it.

With that new determination, Asuka pulled on her shoes and managed to leave her room. She shakily took the left staircase, casting a glance across the lobby at the closed storage room door. A lump formed in her throat.

The restaurant was already open when she arrived, and a few people were inside. Asuka kept her head down until she got to the centre table and sat down with her fellow 'leaders.'

"Did you sleep okay?" Saki asked.

Asuka raised an eyebrow at her. The venom from the night had vanished, but saccharine syrup seemed to drip from her smile.

"It was whatever," she muttered, not ready to have a discussion with her yet.

Asuka kept her eyes trained on the swinging door, watching everyone enter. Most people arrived on their own, but a couple showed up in pairs.

The sensation of sand in her mouth intensified.

After what felt like an eternity, Saki got to her feet and announced, "Good morning, everyone! I h-"

"What the fuck did you do with Fujita?" Hiroki interrupted.

"Forward, aren't we," Saki muttered. Louder, she said, "He's been dealt with."

Kenta exclaimed, "Dealt with? You didn't kill him, did you?!"

Kousuke said carefully, "Of course not. The entire purpose of the three of us being in charge is so that nobody will die. Killing someone, especially over a miscommunication, would defeat the entire purpose."

Ayano said, "But… question. You… you have to answer… sorry." She ducked her head.

"It's fine," Saki said, "He's tied up in the storage room at the moment."

"He's what?" Kazue asked, gripping her wrist, "That's ridiculous."

Hachirou frowned, "What's ridiculous about dealing with a threat to our… society, if you will?"

"It could have been a mistake," Natsumi pointed out.

Shun nodded, "Jumping to conclusions is just as dangerous as being idle."

Itsuki said, "I don't see anything to mistake about the situation."

Kousuke banged his fist on the table, "That's enough. I don't want us to argue any further about the situation. Whether or not it was the right thing to do doesn't matter anymore. The decision has been made."

Awkward silence fell over the restaurant. The felt heavy, as if was filled with lead. Masuyo, who had been silent the entire time, looked as though she might sink into the floor.

Asuka cleared her throat, "Uh, hey. I hate to keep being the one to mention this, but… we need to eat. You four have anything on the go, or…?"

"A-Ah!" Hikari tugged on her gloves, "Chiba-san put m-muffins in the oven earlier. They should b-be finished soon!"

"Cool," Asuka said, scratching the table with her nail. Speaking in front of everyone was weird.

As if on cue, a beeping noise came from beyond the double doors. Hikari, Shun, Hiroki, and Ayano got up from their tables and hurried inside. Asuka leaned back in her seat, relaxing slightly as muted conversation broke out around the room.

Her heart was beating rather fast, and her throat felt a bit tight. Asuka kept her grip on the table, hoping she didn't look strained.

In the next minute, the kitchen doors swung open again. The four were pushing out rattling, metal carts that had trays placed atop them. They split up to cover the restaurant.

Shun arrived at the centre of the room first. He began passing out steaming hot muffins to the three of them, keeping a smile on his face the whole time, despite almost dropping the tray twice.

"Please enjoy! They're Chiba-san's famous apricot and walnut muffins," he said.

Asuka tensed, "Did you say walnut?"

Shun's expression shifted, "I did. Why- Oh! You're not allergic, are you?"

"Unfortunately," Asuka pushed the plate away gingerly, "Sorry. If I eat that, I might die on you."

Shun shook his head, "No, no! We'll make something else. I'm sorry, we didn't get around to conducting a list of allergies and whatnot for everyone. Are you… any of you allergic to anything else?"

"Crab," Asuka muttered, awkwardly folding her arms.

Saki shook her head, but Kousuke said, "I have a rather severe allergy to basil."

Shun nodded and said, "Okay! I'll make sure everyone's aware. We're making a… a chart in the kitchen."

"It's good that you're taking this initiative to keep everyone safe," Saki chirped.

Shun ducked his head, "It's… It's nothing, really. Sorry for the issue, Ishikawa-san. Your food is on the way."

Asuka shrugged, "Don't rush it. I'm in no hurry."

She looked around the restaurant again. Most likely, Saki's 'buddy system' was going to be enforced again, so it was probably best to find an ideal person ahead of time. Unfortunately, Hikari and Masuyo were already in conversation with each other, which ruled out the only people she'd been considering.

However, she didn't end up having to make that decision at all. Above her head, a speaker crackled, and a small screen on the wall lit up to display Monokuma, leaning back in a chair and sipping a martini.

"Attention, attention! Hope's Peak Vacation Faculty Committee has an announcement to make! Would all students please report to the lobby? I have a beary important gift for each of you!"

Then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the monitor flickered off.

"W-What was that?" Hikari quaked.

Kazue said, "That was… rather peculiar. Why would our captor have a present for us?"

Itsuki huffed, "We shouldn't go. It's obviously some kind of trap."

"But we might get punished if we don't," Natsumi pointed out, "Besides, I think it could be fun!"

Hiroki blinked at her a few times, "Fun? What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"Guys, don't fight-" Kenta began.

Arata said, "I'm inclined to agree with Ayugai-kun. I can't see anything fun about this game of death."

Ayano squeaked, "Don't call… it's not a game!"

Saki cleared her throat, "Everyone! I think for the time being it's best to listen to what Monokuma has to say. I don't want to risk him harming one of us."

Kousuke nodded, "She's right. Come on, everyone. With any luck, it won't be an issue to our continued survival."

Survival…

Asuka got up from her chair and headed for the door. A few others had already begun making their way out, and the sound of footsteps behind her signified that the rest of the group was following their examples.

A gift… couldn't be that bad, right?

Once she was in the lobby, Asuka stood in front of the desk where Monokuma had appeared prior as everyone filled in the space around her. It wasn't long before the evil laughter she'd quickly come to despise broke the air, and the one responsible popped up on the desk.

"No, no, no!" Monokuma exclaimed, "I said everyone! This includes Finders Keepers."

"I'll get him," Kazue said quickly. She entered the storage room, coming out a moment later with a delirious looking Minoru alongside her.

Monokuma rubbed his paws together, "Okay, now that we have the whole class front and centre… I'd like to preface your gift with a formal apology on my part."

"Apology?" Yumiko frowned, "What did you do?"

Monokuma said, "I haven't been entirely truthful with you all! So, I'd like to remedy that now with a fun little guessing game. Tell me, what do you know about Hope's Peak Academy?"

A few people exchanged glances. Kenta said, "It's… a private high school?"

"For, quote on quote, the most talented students exclusively," Natsumi added.

"I see you've done some homework!" Monokuma exclaimed, "Now for the challenge question. Who here would like to tell me about their favourite memory from the years they spent in attendance at the school?"

From behind, Asuka heard a shaky exhale. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Arata, who was deathly pale and clinging to the arm of the person next to him desperately.

Monokuma prodded, "C'mon, speak up, speak out! This is a pop quiz!"

Shun said, "We… haven't been to Hope's Peak yet. You kidnapped us before we ever had a chance to look around."

"What was the point of this?" Hachirou raised an eyebrow, "Are you trying to make a fool out of us?"

Monokuma seemed offended, "I would never! No, I'm assessing your education, and I am reluctant to admit that I, your lovely headmaster, have failed you."

Masuyo frowned, "What are you talking about?"

"It's some kind of fucking trick," Itsuki grumbled.

Monokuma laughed, "Trick? Well, since you're all so convinced of this, I'll reveal the right answer. The truth is, you all have something in common, aside from being students of Hope's Peak Academy."

Kazue said, "And… what would that be?"

Monokuma said, "You're also fellow amnesiacs! The sixteen of you have completely forgotten the last three years of your lives, years you spent as classmates!"

...What?

.

..

…

..

.

WHAT?

"That's fucking insane!" Asuka retorted, "You can't just say shit like that!"

Hiroki shouted, "What the fuck?!"

"No, no, no…" Ayano desperately rubbed her temples, "No!"

Saki whispered, "This has to be a lie."

Monokuma responded, "I don't like to outright lie to my students. I may bend the truth from time to time, but I would never make something up completely. That isn't becoming of an educator!"

Minoru croaked, "But… missing three years? That doesn't make sense."

Shun nodded, "Wouldn't we notice if we woke up to see that we looked three years older than in the morning?"

"Well, I have access to all sorts of revolutionary technology," Monokuma said, "So it wouldn't be difficult to alter your appearances."

Natsumi frowned, "Is… that so?"

Hachirou scowled, "I don't see the point of telling us this."

"Upupupu… Well, we still haven't had a murder yet! Sure, a bit of blood was spilled last night, but there was no finality, and that's boring! Boring!" Monokuma exclaimed.

Kousuke said, "I don't see the- Oh…"

Monokuma grinned, "Ah, you're on point today, I see! Yes, this information is… a motive. If you kill someone and get away with it, then you'll recieve all your memories back, on top of being allowed to graduate!"

"We'll… what?" Yumiko asked, her brow furrowing, "Are you still serious about this murder game?"

"Of course I am!" Monokuma said, "Why else would I have brought such a talented group of students together?"

Saki pointed directly at Monokuma, "No! Even with your insane method of provocation, nobody here will ever take the life of another! All of us are going to escape this place… as friends."

Monokuma laughed, "I see we have a volunteer for the role of first victim!"

"W-What?!" Saki drew backwards.

Kenta called out, "We shouldn't listen to him! Why should we trust the word of an animatronic bear?"

"Who kidnapped us, no less," Itsuki added.

Monokuma said, "I'm sure at least one of you can. But who's to say? Anyways, I'll leave you all to kill each other now!"

With that message, he vanished.

Asuka stayed rooted to the floor, her head spinning.

Three years of missing memories… Killing someone here to have them returned? It's insane.

…

…

...But what if I…

Asuka blinked a few times, returning to reality. The lobby was mostly empty now. Apparently, just about everyone else had run off while she was trapped in thought.

In fact, the only other people were Arata - who was huddled in a ball on the floor against the wall - and Hiroki, who was talking to him. Without thinking too much about it, Asuka approached them.

"Are you like. Sure that you don't need something?" Hiroki asked.

Arata's voice was muffled, "I'm sure."

"You look like shit," Asuka observed, crossing her arms.

Hiroki rubbed his wrist, "I'm not trying to fucking push you, but you look like you're on the verge of passing out."

Arata mumbled, "It's… petty. Petty and childish."

"We're not gonna bully you or anything," Hiroki said, "This isn't fucking primary school."

Arata took a deep breath before finally raising his head, "I'm… afraid of bears."

...What?

"Oh," Hiroki said quietly, "That's… uh, unfortunate."

Arata pushed himself up off the floor and dusted his clothes off, "Quite. I… I'm going to lie down for a bit."

Asuka said, "Don't you need somebody with you?"

"Hardly," Arata muttered, "I really, really don't want to talk about any of this."

With that, he headed for the stairs on shaky legs.

Hiroki huffed, "Guess I'm stuck with you, then."

Asuka raised an eyebrow, "What?"

Hiroki replied, "Yamura yelled at me yesterday for being on my own, and I'm not in the mood to repeat it. I mean, guess her heart's in the right place, but…"

"I get you," Asuka muttered.

Am I… going to spend my morning with Ayugai? I'm hungry too…

"Did you have a plan?" she asked.

Hiroki nodded, "Yeah, actually! C'mon, we're gonna get some fresh air."

With strength that Asuka was surprised he possessed, he grabbed her wrist and dragged her outside. She absently rubbed her temple with her free hand as the door banged shut behind them.

"Okay! Race you to the bottom of the hill and back!" Hiroki shouted. Asuka barely got a chance to voice her refusal to participate before he took off.

Coughing on the dust he had kicked up, Asuka took a step backwards. If she squinted, she could just barely see him in the distance, no more than a dot on the horizon. After little more than a second, however, he started coming back into view.

When he returned to the top of the hill, Hiroki hadn't broken a sweat, but he was panting ever so slightly.

"How… the fuck," he began, "did you beat- You didn't move, did you?"

Asuka replied, "No way in hell."

Hiroki ruffled his hair, "Yeah, I guess that makes sense. And here… Here I thought you were gonna end up on the list of infamy."

Asuka shuffled, "List of- what? Who the hell else is on that list?"

"Well, my rivals, obviously," Hiroki said, cocking his head, "Usain Bolt, Carl Lewis… The Super High School Level Marathon Runner…"

"The- Who?" Asuka asked.

Hiroki said, "Oh, she's not in our class. I don't even know if she's in our year. But she's probably my biggest rival of all. She wants to be the fastest person alive, and, well, me fucking too!"

Asuka raised an eyebrow, "...I see?"

Hiroki continued, "I mean, I don't think she knows who I am. But that doesn't matter! I'm still her rival."

"Right," Asuka said awkwardly.

This conversation is giving me a headache.

Hiroki shrugged, "I guess you're stuck in the pits of mediocrity. That's okay, though, you can be one of my fans instead! I give out autographs on weekends only."

"I, uh-" Asuka glanced around, her eyes stopping at the sight of a smudge near the bottom of the hill, "Who's down there?"

Hiroki replied, "Uchiyama. She's just being boring and reading a book, though."

A compulsive liar and a walking migraine… Great choices for company today. Still, I think I grew closer to Ayugai… somehow.

"I might go see how she's doing," Asuka said, taking a few steps away.

Hiroki pouted, "You're gonna leave me all alone? No fair!"

Asuka said, "You can come with me if-"

"No, like I said, that's boring," Hiroki muttered, "I'll just go annoy someone else. Thanks for being one of my fans!"

With that declaration, he sped back inside the hotel.

Asuka shook her head slightly and begun to tread down the hill. Sure enough, Natsumi was sitting cross legged at the bottom, her nose in a small book.

I… suppose I'll spend some time with Uchiyama.

As she approached, the blonde raised her head, "Hi, Ishikawa-san. Are you thinking about the motive at all?"

"I'm trying not to," Asuka replied, lowering herself onto the grass.

Natsumi nodded, "Me too. That's why I'm reading this… I need a distraction."

Asuka asked, "What is that, anyways?"

"The Bible," Natsumi responded, turning the page.

Asuka said, "I didn't know you were religious."

"Well, not devoutely," Natsumi said, "But there's a copy in every room, and in these trying times… isn't it best to have something to believe in?"

Asuka tilted her head, "That's a nice way to put it. I don't believe in anything myself, but it's interesting to see other people's perspective. I… I hope your belief pays off."

Natsumi giggled, "Aw, how sweet! You'll have to tell Kanagaki-san that later. I'm not religious at all, but she is."

"What? Then why were you-"

"I was curious about your reaction, so… I lied," Natsumi said, "Also, I have no idea if this book is in every room, since I stole it from Kanagaki-san."

Asuka frowned, "So not only are you a liar, you're also a fucking thief?"

Natsumi shrugged and turned another page, "You have a problem with that? Besides, I could be lying about stealing the book too."

"You're weird," Asuka said.

Natsumi said, "Well, you were the one who decided to come sit with me, weren't you? Doesn't that make you weird too?"

Asuka looked away, staring out at the endless horizon, "Maybe."

Did Uchiyama and I grow closer today?

She leaned back, lying down on the grass and watching the cloudless sky. She wasn't exactly in the mood to keep talking to Natsumi, or to go find someone else, but it was easy to simply lie down in the warm air.

The atmosphere carried a strange silence, one that was almost unsettling. Quiet was peaceful, certainly, but Asuka couldn't help but think that the hush signified death as well.

After what had to have been a few hours, Natsumi said, "I'm going back inside. Are you going to stay here?"

"No, I'm coming," Asuka muttered, carefully getting to her feet.

She staggered up the hill after the girl, relaxing as the gentle air conditioning washed over her again inside. Asuka looked for Natsumi, but the girl was already venturing towards the garden, leaving her by herself.

Though, not for long, as only a moment later, Saki stepped out of the lounge.

"Asuka-chan! Wait… you weren't alone, were you?" she asked, her smile turning to a frown.

Asuka shook her head, "No, I- Aren't you alone?"

Saki brushed her hair off her shoulder, "That's not important. Anyways, I guess you have good timing. Would you mind looking after Fujita for the next little bit?"

"Look after?" Asuka repeated.

Saki sighed, "Not for long. Kazue-chan and Ayano-chan convinced me to let him go at nighttime. I don't know if that's adequate time for him to learn his lesson but I'd rather not go back on my promise."

Asuka looked at the floor, "I still think it was a mistake to tie him up in the first place."

"Now isn't the time to ponder hypotheticals," Saki replied, crossing her arms, "Will you watch him?"

Asuka bit her lip, "Fine, whatever."

Saki smiled softly, "I appreciate it."

Asuka didn't bother responding and instead made her way towards the storage room. Minoru was still leaning against the same wall that he had when he'd been initially tied up.

I guess I'll be spending time with Fujita.

Panic in his eyes seemed to subside as he recognized her, "Oh, thank god. I thought you'd be… I don't know, Ikeda-kun."

"Sorry to disappoint," Asuka replied. There was a surplus of cardboard boxes on the left side of the door for some reason. She snatched one of them and flipped it upside down, then placed it next to Minoru. She added, "I heard they're letting you out tonight."

He nodded, "Yeah. About all that… I didn't hurt her. Not purposefully, anyways."

Asuka sat down on the box, "I never actually heard your side. What did happen?"

Minoru said, "I couldn't see a thing in the lobby. I walked into her by accident, but when I tried to help her up… she screamed and broke down. Next thing I know, there's a fist in my face."

Asuka frowned, "That's… odd."

"It was right when I grabbed her hand," Minoru admitted, "So I guess she really hates being touched. Or something."

Or something…

Asuka said, "Well, whatever the reason was, tying you up was bullshit. I don't have a clue what Yamura was thinking."

Minoru sighed, "She was doing what she thought was best. I can't really blame her for trying to keep everyone safe. Do what brings the greatest amount of happiness to the greatest number of people, right?"

"I still think it's stupid," Asuka muttered, "Do… you believe in that- whatever it was you just said?"

Minoru shrugged as best as he could in his position, "Sort of? I mean, it kind of makes sense, but ethics are really complicated. I don't even know if I believe in free will."

Asuka raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

"Is all choice free? Is the future causally determined? Or are we powerless to affect our own future?" Minoru questioned.

Asuka blinked, "I. Uh…"

Minoru said, "Sorry. There just isn't a lot to think about while stuck in this place."

"No, it's fine, just…" Asuka paused, "I'm not sure myself. I like to think I have free will, but… maybe every choice I ever make has been determined from the start."

"Maybe," Minoru agreed, "There's no way to prove it, though. Not that I know of, anyways. If you figure it out, you should let me know."

Asuka snorted, "Deal."

I think I grew closer to Fujita today.

Conversation faded out after that, and the two sat quietly in the dusty room for what felt like both hours and mere seconds. When the door opened again, a soft, dulling ache had worked its way through Asuka.

"Good evening, you two," Kousuke greeted, "Is everything alright?"

Asuka nodded, "Yeah. Is it almost ten?"

"Indeed," Kousuke said, "I've come to untie Fujita-kun before the lights go out."

Minoru let out a sigh of relief.

Asuka got to her feet, "Cool. Can I leave you to handle this?"

Kousuke said, "Certainly. But, one question… Did you end up eating today, Ishikawa-san? You don't look so well."

Asuka froze, "I- no. With the motive, I kind of… forgot."

"That isn't healthy," Kousuke said, "Hurry, grab something before the restaurant is locked for the night."

Asuka rolled her eyes, "Okay, Dad. See you two in the morning."

"Bye," Minoru said, as Kousuke waved.

Asuka exited the storage room. She leapt over the wooden desk in front of it, heading for the swinging restaurant doors. It was deserted inside, unsurprisingly.

She walked over to the door to the kitchen itself and stepped inside, realizing in that moment that she'd neglected to actually look in there before. It was a rather standard room- appearing similar to the kitchen of her old high school, though smaller.

A large fruit bowl sat on a silver island near the centre of the room. Asuka went right for it and plucked an apple from it without thinking.

"Hey! It's closing time, so hurry up!" a sinister voice called.

Asuka spun around, ready to hurl the apple at the source, but stopped herself upon sighting Monokuma. Instead, she said, "I was just leaving."

Monokuma grinned, "Careful! You do remember that violence-"

"Against you is strictly forbidden," Asuka finished, "I fucking know. I would have torn you to pieces by now, otherwise."

Monokuma tutted, "Hmph. Language like that is hardly befitting of a student like yourself."

Asuka rolled her eyes, "Shut the fuck up."

Ignoring the bear's attempts to continue conversation, she turned tail and left the kitchen, then the restaurant behind. Asuka mindlessly chewed on the apple as she climbed the stairs back up to her room. Above her head, a speaker crackled.

"A-hem! Hope's Peak Vacation Faculty Committee has an announcement to make! It is now 10pm. As such, it is officially nighttime. Please return to your rooms and rest. Let your worries be eased…"

The lights in the lobby flickered out just as she closed the door to her room.

With a great sigh, Asuka kicked off her shoes and flopped down onto the quilt. A headache was poking at the back of her skull.

Her eyes fluttered shut, and soon, she drifted into what would be the first of many nightmares.