Hello, and welcome to the next chapter of Act of Despair! I'm sorry I haven't uploaded a new chapter to this story for a while, and so I hope you can forgive me with this relatively long and juicy chapter! There is a lot that will happen in this chapter, and so I hope this will be satisfying to your liking!
ToonGuy: "Haha, glad you seem happy about the last chapter! Aw, thanks! I'm glad you think so about that little thing! It makes me happy to hear that. Yes, well, the duo do seem to want to be left alone, after all. Glad you seem to like Tomoyo! Haha, well, nice thoughts on Misaki. Glad you like Decebel. Glad you don't think badly of Kyatchi! Haha, well, why don't we make it canon then? Hope you'll enjoy this chapter!"
liammarklh88: "Nice to see you! I'm glad I'm portraying Kyatchi to your liking! I hope I'll do him justice. I'm mostly interested in murders too, let's not lie here guys. Hitomu is our smart little leader. Haha, well, let's see if you are right. Glad you liked last chapter, and hope you'll enjoy this one!"
Glass-Lady-of-the-Opera: "I'm glad you enjoyed it and I'm glad you like how I'm portraying Ayako so far."
PainX65: "I love you too, my beautiful stranger."
Lupus Overkill: "Haha, well, this review was still long nonetheless. You always impress me with how analytical you are, so I don't mind the length XD Yes, the chatroom is a mechanic I am hoping to use in this story, specifically the trials. Akio's not the only one who chats people privately you know. I'm glad you seem to enjoy the dynamics being shown so far. I hope I'll be able to write out some more interesting dynamics in the future as well. Haha, well, who knows? Only the future could tell. Well, there will be more Monokuma interactions in the future, so look forward to that. Hm, well, let's see what happens in this chapter then! Haha, hopefully you will like this chapter (or not)."
Akio frowned, eyeing the detective. That look of amusement was written all over the shorter man's face. The actor couldn't help but cross his arms. "So, what do you want to tell us, Watari?"
Watari smirked. His attention was entirely focused on Akio. "Are you sure you want me to tell you all? It concerns you, silly."
"I don't think that I hold anything of value here," the brunette retorted. "We are discussing about how to stop this killing game. If you want to pull our leg here, then please don't talk."
"You think I was joking? Oh, silly Aki." Watari snickered, moving closer towards the middle of the room. The door was closed with a slam, Watari now turning around to eye the entire group. "I'm sure you're all curious, and despite my information coming at a price, I'll be generous today. This information is for free."
Hitomu observed the detective, suspicious. "This supposed information you are giving us pertains to our situation, right?"
"Of course it is. I would not tell you something that does not relate to our situation." The detective tapped his foot. He was obviously amused by this entire situation. "Besides, this information may prove useful in raising your chances of survival."
Yume frowned. "And it is about Blaise..."
"Mhm." Watari observed the room for a moment, then frowning. "I suppose a few of your supposed friends are not here at the moment?"
"Yup." Misaki sipped into her glass of water. "Wakana and Ayako are getting Masako and Keishi right now."
The door was opened.
Watari grinned. "Ah, what nice timing."
Blanchard looked back. "Ah, welcome."
Wakana's eyes widened as she looked inside the room. "Oh! You were able to get Watari here, Kyatchi?"
The juggler didn't say anything, only frowning as he noticed the looks of discomfort in Masako and Keishi. "Is it really intelligent to keep those two here? They seem quite distraught over their interrupted time of silence."
"I-I'm sorry if I offended you with my behavior." Masako bowed her head down, a worried look on her face. "I'm just nervous... Sorry!"
Keishi averted his gaze. "I just don't want to make you guys suffer... If I'm here-"
"Hey!" Ayako smiled widely at the duo. She was determined to make them feel homely. She did not want to outcast them at all. "Don't be so worried! We'll be fine."
Hesitation was written over the duo's faces, but they silently agreed despite their worry.
The four Ultimates took their seats. Everyone's attention was on Watari.
The detective cleared his throat, still standing lo and behold in the middle of the room. "Since my information is valuable, I will share with you this little tidbit of information for one time, for free. A generous offer, isn't that right?"
Kiyoko scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Just tell us what it is."
"Of course." The detective winked at the woman, making her grimace in response. He chuckled silently before beginning. "Well, what I want to speak to you all today is about our dear Aki. Why though? What is so interesting about a boring person like him?" A smirk escaped his lips. "Well... It's the fact that Aki here isn't normal. It is the fact that Aki here isn't normal. He isn't like us."
"Huh?" Shinjimae looked worried, Saki nuzzling herself on his leg to comfort him. "W-what do you mean by n-normal?"
Watari's smile widened. The worried looks only pleasured him further, his eyes glimmering in excitement. He couldn't help but let out a snicker. "Well, my poor souls, it is the fact that Aki here has murdered before."
Silence escaped through the room.
A dark, looming silence.
"What?"
The detective's smile darkened. His eyes dulled, his focus now on Akio. The actor was silent, and that only made Watari even more amused. "Do you not believe me? Are you wondering why I know this? Who told me? Why was I told this?" He let out a sigh. A mocking sigh. "Well, to be frank, as a detective, it is my duty to know everything about everyone. I did a bit of research on each of you."
"But..." Wakana looked nervously at Akio. She shook her head, looking back to Watari. "T-there's no way that's true."
"Well, believe what you want." Watari chuckled. "But as a detective, the information I find is always trustworthy. Whether or not the person whom I sell the information to trusts it or not is of their own will. I have no control over it."
"But to think of Blaise as a murderer..." Kyatchi looked displeased, pulling on his bandanna. "That sounds uncanny."
Akio frowned. He glared at the detective. "So, why bother to even tell us such a farfetched lie? Are you trying to ruin the unity we're trying to maintain right now? Are you working under Monokuma, is that what's up?"
"Heh." Watari looked straight into the actor's eyes. "I am merely informing them to be cautious around you, that's all."
"Why would we believe this?" Hitomu was straightforward in his voice. He seemed hesitant. "What would make us believe that this claim is true?"
The detective shrugged. It was a teasing gesture. "Why would you not believe it? Why would you not at least take what I say into account? Trusting Akio fully makes you look like a naive little child."
Tomoyo frowned. "Doesn't the same thing apply to you?"
"Smart girl. I like that." Watari grinned, eyeing the screenwriter who averted her gaze. "You cannot trust everyone fully. The same thing applies to me, you, and Aki as well. Just take what I say into consideration, that's all. My information is valuable, of course~"
The detective then began to walk out of the door. He stopped inches before the door, his attention turned back to the group. "Another little tidbit of information here, though take it more as a warning- everyone can kill, and everyone can die. A simple request may mean someone's death."
The door opened, and Watari was gone. The door closed, and now it was silence.
It was deadly silent.
Moments passed.
Minutes passed.
Finally, someone raised their voice.
"So, uh... Watari believes Blaise is a murderer, right?"
Akio eyed the person who was speaking. It was Wakana, the woman awkwardly smiling at the group. He sighed, shaking his head. "Watari is lying, of course. I don't remember anything that's about me killing anyone."
"But we don't exactly remember everything that happened, right?"
Akio's eyes widened. He eyed Masako who worriedly looked at him, her face pale. "Do you seriously believe him?"
"I-I mean, he did tell us to take it into consideration." Masako's voice was shaking. "I-I don't mean to offend you though! I'm sorry!"
"I seriously don't think Blaise could be a murderer..." Wakana cupped her hands, almost as if she were praying to herself.
Kiyoko scoffed. "Can being hopeful really be of use here? If Blaise is a murderer, then that means he could kill one of us."
Akio was shocked. "What?"
"Yeah, true. So, what do we do?" Kyatchi eyed Hitomu. "We have an assumed murderer in our little ragtag team."
Akio frowned. He couldn't believe what was happening. "Kyatchi!"
"You really believe he's a murderer?" Blanchard seemed a bit doubtful, eyeing the actor. He thought for a moment, then sighing. "I suppose we should take what Master Watari said into consideration though."
The flip of the eyepatch. Viorel nodded his head rapidly. "That is correct. Master Blaise here might be a murderer."
"Well, if we were to take what Watari said into consideration..." Hitomu eyed the actor. A sigh escaped his lips. It was obvious he was hesitant in what he was saying. "Then we might have to outcast him at the moment. This is risky."
"What?" Tomoyo's eyes widened. "Are we really going to just isolate him out of nowhere?"
Keishi eyed the group, his voice quiet, but apparent. "If he's a murderer, I would think that you shouldn't take your chances..."
"No, seriously! You guys believe Watari?" Akio found himself standing up from his seat, disbelief written all over his face. "Why? Why would you believe someone like him? He's not trustworthy at all!"
"Well, to be fair, we don't exactly know each other. We are all not on friendly terms, to be honest." Kiyoko eyed the actor with a stern face. "I may know a few of you here as well as how others would know others, but we are all not friends. Not at all."
Blanchard raised a hand. "To be honest, I hold no exact knowledge of you people till now."
Ayako tilted her head. "Seriously? Not even Blaise! I mean, even if I'm in the entertainment industry and see him here and there, I would think that the entire Japanese public would know him."
The screenwriter nodded. "That is true. I would think most of us would know him. Wakana's a huge fan of his, for example."
The eyepatch was switched. Viorel cleared his throat. "To be frank, you could say Blanchard and I were sheltered."
"Oh." The model went silent for a moment. Her cheeks were pink. "Sorry! I didn't know."
Yume looked over to Akio. "So, we're planning on isolating him, right?"
"I-I knew I shouldn't have been here..." Masako was busy murmuring to herself, to concentrated on her thoughts to even bother with the others. Her entire body was shaking. "M-murderer..."
"To be completely honest, even if we do seem to have heard of one another, we do not completely know one another." Blanchard looked over to the group, calm in his tone. "Might Viorel and I suggest that there's a possibility that we are all guilty of something quite... gruesome?"
Everyone seemed to jump, flinching.
"What?" Kyatchi let out a snort. "Are you suggesting that we're all murderers? Even our happy-go-lucky Wakana?"
"H-hey..." The florist frowned, pouting.
"T-that's a possibility...?" Shinjimae began to pale, eyes widening. "I-if everyone here are murderers, then...!"
Tomoyo bit into her lips, concern written over her face. "H-hey... There's no way that's the case! That's insane."
"W-what if it's true though?" Masako was murmuring to herself, her breathing beginning to quicken. "I-if everyone here are murderers, t-they're out to kill me... W-why? it sounds so crazy, b-but at the same time it makes sense...?!"
Kiyoko crossed her arms. "A shocking theory, but given the fact that Watari called Blaise out as a murderer... It might just be possible. I don't exactly know you all that well."
Ayako quickly threw her hands up, sudden fear in her eyes. "S-same to you then! I am not a murderer! I didn't do anything!"
"Me neither." Misaki eyed the recreation worker sternly. "I didn't do anything either."
"Seriously..." Akio was shocked. "Our unity just went off just like that? Just because of a stupid tale?"
Blanchard shook his head, eyeing the actor. "I wouldn't necessarily call it stupid, Master Blaise. It is more so that it is something to take into consideration."
"It's obviously a farfetched tale, and it's stupid to even think that we would all be murderers now." The brunette eyed the butler who looked back at him, curious. Akio couldn't help but frown, walking around the table in a circle. He was walking slowly as he spoke. "Why exactly would we trust someone like Watari? He never intended to help us in the first place, so why now? Wouldn't you suspect that Monokuma told him this in order to break our unity together?"
Shinjimae thought for a moment, his eyes then widening. "W-wait, b-but if I remember correctly, w-we don't exactly remember everything that happened b-before this."
The actor raised a brow. He stopped. "What do you mean?"
"W-we don't remember how w-we ended up here..." The animal whisperer was nervously stroking Saki's fur. "... B-but what if that w-wasn't all we don't remember? W-what if we don't remember e-everything about our background?"
"You could call that selective amnesia, huh?" Hitomu cupped his chin, pondering on the thought. His eyes were eyeing the ground. "That does sound plausible. It may be that we do not only forget how we ended up here, but we had forgotten a few more tidbits of information about our own background. It would make sense."
"You really think Blaise could be a murderer?" Wakana's eyes were teary. "T-there's just no way he could be a murderer! Watari's just messing with us!"
"And what if he isn't?" Kiyoko eyed the florist coldly. "What if Watari was trying to help us? What if he is telling us the truth? For all we know, the Blaise here is fake. He is putting up an act. Isn't it beneficial that he's an actor too?"
Ayako's eyes widened. She could hear the overt sarcasm in the recreation worker's voice. "H-hey, Kiyoko! Stop it!"
The recreation worker then glanced over the entire group. "Who knows? Maybe you guys are all murderers. I don't know you all that well, after all."
"T-that's foolish!" Wakana found herself screaming. Her hands were clenched into fists. "So not only Blaise, but now you suspect all of us too?!"
"Can I not be here?" Keishi awkwardly eyed the group. "I rather not be here to witness this."
"G-guys, please stop." Tomoyo was eyeing Kiyoko and Wakana worriedly. She could see the doubt in the two women's eyes, and it was obvious that the others were beginning to grow uneasy as well. "Please, let's not fight."
Akio was silent. He was watching the group falling out before his very eyes. He grimaced inwardly to himself. Just because of that fucker Watari... He's making a fool outta us. Tsk.
"Uh..." Kyatchi wryly eyed Tomoyo and the other two women. "Guess we'll be witnessing a little cat fight, eh?"
Ayako turned the juggler in disgust. "Kyatchi!"
"Cat fights seem fun!" Misaki grinned widely. "I would love to watch one."
"Why don't we end the meeting now?" Hitomu smiled awkwardly at the group, having clapped his hands. He then turned to the actor. "We can discuss this later. I'll try to find Watari and ask him for more details. For now..." He averted his gaze. "... Well, we'll see what happens. I'll talk to Watari first before talking to you. I'll message you privately."
Akio was distraught by this, but nodded his head nonetheless. "Sure."
"Alright, the meeting has ended." Hitomu smiled widely, his cats purring besides him. "Blanchard, please help me bring the dishes back to the kitchen."
The butler stood up, bowing his head. "Of course, Master Hitomu. It is my duty to serve you and the others."
Kiyoko scoffed. She turned towards the door. "I cannot be around you guys. Sorry, but I can't help but suspect you all now."
"What? Seriously?" Misaki pouted. "It's stupid to think that we're all murderers, right?"
Kyatchi smirked, tugging on his bandannas. "I mean, it's not that far of a theory if you think about it."
Wakana was silent.
"I..." Keishi bit into his lips. "I rather not be around you guys any longer."
Slowly, the group began to disperse. As quickly as Masako and Keishi came in, the more quickly they went out. Blanchard and Hitomu had stayed behind to wash the dishes, Kiyoko and Misaki having left to do something by their lonesome. Kyatchi had also left by himself, and Shinjimae had went out into his own room. Yume had quickly disappeared from the scene, Ayako having left with Wakana by her side. Now, Akio was left alone in the cafeteria with Tomoyo, the woman biting into a bar of chocolate.
The actor frowned, eyeing the woman. She seemed greatly worried about him, but at the moment Akio couldn't care less. He was more worried about what Watari said, and how badly it affected the group as a whole.
Most importantly, how it impacted him.
He's just trying to make everyone hate me. I knew he wasn't to be trusted the moment I met him. Goddamn it.
He even caused the group to disperse, just like that.
Akio sighed. He honestly wanted to find the detective to yell at him, but he couldn't. He knew better than that.
Well, I guess I can just roam around the area till I have something to do.
The actor walked outside of the cafeteria. He looked around the school for a moment, observing its surroundings. He looked over to his MonoPad, eyeing it for a moment. There seemed to be nothing new. No notifications, anything.
Another sigh escaped his lips. He decided he should go to the auditorium first, realizing that he may be able to think to himself in his lonesome. Though he can go to his own room and think, he felt like he needed to be out for a while. He just felt like getting a fresh breath of air.
Though I'm not exactly outside. Ha.
Akio chuckled to himself. He walked down towards the auditorium, then creaking the doors open. The moment the actor had opened the door he saw something spectacular.
Something spectacular, and something dangerous.
There was Kyatchi, juggling knives in his hands.
And then there was Monokuma, cheering him on from the sidelines.
"Uh..." Akio was frozen in shock, unsure of what to do. The grip on the door loosened, and the door slammed shut. The actor looked over to the door., fear in his eyes "Ah, shit!" His eyes glanced back to the juggler, hoping for the best. He did not want to lose the juggler's concentration.
Kyatchi looked to Akio, the knives still being juggled in hand. "Oh, are you here to watch me die?"
"What?" The brunette was baffled. "Uh, no. Why are you juggling those knives anyways? Put them down!"
"Says the supposed murderer, but then again there is a possibility I could be one. Hm." The juggler rolled his eyes, however he tossed the knives perfectly to the ground. They were now on the ground, in a pile. He bowed his head down. "Our beautiful overseer Monokuma here wanted to see me juggle some dangerous items, and so I decided to entertain him for a bit. That's all."
Monokuma laughed. "Upupupu! I'm always in the mood for seeing danger up close and personal! A shame you didn't slice your hands off."
Kyatchi sighed. "Yes, it is a real shame. I was hoping for a finger or two."
"I know right?!" The bear groaned. "What a shame!"
Akio couldn't believe his eyes. The juggler was just going along with what Monokuma was saying. He wasn't exactly sure of how to respond, nor whether he should be impressed or scared.
Maybe a little bit of both, if I had to be honest.
"Welp, anyways!" Monokuma threw his paws out. "I heard that you all think you're murderers now! Isn't that a blast?"
Kyatchi sighed, tugging the bandannas on his wrists. "Yeah, it is. It is all thanks to Watari. I didn't want him to tell the others that Blaise was a murderer simply because of this. I really hate hearing the whole 'I can't be a murderer' shenanigan. It sounds hypocritical."
The overseer threw his paws over his mouth. "Shit, you speak my language! I'd fall for you if you weren't so ready to die though."
Akio couldn't help but frown, eyeing the bear. "What? Is it you who told Watari this shit?"
"Who knows?" Monokuma grinned at the brunette, however he then yawned. "Anyways, I gotta go. Thanks for entertaining me, Kyatchi babe."
The juggler smirked dryly. "Bye, I suppose."
The bear nodded, then jumping to the ceiling. There, he suddenly disappeared, now leaving Akio and Kyatchi alone.
"Uh..." The actor observed the man for a moment, then sighing. He crossed his arms. "Is there really any need to entertain Monokuma by juggling some knives? You could hurt yourself, y'know?"
Kyatchi rolled his eyes. "It's not like I've heard that for the tenth millionth time, Blaise." He looked back at the actor. "Why're you even here anyways? Are you that desperate for attention that you'd even act in front of an empty crowd?"
"You make me sound like a psycho." Akio chuckled, now loosening the tension on his shoulders. "But seriously, what's the deal with you entertaining Monokuma?"
"I mean, it wouldn't hurt to entertain your own master, right?" Kyatchi smirked. "If a master gets bored, then they'll kick you out of the house in no time flat. Monokuma only sees us as his little playmates, his dolls. I would believe that Monokuma is bored out of his mind right now. We aren't exactly planning to murder each other yet, huh?"
Akio frowned. "Like we'll even think about something like that?"
"Who knows? There's always a dark horse." The juggler yawned. "Anyways, so what exactly were you planning to do here, suspected murderer?"
"I'm not a murderer- Ugh, whatever." The brunette sighed, scratching his head. "Well, I just planning to think to myself somewhere other than my own room. The first thing that popped up in my head was this place. That's... That's all, really."
"That's pretty tragic." The juggler snickered. "From the famous Blaise to a lowly criminal who's been thrown out by all, it's really tragic."
"Forget about that. We'll figure this out later." Akio crossed his arms. "Why're you even in here then, Kyatchi?"
Kyatchi's eyes widened. "Oh. I was actually here to practice my juggling. I was just interrupted by Monokuma, and then this led me to juggling knives, and then this led me to you now."
"I see." Akio nodded. A moment passed in silence. The duo wondered what to do, and Akio let out a sigh. "You wanna hang out?"
"You would like to hang out with a depressed person like me?" Kyatchi raised a brow, baffled. "A sociable and friendly person like you is the complete opposite of me. Why would someone of your kind care about someone like me?"
"Hey, I mean, you don't have to if you really think like that." Akio frowned, staring intensely into the man's eyes. "I really don't have anything to do right now, and what better way to pass the time than to just talk? Besides, I'd like to know you better, Kyatchi."
The juggler averted his gaze, playing with his hair. "Well, for starters, you could waste time by wondering about how to win back everyone's hearts-"
"Well, let's hang out!" Akio clapped his hands together, smiling widely at the juggler. "I won't take no for an answer!"
Kyatchi was shocked.
Should I hang out with Kyatchi?
You already made up your mind! / Can I be a jerk and say no?
Kyatchi: Alright then. What do you want to talk about?
Akio: Hm, for starters, you. I want to know more about you.
Kyatchi: Me? Why? Do you want to feel delighted that you get to waste time with me?
Akio: Nah, I just really wanna get to know you and the others.
Kyatchi: ... Well, if you insist. What do you want to know about me first other than me being a depressed, cynical person?
Akio: Huh? What?
Akio: Oh! Well, how about I get to know the basics? Like, what are your hobbies?
Kyatchi: How boring. Almost as boring as you.
Kyatchi: Hmph. Well, for hobbies, an obvious one would be me practicing my juggling.
Akio: Makes sense. You are the Ultimate Juggler, after all.
Kyatchi: Some people could be an Ultimate for doing nothing at all. Don't assume things so openly, Blaise.
Akio: Ah, right.
Kyatchi: Another hobby of mine would be to read books. Sounds stereotypical, right?
Akio: I mean, most teenagers these days prefer to play dress up and go on their phones. I would only think that you reading books is stereotypical because of how you dress.
Kyatchi: Touche. I do prefer to try on fancy clothing, so you got me there.
Akio: Not surprised about that, seeing how you look now! I personally hate trying on new clothes. I like to wear clothes that everyday people could afford.
Kyatchi: Are you a saint? Everyone does not think like you, Blaise.
Akio: I mean... Well, nevermind that! What else do you like to do?
Kyatchi: Another hobby I like to indulge myself in is... Huzzah! To play video games.
Kyatchi: I know right? How typical of a teenager.
Akio: I mean, yeah. Most people play video games though.
Kyatchi: Well, let me tell you something that is more stereotypical of a juggler, of someone who works in a circus.
Akio: Yeah, and that is...?
Akio: Ow!
Kyatchi: Pulling pranks on people.
Akio: Before I even knew it, Kyatchi had thrown a plentiful of juggling balls straight at my face.
Akio: K-Kyatchi!
Kyatchi: Hmph. You're so easy to fool.
Kyatchi: I'll leave now. Thanks for providing me some good entertainment material.
Kyatchi's Profile Card: 1/1
Note: Kyatchi has a plentiful of hobbies. He, of course, likes to practice juggling as well as to read books. He also prefers to play video games like most people. It is also to note that Kyatchi likes to pull pranks on people. It might be a good idea to be wary around him.
Akio sighed, feeling sweat trickling down his face. The juggling balls had strangely disappeared from the ground, and the man could only assume Kyatchi had taken them all before he left the stage.
Goddamn it Kyatchi.
The actor rolled his eyes, a playful smile on his lips.
Well, that actually put me in a good mood though. I guess I should be grateful that he threw those balls at me.
Akio looked around the room. It was empty. The actor chuckled and headed outside of the room. He wondered where he should go next, and he looked around the area while walking. That was when he saw Blanchard who had went outside of the cafeteria.
"Hey!" Akio ran over to the butler, a smile on his face. He wondered if the butler would be willing to talk to him. "What's up?"
Blanchard eyed the actor for a moment, then nodding his head after a blank expression. "Ah, I am doing fine. I thank you for your kind question. Viorel is doing fine as well, if you must know."
"Ah, I see! That's good." The actor awkwardly chuckled, looking up at the man. "You're done washing dishes with Hitomu?"
The butler switched his eyepatch, Viorel now speaking. "That is correct. What's wrong? Do you require our assistance for something?"
"Huh?" The actor frowned. "Assistance? What, no, you don't need to help me with anything. I just wanna talk to you and Blanchard, that's all."
"That's strange, huh, Blanchard?"
The eyepatch was switched. "I do find it quite strange that someone would not require of our assistance. Master Blaise, we are the Ultimate Butler. What we do is serve people nonstop. I am troubled if we are not working on a chore."
"Oh, I see." Akio's heart dropped. He then thought for a moment, then snapping his fingers. "Hey! I got it! How about this? I'll request you to do something for me."
Blanchard's eyes widened. "Yes? What do you require?"
The brunette smirked, pointing a finger gun at the butler. He shot the trigger. "I want you two to hang out with me. I request that you two talk to me. I need someone to keep me company."
The butler looked at the actor for a moment, then nodding his head. "Ah, I see. Well, if that is what you require, then I will accept your request."
Akio snapped his fingers. "Nice!" He then frowned, a sudden thought escaping through his head. "Wait, Blanchard, Viorel, I got a question."
The eyepatch was switched. "What is it?"
"Do you think that I'm a murderer?" The actor was curious. "I don't exactly know what you're thinking."
"Hmph, I see." Viorel smirked. "To be honest, we are uncertain about that. We do want to trust Master Watari, but we want to trust you as well. You can safely assume that we are taking things into consideration, but not exactly I guess."
"Mhm." Akio crossed his arms, nodding. "Makes sense."
The eyepatch switched, now back to Blanchard. "Besides, Viorel, we ourselves do work that pertains to a 'murderer'."
"B-Blanchard, do you have to say that so openly?!"
"What? That was all in the past, Viorel."
"I know that, but Master Blaise is watching us!"
Akio awkwardly watched the scene. "Uh..."
Blanchard quickly cleared his throat. "So, you request for us to keep you company, correct?"
Should I hang out with Blanchard and Viorel?
Just do it! / No, they're weird!
Akio: Yeah. I want to know you two better.
Blanchard: I see. What would you like to know about us, Master Blaise?
Akio: I guess...
Akio: No, I shouldn't ask about how they became so... close. I'll just ask them questions about their past and all that fancy stuff.
Akio: So, where do you guys live? I haven't heard a name such as Blanchard or Viorel in Japan before.
Blanchard: Ah, I see. I suppose it would make sense for you to question our names.
Blanchard: Viorel and I were born in an organization which based our names on our given month's birth flower. That is all there is to our names.
Akio: Uh... I see! That's interesting to know.
Akio: Do I even have the luxury of asking them for more detail on this? I feel like it'd be rude to ask them more about their past now, given that they didn't call whom they live with a 'family', but an 'organization'.
Akio: So, what do you two like to do at your place? Do you have any hobbies or likes?
Viorel: Yeah, about that, we both have extremely different hobbies.
Akio: Really?
Viorel: What? Is it that surprising-
Blanchard: Don't be rude to Master Blaise.
Viorel: Tsk. I know that.
Blanchard: Well, Master Blaise, we both have different hobbies we like to partake in. For example, I like to partake in relaxing hobbies such as cooking, reading, and sightseeing. I love to decorate food as well.
Akio: I see. That's nice to know!
Viorel: Uhuh. Well, for me, I like to jog and do shadow boxing.
Akio: Oh, I see. You two sound like polar opposites even more now.
Viorel: Heh, you think? Well, I also like to learn more insults-
Blanchard: I suppose you could say that, Master Blaise. However, I am rather curious, when you said you wanted to request for our assistance, you merely wanted to learn more about us? That is all?
Akio: Yeah, that's right! I really want to learn more about you guys.
Blanchard: Ah, I see. Well, unfortunately, we must be going now. I want to clean up the area in the construction site. It is too messy for our liking.
Viorel: Oh, right. Well, we must take our leave now, Master Blaise.
Akio: Okay! See you two later then.
Blanchard/Viorel's Profile Card: 1/1
Note: Blanchard and Viorel have touched upon the fact they lived in an organization, not a family. Other than that, the duo both partake in different hobbies. Blanchard prefers to cook, decorate food, watch the scenery, and read. In the meanwhile, Viorel likes to partake in jogging, shadow boxing, and learning more insults.
Akio watched the Ultimate Butler leave, the taller man having left and moving towards the the stairs. They had walked up the stairs, and now they were unseen in Akio's eyes.
The actor sighed. The man was about ready to head back to his room when he decided to take out his MonoPad. He turned it on, and strangely enough he got a few notifications from the chatroom. Curious, the man checked the log.
There were three different chatrooms which had the words 'unread messages' at the top, in bold red.
The first one was the group message. The second one would be from Hitomu.
Finally, the third one was from Wakana herself.
Akio frowned. He looked around the area for a moment, then quickly walking into his room. He closed the door shut and sat on his bed, now clicking to the group message, reading it.
[Chatroom: (Group Chatroom)
(More on top...)
Ayako: So, uh, what're we gonna do about Blaise now? (12:19 PM)
Kiyoko: The same can be said for everyone else. (12:31 PM)
Kyatchi: Honestly, I have to agree with her there. (12:33 PM)
Ayako: What?! (12:34 PM)
Ayako: I mean, maybe you guys have a point, but still! (12:35 PM)
Ayako: There's just no way we could all be murderers, let alone Blaise! (12:35 PM)
Shinjimae: I-I mean, we have n-no way of knowing... (12:37 PM)
Wakana: Don't believe Watari! I don't think Blaise could be a murderer at all! (12:40 PM)
Hitomu: We'll discuss this later. (12:56 PM)
Yume: I rather be alone. (01:01 PM)
Kiyoko: Same. (01:05 PM)
Tomoyo: Wait, so are we going to meet together, or not? (01:10 PM)
Hitomu: ... I don't know. We'll just see who's going to be present at dinnertime. (01:21 PM)
Akio: (Type here...)]
Akio frowned. He seriously could not believe it. To think that the unity between the group would fall and break that easily was outstanding. It was outstanding, and incomprehensible. He just couldn't believe that Watari's words would be able to shake the unity between the group so easily.
He's just trying to mess with us. I have no doubt that he's working with Monokuma. It just seems right.
The actor held his breath. His heart was beating. He decided to tap onto Hitomu's messages, now reading them carefully.
[Chatroom: (Akio/Hitomu)
Hitomu: Blaise, we need to talk about what was discussed earlier at breakfast. (02:00 PM)]
Akio nodded inwardly to himself. He quickly typed into the keypad.
[Akio: Sorry I didn't respond to you sooner! (03:12 PM)]
The actor waited for a few minutes. Soon, a reply was seen.
[Hitomu: That's fine. (03:15 PM)
Hitomu: How are you holding up? Are you doing alright? (03:16 PM)
Akio: I'm doing fine! I'm just a bit annoyed that Watari called me a murderer. (03:16 PM)
Hitomu: That makes sense. I'm sorry. Everyone is now suspecting you of being a murderer now. (03:18 PM)
Hitomu: Though I admit I myself am worried about that, I would still like to trust you most of all regardless. (03:18 PM)
Akio: That's fine. I don't mind it. I'm more annoyed that everyone's now claiming that everyone else is a murderer. I feel like this all could've been avoided if it wasn't for Watari. (03:20 PM)
Hitomu: Well, that's true. (03:21 PM)
Hitomu: Anyways, you will be with us at dinner, correct? (03:21 PM)
Hitomu: I am not sure about how many people will be with us at dinner considering what happened earlier... But I hope you will be with us regardless. (03:22 PM)
Akio: Of course I'll be there! I want to help stop this whole killing game anyways. (03:24 PM)
Hitomu: Ah, yes, of course. Then I'll see you there. (03:25 PM)
Akio: Mhm! Gotcha! (03:26 PM)
Akio: (Type here...)]
The actor smiled. He was glad to see that Hitomu still trusted him. The cat keeper was surely a great person, and Akio was now absolutely certain of that. He was honestly glad that Hitomu was with him.
He was just glad that a few people believed in him. Even one person was enough for him.
The actor chuckled to himself. He then swiped over to Wakana's chatroom, eyeing the messages she sent him.
[Chatroom: (Akio/Wakana)
Wakana: Hey Blaise! (12:00 PM)]
Akio couldn't help but feel bad that he didn't reply to the florist sooner.
[Akio: Hey Wakana! (03:29 PM)
Akio: Sorry I didn't reply to you sooner! (03:29 PM)]
A few minutes went by without a second thought.
[Wakana: Ah, no, it's alright! (03:33 PM)
Wakana: How are you? I hope what everyone said earlier didn't bother you! (03:35 PM)
Akio: Of course it did, but I'll be fine. I just can't believe Watari will say something like that. (03:37 PM)
Wakana: I know right? That was so rude of him to do! Why would he be convinced that you're a murderer? (03:38 PM)
Wakana: You're not that type of person to kill at all! (03:38 PM)
Akio: I'm glad you trust me. (03:40 PM)
Akio: But like, Wakana, aren't you worried that I might actually be a killer? People suspect others of being killers too. (03:43 PM)
Wakana: Of course not! (03:43 PM)
Wakana: There's no way we could all be murderers. It's just not possible. (03:44 PM)
Wakana: Aren't we all friends here anyways...? (03:44 PM)
Akio: Yeah, I guess so. (03:45 PM)]
A few more minutes passed by. Akio waited patiently for the woman to respond, tapping his fingers on the MonoPad. A few minutes passed, and a few more minutes passed until finally- a response.
[Wakana: Uh, Blaise? Do you want to hang out later? (03:51 PM)]
Akio raised a brow. Curious, he began to type.
[Akio: Sure. Why? (03:52 PM)
Wakana: I just feel like the whole thing in breakfast made you stressed. (03:53 PM)
Wakana: I don't know, but I feel like I want to cheer you up! (03:53 PM)
Wakana: Uh, is that okay? (03:54 PM)]
Akio thought for a moment. He shrugged as he typed.
[Akio: Sure! That's fine with me. (03:57 PM)
Akio: What do you want us to do? (03:58 PM)
Wakana: O-oh! Really?! (03:59 PM)
Wakana: Well, uh, I was thinking we could just hang out at the library and read to pass the time. Reading books do help calm you down, right? (04:02 PM)
Akio: Oh! I see. (04:02 PM)
Akio: Sounds like fun. When are we gonna hang out together? (04:04 PM)
Wakana: How about after dinner? (04:05 PM)
Akio: Sounds good! Let's do it! (04:06 PM)
Wakana: Alright then! (04:06 PM)
Akio: (Type here...)]
Akio couldn't help but smile widely as he turned off the MonoPad. He placed the device into his pocket, unable to contain the happiness in his face. He was seriously jubilant that people were going out of his way to trust him, to help him. He was just glad that not everyone suspected him of being a killer.
Hm, well, guess I should rest now.
The actor chuckled, now throwing the blankets over him. He couldn't care less about his outfit, instead closing his eyes and allowing sleep to take over him.
A few hours passed, and Akio woke up to hear messages ringing. He groggily grabbed ahold of his MonoPad, opening it up. He swiped to the chatroom. It was just a message that Hitomu sent out to the group, claiming that dinner is now ready.
The actor stood up from his seat. He quickly combed his hair with his fingers before moving forth, locking the door behind him. He headed his way into the cafeteria.
Akio frowned once he entered into the area. There were only a few people present.
Only Hitomu, Blanchard, Wakana, and Ayako were to be seen. Everyone else was gone, nowhere in the area.
"Seriously...?" Akio didn't even realize he had said that aloud.
Wakana let out an awkward smile. "Hey Blaise! Sorry there's not all of us here. Everyone didn't come."
Blanchard bowed his head down. "It is nice to see you again, Master Blaise."
"I didn't for most of the others to have left." Akio sighed, walking over to the table. He took a seat down, Blanchard then passing him his meal. The tray was filled with a bowl of rice and fried chicken. "Oh, thanks."
Hitomu smiled as the cats nuzzled against his legs. "I'm quite shocked myself. Everyone left the moment Watari had spoken earlier."
"Seriously? Just because of that?" Akio frowned. He bit into his piece of chicken, gulping it down. "That's stupid."
"I can't believe everyone would leave just like that!" Ayako pouted, crossing her arms. "They just don't want to talk to each other now! They believe everyone else is a murderer."
"It's just impossible for us to be murderers." Wakana frowned. "I don't see why they believe it's possible. Just because we don't remember a few things doesn't mean we're murderers."
"True, but considering we're in a killing game it would make sense for them to be uneasy." Hitomu looked at the group. He had Kazue and Reiji on his shoulders. "Right?"
"I guess..." Wakana was uneasy, cupping her hands. "But I'm just worried about everyone..."
"Well, why don't we eat?" The cat keeper let out a chuckle. "Let's not worry about these things now. Just eat and relax."
Though hesitant, that was what everybody did. Akio was silent as he bit into his food, eating. The room was silent, though it wasn't at all relaxing. It was a tense and awkward atmosphere- an atmosphere that befitted that of a drama movie. It was choking, suffocating.
Nobody was speaking, only eating into their foods.
An awkward, awkward atmosphere.
It was awkward, but what could be said? The only things that the group could bring up was the lack of people present, the theory of everyone being murderers, the killing game... Everything that was to be brought up will only end in a sour note, and they all knew that. They all knew that, and so nobody had spoke. They only ate in silence, the sounds of their chewing and utensils clashing to the table to be heard.
About half an hour passed in silence.
"So, uh..." Wakana was awkwardly eyeing the group. "Y-you think we'll be the only ones here tomorrow morning too?"
Blanchard looked at the florist for a moment, then nodding. "Most likely, Master Wakana. I would believe that everyone had made up their minds on what to do from now on. Our unity has been diminished, to say it lightly."
"Yeah, no kidding." Akio frowned. He sipped into his cup of water. "Can we even counter Monokuma like this?"
"Most likely not." Hitomu sighed, stroking his cats' fur. "We will have to plan something else then, the five of us."
"So we start from zero?" Ayako's eyes widened. She then sighed, her shoulders drooping. "Why? Why can't we all just get along?"
Hitomu shook his head. "Don't worry. Even if we are not working together now, we'll still come up with a way to counter Monokuma We'll get out of here, for sure."
"That's the spirit!" Akio smiled widely at the cat keeper. He looked over to Ayako. "I'm sure we'll be able to find a way out even if it's only the five of us. We'll work together until we find a solution, and then we'll tell the others. Is that good?"
The cat keeper smiled widely in return, nodding. "Yes, that is what I have in mind as well."
Ayako's eyes widened, but suddenly her melancholic face was overwritten with joy. "I-I guess so! I'll try my best."
"Viorel and I as well," Blanchard mused in.
Wakana giggled. She was looking over at the group in excitement. "Then count me in! No matter how long it takes, we will stop Monokuma and get out of here before the murder happens!"
"I won't let a murder even occur!" Ayako cheered loudly, throwing her hands up high in the air. "I'm sure we can do this!"
"Glad to see you're all spirited." Hitomu couldn't help but chuckle to himself. "I'm glad to see you all fine now. We'll come up with a plan tomorrow, alright? We'll talk about this during breakfast."
Blanchard nodded. "Of course."
Wakana and Ayako bobbed their heads joyfully.
Akio inwardly laughed to himself. He was glad that the group seemed fine. He was glad that everything was fine between them.
Everyone had finished eating, and so Hitomu and Blanchard took the dishes into the kitchen. Ayako had waved to the group, leaving to her room. Now, Akio and Wakana were left alone.
"So, you ready to go?" Akio asked, smiling happily at the florist. "Or do you want to rest a bit?"
Wakana giggled. "We can go now."
Akio nodded, standing up from his seat. He followed Wakana outside of the door, the duo heading straight towards the library. Once the duo headed straight to the door, Akio took the time to open it, letting the florist in first. He slowly closed the door shut as he headed inside himself, finding Wakana who was immediately invested in finding a good novel.
"I'm guessing you like to read a lot?" The actor asked, walking over to a nearby shelf. He observed the books that were lined in his eyesight. A few romantic and horror novels were to be seen.
Wakana hummed her response, her finger running through each book. "I do. I tend to read a lot in my pastime. I really love to read comedies."
"Ah, I see." Akio chuckled. He found a book that had taken ahold of his interest- a romantic-horror novel. He took the book out of the shelf and headed to the nearby chair, sitting down. He opened the cover, reading the summary. It was about a detective and artist who were on the run from a strange entity. A rather cliched plot, if Akio had to admit.
The brunette looked back to find Wakana, the florist still looking through the shelves. She was stepping on the stepladder, about a few meters away from where the air vent was. She seemed fully concentrated in searching through the shelves, her eyebrows wrinkled and her face entirely serious.
Akio laughed inwardly to himself. She still looks cute when she's like that.
The actor turned the page on the novel. It was the table of contents. Well, as expected, the novel was long, about seven hundred pages. Akio already knew it the second he grabbed ahold of the book, but to find the table of contents listing about over fifty chapters made him queasy.
Well, I already took this book anyways, so I guess I'll just see if I can read through the whole thing.
Akio looked back to Wakana. The woman seemed to have found a book of interest, grabbing ahold of it immediately. She went down the ladder and happily skipped over to a seat across from Akio. She smiled brightly at him. "You already found a book you like?"
"Mhm." Akio waved the cover to the florist. "Have you heard of this before?"
Wakana eyed the cover for a moment, squinting. She then shook her head. "No, sorry. I'm more into comedy and happy stories!"
The actor laughed. "Makes sense. You are a happy person yourself."
"B-Blaise!" The woman blushed, quickly hiding herself in the book. "I-I'm going to read now if that's fine with you."
Akio nodded. "Of course. I'll go read mine as well."
The brunette turned the page, reading the first chapter. It was slow-paced at first, but within a few more chapters the pace began to build up. Within an hour Akio had learned that the detective and artist were in a relationship, however their relationship immediately soured once a stalker was chasing after the artist. This led to the detective having found the stalker and setting him in jail, but within minutes the detective had learned that the stalker was part of some cult. Now, the couple was being chased down, and they were on the run.
Pretty generic and stupid so far, but entertaining to say the least. I could see this as a movie.
Akio continued to read, ignoring his surroundings. Two hours had now passed, and now the brunette found himself reading quite a strange story. The cult was involved in aliens and the like- the generic stuff. Cliched, and within another few chapters the detective had gotten himself kidnapped. Now the artist was left alone in search for her boyfriend.
How the fuck will this even end? It's only been twenty chapters so far.
And so the actor continued reading through the story, trying his best to read through the end. A yawn escaped his lips.
The artist had ended up meeting the cult leader. She was brought into the headquarters where she met her boyfriend. Apparently the detective had been tortured and was now about to be a sacrifice to the so-called strange entity above them. Obviously, the artist had wanted to stop this ritual, but it was too late. The detective had been possessed, and the cultists were praising the aliens above them. They had now ordered the possessed detective to kill the artist as a test.
Akio frowned. A strange novel, but a novel to read nonetheless. It was entertaining, and he didn't know if it was good or bad.
Another yawned escaped his lips, and the man found himself rubbing his eyes. He took a moment to look away from his book, eyes now focused on Wakana. The woman had fallen asleep, the book laid down on her lap. She seemed to be in a peaceful sleep.
Akio's eyes were watery. He was getting sleepy. He looked over to the words on the novel before setting the book down. He was sleepy, and he wanted to sleep now. His eyes shut closed, and within seconds the man found himself drifting off into unconsciousness.
A few seconds passed.
A few minutes passed.
A few hours passed.
Who knows how goddamn long time passed?
Akio didn't know. Once the man found himself drifting back into consciousness, the man let out a soft groan. His body seemed to be aching, and his head was aching as well. Everything was aching, and Akio found himself having to force his eyelids to open.
They opened.
They opened, and he instantly regretted opening them.
"What... What the fuck?"
His voice came off as a shaky squeak. A shaky, shaky squeak.
He couldn't help it. Who could? He could've never prepared himself for what he was seeing now.
"What the fuck? No way...There's just no way..."
There, in front of his very eyes, was Wakana Takane, the Ultimate Florist.
Dead.
Yes, that's right. She was dead.
Wakana Takane was dead.
The woman was sitting right across from the actor, her entire body limp and pale. Her face was flushed from her beautiful fair complexion, now a horrendous color of death. She drooling with saliva, drool trickling down her chin and falling to the the bloodied book on her lap. There were rope burns around the woman's frail neck, obviously meaning the end of her life. She had been choked to death, and those rope burns were the story behind such a case.
However, that wasn't the thing that caused Akio to scream.
No, it was the fact that whoever murdered the woman seemed to have enjoyed it. There was a bloody knife on the ground, then pools of blood everywhere around the woman. The woman's hands and feet have been cut apart from her very body. She was a mannequin, her hands and feet to be seen lying at the ground, almost taunting her.
Worse of all was the fact that the woman had been stabbed right in the chest. She had been stabbed in the chest, and the killer made sure to implant a parting gift for the woman.
There was a red rose that had been stabbed into the woman's chest, sticking high into the air.
High into the air as if Wakana were to blossom that flower into health.
Akio shook his head. He shook his head so rapidly that he began to lost his line of sight. He couldn't believe what he was seeing, the man having fallen off his chair. His entire body was shaking. Everything around him was shaking, and a scream escaped his lips.
"WHAT THE FUCK?!"
... And that's the end of the chapter! And, well, officially the end of the happy times with this cast. We have our first murder, after all, and who would've expected it to be our beautiful florist (totally not sarcasm)?! Well, I know a lot of people love our beautiful Wakana, but hopefully we'll be able to bring her to a peaceful death by finding out who killed her!
Well, anyways, the next time, this chapter will have its investigation out! I am hoping that I will be able to give you all a wonderful trial and investigation here! Wish me luck, and thanks for reading this story!
