My arms drifted behind my head to support it as I leaned back. The chair creaked as my weight retrograded it, my feet planted in the ground as I gazed up at the ceiling. My journal lay open on my desk, scribbled words glided across the page when I wrote. Writing was my way of getting things off of my chest, since it takes a while for me to open up to others. Distress floated away from my mind and into the pages, releasing me from its unswerving grip. Writing about Hoshiko, Chibana, and Yuichi sort of helped me accept the fact they were dead, but not entirely.
I looked at my watch, seeing it was nearly midnight. As always, I get immersed into the words streaming from my pencil into the paper. I hadn't heard Monokuma's nighttime announcement, but clutching my pencil had drained the feeling from my arm, resulting in my body feeling debilitated. Closing my journal, I couldn't suppress a long sigh escaping my mouth. All of the fun times with my former classmates could no longer be experienced. However, I could relive the joyous memories to keep their spirits alive in my heart. After getting ready and laying in my bed, my anxiety rose up again. When will we escape this dreadful school? How will we escape? When will the next person die...
-DAY 9-
Ding, dong, bing, bong...
"Good morning! Time to greet another bee-yutiful day!" Monokuma announced.
I groaned, fatigue had enveloped me overnight and wouldn't let me go. My eyes wouldn't stay open, so I decided to sleep for a few more minutes... Suddenly, my eyes flew open wide as something furiously pounded on my door. "Toru, rise and shine! We've been waiting long enough! Hurry before I drag you out again!" Masami ordered, disrupting the tranquility. Jolting upright from her playful threat, I hopped out of bed. Quickly getting ready and bolting out the door, I came to realize my sloppy appearance. Eh, decent enough.
Masami stood there, soft pink lips curled into a smile. She grabbed my hand, filling it with warmth. Gently leading me to the dining hall, I remembered the first time we had met. Opening the doors, content faces greeted our arrival. Or should I say, masks to cover up their true emotions. Although, Yuichi wasn't waving me over, or Chibana doing a little performance nearby. Even Hoshiko's enigmatic grin, now gone, tainted the air with loneliness. "About time you showed up. You slept in for one hour and we were about to embark to the third floor." Noritaka pestered.
"I offered to fetch you earlier, but Nobu told me you should have some time alone to cope with your feelings," Masami said, gazing into my eyes apologetically.
"Just as she said, everyone takes time to recover differently." Nobuo added.
"We know Yuichi was your friend, but know that he was thinking of us before he died," Kaori reassured.
"Thanks guys..." I murmured, my face growing warm.
"Alright. Now that the third floor has been opened up for us and since there are only eleven of us left, we will disband into a group of five and one of six," Noritaka declared, changing the subject.
I was put with Masami, Kagami, Toshiro, Rokuro, and Kaori. The other group had Noritaka, Aika, Nobuo, Renjiro, and Eriko. We trekked up the first two floors, and past the former metal curtain. Immediately right of the stars were another flight, closed off with another metal curtain. "Gee, Monokuma sure loves making us feel trapped," Eriko commented sarcastically, before skating off with her group. It would only open after the next trial, which I prayed to not occur. As if, with all that's happened.
Left of the stairs was a large area filled with Greek-style pillars. Behind them was the art room, holding all an endeavoring artist needed. Supplies organized by type hung against the right wall, and the other had big desks for special projects. Random and childish art speckled across the walls, giving off a creative vibe. Across the art room was a large area for storage. Items that weren't stocked in the school store could be found here, such as worn out book and extras of things. Canned food filed a few boxes, as well as random trinkets. Light bulbs clinked as I pulled out a box, and Kagami happened upon a box with small wheels. Oil and gas were here too, for anything rusty to fix, but why gas?
Next to the storage room was a science lab, greatly pleasing Toshiro. Lab coats and a fire extinguisher were just outside, to be put on prior for safety. A table in a corner had standard technology for science placed on top of it, crowded with it all. Counters lined up against the walls, each having one sink and cabinets just above them. The cabinets stored new, shining science equipment, like flasks, tubes, measuring cups, etc. A thick book sat next to one of the sinks, showing step-by-step experiments to do. Toshiro skimmed through, eyes gleaming and mouth drooling. "Finally, a place where I feel at home..." he sighed dreamily. Science labs are meant to be treated as dangerous, but Toshiro being the Ultimate Scientist and knowing everything about it made sense as to why he felt at home here.
Down the hall, there was a room with rows of computers. We checked the majority of them for info about Future's Promise, but all it had was a file with pictures of our faces, most likely from the enrollment papers. Across the hall was the one classroom, and at the end of the hall was the second one. We made our way to the center with Toshiro yearning for the lab, hesitant to pass by. Sharing our findings, he blabbered on about it, hoping to share his knowledge with us. To get him to shut up, Nobuo suggested he'd teach us some lessons each morning. His face lit up like a light, eyes twinkling and mouth open, speechless. A few of us groaned, but hey, science can be intriguing.
The nearby monitor flickered on, showing the bear we all know and loathe. "Okay, okay! Enough sweet time, I'm bored as heck over here! Get your asses to the gym, and brace yourself for major humiliation! Puhuhuhu~" he squeaked. Aggravated and a bit concerned, we went down the stairs and to the gym. Each time I enter the grand doors, Monokuma presents something he believe will spark a fire for murder. Assuming this'd be the same reason for congregating us, I took his advice and braced myself.
Monokuma sprinted up to us instead of jumping on his regular stand. We all glared at him, knowing this bear had many tricks up his sleeve, and could pounce any moment. "Judging by your pissy faces, you seemed to have known I have a new motive," he began. A gulp went down my throat as I continued to watch Monokuma, swaying his hips avidly. "Even though I made this up a few days ago, it took some time to do research. Anyway, it's bound to knock your socks off!"
Monokuma reached behind his back and pulled out a sheaf of paper with our names on the front. This piqued our curiosity, enabling us to listen more attentively. "These slips of paper contain the most atrociously bad things you've done in the past. Having them exposed will change other's outlook on you, and quite possibly ruin your reputation to the public. If nobody goes bye-bye in one week, I will enjoy the pleasure of revealing these secrets to everyone!"
With that, Monokuma flung the papers into the air. Gracefully floating to the polished floor, I snatched mine midair. Unfolding it, the letters were in a bold, solid font, meant to intimidate us. "When he was younger, Satoru plagiarized another journalist's work, then burnt it in his fireplace to get credit for the writing." Crinkling some edges between my fingertips, I agreed that I wouldn't want this to get out. I put the surreptitious paper in my pocket, planning to toss it in the trash later. Sweat slowly trickled from my head as I felt strained to ensure no one found out. A quick laugh from Monokuma, and he waved his arm in dismissal. Would someone really kill for this...?
Reticently strolling back to our dorms, the only thing on our minds were the bad secrets. What should we do about them? Let Monokuma share them, or eliminate someone...? "Hey, I know we just received a new motive and all, but before something tragic occurs, we should spend time together," Kaori stopped us. She stood in front of the crowd, a nervous expression on her face.
"We already spend time together in the dining hall, exploring, and investigation. Is that not enough?" Noritaka jeered.
"I mean...like have fun together."
"Well I'm down. At least it'll get rid of some of the tension," Eriko agreed.
"Wonderful! Then how about a swim in the pool?" Kaori suggested.
"But Chibana and Hoshiko were murdered there..." Toshiro brought up.
"Then...how about a soothing bath in the sauna?"
"Sounds nice, but we can't all go in there," Aika pointed out.
"True. How about a rock-paper-scissors battle between the sexes to see who'll go first?" Nobuo proposed.
The crowd cheered in delight as Masami and I were shoved towards each other. Holding our palms out, we counted to three. I threw rocks, Masami threw paper, resulting in a loss for the guys. I heard a few sigh in disappointment, but drowned out by the girls' happy shouts. Waving us goodbye, they dashed into the sauna as we headed to our dorms in defeat. But, Toshiro stood steadfast against the current of us walking away. "Why is it you're still standing there?" Rokuro called out.
"You honestly don't know how great of a loss this is?" He answered with a rhetorical question.
"...What?" We said in unison.
"The girls taking a bath together..."
"...What are you up to?" Renjiro quizzed the scientist.
"I'm saying we should peek at them!" Toshiro exclaimed, his glasses glinting.
"...What?!" We said in unison. A quick image of the bath flashed through my mind, but I shook it off in embarrassment.
"B-But that's an invasion of privacy!" Nobuo stuttered.
"C'mon, a tiny glimpse won't hurt!" Toshiro convinced him.
"Yeah, but still..." I trailed off, attempting to end to images in my head.
"Just imagine the girls without clothes. An interesting world is under there...!"
"Ehh...What if we get caught? They'd kill us!" Renjiro panicked.
"You're the Ultimate Spy! You can accomplish anything!"
"...This is frivolous," Noritaka ridiculed.
"Too late, I can see you raised it...!" Toshiro nudged.
"Raised what...?" Noritaka grunted, shifting away from him.
"Hehe...! Don't deny it, onward!" Toshiro whooped, leading the charge.
"...I admit to desiring one look," Rokuro admitted as he walked past. As we were dragged along towards the sauna, the thought of a tiny peek didn't seem so bad. Opening the doors to the locker room, the girls' excited giggles emitted from the bath. Cautiously placing my feet down, we inched closer and closer to the fogged-up doors. Renjiro, being the Ultimate Spy, discreetly opened the door just a crack without a sound...
Humidity hit us in the face, activating our sweat glands. The warmth tickled the hairs on our skin, enveloping our bodies in the moist atmosphere. Water flowed from the shower heads and onto the chilled tile floor, the sound of many seeming like a relaxing waterfall. Hitting the ground like thousands of tiny footsteps, the water droplets bounced off the floor turning into mist, shrouding the area. Soap with varied aromas shot up our noses like a sweet scented gust of wind. Our eyes searched beyond the steam, spreading warmth throughout the air like a fire in a cold winter's night. The girls chattered blithely, their movements chasing away the clouds. The cool air blew into my face, as if I were soaring through the air and into the fog. As it partially cleared, my jaw dropped at the now revealed sight.
The former silhouettes mostly uncovered an alluring vision. They bathed, the light coruscating on their doll-like porcelain skin. But they weren't dolls, they were very much alive. Some of their callipygian figures were voluptuous, while others not as much, yet still concupiscent. The warm water trickled down their skin in rivulets, mixing with the soap and then becoming a white, foamy liquid. Their hair flowed down and plastered to their arms and back, glossy and smooth. All of their backs were turned away from us, so we dared to lean in closer, enticed. The mist cleared as a few turned off the shower heads, revealing more of their bodies. A majestic sight just lay beyond it, the humid air caused me to pant like an eager dog. A whole new world was there, a man's fantasy. The steam cleared, uncovering TOWELS GOD DAMMI-
-DAY 10-
The sound of chattering increased as the girls entered the dining hall, sprightly and well-rested. Everyone else sat down, staring at the empty air, groggy and not so well-rested. We hadn't slept a wink due to the moist sight we had experienced. Our breakfast remained untouched, arranged and raw as we feebly jabbed at it with our utensils. The girls scarfed down their food voraciously, savoring each bite and beaming as they chewed. Bright as day, their content spread through the air while our gloominess drowned it out. Kagami being the first to finish, spoke up. "Toshiro, you agreed to teach us some s-science lessons, right? Unfortunately, science wasn't my best s-subject..." Suddenly, Toshiro bounced in his seat, regaining all the eagerness from the night prior. Glasses glinting and a slow smile, it appeared as if he had forgotten all about our endeavor.
"Yes, yes, I remember that negotiation. I was up all night planning what we'd do today and some other inescapable thoughts..." He trailed off, wistfully staring at the clock. We coughed, trying to not seem suspicious. Gah...we know we were, but we just hoped they didn't know we had watched them bathe.
"So what'll we do?" Masami asked, sipping from her cup.
"Just a review about safety in the lab, and the different equipment and its function."
"I do recall some lab coats hanging on hooks just outside the entrance. Perhaps they were provided for our own personal use, so I suggest we should go claim them," Rokuro said.
"Sounds like a plan! But hurry up, would ya? You barely even touched your plate," Eriko bothered.
After impatiently forcing the food down our throats, we set off to the science lab. White lab coats were suspended by hooks, so we grabbed them and wrote our names on the name tag already in place. Checking our clothes for any loose items, non-closed toe shoes, and long hair, Toshiro opened the door to let us in. Just as he had decided, the Ultimate Scientist gave a lecture about lab safety and educated us about the different equipment. Even though we had knowledge beforehand, hearing Toshiro explain it eloquently pulled us in. A few hours passed, and he let us go free while he organized for tomorrow. That is, if nothing bad happened to any of us...
Hoping not to be a burden, I stayed in the science lab while Toshiro worked. Even though we had only discovered this room yesterday, he seemed to know where everything was located while he withdrew equipment. Silently observing his movements, the scientist briskly walked cabinet to cabinet while flipping pages through the textbook. "...You can talk to me, you know," he surprised me.
"You sure? I don't want to cause a problem..."
"No, you're fine. I've been working in labs long enough to know how to handle things with my eyes closed!"
"Wow, it must require lots of focus and balance."
"Sure does, but my mom and dad supported me while I practiced. You see, when I was young I went into their science lab and found a book teeming with their notes and while I was alone, studied and experimented." He did this while stirring a tube containing a potent green substance.
"All by yourself?"
"Yeah, but they eventually found out. They scolded me for how dangerous it was, but heh, I shrugged them off and held up my sloppy notes."
"I'm guessing they let you work alongside them after that."
"They were impressed by them, so of course they let me in their lab! After a while they allowed me to do hazardous things."
"Wow..." We continued talking, but after a while Toshiro got into more risky procedures, so I bid him farewell. I peregrinated throughout the third floor, and happened upon Kagami in the storage room. My shadow blocked out her view of a box, and she practically jumped when she noticed me. She had been immersed in the piles of stuff, so I kinda regretted disturbing her. "Sorry for startling you," I apologized while scratching my head.
"...It's all right. I was just b-browsing through these boxes in search of anything I could p-put to good use."
"For your jewelry? There's bound to be some string and beads in the art room."
"Y-Yeah, but those are just regular beads. I'm looking for anything eye-catching to thread on."
"I was wondering...how did you get into creating accoutrements anyway?" I pressed, trying not to be a bother.
"O-Oh...I was born into a rich and noble family, but they were abundant in money due to their jobs. So to keep it coming, they were working a lot while I was h-home alone. But then I discovered my mom's old jewelry box laying around, brimming with old-fashioned accessories. I knew she d-didn't wear them anymore, so I grew inspired to make s-something new..."
"A rich and noble family...? They would be renown, but I haven't heard of an Ishikawa family. Although, I must say that's unique to be rich but not widely known."
"..."
"S-Sorry for interrupting...hehe.."
"When my parents got home to see the items sprawled on the f-floor, they grew curious of my creations. They acknowledged me and purchased expensive m-materials so my creativity could flow from my fingers into the jewelry. I got better and better over time..."
"I'm guessing your jewelry soared up in popularity?"
"C-Correct! People were in high demand for it and I made friends pretty quickly. They weren't using me to get nice things, I knew to avoid those people at school. All was pleasant, until I arrived here..."
I gave a curt nod, but none of us spoke because of the situation. Kagami resumed her search, not taking notice to a small stone falling. It clacked onto the indurated floor, and Kagami unknowingly stepped on it. The unevenness caused her leg to waver, as she lost her footing. Kagami flew up in the air, a box filled with stones spilling out and raining down. The girl hit the floor, gleaming rocks pelting her like hail. The cardboard box fell off the shelf, landing on her head to silence her. I watched the event unfold, frozen in place as a few of the stones bounced off my body. Kagami just sat there, with scattered pebbles and a box on her head...
Time stood still as I could only stand in the door frame, unsure of which emotion I should be experiencing. Suddenly, footsteps increased at Aika and Nobuo appeared. "What happened?" Nobuo inquired, head swerving to and fro at the mess. Kagami swiveled her head to peer at them, but the box moved with her, and ended up tilting. "Stupid! Why didn't you help her?" Aika punched me. The wind knocked right out of me, I responded in a gasp, "I-I was stuck in place!" Squinting her eyes, they shot daggers as she marched towards Kagami. Fuming, Aika kneeled down and strained to soften her voice. "Are you alright, Kagami?"
"Y-Yes..." She mumbled, slowly removing the box.
Looking back at me, Aika pouted her lips and anger radiated from her body. "That's good, but stupid Toru wouldn't help you..."
"You know it's hard to take you seriously when you're using Masami's nicknames," Nobuo teased.
"Oh, shut up!" Aika replied, face burning red as an apple.
"I-It's quite alright. I understand he was shocked at my clumsiness. W-We should clean this up..."
Aika pulled the girl in and embraced her, patting her head. "There there, it's okay. You can admit Toru's an asshole."
"H-Hey!" I shouted at her sudden remark.
"Uhh...let's just put these stones back in the box, so you can pick them out later," Nobuo negotiated.
Hence, we picked up the individual shards and gently lay them back into the box. Whenever I was working near Aika and about to grab something, she'd snatch it just beyond my grasp and grunt, "Hmph." Baffled, I picked up the stones from the door, where she wasn't. Nobuo and Aika worked close by, but when he scuffled closer Aika would shimmy away. Kagami giggled, but sighed at the mess she had accidentally caused. Masami should've crashed in offering to help now, but maybe she was taking a break...
After a while, the glimmering rocks no longer shone on the floor. A pile of them was in the box, casting sparkles along the bland walls. Nobuo stood up and announced happily, "I checked every nook and cranny for remaining pieces, but we're all good!" Kagami reached into the box and pulled out an emerald stone. "Ah..." she admired. We clumped near the box at her feet, marveling at it all. I reached down to pick up a sapphire that caught my eye, but something shoved me towards the door. Stumbling back, I placed my hand on the door and searching for the cause. Aika waved her finger at me, then sent me away. Rolling my eyes, I departed to write in my room for the rest of the day, and how scary Aika is...
-DAY 11-
I choked, coughing up a bit of a strawberry. Masami pummeled my back, screaming her head off. Her clenched fists were rocks on my back, the impact like a thunderous storm. "Okay, okay! I think Satoru's good now!" Kaori shouted, holding her hand up. Masami's hands flew to my shoulders, shaking me like an earthquake was occurring. "Toru was choking! I obviously had to help! Toshi, this wouldn't have happened if you hadn't rushed us to get to the lab!" She accused, pointing her finger at the scientist. He chuckled tensely, his eyes wavering towards me apologetically. "Bleh," I gagged.
We entered the lab, craving a new science experiment. I had never mixed chemicals together, so my fingers twitched to pour something as Toshiro had done yesterday. The lesson he planned was not that, but something useful for everyday life. He guided us through experiments that would help us solve a murder. Like a real class, we had rotations involved with fingerprints, blood type analysis, DNA extraction, and so forth. Now that we all knew this skills, maybe all of us together could contribute to future investigations. "Why didn't you do this for the first investigation?" Noritaka asked, holding a blood tray.
"Hehe...I know this sounds kinda lame but I was still in shock from Sachi's dead body. Add the depression I received when Akihiro yelled at me. Combine those two emotions and that ended up as me wandering around..."
"You could've done the bleach bottle," Eriko mentioned casually.
"I guess..." Toshiro laughed, trying to brush away the increasing sadness in the lab. Hours flew by once more and he dismissed us to prepare for tomorrow. I roamed around again, examining the halls for anyone else I haven't spent time with. The Greek pillars came into view and something circled around a few. Glimpsing closer, it was Aika circling around the pillars individually. Remembering yesterday's event, I cautiously approached her with my heart in my throat. "...Aika?" I called out to her. The singer's feet came to a halt as she turned her body towards me. "Oh, it's you."
"You sound disappointed- Er, is something...wrong?"
"Gah...yeah...umm...you know...I dunno...!" She slurred her words. Her knees wobbled as she began to ambulate once more, running her fingers through her long ponytail.
"You can tell me if you want..." I reassured, trying to break the ice between us. I mean, Aika can be hard to get along with at first, but all of us have our own problems. Maybe it's something with the motive...? Did someone find out her faulty actions in the past?
"If you're thinking of the motive you're wrong. It isn't that..." she hissed.
"If it's not the motive, then..." I began, trying not to seem forceful to pry into her private life.
"Well, I-I just need...someone's opinion. One of the girls would work better, but I-I'm just kinda skittish. But you're here, and judging by the progress you make in trials, I assume asking you wouldn't be bad..."
"Is that a compliment?"
"Look, Satoru. I..." she briskly walked over to me, holding her arm in one hand and focusing on the ground. "I've been considering...confessing to Nobuo."
"...Did I hear you correctly?"
"Jerk! I said I've been considering c-confessing to Nobuo!"
"N-Nobuo?! You like him?!"
"You got a problem with that? He's always nice to me and we've grown close during our free time..."
"I-I don't! I mean, you're kinda tempered and stubborn, and he's...well...you like him?!" I couldn't help but shout at the top of my lungs. Aika slapped me. It stung like the freezing snow hitting your face, tingly and numb.
"Ugh! I only wanted a simple opinion on what I should do!"
"S-Sure! Yeah! Go for it! We could all use any form of hope in this situation!"
"Then I should tell Nobu I like him...? When?"
"Tomorrow!" I shouted, pumped due to this sudden conversation.
"Tomorrow?!" Aika echoed.
"Tomorrow!"
"Yeah...tomorrow! I'll admit, I'm not used to this jubilant side of you. I-I'm gonna go work out the conversation with him in my mind. Go do something else, I guess...thanks," she said, trotting down the stairs while waving me goodbye. When she was no longer in sight, I fist pumped the air while moving my feet in random directions. When was the last time I felt this euphoric...? My insides rippled with the sudden growl emitting from my stomach. An empty feeling rose within me, so I confidently made my way towards the dining hall.
Pushing open the doors with more force than usual, I encountered Kaori examining some vegetables. Just the sight of the leafy greens filled my stomach with more emptiness, and Kaori's green hair sent a chill through my body as my stomach growled louder. Hearing this, the herbalist looked up, soon amused. "Well who do we have here, the man who choked on a strawberry!" she mocked me from earlier. I crossed my arms, but my stomach instinctively caused me to pick up a celery stalk. I put my teeth right on and bit it, the crunch like a thunder clap. I glared at Kaori, munching on the celery as my stomach relaxed a bit. "So why were you looking at the vegetables when I came in?" I asked, changing the subject.
Kaori answered, her perplexed look not changing. "As an herbalist it's natural for me to observe plants. Since we don't have real plants taking root in the ground here, these veggies are the closest I could get."
"I see. What turned you into an herbalist?"
"Well when I was younger, my parents had heaps of work and didn't really pay attention to me much. Often times they'd forget about me all together. This includes my younger sister as we spent time in our meager garden, educating ourselves about all of the plants."
"What's with all these backstories about uncovering talents alone?" I randomly quizzed to no one in particular.
"Huh?"
"...Just a passing thought."
"Anyway, since nobody really watched over us, we got hurt a lot," she chuckled.
"So you treated yourselves with herbs...?"
"That's spot on. My sister and I practically waltzed throughout the house with all these bruises. It was then our parents took notice, and were more wary. I had this little notebook where I took note of my findings."
"What was your sister's name?"
"Yuko. Yuko Tsumura. She and I tested many herbs despite our parents' warnings. Together, we knew how to cure common sicknesses, but strove to know which herbs to mix together to get rid of really bad ones. But then..."
"...Then?"
"Yuko got really sick. Not letting us drag our research down, she convinced me to test out herbs we were unsure of on her. For example, Boneset. We had only discovered it a few days prior, fresh and green. I gave this to Yuko, oblivious to the fact it contained a lethal toxin, tremerol. To eliminate this, you have to dry Boneset, which I did not. Which resulted in...Yuko's death."
"...I'm sorry..." The lightheartedness from only a few minutes ago was weighed down by lugubriousness. I chewed the celery slower now, its flavor now bland and dry.
"My parents assumed it was just something that couldn't be cured. But after that they let me resume my research at the nearby hospital instead of at home. It was much safer, but nothing could cure the endless grief at the loss of Yuko..." Kaori looked up at me, and forced a smile. "That's my secret."
"You mean, the unpleasant thing you've done in the past?"
"Yeah... I technically killed my own sister. Monokuma obviously chose it to drive me to despair, but Yuko wouldn't want that."
"I...don't understand why your divulging this with me."
"Oh, I'm comfortable with people knowing. It was a mistake we made together, and it proves how oblivious we were. A few others know too."
"Huh..." Kaori was cool with people knowing. Do the others feel this way too? Should I...? I shook my head. Mine was far worse than Kaori's. Hers was an accident, but mine was deliberate. I still remember how strained I was hiding that from my father... Kaori let me go from the kitchen, so I went to write in my journal for the remainder of the day. It was then I realized the energy from earlier was completely gone, and then I learned that people can affect how you feel throughout the day.
-DAY 12-
Ding, dong, bing, bong...
"Good morning! Time to greet another bee-yutiful day!"
I watched the monitor turn off, for I had been awake for nearly half an hour already. Endless thoughts piled in my head and woke me up, so I've been anticipating for the past few minutes. I re-read my journal entries, and sighed. My arms hung loose from my chair, like drapes being drawn open. Except, there weren't any windows to hang drapes from. Aika had agreed upon confessing to Nobuo today, so I headed to the dining hall to observe the two. Despite that creepy remark, I was only curious to how the others would react to blossoming love in this hell. What will Nobuo do...?
Like a machine, I ate my breakfast quickly without an expression on my face. My gaze occasionally drifted towards Aika, who was fidgeting in place. Her arm trembled as she clutched her spoon, scooping abundant mouthfuls of food into her mouth. Nobuo sat next to her, concerned and checking she was okay. But each time he spoke, her face would turn a crimson red, and leaving the others puzzled. I don't recall Aika acting this way in the past, so I figured she concealed these feelings until she asked for an opinion on what to do- mine. And now that she her feelings were about to explode, she couldn't help but feel terrified. Most people do, so I felt kinda bad, yet anxious.
A few more minutes passed, and we were about ready to leave for the science lab. Nobuo protested due to Aika's condition, trying to issue a good time to leave once she calmed down. I never figured she'd be that nervous... Nobuo stood up. "Aika, you have me worried. Is something troubling you?" He asked her softly. His words floated through the air and into her mind, soothing her body a bit. She took some deep breaths, but wasn't done shaking just yet. Was she about to reveal her feelings now? "Aika...?" Nobuo said, reaching his hand out to her.
Suddenly, Aika abruptly stood up and delved into her skirt pocket. She removed a slip of paper, and I could distinguish some folds, as it was an envelope. A small heart sticker embellished it, most likely purchased from the school store. Aika extended her arms and bowed down, squinting her eyes and tensing up her body. "Please accept this!" She begged, waiting for Nobuo's response. A few gasps escaped others' mouths, their eyes wide and eager. Toshiro kept adjusting his glasses, and Masami lightly pounded her hands on the table. I lay back in my chair and grinned. Aika had done it. But what will Nobuo do?
Nobuo's lips crept into a smile, caring and understanding. He removed the envelope from Aika's hands and clutched it in his own hands. A slight tint of red came across his face, saying, "Yes...I accept." Aika's head darted upwards, shocked like the rest of us. I could detect a small squeal from Kagami, while Rokuro had a tiny smile. "R-Really?" Aika pondered. Nobuo nodded his head, the red increasing. Seconds felt like an eternity before Aika leaped towards the negotiator, sending him back. He caught her, and wrapped his arms around the singer. "Puhuhuhu~ What's this, I see-" Renjiro swatted Monokuma off, preventing him from ruining the moment.
Once we were in the lab, those two stuck together like magnets. For each experiment, Toshiro spouted out a random comment on how it relates to their relationship. We filled helium into a balloon and he vocalized, "This balloon will soar high into the air, like Aika and Nobuo's love." When we talked about a rolling object and gravity, he said, "Gravity will keep these two down-to-earth in a stable and wise relationship..." Aika was about ready to slap the guy, but thanks to Nobuo she settled down. This science lesson was really long and lasted the rest of the day, but thanks to those three it was kept interesting. Could this devotion somehow eliminate the impulse to kill...?
-DAY 13-
I swear. Aika and Nobuo are literally magnets. They can't detach from each other, and their passion has only grown. Kagami approached them, her hands balled up. "U-Um...I'm really happy for you two! You guys really deserve it, and I can't wait to see how your relationship grows...! A-Aika, you're really nice to me a lot, and you always stand up for me too. As a token of my appreciation and best wishes, I m-made you a necklace..." Kagami placed a gorgeous necklace into Aika's hands, with emeralds, amethysts, diamonds, sapphires, etc, all from that box a few days ago. She revealed to wearing a matching one decorating her neck, and so Nobuo assisted Aika with putting it on.
Monokuma would pop by every now and then to see the new lovebirds, teasing them and saying it'd lead to ruin. We ignored him as we went to the science lab, he fumed as we wandered off. This science lesson was really engaging, as we mixed and poured different chemicals together. My excitement bubbled like a reaction in a tube, changing colors and forming strange shapes. Eriko would constantly skate around holding science flasks, but Renjiro warned her not to. Aika and Nobuo worked in sync, with Kagami close by. "Tomorrow we'll be doing even more exciting things with these!" Toshiro disclosed. Thrilled for tomorrow, I went to bed early so that night would just fly by.
-DAY 14-
As soon as I placed my hand on the chilled door handle to the dining hall, Eriko glided out and nearly knocked me over. However, she stumbled and nearly fell, with Masami chasing after her. "Ah- Where are you going?" I called out to the two girls.
"Ever since yesterday, the wheels on my skates have been slower. Upon closer inspection, Masami discovered rust."
"Koko and I are heading to storage to clean it with oil. You can tag along if you want, Toru."
"B-But what about breakfast-"
"Don't worry! A few others are skipping it for sleep just so they can head to lab once they wake up. I know that Kagami isn't there, and Aika and Nobuo are somewhere on the third floor. Toshiro's already in the lab," Eriko explained.
I slowly agreed that I just wanted to get to the lab, so I tagged along with the two. Masami sat Eriko down on a stool, and began searching for the oil. Gently moving boxes out of the way, she searched while I helped. Behind a few, we found an oil can, but the shelf seemed empty for some particular reason. The assistant crouched down, when Aika and Nobuo appeared by the door. After explaining to them, they hung out with us just as Masami fixed Eriko's wheels. I noticed Kagami entering storage, already wearing her lab coat, the amount of people gathered in the room startled her. She went over to greet Aika and Nobuo, but I snapped back when Masami asked me a favor. "Can you put the oil back in its place?" She asked, holding it out to me. I did so, now noticing the gas can after moving a few boxes aside.
All six of us began making our way to the science lab, seeing as it was nearly time on our watches. My skin tingled and my fingers twitched, restless for the next lesson. "Is it just me or does it smell like breakfast?" Eriko sniffed the air. After taking in the scent, the fragrance increased as we neared the lab. Smoke billowed from beneath the door, rising up in gray clouds and hitting us all in the face. Confused, Eriko kicked down the door with a swift kick with her roller skates. The door swung open, and flames pounced at us. Like the golden sun, we had to squint our eyes and recoil at the heat. Flames licked the wall as the smoke curled around us. The science lab was on fire.
Nobuo hastily fetched the fire extinguisher on the wall, and aim in the room. A white jet streamed from the spout, settling the dancing fire. Smoke hissed, filling our lungs as we struggled to breathe. Looking closer, something among the scarlet haze resembled something. The blazing inferno coruscated on a small item on the ground. Nobuo extinguished the fiery beast, so I dared to inspect closer.
It was a body, burnt to the crisp, arms and legs pointing outwards like a star. The shiny object were glasses, and a familiar uniform only meant one thing. The sprawled-out body was none other than Toshiro Chosokabe, the Ultimate Scientist, burnt to death.
