"Come on, out with it. What's the motive this time?" Byakuya crosses his arms while scowling at Monokuma.
The students of Hope's Peak are all at the gym, called by Monokuma for what is presumably a third motive. Despite there already being two, no one had been killed thus far. Of course, this was thanks to Makoto Naegi. Being a time traveler has its perks after all.
"Are you all ready for this? Puhuhuhu!"
"Shut up! There's no way that any of us would try to kill anyone!" Asahina objects, not noticing how Sayaka had flinched.
"Indeed," Sakura nods pridefully. "We shall beat any motive that you give us."
"This may be the best one yet!" Monokuma raises his arms and cackles giddily. "Puhuhuhuhu!"
*Fwup*
The sound of countless numbers of bills fill the gym.
"BOOM! ONE BILLION YEN!"
...
"One billion smackaroos for the lucky student that graduates!
...
"Enough to set you up for a life time!"
...
"Hey, why isn't anyone saying anything?"
...
"Not enough."
"Huh?"
"A billion yen? Please. I can make that much in a single week" Byakuya grins pridefully.
"Yes, I make plenty of money from gambling..." Celeste covers her mouth as she giggles to herself.
"To put a price on human life... Disgusting." Sakura glares at the monochrome bear with contempt.
"Oh get off your high horse! Ya know you want it! Anyway, feel free to discuss the latest motive together! Au revoir!" Monokuma gives off one more laugh as he dissapears - "Puhuhuhuhu!"
"I-I say that we tie up anyone with money problems!" Toko shreiks and points at Hagakure.
"Wh-What?!" Hagakure waves his hands in a panic. "I wouldn't kill someone just to pay off my debt to the yakuza!"
"S-Shut up! You're definitely going to murder someone!" Toko hisses.
"Oh, come on! There's no way I'm the only one here with money problems! Right?"
"Well," Makoto starts. "I'm by no means rich but I have enough to get by."
"I have made hundreds of millions off of gambling."
"Armies all over the world look for mercenaries to hire."
"I can make as much as I need to with baseball! I'm even on some trading cards!"
"I am often hired to solve cases."
"I make plenty from my music shows..."
"Sports magazines pay me to model their gear!"
"People get in line to buy my manga!"
"A-All of my books are bestsellers!"
"Me and my gang make plenty from winning bike races."
"Ha! I am a dilligent worker! Why, I had been working four jobs at once before coming here!"
"I win martial arts tournaments all around the world."
"I often get hired by companies that want to upgrade their cyber security..."
"You are all beggars compared to me."
With each sentence, Hagakure's face turns paler and paler.
"... W-Well, I still wouldn't stoop so low as to murder someone..."
"Money is certaintly the obvious choice for motives... It's a golden standard in both the real world and in mystery novels." Kyoko comments, hand on her chin.
*ding dong bing bong*
"Mm, ahem, this is a school announcement. It is now 10 p.m. As such, it is officially nighttime. Soon the doors to the dining hall will be locked, and entry at that point is strictly prohibited. Okay then...sweet dreams, everyone! Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite!"
"10 already, huh?" Asahina yawns tiredly. "Alright, I'm going to my room."
"Okay, okay, let's everyone just head back to our rooms! And don't think about that whole money thing! Got it? Good! Then let's break!" Hagakure claps his hands together and runs off to his room.
"He is SO murdering someone..." Toko mutters under her breath.
Makoto walks back to his room, formulating a plan to stop Celeste.
Despite what she says, it's obvious that she wants the money... She killed Yamada for it after all. So how should I stop her plan?
"Ahhhhh! Someone helllllpppp!" Yamada screeches in fear.
"Hifumi, what's going on!?" Makoto questions Yamada with a tinge of worry in his eyes.
Hagakure had invited Makoto to another "bath". Somehow, he had forgotten to make a note to give to Makoto... again. So Makoto ended up being the last one to arrive to the changing room... again.
"Mr. Naegi! Save me! I've never asked you for anything, but I'm asking now!"
"Wh-What happened...?"
"Sh-She's trying to kill me...!"
Yamada runs up to Makoto and points at... Kyoko.
Oh. I almost forgot that Yamada falls in love with the AI.
"I never said that I was going to kill him. I'm simply asking him why he made the same mistake twice."
"H-Huh? What did Yamada do...?" Asahina asks anxiously.
"He snuck into the dressing room in the middle of the night and accessed Alter Ego without permission. And when I caught him last night he was hugging the laptop and breathing strangely."
"Wh-What were you doing!?" Sayaka glances at Yamada with a disturbed expression.
"I thought I made myself clear yesterday, but since being subtle didn't work I suppose I have to clarify myself further..."
"Hyaaaaaah! Please don't kill me!"
"I'm not going to kill you-merely instruct you."
"Ngh...gh!" Yamada puts his hands up to his face in fear.
"Um, Hifumi...could you tell us what happened?" Makoto pats the otaku on the arm.
"I-I mean, you see... Talking to her was just...so much fun! And I j-just..."
"Whoa! Okay, time out! I can't even believe I'm about to ask this, but... Hifumi...you're not gonna tell us you...fell in love or something, are you?" Hagakure asks, clearly disturbed,
"Hah! That I, the cold-blooded killing machine of the underworld, would ever fall in love!? That's..." Yamada pauses as his face slowly contorts into shock. "Wait, is this love?!"
"I happened to do a psychic reading for a certain famous CEO once and that guy was seriously madly in love with a mannequin. He had a wedding and everything! And your eyes just now... I saw the same look in HIS eyes!" Hagakure had backed up as far as possible from Yamada.
"Shut up! She's not a mannequin! She's an ANGEL! And don't bother telling me angels exist! What we have can't be def-"
"S-Stop it!" Chihiro intervenes, stepping between Yamada and the laptop. "Don't you DARE act all creepy like to my Alter Ego!"
"Eeek!" Yamada screeches.
"Ha! Well said dude!" Mondo laughs approvingly.
"If you k-keep acting like a creep to Alter Ego, then I'll... I'll program him to hate you or something!"
"AIEEEEEE! No! Please, anything but that!" Yamada drops to his knees. "She's the only girl to ever understand me! She didn't call me weird or disgusting when I told her about my hobbies... She acted interested!"
"Alter Ego was not interested in who you *were*. it was interested in what you *knew*. It is an artificial intelligence. It exists to learn. Of course it wanted to hear about information it did not know. You are an expert in many things Chihiro could not have taught it about, for what that is worth. Alter Ego wants that information-that is all." Celeste states bluntly.
"... I-I know that. But still."
Chihiro shakes his head, apparently disgusted. "Mondo... I know this might be to much to ask, but can you try to make sure Yamada doesn't keep lusting over Alter Ego?"
"No problem, bro!" Mondo cracks his knuckes menacingly. "I won't let him hog him!"
"... I'm afraid I cant let you do that. I can't withdraw... Mr. Owada... Since I have this opportunity, let me say this right now... Destiny has bound me and her together in the Gordian Knot of true love!" Yamada screams, pointing a finger at Mondo.
"Yamada! I must ask that you calm yourself! It is not appropriate for students to do indecent acts, especially against a computer!" Ishimaru states sharply.
Meanwhile, Makoto observes this with interest.
So it's Mondo instead of Ishimaru this time?
"Stop bein' a creep dude! Wanna get smashed?"
"I punch at the speed of light! I won't yield to your threats!"
"That's enough. Yamada, Alter Ego belongs to Chihiro. I ask that you stop sneaking out to talk with him, lest the master mind finds out."
"B-But, the mastermind already knows!"
Kyoko shakes her head. "That is not for certain. It is better to be safe."
"Yeah! So stop creeping on him!" Mondo slams his fist into his palm.
Sakura assumes a menacing stance as she stares down at Yamada. "If you want to disturb our peace, you will have to get through me as well."
"Until Alter Ego has finished his work, don't do anything weird. Have I made myself clear?"
"Y-Yes..." Yamada stares at the floor dejectedly, dragging his feet as he exits the changing room.
"Phew... Thanks guys..." Chihiro lets out a sigh of relief.
"Ha! No problem, bro."
"I'm kind of worried about Yamada to be honest..." Hagakure speaks up, defending him. "Falling in love with an AI is bad news!"
"You're right." Kyoko nods. "That's why we have to stop him from interacting with it."
"After all, it's possible that his delusions could lead to the first murder."
*A/N*: Updated the amount Monokuma is offering in response to doomqwer's review. Thx for pointing it out!