A/N: Alright new chapter! At first this chapter was expected to be written and posted 3 days from now, but I wanted to get this chapter done ASAP. I've been really looking forward to writing it, so I got started on it earlier today! I hope you like the earlier-than-expected release!

Act 1 - Not-So-Safe-Haven

"...Is now a bad time, private?" Kuromu asks, an eyebrow raised.

I flinch. "Uh..."

"Have you lost your tongue?" He strides towards me, before grabbing my hand. "I asked you a question, soldier, and I will not tolerate silence for an answer! Now answer me!"

There is no malice in his eyes. Instead, I feel something placed in my hand, as per the usual interaction. Still, given the fact Monokuma could potentially be watching, I play along.

I try my best to act afraid as I speak. "Yes, sir! I've lost my tongue, sir!" Nailed it!

Though he doesn't look satisfied, he lets go of me. "You are a very bad liar, and on very thin ice, Ms. Everett. Don't test my patience again."

Leaving, he slams the door behind him. I shudder, before walking over to my usual alcove. Draping what appears to be some tablecloth over myself, I proceed to read the note:

'Tomorrow, we make our move. I do hope you've considered my proposition. Apologies for the meanness, as always. - Kuromu'

"So, who's under here?"

The voice takes me by surprise. As does the forcible removal of the cloth from above me.

"Ahh, Ms. Everett, so it was you who was hiding!" Rikuto says, smirking. "What are you doing underneath there?"

Quick, think of something convincing, think of something convincing-

"I didn't want Monokuma to know how badly his nightmare shook me up!"

Nailed it! Again!

"Oh." He looks more amused under those sunglasses than anything. "So...you're still shaken up by your nightmare, I take it?"

"Well, a vivid nightmare about being brewed into coffee can do that to a person." I respond, almost too quickly.

"Would you like to have an impromptu talk with me, then? I should be able to help, my talent is helping people, after all."

Would you like to spend your Free Time with Rikuto?

[Yes] [No]

Rikuto: So Ms. Everett, how exactly did your nightmare go?

Juniper: Don't you already know? I mean it was revealed to everyone through that stupid bear.

Rikuto:(*shakes head*) I know that I was there, but it's probably a good idea for you to try to remember it and to get over it.

Rikuto: If you don't face it, you could end up having that nightmare even after this motive is over.

Juniper:(*shudders*) I guess that makes sense, and I never want to have that nightmare.

Juniper: Okay, so I woke up inside a huge coffee pot.

Juniper: The coffee poured out of the machine and covered me in burning hot coffee, and I was conscious for the whole thing.

Juniper: There, I said it. Now what?

Rikuto: Interesting... Have you ever had nightmares of these sort before?

Rikuto: Not specifically, I mean, as a general feeling of helplessness.

Juniper: Not really, this whole hopeless nightmare thing is all new to me.

Rikuto: Well, Ms. Everett, even though remembering the nightmare brings you discomfort, you must remember that, that's all it is… A nightmare.

Juniper: It's not that easy! Every time I think about it, I can practically feel the coffee burning on my skin!

Rikuto: That might be the case, but that's because you are letting this fear of this dream control you.

Rikuto: I can give you an example of someone overcoming their nightmare and not even letting it affect them.

Juniper: Really? Someone here wasn't affected by this motive?

Rikuto: Yes, I wasn't affected, because I didn't let the fear control me after I woke up.

Rikuto: The nightmare Monokuma gave me was quite terrifying at the time, but once I woke up, I realized it was a dream and pushed away my fear.

Juniper: Then...what exactly was your nightmare, if you don't mind me asking?

Rikuto: Well, I was placed in my office, and every single one of the major clients I've helped over the years came back with new, terrifying problems.

Juniper: That doesn't sound too ba-

Rikuto: It wasn't… or at least it wasn't until they started to get violent, when they wouldn't listen to my advice.

Rikuto: So, they pretty much tortured me throughout the duration of my nightmare, and at the end they literally tore me apart.

Juniper: (*shudders*) Umm… Can we please stray away from this topic?

Juniper: How about we talk about you? How'd you become a psychiatrist?

Rikuto: Well, ever since I was a kid, I've always been the kind of person that likes to help others. Rikuto: I started off helping family members with small problems, and it slowly grew to the point where I was helping anyone who asked.

Juniper: (*head starts to droop*)

Rikuto: I grew to love the warm feeling I would get when I helped others with their probl-

Rikuto: Uhh… Ms. Everett? I know my story might be boring, but it's rude to go to sleep in the middle of it after you're the one that asked about it.

Juniper: (*snaps awake*) Wha- OH! I'm really sorry, but I didn't get much sleep last night due to that nightmare.

Juniper: Actually, can I ask you to do me a favor?

Rikuto: Why of course, Ms. Everett! What do you need me to do?

Juniper: Well a few of us have come up with a plan to combat these nightmares.

Juniper: I'm not entirely sure that it'll work so I want to test it out for them.

Juniper: So I'm going to fall asleep here, and as soon as I show signs of having a nightmare I want you to try and wake me up.

Rikuto: And what do I do if you don't wake up when I try?

Juniper: Well, I'd like you to please take me back to the laundry room, so my so called 'room mates' won't worry about me.

Juniper: Can I trust you to do this for me?

Rikuto: Of course you can. Leave it to me.

Juniper: Great...Can you talk some more?

RIkuto: Well, of course I can too. You see, my-

Juniper: (*snores*)

Rikuto: ...I'm both amused and mildly insulted.

Rikuto Kazuo Ultimate Psychiatrist: Level 1

Rikuto almost caught me reading Kuromu's letter, but I was able to give a convincing enough lie to get him off my case about it. He offered to host a therapy session for me, which somehow ended up with him telling me how he became a psychiatrist. I needed to go to sleep, so I asked him to help me test out Chiko's plan.

Shared: Rikuto's Nightmare

Apparently, Rikuto's nightmare was about him being confronted by his old major clients. They all had new problems and wouldn't listen to his advice. After a while of pestering him, they got physical and started to torture him, and finally they literally tore him apart. Even though he was scared in the dream, it seems to have not affected him in the world of the awake.

LET THE NIGHTMARES RESUME

Juniper Everett, the Ultimate Barista has been condemned

Commencing Despair Nightmare

Oh no, not this again.

I counted myself lucky that I wasn't in a fully enclosed space this time. The alternative wasn't much better, though.

I seemed to be trapped in a tower of some sort - there was a large dome above my head, and while I could move most of my body, my feet were rooted to the ground of sorts.

What was going on?

The answer came in the form of gears turning every which way, and the sound of metal creaking

With one turn of the dome above me, I felt my feet get filleted.

Oh crap. I was stuck in a coffee grinder- YEOWCH!

DAILY GRIND

If only you could hear me then.

Right now, just recounting the nightmare, I wish I could have told you my thoughts then were clear, coherent, and were something along the lines of convincing myself that I was only trapped in a nightmare.

But it was more like, "OHGODWHYAREYOUDOINGTHISITHURTSITHURTS-"

Yeah...Not my proudest moment.

My body kept shunting down as I felt more and more of my legs be completely pulverized. First, I lost all feeling in my feet, then my legs.

I screamed and flailed, but I was trapped.

And then I-

I…

Nothing.

Just...Nothing.

...Huh?

"Ding, Dong, Ding, Dong. Attention all students! A body has been discovered! A Class Trial will begin in a few hours, so please spend this time wisely."

That is the first thing I hear after I regain consciousness - in the Laundry Room, no less.

Man…What a horrible alarm clock.

Shocked gasps come from all around the room, revealing that my roommates had made it back. Aki has a mildly dazed look on her face, but otherwise, everyone looks fine.

So who died?

I quickly jump to my feet and run to the door. Opening it outwards, I feel the door shake violently all of a sudden, pushing me to the side a bit - apparently, someone's crashed into it.

Walking around it to see who was the unlucky guy - or girl - or Masashi - who was on the receiving end of an accidental running gag, I feel the girls scatter out as well, all of us looking down at Rikuto, who was rubbing his head, his sunglasses askew.

Shaking his head free of any stars, he gestures to all of us with a panicked expression. "Hurry up! We need to find out what happened! I saw a few people heading in the direction of the library!"

"Right!" And with that, the rest of us followed as Rikuto pressed on.

Turning a corner, we reached the door that led into the library. Throwing it open, we entered to a sea of the rest of the students - and one corpse.

"Oh my god." I put my hands to my mouth. Him?!

Lying against a table at an odd angle was one of the people I had been exposed to for the last few days. He had multiple stab wounds decorating his abdomen, and a kitchen knife was very visibly protruding from one of them. Pink blood stained the surrounding area, and coated the incisions made on his body, as his eyes stared lifelessly towards us.

But what was most shocking was his identity - of everyone trapped, he was the last person I ever expected to get killed.

Kuromu Giriken - the Ultimate Cadet - is dead.

16 Students Remain

A/N: Bet you weren't you weren't expecting that! I've been planning this for quite some time, and to finally see it come to fruition is nice. Well, now that, that's out of the way, I'd like to say that the next poll is up on my profile! The subject this time is, "Who do you think killed Kuromu Giriken?"

The winner of the last poll "Who's Despair Nightmare do you want to see for the bonus chapter" is Namira Wolfe! Her nightmare will be written for all to see during the end of this Act's bonus chapter!

On a completely unrelated note, I'd like to apologize for somehow misspelling Mike73's character's name. For some reason our planning document replaced Masashi with Masahashi. We don't really know how it happened, but when we checked back on how to spell character's names, we saw this misspelling and used it instead. We've changed every misspelling over her name, throughout all the chapters, to its correct spelling.

QOTC: Alright! Were you expecting this to happen, and did you like this turn of events?

Chapter 9

NanamiBagels: Yes, MonokumaxDespair=True OTP.

I like all of the different ideas you have for ships, and I agree lots of them could work, but that doesn't mean they will but that doesn't mean they won't either.

Oh and other people interacting behind the scenes might happen during a bonus chapter down the road.

A Dingus With Sweet Shades: No, MonokumaxDespair is the real OTP!

Thanks for the praise!

HeroinOfDarkness: Yeah you're right, poor Juniper.

SethRollinsandBoDallas: Well I'm extremely glad to see that people are liking this story!

Shouta Izukai: Well if you thought those nightmares were interesting, what do you think about these?

Mike73: Well I like Masashi! She's extremely fun to write, and is probably one of my favorite characters in the cast.

And again sorry for misspelling Masashi.

Ilwyn: You might never know if Masashi has a thing for Juniper or if s/he was just being a flirt!