Never Say Never
Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa or the characters associated with it.
Chapter 1
Act 9
"I…I can't believe it."
Makoto fell to his knees as he saw Sayaka sleeping peacefully in the nurse's office. Her skin was noticeably less pale but still hadn't regained its usual color. Her chest rose and fell lightly and it was obvious that she must still be very weak. Even so, just seeing her there, instead of on the bloody floor of his bathroom, made the lucky student's eyes well up with unshed tears.
Everyone crowded into the small nurse's office, aside from Mondo and Sakura who were still unaccounted for due to having difficulty getting Leon down. Apparently those metal straps were so strong that even the Ultimate Martial Artist was having trouble with them, and none of them knew exactly when those three would return.
But that wasn't prevalent in any of their minds right now, instead only able to focus on the fact that their once thought to be deceased classmate had miraculously been resurrected.
"This…this is real, right?" Hina said quietly as she felt moisture build up in her sockets as well. "Sayaka's gonna be okay? She's really gonna be okay?"
She turned to Kyoko, who seemed to be the only one willing to inspect the sleeping girl. Wordlessly, the intuitive girl lifted the sheet covering Sayaka, giving everyone a clear view of the fresh bandages around her abdomen. Nodding affirmatively to herself, she laid the covers back down before pressing two fingers to her neck. Only then did the slightest trace of a smile grace her lips.
"…Her pulse is noticeably weak. But beyond that, she seems to be fine."
Kyoko's words were met with a relieved sigh from most of the students, particularly Hina, Makoto and Chihiro, who were teary-eyed. Taka wiped a bit of sweat from his brow but just smiled, pleased that everything had worked out. And, even though she kept her poker face, Celeste also let out a breath no one realized she'd been holding. Hiro gave a relieved laugh and muttered something about being right all along, to which everyone sent a sharp glare. Hifumi quoted that such a thing wasn't abnormal in this kind of story but he seemed to more be convincing himself than the others. Even Toko, as panicky and fidgety as she was, could be seen smiling as she peeked out from behind one of the divider curtains.
Meanwhile, Byakuya simply shrugged and folded his arms, though he did seem somewhat less annoyed than before. Even so, it didn't seem to stunt his inquisitive nature as his gaze shifted to glare at Junko.
The Fashionista sat on the adjacent bed, the wound in her palm cleaned and dressed with fresh bandages. Everyone had been so caught up with Sayaka's miraculous survival that few of them paid notice to her after they'd arrived. Even Makoto, whom had been assisting her in getting to the nurse's office, found himself torn away from her as he stared at his once thought to be deceased friend.
Junko had replaced and rewrapped all of her own bandages, and all in the short amount of time since they'd arrived in the office, and no one seemed to notice…at least not until Byakuya had decided to take interest.
"Something is wrong…" he thought to himself as he took in her relaxed visage. "She could barely stand before, practically limping through the hallways. Yet now she seems calm and competent enough to give herself medical treatment…and there's also that other matter."
Before he could probe the issue more, someone else spoke up.
"Wow! This is amazing!" Hina commented, lifting up the sheet covering Sayaka just enough to look at the handiwork of bandaging. "There's no bleeding or anything! It almost looks like it was done by a pro! You're amazing, Junko!"
At the mention of her name, the Fashionista lifted her head from her bandages as everyone turned around to face her.
"I-It's no big deal—".
"That's not true!" Makoto instantly countered, probably riding out the last bits of his trial high. "Without you, Sayaka wouldn't be here right now! It's incredible that you were able to do this all by yourself!"
"…Indeed, it is."
Byakuya's harsh tone broke through the joyous celebration that the other students were reveling in, his words already sparking inquiry among the more intelligent students.
The elevator slowly climbed up the shaft, the humming of the engine the only noise to be heard. After getting Leon down from the pole, he was ushered toward the elevator at his own insistence, desperately wanting to see Sayaka and confirm the truth for himself. Mondo stood next to him, supporting the baseball player by having the latter's arm slung over his shoulder. Behind both of them, Sakura solemnly stood, arms folded and eyes closed in deep thought.
The silence between them was almost deafening and it wasn't long before Mondo felt himself getting fed up with it.
"Damn. That took forever," Mondo commented as he shifted his weight to better support the injured Leon. "Whoever built that thing really didn't want you getting down from it!"
The instant those words left his mouth, he shut his trap, realizing what he'd unintentionally implied. He'd honestly meant it as a joke but his lack of tact only served to make the silence that much heavier. He thought about apologizing for his stupidity but then he heard Sakura loudly clear her throat.
He glanced over his shoulder and saw her glaring down at him, shaking her head. It wasn't the first time he'd been wordlessly scolded and the biker really wanted to protest that he hadn't been trying to be offensive. But as he opened his mouth, the elevator suddenly came to a halt, the metal doors sliding open and leading them back into the school area.
"We should hurry to the nurse's office," Sakura said as she walked ahead of the boys, pushed on the large red double doors and held them open. "Everyone is waiting for us."
Eager to get the weight off his shoulders, in more ways than one, Mondo nodded and replied, "Right. Come on, dude. Let's go make sure you're not a killer."
Sakura wanted to face palm but settled for rolling her eyes at the biker's insensitive remark, to which Mondo himself didn't seem to register as offensive in the least. However, neither of them could know that Leon wasn't listening in the slightest.
All of his thoughts consumed by a single, powerful notion that he begged was true:
"Please let her be alive…"
Almost as one, the entire class shifted their feet and turned their gazes toward Mukuro.
"Why are they all staring?" she pondered as almost all of them seemed to have the same question in mind for her. She barely had time to raise an eyebrow before Byakuya stepped forward.
"It's rather impressive, I must admit. Those bindings are efficient and professional, and the application of the IV and blood packets seems almost flawless," the affluent progeny falsely praised, drawing stern gazes from the others.
As if picking up on his observations, Celeste also chimed in, "Not to mention the speed at which you must have had to work in order to get down to the trial before the sentencing. If I may ask, how did you get down there so quickly anyway?"
Mukuro scowled at their deliberate and direct questions, unafraid to show that she wasn't pleased with her actions being questioned.
"I rode the elevator. How else would I get down there?" she answered matter-of-factly, giving the gambler a quick huff of disappointment. If Celeste was disheartened by the answer, she didn't show a hint of it as she nodded in acceptance.
"I see…" was all she said but her eyes remained unconvinced.
"Hmm…I suppose I can believe that, for now." Byakuya cut back into the conversation, also seeming a bit miffed at Celeste's interruption. "As I was saying, it's staggering that you were able to rescue Sayaka from death. So tell me, how exactly were you able to detect that Sayaka was still alive—?"
"She didn't!" Hifumi abruptly shouted, striking a pose and pushing up his glasses as everyone turned their attention to him. "For you see, Miss Maizono must truly have been dead! That's how we were all fooled! But then, Miss Enoshima thought of a way to save her! By gathering the seven mystic balls, she was able to summon the wish granting dra—!"
"W-Would you be quiet, you p-perverted bag of l-lard?!"
Everyone was shocked to hear, and see, Toko as she shot out from behind the curtain, pointing accusatorily at the fanfic creator.
"N-No one in-interrupts Mast—I mean, Mister Togami! You s-should just s-shut your fat face!" she continued to scream, her gaze briefly glancing over to Byakuya ever few seconds.
Almost as if he didn't register her words as an insult, Hifumi let a disturbing grin overtake him as he replied, "Oh, doff mine ears deceive me or did I just hear you call Mister Togami your Mast—".
"Would you two simpletons be quiet?" Byakuya sternly protested, glaring fiercely and forcing both of them into silence. Both Toko and Hifumi cowered away slightly as the affluent progeny turned his back to them and instead focused his inquisitive gaze upon Mukuro.
"I won't beat around the bush this time," he harshly continued, adjusting his glasses as he spoke, "Explain to me how you were able to discover Sayaka was alive and more importantly…how do you, the Ultimate Fashionista, know how to bandage wounds and rig up a blood transfusion?"
A thick and heavy silence overtook the room as everyone was made aware of Byakuya's intentions. Even those who were unsure of what he'd previously meant now understood the reasons for his questioning. The gears were turning in all of their minds and it was only now that some of them realized that things just weren't adding up.
Mukuro kept her gaze even as everyone looked to her for answers. Her chest felt tight as she knew there was no talking her way out of this one…at least not by telling the truth anyway.
"I knew this had to be coming but I never imagined it'd be so soon after we got back. I'd hoped to have time to come up with something but…"
As she felt the weight of their demanding gazes grow heavy upon her, Mukuro was about to open her mouth when, once again, a certain someone decided to intervene.
"D-Does it really matter?" the voice of Makoto sounded from the back, everyone turning to see him now standing by Sayaka's bedside. "I mean, she saved Sayaka and—".
"Don't be so naïve."
Makoto visibly flinched as Byakuya cut him off, only sparing the shortest of glances for his optimistic classmate.
"Even you have to understand that it's suspicious. She gets excused from the trial, miraculously revives Sayaka and then arrives just in time to stop the execution. It all seems far too convenient for my liking."
"Well, yeah, a little but—!" Makoto tried to refute before a gloved hand appeared on his shoulder. He turned to see Kyoko once again holding him back. But this time, however, she offered an explanation.
"She needs to tell us exactly what happened. Otherwise, how can we trust her going forward?" Kyoko said plainly but softly, obviously trying to calm him.
For a moment, it looked as if Makoto was going to protest but just like before, it died in his throat. He was still visibly uncomfortable with what was happening but at the very least, he seemed to understand the necessity for it.
"Alright then. Junko, would you please tell us what happened after we left to go to the trial?" he said carefully, wanting to make sure he wasn't being demanding or anything.
Mukuro felt a mixture of joy and sadness at seeing this. Pleased that he continued to defend her but disheartened by the fact that he suffered for it. This was yet another reason why she had to make sure she kept up her guise and didn't stand out too much, it would lead to Makoto putting himself in danger for her, just as he'd done several times up until now.
With that renewed vigor, she let out an audible scoff to gather attention before she began to explain:
"After Makoto and Hina left, I didn't really know what I should be doing. Honestly, I was in a lot of pain and didn't know what to think. That's when Monokuma showed up—".
"The bear came to see you?" Byakuya interrupted with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah, I kinda freaked out at first but all it said was that I didn't have to come to the trial. I didn't get the chance to ask why…and I kinda didn't want to. I was glad I didn't have to go but then I really felt lost."
She kept her voice soft but her tone firm, not wanting anyone to suspect why she really felt lost at the time. It seemed to work because no one interrupted her again, instead letting her continue.
"I didn't feel like just sitting around so I went to walk around for a bit. When I did, I thought about a lot of stuff, like nearly getting impaled and…dying. And before I knew it, I ended up at Makoto's room. I thought that I should at least pay my respects to Sayaka…all things considered."
She stole a quick glance at the sleeping idol and didn't fight the light smile that came over her.
"That's when I heard her groaning and I checked for a pulse. It was really weak but I—".
"You managed to find a pulse?" Byakuya intruded again, furrowing his brows in disbelief. "I find that highly unlikely, especially considering that I personally checked for her pulse and couldn't get even a hint of it."
Mukuro frowned at his egotistic and pious comment but knew that arguing with him would only make her more suspicious. So, she decided to play to her strengths and just shrugged and said, "I must have gotten lucky. I can't really say how or why I was able to when you weren't."
She knew it was underhanded to insinuate such a thing but it was the only excuse she could come up with on such short notice.
At first, she didn't know if he bought it but she quickly realized it didn't really matter, because whether or not he did, he simply scoffed and decided to say, "I suppose that's not the important matter. Tell me how you were able to get Sayaka all the way here to the nurse's office."
Holding in a scoff of her own, mainly because the bastard was trying to gain control of the conversation, the soldier decided that skipping ahead wouldn't hurt, especially since there would be less for her to explain. Even though she knew the most difficult part of the story was just ahead.
"It wasn't easy…I can tell you that much. I didn't have anything to carry her with so I was forced to pick her up and carry her all the way there—".
"Oh, that must have been dreadfully difficult," Celeste chimed in, inserting herself into the conversation. "I can't even imagine how much that must have hurt your wounded hand. Was it still bleeding at the time?"
Rubbing her palm affectionately, Mukuro turned her gaze to the gambler and answered, "Yeah, it hurt like a bitch and I thought I was gonna black out from the pain. But considering that Sayaka was dying right in front of me, I did my best to put that aside and get her here."
For a few seconds, everyone was quiet. Not only by the implications of what had transpired but also the course language 'Junko' had just spouted at them. Mukuro knew it was something her sister would actually say and figured now was a good time to let them see that 'Junko' wasn't quite as delicate or fragile as they thought.
By doing this, she hoped that she could act more like herself instead of always putting on airs. She expected at least one person to question her but instead, she got an entirely different inquiry.
"You're wound was still bleeding? Even with those bandages?" To everyone's surprise, Kyoko finally vocalized herself, a hand inquisitively resting on her chin. However, a moment later she let her hand drop and nodded to herself. "I see. Then it all makes sense now…"
"What exactly do you mean by that, Kyoko?" Taka questioned, also trying to be more involved in this matter. "What does her wound bleeding have to do with what happened?"
Kyoko's amethyst eyes slowly turned toward the door, making everyone follow her gaze to it. With utter confidence, she said, "If you look out in the hall, on the floor leading from here to the dorms, you'll see it."
Faster than anyone else, Taka rushed over and slid the door open, glancing out into the hallway before giving an audible gasp. "B-Blood! There's blood on the floor! It looks like it's coming from the direction of the dorms!"
"Exactly," Kyoko explained, not letting anyone interrupt her. "We can confer from that trail of blood that Junko must have carried Sayaka here. Whether the blood was from both of them or only Junko is irrelevant. And by judging the amount of it staining the floor, it must have been rather painful for both of them."
Mukuro could scarcely believe what she was hearing. Kyoko had actually noticed something she'd failed to see and was using it to help cover up the truth, even if the amnesiac detective wasn't aware that's what she was doing. It surprised the soldier even more because, for the entire time she'd known the Ultimate Detective, they'd never really spoken.
Even back when they were all students at the academy, the two of them never really saw eye to eye. Aside from the occasional nod while passing in the hall, they basically said nothing to each other since they'd first met. There just hadn't been a reason to, so they didn't.
Her sister Junko had spoken to Kyoko a number of times but it was mainly because the despair loving girl wanted to get more info about Headmaster Jin out of her. Junko respected her talents but otherwise wrote her off, so Mukuro had done so as well. That's why, even knowing how intelligent and talented Kyoko was, the soldier felt it was almost ironic that the detective was going out of her way to defend her.
Especially considering what she and Junko had done to her father—
"Alright then, I'll consider it conceivable that you were able to carry Sayaka to the nurse's office," an impatient Byakuya's words cut off her train of thought. "But that doesn't explain how you were able to bandage her and perform a blood transfusion. After all, it's not something someone of your standing would normally know how to do."
Luckily for Mukuro, Byakuya's insistence brought her back to reality and she decided to put her feelings about Kyoko's assistance on hold for now. She'd have time to deal with that after clearing herself of suspicion.
Mukuro's eyes shifted over to Byakuya, furrowing her brows as she began again, "And how much about my standing do you really know, rich boy?"
Again, some of the students were caught off guard by her abrasive comment, none more than Byakuya, whose glare was growing more and more menacing by the moment. However, she didn't give him, or any of them really, the luxury of time to question her before she took a deep breath just to sigh very audibly.
"It's not exactly something I like to bring up but...I actually used to live on the streets when I was younger. This was before I was discovered by a talent scout while—".
"Whoa, wait, wait, wait!" Hina abruptly shouted, "You're saying that you used to be homeless! No way!"
To this Mukuro simply raised an eyebrow at her and replied, "Oh come on, out of everything that I've said, that's the thing that you can't believe?"
Her tone made the swimmer girl reel back for a second before regaining her vigor, "Well, yeah! I can see you carrying an injured person and stuff but being homeless?! How could someone who ended up at the Ultimate Fashionista have ever been homeless?!"
Even knowing that there would be skepticism while bringing that up, Mukuro felt that Hina somehow took it to a level that was somehow offensive, even if the swimmer hadn't been trying to.
Or at least she thought that, until Hifumi also chimed in, "Miss Asahina is right though! Your character and story arc don't match that kind of background at all!"
"And plus…you seem way too spoiled to have ever been homeless." Hiro, surprisingly, concurred before hanging his head. "Trust me…I would know…"
With all of her strength, Mukuro resisted the urge to slap her uninjured palm to her face. Instead, she just groaned and said, "This is why I don't like bringing it up. Even my manager went through hell to make sure no one knew about it. Anyway, that's not important right now, so can I please just get back to explaining how I know how to apply first aid?"
Her frustrated tone seemed to get the message across, which she was very happy for, and it took a moment for someone to respond.
"Yes, by all means, please continue."
Mukuro was a bit surprised that Celeste had been the one to insist she continue, considering Byakuya had been pushing her up until this point. However, she chose to ignore that and did as instructed.
"So, one time I got caught up in a bit of a turf war between me and this other guy—don't get me started on that!" she instantly countered before any of them could ask about it. "Anyway, I got pretty roughed up during that whole incident and I was lucky that the police were there. They got an ambulance for me and I was taken to the hospital—".
"I'm surprised the police actually did such a thing. Normally they would just leave you to die…" Celeste commented, more than a bit skeptical.
Shooting her a glare, Mukuro continued, "There were a lot of people around. They probably felt pressured to do something about the teenage girl bleeding all over the sidewalk."
"Regardless of how, you ended up in the hospital?" Kyoko asked carefully, obviously trying to push the story along.
Thankful for unintentionally helping again, the soldier let her features soften as she said, "Yeah. When I woke up, I was hooked up to an IV and was getting a blood transfusion. My wounds had been treated and I told that my bills had been covered by some grant the hospital received or whatever. And that's that…"
A brief silence followed her words as everyone put two and two together almost instantly.
"So, wait..." Makoto slowly began, still trying to fully understand. "You're saying that you learned how to do a blood transfusion and wrap bandages—?"
"From having it done to myself, yeah."
She knew it was a bald-faced lie but honestly, it was the best she could come up with on the spot. And surprisingly, it wasn't completely untrue. She really had lived on the streets for a few years before joining Fenrir. She'd gotten into a nasty turf battle with a group of guys, but unlike her story, the ambulance was called for them and not her. Also, it was true that she'd learned to give a transfusion and wrap bandages just by watching them being performed, it just hadn't been on her personally.
A disbelieving scoff resounded and everyone turned to see Byakuya scowling fiercely at her.
"You can't honestly expect us to believe all that, can you?" he openly mocked, narrowing his eyes at her. "Even if it were all true, that doesn't mean that we can really trust you."
Even if she knew exactly why Byakuya continued not to trust her, it still made her chest feel heavy. There was absolutely no way for anyone to know the real truth…the fact that she was just like them now, a player in the killing game. She'd thrown her lot in with them and even though it was mainly to save herself from guilt, she'd saved two lives today. That had to count for something, right?
Because of that, despite the danger it could bring her, she wanted them to know she was on their side!
She was about to protest when Makoto stepped toward Byakuya and angrily asked, "How can you say that?! She risked her life to help—"
"SAYAKA!"
Everyone heard the shouting and spun around. The door to the nurse's office was wide open and standing in the doorway, held up by Mondo's shoulder, was Leon.
He was obviously in a great deal of pain, holding his abdomen where the baseball had struck him. His breathing was labored and it appeared that he was having trouble just standing up. Even so, the entire time, he never took his eyes off the sleeping idol that lay in the hospital bed across the room.
"It's…it's really true!" he stammered, abruptly pushing himself away from Mondo before losing his balance and toppling to the floor.
As he made brutal contact with the linoleum, the biker who'd been supporting him clicked his teeth. "You damn idiot! What the hell are you thinking?! Can you even stand up by yourself?!"
"S-Shut up!" Leon shouted back at him, forcing himself up onto his knees. With great effort, he lifted himself to his feet and began hobbling toward Sayaka's bedside.
As everyone watched him struggle to get over to her, Mondo huffed and was about to go over and help him when a large, muscular hand grasped his shoulder. He didn't have to turn around to know who it was.
"Don't bother," Sakura told him, staring onward as Leon continued toward his goal. "This is something he needs to do for himself."
"Sakura! You're back!" Hina called out, waving to her friend.
The martial artist nodded affirmatively to her before signaling the swimmer to look over at Leon. When she did, Hina was almost in shock that the baseball player had somehow made it all the way over to the side of Sayaka's bed. From there, he did something that was both expected and unexpected.
Leon Kuwata fell to his knees, ignoring any kind of pain that he was feeling, and slowly reached out to touch Sayaka's hand. Grasping her fingers, he felt that they were not as cold as they'd been so many hours ago. As if a brace had been released inside him, his eyes welled up with tears before they began gushing down his cheeks.
"T-This isn't…a joke…right?! She's…she's really…!"
As he choked out those words, someone put a hand on his shoulder. A bit shocked, Leon looked up to see none other than Makoto smiling down at him, tears streaming down his face as well.
"Yeah! Sayaka's alive!" the lucky student assured him.
"So, I'm…I'm not a killer!" Leon stammered, almost unable to believe it himself. "I…I didn't kill Sayaka!"
Unable to say any more, Makoto just nodded firmly to him before he looked over to Sayaka with renewed hope in his eyes. And that was when something miraculous truly occurred.
"Uhg…Uhh…Ahhh…"
Warmth surrounded her, encasing her and protecting her from the darkness that had tried to swallow her. Slowly, she felt her consciousness begin to float back to alertness, as if rising from a deep sea.
A soft groan left Sayaka's lips as her eyes fluttered weakly. She still had very little strength and her body felt as though it was made of lead. Even so, she wanted to wake up, she wanted to open her eyes and see the world once more.
And when she did, she found the two people she longed to see more than anyone else right before her eyes.
Leon and Makoto both gasped loudly as Sayaka's blue eyes slowly peered open. It was a sight that both of them had once thought they'd never see again and it brought a surge of joyous emotion along with it.
"S-Sayaka!" they both shouted, making the barely conscious idol wince at their excessive loudness.
"Take it easy, you two!" Hina scolded them from not too far away. "She just woke up and already you two are yelling at her!"
"Hina, perhaps you should keep your voice down as well?" Sakura offered, trying to be polite.
Realizing her mistake, Hina's hand flew up and covered her mouth before she quietly replied, "…right…sorry…"
Her apology went almost unheard by the two boys leaning next to the injured Sayaka, as they were far too preoccupied with her remarkable recovery.
"Do you need anything? Water? Food? Another pillow?" Makoto asked gently, willing to do anything she needed at that time. He had no way of knowing that his incessant questioning wasn't helping at all, despite his good intentions.
However, he quickly silenced himself as he looked down to see Leon staring at her. The baseball star's face was wracked with guilt and self-loathing, making him unable to utter a single word, though he obviously had a lot of explaining to do. And just when it seemed that he was going to push himself away from her bedside, he felt Sayaka abruptly reciprocate the firm grasp he had been holding onto her hand with.
Her fingers squeezed his own tightly and Leon suddenly felt himself unable to disengage from where he sat. Before he could even think of a response to that, they finally heard her speak.
"…Le-on…Ma-ko-to…" she forced out, her voice dry and hoarse from so many hours of dehydration and inactivity. It seemed to even cause her pain just to speak their names.
Almost instantly, Leon found his voice again as he gently squeezed her hand back and said, "Hey, hey, don't try to talk right now! You'll only—!"
He was silenced as Sayaka gripped his fingers at tightly as she was able to, stunning him into silence. At first, Leon looked to Makoto for guidance, unsure of what to do now but found the lucky student staring down at Sayaka with widening eyes. And when the baseball star turned back to see what was the matter, he felt something within him came to a halt.
Sayaka was staring at both of them with a pure expression of sadness. Her eyes held more guilt than Leon's ever had as tears began to trickle down her cheeks. And then, despite the obvious pain she had to be forcing herself to endure, she opened her mouth and spoke to them with the most sorrowful of tones.
"…I…I'm…so…sorry…."
In that instant, everyone present knew there was absolutely nothing more to be said.
Sayaka's words filled the room and for the first time in what felt like forever, the class was made whole once again. The class had felt so divided lately, with some unwilling to trust others and few willing to even work together during the crisis. However, regardless of how they felt about their situation, none of them could deny that at that moment…hope lingered within all of them.
After all, they were all there, and they were all alive.
"Okay, enough of this hopeful crap…" a certain despair loving girl murmured as she glared at the monitors in the security room.
Junko's high was already beginning to dissipate. She figured that the despair of having almost executed her former classmate would last her longer than an hour but then again, she had gone through the five stages of grief already. She shouldn't have expected much, considering that all of her classmates were still alive and she'd essentially lost Mukuro…though not in the way she'd figured.
"It looks like 'Junko' and I are going to have to have a chat…but that can wait. I suppose I should get them all ready for the next stage," she said softly to herself as she slowly rose to her feet, clicking her heels on the floor as she headed for the Monokuma control room.
After she'd gone, all that was left was a pile of envelops sitting just in front of where she'd been, a name inscribed on each one.
"Try to get some sleep," Makoto insisted, still very worried about the increasingly exhausted Sayaka. "We'll be right here if you need us."
"Yeah! We're not going anywhere!" Leon immediately added, seeing that the idol was having great difficulty just keeping her eyes open.
Unable to respond, due to her lack of energy, Sayaka settled for a brief nod before letting her heavy eyes-lids close. Almost instantly, she seemed to fall back into peaceful slumber, her grip on Leon's hand loosening as her own rhythmic breathing lulled her into a state of bliss.
As soon as they were certain that she was asleep, Makoto and Leon regretfully stood up, with the baseball player practically have to tear his hand away from the sleeping idol's fingers. Turning around together, they noticed that everyone was staring at them.
Nervously scratching his head, his face slightly flushed, Leon decided to ask, "So…what do we do now?"
It was a simple and yet complicated question and for a second, there didn't seem to be a clear answer. That is, until Kyoko cleared her throat to get everyone's attention.
"The first thing we need to do is decide how to take care of Sayaka," she said calmly, a hand resting on her chin.
"Hey! What do you mean, take care of her?!" Mondo angrily countered, cracking his knuckles as he believed her words to be more ominous than they truly were.
Signing at the biker's inability to decipher her words, she instead clarified, "All I meant was that we should decide who will stay with Sayaka while she recovers."
"Oh…right. Sorry 'bout that," the biker apologized as he lowered his fists. "I guess I'm still a bit on edge…after everything that happened."
"We all are," Makoto said consolingly, looking at everyone as he spoke. "A lot happened today and we're all pretty tired, but I think that Kyoko's right. We need to do something for Sayaka."
"I concur," Celeste decided to chime in, taking a step toward them. "In this state, Sayaka is completely defenseless. Anyone could simply put a pillow over her head and smother—".
"D-Don't say that!" a distressed Chihiro protested, fearful tears already welling up in her eyes. "We need to think positive! We can't let ourselves—".
"I was merely stating a fact," the gambler cut her off, stunning the petite programmer into silence. "As it stands, Sayaka is very vulnerable. We need someone to look after her while she recovers. I propose that we implement the same tactic we used for guarding the crime scene."
"You mean having two people stand watch to avoid any suspicion?" Byakuya questioned with a raised brow.
In response, Celeste folded her hand under her chin and smiled as she replied, "Exactly. It is the best way to be certain that no one does anything foolish. Can we all agree to this?"
Glancing around the room, Makoto found that everyone, himself included, seemed to agree with that recourse, so he said, "Alright then, we just need to decide—".
*Ding Dong Bing Bong*
The abrupt sound of the school bell startled all of them, their minds forced to realize that they were still being held captive and it was time for another announcement. Lifting their gazes almost reflexively, each of them glared up at the monitor as the image of their tormentor, Monokuma, came into view.
"Ahem! This is a school announcement. It is now 10PM. As such, it is officially night-time. Soon the doors to the dining hall will be…"
A hint of relief came over everyone as they realized it was just another one of those automated messages that signaled the time of day. That is, until the bear gave a slightly cheeky laugh that normally wasn't heard.
"Upupup…By the way, it's obvious that you're trying to make each other feel better via mutual wound licking…that's disgusting! At least use disinfectant! Eyahahahahahaha!"
At once, the atmosphere of the room shifted into frustration, some of them going to outright anger. However, prisoners that they were, they were forced into silence as the bear continued to address them.
"But I digress. I feel the need to remind everyone that, despite someone being gravely injured, you all must obey the rules. Specifically, rule number 3."
Some of the students, such a Hiro and Hina, reached for their e-handbooks but didn't have time to check them before a stern voice spoke up.
"They're referring to the rule that sleeping is only permitted in our dorm rooms," Kyoko explained, ceasing any need to look up the rule.
None of her classmates were very surprised that she'd have the rules memorized and none of them questioned if it was true or not, as Kyoko had proven herself to be stern and yet honest when the situation was grave. Even so, that didn't stop the horrific realization that came over all of them.
"Wait, then that means that Sayaka can't stay here either!" Hina voiced for all of them, adding to the animosity they all held for the demented bear and its rules.
And while all of them felt anger coursing through their veins, none of them were quite as infuriated as Leon.
"Hey, you bastard! How the hell is she supposed to get better if she can't stay here?!" the baseball player furiously shouted up at the monitor, his previous fears of the bear seeming to vanish as he defended the sleeping idol.
Even knowing that it was reckless to challenge Monokuma, considering the punishment they knew could await them, Leon held his ground and didn't back down from this unfair rule. And whether they said it or not, everyone was feeling the same, unwilling to place their classmate into harm's way for an unjust rule.
"Yeah! That's bullshit!" Mondo abruptly agreed, stepping up and waving his fist at the screen.
"Agreed!" Taka surprisingly concurred, "While the rules must be followed absolutely, certainly there are exceptions! Especially for flawed rules such as this one! Mainly because it didn't take injury into account!"
"W-What if her condition changes unexpectedly! She should be allowed to stay here until she gets better!" Chihiro piped up, standing between Mondo and Taka before she even knew what was happening.
Like a wall, they stood behind Leon, ready to support him in his resistance to Monokuma's rules.
They were a strange trio but as they stood together, united by their will to help their classmate, they seemed stronger than ever before. And then, almost as one, the rest of the students lifted their gazes up to glare at the monitor in defiance, being united in agreement for the first time since they'd all arrived.
Even Byakuya, in his condescending way, seemed to support this decision, staring menacingly at the screen as if he actually had the power to overrule the decision.
Silence followed their defiant actions and no one was sure if Monokuma was actually able to hear them, since he'd never responded to threats made at the monitors. And for a moment, no one thought the bear would answer, until its malevolent cackling abruptly returned.
"Upupupupu! The look on your faces is priceless! Wish I had some popcorn to enjoy the show! Oh, wait! I do!"
From behind its back, Monokuma pulled out a huge tub of popcorn. Picking up some of it with its paw, the bear smashed some of the buttery popped kernels at its face, the remnants of the popcorn clattering to the floor.
In any other situation, it may have been comical, but right now, it was one of the most insulting things any of the students had ever seen.
"Damn you!" Leon screamed and almost seemed that he might lunge at the screen. Before he could even take a step, a stern hand grasped his arm. Stopping instantly, the baseball player snapped his head around to see Sakura holding him back with only one hand.
"Do not carelessly rush into this. We all need to keep a level head."
As Sakura's words invaded his ears, Leon was brought back to the events of the previous night, where his good-intentioned but rash behavior had nearly gotten Sayaka killed. It was a sobering memory and just thinking about it helped to force him back to a calmer state of mind.
"Y-Yeah…you're right."
Hearing that, Sakura smiled and nodded to him, before lifting her ferocious gaze up to the monitor as well. With her watching his back, Leon felt renewed vigor as they all waited for Monokuma to continue. And they didn't have to wait long before the bear chuckled slightly, tossed away the remaining popcorn and waved its paw.
"Of course, I'm not that heartless! So, as a special exception to the rule, I will allow Sayaka Maizono to 'rest' here until she is able to walk. At which point, she will be forcibly removed."
Even if it was only a small bit of good news, the classmates all felt a hint of relief, which only lasted until the bear continued.
"As for the rest of you though…there will be no sleeping in the nurse's office! Violating this rule will result in a punishment involving many pointy objects and possibly a rabid dog!"
Whether they wanted to or not, all of them were reminded of Junko's foot stomping defiance, with the Fashionista herself tightly gripping her injured hand as those words were spoken. Not giving them much time to process this, the bear chimed in again.
"Okay then, sweet dreams everyone! Good night! Don't let the bed bugs—oh, that's right! I almost forgot to mention. Makoto, your room is off limits for tonight for deep cleaning! Punishment awaits anyone who tries to enter while cleaning is in process! Have fun with that!"
"Wait, what?!"
The Ultimate Lucky Student didn't have time to protest before the monitor abruptly cut to black, leaving him confused and everyone else wondering what the bear meant. However, one student let a grin slide over her lips as she thought of a wonderful idea.
"Well then, I suppose since Makoto can't enter his room tonight, he will have be one of the two standing guard, correct?" Celeste proposed to everyone, her smirk widening as the lucky student spun around and gaped at her.
"H-Hey! How are we supposed to watch her when we can't—?"
"The rule says we can't sleep anywhere but the dorms. It never said anything about staying awake and watching her," Kyoko unexpectedly joined in, not coming to Makoto's defense as much as he'd have liked.
"B-But that's not—!" he tried to say before being interrupted.
"Are you saying you don't want to be one of the people protecting your precious Sayaka?" the gambler asked with false shock in her voice.
"N-No! I don't mind—!"
Smiling daintily, Celeste chuckled and cut him off, "Then it's settled, is it not? Makoto shall be one of the two to watch over Sayaka."
"But how do we even know Monokuma's telling the truth?!" the lucky student insisted.
To his utter disappointment, it was again Kyoko who spoke up, "Monokuma said that cleaning was in progress, most likely meaning your room is being cleansed of being a crime scene. It would make sense then, considering everything that happened there."
As much as Makoto wanted to refute that, it made far too much sense to disagree with. And it seemed there was no way to really check, considering Monokuma would punish anyone foolish enough to try and confirm it. It seemed that he was completely out of options.
Feeling defeated and outwitted, Makoto let out a deep sigh before replying, "…I guess I'm first then. But what about the other?"
From the back of the room, Junko called out, "Since I'm the one who bandaged her, I wouldn't mind—".
"No, not you."
Although everyone should have been accustomed to it by now, everyone froze as Byakuya once again chose to vent his influence. However, unlike before, Junko didn't shy away from his comment, sending a fearsome glare his way.
"And why's that?" she demanded, asking the question everyone else wanted to have the answer to.
"Hmph, isn't it obvious? You can't be trusted," Byakuya informed her, matching her glare with one of his own before turning to face the others. "Let me ask you all this; if Sayaka were to end up murdered again…who would be the least likely among us we'd suspect?"
It was a heavy question that none of them were expecting and it stunned most of them into shock. However, it didn't seem to affect Hiro that much as he bluntly answered, "Probably Junko or Leon at this point."
"…Exactly," the affluent progeny concurred, a little shocked it had been Hiro who answered. Nevertheless, he continued, "As of this moment, Leon and Junko appear to be the most remorseful and therefore cannot be trusted. Or have you forgotten how Sayaka nearly fooled all of us into thinking she was the victim?"
"Hey! Don't bring her into this!" Leon fervently shouted, barely managing to hold himself back. "She's got nothing to—!"
"But she does," Byakuya cut him off, folding his arms and slowly walking closer to the baseball star. "How do we know that this isn't an elaborate trap set up by you or Junko in order to find a way to win the game? For all we know, your tears may have been fake—".
"Shut the hell up, you god-damn bastard!" Leon shouted before closing the gap between them and grabbing Byakuya by the collar.
But then, something completely unexpected happened. Even if it was only for a moment, Byakuya seemed to lose his composure and, using only one hand, he effortlessly knocked away Leon's hands and shoved him backward.
"Don't you dare call me that again, murderer…" the affluent progeny said, raising his voice as he filled with utter rage.
Just hearing that accusation come from Byakuya's mouth was enough to send Leon into a frenzy and he was just about to lunge for the bastard again when a white blur suddenly flashed between the two of them.
"ENOUGH!"
To everyone's surprise, Taka had thrown himself into the fray and was holding out both hands to stop the both of them. Not only that, his tone of voice was even stricter and more disciplinary than any of the students had heard before. And if that wasn't enough, his eyes were almost on fire as he glared between the two of them.
First, Taka turned to the affluent progeny and said, "We all see your point, Byakuya. But that does not give you the right to decide who we can and cannot trust!" Next, he turned his gaze toward the baseball star and said, "And Leon, while I don't blame you for being angry at such an insult, violence will solve nothing! You should know that better than I do!"
Giving them no time to refute him, the Ultimate Moral Compass continued, "Now is not the time to be fighting! Especially when we have two injured classmates here!"
To this, both Byakuya and Leon fell into utter silence, averting their gaze away from everyone, the baseball star hanging his head, while the affluent progeny folded his arms and stared upward.
When it became clear that neither of them were going to speak, Taka decided to continue, "We're all still reeling from what happened today. I say that we, very calmly, decide who will stay with Makoto to watch over Sayaka, then go back to our rooms and rest for the night. How does that sound?"
For a few moments, no one really felt able to speak. This wasn't the first time that Taka had spoken up to maintain order among his classmates but this was the first time that he'd been completely successful. Perhaps the trial had awakened some kind of ferocious instinct that led him to be fiercer than before, or perhaps he was just tired as well. In either case, his words were sound and no one could or wanted to refute them.
Instead, he got a volunteer.
"I'll stay and watch over Sayaka with Makoto," the calm voice of Kyoko broke the silence, her stern gaze fixed upon Taka. "We can discuss switching off who will guard Sayaka in the morning, after you've all gotten some rest. For tonight, the two of us shall suffice."
"Are you certain? I would be happy to stay as well," a concerned Sakura offered.
"No, we may need you to take over for Makoto and I in the morning," Kyoko politely declined, "Not to mention that you already guarded the crime scene, it would be unfair to have you or Mondo on guard duty all night as well. Besides, I have some knowledge of first aid and can perform well under pressure, in case her condition changes."
"That's true…" Mondo concurred; obviously pleased he didn't have to stay there all night either.
"And she did handle herself pretty well during the trial," Taka agreed, not seeing any reason not to go with her suggestion.
Hearing this, Byakuya let out a scoff but was unable to say anything before he was cut off by Kyoko.
"I believe that should lay our objections to rest, even if it is for only a single night," she said with a slight smirk, enjoying the fact that he wasn't in control at the moment.
Trying his best to appear unaffected, the affluent progeny scoffed and replied, "Do whatever you please. But don't come running to me when you get knifed in the back."
Without waiting for anyone to excuse him, Byakuya made his way to the door and quickly departed, unable to stand the idiocy of his classmates any longer.
"Alright then," Taka said to all the remaining students, "Makoto and Kyoko will watch over Sayaka for the night and we shall all reconvene in the cafeteria for breakfast, as per usual! Dismissed!"
Makoto watched as his classmates slowly began to depart, emptying the room as they all yawned and rubbed their tired eyes. Turning his back to find a stool or something to sit on, the lucky student was surprised when someone called out to him.
"Hey, Makoto."
Glancing over his shoulder, he found none other than Junko staring at him. She was clutching her injured hand and held a surprisingly nervous look on her face. Makoto couldn't imagine why she seemed to so nervous, so he turned to face her and politely replied, "Yeah, what's up?"
"I…uh…never really thanked you for saving my life. So…thanks…"
Much to his shock, she abruptly bowed deeply to him, leaving him kind of speechless for a moment. It wasn't until she straightened up that he found himself nervously scratching his head and replying, "W-Well…uh, I mean, you'd do that same for me, right?"
As if a knife had been jammed into her heart, Junko flinched at his words and averted her gaze.
"Y-Yeah…maybe."
She didn't sound too sure of herself and it kinda confused Makoto but he didn't have time to think about it before she said, "Anyway, take care of Sayaka…and if you need my help with anything, feel free to come get me."
Smiling brightly as he heard those words, Makoto nodded firmly and said, "I will. Thanks, Junko…for everything."
To his shock and awe, Makoto was dumbstruck as his words brought a genuine smile to Junko's lips. It wasn't her usual grin or smirk but a completely natural smile that held a great deal of gratitude in it. It was the first time he'd ever seen such a wonderful sight from the Fashionista and it brought him hope that they could all survive this horrific event.
But just as quickly as it came, the smile disappeared as Junko turned around and headed out the door, leaving him alone in the room with Kyoko to watch over the sleeping Sayaka.
"Dammit, why couldn't I have just said, 'yes'," Mukuro scolded herself as she walked toward her room, face still flushed after her conversation with Makoto.
Unfortunately, she already knew the answer to her question, and it was the reason she'd been unable to lie to him. Even after making up that huge story about how she knew about treating the injured, she just couldn't bring herself to lie to him. Not when he smiled at her…that smile that made her feel…like she belonged.
"But I don't…I don't belong with them," she had to remind herself, furrowing her brow as she walked. "I betrayed him…betrayed all of them. I even considered killing Makoto, just to please my sister. And now, I don't belong with her either. I mean, even if I had gone through with it, who's to say that Junko wouldn't have just disposed of me anyway? After all, I'm sure she'd love to feel the despair of killing a family member…she's never done that before…"
As she neared her room, she realized that she was still clutching her freshly bandaged hand. Coming to a halt just before her door, she stared at her hand and flexed it, wincing only slightly at the pain. Her movements were still stiff and it would take time to fully recover…at least physically.
Almost immediately after her palm had been impaled, she knew that the wound would forever haunt her. Not only as the first true injury she'd ever sustained but also as a permanent reminder that, just as she had betrayed her classmates, Junko had subsequently betrayed her. The hole in her hand would forever serve to show how little she really meant to this world…or at least, she'd thought so at the time.
Almost before she realized it, that injury began to take on an entirely new meaning. It was proof that she was a survivor, showed that Makoto valued her enough to save her life, and it was a reminder that she was still alive…and she could still do something for him. Even if she wasn't sure exactly what she should be doing, at the very least, one thing was clear:
"Whatever it takes…I will repay him!" she quietly swore, again feeling the need to assign herself a purpose to exist.
Feeling slightly reenergized, she unlocked her room and proceeded inside, flipping on the light-switch as she entered. However, the instant she was inside, something felt wrong. Nothing particularly seemed out of place…and that's what felt off. She remembered leaving in a huge rush that morning; her room should have been a mess from that hurry.
Instead, everything looked far too clean…as if someone had been in there to—!
Mukuro's eyes widened and she found herself speeding over to her wardrobe. Grabbing the handles, she flung the door open and gasped at what she saw…or rather, didn't see.
"M-My weapons…"
Every single firearm, knife and explosive had been completely removed from the inside of the wardrobe, instead replaced with a number of different designer clothes! Gritting her teeth, she dashed into her sleeping area and lifted her mattress, only to find that the spare clips and extra bullets she'd hidden there were also missing! Practically slamming the mattress down, she grabbed onto her pillow and shook it, infuriated that the miniature palm sized handgun she'd always slept with was gone as well!
Instinctively, the soldier's hand slipped into her blouse and she grasped the combat knife she'd hidden beneath her clothes. A slight feeling of comfort coursed through her as she grasped the handle of the blade, knowing that she wasn't completely unarmed. However, that's when a definitive cackle reached her ears and she knew exactly what had transpired.
Glaring over her shoulder, Mukuro spotted the gleefully grinning Monokuma standing right beside her door. It continued to chuckle to itself, maintaining its cutesy bear voice all the while.
"Firearms are not permitted inside the school! And having all those dangerous knives around is detrimental to your health! It's a good thing I found them and got rid of them for you…so that you didn't get punished for it."
The soldier gritted her teeth and growled in embarrassment. The bear had probably been there the entire time, she'd just been too distracted by the loss of her weaponry to notice! Slowly unsheathing the combat knife and pulling it from her blouse, Mukuro turned to face what she'd feared had been coming.
"I figured you'd come for me…sooner or later," she said solemnly, taking an offensive stance, angling the blade directly at the automaton. She thought about making the first move but before she had time to devise a strategy, the voice of Monokuma resumed…shifting into the familiar tone of her sister.
"Actually, I'm just here to ask you a simple question," Junko's voice took over, phasing out the usual voice the bear used. Clearing her throat, the despair-loving girl plainly asked, "So…what the hell, Mukuro?"
At first, the soldier was a bit startled by the question but instantly knew exactly what her sister was asking of her. She was asking why she'd interfered, shifting the game and giving the advantage over to the students, at least for now. It was a loaded question, but one that Mukuro was more than prepared to answer.
Realizing that her sister more than likely wasn't there to do her harm, she relaxed her stance only slightly as she smirked, "You told me I could play the game however I wanted, as long as I didn't reveal my true identity. Well…this is how I play the game."
Monokuma tilted its head to the side as Junko answered through it, "But that's the 'what the hell' part. You're not really playing the game because you're not killing anyone. The one thing you're best at and you decide to do the exact opposite. It just doesn't add up, Mukuro—".
"That's twice now…"
"Hm?" Junko replied, become the one to be confused.
Mukuro's eyes narrowed as she answered, "Twice now…you've called me Mukuro. But weren't you the one who said that Mukuro Ikusaba was dead? How strange of you to make such a mistake…"
Her words hung heavy in the air as silence engulfed them. Junko was rarely every wrong about anything, it was a blessing and a curse she'd once said. But even rarer was it for someone, especially Mukuro, to correct her when it happened upon occasion. It was usually followed by either a witty remark, or a furious explosion of anger.
Mukuro wondered which she'd receive for her defiance and was shocked when, in response to her comment, the joyous laughter of Junko erupted from the bear, echoing in the small room. The soldier almost relaxed her guard as she heard what truly seemed to be genuine laughs coming from the automaton that relayed her sister's voice.
"Hahahaha!" the despair-loving girl howled, barely able to speak through her tirade, "W-When did you learn to talk back?! Oh, I love it!"
As Junko's cackling voice continued to resound in the room, Mukuro was growing more and more impatient. She hadn't expected her sister to visit her again, not after cutting ties with her. And while losing her weapons was unfortunate, she could survive the game without them. In truth, she should have expected this. There was no way that the 'Mastermind' would allow for such an unfair advantage, especially when the soldier already held the upper hand over her classmates just by having her memories of them intact.
Even so, she was completely dumbfounded by how happy her sister was about her comment. Almost as if she'd been waiting for this moment for quite a long time…
Suddenly, Junko's laughter ceased and her voice regained its usual cruel tone, "You know, I really should confiscate that knife you're holding, too…it is prohibited, after all."
Just hearing those words made Mukuro visibly flinch and, on instinct, she took an aggressive combat stance. Her eyes burned with fury but there was also desperation there, and her sister knew why all too well.
"Oh? Where'd all that vigor suddenly go? You weren't worried about back-talking a second ago. Why've you gone all quiet on me now?" Junko chided, with the soldier practically able to hear her sister grinning behind the mic. "I wonder, is it because it's the last weapon you've got…or perhaps, it's the only item you have left to remind you of the good-old days back in Fenrir?"
"Shut up…" Mukuro seethed, somehow finding the courage to defy her sister again.
"Hmph, it makes sense really," Junko continued unabated, positively elated by her sister's reaction. "I mean, with your ugly tattoo gone, you've got nothing left to link you back to the days when you were actually happy…am I right?"
"I said, shut up!" Mukuro screamed, grasping her knife with both hands in preparation to attack.
However, before she took a step, she heard her sister let out a victorious laugh, spreading the bear's arms wide, as if inviting her to attack.
"Come on then…do it!" Junko enticed her further, her voice shaking from what could only be described as despairingly horrific euphoria.
Gritting her teeth so hard she thought they'd crack, Mukuro held her ground and managed to keep her anger under control…if only just barely. It was obvious that Junko wanted her to lash out and attack; it would give the despair-loving girl a valid excuse to execute her. But even knowing that, it didn't help subdue the rage the soldier felt boiling up.
As she felt herself losing control, her eyes darted over to her bandaged appendage. In a desperate bid to calm herself, she focused her thoughts on the image of Makoto coming to her rescue and bandaging her once it was over. She remembered the warmth of his hands, and how gentle he'd been when he'd taken care of her. And how, if she lost her temper now, she'd never get the chance to repay him…and she wouldn't be around to help keep him safe!
That thought alone brought a sense of calm amidst the hateful comments her sister had thrown at her. Unclenching her jaw and taking slow but deep breaths, she gradually began to bring her anger under control. Carefully, Mukuro relaxed her stance and let her hands drop to her side, but still clutching her knife as a form of comfort.
Taking in even more deep, cleansing breaths, the soldier glared at Monokuma and said, "I won't let you win this time. Of that, I can assure you."
Only the tiniest bit shocked that her plan to infuriate Mukuro hadn't worked, the despair-loving girl cocked Monokuma's head to the side as she took in her sister's determined visage.
"Oh? Is that so?" Junko mockingly replied, squeezing in a bit of a snicker. "Let's say you do manage to win. What then? You don't have a place to return to—".
"I'm aware of that," the soldier cut her off, slowly lifting up her knife and angling it toward the bear once more. "But who said that I'd be playing for myself?"
Hearing this, the automaton that Junko spoke through suddenly expressed an image of frustration, it's face turning read as it glared toward the soldier.
"Oh, come on! You don't really think you can—?!" Junko tried to say before she was cut off once more.
"I won't let the game go the way you want it to anymore! My goal isn't to survive this game," Mukuro defiantly explained, not letting her sister interrupt her anymore. "As you said, I know what awaits me outside these walls. I know that I'm beyond saving…this school will be my grave. However, I plan to do everything in my power to kill you…and free my classmates from this hell we've put them in!"
It was now Mukuro's time to smirk as she made her position clear. She wasn't playing the game to save herself, nor was it truly as a form of redemption. She was a cornered animal that was lashing out at the one who'd put them in that position…no, more like a mother determined to protect her young. The right metaphor didn't really come to her at the moment but she couldn't care less.
For the first time in her life, she'd stood up to Junko. And even though she could feel her legs trembling as she decided to rebel against her sister, in her heart, she knew that she'd finally done something right for a change…and it was by her own choice!
She more than half expected her sister to begin laughing at her again, mocking her for making such a suicidal choice. However, to her surprise, her sister was completely silent…as if she hadn't even considered Mukuro would ever say such things to her.
Just as the soldier thought that Junko may have fallen asleep, or was simply ignoring her, Monokuma abruptly returned back to its normal visage, standing there solemnly and just staring at her.
"Impressive," Junko suddenly spoke through the bear, her voice even and stoic. "I guess I can let you keep that knife then. You'll certainly need it if you plan to kill me."
Somehow, it was jarring to hear Junko mention her own death so casually. She'd always insisted that she was beyond killing, that her death would need to be filled to the brim with despair before she even considered letting herself leave this world. And it was at that moment that Mukuro had a last minute revelation.
"Junko, you…you didn't come here to kill me…did you?" she questioned, surprised that she even realized it herself.
Instead of answering, Monokuma slowly shifted its feet and turned around. Without uttering a word, the bear waddled over to the door and began reaching for the knob. Seeing this, Mukuro couldn't stop herself as she took a step forward, calling out to her sister.
"Wait! What did you come here for, Junko?!" the soldier asked, almost desperately, completely unable to comprehend why her sister had come in the first place.
Just before Monokuma opened the door, it glanced over its shoulder and Junko's voice softly spoke through it.
"This is the last time we're going to talk like this…Goodbye."
The gentle, almost regretful tone of her sister's voice startled Mukuro and she found herself frozen in shock, staring down at the automaton as it slowly turned its head and opened the door. She wanted to call out, to question her sister on what she meant by saying farewell…but she already knew.
Her choice had been accepted…her sister was actually accepting her decision to play the game as she saw fit. And because of that, both sisters knew that only one of them would survive the game.
As Monokuma slipped out into the hallway and closed the door behind it, Mukuro lowered her head and felt a single tear slide down her cheek.
"…Goodbye…Junko…"
Reaching a hand up, she quickly wiped away the moisture from her eyes and hardened her features. Moving over to her dresser, she took off her wig and replaced it on the wig form. Swiping her uninjured hand through her sweaty black locks, she sat down and gazed at her reflection. A smile crept over her face as she realized that the person staring back at her wasn't the same one she'd seen in the mirror that morning.
There was a fire in her eyes and as ironic as she knew it was, she felt hope beginning to well up within her. And even more surprising…she liked it.
…
…
…
Chapter 1: END
Two more students have lost the will to kill:
-Leon Kuwata-
-Sayaka Maizono-
12 students 'remain'
To Be Continued…
Greetings, my beautiful readers! It's been a long haul but chapter 1 is completed!
I certainly hope that you've enjoyed the first chapter of my story. Rest assured, I'll be continuing onward into the second chapter soon, with new surprises to await everyone due to the survival of Sayaka, Leon and Mukuro. What lies ahead for everyone as their fates constantly change? You'll have to tune in next chapter to find out!
That being said, I will be taking a short break to get a few more chapters ahead. Not a long break (so don't panic), about double the average time between chapters will suffice. I'm getting busy with my life very soon and I need a bit of time to properly craft the story. However, I may post a few DR one-shots in the meantime, if I get them finished sooner.
Regardless, I'm glad to see that so many of you are enjoying the story and are very invested in what's going to happen next. As always, if you'd like to leave a comment or review to help better the story, or just to ask questions, please do so.
Take care and keep on smiling, my beautiful readers!