I woke up with a yawn and looked at the new clock in my room seeing that I woke up almost a hour before the morning announcement, blearily I roll over and revel in the fact I wasn't moved to some suspicious location while I was a sleep. I was kinda thirsty and debated if it was worth it or not to go to the cafateria, when a angry pounding came from my door making the decision for me. I open it to barely avoid Haruna's swinging fist, "Hey."

"Good your awake," she said grabbing both my arms, "get dressed in this and meet at the pool asap," shocked at the uncharacteristicly serious message I take the clothes.

"What's wrong," I ask, but before I could get a answer she ran off to bang on the others doors. I hold up what she had given me, it was... swim trunks? I look out the door and see others holding similar bathing suits and Haruna before she takes off down the hallway and out of sight.

"The morning bell hasn't even rung yet," Kenta sighs before shutting his door. I go back into my room and wonder if I should really go along with Haruna's idea, it sounds like it could be fun and I haven't been in (heck, even seen) a pool since before the tragedy. I get into the swim wear and throw my jacket back on in case I get cold, also to hide my pathetically scrawny body. I exit my room and lock the door behind me with my extra key before tying it back on my wrist and talking to the others coming out of their rooms.

"Hey Yoshiki, you going swimming?" I ask, though the question was redundant considering he was still full clothed.

"As fun as it sounds I'm not much of one for water," he replies, "by the way, about the cuffs is yours still counting down?"

"Yeah, its at.." I read my cuff, "like 45 minutes, counting down."

"Mine says the same, and I must admit I'm apprehensive as to what happens at zero," Yoshiki says showing his cuff to me, it had the same time as mine, "I remember that eccentric mono-teacher mentioning something about 'suffering the effects', if we don't reconnect in time," Yoshiki pondered for a moment before deciding to speak, "I want to connect the handcuffs and see how the timer reacts."

"Sure," I reply, shrugging. I hold the left cuff out to Yoshiki's, for a second nothing happens then with a beep and a click the cuffs flashed red before the timer blinked off, "well the timer is off now, so I guess that proves it was a count down until we connect." After that we were on our way to the pool only to encounter Danny and Kenta by the stairs, their cuffs disconnected.

"Wait, you should really connect-,"

I cut Yoshiki off in a hushed tone, "Wait, don't tell them," Yoshiki gives me a shocked look, "if they don't want to connect then don't make them, we don't know what the cuffs do past the time limit, this the best time to see the effects of the cuffs."

"We are not doing that," Yoshiki said sternly, "Kenta, Danny, the cuffs countdown is a time limit to connect the cuffs."

"Oh, I wonder what happens if we don't reconnect them?" Kenta wondered aloud, a smile stretching on his face, "I think I'll stay unconnected and find out."

"No, we are not, you could die," Danny replied and tried to connect the cuffs only for Kenta to raise his hand out of reach with a laugh, "seriously, do you really want to do this."

"Aw come on it was only a little fun!" Kenta said, before heading up the stairs, "now lets go swimming!"

With a huff Danny went to follow but I stopped him, "I have an extra cuff if you don't want to deal with him," I offer.

"Thanks but I don't want to bother you, you already have one arm tied up," Danny replied, "besides If I do that then I'd be abandoning Kenta to the effects, it's not right."

"Noble reasoning," Yoshiki committed looking pointedly at me, "it is not right to abandon others to the effects."

"I get it, I get it," I say rolling my eyes, I did feel a little guilty now that I've been called out. all three of us went up stairs and to the changing room the BCG let us through and considering we all were already in swimsuits or resolved not to swim we passed on through quickly. In the pool we were met by everyone, I noticed that the girls swimsuit and the boys trunks (mine included) were all the same dull generic school blue. Akira and Yukihiro were sitting idle on the side of the pool, their feet hanging in the water, Akira had her thick black hair in a ponytail out of the water while Yukihiro's was already soaked from a chocolate brown to a black. M, surprisingly was swimming as well, he looked rather comical doing a backstroke with his unmoved blank face, and still bandaged right arm. I was relieved to note that Kenta and Danny had joined cuff so the possibility of them both dying has decreased, they were both playing a sort of three armed version of volleyball ball with a enthusiastic Haruna and a begrudgingly happy Veliah. Kojiro and Alan walk in behind us, they were both unconnected.

"Hey, you two should connect the cuffs," I recommend, "we don't have much time left," I think, I haven't checked but I feels like some time has passed.

"I don't care right now," Alan quickly replied, side eyeing me, "besides if I link up or whatever I won't be able to change back into my regular clothes until night time." Alan has a very good point, if I had known it would be so long until I go back to regular clothes I wouldn't have done it.

"Hmm, how about you Kojiro?" I ask the other, "if Alan doesn't want to do it I have a extra cuff."

"Sure!" Kojiro seemed excited at the offer "You know what they say, birds of a feather stick together!" He laughed clicking the cuffs together, with a beep and a flash they sealed together. Suddenly Evan came in, silently fuming and dragging a foldable chair, he sat far off out of the way in a corner and began to read a book. It was obvious he didn't want anyone to talk to him so everyone kept their distance. Then a few minutes later James walked in, tan skin for all to see in his swim suit, and jumped into the pool, looked around and then he waddled through the water to M. M didn't bat an eye to him or to his long conversation, so it was surprising when he replied to edge James monologues on, I don't think James even expected it but he was happy to keep talking and It was soon revealed that Evan was angry at him and refusing to rejoin the cuffs.

"Maybe I should go talk to him?" James reasoned.

"Do it," Kenta affirmed excited and before anyone could stop him, James was talking incessantly with a agitated Evan. James fate was sealed when he asked what he did wrong.

"Because you're annoying," Evan said angrily, rounding on James. Bewildered, James stumbles back, his blue eyes wide, "All you ever do is talk, and talk, and talk-there's no end to it, I understand you just want someone to talk to but I'm not that person!" Evan was breathing heavily, his face sweaty and pale, "and I... don't feel so well..."

"Whoa, man, no need to get so worked up," James said apprehensively.

"No... I really don't feel so well..." Evan started to wobble, hand clutching over his heart. Unexpectedly it was James who went down first, followed by Evan and suddenly Alan as well. We were near them so luckily we caught Evan and James before they could hit the ground and get seriously hurt.

"What's going on!" Yukihiro yelled panicked, holding a unconscious Alan out of the pool. Yoshiki and I hurry over to them and pull him out setting him down on the concrete. Akira hoisted herself out quickly, water dripping from her thick black hair, and checked him over. Yukihiro got out as well to give Akira better mobility.

"He's alive, but his breathing's faint," Akira assessed, her and Yukihiro then went to check on the rest who passed out, "they are all still alive, just unconscious."

"What happened?" Danny asked, both him and Kenta wading over to the ladder and joined us.

"Their cuffs are blinking," Kenta pointed out the black and white cuffs on those of us unconscious was blinking red with LED, "maybe that's what caused it?"

"The only ones unconscious are those who were not connected," M interjected, "was this the effects the mono-teacher talked of?"

"Wonderful deduction..." a mono-teacher said approaching us, it was that lazy one, 42, "your buddies will be... down for the count for the next... uh.. 5 hours."

"Seriously?" Yoshiki asked, "that long, we need some one to watch them."

"Yeah, 5 hours unattended and unconscious is just too dangerous," Akira agrees, "we should take them to the infirmary in case something else happened."

"45 the cuffs caused this, right?" I ask 45, "will they be ok?"

"Obviously... it's the effects... and they will be fine, if you count complete and total helplessness as fine... a nice motivator," 45 sighed, "if you didn't connect before the time ran out... you get knocked out by the drugs in the cuffs," they gave a wave and headed out, "there's nothing else to explain... later." We spent some time trying to figure out how to transport three large men before just giving up and dragging them to the infirmary. Setting them on the beds we discussed who should watch them first, Akira volunteered first due to her having the most medical knowledge in case something goes wrong.

"Me and Sanyu and Kojiro can do it," Yoshiki said, "second shift and fifth."

"Agreed, so Akira and Yukihiro have first shift, Me, Kojiro and Yoshiki second, Danny and Kenta third, and then it loops," I clarify, then agreeing that each shift would last a hour or so. After that Me and Yoshiki had time to kill, so we chatted in the cafateria getting lunch while we were at it.

"Yesterday Kenta talked about how the door timers are gone, do you think they were just part of the first motive?" I ask, making conversation.

"I'm not sure?" Kojiro admitted, "seems like it."

"I assume so also, and you mentioned that one of the rules had changed," Yoshiki replied, "It was the door timer rule that changed to the new motive, it's too early to tell but maybe it changes with the motive."

"So what happened with the others?" Came the loud voice of Haruna as she burst through the doors, she was still wet from the pool and so was Veliah.

"We should have helped, I'm sorry," Veliah apologized, "but someone wouldn't leave the pool."

Haruna let out a laugh, "Cool it V, they had it covered!"

"Yeah, Veliah its fine," I reassure.

"If you want to help out still, Akira and Yukihiro are watching over them in the infirmary right now," Yoshiki informs, Veliah nods a thank you.

"I want to eat first though!" Haruna complains, "all this action has made me hungry... besides who wants to spend their time in a stuffy hospital room."

"It will only be for a little while, just to see if we can help out," Veliah reasoned, only to be met by Haruna putting her arms in a x shape and shouting.

"Denied!"

Veliah looked taken aback by the action before steeling herself and all but dragged Haruna out. The two working against each other, Veliah pulling out the door with heavy stomps and Haruna screeching her shoes as she pushed away. Veliah won the duel and the two disappeared out the door.

"What a duo," M said, setting a platter of sandwiches down, "glad I'm not on those things anymore, I even lost my own handcuff."

"Well you've been replaced anyways," I say, "can I have a sandwich?"

"No." M replied, taking a bite.

We met Yukihiro and Akira in the infirmary, Haruna and Veilah already with them. The first watch passed with no problem and so did ours, it was largely uninteresting even when we swapped out with Danny and Kenta. We went to get another snack and hit up the library to get some books to read on our shift and when it was our turn again, the fifth and final shift, James began to wake up slowly.

"What happened?" He asked with a exaggerated yawn, "weren't we in the pool?"

"You passed out because of the handcuffs," Kojiro informed, yawning from boredom.

"Oh yeah, I assume that's what happened to Evan and Alan?" James crossed his arms behind his head and laid back down.

"That's correct, and they should be waking up soon," Yoshiki mentioned before going back to reading. Only a few minutes had passed before Evan woke up, and James had fallen back asleep.

"Hey, you're the second one up," I say to the bed head and tired looking Evan.

"I feel like I was just asleep, but for some reason I'm still absolutely exhausted," he mumbled before flopping back down on the bed, passing out cold.

"He's asleep again, I guess the drug that made them pass out makes you tired?" Yoshiki observed.

"There's no need to watch us anymore," Alan suddenly spoke up, making me jump in surprise, "better yet, I'll just go to my room," with a quick motion Alan was out the door and supposedly to his room.

"Well I guess there's no reason to stay anymore," I say to the others, "they're only sleeping now and not under the effects of some mysterious drug."

"Yeah I'm done watching these guys," Kojiro adds, "let's just go hang out in the cafeteria with the other guys!" With majority vote we went to the cafeteria finding everyone present (except for James and Evan of course). Kojiro set us near Kenta and Yukihiro and surprisingly Alan.

"I thought you went to your room?" I ask curious.

"I was hungry, being unconscious for 5 hours does that," Alan dully replied back.

"About that, are Danny and Evan not awake?" Yukihiro asked, hesitantly.

"They woke up but went back to sleep, and we're are all here anyways so there's nothing to worry about," Kojiro said striking up a conversation with the rest of the table, mostly to Yukihiro, and Kenta. I noticed that Alan wasn't really paying attention, unfocused and daydreaming. I started to talk to him while everyone else talked on.

"What're you thinking about?" I ask, Alan broke out of his thoughts and regarded me before responding.

"I've seen more expression in paint drying than on your face," Alan tsks, "but you can really pry out information."

"I mean I didn't ask you to tell me your life story," I reply, "you don't have to tell me anything."

Alan gave me a accusing look, "that's your magic though, you say you don't want to hear it and so it makes people want to tell you, like there's no pressure on what to say."

"There's no need to feel pressure with anyone here," I gesture to the others.

"Ah wait you misunderstand, I'm not pressured at all- in fact I find myself a bit underwhelmed by your presence- I just don't feel the need to talk to any of you," Alan corrected before settling back into his seat, "...You never went to Hope's Peak, right?"

"Oh..uh, yeah, I never accepted the invitation," I explain briefly.

"I never even got accepted, used to think it was unfair with how hard I worked, but it makes sense now," he said.

"You did chemistry right?" I thought back on the first trial.

"Yeah, I used to envy those in the main course. Hope's Peak was a guarantee that you would succeed in your future, but for us reserve course it was a reminder of what we could never reach."

"Well there isn't much of a future now," I say trying to lighten the mood.

"Thanks Sanyu," Alan said sarcastically, "Maybe I'll tell you more about myself later, but only if you tell me something," he said, "we've got a common past Sanyu, maybe we can work together?"

"On what exactly?" I ask, hesitant to see what he meant.

"On a party," Alan replies before getting everyone's attention, "I think we should have a party," Alan tells the rest of the table, "to get to know each other in a fun setting."

"That sounds like a great plan," Kojiro agreed quickly, with that affirmation of one everyone else began to follow and soon it was decided we were to have a party.

"I'll do the food and drinks," Alan volunteers.

"I can help," Yukihiro says.

"Don't worry Yukihiro I can do it myself," Alan replies almost instantly, "you should focus on having fun."

Yukihiro studied him before giving in, "Ok I will, thank you Alan-sama." Yukihiro was probably disappointed that she didn't get the main maid-like job.

"I wonder if we can get music!" Haruna shouts, "I'll ask the mono-teachers if we can play some tunes on the intercoms!"

"I don't know if they'd do that," Veliah says to herself, "but considering I'm stuck to you I don't have a choice." Soon everyone had their roles, me and Yoshiki getting the job of party manager by making sure everyone came and if they got their job done. The rest of the day continued on normally until it was night time, the announcement ringing for the time change.

"There's a mono-teacher right there," Kojiro pointed out, so the three of us approached them and had our cuffs removed.

"I think I saw Danny and Kenta back there looking for a mono-teacher, we should get them and tell them there's one here," I say. Yoshiki and me went to find them, Kojiro going to his room. Soon we found them crouched behind a corner, pressed against the wall and peeking over to see something.

"What are you doing?" I ask, Danny jumped and whipped around to face me with wide eyes.

"Sanyu, don't sneak up on people like that," he sighed, "and to answer your question you better ask Kenta."

"Haruna and Yukihiro are talking about something, something they didn't want anyone else to hear," Kenta shushed suddenly, "maybe it's their crushes, that's what girls talk about right?"

"Yeah, sure," Danny said sarcastically.

"I don't think so," I reply the same time as Yoshiki.

"Hey maybe it's one of you two she likes, haha," Kenta said kidding, his voice neutral but eyes in a different emotion.

"I'm a 48 year old man I'm not going to eavesdrop on a girls conversation to see who she likes," Yoshiki said stiffly, "besides, I'm married and have a kid."

"Really, you're 48?!" Kenta looked surprised, but recovered with a smug smile, "my you're so old, almost 50, I can see the gray hairs!"

"Who let's a old man like you on this trip," Danny wondered, "you could get hurt, even before the killing game we would have been doing heavy lifting and sore work," Danny's good intentions were lost on the others.

"When I was selected for this trip I didn't expect it to be filled with immature teenagers," Yoshiki deadpanned.

"I'm 22," Kenta replied, "I'm no teenager." Yoshiki scoffed and shook his head at the answer before leaving to his room.

"I'm going to bed," Danny said with a yawn, he started walking but was stopped by the hesitating Kenta still listening with apt attention. Danny tugged on the cuff, "hey, I want to go to bed," Kenta looked up, startled at the interference before regaining his composure.

"I'm just messing with you, let's go," Kenta chuckled and so the two left to find a mono-teacher to unlock the cuffs for the night. I stood in the now empty hall the lights shutting off on me leaving the place completely dark... why did I even come here!?

Does this count as the beach episode? B) Got pretty close there, but I got it out before the month ended!

beta notes: i swear to god she knows her mistakes and makes me correct them because she is lazy

And I have a question for you: which character do you like the most so far?