Hello, and welcome officially to the second chapter! I am glad everyone seemed to have enjoyed the first chapter, and I am hoping to meet expectations on this chapter as well! I'm glad you guys are enjoying this story, and it makes me happy! Anyways, let us hope this introduction to chapter two will excite you all! Also, I have to note that FanFiction seems to be bugging out the reviews for not only me, but everyone... I'm hoping that I didn't miss any of you guys' reviews!
liammarklh88: "Haha, I tried to not make it too depressing, but guess I failed on that note. Oops. Oh, yes, of course. That issue will be addressed in the future, hahaha... Well, trials do become quite easier when supernatural things are involved. I think I would've failed as a writer if I didn't address Kamui's role as an accomplice, after all. Of course, I am trying to give all of the characters development, whether now or in the future! I am hoping I can round off the characters well enough at least. Glad you liked the cover~ Haha, thanks for the suggestion!"
TheRoseShadow21: "Oh no, I'll give you a hug! Haha, well, cover pictures should relate to something... Thanks!"
ToonGuy: "Haha, hooray! Oh, well, I've always wanted to do that sort of plotline/twist the moment I thought about making a Danganronpa SYOC, so yeah! Don't worry! You're amazing! Yes, I'm glad you noticed the variety of ways people cope with death! I wanted the characters to be as different and realistic as possible, after all~ Haha, well, that's Kakuma for you! Yes, unity is such a breakable thing... I hope you'll enjoy this chapter then!"
RandomWriter197 (For your previous reviews so far): "Aw, I'm glad you're liking my story so far! I love your dedication to reading the chapters, so I commend you for that! I'm sure you'll be able to catch up, I mean, if you're reading this I'm sure you caught up!"
irwegwert: "Yes, I wanted to portray this as depressing and realistic as possible. Glad you're loving it! Glad you liked it despite it being short! Haha, I want to make everyone the least bit realistic, so development is expected for a lot of the characters. I can assure you that! Kakuma's not that bad, but he's still an asshole. I like Kakuma though, so yeah. Kamui will have a hard time coping with everything, huh? Aww, I'm glad you love my story that much! I'm grateful to even have this story be considered a favorite to people! Haha, it's fine! I always wonder if I can break my own expectations, after all."
PoisonBanana: "Yes, very sad indeed. I've always longed for an aftermath on characters being saddened by others, so I understand very well how you feel! Haha, Kamui is definitely becoming a noticed character I see. Of course, besides, I love making things suspenseful and dramatic~ Aw, thanks! It's sad that a lot of SYOCs tend to be discontinued, but there will always be a few ones that are still ongoing! Besides, a lot of the SYOCs mainly tend to be because of the author's busy schedule and life, after all."
Agrael: "Haha, yeah, Asami really was the glue that stuck everyone together, huh? Haha, yes, of course the distrust for Kamui will be high. It will bring a lot of interesting conversation~ Yes, the motive, of course! Haha, thanks for the encouragement!"
DryBonesKing: "Yeah, but they'll learn to love him soon~ Haha, well, people are different. We never know how humans react to certain things unless it actually happens. Of course Kamui's not Nagito. Yeah, I hope so too! Aww, I'm glad you seem to be interested in Kakuma! I hope you'll enjoy what Chapter 2 has coming~"
It didn't take long until the next day arrived. Surprisingly, Minori had woken up before the morning announcement, but to his expectations, Monokuma's voice rang throughout the school.
"Ahem! It is officially 8 A.M., so all you bastards should wake up and do something productive! Also, newsflash, but I have finally finished tidying up the floor upstairs! The floor upstairs is now officially opened, so feel free to traverse up in your free time! That is all!"
Monokuma's voice was now gone, and Minori was left finishing up in the restroom. He had finished washing his face, eyeing the dark circles under his eyes with a disgusted expression. Still, he couldn't complain too much. It was his fault for staring at nothing from yesterday. It was his fault for continuing to mourn to himself in silence and almost forget that he was supposed to be cheering himself up, not crying.
It's now officially two days since Ko and Asami died... Minori sighed, shaking his head. He promised himself to not think too much about it. He quickly made his way out of his room, moving his way into the dining hall where he met Fuwari who was setting Haruko's handcrafted chocolate to the middle of the table. The pseudologist smiled sadly as he walked towards the table, taking a seat down. So, we're here to mourn over their deaths first thing in the morning, huh? Hm.
"Ah, pleasure to see you, Minori." Fuwari eyed the Ultimate with a nod.
Minori bowed his head back in return, quickly noticing that the spirit medium was eyeing him. "Oh, right. Hello. Have the rest woke up yet?"
Fuwari nodded, eyeing the kitchen. "Kaniza and Sagiso are cooking the food. Seiga is trying to wake the others up and drag them here." She then crossed her arms. "Did he try to wake you up?"
Minori shook his head. "No, I woke up of my own accord. I didn't even see Seiga on the way here."
"Oh, so you woke up before the morning announcement." Fuwari smiled to herself, acknowledging his words. "I heard that the floor upstairs is now opened. Have you seen it yet? The stairway isn't blocked, after all."
"Oh, yeah. Right." Minori took out his MonoPad, booting it up and sliding his finger through the screen. He first noticed that his truth bullets were empty, now back at 'zero'. He didn't bother to ask about it, instead clicking onto the map and realizing that there was a new sub-folder from the icon. The layout of the first floor was seen, however to the side was the folder titled 'Second Floor'. Minori clicked onto it, the screen now directing him to the second floor's layout.
Oh. Wow. Minori skimmed through the area, eyeing the pictures from the MonoPad before eyeing the title of each room. The gymnasium, game room... They're all entertainment-based areas. How fortunate, but strangely I consider it too coincidental... Minori's mind instantly rolled to the party Seiga had suggested. The floor above them would serve well in that regard, at least.
Wait, 'fortunate'? This floor is now opened... Why now? Is it because- Minori stopped. Knowing Monokuma, that was definitely the reason. Everytime someone dies and another gets executed, a new floor is available a few days afterwards? Is that what he's trying to do? He's...he's sick.
Minori bit into his lips, shutting off his MonoPad and placing it into his pocket. He didn't want to think for a moment, now disgusted at the headmaster and saddened by his thoughts. He couldn't do anything but shake his head as Sagiso and Kaniza suddenly moved out of the kitchen, rolling in various plates filled with food.
"Oh, Minori." Sagiso eyed the man worriedly, taking ahold of a few glasses of water and setting them around the table. She stopped to observe the pseudologist, staring at him closely. "You should rest more."
"No, I'm fine." Minori smiled awkwardly back at the woman who frowned, but said nothing and continued to set the table. He thanked the women silently before standing up, helping them out. He took a few bowls of miso soup and began to set them down, unaware that someone had walked into the room as he placed the last one to the left corner.
"Only you guys?"
Minori looked back to find Amyto who was smiling awkwardly at their way. She wanted to throw a goofy expression, but she didn't bother as she instead took a seat down next to Fuwari. A sigh escaped her lips as she eyed the food laid before her eyes. "Woah, looks delicious," she said, throwing a look at Kaniza and Sagiso who acknowledged her words in return.
The pseudologist watched her eyeballing up her food silently. "Did Seiga wake you up?" He asked, speaking politely.
Amyto nodded. "Yeah. He literally banged on the door for a good three minutes. Apparently after I got out Sheina's deciding to help him. Aah, I feel bad for the people who're still asleep. The wrath of Sheina and Seiga... Eep."
Minori had to admit, he would feel immense pity for the people who would have to face the duo's insane wrath. He was honestly glad he had woken up early. Honestly, he was glad. The pseudologist sighed to himself before hearing the door open. He looked back to find Kakuma and Saori, both walking into the room within feet of one another. Obviously, they did not plan to meet each other of their own accord. It was obvious they just both met each other on the way, coincidentally.
"Hm? I thought I was late." Saori quickly moved to her seat, greeting the others with a small hum.
"Same." Kakuma scoffed and took a seat in the corner. Despite having entered into the room, it was still plainly overt that he wouldn't be speaking politely anytime soon. The wedding planner did not have any plans to play 'get along' with the other Ultimates.
Amyto sighed, nodding as she looked at the body broker. An awkward smile was still plastered onto her face. "How are you? Are you fine now?"
Saori frowned before slowly nodding to herself. It was as if she was taking a mental note of herself, noting everything that was fine and everything that wasn't. "I should be fine at the moment," she said, straightforward despite her look of disapproval. "I'm still a bit unstable, but I should be able to handle myself well."
Minori listened to the body broker silently. Obviously, she was not fine at all. "Saori," he began, crossing his arms. He was speaking politely and quietly. It was as if he was trying to act as sweetly as he could. "Please don't push yourself. We are all here to mourn. We're all feeling the same things as you."
Saori's eyes widened, but she quickly regained her composure and nodded. "I have to say the same for you." She eyed the pseudologist who let out a tired sigh. "Do not worry about death so much. Their bodies are nothing more than vessals. Their souls are resting peacefully, Minori."
"I... I see." Minori was stunned. He didn't expect for the body broker to speak so bluntly about death. He knew she was trying to comfort him in the slightest, but honestly her almost cold words came off a bit too bluntly for him. Still, he appreciated the gesture. "I understand."
Saori nodded before eyeing the miso soup from her seat. She seemed almost too interested in the broth, eyeing the soup almost lustfully. Minori could only assume she was a huge fan of soup.
Another few minutes passed before a few more Ultimates walked into the room. More specifically, the people who moved inside were Ryoichi, Rin, and Sheina. Ryoichi obviously still seemed distressed from what happened previously, eyes refusing to meet anyone's. Rin seemed the same as yesterday and headed to her seat, having greeted the others with a small bow as Sheina crossed her arms. "Hmph!" She began as she strided her way towards her seat. "Some subjects are so stubborn."
Amyto frowned, raising an eyebrow to the egyptologist. "Huh? Aren't you helping Seiga out?"
The woman turned to her. "Asking me such a question! Of course I was helping him out, however he told me he would be fine getting the rest of the remaining subjects." Sheina looked towards Sagiso and Kaniza. "Did you two cook the food? It smells delicious. May the Gods bless you both."
Sagiso awkwardly smiled towards Sheina's way. "Of course." The psychogeographer then turned to meet the jeweler's gaze, lips pursing into a frown. "Rin, you still seem a bit tired. You need to rest more."
Rin yawned, stretching her arms before shaking her head. "I mean, I just woke up, so..." She sighed. "I think I'll be fine. Thank you though."
The psychogeographer shook her head before looking at Ryoichi. The man was sitting close to Minori's sight. "Ryoichi," she began, crossing her arms. "You also need to rest more."
"I understand," he said, still refusing to meet her gaze. He refused to meet anyone's gaze. "I'm not too tired though, I can promise you that at least. Um, but... Is Mr. Setsushi going to be present here too?"
The room was instantly silent. Everyone was eyeing one another, begging for the other to answer. Even Minori wasn't sure if he should answer, instead eyeing Ryoichi who seemed to understand what that silence meant.
The investigator sighed to himself. "Seriously? I-I mean, he did play a role in killing Mr. Yoshikawa, but he meant no harm to us, right? He wanted to protect us, no matter how stupid killing someone was..."
"I mean..." Kaniza didn't know what to say. She honestly couldn't say anything. "I guess... Well, let's see if Seiga calls him over."
"Mr. Kosoku should." Ryoichi finally moved his head up, eyeing the group. A determined stare was on his eyes. "I cannot believe that Mr. Setsushi is that bad of a person. It's all Monokuma's fault. He's definitely the one..." He then averted his gaze, biting into his lips. "He might even be the one who..."
Minori clenched into his fists. Ryoichi was right. Kamui wasn't at all truly a bad person. He believed in that too, yet he doubted him. He was stupid. "I think we should give Kamui another chance," the pseudologist said, finally deciding on a concrete answer. He chose to believe in Kamui, fully. He will not hesitate any longer. "He doesn't deserve to be shunned by us."
"But he still killed Ko, no matter what we say..." Amyto bit into her lips, shaking her head. "I, I mean, I just don't know anymore. I just can't trust him anymore. I don't know, but I just... I just can't trust him."
Saori frowned as she crossed her arms. "We need to see it for ourselves. Whether he is trustful or not."
That conversation led to a weird awkwardness in the room. People refused to speak anymore except for the occassional politeness. Sagiso was nagging some of the Ultimates on their expressions as some others were eyeballing their food. Kaniza mentioned Haruko's chocolates for a small moment, however didn't speak anymore in fear of ruining any sort of tranquility in the room. They would mourn, of course, but later.
Minutes passed until the door opened, Seiga moving inside with a tired expression. He had walked inside with two people over his shoulders- Fumio and Nezumi. The stunt double had been carrying them throughout the way, the man now seemingly exhausted as Nezumi eyed the room out of fear. Fumio, on the other hand, seemed quite too tired to even respond with his notepad. Instead, his eyes were simply red and watery.
Seiga didn't bother to eye the others' expressions, instead he himself speaking. "Wait, Kamui's not here? What the fuck?"
"I thought he was with you..." Fuwari then eyed Nezumi and Fumio who were nonetheless fearful of their situation. She frowned. "Seiga? Why, might I ask, are you carrying those two?"
Seiga tilted his head before looking to his shoulders. An awkward laugh escaped his lips. "Hahaha, well, these two were the most reluctant to meet up. I had to carry them all the way here, especially Fumio here." The stunt double then placed the scholar down, the man wiping his tears off before walking slowly to his seat. Seiga eyed him strangely. "Yikes. Poor guy had been crying the entire time. He couldn't even write properly in his notepad."
Minori looked at Fumio who was now silent, still red from tears. The pseudologist honestly wanted to cry for the man. It was obvious that Fumio was afraid. It was obvious that Fumio considered him and the rest a threat now. All because of that damn Monokuma...
Seiga then looked to Nezumi who was murmuring to himself, almost hyperventilating at this point. The stunt double's eyes widened as he noticed that he was crying into his shoulder, Seiga quickly setting Nezumi down gently to a nearby seat. "Nezumi, dude, it's fine. You'll be fine."
Nezumi was sobbing, continuing to wipe his eyes with his arms. He couldn't even register the fact that Kaniza made her way to his side, throwing a comforting arm around his shoulder. "I-I just want to stay in my room though..." He then quickly scanned the room, eyes now widened. His voice fell into a fearful cry. "A-and where's K-K-Kamui? H-he's not here!"
"Kamui?" Seiga frowned. "Oh, right. Guys, where is he?"
Kakuma scoffed. "We don't know. We thought you were bringing him over."
The stunt double shook his head. "Nope. He wasn't in his room, so I thought he was already with you guys. You guys didn't see him? Seriously?"
"Maybe he's checking the new floor upstairs?" Kaniza suggested, pondering to herself. She did not know anything, at all. "I mean, there is a new floor upstairs, and I'm sure he's curious about it."
Minori's eyes widened. "W-wait, are we seriously going to just leave him be then?"
"I mean, he should be fine, right?" Amyto awkwardly smiled towards the pseudologist. "I-I think he'll be fine without us."
The pseudologist shook his head. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He quickly stood up from his seat, almost desperate to speak his mind out. He needed to speak because, yes, he knew others would stand up for him in return. "I think we should look for him. He's still a friend, right?"
Nezumi shook his head, tightly clutching onto his cloak. "B-but what if he's planning to kill us again? I-I don't want that to h-happen to me..."
Minori bit into his lips. "Nezumi..." He shook his head. No, he couldn't allow the thief to demoralize him. No matter what, Minori had to stand up for Kamui. "Well, I'll go look for him. You can start eating. I'll be back."
Ryoichi's eyes widened as Minori began to make his way out. "M-Mr. Watanabe!"
Minori couldn't care less if people were calling for him. He couldn't care less if someone would follow him. He didn't care. All he could care about was finding the mortician. He first began to look in the dormitories, first knocking onto Kamui's door. Of course, nothing. Minori quickly began to look around the first floor. He looked into the library and the laundry room- no, there was nobody in sight. Minori quickly made his way down the hallways, looking through each room. He even made his way into the tunnel from the lab room- yes, nothing. He quickly moved back up and walked into the classrooms, then the auditorium and the infirmary and everything else... Everything else until he reached into the lottery room.
There, there, he saw Kamui. The man was staring blankly at the monochrome door. He was staring at the door, blank. He was empty.
Minori slowly made his way towards the mortician. He didn't know how to start or where to start, instead speaking in a docile voice. "Kamui."
Kamui said nothing. He didn't bother to acknowledge the pseudologist's presence. He was blank. He was empty. He never moved. He had continued to stare blankly at the monochrome door, blankly with dull eyes. The music playing inside the room did not matter at all. It didn't matter at all.
Minori bit into his lips. "Kamui, aren't you going to join us for breakfast?"
Alas, nothing. Kamui didn't respond.
The pseudologist felt his heart racing. He knew better than to ignore the man now. He clenched into his fists and took a step forward, forcing himself to raise his voice. "Kamui, you'll be fine. They'll understand that you did it to protect us." Minori's blood began to pump. "Ko and Asami are living peacefully in heaven now. I'm sure they don't blame you."
Kamui was silent. He was silent for a moment before turning around slowly. He was looking at Minori, dark circles under his eyes. "Why are you lying to me?" He began, speaking in a monotone voice. His voice was indifferent. His eyes were not shining at all.
Minori was taken aback. He almost felt like choking on his words at that point. "I... I don't know, alright?" His tone began to increase in pain. He averted his gaze. "We don't know what happens to people after they die. We will never know, but despite that, I think people have to continue on with life. Kamui, I know you value life and death more than all of us combined, but... You need to come to the conclusion that you yourself are not at fault here."
Kamui bit into his lips. "Even if I had a hand in killing Ko? Even if I was the one who helped Asami kill him?"
The pseudologist shook his head. "Even despite all that, you... I believe you still have to continue on with life. We're all still living, after all. I have to move on in life, and so do you and everyone else."
"I'm sure they will not forgive me though," the mortician said, crossing his arms. "Look, I know well enough that you're the only person who looked for me. It's written over your face."
Minori averted his gaze, a sudden surge of guilt overwhelming him. "Kamui..." He shook his head. "Please. You don't know if you don't try. I'm sure everyone will change their minds. It takes time."
"Honestly, I just don't know anymore. To try to do all of this... it sounds like a waste of time." Kamui averted his gaze, holding his head. "I hate myself so much for committing such an act, yet... I'm still alive. I wonder why I'm alive. It honestly should've been me who died. Not Asami."
The pseudologist shook his head. His heart was racing. He didn't know why, but his head began to ache. His entire body began to feel hot. "Don't say that!" Minori found himself yelling at the man, hands clenched tightly into fists. "Why're you disregarding your own life? Don't just say shit like that!"
Kamui's eyes widened. He had been stunned into silence, now unable to speak.
Minori took a deep breath, his eyes beginning to water. "Just try. We're all not in a stable state of mind right now! We don't know what will happen today or in the near future! We won't know unless we try! You have to help us. You have to help us trust you. You have to help us do this. Please. At least mourn Ko and Asami's deaths with us, Kamui."
Kamui stared at the man for a moment, silent. He slowly averted his eyes, biting into his lips before slowly turning to eye the monochrome door. He then looked back at Minori and nodded. "I understand. Let's go then."
Minori's eyes widened. "Kamui..."
The mortician looked at the Ultimate with a small smile, though it was obviously forced. "I'll try."
The pseudologist watched silently as the mortician began to leave. Minori couldn't help but sigh to himself, shaking his head before following Kamui out of the room. The duo had walked back into the dining room in silence, Minori unable to say anything without sounding forced. He watched Kamui as he entered into the room, instantly gaining the gazes from the rest. Everyone was staring, staring in silence and awe.
Minori bit into his lips as he watched Kamui walking inside slowly. The first person to speak was Kaniza, her forcing an awkward smile as she eyed the mortician. "I'm glad you're here," she said, almost sounding too nervous at that point. "You didn't eat yet, right?"
Kamui did not speak, allowing for the rest to speak instead. He took a seat to the corner, far away from the group. He even isolated himself from Kakuma, the wedding planner at the other side of the room.
"Here." Sagiso walked over to the mortician, handing him the glass of water and meal. He nodded his head out of courtesy as she walked back to her seat, sighing. She looked at Kamui who began to eat silently, the psychogeographer looking towards the pseudologist who sat besides her. She moved into his ear and began to speak, whispering. "I'm thinking that he should be the one who give the duo a prayer, but... I don't want to force him."
Minori eyed the psychogeographer, awkwardly scratching his head as he grabbed ahold of his chopsticks. "I'm not sure either," he said, plopping a piece of broccoli into his mouth. "It depends on what he wants."
Sagiso frowned. "Should we ask him now?"
The Ultimate shook his head. "No, I don't think that's wise. Let's ask him after we eat." The pseudologist eyed Sagiso who hesitated, but nodded anyways and began to eat herself. He sighed inwardly and began to munch on his food, the dining hall silent. It was tense, awkward, forced. Some people forced themselves to speak while others were simply silent. Minori could still hear a few sniffles in the room. Damn, this is depressing. Minori sipped into his miso soup before taking a glimpse at the mortician, eating to his lonesome. Kamui... Shit, what should I do about this?
"Sooo..." Seiga began, speaking loudly. He was exaggerating with his words, forcing a wide smile at the group. "What's new?"
Kaniza laughed awkwardly at the stunt double's words. "I don't think anything's new. We've been together for a few days, after all. I would've thought we would know what the other's doing at all times."
Fuwari nodded her head. "Hm, however, we could easily lock ourselves in our room and plot our day from there. We are not 'completely' within each other's proximity."
"We are in the Son of Osiris' though!" Sheina laughed as loudly as possible, haughty and arrogant as always. She placed her hand to her mouth and was laughing, smirking widely. "Hohoho!"
"I do not think that you are in my presence when I took a shower though." Ryoichi threw a humorous look at the egyptologist, albeit a bit sarcastic at that.
The woman was instantly offended. "Of course not, lowly subject!"
At least some people are trying though. I'm glad. Before the pseudologist could speak however, Kakuma let out a disgusted scowl and slammed his fists onto the table. "I do not understand why you guys feel like doing this," he began, glaring at the group. "It's already obvious that trusting one another is not wise, especially in this sort of circumstance. We're just here to mourn, right? Why are you guys still forcing this sense of unity? All we're doing here is to mourn, that's it. I don't understand why you guys have to act so united with one another."
Minori bit into his lips. "Kakuma, now's not the time for that."
Kakuma scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Why? I'm only here to help mourn over Ko and Asami's deaths, not here to make do with the concept of 'friendship is magic'." He then looked at the mortician who was silent, Kakuma biting hard into his lips. "What I don't understand at all is why he's here."
Minori's eyes widened, heat suddenly reaching into his head. "Kakuma!"
"There are a lot of us who are against being near his presence, right? Why are you guys forcing this sense of unity?" Kakuma crossed his arms. "Remember, Kamui is an accomplice. He is an indirect killer of not only Ko, but Asami as well."
The pseudologist could not handle it anymore, hands slamming to the table. He didn't know why he was so enraged, but he suddenly found himself glaring at the wedding planner. "Kakuma, excuse me, but you are going too far!"
Kakuma smirked Minori's way, then shaking his head and sighing. "I'm just trying to warn you guys that putting your blind trust in someone will always lead to disaster. Why trust a killer if you know he might do it again?"
"He..." Amyto didn't know what to do, hanging her head low. "I mean, he has a point..."
Nezumi was worried, nervous to death. "I-I don't want to see anyone else die either..." His eyes then widened and he quickly threw his hands up, positioning himself in a defensive stance. "B-but, I-I don't hate you or anything, K-Kamui!"
Seiga frowned and scratched his head. He thought for a moment, thinking to himself before cracking his fists. "Uh, well, I think it's understandable," he began, stretching. "But, like, dude, I think Kamui's not that bad of a guy. He's here to help us mourn, right? I think he deserves a second chance, and since I'm the hero, everyone should agree!"
"I honestly have to agree with Mr. Kosoku." Ryoichi was disgruntled, shaking his head. "Why are we isolating Mr. Setsushi? He did this to protect us! Ms. Karihime didn't want to kill Mr. Yoshikawa, and Mr. Setsushi didn't either! He and Ms. Karihime are not bad people!"
Saori sighed, shaking her head. She was looking at the group, irritated. "I believe we aren't here to argue. We're here to eat and mourn over the souls of the dead, correct?" She then looked at the tomatoes in her salad and frowned.
"Right..." Minori forfeited, cheeks blushing out of embarrassment. He moved back into his seat and slowly began to eat, the tension in the room now higher than before. He eyed Kakuma who was now silent as well, then looking at Kamui who did not look back at the group. The pseudologist shook his head inwardly. Shit, I feel so bad for him.
"Oh, right. Seiga." Kaniza caught the stunt double's attention just a few minutes after the tense silence. She smiled a bit, although it was obviously forced. "Do you want to tell the others about the party?"
"Huh? Oh, right." Seiga cleared his throat loudly, catching the others' attention within an instant. "Ahem! So, like, I got this really cool idea that'll help us be more joyful and all that. I mean, well, it's gonna be after the mourning, but I believe this will truly benefit us!"
"What?" Rin's eyes widened. "Are you actually planning to throw a party?"
Seiga nodded, smiling widely at the jeweler. "Yeah! Since a new floor opened up and after checking what that bastard Monokuma has in store up there, I think we'd be able to throw an awesome 'let's try to be happy and cheer each other up' party upstairs! I mean, it'd be a lot of planning, but with me, the hero, by you guys' side, I think it'll be possible." He then eyed Kamui for a moment. "Dude, I mean, I think we definitely need it."
Amyto slowly observed the group before throwing a small goofy smile. "Yeah, I could see that. Sounds like a good idea."
"How are we going to set up this party without Monokuma ruining it?" Fuwari asked, crossing her arms. "I believe he will try to ruin the party either during or before the party, after all. He may be plotting something this very moment as well."
"Let's not think about shit like that for a moment, 'kay?" Seiga sighed. "Anyways, yeah, we definitely need some planning to do. We need some chefs, some party clothes, an event planner, and some awesome stunts being pulled! Of course, I, Seiga, will definitely be your action guy."
Fuwari raised a brow. "You are planning to participate in a stunt?"
"Well, it'd be cool for you guys to see what shit I can pull off!" Seiga laughed. "Well, whatcha think? You think we should do it?"
The hypnotist hesitated for a moment and plopped a piece of cabbage into her mouth. "Mm, I mean, I think it's good. Right?"
"I'm fine with it." Ryoichi nodded. "I'm quite excited."
"I could help set it up," Kaniza said, smiling at the stunt double. "I can cook the food as well."
Nezumi eyed the group worriedly, but didn't even speak his denial and instead nodded quickly. "I-I guess i-it's fine... I-I might just stay in my room though."
"Everyone should definitely join the party though!" Seiga crossed his arms, widely smiling at Nezumi who flinched in response. He chuckled. "Alright, I'm planning to throw the party in the game room. Is that fine with everyone? I mean, we could always just go to the swimming pool and swim too if we feel like it."
"Sounds perfect." Amyto seemed content.
The group had decided on it. Minori couldn't help but smile. Although a few people were wary or unwilling to help, most were willing to bring that idea into reality. Seiga was talking happily with the group, and although that alone was a step forward, Minori couldn't help but notice Kamui. The man had refused to move or even speak ever since he entered into the dining hall. Minori bit into his lips. He didn't know what to say to drag the man into the topic. He didn't know, and he could only watch from a distance as he continued to eat with the others.
They were eating. They were drinking and eating while speaking. Although it was still awkward and forced, they were trying. They were trying their best to mediate the tension. They talked and talked, discussing the plans for the party and then speaking about each other's roles. Seiga had dragged Nezumi into helping him perform a stunt, the thief wanting to scream out of fear. Kaniza, Sagiso, Amyto, and Sheina would help with preparing the food. The rest would be working on setting the party, decorating the room and planning the events. Although the roles and plans sounded rushed and clunky, it was a start. It would be a start.
Still, it was also, also as if the group was trying to prolong their time eating. It was obvious that they were still tensed. Still afraid.
They were prolonging their time at the table simply to continue, to force that sense of unity and happiness. They continued to speak while eating slowly, dying to prolong the happiness that would disappear. It was obvious. They were still afraid. They were still afraid of reaching the time of mourning. They were afraid of reaching out to their emotions- their emotions of sadness and depression. They had continued to speak in order to mask that sadness.
Almost an hour had passed since then. The conversations had died down, yet no one bothered to speak as of yet. No one. Nobody until Saori who stood up from her seat, eyeing the group. "I finished my food."
"H-huh? Oh, yeah..." Amyto looked down at her food. She had finished her food. Her plate was completely clean. "Same."
"Are we going to start now?" Kakuma asked, frowning. He had his arms crossed. His expression was quite that of irritation and annoyance. "Let's not beat around the bush, okay?"
"You're such an asshole," Seiga sighed underneath his lips, then looking at Fuwari. "Are we ready?"
"Yes." Fuwari pushed the bowl of chocolate to the middle of the table, the chocolate pieces in an extravgent glass bowl, angels having been carved around. She then grabbed a few candles which she had set aside to her seat, taking them out and gesturing for Fumio to close the lights. Once the lights were closed she began to light up the candles, placing them around the bowl. "Now, someone must do a prayer."
Minori eyed Kamui. Everyone else seemed to look at the mortician, hesitant. "Kamui," the pseudologist said, quietly calling the mortician over. Kamui eyed him, almost stunned that the pseudologist would speak to him. "Please."
Kamui averted his gaze. He hesitated, a pained expression written over his face. He slowly stood up from his seat and eyed the group, doubtful and unsure of himself. "Are you truly fine with me doing it?" He asked, eyes shining in sadness.
"Of course we're fine with it," Kaniza answered, smiling at the man, albeit somewhat sadly. "Well, I mean, I wouldn't know what to say anyways. You also look like you have a lot to say."
"If you need help, then just ask." Saori eyed the mortician, crossing her arms. "I'll help."
Kamui bit into his lips, but slowly began to walk towards the group. He stood in the middle, staring straight at the bowl of chocolates. He eyed the candles. A sweet aroma filled the room. An aroma of dandelions and poppy. He cupped his hands together and took a deep breath. His heart was beating, pounding. Sweat was trickling from his head, trickling down to his chin. Everyone was waiting, waiting for him to speak.
"We..." He breathed. "We are here on behalf of allowing ourselves to wander off. We are here to bring Ko and Asami to rest, to give them a proper send-off despite the hardships the headmaster has given us. Asami and Ko are two dear friends to us, to all. Their bodies may be dead, however their souls will be brought into the afterlife in peace."
Minori felt his heartbeat. His eyes were closed.
"Those two were the most inspiring of this entire group. They were the ones to lift our spirits no matter what would happen. They would always cheer us on and fight against the dread of despair. They were truly the lights of this group. They were all of our lights. They were the people who held us down, grounding us."
Kamui began to breathe, shallow. His voice was shaking. "It is a tragedy that those two are dead. They were the ones who brought light to us when we were in our worst, however unfortunately their lights have been burnt out. We can do nothing but to give them a proper burial and send-off, also reflecting on how much they have impacted our lives. They were and will always be our dear friends, and may we wish them a beautiful farewell from Earth, and a welcome in the afterlife."
"Asami... Ko..." Amyto was wiping her tears, sniffling and choking.
Seiga bit into his lips, hard. A pained look was shown across his face. "Damn, this is depressing."
"Let's hope their souls are at peace now," the body broker said, nodding her head knowingly.
Ryoichi agreed with a nod, his eyes watering. He was rubbing his eyes however, using his arms. "I-I hope they'll be fine there..."
Rin was cupping her hands together, silent. She seemed to be praying silently, eyes closed. Some of the others were the same, some simply silent and eyeing the bowl in grief while others were mumbling to themselves. Some were even on the verge of tears, others already crying and shaking their heads.
A few minutes had passed. A few minutes had passed since then and few have left the room, Kamui having left after his eyes became watery. The lights were now opened and some were eating their piece of chocolate, others refusing to eat in order to salvage their memories. Minori himself was staring at his chocolate bunny. Honestly, he could not stand to eat it. Not only was it perfectly crafted, but he knew it had been created out of love and care. To even think about the chocolate bunny made him remember the group's first breakfast meeting together. Everyone, mostly everyone, was certainly united by then.
Ko... Asami... I will make sure your lives won't be at stake! Minori clutched the chocolate bunny with care, having put the chocolate into a small bag. He would most likely eat it later, most likely hours into the day when he wasn't feeling too sensitive at the point. We won't falter now. I'm sure... I'm sure we'll be able to rebel against Monokuma. Somehow... I just know we won't fall for murder again! You guys can be sure of that.
Minori took a deep breath as he watched the others beginning to move, some inside of the kitchen to wash the dishes while others were conversing. Most had left by then, and Minori found himself eyeing Seiga and Ryoichi.
Seiga was the first to notice Minori, a smile on his lips as he gestured him over. "Yo, dude. Are you alright? Even the hero, I, almost wanted to cry there."
Minori chuckled. "I should be fine." He then thought for a moment, wondering what to do now. His thoughts then wandered to the floor upstairs, his curiosity now piqued. "Excuse me, but have you seen the second floor yet?"
The stunt double shook his head, laughing and placing a hand on Ryoichi's shoulder. "Naw. I was gonna check it out with Ryo here. I just checked the map on the MonoPad, and that's how I knew what was up there. Pretty sure a lot of other guys are checking it out too. I mean, Fuwari told me that and so did Amy, so I'm guessing most of them went out to check the floor."
Ryoichi smiled at the stunt double, but then frowned and crossed his arms. "Unfortunately, I believe Mr. Fujiyoshi and Mr. Jirokichi went back to their rooms." He sighed. "I can't blame them though. We should give them time, right?"
"Yes." Minori nodded. "Some people do take a while to recover, after all." His mind then circled to Amyto. "Oh, may I ask if Amyto's fine? She seemed to take their deaths the worst out of all of us, so I'm worried about her."
"I understand what you mean. Poor girl's been a mess ever since Ko's death. Didn't fucking help when Monokuma pulled that sort of shit." Seiga frowned, displeased. "She said she was heading out with Fuwari, so she should be fine."
"I honestly believe a lot of us are now wary of each other." The investigator's face saddened. "I mean, we're now telling each other what we're doing and we're now hanging out in pairs, at least most of us. Even Ms. Yakamuro seemed stressed out. You also saw how people treated Mr. Setsushi, right? It's horrible."
"Yeah, it's horrible." Minori shook his head. Honestly, it was demoralizing to even think about. Still, he knew best than to pry. "Do you guys mind if I join you? I have been thinking about checking the second floor as well."
"Of course you could join!" Seiga chuckled, throwing Minori a wink. "A hero can never say no to a kind supporter!"
Minori couldn't help but smile at the man's words, nodding his head as he decided to follow him and Ryoichi out of the dining hall. The walk to the stairway wasn't too far, the stairway being a few feet away. The moment the trio met the stairway they noticed how beautiful the stairway was. The stairway was a beautifully polished redwood color with a velvet rug coating the center, the group eyeing up to find how high the ceiling was. There was even a small silver chandelier atop, hanging quite comfortable from the middle. The way up was quite extravagent, though not long, to say the least.
"I wonder how Monokuma was able to remove the metal that blocked the stairway," Ryoichi said, murmuring to himself in awe.
The trio walked up the stairs, a few seconds passing before they reached the top. There, they saw a beautifully spacious hallway, the redwood ground being covered well with a velvet-forest green plaid patterened rug. The walls were a dark green hue, glass lanterns being built to the walls just a few feet away from each other. It was a beautiful floor, honestly, almost royal at that point. The men were left stunned for a while, taking in the scenery before Seiga noticed a huge, tall redwood doorway close by to the left.
"I think that's the gym," the stunt double said, walking over to the door. He could see the silver plate at the center titled such. He smiled. "Let's go in!"
Minori and Ryoichi eyed one another before nodding, following Seiga who widely opened the door. The duo followed suit before noticing how spacious and wide the gym was. They could see the basketball hoops hanging from the top of the ceiling, the ground below a light, polished wooden color. They could see the white linings of the court as well, then looking to the left and right to find the seats where the audience would stand. Strangely, the seats inside of the gym were akin to massanger seats, a cup holder to each side and a small remote to the side, the buttons most likely either going to roll the leg stools high or allowing the chairs to vibrate.
Well... this school is called the "Reigning Academy of Ultimates"... I guess it shouldn't be too surprising for whoever built this to make the school so extravagent. Still, it was surprising. To see the gym built in such a way was surprising. Never would he have imagined the court to be so beautifully spacious and clean. Never would he have imagined the audience to be able to relax while watching a high school match. He even saw the storage room to the right foremost corner, but even then did he spot how beautifully crafted the door looked.
"Hey, Minori, look!"
Minori turned back to find Seiga and Ryoichi eyeing a control pad from the corner. He frowned, walking over to their side. The duo were eyeing it with interest. "Is that the device that brings down the hoops?"
"I guess? But, like, dude, there's so many buttons here." Seiga was eyeing the buttons in awe. He looked at the green button to the red button, then to the flicker and etc. "I wonder what each one does."
Ryoichi frowned. "Mr. Kosoku, I don't think it's safe to-"
Boop!
The ground beneath them began to rumble. A slight rumble, but nonetheless Minori and Ryoichi couldn't help but panic. "M-Mr. Kosoku!" The investigator's eyes were widened, face paling. "I told you to be more cautious!"
"Hey, I didn't press the red one." Seiga threw his hands up in mock surrender. A sarcastic grin was on his face and he turned back to eye the gym. His eyes widened. "But, guys, look at the court! It's changing."
And, to their shock, Seiga was right. The court was changing. The wooden court began to split in half, moving into the side and disappearing from view. As the ground rumbled, another court began to move up. Slowly, but meticulously. It was not a basketball court at all. Instead, the trio could only watch in shock as the court which was moving up, slowly and slowly, was a humongous ice skating ring. An ice skating ring with beautiful metal bars to hold onto, the ice being perfectly crafted and at equilibrium.
"W-what?" Minori's mouth stood agape. He whipped his head back to Seiga who smiled. "Do you think that those buttons..."
Ryoichi nodded, walking slowly to the ice ring. He bent down to touch the ground, feeling the coldness of the ice. Yes, it was real. It was a real ice skating ring. "I think so. Those buttons change this entire gym to whatever sport is being played."
Minori frowned. "But aren't some sports played outdoors? I mean, for instance, there's rugby."
Seiga shrugged. "Guess we have to find out for ourselves, right?" He eyed the duo who stood back, the stunt double then pressing another button.
Boop!
Again, the ground began to rumble. The ice skating rink began to disappear from view, first splitting into two before disappering to the sides similarily to how the basketball court did. Again, another court began to move up, slowly, slowly from the ground. A boxing ring was being shown, suddenly the ceiling beginning to rumble as well. Slowly, the ceiling opened up to a huge dual-screened television. The television was being lowered down, down to the center of the ring, hanging high for the audience to see. It was perfect. A perfect arena for a boxing match.
"This is insane." Seiga whistled, pleased by what he was seeing. "There's like so many more buttons in the control panel, so it'd be hard to go through all of them... But wow. Shit, this is amazing."
Ryoichi nodded. "Honestly, it is."
"I doubt the court will change to anything water-related," Minori said, thinking to himself. The duo eyed him as he began to explain himself. "There is a swimming pool on this floor, so I am doubtful they would hold a swimming pool inside here as well."
"True." The investigator sighed, eyeing the boxing ring. "I'm just wondering how many different kinds of courts are available."
Seiga scratched his head, eyeing the panel. "It'd be hard to go through them all, but let's see..."
And that was what the trio spent the next hour doing- going through each and every single button or mechanic available. They started from the colored buttons, from yellow to blue to orange... Everything. They continued to observe each court and awe at the sight of each one. There was an ice hockey one to a volleyball court. They also noticed the differences between indoor tennis to paddle tennis, then checking the pickleball one to the ping pong one as well. There was also a bandminton one, unsurprisingly, but the gym also surprisingly had futsal and a wrestling ring as well. There was even one which held nothing- nothing but a comfortable space for people to dance in.
It was then did the trio checked the switches and uncolored buttons did they completely lose their sense of comprehension. From one click from the switch, the lights began to disappear. There was now a disco from the center, moving and flashing lights to and fro. The disco then changed to colorful beams, then to regular lights which centered to the ring. They even noticed that the chairs would change as well. The massanger chairs would disappear to the ground, now regular wooden chairs to be seen. There were all sorts of chairs as well- from simple benches to club chairs to longue chairs to even (to their complete surprise) personal jacuzzis, the trio was left stunned as they finally changed the gym back to normal.
"I think I've been shocked enough for today," Ryoichi sighed, sighing out of complete exhaustion. "This place is crazy, even more so than aliens... Somehow."
"Well, guess this would be a great place for us to throw games in," the stunt double said, laughing. He was slapping Ryoichi on the back. "We should tell the others about this. Maybe we should change the location here for the party."
"I suppose that's a fine idea to consider as well." Minori nodded, smiling at the thought.
Seiga chuckled. "Yeah, I'll probably ask Sagiso about what she thinks later."
Minori agreed in silence. He decided to check the storage room next, going to the corner and opening the extravagent door. Of course, to his expectations, there were all sorts of sporty goods inside of the room. Surprisingly, it was quite dirty inside, though the pseudologist supposed it was because of the lack of use. He even had to switch the light on to realize that the only light inside of the room was a lightbulb. Minori could spot a few bandminton rackets and birdies, then looking to the left to find gym mats spread across the floor. He also found a basket of balls inside to the right corner, basketballs, tennis balls, and more to be shown. It was a simple storage room, nothing too surprising.
"You good there?" Seiga asked, peeking from Minori's shoulder.
The pseudologist nodded as Seiga backed off, the man closing the door. "I think we searched everything here. We should move."
"Yup."
Seiga gestured the investigator to head out, Ryoichi doing such as he opened the door for the duo. Since the gym was the only room to the left, the group were forced to move to the right. They were walking down before they noticed another door, that door being the cafe. The group eyed one another before opening the door, heading inside to suddenly found themselves engulfed in the tasteful aroma of fresh coffee beans.
"Holy shit I could go for some coffee right now," Seiga said, smelling the air to the best of his abilities. He quickly made his way over to the counter, easily jumping over the table to eye the machinery. He could see the coffee grinder to the left side of the center sink, then eyeing the different arrays of liquids then eyeing the syrups. The stunt double also found a coffee machine to the left corner, just hidden from the metal utensils.
"How fancy," Minori mumbled to himself, first eyeing the counter where the stunt double was then looking around the room. He found that besides the counter was a different array of pastries. He spotted a few crepes and brownies, then eyeing the croissants and cake pops. They seemed to have been freshly made, the chocolate croissant Minori was eyeballing steaming. Delicious. Everything, everything was pastry and dessert. This place would definitely suit Ko's needs...
Minori inwardly sighed before looking, instead, at the scenery. The cafe had, as expected, a relaxing and peaceful atmosphere. Tranquility at its best. The tables which surrounded the cafe was were round and dark, almost a dark chocolate color to that extent. The chairs were quite suiting to the needs of peace and relaxation, being comfortable cream-white longue chairs. There were two chairs at each table, each table having a small vase with a beautiful rose flower at the center. The walls were a relaxing light yellow, the ceiling white. The lights which brightened the room was a beautiful chandelier at the top.
Why is everything in this floor so royal-like so far? Minori wondered to himself, but shook his head as he noticed Seiga whipping up some coffee. The pseudologist eyed the man questionably, the stunt doble having brewed three small cups of mocha. The pseudologist sighed as he took the drink, sipping into it slowly in comparison to Ryoichi who was not at all burnt by the hotness of the drink.
"I'm glad it's not too bitter," the investigator said, smiling happily at Seiga. "I don't have a tough stomach, honestly."
The man grinned widely, throwing a thumbs-up while dropping his own drink in the process. However, he quickly snatched it without warning, his reflexes dangerously quick. "Well, I just thought mocha's the one everyone likes," he said, speaking as if nothing had happened.
"Everything in this floor is unlike below..." Minori said, speaking his thoughts as he sipped into his drink. "It's as if we're living in a completely different area."
Ryoichi shrugged, frowning. "I suppose Monokuma is trying to make us comfortable here." He then noticed what they were doing at the moment. "Um, I think it's working too."
Minori and Seiga's eyes widened and they quickly spilled their coffee to the sink. Ryoichi couldn't help but chuckle nervously as the group frowned. The pseudologist cupped his chin. Trying to make us comfortable here, huh? ... Why? He could force us to kill and participate in a class trial without trying to make us happy in this place. Minori bit into his lips, his heart beating. He had a horrible hunch that something, something much more bigger was being kept secret. "Should we go?"
"Um, yeah."
The group headed outside, now moving downwards further into the hallway. It didn't take long for them to find their next destination, a door being shown in the naked eye. The silver plate had read 'Game Room'.
Ryoichi opened the door. "This is place where you want to host the party, right Mr. Kosoku?"
Seiga nodded. "Yeah, from the picture the MonoPad showed me earlier, I think this place's good."
Minori walked into the room, deciding to look inside. He noticed how spacious the room was, then eyeing the red colored walls. Red, the color of passion and fire. Definitely befitting that of a game room. Minori then took notice of the arcade booths at the sides, finding all sorts of goodies lying in wait. From the left side of the room were various old games such as the original Street Fighter, Pac-Man, and even a racing game and pinball machine. He noticed the two different chairs for the racing game, then noticing a steering wheel in the front of each chair. A highly competetive game, for sure.
Minori then eyed the right side of the room, finding a shelf full of different video games. He spotted Super Mario Bros, then Call of Duty, etc. There were all sorts of games for different sorts of systems, Minori spotting each different system tucked away in small shelves which held a gigantic television atop. There were bean bags chairs led at the television station, then various other bean bag chairs scattered around the room. The lights which brightly lit the room were atop of the ceiling. There was also a white door at the end, Ryoichi having entered inside, to which Minori and Seiga followed suit.
A spacious, empty room. There were wide folding tables spread across the room, a few having been folded and sitting at the corner. The room was, in comparison, a dark ocean blue. It was a room which fit something akin to a reservation room. There were dining chairs around the tables as well, then a television screen shown in the middle of the room. From the bottom of the screen was a cabinet, Ryoichi opening it to reveal all sorts of movies inside. The pseudologist nodded. Minori definitely understood why Seiga would want to hold the party inside.
"This place should work," Ryoichi said, observing the room with a knowing nod. "I think we'd be able to fit everyone inside, given how spacious and wide the room is. We're also right besides the games, so it'd be easy for us to play around as well."
"Right?" Seiga widely grinned. He stood tall, almost enjoying the praise the investigator was giving. "I think this would work."
Minori smiled as well. He agreed wholeheartedly to the duo's words. "We should be able to set the party here easily too."
"Yeah, see? I'm awesome!" Seiga threw his hands to his hips, laughing.
Minori rolled his eyes playfully. "Yeah, I believe so."
The group nodded to themselves before leaving, moving out of the game room. They headed towards the next room, which, surprisingly, had a glass door instead of a wooden one. Curious, Minori walked towards the door, eyeing it. His eyes widened. There were all sorts of plants inside.
"Is... is this a greenhouse?"
Ryoichi opened the door as they walked inside. The air was strangely humid, and strangely enough they could see butterflies and all sorts of insects scattering the place, hiding in bushes and trees (which hung low because of the ceiling), then hiding underneath roses and herbs. "Wow, it really is a greenhouse..."
Seiga's eyes widened, mouth hanging agape. "I just realized we've haven't been outside in, like, forever."
The investigator nodded rapidly. "I know right?"
The group were standing atop of a wooden bridge, just looking down to find a beautiful pond surrounding most of the place. The pond was beautiful, clean with water lilies and khoi fish swimming around. A beautiful Japanese garden, Minori noticed that as they walked through the bridge, they found themselves now walking down towards a small pathway. The sides of the pathway held bushes, flowers, and the such around the place. Grass was to be seen, the trio stepping atop of it as they toured the area. There were bonsai trees around, near benches where the trio could sit on. They headed down until they reached the utmost end, finding themselves eyeing a collection of small plants and a garden. A garden with tomatoes, carrots, etc. Plants which would bloom into either fruit trees or flowers. Certainly, it was certainly a gardener's dream.
"I wonder how Monokuma even managed this place," Ryoichi said, curious as he eyed each potted plant. "To think he'd even manage to keep a garden here, let alone an entire greenhouse alive and beautiful..."
"Maybe he actually cares about things?" Seiga then deadpanned. "Actually, scratch that. Doubt he'd care about anything other than killing."
Ryoichi frowned. "But this greenhouse is amazing... I can't believe anyone other than Monokuma would tend to it. We are the only people trapped here other than Monokuma, after all."
Minori cupped his chin, thinking for a moment before looking at the man. "I wonder why Monokuma even trapped us inside this school. He could've easily thrown us far away from society, and I doubt a school would be 'far' from public eye. I'm also wondering if he even considered that people would be searching for us."
"Honestly, Mr. Watanabe, I've been wondering that ever since Monokuma told us we were trapped here." Ryoichi bit into his lips, staring at the garden. "He could've kidnapped us all and throw us into a ship and sail us off. He could've done anything, but yet he trapped us in a place which is always seen and watched by the public." The investigator crossed his arms. "Maybe Monokuma threatened the public somehow?"
"I would think that help is already coming our way." Seiga sighed, scratching his head. "But let's not worry about it too much. We'll just end up freaking out if we continue to talk about this shit."
Minori understood where the stunt double was coming from, and nodded. The group eventually decided to head back out, deciding best to not speak about such topics again. Seiga opened the door, Ryoichi and Minori thanking him as they headed outside. Seiga closed the door carefully and turned to the group. "Well, we should be done soon!" He said, smiling widely. "I think we have one left to search."
"Hope so," Ryoichi said, sighing underneath his breath. "I feel like it's been hours since we started!"
Minori nodded. "I think so as well."
The group headed down, walking to the next door which was not at all glass, but now wooden like the rest. The silver plate was titled 'Swimming Pool'. The group opened the door and headed inside. As expected, they were met with beautiful pristine water, laid inside in a swimming pool. On one side was the short pool, the feet at which the water stood at being about four feet. It wasn't quite as big as the main pool, which was in comparison eight feet to ten, but nonetheless it was quite big. Minori could even spot a jaccuzi to the right side, being warmed up strangely. It was awaiting for its next victim.
Around the swimming pool were pastel-colored beach chairs, laid to the sides. Strangely, there were umbrellas covering the top of each chair, though Minori supposed it was to intensify the feeling of summer. He didn't mind, after all, noticing there was a control to the side that controlled the temperature of the room. There were three functions of the buttons- chilly, lukewarm, and humid.
Other than that, Minori spotted the changing rooms at the end of the room. The male changing room being located with a picture of the typical blue male body, the right side being the female with the pink girl. The doors were white and the doorknob was golden. Minori could also spot a security camera near the top of both rooms, the pseudologist concluding it was to secure the chances of a woman entering into the male's room and vice versa as little as possible.
... Not like I'd go in the girl's room. Minori made his way to the male's changing room, opening the door and heading inside. Unsurprisingly (though it may be a surprise), the changing room was normal. It was akin to any male changing room. Akin to any sort of changing room. There were benches at the middle with lockers at the sides, then a small hallway leading down to a bunch of small shower rooms, white curtains to cover whoever would use them. It was a normal changing room. Nothing too special aside from the bonsai plant to the left side from the door.
Minori headed back out and eyed the duo. "There's nothing too special here," he said, crossing his arms.
Ryoichi nodded. "I see. This is the last room on this floor, right?"
"Yup!" The stunt double grinned. "Good job guys, we did it!"
The pseudologist laughed awkwardly as Seiga began to high-five them, chuckling in the process. Well, Seiga was correct. They had investigated the second floor as well and effectively as they could. It was a job well done.
Seiga smiled widely and threw his hands to his hips. "So, since we're already here, let's go for a swim!"
"Huh?" Minori's eyes widened. "Now?"
"Well, it'd be a good way for us to relax, right?" Seiga's eyes brightened. "C'mon man, I think it'd be fun. I think it'll help cheer you guys up a lot more too."
Minori and Ryoichi eyed one another, then looking back at the stunt double. He seemed desperate for an answer, and so the duo sighed. What harm would it do? The duo began to change out of their outfits, Seiga having somehow finished changing from the shower room and wearing the school's black trunks, his clothes in his arms. He threw the clothes into a nearby locker as Ryoichi and Minori finished changing as well, the duo eyeing his toned body. Seiga seemed oblivious to their almost envious looks, tilting his head with an awkward smile.
Minori had to admit, he was embarrassed. Although changing into gym clothes was common at school, he was never the type to boast about his body. In fact, he was a bit more sensitive about his body. He knew that he was much more feminine than other boys, and so he felt a bit intimidated by them. Even despite wearing a white-and-ocean-blue boardshort, he was still quite bashful. He couldn't help but eye his own body, almost wondering how slender his build was. Even Ryoichi was more toned than him, wearing dark green trunks. Ryoichi is rather dashing, after all. However, Ryoichi and Seiga did not speak much on it, and so Minori was able to move out to the swimming pool fairly easily.
Well, fairly easily, that is, until the girl's changing room opened.
"H-huh?"
Minori's eyes widened, cheeks blushing a dark red as he noticed that there were a few women who had gotten out of their changing room. Amyto, Sagiso, and Sheina. They had gotten out of their room, in their swimsuits. Amyto was wearing, strangely, a dark red bikini. And, because of how curvy she was, the bikini almost made her stand out more. Sheina and Sagiso were wearing one-piece swimsuits, Sagiso's being a dark blue with Sheina's being a maroon color.
"Oh." Amyto eyed Minori for a moment, her lips then curving into a mischievous smile as she made her way over to him. "Hey there, Minnie. You look nice in that."
Minori's heart was beating. "U-um, you too?"
Sheina held her head high as she observed Minori and the others. "Hmph! The Gods haven't told me that you subjects would be taking a swim."
Ryoichi tilted his head. Honestly, he seemed stunned at what the women were wearing. "Uh, yeah."
Sagiso did not seem to care much about her quite dashing look, instead heading over to Minori and eyeing him closely. She was, of course, right in his personal space. "Are you sure you're not too tired?" She asked, feeling the man's cheeks. She frowned. "You look tired."
"I-I'm fine." Minori felt himself choking, eyeing the psychogeographer who sighed and release him from her grip. He inwardly sighed to himself and eyed the women. "I didn't know you three were inside."
"Us as well." Amyto chuckled, smiling a goofy smile. "We didn't know you guys were gonna swim. You should've told us you guys were gonna host a swimming pool party too."
"It was Mr. Kosoku's idea," the investigator answered, looking over to Seiga who had already jumped in the pool. He sighed and eyed the women. "Are we of a bother to you three?"
The hypnotist shook her head, laughing. "Nah, the more people, the better. Besides!" She suddenly stopped, eyeing Ryoichi for a moment. She then looked at Seiga and Minori before whistling, teasing the men. "I think I'll have fun eyeing you guys out."
Ryoichi wanted to speak, but instead was prompted to say something else. "Why does this school allow bikinis?" He said, asking himself quietly as he eyed Amyto. He then sighed and made his way over to Seiga, jumping straight into the pool.
"Hm..." Minori didn't know what to do. He watched as the women began to jump into the pool as well, smiles on their faces. He watched them for a small moment, seeing them smiling and having fun. Sheina and Ryoichi were prompted into splashing water at one another, Seiga and Amyto deciding to join in while Sagiso flustered over their safety.
Oh whatever. Minori ran over to the pool, throwing himself into the water. He swam around comfortably as he watched the quartet beginning to splash each other more and more violently, staying behind with Sagiso as they worried over when they would stop. Seiga and Amyto seemed much more excited, the stunt double beginning to act out some strange superhero movie as Amyto began to taunt the men.
"These four are such children," Sagiso groaned, wanting to sink to the bottom of the water.
"You're certainly right," the pseudologist said, unable to hold back a playful chuckle as he eyed the woman. "However, they're having fun, so I think it's fine."
Sagiso smiled back at the man. "Of course."
And so, hours had passed. The group were having fun, either fighting playfully or by relaxing on the side. It was a way to spend time- to spend time by forgetting about the real world for a few hours. Certainly, it was fun.
If only time could stop and allow us to all have fun, together. Without worries and hardships. To have Ko and Asami besides us... and for us all to spend time, laughing and smiling.
I wish time could just allow us to be our teenage selves. I wish we didn't have to worry about anything. No Monokuma, no killing game...nothing.
Minori wished and wished, but he knew better than to hope that his wish would become reality. Still, he wanted to have fun. He needed to have fun, and so he continued to swim around the pool with the others, racing against them and throwing each other down, wrestling. Time was wasted quickly and quickly until they suddenly were stopped by the nighttime announcement.
"Ahem! It is now officially nighttime! And, because I haven't stated so, I will allow the people hanging in the pool to continue without punishment! However, for further notice, the swimming pool will always be officially closed at nighttime! This rule will be added in your MonoPads as well! Ahem, that is all! Have a great night, you bastards!"
Of course, it was Monokuma who ruined it.
Everything, everyone, the world would be ruined by Monokuma.
And here's the end! Thank you for all the kind words you've left so far since these chapters! They really mean a lot to me! I'm hoping this chapter would have a lot of different feels being grinded out from you all! From happiness to sadness (mainly sadness though, not gonna lie), I'm hoping this chapter have touched you guys' hearts!
Unsurprisingly, it seems the focus now rides on Kamui. What will become of him, I wonder? Well, the next few chapters will be focused on what Chapter 2's all about. Of course, expect a lot of drama, development, FTEs (of course!), the motive, and most importantly... the murder. This chapter is mainly the official introduction to chapter two as we do gain mostly information about the new floor available and what is to come, so let's hope expectations will be reached on what's to come!
Anyways, thanks again for all your support, and see you all soon!