Ahem, I am here with another chapter! I hope I didn't keep you all waiting! I don't have much to say this time except to have fun reading~

liammarklh88: "Aww, thank you! You're too kind~ Aha, I see Watari and Tomoyo are our ship here. Then again, there are no other ships so far, or so I think so, hm. Yes, I'm glad I'm portraying Kyatchi to your liking! We should things as meta as possible, so let's say the big twist is that we're the masterminds XD Yes, their friendship will be precious for sure. I was sure the wish motive would've been commonly used, but I guess not. Score one for me! Aw, thanks!"

ToonGuy: "Glad you're happy to see my stories up, haha. Monokuma's a weird little bear, that's for sure. Surprisingly you are in the minority. I was sure more people wouldn't ship those two, haha. Pfft, rude opinions XD Oh no, don't give the trio of friends death flags! Mwahahaha~ What is even a suitable punishment for Kyatchi? He doesn't care about anything, pfft. Watari's a smug little teenager. I see people like Shinji and Keishi's little relationship. I love wishes, so I will wish upon a star. Aw, thank you so much!"

Meta King: "The pinnacle of life, definitely. Pfft, smug Watari is smug Watari. Oh my gosh, poor Yume then XD Ooh, a trilogy, interesting. Pfft, yes, everyone will kill and die soon~"

TheRoseShadow21: "I'm surprised that a wish is a new motive. I thought for sure someone else would've thought of that XD Yes, yes, of course! I will advertise you and Lupus as much as I could."

Abitat Eco: "Aw, thanks! Glad you enjoyed this update! Oof, yes, Kyatchi, don't hurt the poor animals. They haven't done anything to you D: Viorel does have a potty mouth, and that's why we love him. Tomoyo seems to have a lot of death flags, and those death flags are because of her screentime, haha. Yes, Watari, don't flick foreheads! Yes, don't you love the friendships here~? Aww, thanks! I'm just happy you enjoy my stories!"

Lupus Overkill: "Oof, another long review, as always XD Anyways, I'll go review this as briefly and best as I could. Don't worry, you'll have more of these dream sequences, so of course you'll come to your own theories and solutions. Kyatchi is the type to not care about what others think, haha. Watari and Tomoyo's relationship is the highlight of this chapter, other than the motive and of course the murder. Haha, glad you like Tomoyo's little group of friends. Watari's a jerk, punch him for flicking foreheads. I see Kyatchi is an enigma here. Yes, one must wonder about the motive in one way or another. Keep wondering~ Haha, of course, of course."

"In the end, people prioritize themselves more than they prioritize others. That's why crimes are committed."

A smirk arose from the monochrome bear.

"No, no, it isn't just killing. Thievery, counterfeiting money, coup d'etats, kidnapping… These crimes have been committed simply because of how selfish people are."

The bear sipped quietly into his beer, a refreshment used merely to satisfy himself and to relax the mood of the atmosphere.

"Yeah, I know, dear. Humanity's naturally selfish. In a non-religious context, the human species relied on their survival instinct. They have to be selfish to keep them alive. In a religious context you can argue that God created us to be imperfect. We have to prove ourselves worthy to be in Heaven or not."

The robotic bear was amused as the clock ticked time by. It wasn't anything but relaxing and otherwise peaceful, befitting of the atmosphere.

"Murders are committed because of a motive. A motive that relates to a person, something that touches their hearts- their psyche. Any sort of crime are committed because of a motive, and that's selfish."

Monokuma's smile never faded from his face.

"A crime can be committed by anyone. Their motives just vary."

The bear slowly placed his can of beer down. Looking ahead from his seat, his mouth began to move.

Inaudible. Inaudible. Inaudible.

"... Clearly. We commit crimes everyday. They're not crimes that would normally land you in jail, but they are crimes to the naked eye. They aren't warmly welcomed in society."

Inaudible. Inaudible. Inaudible.

"... If that's what you're arguing, then-"

The screen suddenly went black.

"Good morning my favorite little Monokuma fans! Get up, it's time for another day at school! Wakey, wakey!"

Another strange dream, and another mental note in his head.

It would do Watari wonders to remember what his dreams were about, but at the same time he wasn't entirely sure. Dreams were merely interpretations and are still a mystery to this day, but they do seem to pique his interest. He would rather remember something trivial than to not remember it, and so he noted this anyways.

The first thing the detective checked first was, of course, the MonoPad.

He stretched himself for a moment, then grabbing hold of the device and turning it on. To his expectation, once the device turned on the man found himself eyeing a few notifications on screen.

The group chat was still active as ever. Watari was quite curious to see when everyone would stop messaging each other in the chat.

[Chatroom: (Group Chatroom)

(More on top…)

Hitomu: The motive's quite… Well, how do I put it? It's strange. (12:39 AM)

Misaki: You're up this late? (12:41 AM)

Yume: Honestly, I think a lot of us would be. (12:43 AM)

Yume: Some of us are more lively during the night. (12:43 AM)

Akio: Er… And the fact that some people are worried over the motive, right? (12:44 AM)

Hitomu: I certainly am. This motive is falling short of its credibility, but seeing him heal Reiji, Kazue, and Saki in front of us… (12:45 AM)

Hitomu: I don't know. I'm wondering how Monokuma's actually able to do something like this. (12:45 AM)

Akio: That's a good point! (12:46 AM)

Akio: I would've said that Monokuma's lying about Saki and the others' states, but you and Shinji already confirmed they're fine. (12:47 AM)

Misaki: Oh! (12:48 AM)

Misaki: What if Monokuma was the one who made them sick? He could've made them sick just to pull that off. (12:49 AM)

Hitomu: Hm… Good point… (12:49 AM)

Hitomu: I'm not sure. This is just speculation regardless. (12:50 AM)

Yume: You shouldn't really trust Monokuma that much. (12:52 AM)

Hitomu: Yes, good point. (12:55 AM)

Hitomu: I'll sleep now! Goodnight! Thanks for your input! (12:55 AM)

Akio: No problem! (12:55 AM)

Misaki: Have a good night's sleep! (12:56 AM)

Watari: (Type here…)]

This time, it seemed like the conversation had happened during the time when Watari was asleep. He was quite surprised to see that a few people were awake around midnight, but (as Yume said), people were different.

Though… What Hitomu and the others talked about does scream paranormal.

However, Monokuma himself was a strange entity. Everything that had happened so far was far from reality. How they didn't remember anything, how the trial worked… It was too strange, too paranormal.

Nonetheless, Watari could think more on that topic later. For now, he focused solely on fixing himself up. He changed his set of clothes into a clean one, then brushing his hair and washing his face. He brushed his teeth as he normally would, not at all in a hurry or in a need to waste time. He was just doing what he always did.

A knock on the door.

Watari sighed. It was obvious who was at the door at this point, and he wasted no time to head over and unlock it. "Yes?"

As expected, Tomoyo was outside of the door. "Please hurry. Everyone's already eating."

"Do I need to hurry?" Watari smirked instantly, completely opening the door. He eyed the woman who looked a bit distressed, slight bags underneath her eyes. He frowned inwardly to himself, but outwardly his smirk continued to paint his lips. "Aw, are you that worried over dying?"

Tomoyo's eyes widened. She quickly rubbed her eyes in an attempt to hide her bags. "That's not it. I was…"

"You don't have to act tough around me." Watari chuckled, amused. "It's obvious that we as a species are naturally afraid of death and would do anything to stop it."

"What?" The screenwriter was shocked. Her face paled as she hastily waved her hands about. "If you're implying murder, then that's not what I'm worried about. I'm not going to murder anyone."

Watari frowned. "Humans would do anything to get what they desire. You truly don't know yourself until you're at your lowest."

"Watari, let's not speak about this." Tomoyo glared at the man, expression hardening. "We all have our own perspectives, so it's futile to argue about what we believe."

"Is that so?" The detective pointed down at Tomoyo's forehead. A grin escaped his lips as the woman grabbed ahold of his wrist. "Well, then I won't speak any further about this, Tomoyo."

The screenwriter immediately averted her gaze, releasing her grip on the detective.

Watari sighed, rubbing his wrist. He observed the woman for a moment, watching the woman who turned away from his gaze.

"Let's go. I'm sure the others are waiting."

You're too optimistic. It's disgusting.

Watari gritted his teeth, and he was able to hold his disgust for a few seconds as he followed Tomoyo down. His eyes met Hitomu who was at the cafeteria door as always, his cats running everyone. The two animals looked as though they had never been sick before. Quite uncanny.

"Hitomu." Tomoyo was eyeing the man worriedly. "Uh, you should eat. You didn't have to wait for us."

Watari could see bags under Hitomu's eyes. The poor cat keeper was slightly pale as well. "No, it's fine. Shinji told me the same thing, but I wanted to wait for you. Blanchard and Viorel aren't eating either."

"Just to wait for us?" Tomoyo awkwardly smiled. "Uh… They didn't have to."

"Anyways, please head inside." Hitomu chuckled, opening the door. "We cooked ramen today."

Watari headed inside with the duo, everyone else seated at the table. Some people have them welcoming smiles, such as Shinjimae and Misaki. Others didn't seem to care much, people like Kyatchi and Keishi continuing to eat their food.

The detective sighed as he took his seat, bloody red eyes staring down at his bowl. It was empty, and he couldn't help but metaphorically believe that it was akin to the atmosphere in the room presently. Everyone was tired and tensed, Monokuma clearly having had a role in their moods. They were unable to smile genuinely- their smiles were empty.

Well, he honestly didn't care that much. The charcoal-haired man grabbed the ladle and poured in his cup of ramen, keen on simply listening into what everyone were able to say.

For starters, Watari was able to recognize that most of the conversations held within the room were limited. Friends spoke to friends, and any that spoke to the outcasts were hesitant and in mumbles.

Once a motive had been given out, everyone left to their personal space. It was obvious that everyone feared 'that' from happening again. They feared 'that', yet they came together in a supposed 'group' in order to avoid the breaking of hope and morale.

Tragic. Pitiful. Truly something that Watari would mock.

"Yo."

Watari's eyes widened, feeling something cold press against his cheek. He looked over to find Kyatchi, the juggler holding an ice cube close to his face.

"What?" The detective asked. He felt the cold liquid grazing his cheek. "Do you need something?"

"Aw, I swore you would've at least gasped. Can't you entertain me at least once in your life?" Kyatchi snickered, tossing the ice cube to the side. He grabbed his spoon and sipped into the broth of his ramen, now ignoring Watari.

Hm… Kyatchi seems bored. That's probably obvious though considering the fact that he doesn't care about anything other than death.

Watari chuckled to himself. He wondered if Kyatchi will ever have his so-called wish granted.

The detective sighed, roaming back to eating his food. He listened silently to the many different conversations around him, noting the dynamics and the bonds.

Some people preferred to eat alone, unwilling to speak to anyone. Yume and Kyatchi are an example of this, the duo simply in the corner to sit still and eat diligently.

Tomoyo was busy speaking to Masako and Misaki. Their dynamic seemed to be as stable as ever, Misaki taking her sweet time to joke with the duo who laughed at her. Masako was making a few jokes of her own, and Tomoyo couldn't help but smile at both of them.

Surprisingly, Keishi and Shinjimae seemed to be closer than Watari expected them to. Shinjimae took pride in speaking to Keishi, the other man nervous as he spoke.

Hitomu, Akio, Decebel, and Ayako seemed to be partaking in conversation as well. Hitomu was more than willing to speak to everyone, though it looked like Akio was readily ignoring the two accomplices. Decebel didn't seem to mind though, and Ayako was mainly focused on her food regardless.

Interesting dynamics that Watari will definitely take note of.

"Hey, Watari!" Misaki called out to the man, waving at him with a wide smile. She caught his attention easily as she chuckled. "You wanna come with us?"

Watari was intrigued by the proposal. "Why? Do you need me in particular for something?"

The surgeon scratched her head. "Well, that's because… Tomoyo here wants you!"

Tomoyo's eyes widened, face suddenly blushing red as she jabbed at the woman. "M-Misaki!"

An obvious lie. Don't worry about that, Tomoyo.

Watari smirked at the scene, watching Masako who quickly calmed down the screenwriter. He could see the others staring at Tomoyo, and it was obviously flustering her.

It's obvious that you just want to try bribing information out of me. That's fine. Just say so.

The detective sighed. He was about to decline when suddenly-

"Not now at least. I already asked to meet up with him later."

Watari frowned, turning to eye Akio who spoke to the group. The raven didn't know what to say, unable to even move his lips as the actor continued lying through a 'genuine' smile.

"Sorry if I'm hogging him all for myself," the brunette said, awkwardly smiling at Misaki's group. "I just need to talk to him about something."

"Oh! Really?" Misaki turned to Watari. "Sorry. We didn't mean to bother you."

Watari inwardly frowned, but threw out an outwardly smile. "No, it's fine. I know you all love me~"

"Uhuh." Misaki rolled her eyes playfully. "Yes."

Watari chuckled in return, then slowly turning to eye Akio. The man was smiling at him, though it was obvious to the detective that his smile was superficial, fake.

… It doesn't hurt to see what he wants, I guess.

Watari sighed, now continuing to eat his food. He sipped into the broth after eating his noodles and tofu, finishing within half an hour. Most of the others seemed to have finished their own bowls, people slowly standing up and bringing their dishes to the sink. One by one, everyone was leaving.

The detective grabbed ahold of his own dishes, bringing them over to the sink. Hitomu and Decebel were inside of the kitchen, the cat keeper smiling sweetly as Watari handed him the dishes.

"You're going to talk to Blaise, right?" Hitomu suddenly asked, eyeing the detective. He had set the dishes aside, focus now entirely on Watari.

The detective eyed the man for a moment, then releasing a smirk. "Aw, what? Are you worried?"

"Yes, a little, to be honest." Hitomu awkwardly chuckled. "I'm just making sure you're not uncomfortable in any way. I don't want to see anyone doing something they don't like."

"Aw. You're so sweet." Watari averted his gaze, clearing his throat. "You're exactly like a father. Isn't that cute?"

The cat keeper laughed. "I have been called that before."

Watari mused, nodding his head. "I'm not surprised."

"Haha, I see." The man continued to laugh, however it slowly subsided as his expression suddenly turned wary. "I'm sure Blaise won't do anything, but he's still a bit unstable over what happened. Can you make sure he's alright?"

"Uhuh…" The detective frowned. "Sure. I'm only there to speak to him. That's all."

"I know that." Hitomu smiled awkwardly. "Thank you."

And that settled the conversation. Hitomu left to tend to the dishes alongside Decebel, leaving Watari to leave outside the kitchen and out of the cafeteria. He made his way outside, opening the door and looking around the area to find the actor.

"Aki~" The detective greeted, noticing the brunette who was leaning against the wall. He waved at the man with a playful smile. "It's nice to meet you."

Akio eyed him for a moment, then adjusting his position. "Can we talk in the library? I want to ask you something."

"The library?" Watari raised a brow. "Is it about your dear Wakana?"

"Don't mock me," the brunette growled, however he sighed and shook his head. "No, it's not. It's about something else."

Watari grinned. "Is it about how you'll kill me? What weapon I prefer to be killed with?"

"If I was going to kill, I wouldn't have made it obvious and confronted you." Akio crossed his arms. "Let's go to the library."

"Mhm."

Watari followed Akio down into the library, the duo silent on their way there. It didn't take long before the duo made it to their destination, Watari observing the area as Akio began rummaging through the shelves.

"So," the detective began, walking to the left of the room. He could see how dim the room was, shadows almost casting over Akio. "What did you want to speak to me about, Aki?"

Akio didn't meet Watari's eyes, completely fixated on the books he was looking through. "It's nothing concerning our situation right now. I just remembered something about you."

"Me?" Watari raised a brow. Akio's hands continued to move in between the shadow and light. "What have you learned about me?"

The actor stopped for a second, hands mid air. He thought for a moment before slowly meeting the raven's gaze. "I don't remember when, I think it was two years ago, but you were solving a case in Tokyo."

Watari crossed his arms, steadying his expression. "Sweetie, I solved plenty of cases in Tokyo, two years ago or not. May I know the specifics of which case you're speaking about?"

"It was around the time Ayako was releasing her annual clothing line." Akio slowly grabbed ahold of a book. The cover was white, the pages strangely black in color. He ran his fingers against the cover. "It's been all over the news- the murder of an Ultimate."

"Ah, that case." The detective smirked. "The case was abruptly closed and forced into silence. I was only able to get the information that I was able to before the executives forced me to drop it. My name was hidden from the media though, so why do you know that I handled it?"

"... The death of that Ultimate was close to one of my acquaintances." Akio turned to Watari, completely covered in shadows. "He complained about the case being shut down to me."

The detective slowly nodded his head. "Why are you bringing this up?"

"Isn't that obvious?" The brunette threw Watari a cold glare. "I want to know information about that case. It could be useful in our current situation right now."

"Hm." Watari grinned, taking a step forward. Amusement was covering his face. "Why? Do you trust me to tell you this information without fabricating it? What do I gain in this?"

Akio rolled his eyes. "The deaths and kidnappings of Ultimates are random, but not all of them. The thing is- there has never been a case where these cases have been fully solved. Ultimates rarely ever get saved… There must be some correlation between some cases here, so who fucking knows?"

The detective continued, taking another step forward. He was just inches away from stepping into darkness. "But you would trust someone who betrayed the group?"

Akio grabbed ahold of Watari's collar, suddenly looking down into his eyes. "It's not like there are other ways of getting information out of you."

"Aw, was that a threat?" Watari smirked, unmoving. "Who knows? Maybe Monokuma cares about my safety, so do you really think threatening and torturing me would work?"

"That's-!"

"Excuse us!"

Watari's eyes widened as he turned around, finding Tomoyo who was eyeing the duo worriedly. Behind her was Masako and Misaki, the duo unsure of what to do as Tomoyo threw Watari a look.

"What're you doing?" Tomoyo asked, worry all over her face. "This isn't the time to be petty."

Masako gulped, poking her head in the door. Her entire face was pale. "P-please stop fighting…"

Akio frowned, releasing Watari from his grip. He let out a small grunt as he quickly left the library, book in hand.

"B-Blaise!"

It was too late. Akio didn't bother to answer them, leaving the library without sparing time.

Watari was left inside of the library, bewildered as Tomoyo ran over to his side.

"I knew it." The screenwriter's eyebrows were furrowed. Her lips were pursed as she eyed the detective. "I knew he was going to hurt you."

"I-I can't believe he would do that," Masako murmured underneath her breath, cupping her hands. "D-does he really hate you that much to the extent of h-hurting you?"

Misaki shook her head, moving over in front of the detective. "You're not hurt anywhere, are you?"

Watari was silent for a moment. He eyed the women before averting his gaze. "Why do you care? I'm-"

"Who cares?" Misaki grabbed ahold of the detective's shoulders, keeping him steady. "You're so stubborn! Just tell us if you're fine or not. I mean, it's fine if we don't like you and if you don't like us, but to hurt and kill over it is just stupid."

"You shouldn't mess with Blaise either though." Tomoyo frowned, foot tapping at the floor. "I know you two don't get along, but… I mean, it's not right for him to hurt you. You shouldn't egg him on either."

"That's…" Watari found himself unable to counter the woman. "I suppose…"

Masako rubbed her hands together. "Y-you're fine, right?"

"Why are you three here anyways?" The detective asked, trying to steer the attention away from him. "Were you following me?"

"Oh!" Misaki grinned slyly. "Tomoyo was worried about you."

"T-That's…!" Tomoyo's face turned instantly red. "I just had a bad feeling, that's all."

Watari averted his gaze. "I see."

Why would you even care about me? I'm clearly hostile towards you.

"Well! Anyways!" Misaki smiled widely at Watari. "Stay away from Blaise, alright? We'll try to talk to him. I'm sure he doesn't mean any harm in what he does, he's just unstable at the moment."

"Y-yes, I believe so as well." Masako smiled shyly. "H-he had lost a dear friend, after all. N-not everyone can recover from that so easily."

"We'll talk to him, so don't worry about it." Misaki patted the man's back cheerfully. "As long as you or Blaise don't kill anyone over that stupid motive, then I'm fine."

Tomoyo frowned. "I doubt that you'll kill, in all honesty."

Watari bit into his lips. "Just because I work under Monokuma? If he tells me to kill, I'll kill."

"On the contrary." The screenwriter tapped her fingers to her hips. "That's too easy. He could've done that before, and that would've been too obvious."

Misaki tilted her head. "Huh. I really don't get what being Monokuma's helper means other than doing his dirty work."

"I don't think anyone of us do." Tomoyo pursed her lips. She glanced to the detective. "You never specify."

Watari frowned. "That's not the case."

"Aw, you're flustering him!" Misaki laughed, noticing the nervousness on Watari's face. "I didn't expect you to ever get embarrassed, Watari."

No, that's because I don't want you guys to know. Idiots.

The detective shook his head, eyeing the women. "Are you three done? I thought you guys were investigating right now."

"Ah, yup!" Misaki quickly backed away from the man, now turning to her friends. "Let's get going."

"A-alright." Masako turned to Watari. "G-goodbye for now."

Tomoyo nodded her head slowly. "I'll see you later then, Watari."

Watari was unable to wave the trio goodbye, instead watching them leave without even a struggle. He lets off a small sigh as he scratched his head, irritated.

That was quite the conversation. They must be trying to make me owe them one.

The detective then snickered to himself, amused.

It would make sense. If Akio wanted to learn from me, then it would make sense the others do as well. Their 'care' is nothing more than a lie.

Humans prioritize themselves over others anyways.

Watari suddenly calmed in his expression, silent. He observed the library for a moment- there was nothing special in sight. A sigh, and the man left the area.

I guess I should take a rest. They seemed to do wonders in tiring me.

The detective made a beeline towards his room, moving into the hallways and to the dormitories. He walked over towards his room before he suddenly bumped into something-

-no, someone.

Oh my- Again? Seriously?

Watari quickly rubbed his forehead, and, like expected, Yume was in front of his way. She was rubbing her face, eyeing him indifferently.

"Where are you going?" Watari asked, curious. He decided that he could try engaging in small talk with the woman- small, small talk. "Are you going to find a place to die?"

"I can say the same to you." Yume eyed him, indifferent in her expression. "I was going to go get a snack, that's all."

"Aw, isn't that nice." The detective snorted. "I assume you haven't done anything to contribute to everyone, huh?"

"... Not exactly, if I had to be honest." Yume slowly caressed her hands. Knowing that Watari would hold her still, she turned to meet his gaze, her long strands of black hair swaying to and fro. "Why do you want to talk to me though?"

"Because you're interesting~" Watari took the time to wink at the woman, but seeing her emotionless reaction, he sighed and crossed his arms. "What? Do you expect me to be honest about my intentions?"

Yume released a sigh. "No, and you expect the same from me."

"Aren't you smart," the detective said, sarcasm apparent in his tone. "Well, dear, let's try to get along, alright? I know I'm dying to learn more about you."

The nihilist raised a brow. "Is that so? Do you want to bother with me?"

"Why not?" Watari threw Yume a mocking smile. "I'm sure you're dying for some attention."

"Not really…" Yume pursed her lips. "But it's your choice. I don't care."

Should I hang out with Yume?

Yes, do it. / No, it's fine.

"Of course." The detective clapped his hands together. "Let's talk, here or wherever. I don't care where you want to talk."

Yume sighed. "And I the same."

"Ah, then here is fine." Watari grinned. "In the middle of the dormitories where everyone may be able to hear us- you really are lonely, aren't you?"

Yume was silent.

Watari: Don't worry. I'm not an interrogator or anything like that. I'm merely a human who works as a detective. It's nothing special.

Yume: I know that. I'm not worried in the slightest. Why would I be?

Watari: Aw, I was trying to be at least caring towards you! Oh well.

Watari: So, dear, may I have the honor of learning more about you?

Yume: … I don't care. Just ask me. You won't let me go until I answer you anyways.

Watari: Aw, of course!

Watari: Well, dearie, let's start this off at a simple, slow pace- what are your likings and hobbies?

Yume: …

Watari: Is something the matter?

Yume: I didn't expect that. I thought you would want to talk about our situation instead.

Watari: Of course not. We always talk about that with Hitomu and the others anyways~ This here is more about me knowing you as a person.

Yume: … How will this even help you?

Watari: Oh, don't fret about that. If you want an answer, call it apart of my wonderfully crafted investigation.

Yume: … Alright.

Watari: So, enough about me, let's talk about you. What do you like?

Yume: For starters, doing nothing.

Watari: You can't say that, sweetheart. You're always doing something. Whether breathing or blinking or staring at the wall- it's still something.

Yume: Okay, okay, fine… I guess I like to read nonfiction stories.

Watari: Ah, see, that's something. Any preference for your stories?

Yume: As long as it's dark, then it's fine. I tend to like darker fiction a lot.

Watari: Aw, that does fit you well. You do seem to be the type of person who's into the gothic style.

Yume: … I do like gothic architecture, yeah.

Watari: I'm right~ What else do you like? Oh, please do tell.

Yume: … Birds.

Watari: Really? I expected you to like the more darker type of animals- spiders, snakes, centipedes-

Yume: Centipedes? No, I don't like them.

Watari: Is that so? Aw, that's cute of you~

Yume: You're just teasing me.

Watari: What? Because you're still a human and can show emotion, even in the slightest?

Yume: E-excuse me. I'll take my leave.

Watari: Alright then~ I'll see you later.

Yume Hamasaki's Profile Card: 1/1

Note: Surprisingly or not, Yume does have a few hobbies and likings of her own. She said that she does enjoy reading nonfiction books and her likes pertain to birds and gothic architecture. She also made a note that she doesn't like centipedes.

Watari smirked, eyeing Yume who made her way out of his sight. He couldn't help but chuckle as he mentally took notes of their conversation, noting especially her facial expressions and body language.

Slight disdain. Slight happiness. Slight annoyance. Slight excitement.

Yume was a woman whom Watari knew he'd should keep an eye over.

Watari quickly headed over into his room, locking the door behind him. He grabbed ahold of his notes from the desk and began to write some additional notes.

He made a note about what Akio tried to talk about with him. He also made a small note that detailed on what happened before- Tomoyo, Misaki, and Masako having stopped their conversation. Watari wondered if Akio will try to confront him again.

Watari then took notes about Yume. He had already taken notes on the woman beforehand. Having wanted to investigate on everyone, he compiled different sets of paper into thirteen piles- no matter if the person had died or not.

The detective frowned. He glanced over to the left and grabbed ahold of his notes detailing about Kiyoko. He read them silently to himself.

Kiyoko was the Ultimate Recreation Worker, and was the one to kill Wakana. She died after being found guilty merely because of the idea that everyone were killers.

Everyone being killers were a certain possibility. Certain, but unlikely at the moment. There had to be proof about that theory, and in the end Kiyoko had acted upon mere impulse.

Stupid Kiyoko. I thought better of you…

Watari groaned, leaning back into his chair. He rested his head against the top of the chair and looked up, staring at nothing but the ceiling. The chandelier dangling was almost mocking him, shining and glittering to display its obnoxious extravagance.

… I don't exactly know everyone in this place as well as I know some other people here. I'm not sure if they even recognize me. It's unlikely they do considering I only came to their help as a 'simple detective' solving a case.

The detective closed his eyes. He felt darkness enclosing him inside a bubble.

The case Akio talked about is still something that bothers me. It's annoying that he was able to figure out that I was the one in charge of that case as a detective. I made sure to hide under the public eye though…

Watari softly bit into his lips.

I hate this. Everyone's corrupt. This is why the deaths of the many dozens of Ultimates have never gotten solved. The government doesn't issue any cautionary measures simply to blind the media from their incompetence. They force Ultimates to hold their titles through exposure and outright blackmail. They force cases to be shut down simply because of fear that the very concept of Ultimates will only cause our nation's world power status to fall.

Watari sighed, slowly opening his eyes. He brushed his locks of black hair as he looked back down at his notes.

If people are this hopeful about the world improving, then they're wrong. Nothing's ever going to change in the minds of the corrupted.

The man frowned, standing up from his seat and heading over to the bathroom. He decided to stretch, letting out a small yawn and rubbing his eyes. He washed his face, and that slightly made him feel refreshed again. He eyed himself on the mirror.

Slightly messy and painted in frowns and wrinkles.

Disgusting. Was he always like this?

A knock on the door. Knock. Knock. Knock.

Shit. What now?

Watari quickly grabbed ahold of a towel and dried his face. He didn't care if his bangs were now all over the place, simply bothered with the door to even care. He headed over and turned the knob.

"Yes?"

He sounded annoyed, but he couldn't care less. He knew whoever was in front of the door will react the same way- suspicious and scornful.

"Ah, s-sorry!" It was Shinjimae. He was pale, having noticed the annoyance on Watari's face. Saki was quickly on the road to comfort the animal whisperer, nuzzling against his leg. "A-am I bothering you r-right now?"

Watari's eyes widened. "Oh, it's you. What do you want?"

Shinjimae jumped at the sudden words. "O-oh! Well, I, uh, w-was wondering if you know anything about h-how this motive works."

"Why would you ask me?" The detective asked, perplexed. "It's very likely that I won't reveal to you anything that I know."

Because I don't know. Monokuma won't tell me anything simply because he wants me to 'try'... Whatever that means proving my loyalty to Monokuma or to surprise this mastermind or whatever…

"I-I know that." The animal whisperer awkwardly smiled. "Uh, I-I just wanted to try…"

"That was futile. You shouldn't even bother," Watari said, letting out a small sigh. "Poor you."

"Ah, alright…" Shinjimae was saddened, but immediately looked at the man and smiled. "U-uh, then t-to not make this trip futile…"

Watari raised a brow.

"D-do you want to hang out w-with me and Keishi?"

"What?" The detective was stunned. "Why even bring this up? If you want me to tell you something, then just say so."

"N-no, it's not that." Shinjimae awkwardly smiled. "M-Misaki told me about what h-happened between you and Blaise."

Watari frowned. "Don't listen to her. I'm not bothered by it at all, and you don't need to bother with the idea of 'comforting' me."

"N-no! I-I don't have a-any ill intentions, I-I assure you!" Shinjimae was waving his hands around rapidly, moving them about in place. "I-I just wanted to h-hang out with you. I-I just think you'll be l-lonely by yourself."

"I'm not." Watari deadpanned. "Does Keishi even want to be around me? Don't you think that he believes I'm the spawn of the devil or something? Monokuma's little sidekick?"

"O-of course not! K-Keishi's a really nice person!" Shinjimae blinked a couple of times, almost baffled by what the detective had said. "I-I know a lot of people d-don't like you, a-and I think we should get together!"

"I don't care if anyone likes me or wants to kill me," Watari said, blunt. "Being well-liked doesn't matter to me."

"B-but I'm sure you're lonely!" Shinjimae smiled sadly. His hands were brushing against Saki's fur. "I-I just don't like seeing you or a-anyone else alone…"

"... Shouldn't you say that to Yume or Kyatchi?"

"O-oh! M-Misaki told me that she wants to talk to them." Shinjimae's smile widened. "S-she's a bit weird, but s-she's very nice! H-Hitomu was keen on the idea o-of us hanging out w-with one another too!"

Watari frowned. "So, this was Hitomu's idea?"

"N-no! I-I brought it up!" The animal whisperer gulped. "I-I assure you that w-we just want to get along with you! P-promise!"

The detective was silent, simply observing the animal whisperer. Shinjimae was worried, sweating as he eyed him.

It could prove useful. Rather than being with Misaki and the others who wants me to help them investigate, Shinjimae and Keishi simply want to chat with me. Their motives may be the same, but it doesn't hurt to see what will happen as a base for my conclusion.

Sighing, Watari scratched his head with an answer, "I may go. What time and where?"

"R-really?!" Shinjimae's eyes widened. "O-oh, w-we'll meet after dinner at my room!"

"Your room?"

Hm… This may be worthwhile then.

Shinjimae smiled widely. "Mhm! I-I figured it's a g-good way for us to not be afraid of one another."

"I suppose so." Watari chuckled, now amused. "I may come. Thank you for the invitation, dear."

Shinjimae nodded rapidly. "O-of course! I-I'll see you at d-dinner then!"

Watari watched as Shinjimae left, walking with Saki away. The detective smirked as the duo left from his sight.

Alright. This may prove worthwhile. Wasting a few hours checking this out won't cost me much.

The detective chuckled at this, deciding he should go the cafeteria while time ticked by. He had nothing else to do but wait anyways, and he felt like he needed a mental rest at the moment. With that in mind, he made his way.

He opened the door, entering into the cafeteria silently. The moment he headed inside, however, he found himself in the presence of Tomoyo, the woman enjoying the luxury of the chocolate bar in her hands.

The raven was just about ready to take another bite from the chocolate goodness, lips curved happily in a silly smile, but her eyes betrayed her lust from the goodness and looked to Watari.

"O-oh!" Tomoyo quickly hid her smile, putting down her chocolate bar and coughing. "W-what're you doing here?"

Watari grinned. "What, am I not allowed to be here?" He then chuckled darkly, "Also, that was quite the cute scene with you and the chocolate bar. I assume you're a lover of sweets then, Moe."

Tomoyo eyed the detective, but shook her head. "I'm particularly fond of chocolate, though mainly dark chocolate. That's all. Not sweets in general."

"Aw, and here I was about to say that you're a lover of sweets because of how sweet you are." Watari playfully flocked to the woman, amused at her disgust. "Anyways, for an answer, I am only here to eat a snack and rest. Dinner will be coming soon anyways."

"True…" Tomoyo observed Watari cautiously, eyeing his every movement. "Decebel and Hitomu are inside the kitchen right now."

"That's nice to know." Watari rubbed his hands together. "Those two love working as our slaves. Isn't that sweet?"

Tomoyo frowned. "That's not funny."

"Was I laughing?" The detective raised a brow, then shaking his head before taking a seat next to the screenwriter. "How about we talk?"

"Talk?" Tomoyo clutched tightly into her chocolate bar, almost breaking it. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Oh, you know, how people always talk." The detective smugly smiled. "We talk about our hobbies and whatnot, sweetheart."

"Why though?" Tomoyo was more than suspicious. "I'm sure you'd rather have us talk about something else… Or you continuing to mess with me."

"Yes, and that's irritating you. I'm sorry." Watari chuckled. "I merely want to speak with you because you're always trying to talk to me. Why not I approach you instead?"

"That…" The woman held her breath. "That doesn't make sense."

"It is a two-for-one deal." Watari pointed his finger up. "I learn more about you, and you learn more about me. Isn't that a tantalizing deal? I know you want to learn more about me, especially because I'm a 'traitor'."

"Well…" Tomoyo cupped her chin, rubbing it. "I… I guess. We can talk then."

"Aw, see? Tantalizing." Watari snickered, then smirking at the woman. "Also, you should eat. Your chocolate bar's going to melt."

Tomoyo's eyes widened as she looked down at her lap, noticing the chocolate bar beginning to melt. It was slowly melting and trickling to her fingers. "R-right!"

Should I hang out with Tomoyo?

That was the plan. / No, let's not, actually.

Watari: So, Moe, what do you like?

Tomoyo: You're actually asking that?

Watari: What, did you not expect me to ask that?

Tomoyo: N-no, of course not. It's just… Fine. What I like, hm…

Tomoyo: Well, it's nothing particularly special. Other than chocolate, I like to be outside and watch movies.

Watari: Not surprising. You are a screenwriter, after all. You must've gone outside to watch the movies a lot with your friends, huh?

Tomoyo: That's… well…

Watari: Yes? Are you alright, sweetheart?

Tomoyo: I suppose so. Anyways, I particularly love thriller and mystery movies.

Watari: Ooh, interesting~ You should be a detective then. Maybe you can be my sidekick!

Tomoyo: No, I don't think I'm smart enough to pursue being an actual detective, but I appreciate the thought… heh…

Watari: Aw, are you turning red, Moe? Do you want me to compliment you more?

Tomoyo: N-no, I'm not! Please don't think of it that way.

Watari: Are you sure? You seem to like compliments being thrown at you.

Tomoyo: I… I do admit that I love compliments, however only if they are genuine and not forced. Especially compliments that are meant for the sake of teasing me, Watari.

Watari: Of course, I expected nothing less from you. I wouldn't want to hear anyone say that they like everything thrown at them. I hate spoiled people the most, after all.

Tomoyo: 'The most'? May I ask why?

Watari: It's nothing special. I just hate people who believe that everything will come their way as long as they beg for it. That's just not how our world works.

Watari: … Anyways, how are you faring in this current situation?

Tomoyo: Um, what exactly do you mean with that?

Watari: Your work, of course. I'm sure everyone outside are not only bothered with our disappearances, but with the workload now thrown upon them… Your coworkers, for example.

Tomoyo: Oh! Don't worry about that. I'm almost done with my next screenplay. All I need is to add the conclusion to it before I can submit it to my boss.

Watari: Ah, I see. Is it another drama type, dear?

Tomoyo: Oh, it is. Uh, you're interested in my works?

Watari: Akin to my being as a detective, dramatic sort of medium always attracts me. Naturally I would be attracted to your work then.

Tomoyo: I-I see! That's- uh, ahem, that's nice to know.

Watari: Don't worry dear, you're not the Ultimate Screenwriter for nothing. Your works befit your title as the Ultimate Screenwriter.

Tomoyo: So you like them… Thank you.

Watari: She's blushing. She really does seem to like being praised… well, at least, genuine and unforced types of praise.

Tomoyo Ikeda's Profile Card: 1/1

Note: Tomoyo's likings include being praised, eating chocolate, watching movies, and going outside. She seems to avoid the topic of her being outside, or so Watari can imply so far. Other than that, she does like being praised, however only if it is genuine and not forced.

"Oh, Master Tomoyo and Master Watari."

Watari and Tomoyo were forced to stop, looking to find the Ultimate Butler walking their way. The butler was holding a stack of plates, then setting them down and slowly putting them to their respective places. He finished within a minute before turning to the duo who were watching him.

"Why are you two here early?" Blanchard asked, eyeing them with a calm expression. "We're sorry if we made you two wait."

"No, no, it's fine!" Tomoyo awkwardly scratched her head. A hesitant, worried look was on her face. "Uh… You're done cooking with Hitomu, I assume?"

"That's correct." Blanchard nodded his head. "Master Hitomu and I cooked ribeye steak and baked parmesan zucchini. I hope you two won't mind that."

Viorel quickly took over the body. "Hey, idiot, Master Shinjimae-"

"Ah, right." Blanchard forcibly switched the eyepatch. "Do not worry about Master Shinjimae. Master Hitomu informed us of him being a pescatarian, so we cooked teriyaki salmon for him." He then eyed the duo. "Would you two want salmon instead?"

"No, not at all. We're fine." Tomoyo smiled sweetly. "Besides, we can't complain about food since you and Hitomu always cook for us. If I had a problem with your cooking I would've cooked for myself."

"Ah, that's true." Blanchard smiled in return. "I will help Master Hitomu out, so please wait here."

"Mhm!"

The Ultimate Butler walked back into the kitchen, leaving Tomoyo and Watari alone once again.

"Hm…" Watari turned to the woman, grinning. He leaned over to murmur, "You're still suspicious around him, aren't you."

Tomoyo's eyes widened. She turned to look back at the detective, then frowning. "Excuse me, but it can't be helped."

"I know, I know." The charcoal-haired man laughed. "Just wanted to point that out to you, in case you weren't aware of it yourself~"

Tomoyo sighed.

Minutes passed by, and soon everyone were present inside of the room. Hitomu and Blanchard had set up everything by the time everyone had arrived, so within seconds of the last person arriving had dinner started.

"I suppose no one has found anything yet," Hitomu began, minutes having passed by since everyone began eating. He was looking at the group, urging them to speak.

"I couldn't find anything." Misaki awkwardly smiled at the group. She stuffed a slice of zucchini into her mouth. "It's fine though! I'm sure no one will kill over a stupid motive anyways."

Akio eyed the surgeon for a moment, almost in a grimace, then speaking. "The motive is strange though. I have no idea how Monokuma pulled that off."

"Pfft, Monokuma obviously got replacements for the pets." Kyatchi grinned dryly at the actor, almost smugly. "Unless he's a 'genius' like I am with juggling, then it's impossible… just kidding, I'm not a genius. Disregard that."

"I think we all would've anyways," Ayako murmured underneath her breath. She sipped into her cup of water before turning to eye Hitomu and Shinjimae. "The pets there aren't replacements, right?"

"No, of course not." Hitomu laughed, bending down to pet Reiji and Kazue. "They're the same as always."

"M-mhm…" Shinjimae shyly agreed. "I-I would've been able to t-tell if Saki was Saki o-or not."

Keishi let out a small sigh. "I don't think Monokuma would want to be bothered getting replacements for the pets anyways."

"You think?" Viorel suddenly interjected, thinking about Keishi's words for a second. "I mean, I don't know, but Monokuma's crazy. I wouldn't say it's not impossible for him to do such a thing."

Masako smiled sheepishly as she grabbed a piece of her zucchini. "F-for now, I'm sure Saki and the cats are t-the real ones."

"Hopefully." Akio chuckled. "Anyways, if we haven't found anything, I think for now we have to just make sure that no one will kill."

"Yeah…" Yume pursed her lips. "But how?"

Watari grinned, rubbing his hands together. "Keeping tabs on one another 24/7 seems to be plausible, wouldn't you say? Restricting everyone of their freedom seems tantalizing."

"Watari, I'm sure that's not what Blaise wanted to say." Hitomu awkwardly smiled at the detective, then turning to Akio. "We could simply stay in groups throughout most of the day, correct?"

Akio's sour expression softened. "Yeah, I was thinking of something like that. Being in groups can help decrease someone's motivation to actually kill someone. It also gives people alibis and safety from any potential threat."

"I mean, I'm fine with anything," Kyatchi snorted, uncaring.

"I honestly don't care." Keishi sighed to himself. "As long as we don't kill, we should be fine."

"Yup!" Misaki chuckled. She threw her fists up to the sky. "I will kill someone if they kill someone!"

"That doesn't make sense," Yume deadpanned.

"Okay, then that's the plan." Hitomu quickly gulped down his food before speaking further. "We don't have to be around each other all the time, as long as we're with someone, then we should be fine. Hm, it might stall our investigation though…"

The actor shook his head. "We're all productive around the afternoon. I think we should be fine since I'm sure no one will try to kill someone when everyone's awake and productive."

"You think?" Hitomu raised a brow.

"As long as we're around each other, we should be fine." Akio shrugged. "I think that should work."

"Hm…" The cat keeper cupped his chin. After a moment of hesitation, he nodded his head. "Yes, I suppose that works. We'll do that then."

A plan having came into fruition, everyone finished their food. It didn't take long for everyone to finish, having set their dishes in the sink and leaving.

Shinjimae walked over to Watari once the detective finished setting his dishes down. Keishi was behind the man, Shinjimae taking the lead.

"A-are you going to come with us?"

Watari smirked at the animal whisperer, nodding his head. "Sure, let's go then. To your room."

Shinjimae smiled widely as he led Watari and Keishi down the hallways. They walked through the halls and into the dormitories, moving further until Shinjimae came to a stop. In front of him was his door, and he unlocked it, moving inside and gesturing the duo in.

The door closing behind them, Watari decided to take a look around the room.

The room was a friendly color of orange, vibrant and colorful. The walls were the color of orange, not too bright nor too dull. The ceiling was a pastel peach color, then a small chandelier hanging above. The bed in the middle of the room had yellow blankets which had paw prints and bone symbols embroidered in a pattern, then the pillows a fluffy white. To the sides of the room were the closet and cabinets, specifically on the right. The left side were where his desk was, flat with only a few dog treats kept in a bag.

Aw, how cute.

Watari snickered inwardly to himself. He headed over to take a seat, sitting down on the red beanie chair that was to the left corner from where the door stood.

"S-so, w-what do you want to talk about?" Shinjimae comfortably sat in his bed, Keishi moving over to sit at the side. The animal whisperer looked excited, happy to be around people as he petted Saki's head. "I-if only there was a television… W-we could've watched a movie!"

"Ah, what a shame." Keishi agreed with a small nod. "Maybe when we get out of here."

"M-maybe!" Shinjimae chuckled, then eyeing Watari. "S-so, how are you?"

Watari grinned. The man's attempt to make conversation was amusing, but nonetheless touching. He couldn't help but answer him in a singsong voice, "I'm fine, dearie~ How about you two?"

"O-oh, h-how kind of you to ask." Shinjimae smiled sweetly. "I-I'm fine."

"Same," Keishi responded. "Thank you for asking."

Watari chuckled. "You two aren't bothered by the motive? Everyone seems to be covered in sweat. They even have eye bags under their eyes."

"O-oh!" Shinjimae quickly rubbed his eyes. It was obvious the man had eye bags under his own eyes. "W-well… O-of course I'd be bothered, s-since I don't want a-another murder to happen…"

"I'm sure we won't have another murder." Keishi worriedly eyed the animal whisperer. "I hope not."

"T-the others hope not as well, s-so I doubt another would happen." Shinjimae forced himself to smile, finding Saki nuzzling against his leg.

Watari frowned. "Shinji, do you usually invite people to your room?"

"H-huh? Oh, i-it's been only you guys a-and Hitomu so far… Why?"

"That's quite worrying." The detective crossed his arms. "Aren't you afraid that one of us might kill you?"

"N-no, of course not…" The animal whisperer awkwardly laughed. Sweat was trickling down his forehead. "D-don't say that, p-please."

"Of course, of course." Watari playfully threw Shinjimae a smile, moving over to ruffle his hair. "I just like teasing you~"

"R-really now?" Shinjimae awkwardly laughed, then shaking his head. "Erm, o-other than me t-though, you should w-worry about yourself."

"Yeah." Keishi eyed Watari, expression stern. "You should worry about yourself more."

"Aw, you jealous or something?" Watari teasingly smirked at the survivor, causing Keishi to blush slightly. Having hit the nail on its head, the detective released his hand on Shinjimae. "Don't worry. I'm fine. I haven't died yet, see?"

"S-still…" Shinjimae clutched his hands together. "P-people might t-try to attack you b-because you keep aligning yourself w-with Monokuma."

"I'm surprised you aren't bothered by it."

"W-well… I can't lie and say I-I'm not completely unbothered by it…" The man averted his gaze. "I-I still think you're a good p-person though!"

"That's quite kind of you." Watari rested his head on his palms. "Are you sure you're not trying to keep my guard down and wait for the right opportunity to strike?"

"If he did that, I wouldn't be here," Keishi said, straightforward.

"Hm, you think?" The detective let out a sigh, shrugging his shoulders. "Maybe you can be his accomplice?"

Keishi shook his head. "No, the thought of murder isn't appealing to me…"

"Don't worry. I already know you two won't harm me anyways." Watari raised his hands up, mocking surrender. "I wouldn't be here if I knew you two would harm me, after all."

"O-of course!" Shinjimae nodded his head excitably. "W-we just want to b-be friends with you."

"I suppose so."

Friends, huh? That sounds impossible.

Watari decided to stay inside the room until Monokuma called the nighttime announcement, deciding to listen to Shinjimae and Keishi's conversations. He enjoyed teasing the duo, then able to conclude that the duo are very close to one another. If anything, it seemed like Keishi enjoyed being around the animal whisperer's presence, and vice versa. Shinjimae simply was overjoyed that he was around people.

What the trio talked about were not of any importance. Shinjimae mainly talked to the duo about his talent as an animal whisperer, showing Watari and Keishi on how he can communicate with Saki. Keishi was hesitant on talking about his talent, and so Shinjimae was fine with that. Watari didn't speak much about his work as a detective other than the obvious, and so the attention was mainly thrown onto the animal whisperer and his work.

Nonetheless, it was quite the pleasant experience for Watari. A very interesting experience where he learned more about Keishi and Shinjimae- their relationships, Shinjimae's talent, etc.

He also was able to learn that the rooms each Ultimate slept in were different. He implied that theory, but having only entered his own room before and inattentive to those he had been to, being in someone else's room and actually caring about the setup… He now knew that each room was unique to the Ultimates.

Which led the detective to this- the rooms have been intentionally crafted to fit the Ultimates' style and talent. This had been planned for a long time, and for Tsubaki's school (or Watari still supposed was her school) to change the dormitories differently…

The school must've been closed for a while, abandoned. It can take a long time for rooms to be changed. Each room could take hours, or even days. Well, that and especially for the mechanics Monokuma placed throughout the school- the trial room, for example. For him to change the gymnasium into a courtroom was no easy feat- that could've taken years.

This school must've been abandoned, and Watari was sure of that.

But if not, then what was the answer?

If so, then the answer was unclear.

And that was the next part to Chapter 2! Hopefully it was enjoyable of a read to you all! Anyways, I don't have much to say this time other than to check out Lupus Overkill's story Danganronpa: Back and Forth and TheRoseShadow21's And So It Begins! They're both SYOC stories, so please do submit to them if you have the time to!

Other than that, I am done! I'll see you all in the next chapter~