School Mode Ending

As the saying goes, all good (and not-so-good) things must come to an end, and the same went for my surprisingly peaceful days inside Talent High School.

A few weeks after we arrived, Monokuma summoned us to the gymnasium one last time.

"I've got an announcement for you bastards," Monokuma said. "These past few weeks, I've been watching your- or more specifically, Miura-san's- progress and I've been evaluating you. Based on what I've seen, you..."

After several seconds, Monokuma echoed "You..." again, and after several more seconds, he echoed "You..." yet again. The first time was nerve-wracking, but the second time was almost comedic. After several more seconds, he decided to give us his verdict.

"...pass!" Monokuma said.

We let out sighs of relief. All this time, we'd been trapped in this school, unable to leave and unsure of whether the situation would get any worse. Now that we were free to leave, it barely seemed real.

"You bastards were really nervous, huh?" Monokuma said. "What did you think I'd do, make you relive the same day again and again until you got it right, like a TV reporter in some town out in the sticks?"

While the days seemed fairly repetitive, I knew that time wasn't repeating itself. Over time, I'd gradually grown closer to my classmates- Kurogane-kun's animosity toward me lessened, relatively distant individuals like Mitamura-san and Mizuhara-kun opened up to me, and I ended up falling in love with Sae. Furthermore, the individuals with digital watches could tell that every time we woke up, it was a day later than when we'd gone to bed, even if for some reason, the date was two years off (Mitamura-san insisted that we not change it, in order to keep track of time and in case it actually was accurate).

"Please don't," Sakuragi-kun said. "I almost went insane being trapped in here. I can't wait to get back to my old school."

"I feel the same way, Sakuragi-kun," Akasaka-san said. "My parents and siblings must be worried sick."

Monokuma let out a "Puhuhuhu!" laugh.

"What is so funny?" Mitamura-san said.

"Nothing," Monokuma said. "I get the feeling that you lot are going to have a wonderful time when you get out of here. But don't let me keep you any longer. Catch, Miura-san!"

Monokuma tossed me the Master Control. Taking a quick glance at it, I saw that it had a variety of functions, including, as promised, the ability to open the front door.

"Happy trails, kids!" Monokuma said. "Until next time!"

Monokuma then vanished, leaving us with a plethora of unanswered questions. Why had we been trapped inside the school? What did he think was waiting for us outside the school? And would there ever be a "next time" for us or anyone else? He seemed unwilling to answer those, though, so there was no point in waiting around to ask him.

"So, Miura-san, it would seem we are now able to leave," Mitamura-san said, "once you open the door, that is."

I nodded, but then looked around the gymnasium, knowing that it would be the last time I'd ever be there. Ordinarily, this would be an occasion to celebrate, but I couldn't help but see it as bittersweet. All of us would be free to leave the school, go home and get our lives back on track, but would any of us ever see or hear from each other again? Maybe this was what Monokuma was hoping to do to us- to have us become friends with each other, and then have to say goodbye.

"I'm... not quite ready yet," I said. "Before we go, I'd like to talk with each of you one last time."

The others nodded, and fanned out around the gymnasium so I could speak with them alone. Maybe our paths would cross in the future, or maybe they wouldn't, but I still had a lot of things to talk about with my friends and classmates while I still could.

Shiro Kurogane

After speaking with Kagami-kun, I decided to find Kurogane-kun, and get him out of the way.

"So... it's finally over," Kurogane-kun said. "We all get to go home, thanks to you."

"It seems that way," I said.

I never expected to see Kurogane-kun do what he did next. He got on his knees and prostrated himself before me.

"Please forgive me, Miura," Kurogane-kun said. "All this time, I've treated you so cruelly and unfairly over something that doesn't matter anymore. Now that you think about it... being trapped in here's probably my punishment for being so obsessed with success."

I was speechless seeing and hearing this from Kurogane-kun. We'd gradually gotten onto decent, if not friendly, terms over the past few weeks, but I'd never thought he'd come to regret his past behavior.

"Please... stand up," I said.

Kurogane-kun complied.

"I'll admit that your hostility and resentment toward me... hurt," I said, "but partly because I knew that I'd wronged you, I decided that if you apologized and changed your ways, I'd forgive you."

Kurogane-kun chuckled self-deprecatingly.

"Way to twist the knife," Kurogane-kun said. "You're certainly quicker to forgive than I am."

"I was always taught that carrying a grudge tends to hurt the grudgeholder as well as the subject of the grudge," I said. "Besides, I think what matters most is that we were able to escape together."

"Me too," Kurogane-kun said. "For what it's worth, I'm happy for you, too. Best of luck in the future, Miura."

I wished Kurogane-kun the same, glad that at long last, we'd finally succeeded in burying the hatchet. Maybe we wouldn't be close friends, but the fact that we'd accomplished this was nothing short of amazing.

Akito Sakuragi

Sakuragi-kun paced around the gym with giddy anticipation, probably hoping that I'd hurry up with my goodbyes so that he could get out of here. I didn't have the heart to tell him that he was only the second student on my list.

"Hey, Miura," Sakuragi-kun said. "You got a bucket list of things you'd like to do once you're home?"

"I do," I said. "First, I'll have to get back to my school and get caught up. After that, I'd like to reconnect with my old friends and stay in touch with my new ones. After that..."

I made a brief list of everything I'd missed out on during my time in the school, from movies and TV shows to places I wanted to go.

"Wow, you sure are eager to get out," Sakuragi-kun said. "As for me, running's the main thing I want to do."

"I thought so," I said. "It's your talent, after all."

"It's a sort of chicken and the egg thing," Sakuragi-kun said. "Did I come to love it because I'm good at it, or did I get so good at it because I love it so much? I guess a lot of people probably ask themselves about their talent."

"Not me," I said. "It's sort of an odd gift that I never asked for, and doesn't help me much when it matters, but it did bring me here and help me meet all of you, so I suppose I'm grateful for it."

Sakuragi-kun paused to think for a moment.

"You know, I've been thinking," Sakuragi-kun said. "We can't necessarily do the thing we love forever, so I guess it's only natural that your Beginner's Luck burns out over time. If it was me, though, I'd go wild, and get as much mileage out of that talent as I could."

"I'm sure you would," I said. "Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing what you accomplish, so let's keep in touch."

It was a waste to keep Sakuragi-kun in here, since he was the kind who was determined to make the most of his time. I was glad he could escape, and looked forward to seeing what he could accomplish from here on out.

Minato Mizuhara

Mizuhara-kun was next on my list.

"Hello, Miura-san," Mizuhara-kun said. "I think I speak for everyone else when I say that I'm grateful that you were able to pass Monokuma's test. I certainly couldn't have done it myself."

"Neither could I, Mizuhara-kun," I said. "You and everyone else had to cooperate in order for us to succeed."

"Even if you put it that way, that's still fairly amazing," Mizuhara-kun said, "no, rather, because you put it that way. I never thought we'd be able to cooperate in a situation like this."

"Based on your own experiences, right?" I said.

Mizuhara-kun nodded.

"Right," Mizuhara-kun said. "None of the people I know would be able to trust each other this much. They probably would have turned on each other, or at the very least, not trusted each other enough in order to do what they needed to."

"But you don't know that, do you?" I said.

"No, I don't," Mizuhara-kun said. "Maybe I'd be right, but maybe they would end up being changed by their experience... just like I was. In any case, I'm glad my parents and friends didn't end up in here, and I'm looking forward to seeing them again."

"I'm in the same boat myself," I said. "Maybe you could tell them about me."

"I will," Mizuhara-kun said. "I'll tell them that you're probably one of the best friends I'd ever had."

Some people wouldn't consider this much of a compliment when it came from someone like Mizuhara-kun, who hadn't had many real friends, but I found it meaningful. He'd started to change, and opened up to others, and that, in and of itself, was worth celebrating.

Reiko Mitamura

Mitamura-san seemed a bit somber when I approached her.

"I have a confession to make, Miura-san," Mitamura-san said. "Perhaps you may lose all respect for me, but it must be said."

"I'm listening, Mitamura-san," I said. "You should know by now that you can trust me with anything."

Mitamura-san took a deep breath.

"While I was still at my old school, I fell behind in my studies around the time I was chosen as the Ultimate Proofreader," Mitamura-san said. "Afraid of doing poorly on the next test, I... cheated."

I paused, waiting for Mitamura-san to continue her story, but she remained silent.

"Oh," I said. "Is that all?"

"It is more than enough," Mitamura-san said. "Academic dishonesty would leave a permanent blemish on my record, but that is not the worst of it. By cheating, I proved that I value seeming like a model student over actually being a good person. How ironic that because of my transgression, I ended up in a situation like this."

I paused, unsure of what to say next until I realized that Mitamura-san was done talking. She appeared as stoic as ever, standing before me like a prisoner waiting for the judge to hand down her sentence.

"So what would you like me to do?" I said. "If you want to be punished, I don't have the inclination or the authority to give one to you."

"I simply wished to tell someone about this," Mitamura-san said, "and then be judged by them. To be honest, it's become unbearable to be seen as the perfect person I'm not, so I wish to hear what people honestly think about the person I truly am."

I paused to think for a moment.

"You made a mistake," I said, "like many people do. Perhaps you may no longer be perfect- in fact, you never were- but you can learn from the mistake and become a better person. Perhaps some people will judge you for what you did, since your actions do have conseqeuences, but I believe you can atone for what you've done."

"Thank you, Miura-san," Mitamura-san said, bowing deeply in gratitude. "At first glance, I thought you were an ordinary person- and you are- but you are more than that. You may not be the best at anything, but you are overall good person, and your fundamental decency is your strongest trait."

I smiled appreciatively. Mitamura-san had always seemed like the most respectable of all the Ultimates, so her saying this to an ordinary person like me was quite heartwarming.

"I'm glad to hear that," I said. "You may not be perfect, but as long as you try to be a little bit better, that's enough for me."

Mitamura-san nodded. Despite being the best student in our class, she still had lessons she had yet to learn, so I was glad she learned this one.

Ami Yuuki

After Mitamura-san came Yuuki-san.

"Congratulations, Kaori-chan," Yuuki-san said. "I knew that if anyone could do it, it'd be you."

"Thank you, Yuuki-san," I said. "That said, couldn't you have done the same?"

Yuuki-san shook her head.

"Not really," Yuuki-san said. "Sure, I get along with most people- emphasis on most- but it's still kind of hard for me to click with people who are so different. Jerks like Shiro-kun and Sora-kun are on top of my list, but there's also people like Reiko-chan, Minato-kun or Anzu-chan, who keep others at arms' length. I couldn't have managed what you did."

By now, the fact that Yuuki-san wasn't quite as confident as her bubbly outward appearance suggested wasn't a surprise. The fact that she didn't have confidence in her ability to get along with people, however, was.

"I'm not sure what to say to that," I said, "since as much as I'd like to refute that, I'm not sure I can, and not just because I can't come up with anything to say that sounds like a platitude."

Yuuki-san nodded sadly, probably having hoped I'd actually disagree with her- I certainly did, too.

"But I will say this," I said. "Ouf of everyone I met here, the process of befriending you was one of the easiest and most pleasant while here. Perhaps it was up to me, but you helped make it easy and fun."

"Gotcha," Yuuki-san said. "Thanks, Kaori-chan."

"You're welcome," I said. "And just wondering, but is the offer to call you by your first name still open?"

"You bet!" Yuuki-san said excitedly. "I'd be really happy if you could call me 'Ami-chan,' but 'Ami-san' or just 'Ami' work, too."

"Certainly, Ami-chan," I said. "We're friends, after all."

Ami-chan smiled. Since we came from different prefectures and had starkly different skillsets and career aspirations, we'd probably never have met if we hadn't come to this school. That said, while those factors would have prevented us from meeting, they didn't prevent us from becoming friends, and I was glad for that.

Kuro Akasaka

Akasaka-san came after Yuuki-san. I'd considered seeing her earlier, but not only did I have other people to talk to, but Akasaka-san was busy talking with Katsura-san.

"Finally, we can get out of here," Akasaka-san said. "I can't wait to see my family again."

"So do I," I said. "When my sister went to college and I went to Talent High School, we were asked to call home every so often. This... definitely doesn't qualify."

Akasaka-san winced.

"That's certainly true," Akasaka-san said. "Of course, if they understand the circumstances, I'm sure they'll be so happy to have you back that they won't scold you too much."

"I hope so," I said. "Then again, I'll be so glad to see my parents and sister again that I probably won't mind if they do scold me."

Since I didn't lie to my parents, they'd probably believe me, no matter how bizarre my story sounded. In the worst case scenario, I could have the other survivors corroborate my story.

"I feel the same way," Akasaka-san. "After being trapped in here for so long, seeing my family comes first. Everything else- getting caught up in school, going back to playing checkers and what I'll do for a living- is a secondary priority. But when I do get back to my life, I'll never take anything I have for granted again."

"Neither will I, Akasaka-san," I said.

Akasaka-san and I made plans to introduce each other to our respective families. We'd have a lot of work to do in the near future, but we also swore to appreciate every moment we had with the people important to us.

Sora Hoshino

When I found Hoshino-kun, he was surprisingly quiet, which was quite odd for someone who usually said whatever was on his mind.

"I'll be damned, Miura," Hoshino-kun said. "You and Mitamura were right- Monokuma did end up letting us go, after all. Who'd have thought that trusting Monokuma wasn't a boneheaded decision?"

"I wouldn't say that Mitamura-san and I necessarily trusted Monokuma," I said. "We simply followed the one path that would let us escape without anyone dying."

Hoshino-kun shrugged.

"If you say so," Hoshino-kun said. "I'm still kind of amazed that you made this work out."

"Don't talk as though you didn't have anything to do with it," I said. "If I hadn't become friends with you, we'd be stuck here... or worse."

"Friends, huh?" Hoshino-kun said. "I've always thought the idea of friendship was overrated, and that you couldn't count on your so-called friends. Now... well, I guess I've realized that I've never had any real friends."

I nodded.

"Anyway, Miura," Hoshino-kun said, "you've sold me on the idea of friendship, but I believe in quality over quantity, if you know what I mean."

"Fair enough, Hoshino-kun," I said. "I'm just glad you consider me one of your friends."

Hoshino-kun nodded. If nothing else, he'd proved that people could change for the better, even in a situation like this, which was good enough for me.

Komaki Katsura

I found Katsura-san by herself.

"So, Katsura-san," I said. "I suppose you'll be going back to your old school after this?"

"I am, Miura-san," Katsura-san said. "If you would like to keep in touch, my business cards have my contact information. I can give you another copy if you would like."

"Thank you, but I still have the one you gave me when we first met," I said, producing Katsura-san's card. "Of course, who knows? We might just get into the same college or work for the same company."

Katsura-san sighed.

"Please don't misunderstand," Katsura-san said. "It would be nice to see you again on a regular basis. All the same, though, I wonder if we can keep our professional relationship separate from our friendship."

"That may be a challenge," I said, "but it's not an insurmountable one. If we can work well together, I don't think anyone will have any problem with us also being friends."

It probably helped that Katsura-san and I were relatively formal with each other, using last names and the "-san" honorific, so no one would raise any eyebrows if we called each other that at work. Because of that, while I considered Katsura-san a friend, I didn't really feel a strong urge to ask her if I could call her "Komaki-chan," or suggest that she call me "Kaori-chan."

"Maybe not," Katsura-san said. "Still, I am a little worried that I might end up losing my friendship with you. While I have forged a number of promising professional relationships, I don't think I've had many friends like you, Kuro-chan and Kasumi-chan."

"Fair enough," I said. "That said, friendships do fall apart all the time. People get into feuds, move away or drift apart over time. All the same, though, I hope I'll never forget the people I befriended in this school."

"I feel the same way, Miura-san," Katsura-san said. "Whether we end up working at the same company, I hope we'll continue to be friends."

Katsura-san gave me a blank card, and I wrote my information on the back. If nothing else, the card would serve as a memento of me, and proof of our promise to stay close.

Daichi Fukuda

Fukuda-kun was gazing at the roof of the gym, likely hoping to see past it and take a look at the sky above us.

"Hey, Miura," Fukuda-kun said. "What are your plans after we get out of here?"

"Going back to school," I said, "among many other things."

"Same here," Fukuda-kun said. "It's a shame, since I was hoping to go on a nice long camping trip- nothing too intense, but I'd like to ease myself back into hiking and such."

Fukuda-kun's answer made perfect sense. After weeks stuck inside a school, I could imagine that a lot of us didn't exactly relish spending several hours a day six days a week inside our old schools.

"Then again, even if I have to give up rock climbing forever, I can't complain too much," Fukuda-kun said. "Some people never get to follow their dreams or do what they're passionate about."

I nodded. By now, Fukuda-kun knew about my mostly useless talent and my unfulfilled dream of being an author, so no further explanation was necessary.

"True," I said. "Of course, someday, I might take a shot at being an author."

"Go for it," Fukuda-kun said. "There are some things you're better off not trying, but I think you might just make it. If you do get a book published, I'll be sure to buy a copy."

I thanked Fukuda-kun for his support, when and if that day came. Perhaps some things were impossible, while others were achievable, and we could only tell the difference if we set out to achieve them.

Momo Iwasawa

I walked up to Iwasawa-san while she seemed to be talking with Mitamura-san. As Mitamura-san noticed me, she excused herself, adding "Miura-san also knows about me," as she walked by.

"Did Mitamura-san tell you, too, Iwasawa-san?" I said.

Iwasawa-san nodded. My question had been intentionally vague, so that I wouldn't inadvertently let Iwasawa-san know Mitamura-san's secret if she didn't know already, but my suspicions were confirmed. Iwasawa-san had to confront the truth about the classmate she respected most.

"She did," Iwasawa-san said. "I'm still processing it, but it's hard to accept it- less what she did and more why she did it. How could the young lady who helped me so much simply be focused on seeming perfect? Was everything she did for me just a means to achieve that end?"

"It's hard to say," I said. "On the one hand, it's possible that she helped you to cultivate her image as an ideal student. On the other hand, it's only natural for you to feel indebted to someone who helped you, regardless of that person's motives."

"I know," Iwasawa-san said. "When I came here, there were many things I didn't understand, and had to catch up to my classmates. Miss Mitamura was not only the most willing to help me, but also the most able, so I was grateful for her guidance- and still am."

I nodded. I still remembered the many teachers I'd had over the years, and they'd helped make me into the person I was today. Perhaps Iwasawa-san had teachers like that, too, in the village that was her hometown.

"But speaking of people who helped me," Iwasawa-san said, "I'm also indebted to you, Miss Miura. You listened to me when I talked about my village, and helped me realize what to do about my village's future."

"I appreciate hearing that, Iwasawa-san," I said, "but in the end, it was your decision. You made up your mind when it came to what was most important to you, and found a way to achieve the result you wanted."

"Maybe I did," Iwasawa-san said, "but you helped show me the way without telling me what to do. That sort of help will serve me well in the future- like Mr. Mizuhara said, if you give a man a fish, you'll feed him for a day, but if you teach a man how to fish, you'll feed him all his life."

I smiled. Out of all my classmates, Iwasawa-san was the one person I was least likely to see again, since it was possible she'd return to her village and never leave again. Because we might be parting ways forever, it was especially heartwarming to hear her say that she'd be all right from here on out.

"I'm sure you'll do just fine in the future, Iwasawa-san," I said, "whether you end up going back to the village or once again cross paths with me."

"Thank you," Iwasawa-san said. "Feel free to visit us any time."

"Likewise, Iwasawa-san," I said. "I'm looking forward to seeing your hometown."

I knew that by the time I visited Iwasawa-san's hometown, it likely would no longer be the same place she'd told me about, but that was to be expected. Communities changed, just like the people who lived in them, and perhaps Iwasawa-san would continue to change, too.

Anzu Sugiura

Sugiura-san asked to meet with me in private, and had me go to the girls' bathroom with her. Considering that she'd come to confide in me, it wasn't hard to see why she didn't want anyone else eavesdropping.

"So, we're finally getting out of here," Sugiura-san said. "Everyone should be able to get back to their normal lives... well, almost everyone."

"Almost?" I said. "You don't think you can?"

Sugiura-san nodded.

"You do remember that I made a deal with the person who supposedly got evidence of me poisoning the murder victim?" Sugiura-san said. "The problem is that he probably won't think that I held up my end of the bargain. Worst-case scenario, the police will show up at my home and arrest me."

"Worst-case scenario," I said. "Perhaps if the recruiter was in on this plan, he already got what he wanted."

I knew that Monokuma couldn't have set up the school or abducted us alone, so maybe Talent High School was involved somehow. Of course, it was also possible that since Sugiura-san was no longer useful to Monokuma or Talent High School, they'd feel free to turn her in to the police.

"Maybe you're right, Miura," Sugiura-san said. "It would be a real problem if I got thrown in jail for a crime I didn't even commit."

I simply nodded.

"You aren't surprised, huh?" Sugiura-san said.

"Not at all," I said. "I had a feeling you weren't guilty. It seemed fairly suspicious that the recruiter suddenly came to the conclusion that you were guilty."

"True," Sugiura-san said. "Talent High School recruiters aren't known for being good at detective work. I should've realized that sooner, along with the fact that I could trust you."

I shook my head.

"That's understandable," I said. "Some people take a long time to grasp the things that matter, but what counts is that they do so in the end."

"When you put it that way, it makes sense," Sugiura-san said. "I was always a bit of a slow learner."

Sugiura-san let off a self-deprecating chuckle, but her smile was completely genuine, perhaps the first real one I'd seen from her in all the time we'd known each other.

"One more thing," Sugiura-san said. "Did you like it better when I was faking being polite, or when I was being myself?"

"I actually didn't think you were faking it," I said. "The face you show when you're working as a waitress and the face you show when you're with me are both real- it's just a question of which one you choose to express."

"Thank you, Miura-san," Sugiura-san said. "Be sure to stop by my restaurant when you can."

I smiled appreciatively. Perhaps Sugiura-san's future was uncertain, but I hoped that we'd meet again and when we did, we could honestly say that our lives were going well.

Sousuke Kagami

I found Kagami-kun at a loss for words.

"Hello, Kagami-kun," I said. "Is something on your mind?"

"You could say that," Kagami-kun said. "I never expected things to turn out this way."

"Oh?" I said. "What did you think would happen?"

Kagami-kun shrugged.

"Nothing nearly this pleasant," Kagami-kun said. "I'd assumed that we'd be so desperate to graduate that we'd turn on each other. Those desperate enough to graduate would commit murder in order to escape, while everyone else would sacrifice the killers in order to stay alive. Nobody would exactly come off smelling like roses in such a scenario."

"But that's not how it ended," I said. "Sure, Monokuma was merciful enough not to subject us to something like that, but we were able to cooperate, become friends and escape together."

"You're right," Kagami-kun said. "As improbable as this outcome was, I'm honestly amazed that you were able to pull it off. Maybe it's because you're normal and easy to relate to that you could succeed where the talented students failed."

I remembered that Sae had said the same thing back when we'd first gotten here, so I didn't really question that.

"I'm glad to hear that," I said, "especially from you. You know, even if you don't actually have a talent, maybe it isn't such a bad thing after all?"

Kagami-kun was at a loss for words.

"I... I guess," Kagami-kun said. "Still, it means a lot coming from you, so thank you."

There were still a lot of things I didn't know about Kagami-kun, but if nothing else, we seemed to agree on the most important points. I was glad to escape, and even more glad he and all the others could leave the school with me.

Yusuke Tezuka

Tezuka-kun paced about the gym with nervous anticipation.

"You ready to get out of here, Miura?" Tezuka-kun said.

"Almost, Tezuka-kun," I said. "I'd just like to speak with you, Inoue-kun and Sae."

"Looks like we're pretty much on the same page," Tezuka-kun said. "While I could make works of art in here, it'd be pretty pointless if only 15 people get to see them. Hell, I'm pretty sure more people than that saw the drawings my mom put up on the refrigerator."

"I get what you're saying," I said. "Sae said she was glad that her books became bestsellers because it meant a lot of people were reading and enjoying them."

Tezuka-kun nodded.

"Yeah, that's right," Tezuka-kun said. "I don't know if anyone really knows what's good art or not, but it's nice to get positive reviews, since it means at least one person likes my art."

"You've got a fan right here," I said. "I might not know a lot about art, so I'm not sure how much my opinion matters, but I'm looking forward to seeing your next work."

"Thanks, Miura," Tezuka-kun said. "If you make anything that's got your name on it, let me know, and I'll at least check it out."

I nodded. While my dream of being a writer seemed as unattainable as ever, and I didn't know what sort of book Tezuka-kun would like, perhaps he might like to see it.

Shinichi Inoue

Inoue-kun was the second-to-last student on my list.

"So, it's finally over," Inoue-kun said. "At long last, all of us get to go home."

"That's right, Inoue-kun," I said. "Everyone I've spoken to feels the same way."

Inoue-kun paused thoughtfully, but didn't seem to disagree.

"That isn't a surprise," Inoue-kun said, "but I do have to wonder. How do they feel about potentially not seeing each other again?"

"That's a bit trickier," I said. "I assume you're speaking from experience?"

Inoue-kun nodded.

"I told you about Marie-chan, who couldn't wait to get home even though she'd become friends with me," Inoue-kun said. "You remember, right?"

"I do," I said, "and that she kept in touch with you."

"Some time later, I spent some time studying abroad in America," Inoue-kun said, "and while I had a better experience than Marie-chan did in Japan, I knew it would never be my home. Despite that, I was still sad to say goodbye to the friends I'd made over there."

I nodded.

"I understand the feeling," I said, "since I moved away from the town where I lived when I was young, and had to say goodbye to my friends when we moved on to different schools. Life takes us in different directions, but that doesn't mean you can't do anything about it."

"No, it doesn't," Inoue-kun said. "Let's exchange our contact information and keep in touch."

Inoue-kun and I exchanged our contact information and promises to keep in touch, as we had with everyone else. If he still kept in touch with his friend after she crossed the Pacific to return to her home country, then surely we could do the same no matter where life took us.

Sae Edogawa

By now, Sae was the only person I had yet to talk with. I'd saved her for last for a few reasons, among them that I had butterflies in my stomach.

"Ah, there you are, Kaori," Sae said. "Did you finish saying goodbye to everyone else?"

"I did, Sae," I said. "I hope you don't mind, but I saved you for last for a reason- I wanted to work up the courage to say what I needed."

"What's that?" Sae said eagerly.

I took a deep breath.

"When we first came here, I thought of you as my favorite author, and nothing more," I said. "It took me a while to realize that I didn't actually know you. Once I realized that, I decided to change it. As I've spent time with you, we became friends, and I'm glad we did, but I realized that it isn't everything I wanted."

I realized I was meandering, and decided to get to the point.

"To put it simply..." I said, "I'm in love with you, Sae. I don't know whether you return my feelings or even approve, but I had to say that."

A moment of silence followed, probably the longest such moment in my life. I'd said my piece, but how would Sae react? Even after all this time with her, I couldn't say for her.

Sae, however, simply smiled and chuckled.

"I'm glad, Kaori," Sae said. "I'd long had my suspicions, but I wanted you to come out and say it. And now that you did... I'm so happy."

"Really?" I said.

"Yes, really, Kaori," Sae said. "I've always thought you could reach out to and connect with all of us, but I think you've changed since coming here- and for the better. The old you wouldn't have been confident enough to say what you meant at a time like this, but now you can- and I'm glad for that."

"That makes two of us, Sae," I said. "Thank you."

We kissed. A part of me still worried what people would think of Sae and I seeing each other, but she was right- I had changed. In the past, I would have let that fear hold me back, but now, I believed we could cross that bridge when we came to it... together.

Once I was done with Sae, I gathered everyone together and announced that it was time to go.

The sixteen of us gathered at the front door. I did a quick headcount to confirm that everyone was here and to remind myself that yes, everyone had managed to survive and escape. Once I was finished, I prepared to activate the Master Control and open the door.

To be honest, I was a bit worried at this moment. Why had we gotten trapped here in the first place? Why had no one come for us? And what would we do now that we'd gotten out? We'd managed to get out of the school, but there were so many unanswered questions.

As anxious as I was about everything we didn't know, perhaps we could deal with them when we came to them. For now, our days of being trapped in this school had ended, and on the other side of the door lay practically infinite possibilities. With that hope in my heart, I activated the Master Control, opening the door...

Author's Notes

This ends school Mode. Since the bonus modes don't involve the cast of each game learning about what's happened to the world outside, there's a fair amount of dramatic irony in their eagerness to escape.

While this ending is a good deal happier than the standard ending to the fic, considering that none of the characters die, it also involves them being ignorant of what's become of the outside world.

Like in the canon series' bonus modes, it provides suggestions about what some characters would have done if they'd survived, and in some cases, they come to terms with problems that plagued them until their deaths.

There will be one more Side Story, focusing on what didn't quite make it into this fic.

Omake

Here are the achievement names for filling out each classmate's report cards and progressing in the story.

I'm The Narrator And This Is Just The Prologue: Complete the Prologue

Class Trial By Fire: Complete Chapter I

Let The Bodies Hit The Floor: Discover the first victim of the killing game.

Dinner Theater: Complete Chapter II

Long Live The Queen: Become leader of the group

And Now Her Watch Is Ended: Complete Chapter III

Game Over: Complete Final Dead Room: VR Edition

Trophies Are For Closers: Complete Chapter IV

The Truth Is In Here: Read the e-book about the Tragedy.

72 Hours: Complete Chapter V

Only A Mastermind Of Evil: Unmask the mastermind.

Graduation Day: Complete the game.

Searching for Shiro Kurogane: Complete Kurogane's Free Time Events

Run, Akito, Run: Complete Akito Sakuragi's Free Time Events

The Deadliest Catcher: Complete Minato Mizuhara's Free Time Events

Perfect Dark-Haired Girl: Complete Reiko Mitamura's Free Time Events

But I'm An Ultimate Cheerleader: Complete Ami Yuuki's Free Time Events.

Double Jumper: Complete Kuro Akasaka's Free Time Events

The Fault In Our Stargazer: Complete Sora Hoshino's Free Time Events

Sales Pitch Perfect: Complete Komaki Katsura's Free Time Events

The Rock Climber: Complete Daichi Fukuda's Free Time Events.

Farmer Girl: Complete Momo Iwasawa's Free Time Events

Pick Your Poisoner: Complete Anzu Sugiura's Free Time Events

I Have No Talent And I Must Scream: Complete Sousuke Kagami's Free Time Events

I Can't Understand What My Classmate Is Saying: Complete Shinichi Inoue's Free Time Events

Paint And Gain: Complete Yusuke Tezuka's Free Time Events

Murder Mystery, She Wrote: Complete Sae Edogawa's Free Time Events.

The Social Networker: Complete all Free Time Events.

As a second omake, here's a list of the watches some people have, inspired by a PM (erroneously) suggesting that Miura is the only one with a watch.

Miura: Has an analog watch.

Yuuki: Has a digital watch. She was one of the first to notice that the date was off.

Sakuragi: Has a digital watch, which he uses to time himself when running. He snapped when he realized he'd been in the school for two years.

Mitamura: Has an expensive analog watch.

Katsura: Also has an expensive analog watch, which she wears to help enhance her professional image.

Hoshino: Has a relatively cheap digital watch. He only needs the time and a function that lights up the watch when he needs to.

Akasaka: Has a cheap analog watch. As a left-handed person, she wears hers on her right hand.

Kurogane: He has a moderately expensive analog watch. Like Akasaka, he wears his on his right hand.