Hello, and I am back with a new chapter! I hope you all didn't take too long to wait for me, hehe. Anyways, as always, I'll be short, and let's get the show started!
Prince PokePersona: "Haha, me neither, but it's a good treat. Nobody seems to like her, the poor girl. Poor Keishi didn't deserve my, that's a nice title right there- The Lolita Who Cried Murder. Definitely a nice name. Haha, well, we shall see~ I doubt myself all the time, so he's such a mood right now. Well, we shall see what happens to Watari~ Your son is fun to portray and write since he's the one who provides all the dark humor, haha. I like him~ Poor Blanchard and Viorel has to be stuck being associated to Ayako. Hehe, thanks!"
Meta King: "Kyatchi is the new protagonist confirmed."
TheRoseShadow21: "Blanchard shall avoid Ayako now, oof. Aww, thanks!"
ToonGuy: "Kyatchi is the best character confirmed. Masako and the girls should all have a sleepover, hehe. Yeah, you go, Blanchard! He's still in that phase, oh no. It's alright, making things dark shall come soon, maybe. Let's continue to lessen the cast until we hit zero~"
BIG THANKS TO MY BETA READER: Shyjoker!
"You have a visitor."
He looked ahead to find himself eyeing a silhouette. The darkness of the room hid his visitor's face, but he had a feeling he knew who was meeting him. A smirk escaped his lips.
"When was the last time I saw you? It must've been centuries by now."
The silhouette began to speak. The young man shook his head.
"It's alright. I never actually cared about anyone. It doesn't matter to me. Humanity can die for all I care, including them."
A distasteful tone. He heard the silhouette speak to him, almost frustrated with his mocking, indifferent expression.
"Well, I'm glad you don't feel that way then, dear. I'm not here to suddenly cry and weep about everyone's death."
The silhouette stepped forward. Yelling.
"... I suppose you have a point. I'll think about it then, how about that?"
The room suddenly became darker. It was now completely black, empty.
"Upupupupu! It's another great morning today, so wake the fuck up and have some fun in your life, dearies!"
Monokuma had disrupted the peacefulness within the building.
Watari sighed, wanting to hug the blankets over him and hide. He closed his eyes for a moment, but once silence began to loom in, he shook his head and threw the blankets aside. He brought himself up, making his way over to his MonoPad and turning it on.
A few notifications were on screen, as usual. Watari frowned, eyeing them carefully.
He decided to first check the group chat, reading the messages silently.
[Chatroom: (Group Chatroom)
(More on top…)
Akio: Let's meet at breakfast today! (06:30 AM)
Kyatchi: Holy shit you're awake early. (06:30 AM)
Akio: Not really? Decebel told me they were up by six. (06:30 AM)
Akio: Or was it by five thirty? I forgot. (06:31 AM)
Kyatchi: WTF (06:31 AM)
Yume: I just woke up. Blanchard and Viorel are making food? (06:31 AM)
Akio: Yeah, that's right! (06:32 AM)
Akio: They seem to be in better spirits. I wonder why? (06:32 AM)
Kyatchi: Definitely because the whole fiasco yesterday's over. (06:32 AM)
Akio: I mean, yeah… (06:32 AM)
Yume: I guess they dreamt something good. (06:34 AM)
Akio: You think? (06:35 AM)
Akio: Well, it doesn't matter. Decebel wants us to meet together, so come to the cafeteria everyone! (06:36 AM)
Kyatchi: Check your DMs. (06:39 AM)
Akio: No thanks. (06:41 AM)
Kyatchi: D: (06:41 AM)
Kyatchi: But it's not actually about sex this time. (06:41 AM)
Akio: NO SHUT UP (06:42 AM)
Masako: Uhhh what? (06:58 AM)
Misaki: This is interesting! (07:01 AM)
Akio: Oh hey! (07:01 AM)
Akio: Come to breakfast today! (07:01 AM)
Misaki: Gotcha~ (07:03 AM)
Misaki: Lemme wake up Tomoyo first. (07:03 AM)
Watari: (Type here…)]
Watari frowned as he eyed the chat room. He wasn't surprised it was busy, though at the same time he felt like it was quite uncanny.
Not that it actually mattered to him much though. Watari sighed and checked the other notifications on his screen. It seemed like there were a few messages which were sent to him privately. The detective sighed as he decided to check on Decebel's first.
[Chatroom: (Watari/Decebel)
Blanchard: I hope you remember to come meet us during breakfast. (07:00 AM)
Blanchard: Viorel and I will help you as much as possible. (07:00 AM)]
Watari frowned as he eyed the few messages. He never understood why butlers acted like such, but figuring Decebel would annoy him, he had to type something out.
[Watari: Am I inclined to listen to you? I'm not exactly a slave. (07:04 AM)]
Watari was not pleased to see another message popping up on the screen.
[Blanchard: On the contrary. (07:04 AM)
Blanchard: I am inclined to bring you here regardless of your wishes. Master Blaise wants nothing more than for us to gather up. (07:04 AM)
Watari: How about Ayako though? (07:05 AM)
Blanchard: Who? (07:05 AM)
Viorel: Hey, anyways, Blanchard and I really won't be pleased if you don't eat. (07:05 AM)
Viorel: Eating is important to one's health. (07:05 AM)
Watari: Couldn't I just eat later? (07:06 AM)
Watari: Besides, I doubt anyone likes me. I'd just bother Aki and the others. (07:06 AM)
Blanchard: That's why we want to help you. (07:06 AM)
Blanchard: Viorel and I want to apologize for our actions, and we believe you deserve redemption as well. (07:06 AM)
Watari: What are you, God? (07:07 AM)
Watari: I don't feel obliged to apologizing. (07:07 AM)
Blanchard: It's alright if you're stubborn. It's a slow process of changing your attitude, that's all. (07:07 AM)
Watari: Yeah, whatever. (07:08 AM)
Viorel: We'll come by at your door. (07:08 AM)
Watari: Okay, no, you seriously don't need to do that. (07:08 AM)
Watari: (Type here…)]
Watari scoffed, frustration written all over his face. He hated how the butler wanted to 'help' him, whatever that actually meant. Watari didn't need help, and he hated how Decebel believed they were right.
It's disgusting and nonetheless annoying.
Watari sighed, checking up on what Monokuma sent him. He couldn't help but eye it silently, reading the notes the bear sent him- or rather, the evaluations.
[Chatroom: (Watari/Monokuma)
Monokuma: Upupupupu! The trial was amazing as always. Filled to the brim with excitement! (03:57 AM)
Monokuma: You up? (03:57 AM)
Monokuma: Some people are still up, but I guess you aren't~ (03:59 AM)
Monokuma: Well, whatever! I'm here to tell you shit! I'm the type of bear to stay up all night anyways. (04:00 AM)
Monokuma: So, the trial went great as always! The mastermind's definitely shook right now! So confused about you~ (04:01 AM)
Monokuma: Anyways, just continue to act the same like before. The motive this time is pretty simple. I'll probably give it out tomorrow since I wanna take a break for a bit. (04:02 AM)
Monokuma: That aside, I'll do my end of the deal for that. (04:02 AM)
Monokuma: Here's some important information, dear~ (04:02 AM)
Monokuma: The books from the library all came from not only this place, but over the world. They're all important factors in helping you know what's happening. (04:03 AM)
Monokuma: I mean, it's vague, but if you keep reading shit then I think you'll get the gist of what's happening. (04:03 AM)
Monokuma: Well, that's all for now! Goodbye~! (04:04 AM)
Watari: (Type here…)]
Watari stared at the information Monokuma gave him, eyeing it suspiciously. He skimmed through it a couple of more times before compiling his thoughts together.
So, does that mean everything in the library has information that tie in our current situation?
If that's so, then those fictional novels I've read and even the encyclopedias are important? There's no way.
… Nevermind. I'll continue to check the place out no matter what.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
The door was being knocked on, and Watari instantly knew who was at the door. He grimaced as he turned off his MonoPad and shoved it into his pocket, hopping off from bed and creaking the door open.
He peeked his head out, frowning as he eyed Decebel. He couldn't help but dryly say, "You do know that I haven't even brushed or changed yet, right?"
Viorel was the first to speak, chuckling with a playful tone. "That's alright with me and Blanchard. We'll wait for you, or do you prefer for us to help you?"
"No, I am perfectly capable of changing and taking care of my hygiene." Watari sighed. He looked at the butler and crossed his arms. "Dearies, you do know how annoying you are right now? It's quite sad you would care so much about someone like me."
"On the contrary." Viorel smirked. "We care about every single person here. You're just as important to us as everyone else is. You just refuse to think that."
"What are you, a philosopher?" Watari smirked dryly, cold. "I seriously hate how you're trying to tell me who I am."
Blanchard bowed his head down. "Please do go prepare yourself regardless, Master Watari. We do not want to keep the others waiting."
The detective eyed the butler with the roll of the eyes, then sighing and closing the door. He supposed he have little to no choice, knowing that Blanchard and Viorel will not leave unless Watari left himself. It was annoying, but he supposed he couldn't do anything to stop it.
Watari immediately began to brush his teeth, washing his face for a moment before changing his clothes. He figured he looked decent enough to not shower, and so within a few minutes or so he was finally done. He went back out, of course knowing his MonoPad was close in store, and met with Decebel who was waiting patiently for him.
"Are you ready, Master Watari?" Blanchard asked, smiling slightly.
Watari rolled his eyes and sighed. "Sure, whatever you want to believe, my poor dearie."
Blanchard seemed satisfied with the answer, gesturing Watari to follow. The detective followed the butler silently down the hallways and over where the cafeteria was. Blanchard gave the detective a kind smile as he opened the door.
Watari frowned at the butler, but sighed and headed inside.
Mostly everyone else were already inside the room. They were grabbing their food and plates, chatter amongst the crowd. From what the detective could see, it seemed like Misaki and Akio were the ones talking for most of the time. Kyatchi was willing to speak, though it was mainly to harass everyone with his words. Tomoyo seemed a bit sleepy, eating silently and nodding her head as she listened to everyone. The rest of the others did speak, though it was little in comparison. Sadly, Shinjimae was silent, eye bags under his eyes. The poor animal whisperer was being comforted by Saki who was at his side.
Ayako wasn't to be seen however, though it seemed like no one cared. Everyone seemed happy being without her.
"Ari!" Misaki was the first to notice, waving at the man with a perky smile. "How are you?"
"I'm fine." Watari eyed the surgeon for a moment, then sighing and looking up at the butler. "Why do you want me here anyways?"
Blanchard eyed the detective for a moment in return, then bowing his head to the group. "Like I have said before, Viorel and I are greatly sorry for what we have done in the past."
"Blanchard, you and Viorel already apologized," Akio began, awkwardly scratching his head. "Please, you don't have to say it again."
Blanchard shook his head. "I admit I do not feel satisfied with how words can deter people from punishing others. Viorel and I will do as much as we can to owe you all."
Akio shook his head. "No, seriously, I think you're fine. If anything, I should be apologizing to you."
"That's kind of you." Blanchard smiled. "However, do not force yourself to do such a thing."
The actor eyed the butler with a worried gaze, but slowly nodded his head and turned to eye Watari. He took a moment to stare at him before quickly looking away, slightly more melancholic than usual.
Viorel came to be. He patted Watari's back and urged him forward. "Don't worry," he began, speaking only loud enough for the detective to hear, "We'll be here to help you open up."
Watari turned to glare at Viorel, but noticing that he'd cause a scene, he quickly cleared his throat and took a seat. He grabbed the plate that Misaki passed towards him and began to grab the leftover food on the table. He grabbed the plentiful of sunny side up eggs and pancakes, then the ketchup and syrup before eating. He gulped a bite down before Misaki leaned towards him.
"So, how are you?" Misaki asked, curious as usual. She was eyeing the raven with glittering eyes. "You didn't look well yesterday."
"I mean, doesn't everyone look horrible during a trial or execution?" Watari dryly replied, rolling his eyes. "I'm fine. Why are you asking anyways, dear?"
The surgeon laughed awkwardly. "Well, nothing much! I just noticed you were a bit too silent and emotional yesterday. I'm glad you're better though."
Watari averted his gaze. Emotional, huh?
The detective bit into another piece of his pancakes. He chewed on it silently before he accidentally looked over to where Shinjimae was.
He didn't mean to make Shinjimae more uncomfortable than he already was, in all honesty. He didn't know he'd stare at the animal whisperer, causing them to glance at one another before Shinjimae quickly retracted away and went back to eating by his lonesome with Saki. The animal whisperer refused to even look anywhere except at Saki anymore.
"Hey, Watari."
The detective looked ahead, finding Akio staring at him. Watari couldn't help but worry something was off, his smirk falling fainter than he had wanted. "Yes, Aki dearie?"
Akio sighed. "I want to talk to you for a bit later."
"Why?" Watari frowned. "Do you have to confess your love to me that early?"
"Wha- no!" Akio blushed slightly, shaking his head. "No, but, well, I want to talk to you later. I'll tell you everything later. I'll message you when and where."
The detective eyed the actor for a moment, then chuckling. He clapped his hands together and winked. "That's suspicious, but sure~"
Akio nodded his head and slowly began to go back to his own business. He spoke with Misaki who grinned at him. The duo began to engage in small talk, Akio seemingly being teased as he blushed whenever she began poking at his face.
"A-ahem, have you guys checked the map?" Masako awkwardly spoke loudly, pointing to her MonoPad. "S-some new areas have been opened."
"Ah, yes, Viorel and I have noticed that as well." Blanchard nodded slowly as he eyed the survivalist. "I believe we should split up to search the area together."
"What areas have opened up?" asked Yume, eyeing the butler with slight interest.
Blanchard looked at his own MonoPad, eyeing the map on display. "There is an outside area just down the hallway from where the infirmary and the newly added rooms from before were."
No one bothered to mention the other rooms, especially the woodshop.
The butler continued, speaking clearly, "Apparently, from what is displayed on the screen, there is a swimming pool, garden, warehouse, fields, and… oh, hot springs."
"Hot springs?!" Misaki immediately leaned towards Blanchard, eyes glittering. "Oh my gosh, I want to use the hot springs! I haven't been to one before!"
"Really, you haven't?" Tomoyo turned to eye the surgeon with an amused smile. She didn't even bother to register the fact that there were slight eye bags underneath her eyes. "Hot springs are relaxing to be in. O-oh! Maybe we should go together, right Masako?"
Masako's face turned red. "R-really? I-I would love to, if you don't mind, that is… hehe…"
"Hopefully the guys won't peek," Kyatchi mused, smirking at the trio of women.
Viorel frowned, shaking his head in disgust. "Master Kyatchi, you jest. No one is that perverted in here."
"Except for Kyatchi himself," Yume said, unable to hold back from sarcastically stating.
Kyatchi laughed. "True, true."
"Anyways, I believe it is in our best interests to split up into groups to search the areas more efficiency and at our own discretion," Blanchard announced, bowing his head down. "I believe this will at least provide us to learn more about each other well."
Akio smiled softly as he eyed the butler. "Well, I guess you have a point. I don't mind."
"Let's all choose at random!" Misaki cried out, suddenly standing up from her seat. "That'll make things more fun!"
"I already did that with Viorel." Blanchard chuckled, reaching into his pocket to take out pieces of paper. There were names written on each piece of paper. "I will begin to choose now. We will have three groups, three people in each."
"Wow," Yume dryly mused. "Nice."
Blanchard began piling the pieces of paper together. "Alright, I will announce the groups and choose randomly."
The butler grabbed the first three batches of paper, then opening them up and reading them out loud. "Master Watari, Master Masako, and… Master Shinji."
Watari was not surprised Blanchard would be hesitant in speaking the last name. If anything, the detective expected it. He even expected the reactions people threw, those of shock, fear, worry, etc. He knew Shinjimae was going to look desperate at this, but he also knew Shinjimae would resort to saying nothing.
Shit. This is just great. It feels like Blanchard and Viorel are just planning this whole thing out to make me 'open up' or something.
Masako turned to eye the detective. She smiled softly at him. "I-I hope I won't be a disturbance to you."
Watari hummed simply in response, uncaring.
"Our next group will be Viorel and I, Master Kyatchi, and Master Tomoyo." Blanchard turned to eye the group. "That means the last group will consist of Master Misaki, Master Blaise, and Master Yume."
"That's fine with me," Misaki commented, smiling widely. "I'm excited."
"Of course you are." Kyatchi rolled his eyes, tugging at his bandannas. "Threesomes are the best after all, heh."
Tomoyo eyed the juggler worriedly, unsure what to make of the man's comment. "Uh… Yeah, sure."
"I really don't see the point in being in groups," Yume admitted, frowning slightly, "but I'll go with the flow. Whatever."
Misaki laughed amusingly, clapping her hands together. "Well! Let's finish our food first though."
Viorel smirked as he crossed his arms, huffing. "Please feel free to eat as much as you want, and as slowly as you want. We're not here to force you to eat faster or as little as possible."
"Pfft, I know!" The surgeon continued to laugh, shoving a pancake into her mouth. It was a miracle she hadn't choked on it. "This tastes so good!"
The butler grinned. "Of course it does. We put our heart and souls into cooking them, Master Misaki."
Watari silently bit into his pancakes. He didn't register the conversation going on around the room, only focusing on himself and his food. He simply thought to himself as everyone slowly, but surely, began to finish their food. It took about a couple of minutes before everyone had finished, the dishes now being taken away into the kitchen on the sink.
"Alright, we should get going!" Misaki announced, going on her tiptoes to throw an her arms around Akio and Yume. "Let's go!"
Yume groaned, shaking her head. "Let's not, please…"
"Yeah." Akio awkwardly laughed, sweatdropping. "Alright then, lead the way."
And with that, Misaki led the duo straight outside the cafeteria in search for the unexplored lands of the world.
"We should get going as well," Blanchard announced to Kyatchi and Tomoyo. "The quicker we investigate, the better."
"I mean, sure." Kyatchi shrugged. "Whatever you prefer, slave."
Tomoyo's eyes widened. "Kyatchi!"
The juggler grinned as he eyed the flustered woman. He couldn't help but chuckle as he skipped away from the room, escaping Tomoyo's urge to lecture him as she quickly chased after him.
Blanchard sighed as he eyed the duo. He shook his head before looking over to where Watari stood. He gave him a knowing nod, taking a step over to the detective to speak privately with him. "Please try to talk to Master Shinji."
Watari frowned, looking up at the butler. He couldn't help but scoff and avert his gaze. "Do you have the right to order me around?"
"I don't. I am but a mere butler." Blanchard immediately switched to Viorel. "We do feel like it'd be better if you apologize to Master Shinji as soon as possible though."
Watari bit into his lips. "Did you plan this?"
"No, if anything, it'd be me doing the 'manipulating'." Viorel chuckled softly to himself. He sighed and patted the detective's shoulder, then taking a step out towards the door. "We'll see you all soon. Goodbye for now."
And with that, the butler had disappeared. Watari soon found himself alone with Masako and Shinjimae. Masako was eyeing him worriedly, and Shinjimae was completely fixated in Saki. The detective inwardly frowned to himself- he knew this wasn't going to go well.
"Uh… A-are we ready?" Masako asked, daring to break the tension. "If so, then we should get going, r-right?"
Watari smirked at the woman. "Of course, dear. Let's get going then, shall we?"
With that settled, the trio began to move. They made their way out of the cafeteria and down the hallways, making their way to where they noticed a glass door. It was a door that showed the outside world- sunlight to be seen with green grass to be seen right outside the glass. It was somehow unusual of a sight for the trio- they haven't been in the outside world since days. It honestly made their stomachs churn, bodies shaking.
Watari held back the urge to sigh, taking a step forward to grab the handle. There, he slowly opened the door.
Grass. There was grass everywhere. Sunlight hit the grass, the Sun clear above in the sky. Despite the Ultimates finding themselves trapped nonetheless, the Sun hitting through the glass dome which surrounded the group and the lines of fences which kept the group from looking at the outside world from the bottom to all the way to where the walls seemed to hit the skies, they found themselves warm and relieved.
Especially Saki. The dog immediately jumped away from Shinjimae to the grass.
Shinjimae's eyes widened as he reached a hand out. "S-Saki!"
The dog barked happily as she ran around in circles, rolling and tumbling on the grass. She was happy in this small paradise of hers, nuzzling against the greens.
Shinjimae sighed, unable to call Saki back. He quickly shook his head to hold back a smile. "Geez, t-that girl…"
Masako couldn't help but giggle, eyeing Saki who found herself relaxing against the grass. The Sunlight was shining down upon her. "I-I honestly find it cute."
"It's a shame we're trapped in a dome though," Watari mused, making his way further inside. He looked around the area, ignoring the obvious places he had to investigate in turn to eye the fences and dome. He looked up at the glass dome (or ceiling, if he had to admit), then eyeing the fences which blocked all access from the outside world. He couldn't help but grit his teeth.
Shit. Finding out our exact location here, nonetheless asking for help seems impossible. Unless we can break the dome above and somehow escape…
If we are in Chiba City and potentially in Tsubaki's regular high school. If I take what I know about this, then this region's 'one-of-a-kind' Ultimate school should be miles away from here.
… I'm not sure if anyone even remembers that I'm gone. Yeah, Monokuma must've kidnapped us during vacation, if not break.
"Watari?"
The detective's eyes widened. He turned to eye the survivalist, Masako looking at him worriedly. "Sorry to ask, but, a-are you okay?"
"I'm fine. I was just wondering about something." Watari chuckled dryly. "So, where should we start first? Anywhere you'd like to look in particular?"
Masako blushed. She quickly shook her head and looked away.
Watari grinned. He had a feeling he knew what the woman wanted to look at. "Do you know where the hot springs are?"
Masako jumped. "A-ah! No, y-you don't have to investigate that place if you don't want to!"
The detective smirked. He reached into his MonoPad. "Don't worry, dearie, we'll be investigating everywhere anyways. Let's see…"
He turned on the device. There, he found himself eyeing a notification. He frowned, noticing it was from Akio.
[Notification
Chatroom: (Watari/Akio)
Akio: We'll meet up outside here after Monokuma announces nighttime. I want to apologize for a few things, and discuss about how to handle the killing game moving forward. (01:21 PM)]
Watari eyed it silently, staring at it for a moment. He did think of the message as suspicious, especially in more ways than one, however he knew Akio wouldn't be trying to kill him anytime soon. He knew Akio knew of his worth, after all.
Still, he can't think much about it for too long. He quickly hid the notification from Masako's eyes and went to the map. He looked down at the diagram of the place and grinned, looking back at Masako. "Seems like the hot springs are right next to the swimming pool. We have to go left."
"R-really?" Masako smiled softly. "Well, that's nice to know. I-I suppose we go left?"
Watari nodded. "Mhm, of course, dear."
"T-then let's go."
Masako and Watari began to move, but the detective noticed Shinjimae eyeing Saki silently. The detective couldn't help but worry that Shinjimae's health was deteriorating horribly, especially if the animal whisperer was unwilling to even call Saki over or notice the duo beginning to leave.
Watari looked over to see if Masako noticed, but she was already making her way down left. He frowned. It seemed like he'd have to talk to him.
Great, I'm so sure this won't end well.
Watari sighed. He wondered how he could avoid having to personally face the animal whisperer, then quickly cupping his hands around his mouth. "Saki!"
Shinjimae jumped. He quickly looked around and blinked. "H-huh? What?"
Saki perked her head up. She looked at Watari with a confused tilt, but noticing the detective's fixated stare, she barked happily at him and ran at him.
The detective's eyes widened. "H-hey, Saki, stop-!"
It was too late. Watari found himself being pummeled to the ground, Saki leaning on his body and licking his face. Her tail was wagging excitedly.
"S-Saki, that tickles!" Watari found himself flustered by the labrador. He hated how ticklish he was, and this definitely made him regret his life choices. "S-Saki!"
"H-hey, S-Saki!" Shinjimae ran over to the dog with a desperate expression. "Y-you're bothering him! Geez, w-why are you so happy…?"
Watari bit harshly into his lips, forcing back the urge to laugh. He seriously hated how the dog was continuing to slobber his face, her fur rubbing against his clothes. "G-get off of me!"
Saki licked him for one last time before barking happily at him, then pouncing over to Shinjimae and rubbing herself against him. She seemed to be communicating with the animal whisperer, his eyes widening within seconds and face becoming red.
"B-but…" Shinjimae awkwardly looked down at Saki. His face saddened as he began making a few barks himself, communicating with the dog. She whined sadly.
Watari panted, finding himself a mess as he slowly got up from his spot. He looked at the pair and begrudgingly pointed back. "Let's go. Masako already headed over to the hot springs."
"A-ah…" Shinjimae immediately averted his gaze. "S-sorry…"
The detective sighed, scratching his head. He knew the animal whisperer wouldn't be willing to speak to him. Watari rolled his eyes and began walking down, heading over to where Masako was with Shinjimae and Saki behind.
They eventually found themselves walking down a paved road, the pathway becoming smoother as they found themselves walking into what seemed to be a bathhouse. Watari eyed it curiously as he continued forward, meeting with Masako who was just about to open the entrance.
"O-oh, there you all are." Masako smiled at the duo softly, but then blinked confusingly as she noticed Watari's messy clothing and saliva-filled face. "W-what happened, uh…?"
Watari immediately shut her down. "Don't mind it, dear."
Masako gave him a worried look, but sighed as the detective walked ahead to open the door. He headed inside with the others following close by, Watari looking around to find himself hitting warm air- mist.
Inside of the bathhouse was a small area the group stood where Watari assumed was the lobby. There were pastel-colored walls with the usual floor being squared and gray. On the sides of the room were small shelves. Upon opening one Watari was greeted with a towel, some sunglasses, googles, sunscreen, and a swimsuit. Watari took careful notice of the swimsuit for a moment, then noticing that he had almost forgotten the messily written name on the lobby- 'Kyatchi'. Written in sharpie, he believed. Watari quickly shoved the swimsuit back in and closed the shelf.
Watari took a look around the area for a while, then noticing two doors- there was one from the bottom left, and one from the bottom right. The one on the left was painted blue- an icon of a male figure to be seen. As expected, on the right, there was pink with a white female figure. He supposed those were the changing rooms.
Watari looked over to the open entrance that would lead the group into the hot springs. It was blocked by blue curtains. Watari can only assume it would be a pretty sight inside.
Watari turned to eye Masako, pointing to the blue-colored door. "I'll check the changing room, dear. The male one, of course~"
Masako nodded. "Y-yes, of course."
The detective threw the woman a kind smile. His eyes quickly looked away from Shinjimae and Saki's gazes, the detective holding his breath as he quickly went into the male changing room.
The first thing Watari noticed when he walked into the room were the two benches that were glued to the square-patterned light blue floor. The benches were shiny and polished, clean to the eye with its iron, almost silvery glint. To the sides of the two walls, left and right, were the locker rooms. Watari noticed his with ease, opening it up to find a few white towels laid down inside. He eyed it for a moment before closing it, then looking around to find the showerheads standing tall downwards along the room. He walked further into it to find the showers, white curtains to hide whoever went to the showers along the room. Other than shampoo, conditioner, and body wash- there was nothing else of much thought to Watari's mind. Shrugging, the detective went back outside, finding Masako and Shinjimae looking at the cupboards.
They noticed Watari heading outside instantly, and Masako gestured into the main area. Watari nodded, and the trio headed inside with Saki leading them excitedly.
Once heading inside through the curtains, the trio found themselves staring at a wide, open, spacious area.
"W-woah…" Masako's black eyes were practically glittering to no end, hands cupped and mouth agape. "A-a swimming pool…"
Saki barked at Shinjimae who laughed awkwardly. "Yeah, i-it does look nice."
It was an Olympic sized swimming pool, stretching far enough for a professional swimmer to jump out of excitement of. Clear, pristine water has filled the pool, nothing tainted nor grimy to be seen. Around the swimming pool were comfortable white lounge chairs which were there to satisfy anyone who wanted to take a break. There were a few white tables to be seen close to the chairs, small tables that would be able to fit an individual's meal and drink if they so desired one.
And speaking of drinks and food, there were vending machines which hid over to the right corner of the room, down from the entrance. There was a vending machine which spat out water bottles, iced coffee, iced tea, soda, sparkling water, juices, and energy drinks of all kind. There was another vending machine to the left of the drinks, that one spitting out different types of sushi, salad, hamburgers, pizza slices, and bento boxes of all kind. Watari had to assume there was a microwave built inside of the vending machine or something. The last vending machine was stood at the corner from the two other machines, that one spitting out frozen treats such as ice cream of various flavors, popsicles, sherbets, mochi, etc.
This is definitely a Japan-thing alright.
Watari couldn't help but eye the vending machines curiously, amused at the fact that Monokuma had the nerve to either keep the vending machines working for the Ultimates' luxury, or built them in to make their lives better. Watari despised how Monokuma wanted to make the Ultimates feel luxurious at what should be a normal school, especially if it was Tsubaki's school, but he had little to whine about.
Besides, Masako herself had nothing to complain about.
"O-oh my god!" Masako cried, literally drooling as she slammed her hands to one of the machines. "T-they have vending machines here! I-I haven't seen one since I-I was five!"
Watari chuckled, eyeing the woman with particular interest. "Dear, you should've seen these types of machines all around Japan."
Masako immediately blushed, quickly realizing her trance of excitement. She quickly turned to Watari and shook her head, face entirely red. "I-I-I'm so sorry! I-I guess you can say I wasn't a city girl… I-I really didn't live a normal life."
"Psh, it's alright." Watari chuckled. "I bet you Blanchard and Viorel hasn't seen machines like those either, or those which produce ready-to-go food actually."
The survivalist awkwardly smiled, her sloppily done ponytail slightly bouncing in place to her childish movements. "I-I mean… I-I'm not exactly the most normal person here, s-so it's fine if you think I'm… weird. I am anyways."
"Wouldn't necessarily say that." Watari smirked as he patted the woman's back teasingly. "If anything, Tomoyo and Misaki would kill me if they see me insulting you."
Masako blushed. "T-they're just too kind… for someone like me."
They're just naive.
The detective eyed her for a moment, then looking over at Shinjimae and Saki. The duo were curiously looking down at the pool, almost entranced by it. Watari could say for sure everyone wanted to swim or whatnot.
The detective then eyed the wooden framed, yet mainly glass door to the right corner down from where he stood. He saw a sign taped to the glass which said, "Hot Springs", then a smiley face drawn on the bottom of the sign with what seemed to be a rainbow marker.
"Well," the raven began, eyeing the redhead, "let's check the hot springs out, dear."
Masako's face immediately lit up. "O-okay then!"
Watari glanced at Saki to gesture her to bring Shinjimae to the hot springs. He watched as Saki panted at the animal whisperer, Shinjimae nodding as he followed Watari and Masako into the hot springs.
Watari opened the door, and allowed everyone inside before heading inside himself. There, he was immediately greeted with warm mist to his face. Mist covered the entire area, Watari immediately regretting what he wore considering the temperature. He found himself stepping down on a placemat, that one being woven akin to what bamboo would look like. There was a wooden area that he stepped in, obviously, that one being where the Ultimates could wash up, rinse at the side, or clean up and put their stuff away. That part was in the left side of the area, being layered a step beneath in order to not wet the main area. Towels hung where the wooden shelves were in the main area, that place being mainly where people would bring and take their stuff, wear slippers or put their clothes away, etc.
Watari was not surprised to see Masako's eyes lighting up again. She almost whistled at the sight of the springs, saying with a childish excitement, "I-I haven't been to a hot spring before… Woah…"
From where the main area stopped was the stone layered floor and area. The stones were huge and smooth, unable to injure anyone with a touch. The stone were evenly laid out and smooth, however the rocks were laid around the hot springs as a barrier of sorts. The spring was enormous and spacious, wooden bamboo-carved planks to act as the hot spring's source of recycling and warming the water. Waterproof dim lights were all over the area, either to the boulders which surrounded and protected the area or to the cherry blossom trees which hung above the outside of the springs beautifully. It was a great radiance to cause someone to relax.
"I-I really want to test it out right now…" Masako murmured to herself. "I-it just looks so warm and nice!"
Watari chuckled. "Of course it is. Hot springs are like that."
Shinjimae looked over at Saki, biting into his lip. "I-I wonder if she can go in the springs…"
Masako looked over at Shinjimae with a small smile. "D-dogs aren't a good mix with hot springs, Shinji."
"Ah, erm, I see." Shinjimae awkwardly eyed the woman, then immediately turned away.
Masako eyed the springs for another moment, then nodding and turning to Watari. "I-I believe we can go now."
Watari raised a brow. "You don't want to go try the springs out yourself then?"
"N-no." Masako then blushed as she turned away. "B-besides, Tomoyo and Misaki are going with me later."
The detective smirked. "Nice~"
The survivalist awkwardly smiled at the detective. "W-we should go now. Uh, w-where should we go next?"
"Hm…" Watari took out his MonoPad and eyed the map. "It seems like the closest area from here would be the garden and fields. Those would be close to the warehouse too."
"W-we should have a park," Masako suggested, comfortable to the point where she can comment on certain things. "I-I do prefer the outdoors, even if my talent…"
Masako quickly shook her head. "A-anyways, we should go."
Watari shrugged with ease, grinning. "Lead the way then, dear."
The survivalist nodded, albeit hesitantly, and began leading Watari and Shinjimae outside the building. The trio walked down back where they came from, this time taking a detour once finding a small brick fence surrounding what seemed to be where the garden was. Watari could tell from the black barred gates which acted as the entrance, spiraled from all sides to make it look like a gallery of roses. Watari followed Masako who creaked the gate open, then leading him and Shinjimae inside.
What was found inside were all sorts of flowers lined up, akin to a beautiful, authentic garden. Different colors of roses were found- red, white, etc. There were daisies and sunflowers and lilies everywhere. Cherry blossoms were at the end of the garden, all planted to the farthest left and farthest right corner, a bench seen in the middle.
"T-this place is so pretty," Masako commented, smiling as she walked down the path. The bars above which acted as an aesthetic purpose to the garden were covered in vines.
Saki barked happily at Shinjimae. The animal whisperer seemed to like the area himself, smiling as he eyed the gazania flowers laid out from his left.
Watari couldn't help but not even bother thinking about the aesthetics of the area. Instead, his mind was solely focused on Wakana.
Because, honestly, she would be entranced at the sight of these flowers.
The detective sighed to himself, walking around the area with Masako and Shinjimae. He could see how even Saki was amused at the sight of the flowers, Shinjimae making noises to speak to her.
Saki's his only friend now, huh.
Watari's mind couldn't help but slip back to what Blanchard told him, but he honestly couldn't find it in him to apologize- it wasn't right to him, and he knew he wouldn't sound genuine if he did. If anything, the detective believed it wasn't a big deal. He honestly couldn't care less if Shinjimae wasn't going to speak to him any longer.
Even if Shinjimae was the one who tried to befriend Watari and understand him in the first place.
Watari never wanted to befriend anyone in the first place. Forming relationships with people and presenting himself as sympathetic to people is something he never wanted to do. He didn't believe that people were of any worth in his personal agenda, after all.
While walking around the garden for a while, Watari found himself noticing another group investigating the area. It seemed like Masako had already reached them, her greeting the group with a polite bow. Watari eyed Shinjimae and Saki who walked ahead to greet them, at least slightly, and so the detective headed over to talk to the group.
"Hello again, Master Watari." Blanchard greeted the detective with a courteous bow. "How is the investigation going so far?"
Watari eyed the butler for a moment before shrugging smugly. "Nothing special to note of. We just investigated the swimming pool and hot springs."
Blanchard nodded, then turning to eye the flowers. "I very much do enjoy looking at flowers. They're quite symbolic of our emotions and life."
The detective's expression gloomed. "Yeah…"
"It does remind me of Master Wakana." Blanchard eyed Watari who didn't speak on the topic. The butler sighed as he looked at the different array of flowers. "If she was here, I would love to ask her to accompany me to the garden here more often than not. She would share my sentiment on flowers, after all."
"You seem to love flowers a lot then," the detective dryly stated, shrugging. "It's quite cute, given your monstrous height."
Blanchard nodded. "I have been given the role of a white violet during my time in my home."
"The cult, you mean." Viorel was slightly disgusted. "I'm still surprised that you're a bit proud over being in the cult."
"Ah, but that is because I did meet you despite what tasks the people there have given us." Blanchard sighed, turning to Watari. "You see, Viorel here was given a purple poinsettia as his role."
"Yeah, I know, it's rare and that's why it surprises you." Viorel shrugged. "It's nothing special to worry about."
"It is an artificial flower that belongs only back at the organization, yes." Blanchard nodded slowly. "It is nonetheless something that intrigues me though."
"Artificial flowers are pretty, I do admit," Viorel began, "However, white-purple violets are my favorite in particular."
"That is the same as me." Blanchard chuckled, eyeing Watari. "As you can see, Master Watari, we do have a particular interest in flowers."
"I mean…" Watari shrugged. "I don't really care about flowers and the like, but sure. I'm more interested in your cult though. They sound quite extravagant."
Viorel raised a brow. "Probably for another time. Hearing Blanc here talk about flowers is making me tired."
The detective snickered. "Sooner or later then~"
"T-Tomoyo, you should go c-check the hot springs out," Masako began, speaking happily to Tomoyo, "I-it looks so pretty."
The screenwriter chuckled at the survivalist's excitement. "Geez, don't tell me you haven't been to one before too."
Masako sheepishly laughed. "Mm, h-haven't been to one before."
"Haha, really?" Tomoyo smiled at her friend. "Don't worry! We're going to test it out later anyways."
Blanchard eyed the pair of women with a smile, then turning to Shinjimae. "How are you, Master Shinji?"
Shinjimae's eyes widened, and he quickly averted his gaze. "I-I'm fine…"
"Are you sure?" Blanchard asked, worried. "If you prefer, Viorel and I will brew up some tea or coffee to brighten your mood."
"N-no, I'm fine." The animal whisperer clutched tightly onto his shirt. "P-please leave me alone."
The butler watched Shinjimae who began distancing himself away, heading to an area of his own with Saki. Blanchard couldn't help but sigh as he eyed Watari. "He is avoiding confrontation, Master Watari?"
Watari frowned. "It's not my problem."
Kyatchi immediately jumped at Watari, grabbing the detective's shoulders mockingly. "What, the poor little detective feels lost that the furry boy decided to divorce you?"
The detective sighed, shaking his head. "No, on the contrary. I'm not bothered by anything, dear."
"Boo." Kyatchi pouted. "That's sad."
Tomoyo looked over at Watari worriedly, but said nothing. She turned and eyed Blanchard. "We should go. I think we're distracting them."
"Ah, right." Blanchard bowed to the detective and his group. "I suppose we will see you all later."
Watari dryly hummed, "Uhuh."
Masako waved at Tomoyo shyly. "I-I'll you soon."
"Mhm!" Tomoyo waved back at her excitedly, a bit delighted as she made a small skip to her steps. Soon, Blanchard's group left.
"A-anyways," Masako eyed the detective, "I-I think we looked around here enough."
"Yeah…" Watari glanced over to the garden, eyeing its scenery. "The fields should be closeby anyways."
With that thought settled, Watari headed outside with Masako and Shinjimae following suit. The trio went outside the garden and moved downwards, heading over to where they saw fields of sorts.
They were agricultural fields which cultivates corn and wheat and vegetables of all sorts. Long, spacious fields which the trio knew they wouldn't dare cross, seeing it spread from just outside the garden and spanning all the way down to where they saw a shape of the warehouse.
Wouldn't it be easy to hide a corpse there? Then again, wheat and all sorts of crops can easily stick to your clothes.
Watari shoved the thought aside, then eyeing Masako. Seeing her acknowledging gesture, he then led the group over to the warehouse.
The trio took a mile or so before they finally reached the warehouse, seeing its red-painted building in sight. The door was iron and polished, smooth to the touch. Watari frowned as he grabbed the copper handle, turning the door slowly, creaking it open.
There was a lightbulb which hung above, acting as the light source inside the darkness of the room. It seemed to have been enough, strangely, for upon opening the door, the lightbulb had already shone throughout the room without the need for sunlight.
"Oh, hey there!"
Watari looked ahead, finding Misaki's group to be seen. Akio and Yume were on their own, investigating the area. Misaki, on the other hand, seemed to be focused on eyeing the boxes above the iron shelves.
Like a typical warehouse, there were boxes everywhere lined up on iron shelves and phlights. There were a few tractors to be seen all the way down from the entrance, but other than that everything was covered in boxes and shelves. Iron-made and movable ladders hung above from each shelf, making certain that anyone can access what was in the boxes.
"There seems to be a lot of things here," Watari mused, observing the area. He then turned to the surgeon, asking, "Have you found anything special yet?"
Misaki shook her head. "Blaise and Yume have been checking the area since we got here, and so far they found nothing but either empty boxes, or broken machinery parts. I did find out that the boxes on top of the shelves had tools, planks, and bug spray though."
"Really?" Watari frowned. "Wouldn't you think that we should remove those then? People can use them to kill, dear."
"Ack, that was what I was currently thinking." Misaki laughed nervously, scratching her head. "We could take those boxes and hide it somewhere, but the boxes are really heavy and I'm not sure if Monokuma would allow it."
Watari shrugged, eyeing the boxes above with slight interest. "Well, Misa dear, we can probably ask Blanchard and Viorel to help throw the boxes into the dumpster or something. The butler's quite tall."
"Saying 'quite' makes it sound like their height isn't that beastly." Misaki chuckled, however sudden excitement went into her eyes. "That's why I want to get some DNA out from them! They're eccentric!"
Watari deadpanned. "Oh geez."
Akio walked back to where Misaki and the others stood, sighing as he wiped a few sweatdrops from his forehead. "Sorry, I couldn't find anything from my side. I think only the top boxes had stuff inside of them that we should be concerned about."
"Hm, alright." Misaki then turned to Yume and began yelling. "How about you? Did you find anything yet?!"
Yume's shoulders immediately slouched. She looked at Misaki from where she stood before sluggishly walking over to her, stating in her usual monotone voice, "No."
"That sucks." Misaki scratched her head. "Well, at least we saved your group a lot of time, Ari."
Watari chuckled at this, amused. "Well, you're a dear then."
"Have you guys checked all the places out yet?" Akio asked, curious. "I think we spent this whole time investigating this area."
"A-at least you found something," Masako said, smiling at the actor in reference to the boxes above.
"I guess." Akio shrugged. "I'm guessing you checked all the places out then."
"Y-yes." The survivalist nodded. "T-this is the last place we have to investigate."
"I knew the other groups would finish before us," Yume mumbled, slightly groaning in bemusement. "We took two hours in here, minimum."
"I doubt we took two hours," Akio mused, chuckling slightly. He seemed to be doubting himself on that though.
"Don't worry about it!" Misaki immediately pumped her fist out. "We'll quickly search the other places before returning back! Besides, I want to go to the hot springs with Tomoyo and Masako as soon as possible!"
Masako laughed at this, becoming red. "D-don't rush yourself though."
Misaki threw her a toothy grin, then grabbed Akio's and Yume's hands. She dragged the surprised duo with her over the door and immediately left.
Silence rang in.
Masako awkwardly looked over to the detective. "Uh, I-I guess we searched all the places? S-should we go back?"
Watari shrugged. "I suppose that's our only choice. There's nothing else to investigate anyways, dear."
"A-alright then." The woman smiled softly. "I-I'll go rest in my room then."
The detective nodded. "Mhm, sure."
He watched Masako who left the building. He noticed Shinjimae and Saki who immediately went out after the woman. As expected, Shinjimae refused to speak to him.
Watari released an audible sigh. He frowned slightly as he heard his voice echoing in the empty building. He hated how it resonated.
The detective decided to leave himself. He walked towards the door and opened it, then taking a moment to think to himself before leaving, closing the door behind him. There, he headed back straight to where the main building was and walked inside, back into the hallways and towards a particular place.
He needed to investigate further in the library.
The raven walked towards the library and went inside, pleased to see no one in sight. He easily made himself comfortable as he headed inside and began looking through the shelves in search for any books he hasn't read yet.
He grabbed a few which he saw of particular interest- one being a romance, another being a simple history textbook, and a horror. He then headed to the chair and beginning to invest hours in reading and searching for any clues.
The romance one wasn't anything special to Watari, in all honesty. He wasn't particularly someone who loved reading romance novels, and he found no use in the romance story. The story simply told him about a woman who was kidnapped and a man who had to save her, particularly by joining the kidnapper's group. In the end, it was another cliched, almost overrated ending.
The history textbook seemed to serve of no interest, though Watari still noted a few things in his head. There were a few conspiracy theories which were laid out in the book, particularly one regarding the usual aliens theory, the idea of alternate universes, etc. He found them quite silly, in all honesty, though he found it strange the textbook decided to mention such concepts.
The horror story was another thing which Watari believed may be of use. It was a story where kids murdered their families as a way to showcase their dominance and assert their revenge. These kids began to murder only their families, but slowly they became crazy and began destroying everything around them. A classic story of tragedy and hatred.
Watari sighed, stretching his body. He looked around the room and frowned, noting how much time must've passed by. He reached into his MonoPad and opened it up, then seeing the group chatroom active.
[Chatroom: (Group Chatroom)
(More on top…)
Blanchard: Dinner has been cooked. Please come over to the cafeteria. (06:29 PM)
Misaki: Nice! I was getting hungry! (06:29 PM)
Akio: I'll head over right now. (06:30 PM)
Kyatchi: Lol, I wonder what we are going to eat. (06:31 PM)
Masako: Uh, I'll head over too! (06:33 PM)
Watari: (Type here…)]
Watari sighed. He initially decided on not going, however his stomach growled the moment he wanted to slouch in his seat. He frowned, forfeiting the idea and deciding to head over to the cafeteria.
He headed inside, finding everyone (except for Ayako) in sight, grabbing their food and already eating. Watari noticed Blanchard giving him a kind bow. The detective rolled his eyes as he took his seat, grabbing some salad, rice, and teriyaki salmon pieces before eating.
"So, anyways, like I was saying, I think dark chocolate is better than milk chocolate." Akio grinned as he eyed the look on Tomoyo's face. "What, don't judge me. I kinda like bitter things."
Kyatchi smirked. "You know what else is bitter?"
Yume groaned, feeling the urge to jab at the juggler's side. "Fucking, no."
"I mean, I just like any type of chocolate." Tomoyo awkwardly laughed, eyeing Akio who continued to tease her with his grin. "Dark chocolate's bitter, but dark chocolate usually has much more cocoa than other types of chocolate."
"I-I mean, milk chocolate is mainly filled with butter instead of cocoa," Masako admitted, smiling.
"The fuck." Kyatchi's eyes widened. "Wait, really? Have I been living a lie this whole time? Fucking Hershey's and Kisses, I tell you!"
Yume couldn't help but deadpan, unable to stop herself from slapping her face. "Why are we talking about chocolate anyways?"
"Because Tomoyo told us she loves chocolate!" Misaki announced, surprising Tomoyo who immediately turned beet red.
And, like that, the group seemed quite happy with themselves. This blissful ignorance was definitely needed, especially in a setting where death is on the brink of everyone's faces. Conversing about chocolate, hobbies, and the like- it was definitely an atmosphere that should be lighthearted and fun.
Within time, everyone had finished their food and left the area. Shinjimae and Saki immediately went back to their room, Tomoyo and her friends decided to go to the hot springs and relax, Akio decided to help out Decebel, Kyatchi told the group that he'd do whatever, Yume disappeared (like always), and so everyone went to do their own thing again.
Watari had decided to rest for a bit (and take a shower because, hell, he will not let himself feel like he's been covered in saliva any longer) before the announcement sounded.
"Alright, kiddies, it's time to sleep… Jesus Christ I'm tired…"
The detective decided not to bother questioning why Monokuma sounded like he went to rave a party. If anything, he assumed Monokuma had overworked himself or whatnot.
With that however, the nighttime announcement had sounded, and everyone should be heading over to their rooms to sleep.
The detective eyed his MonoPad and read Akio's message over again. He sighed and moved, heading back outside. He wasn't sure where exactly Akio wanted him go to, and so he decided to stay outside, waiting as he sat down on the soft, beautifully trimmed grass.
The raven looked up at the night sky.
The moon was above. It was a clear night, the moon shining down upon the detective as if greeting him with a kind wave. The stars above were bright and shining, making the night sky perfect despite the blandness of the blackness which painted the entire sight.
He hasn't seen the night sky in a while either. If not the daylight, then the night. Honestly, looking up at the night sky almost entranced him. He wanted to stargaze above and look up without worrying about anything else. It was a beautiful sight, and he'd love to be alone by himself.
The detective noticed the glass door opening. He looked over to find Akio, walking over towards him with a small wave. Watari nodded back in return, deciding to stand up.
"Are we going to stay out here, or should we go into the warehouse?" Watari asked, frowning. "You look like you don't want anyone to see us."
"I mean, I rather not have anyone see us since we'd look suspicious, but…" Akio looked up at the night sky. He smiled softly before looking back to Watari. "I think we'll be fine here."
Watari stared at the actor for a moment, then shrugging and sitting back down. "Whatever you prefer then. Let's make this quick, alright?"
Akio nodded, taking a seat down. He bit into his lips for a second before slowly speaking, softly saying, "I think I owe you an apology."
Watari scoffed. "What's with the sudden change?"
"I guess you can say Tomoyo and Decebel helped me with that." Akio sighed. "I think I've been treating you too harshly since the start. I never liked you since we first met, you know?"
"In the library? Dear, I am very much aware of that." The detective chuckled. "You tend to hate anyone who mocks you."
Akio glanced at the detective for a moment, then shaking his head. "I think we've met before that."
Watari frowned. He turned to eye the actor. "What?"
The actor sighed, looking up at the night sky. "Do you remember the incident I talked you about before?"
"I thought you only heard about it, last time I've been told." Watari glared at the actor. "Why are you bringing up that case again?"
"I'm not here to pry information off from you." Akio raised a hand, making sure Watari wouldn't disrupt him. "I just want to clear that up. You were talking to someone at that time that my friend and I wanted to talk to you."
Watari eyed the actor for a moment, then cupping his chin. "Well… do you know who I was talking to? Dear, I do not remember anything."
"Someone blind. He was holding a cane in order to move around and find things."
Watari's eyes widened. He looked at the actor for a moment, then smirking. "I think I might remember now."
"Yeah?" Akio raised a brow. "Who was that person anyways?"
"It's not of great importance." The detective chuckled. "Anyways, I think I remember now. You were the person who tried to threaten me about bringing the case back up. We had just shutted the case down that time."
Akio nodded slowly. "Yeah. My boss had to stop me since I could've ruined my chances at a main cast role for a movie."
"Nonetheless your career."
The brunette spoke slowly, "That too. I was pissed since you guys took the death of my close friend as nothing."
"It's fine." Watari chuckled. "It's not like I'm bothered if you wanted to kill me. I did allow my executives to make me drop the case."
Akio shook his head. "Still, I owe you an apology. I haven't been treating you fairly ever since we met here."
"No one treats one another fairly," the detective mused. "Don't worry about such little things, dear."
Akio frowned. "I mean, I still don't like the way you're handling things, but I do appreciate you trying to help us."
"I haven't helped anyone." Watari crossed his arms. "If anything, the only thing I've been and will willingly be is a nuisance."
The actor's expression hardened as he took a look at the detective. "... I don't like how you've been treating the others and I still think you're an asshole, but I feel like you being a traitor is you being good."
"So what?" Watari grinned. "You want to be a traitor too?"
"No, that's silly." The brunette nervously laughed. "I just want to know what you think. How to handle Ayako, moving onward… you know."
The detective raised a brow. "I'm assuming you want to take responsibility for the others then."
"Not exactly. I think everyone feels that way, especially Misaki." The actor sighed, scratching his head. "Hitomu really wanted us to get out of here and escape, and one thing I learned from him while watching him is that he never tried to ostracize the others."
"So, you want to ask about Ayako." Watari frowned. "I mean, I think you feel like she deserves her seclusion from everyone."
"... Okay, yeah, that's what I feel, but I'm talking to you personally for a reason." Akio averted his gaze. "I think it's better if we try to understand each other more. I hate her, yeah, but I want to understand her too at least."
"Just tell her what you feel." Watari eyed Akio with a stern gaze. "It is in human nature to be stupid and selfish. Humanity is nothing more than deserving of death, war, and crime."
Watari stood up from his seat, eyeing the actor. He couldn't help but grin, finding himself speaking more from his heart than he expected, "If humanity can escape from their personas and embrace their selfishness and stop acting all high and mighty, then humanity can be worth something."
The detective suddenly pointed at Akio, surprising the taller man. "You will never be able to understand yourself nor anyone else. That's a fact."
Akio frowned. "Watari-"
"Self-actualization is a trait where one understands them fully, but that does not mean they are accepting their 'positive' traits." The detective's expression gloomed. "In order to understand yourself or the world around you at least slightly better than you already do, you need to embrace the fact that you are selfish and want nothing more than to achieve your own personal agenda."
The actor was silent. He was eyeing the detective in shock.
"You hate Ayako, then tell that to her. Announce right in her face. If she cries, then let her cry." Watari frowned, staring at the man. "You want to understand her better, right? Than yell at her and have her yell back at you. Ignoring the problems around you is just playing ignorance."
Akio was completely taken aback.
Watari sighed, noting the silence beginning to come in the area. He wasn't surprised to see the actor eyeing him in a trance of sorts. "Anyways, is that all you wanted to ask from me?"
"Y-yes." Akio found himself unable to keep his composure. "Uh, that's basically all I wanted to ask."
"Really?" Watari eyed the man.
"Yeah." Akio averted his gaze. He was silent for a moment before looking back at the detective and smiling softly. "Thanks for that."
"It's nothing, really. Simple words." Watari shrugged. He began walking away from the actor. "I'll go head back now. Sleep is very much appreciated from me."
And so, Watari went back into the school building and headed straight where his room was.
He went inside, unaware of how much his own words should've resonated with him.
... And that's it for this chapter! As always, I don't really have much to say other than life is trying to ruin my Internet life XD Anyways, there's nothing much to note on for now, so I'll see you all next time!