Danganronpa: Act of Despair (SYOC CLOSED)

by RioA

The world's painted in such beautiful colors. The world had been painted meticulously, every single corner tended to with care. However, with such beautiful colors, there lies a dark layer of hatred underneath... Tragedy vows to taint the world in nothing more than a single, bland, dull color. (SYOC CLOSED)

25. Chapter 3 - Part 1, Part E

Hello, and I am finally here with another chapter for this story! I'm sorry if this chapter took a while to get out. I was a bit busy this week, but I'm happy I managed to get this chapter out! Anyways, not much to say as always, so let's get the show started!

Prince PokePersona: "New chapter is always awesome! Hehe, of course, everyone always wants to wonder who dies and who doesn't. Watari and Shinji, yes. I love cute relationships, haha. Tomoyo's too sweet for her own good. Kyatchi is the best, of course, of course. He's a real one, that boy. The characters here are scary. Poor Decebel with the scars. Pfft, Black Butler. I used to watch that. Poor Yume, we must give her love! Watari is a sleepy boi, yes. Chapter 3 cases suck, help me, Sona. Aww, thanks! Yes, of course I'll give you the plug~"

Guest: "7.8/10 too much water - IGN"

Meta King: "Nah, you good. I can tell it's you anyways~ Save Yume from the world."

Lupus Overkill: "Ack, another long review, but yes, of course. Well, if you can, oof. Watari's an interesting boyo, and Tadaomi's a great idol, totally. Follow the pathway to darkness please. Don't you love routine? Watari's a weird boy and Shinji is a good boy! Yes, we must make sure Ayako's fine. He's a suspicious one, isn't he. Yes, be suspicious of everything. Everything is suspicious. Poor Tomoyo, the relationship is too sour. People are too nice, and too weird. Yume's a good girl, yes. Please protect her. Yes, keep that trio happy and safe. Kyatchi's the cynical boy, so yes he will be disgusted towards the optimism. He's a good boy, definitely. Yes, definitely. Swimming is great, someone should teach me. Shinji's a cute person. Haha, how does one swim? Decebel needs help. Masako's a good girl, yes, totally not suspicious. Free time events, yay! Yes, of course, suspicious things are suspicious. Hehe, oh shit you noted it. Haha, suspicions are suspicious. Aaah, reviews. You torment me ):"

---

"Woah, you ended up puking again. I thought you said that you were going to be stronger now?"

"Yeah, I know… I'm sorry…"

"Don't apologize. I know you can't help it. You just suddenly took up this job and you're still young, kid."

"It's okay… I-I'm fine now. I'll help out with investigating the scene of the crime."

"I don't mind if you take a break for a bit. I know you're feeling a bit sick right now. I know this is serious, but I don't want to cause one of my own men to stress out so much. It's not good for your health."

"I'm fine. Don't worry about it."

"No, are you sure? I don't want to push you or anything."

"Yeah… I'm sure. Please don't worry about me."

---

Watari heard a knocking on the door. It had been a few minutes since the morning announcement rang, and a few minutes after he had washed himself up and changed his clothes. He was now currently looking through the MonoPad to check what was in the chatrooms- the group chatroom was the same, chaotic with mainly Kyatchi teasing Akio; Shinjimae asking Watari about his morning; Akio being strangely friendly to him; and et cetera and et cetera.

The door was knocking, and he walked over to open it. He found himself staring at Shinjimae and Tomoyo. A small smirk arose to his face- the animal whisperer and screenwriter were adamant on talking to him. It was cute, to an extent, but it was annoying as well- of course, especially because Decebel and Akio and the others were also trying to reach out to him.

Watari eyed the duo before pointing finger guns at them, chuckling. "Nice to see you. Surprised Shinji and Saki are with you today though, Moe."

"Ah, I ran into him when I was walking to your door." Tomoyo crossed her arms. She looked into Watari's eyes for a moment, then clearing her throat and asking, "So, you do know we have today left to… you know, kill your target, right?"

"Yeah." Watari eyed the woman amusingly. "I'm surprised you wanted to bring it up. No one seems to care, after all."

"I, uh, I-I think they just don't want to, erm… well, ruin the mood," Shinjimae murmured, awkwardly smiling at the detective. "E-Everyone seems to worry more about e-each other, so…"

"But this is the last day," Tomoyo retorted, eyeing the animal whisperer.

"I-I know… but…" Shinjimae looked over to Saki and held her tightly. "M-maybe someone's doing something?"

"You're quite optimistic. Cute." Watari chuckled. He crossed his arms and observed the screenwriter, noting her obvious worried and nervous expression. "So, why are you asking me about this? If anything, shouldn't you be talking to Misa and Masako about this?"

"Well…" Tomoyo was silent for a moment, hands tapping against her hips. She was obviously in her train of thought, lips slightly pursed. "It's the last day, and I admit I have been ignoring about this till now. I don't exactly know anyone else who is willing or doing something about this, and… Okay, well, I think you're the most viable option if I wanted to get a second thought that's concerning the killing game."

Hm, so Kyatchi and Yume haven't told anyone about what they did yet. I feel like someone will figure this out sooner or later though. Then again, he figured, Yume didn't mind telling him about what she orchestrated with the juggler. The detective, having concluded this, cleared his throat and began, "Well, dearie, I'm surprised you even want to talk to me. I'm not that nice to you."

Tomoyo averted her gaze. "I know, but… I know you want to help us."

This again? Watari forced back the urge to grimace. Instead, he simply smirked at the woman and continued with, "Sweetheart, please, you're delusioning yourself."

The screenwriter was hurt, but shook her head and kept her ground. She knew Shinjimae was looking at them in worry, and she knew better than to allow her emotions to control her. She simply cleared her throat and said, "Well, nonetheless, I want your input."

Watari thought for a moment. He noticed Shinjimae who was eyeing him expectantly, then to Tomoyo. He chuckled. "Alright then. What do you want?"

Tomoyo balled her hands. "I want to know if there's any way you can convince or stop Monokuma from killing us. If not, I want to know what you think about reminding everyone else about the motive and seeing if we should unite everyone in order to make a plan."

Watari's eyes slightly widened at this, and he couldn't help but cup his chin and ponder. He never really thought about it, to be honest, but at the same time he was more concerned over the killing game as a whole, not the motive. He glanced over to Shinjimae who threw him a comforting smile, then to Saki who was nuzzling herself against her owner. He pursed his lips and looked back to Tomoyo.

"I'll remind you this though," and he raised a finger, "I could easily lie to you and I'm nothing more than Monokuma's helper, not what your optimistic brain thinks. Would you really trust me?"

Tomoyo nodded her head immediately. "You're the only one who'd mention this killing game since the start of it all."

The raven smirked dryly. "And the one who's mistreated you."

And never apologized to, but Watari knew best not to get himself involved in that at the moment- apologizing was presently, and seemingly will still be, a sign of weakness to him.

"That's fine." He knew the screenwriter's expression was between slight unease and disgust, but she hid it well. "I just want to know what you think before I take the initiative. I just want to hear what you think, honestly."

The detective sighed, rubbing his hands together. He supposed he could entertain the woman for a bit, pointing to her in a slightly childish manner before saying, "Monokuma may have allowed me into his little bubble, but he's not dumb. I may know things you guys don't know, but, honey, he's not dumb enough to shove everything into my face."

"... I see." The woman nodded her head slowly. "Then, what do you think about reminding everyone about the motive and trying to work out a plan with them?"

Watari frowned. "Well, I want to ask you this- do you trust all of them?"

Tomoyo frowned in return. "What? Do I trust them?"

The detective chuckled, leaning himself against the wall. He noticed and threw Shinjimae a wink before continuing to focus on the woman. "I know you were close to Kiyoko, so, let me ask you this- are you willing to completely and utterly trust Ayako and Decebel? I know Aki allowed them back into his bubble, but what can be said of you?"

The woman was silent, her mouth slightly opened in an attempt to find the words to say.

"I see." The raven's lips curved to a small smirk. "Okay, then let me phrase it differently- do you believe that people like Shinji can kill someone?"

"Shinji?" Tomoyo's eyes widened. "I… I mean, I want to say that anyone could kill, but I find it hard imagining Shinji as a killer."

Watari chuckled as he waved at Shinjimae, the animal whisperer smiling awkwardly. "Okay, then how about this- do you believe someone like Ayako has the nerves to kill someone? Or, let's downplay that- do you believe Ayako's the type of person who would try to steal the spotlight in a fashion gig or hoard something of high interest?"

Tomoyo gulped. "Well, given the past trials… I have to say yes."

"Then, you don't trust her." The detective clapped his hands together. "So, who do you trust enough to help you formulate a plan against Monokuma? Anyone other than her and Decebel?"

"But, even then…" The woman held her breath. "I still want to give them a chance. It's not good if we outcast them."

"Then you don't need my advice." Watari threw the woman an amused look, lips curled. "I get gauging for my behaviors is something in your head at the moment, but you really need to plan this better."

"I wasn't doing anything like that though," Tomoyo gasped, shocked. "I just wanted your advice."

"Really now?" Watari eyed the woman suspiciously, but sighed and crossed his arms. "Well, just do what you believe is best- that's what Aki's doing, Decebel's doing- hell, even Kyatchi's doing the same thing. You shouldn't feel the need to talk to me."

The woman bit into her lips. "... But, still, are you going to ask Monokuma about giving us more time?"

Watari was silent.

Should I? I feel like I'd just be appealing to everyone's good side if I ask, and I know either Monokuma or Tomoyo here will announce that I did it. If not, then everyone would be able to assume that it was because of me, and I don't want to look too friendly in front of them…

"Well, who knows?" Watari grinned as he stepped outside. "Come on now, we should head over to the cafeteria. We're going to make everyone worried sick."

The detective quickly took the initiative to leave, and he could hear Shinjimae and Saki comforting Tomoyo. Watari paid it no mind, and walked over to the cafeteria. The door to the cafeteria was already opened, and so everyone easily pointed out to the trio as they headed inside and took their seats.

"Tomoyo!" Misaki immediately threw an arm around her friend's shoulder and pulled her to her side. "Geez, you took forever to get here!"

Masako smiled and happily nudged the screenwriter. "I-it's suspicious, hehe."

"It's not!" Tomoyo immediately became red as she noticed her friends' gazes to Watari. "You two tease me too much sometimes, you know?"

Shinjimae grabbed ahold of his grilled fish and smiled as he ate. He even fed some to Saki whose tail wagged from side to side.

Watari grabbed ahold of a rice bowl and poured a sunny side up egg over it. He sighed as he mixed the rice and egg together, then looking for the parsley and whatnot. He noticed Kyatchi who was murmuring something to Yume, then the juggler looking over to him and smirking.

"Yo," the juggler greeted. "Yume told you about yesterday?"

"Mhm." Watari bit into his food halfheartedly. "If you're planning to hide potential murder weapons, you should just barricade every place here."

"Hmm, good point." Kyatchi frowned. "Anyways, since it's the last day, I'm going to wait for someone to kill me. Better than no one, right? No one's doing jack shit."

"Yeah…" Watari glanced over to Tomoyo who threw him a look, then looking away and sighing. "But you don't know who's going to kill you. How would they know you're giving yourself away?"

Kyatchi laughed. "I'm already seeking death, so they should get the hint already. I'm going to be pissed if they don't kill me. They're wasting a good opportunity here."

Watari raised a brow. "Wait, then why did you hide the boxes?"

"Well, I did think that someone was planning to kill, and I thought it'd be best if we all miraculously came up with a plan to save us all." The juggler tugged at his bandannas. "But, that's useless and fucking stupid now that I think about it, so… death for me it is. Hm, maybe I should tape a note over my head that says 'kill me!'?"

"Hm…" Watari cupped his chin. "Has anyone mentioned anything about the motive yet?"

"Pfft, you're stupid." Kyatchi mockingly ruffled the detective's hair. "Everyone's a happy bean. I'm tempted to ruin the mood, but I'm too lazy, y'know?"

Watari deadpanned as he noticed the juggler mocking shrugging his shoulders. He took another look at Tomoyo then, observing her behaviors- she was talking to her friends and eating her food, but it was obvious she seemed on the bridge on both keeping silent and saying something. Hesitation and worry was written across her face, and the detective immediately knew that she was beginning to have second thoughts- was it from embarrassment or awkwardness? He didn't know.

I did do the same thing concerning the murderer theory. Watari sighed. He figured he could take on the lead- nonetheless, he knew discussing the motive would cause people to stare angrily at him. No one liked to discuss murder or death in the slightest, and Watari was one of the few people who didn't mind the daggers thrown at him.

However, before he could do anything, he saw Tomoyo giving him a glance. He noticed the annoyed look in her eyes before she stood up and almost slammed her fists into the table.

"Huh?" Yume whipped her head to the screenwriter. "What the…?"

"Master Tomoyo?" Blanchard's face was that of pure shock and bafflement. "May I ask what is the meaning of this?"

Tomoyo looked at the group for a moment, heaved a deep breath of air, and began slowly, "I know this will dampen the mood, so forgive me for this."

"Heh." Kyatchi smirked. "Wonder what it is."

Tomoyo licked her lower lip and continued. "I want to bring up the topic of the motive and its time limit."

Uneasiness immediately filled the room. Like as Tomoyo said, the mood had dampened without a second to waste. It was an unsteady, heavy air.

"T-Tomoyo!" Masako grabbed at the woman's blouse and tugged on it, nervously laughing. "W-why are you bringing this up? It's…"

"It needs to be brought up," the screenwriter admitted, guilt written in her face. "We have today remaining. I don't want us to just do nothing."

Yume raised a brow. "Why are you bringing it up though?"

Tomoyo's eyes widened. "What?"

"Shouldn't you just tell someone else about this? I don't mean to be rude or anything, but…" Yume sighed, shaking her head. "... Okay, but you're talking to us. We're not that trustworthy."

"Tomoyo." Misaki smiled awkwardly at the screenwriter. "You're really sweet, but you really shouldn't talk about this here."

"What?" Tomoyo was shocked. "Why? We only have today and-"

Akio put a hand up to Tomoyo's proximity. "I thought it was something we all agreed on, but… Look, we decided we'd planned what we would do to who we trust the most. Some of us can't agree on things together, so we all just decided to do what we do and not get in each other's way."

Tomoyo's fists began to clench tighter, body shaking. "What? That's not smart though. Since when have we decided that?"

The actor glanced away. "... No one was talking about it, and the few who do tend to make everyone else uncomfortable, so it's a silent contract sort of thing we thought of this morning."

"Yeah, I guess." Kyatchi snickered, simply amused for no certain reason. "I just do what I want. You guys aren't really that trustworthy to me- well, except for Yume. Shoutout to Yume!"

Yume groaned. "Oh my god."

"What?" The screenwriter almost found herself stumbling, Masako and Misaki eyeing her worriedly. "We never decided on anything like that. You… You guys just don't want to talk about this!"

Misaki quickly tugged at Tomoyo's blouse on her own and egged her to sit down, speaking in a worried tone, "I'm sorry, but it's something we decided on because of Ayako."

Tomoyo's eyes widened. She turned to look at Ayako who immediately looked away and murmured underneath her breath, quietly, "Sorry."

"The topic of death and all that bothered her," the surgeon explained, pursing her lips. "We don't want to make anyone uncomfortable, and it's obvious we all hold our own opinions and different ideas, so… we just decided it was best to keep our own plans to do things to ourselves and whoever we trust. We… we can't talk about it here, okay?"

The screenwriter was baffled, unable to take in what Misaki said. She looked at the surgeon with what looked like betrayal, and her eyes began to tear up. "That… that doesn't make sense at all. I'm sorry, but that just doesn't make any sense."

Shinjimae gulped, immediately noticing the tension in the air. "T-Tomoyo…?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't understand any of this." Tomoyo's body was shaking as she looked over at the group, shaking her head violently. "It's like no one cares."

Masako's face paled. "T-Tomoyo, hey, c-calm down, please."

Tomoyo stepped back, biting hard into her lips. "I didn't want to believe what Kiyoko said at all about us being murderers. Seeing this is making me believe in her more and more, and I seriously don't want to believe that."

Her face then paled, and she quickly turned around and began heading to the door. "I'm sorry, I need to calm down. I'll be back… sorry."

Without anyone even being able to register anything, the screenwriter ran away.

Silence rang throughout the room, and Watari couldn't help but heave a deep breath of air. He could hear everyone murmuring to themselves and the others, and he knew something was obvious- everything would be over in a matter of seconds, and they would be back to their ignorance.

It frustrated him, but he knew- he couldn't allow himself to get emotional. He wasn't supposed to ally himself with Tomoyo, and he knew Masako or Misaki would run to comfort her- they already began to run outside, after all.

They're so stupid though. I can't believe it. Watari chugged down his glass of water and sighed. He then stayed silent, biting into his lips. Maybe I shouldn't have told her to follow her gut… Shit.

Kyatchi nudged at Watari's arm, speaking in a hushed voice, "Was that what you were talking about with Tomoyo? You two and Shinji came here late, after all."

The raven averted his gaze. "... Why didn't you stand up for Tomoyo?"

Kyatchi awkwardly chuckled and looked away. "Er, well, I'll be honest with you- I knew everyone wouldn't listen to her. She would've immediately be shut out- that's what I thought."

Watari frowned. "So, what's up with their stupid plan?"

"Honestly, I don't know at this point." Kyatchi shrugged. "Seems like everyone already accepted the idea of being killed. Apparently, to them, being killed together is better than outing someone out by murdering them. I'm going to try changing that though, hopefully."

Since when do people immediately accept dying over their own selfish lives? Watari gritted his teeth, but forced himself to steady and state dryly, "This group is a fucking mess."

Kyatchi laughed. "Yeah, it is. You could tell Tomoyo's really frustrated right now, and sadly she's the type who cares for everyone- not like you, me, or Yume."

The fucking irony of who cares for people's lives versus others. Watari was disgusted now, and he immediately gulped down his food. He slammed his chopsticks down and stood up, looking over to the group with a slightly more annoyed look than he expected. "I'm done."

"Ah, already?" Blanchard eyed the detective curiously. "Would you care to eat dessert, Master Watari? I have some cake in the fridge."

"I rather not," the detective sneered. He smirked as he noticed the butler giving him a strange look, then easily making his way outside the cafeteria.

He immediately stretched his arms and sighed once he was a few feet away from the group's proximity. He looked around the area for a moment, then hearing his MonoPad buzzing. He frowned and took it out, seeing a message coming from Misaki and Masako.

[Chatroom: (Watari/Misaki)

Misaki: Sorry to bother you. (09:05 AM)

Misaki: But Tomoyo's not opening the door for us. (09:05 AM)

Misaki: I know this might seem like a hassle to you, but can you talk to her for us? (09:05 AM)

Misaki: I feel like she'd talk to you. She doesn't really talk to anyone else other than you. (09:06 AM)

Watari: (Type here…)]

Watari bit into his lips, reading through Misaki's messages. He then looked through Masako's and noticed her conversation having talked about the same thing.

[Chatroom: (Watari/Masako)

Masako: Hello. I was wondering if it alright if you can talk to Tomoyo? (09:09 AM)

Masako: Like Misaki said, she isn't opening her door. (09:10 AM)

Masako: If you don't mind, can you please try to talk to her? Thank you in advance. (09:10 AM)

Watari: (Type here…)]

The detective couldn't help but sigh, scratching his head and turning the device off. He should've realized that Tomoyo wouldn't talk to Masako or Misaki- they were the ones who told her to back off, after all, and they were her closest friends. That obviously would've stung, and Watari wondered if her friends even realized this.

He looked around the area for a moment, then heaving another sigh. He figured he had no choice- he knew he'd be talked down upon if he didn't at least try. With nothing else on his mind either, he decided to head back into the dormitories and zooming straight towards Tomoyo's room.

There, as he walked towards the screenwriter's door, he found Masako and Misaki murmuring to one another. They were obviously worried, their brows furrowed and lips curled down.

Watari waved at the duo, throwing them a playful grin. "Hello~"

"Ari!" Misaki's eyes widened. She immediately grabbed ahold of the detective's hands and pulled him close. "Are you going to talk to her?"

"Well, it's not like I have a choice," he mused, chuckling. "You would've bothered me till I talk to her anyways."

"True, but still." Misaki released her grip on Watari and stepped to the side. "... I feel like she doesn't want to talk to us, so we want to leave things to you."

"S-she's probably mad at us, unfortunately." Masako's face saddened. She then gulped as she followed Misaki, the duo both having took a few steps away. "W-we don't want to bother you and Tomoyo, s-so we wish you luck."

"Just tell us how it goes, alright? We'll head back to Decebel and the others." Misaki threw Watari a small smile, then quickly left with Masako following her tail.

Watari was now left alone. He huffed and scratched his head for a moment, then deciding he had time to spare. He began knocking at the door, tapping his foot on the ground. He waited. Nothing happened.

The detective flipped out his MonoPad and began to type into the device.

[Chatroom: (Watari/Tomoyo)

(More on top…)

Watari: Masako and Misaki are gone if you want to know. (09:13 AM)]

The detective waited for a moment before a message popped up. He looked at it curiously before replying.

[Tomoyo: Why are you telling me? (09:13 AM)

Tomoyo: Wait, are you the one knocking? (09:14 AM)

Watari: Yeah. (09:14 AM)]

He waited for another moment. He looked at the device, noticing another message appearing on screen.

[Tomoyo: I know they're the ones who told you to talk to me. You didn't have to. (09:16 AM)

Tomoyo: You can leave. (09:16 AM)]

Watari frowned.

[Watari: I came all the way here. Don't tell you you don't want to open the door. (09:17 AM)]

That seemed to stir a response, for Watari immediately heard the door click and creaking itself opened, if not slightly. He looked over to find Tomoyo giving him a wary look, silent for a long second before saying in a murmur, "You don't have to be here. I can tell you're annoyed."

"Do I look annoyed?" Watari threw the woman a playful smile, but quickly tossed that facade aside and instead pursed his lips. "Well, since you finally unlocked the door, I can talk to you."

"You don't have to," Tomoyo said, immediately shutting the detective down. Watari noticed that her eyes were slightly red. "I'm fine."

The detective sighed. "Well, even if you say that, you do know that your friends won't let this go. You don't exactly look the healthiest right now, mentally."

Tomoyo shook her head. "I'm fine though."

The detective frowned, immediately recognizing the stubbornness in the woman's tone of voice. "Yeah, but you couldn't tell that to Masako and Misaki in the face, now could you."

Tomoyo averted her gaze, face flushed. "... I'm fine though. Please don't worry about it."

"I'm not." Watari raised a brow. "But, everyone else is."

The woman pursed her lips, expression beginning to harden. "I said I'm fine. I'm sure everyone else will understand that it's nothing to worry about."

Watari found himself feeling slightly annoyed. He crossed his arms dryly, nose scrunched. "And if you really were fine, you wouldn't have run off like that."

Tomoyo's eyebrows furrowed and she immediately stepped forward. "I'm fine! It's not like you would understand anyways! I-"

She stopped and threw her hands over her mouth.

"Yeah?" Watari's tone immediately dropped into a dead, almost emotionless voice. "Well, you're right. I don't understand anything."

Tomoyo pursed her lips. "I didn't mean to say that."

"You're supposed to hate me anyways," the detective replied. "If you really hated me, then you shouldn't have talked to me."

"I don't hate you," the woman immediately cried. "I'm just having a bad day right now. Everything's just stacking up on me and I…"

… Shit. That was mainly my fault. Watari couldn't help but eye the woman worriedly, and although he knew she was a stubborn person, he just couldn't help himself but say, "Look, nothing's your fault. I'm here for a reason."

Tomoyo shook her head. "That's not right though. Blaming you won't solve anything."

"I know you hold negative feelings about me, so stop lying to yourself." The detective stared at the woman firmly, harsh in his gaze. "You need to be honest and stop trying to care for everyone else around you. There's a reason why I'm the outcast- I'm supposed to be hated on."

"... That's not right." The woman averted her gaze. "Watari, look, I don't hate you, so you need to stop saying that. I'm not going to listen to you."

Watari shook his head. "You need to be honest though. There's a reason why Akio was able to pull back Ayako in- it was because he was honest. You need to do the same thing."

Tomoyo bit into her lips. "Why are you telling me this?"

"... It was my fault," Watari began, slightly red from embarrassment, "I was the one who told you to follow your instinct instead of telling you not to, so… That's my fault."

Tomoyo's eyes widened. "Watari…"

"... the other times as well. I'm… sorry."

The detective looked at the woman for a moment. He noticed the shock on her face and he quickly began clearing his throat and saying, "Anyways, I still don't trust you and the others with anything, so don't take my word that much."

Tomoyo thought for a moment, then speaking, "Hey, Watari, can I ask you something?"

The detective raised a brow. "Hm? What's wrong?"

"... I'm not sure if this will offend you, but…" Tomoyo awkwardly rubbed her fingers together. "You're actually nicer than you think."

Watari glanced at the woman for a second, then sighing and saying, "I'm not. If your friends didn't tell me to come here, I wouldn't come here."

Tomoyo nodded her head slowly. "... Why don't you trust people though? You always try to be the lone wolf."

"I don't like humanity. They're selfish." The detective frowned. "Why do you need to ask?"

Tomoyo gave him a look of complete disbelief, hesitant to believe him. She said nothing about it however, and instead simply said, "What're you going to do now?"

Watari smirked. "Am I supposed to tell you?"

The screenwriter softly smiled. "I guess not."

Well, as long as she doesn't know everything about my plan, I guess it's fine to be more open around her. It won't really hinder anything… definitely not. I will never allow that to happen.

He was continuing to second guess himself and convince himself that nothing was wrong. He continued to believe that he was fine, but it was obvious his own plans from before were beginning to crumble, and he didn't know what to do. Acting friendly, acting useful, acting nice- he wasn't sure exactly on what he was supposed to do. All he knew was to continue looking for clues, and to make sure nobody would figure out what he knows.

The detective chuckled and eyed the woman. "Of course not. Now, you probably should go talk to Masako and Misaki- they're definitely worried about you."

"I know." Tomoyo rolled her eyes, slightly flustered. "I'll go talk to them now."

Watari watched Tomoyo who opened the door and stepped outside. She closed it behind her and gave the detective a nod before leaving.

The raven sighed once she left his sight.

Hm, let's see… what should I do now… Watari cupped his chin and pondered. Maybe it's best if I see what everyone's up to… though…

The detective then recalled what the screenwriter said about Monokuma. He bit into his lips, looking over to where he hid his MonoPad. Unintentionally, his lips pursed themselves.

He thought about what Tomoyo had said about everyone, and then he remembered what Kyatchi and Yume were doing. He recalled back to everything- Wakana's death, Kiyoko's execution, Hitomu and his cats' deaths, Keishi's… He remembered how frustrated Akio was during the trial and how Tomoyo felt obliged to slap him. He remembered how Shinjimae broke down and how Kyatchi had lost the chance to apologize to Hitomu. He remembered everything.

Did he want to see that again? Did he really wanted to see that again? To see people dying because he couldn't do anything? To see people dying because he couldn't pry anything off of Monokuma?

Even if he despised everyone, they were trying. Akio was an advocate for stopping the killing game after Hitomu, and even then people such as Tomoyo and even Decebel were willing to change or do something. Just about everyone seemed to change, and yet what frustrated him was the fact that they were apathetic.

If Yume was the nihilist, then it was strange to think she was more 'normal' than everyone else. The critics were the ones who wanted to save everyone, and the optimists were those who wanted death- there was something wrong in that statement there, and Watari honestly couldn't help but pinpoint everyone to be a killer.

He didn't remember anything about crimes relating to anyone in the game. As a detective, he was knowledgeable on all sorts of crimes and was supposed to know much about people. He knew who Akio was at the start of the killing game, and he knew who Wakana was, who Kiyoko was, who everyone was- and yet, when Monokuma told him they could be murderers, especially Akio, he didn't remember a single thing concerning the topic.

"If you don't remember, then that's fine. Just take my word for it. Everyone, even you, Watari, are murderers."

"... So, not only Aki?"

"Aki's the one who seems to hate you the most, so I was saying that you should call him out. It depends on everyone else to hold your word for it and come to the same conclusion I had claimed right now."

Of course, Monokuma could be lying, but given everyone's behaviors, Watari was inclined to believe him. The detective had seen how people reacted when a loved one died- they grieve, they sob, they mourn. Even the people who witnessed a stranger's death would express trauma, shock, anxiety; just about anything, honestly. This, right here, is not normal.

Alright, I need to think more about this. Watari cupped his hands together and held them close to his chest. He thought to himself about someone dear to him- Tadaomi. After a while of silence, he dropped his hands and steadied himself.

He grabbed ahold of his device and began tapping onto one of the chatrooms. A moment passed before he slowly began to type, clicking on each key before silently pressing the 'Send' button. A moment passed before he heard a sound.

[Chatroom: (Watari/Monokuma)

(More on top…)

Watari: Is there any way you could extend the deadline for the motive? (10:08 AM)

Monokuma: Oh my. Why're you asking? (10:10 AM)]

Watari knew it could go either way, but he continued and typed.

[Watari: Don't you have security cameras or the like to monitor me? I feel like you already know. (10:11 AM)

Monokuma: Pfft, okay, you got me. (10:11 AM)

Monokuma: So, sudden change of heart. Did Shinji influence you? (10:12 AM)

Monokuma: Or was it because you let your guard down? (10:12 AM)

Monokuma: It's sad to see that everyone these days tend to soften around other people. No wonder why I have to do shit myself, you know? (10:13 AM)

Watari: What? (10:13 AM)

Monokuma: Oops! Nothing! (10:13 AM)

Monokuma: Anyways, you're a smart boy, we know that. I gave you the deal because I want to mess with the mastermind and I love seeing people try to stop me. (10:15 AM)

Monokuma: Are you telling me you're going to be weak right now, just like what happened with Tadaomi? (10:15 AM)]

Watari's eyes widened.

[Watari: Don't bring that up. (10:16 AM)

Monokuma: Still think it's your fault? It is, so I don't blame you. (10:16 AM)

Monokuma: But honestly speaking, you're getting soft. When I first saw you, you were so cute, y'know? Looking so happy killing people. (10:17 AM)

Watari: I've never killed anyone. (10:17 AM)

Monokuma: Yeah? Everyone's gonna tell me that, so don't worry. (10:17 AM)

Monokuma: Anyways, I'm surprised you've grown so soft. Seems like everyone's growing on you. It's a shame. (10:18 AM)

Monokuma: You were a great person though in the past. I'm surprised you managed to do so much in such a short amount of time before you were put in here. (10:20 AM)

Watari: Don't tell me you're going to cut off the deal. (10:21 AM)

Monokuma: People are soft, so I should've expected this. (10:22 AM)

Watari: Monokuma, please. (10:22 AM)

Monokuma: I'm surprised you can beg. (10:22 AM)

Monokuma: Look, how about this? I'll let you in on a little secret before we break up, cutie. (10:23 AM)

Watari: … (10:23 AM)

Monokuma: You meant as much to Kiyoko in the past than you remember it. (10:24 AM)

Monokuma: It's not just her being involved in a case. (10:24 AM)

Watari: What? (10:25 AM)

Monokuma: Heh. Well, that's all I have for you. (10:25 AM)

Monokuma: Time for our goodbyes, cutie. (10:25 AM)

Monokuma: I'll see you soon, whether you're dead or alive. Bye~ (10:26 AM)

Watari: (Type here…)]

Watari was silent, staring blankly at the screen. He had done nothing for a few minutes now, simply silent and completely blank in his gaze. It felt like hours before he even registered his own breathing, but once he did he immediately found himself pale and cold.

I failed.

He felt the device dropping from his hands.

No, no, you didn't fail. You didn't fail at all. If you keep working-

Work? What's work?

… Tadaomi…

… I want Tadaomi.

Watari threw his head back and released a loud sigh. He forced himself to steady as he slowly curled his lips to a smirk. He was silent, only hearing his heartbeat resonating in his ears and feeling the slight chill of the air against the back of his neck. He was silent, and slowly he bent down to grab his MonoPad and shove it into his pockets.

Fuck. Watari bit into his lips and grimaced. What should I do now? Should I tell everyone? Monokuma might tell everyone for me though, but if I don't say anything and he doesn't tell them, there's a chance they would still believe I'm working under him.

Watari slapped his cheeks and sighed. … I'm a mess. I need to take a breather before thinking about things again.

The detective looked around the area, then deciding to walk outside the dormitories. His immediate attention was caught to the outside, and so he immediately walked out to feel the sunlight against his skin. The air was slightly chilly and it soothed his body. He allowed himself to smile at this and relax for a bit.

"Oh, Watari."

The detective turned around to find Akio and Ayako. The duo seemed to have just gotten out, evident by the lack of grass on their shoes and sweat on their faces.

"What're you doing out here?" Akio asked, curious as he walked towards the detective.

"Ah, nothing." Watari looked at the duo. He saw how the lolita fashion model was looking around the grass with slight unease- she wasn't much of a person who liked the dirt, he supposed. "What're you two doing here?"

"Oh, we're just going to swim." Akio grinned. "Just relax a bit, y'know?"

"Uhuh." Watari eyed the duo silently before crossing his arms. "Do you know what everyone else are doing?"

"Yeah. We just separated a while ago." The actor bit into his lips. "Tomoyo apologized to us, and she's with Misaki and Masako right now. Shinji said something about washing Saki, Decebel's working on cleaning the school- haha, typical guy, and I think Kyatchi headed out with Yume for something… Not sure."

The detective curiously raised a brow. "That's interesting to know."

"Yup, it is." Akio chuckled. "Seems like everyone wants to get along or something."

Watari eyed Ayako who clutched onto Akio's sleeve, then averting his gaze. He thought for a moment before slowly stepping to the side. "Yeah, guess I'll head back inside. Is Decebel cleaning the dishes, or are they going around the school?"

Akio frowned slightly. "They should still be inside the kitchen. They do like to make everything squeaky clean."

"Mhm, alright."

Watari quickly waved at the duo before heading back inside of the building, having forgotten why he went outside to begin with. The detective looked around the area for a moment, making sure Decebel wasn't actually cleaning the school. Convinced that the butler wasn't, he went straight into the cafeteria and into the kitchen.

Heading inside, the detective found the butler who was cleaning up the dishes, calm in their expression. They were, however, entirely focused, and it seemed like they hadn't noticed the detective yet.

Watari even wondered if the butler would entertain him with his input, but, deciding he had nothing to lose, he walked forward and clapped his hands together. "Hello~!"

"Oh." That calm and soothing voice immediately pointed to Blanchard. "Do you need something, Master Watari?"

"If I didn't, I wouldn't be here." The detective smirked. "I want to ask you something, dear."

"Yes, of course." Blanchard smiled softly. "What is the matter?"

Watari crossed his arms and began, saying, "Before Tomoyo, Shinji, and I came here, you guys decided on not speaking about the killing game and motive, correct?"

Blanchard nodded slowly. "That's correct. Master Blaise was the one who thought of it after everyone was uneasy because of… hm, some ghost or something."

And that he means Ayako. Watari chuckled. "But, I do have to ask this then, sweetie- have you all decided that you're going to either kill your target or stop Monokuma?"

Blanchard hesitated. "Well…"

"I'll answer it, Blanche." Viorel quickly came to be and cleared his throat. "We all decided to not tell anyone about our plans as a group, and, well, I think it's obvious it's either we all accepted death, or we're waiting for someone to step up and murder their target."

The detective frowned. "That's stupid."

"Well, it's what everyone wants." The butler shrugged. "I do not hold the luxury to lead the group. I only abide by what the majority desires. It's the same with Blanche."

Watari would argue about emotions and death, but considering what Viorel and Blanchard would like, he knew he wouldn't earn the reaction he desired. So, he simply sighed and threw his hands to the back of his head, saying, "Do you think someone will murder then?"

"I am unsure of that." Viorel frowned. "I wouldn't know unless someone tells me and Blanche. Nonetheless, it's possible. People tend to snap when the ball drops, you know?"

"True," the detective mused. "You have a point, dear."

Viorel shrugged and switched to Blanchard. "Well, if you'll excuse me, Master Watari, I should go back to cleaning."

Watari nodded. "Yeah, that's fine with me."

"Thank you."

And with that settled, the butler began to focus their gaze back to the sink and dishes in view. Watari watched the butler for a moment, then sighing and heading outside. A sigh escaped his lips as he stretched his arms, the doors to the cafeteria closing behind him.

Let's see… I should go to the library and look again. Watari frowned and began to walk to the room. Even if I'm not working with Monokuma anymore, I can still take what he told me and use it against him.

He bit into his lips as he stepped into the room. He scanned around the room before beginning to look for anything new. As he looked through the shelves, he couldn't help but think about what Monokuma had last told him- that his relationship to Kiyoko was closer than he had initially expected.

The detective held his breath. He knew his relationship to Kiyoko was something more than mere acquaintances- she was someone he highly admired, and she became a friend to him after he solved a case. It was nothing more than that, he remembered, and he remembered nothing else other than mere coincidental events that led to a friendship.

He didn't remember anything else about her. He did not remember anything, and he wasn't sure if Monokuma was lying to him, or if Monokuma was telling the truth and his memories of even Kiyoko were erased.

It shouldn't bother him, but it did. It did, and he felt betrayed for some reason. He shouldn't feel betrayed, but he felt it and it tugged at his heartstrings.

He quickly shook his head and grabbed ahold of a few novels and documents he hadn't seen yet. He looked at it for a moment, noting its colorful binding and bolded, cursive-looking letters. It was quite exquisite, or so were the ones he had grabbed.

Watari sighed as he decided to look at the titles of the books and documents he grabbed. The first he grabbed was one that said, "Songs of Innocence" by William Blake. Surprisingly, to Watari, he felt like he learned this during his time in middle school. He even remembered about the poem called "The Lamb," and god it was such a childish poem.

Then again, I was a bit of a haughty brat whenever I was supposed to learn something. Nonetheless, Watari quickly shoved that thought aside and looked at the other titles.

They were simply titles that Watari assumed were generic and overused, but nonetheless he was curious about what the books' plot were about. The documents on his hand, however, did discuss about Sigmund Freud's dream interpretations, even the Electra and Oedipus Complexes; and he seemed to see something about the Age of Imperialism, well, new imperialism which peaked from the late 1800s to early 1900s. He wondered if they were even of worth to him- he learned all of this from history and literature classes.

… Well, it's too much work if I put them back.

The detective held the books and documents in his hands, and quickly set them aside to walk over to a seat. He sat down, and there he began reading.

Nothing seemed to be of interest, and soon Watari found that time was passing. Hours were passing, and soon Watari realized that it was close to dinnertime- though, mainly, that was because of the butler who walked into the room and told Watari to eat. The detective jumped down, stretched, and made his way over to the dinner table where everyone were.

He sat down next to Shinjimae, and he threw the animal whisperer and his dog a small smile before grabbing ahold of his food. He sneakily took out his MonoPad and checked the time. The screen brightened, and he frowned.

It's about six now, and we have about six more hours till midnight hits… Hmm… With that in mind, he looked over to the group and observed each person silently.

Everyone looked the same, though slightly either tired, sleepy, or anxious. It wasn't much to go by however, Watari simply noting how Misaki and Masako were treating Tomoyo kindly. He noticed that Kyatchi and Yume were the same, and it did seem like everyone else was- well, if not, then they sure looked mainly fine.

Watari bit into his food and blocked out everything everyone was saying. He rather escape the feigned act of optimism everyone had thrown up, simply biting into his food, occasionally giving Shinjimae a few nods here and there, and then stood up to bring his plate away. He didn't bother to talk to anyone- they seemed busy with themselves and their friends anyways, and so he left the area without much of a struggle.

The detective walked into his room, and without much of a need to do anything, he decided it was best to close his eyes for a moment.

He did believe that Kyatchi might do something, and he somehow expected him to commit an act or whatnot by midnight. If not him, then somebody else. He was confident, possibly, that something would happen, and so he wanted to rest a bit.

Honestly speaking, however, Watari was unsure of what to think about Kyatchi. The juggler was a death seeker and Watari was sure Kyatchi would be happy if he was killed. If push comes to shove, maybe Kyatchi might murder his target just to save everyone else, as strange as it sounded- he cared more than people realized, and that slightly disturbed the detective.

It's not like I'll cry if he dies though. He wants to die…

He stared blankly at the ceiling, and slightly pursed his lips.

But maybe they can come up with a way to either change the motive or lengthen the time?

That optimistic thought quickly erased itself from existence, and he sighed. Slowly, he closed his eyes.

---

Watari woke up to hear someone knocking at the door. That knocking was calm and relaxed, and once the detective perked his head up, he hopped down and walked over to open the door. He couldn't help but let out a soft yawn and rub his eyes as he creaked the door open. "Hello?"

It was Tomoyo. The woman was eyeing the detective with a slightly tense, slightly worried look. Her mouth was slightly opened, and it took a moment before she said, "Uh… Blaise and the others want us to go outside."

Watari raised a brow. "Um, why?"

The screenwriter averted her gaze. "They said it was about the motive… er, waiting for death and… Did you check the chatroom?"

"The chatroom?"

Tomoyo gave him a nod, and the detective quickly reached into his MonoPad and opened it up. There, he immediately found himself eyeing the chatroom and its chaotic state. All he could think of right now was the following- What the fuck?

[Chatroom: (Group Chatroom)

(More on top…)

Misaki: Should we go outside and hang out? (11:09 PM)

Akio: I don't mind! Why are you asking? (11:12 PM)

Masako: I know you don't want to hear this, but we have less than an hour. (11:13 PM)

Kyatchi: F in the chatroom guys! (11:13 PM)

Yume: No. (11:13 PM)

Kyatchi: D: (11:14 PM)

Misaki: Let's all meet outside! Hang out, hang out. (11:15 PM)

Shinjimae: Sure, I guess! (11:15 PM)

Kyatchi: Reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee (11:16 PM)

Akio: Okay, what the fuck. (11:16 PM)

Kyatchi: Fucking beginning of the end. Yay. (11:16 PM)

Yume: f (11:18 PM)

Kyatchi: Holy shit. (11:20 PM)

Kyatchi: Finally. (11:20 PM)

Watari: (Type here…)]

Watari frowned as he shoved the device into his pocket and looked back to the screenwriter. He noticed the worry in her face as he bit into his lips and asked, "Are they planning to hold hands and wait for death or something?"

Tomoyo grimaced at this, but she couldn't deny what he said. "I seriously do not understand them. I… I just don't."

"Ahh, fuck." Watari scratched his head and stepped outside. He closed the door behind him. "Is everyone already there?"

"I'm not sure." Tomoyo averted her gaze. "I'm worried."

Shit. Maybe Kyatchi's waiting for someone to kill him. He might end up killing someone at this rate. I need to see what happens. Watari looked over to the woman and urged her to move. She eyed him in shock before quickly nodding her head, leading the detective down the hallways and straight outside where the moonlight shone down on the Ultimates.

"Oh, there you are!" Akio looked over to the duo with a warm smile. That smile of his immediately dropped as he walked towards them. "Have you seen Ayako or Decebel yet?"

"What?" Tomoyo's eyes widened. "Why? They're not here yet?"

The actor shook his head. "No, I tried messaging them, but they're not here."

"Oh, great." Kyatchi immediately whipped his head to the actor and frowned. His expression was that of complete bemusement. "Don't tell me they're planning some shit again."

"E-excuse me, b-but wasn't Decebel the one who ignored Ayako?" Masako raised her hand timidly to catch the juggler's eye. "I-I don't see why they would suddenly confront her."

"They ignored her, but that doesn't mean they'd flatout not think of her as nothing." Yume raised a brow as she eyed the survivalist. "Didn't they see her as a pest?"

"Ah." Masako's face flushed. "T-that's…"

Shinjimae gulped as he held onto Saki tightly and looked at Kyatchi. "Erm, s-shouldn't we go look for them?"

Kyatchi eyed the animal whisperer for a moment, then shrugged. "Sure, I don't really care. They can go fuck themselves for all I care."

Misaki threw the juggler a shocked look. "K-Kyatchi!"

The juggler definitely looked annoyed, and Watari wasn't sure whether to pinpoint that as worry or extreme distaste. If anything, it could've been a mixture of both.

"We should go look…" Akio turned to the group and quickly cleared his throat. "Hey, let's look for Ayako and Decebel!"

Tomoyo gulped as she looked over to Masako and Misaki. They threw her worried looks themselves, and soon everyone began to split up into pairs, if not alone, to look for the lolita fashion model and butler.

"W-Watari…" Shinjimae stayed close to the detective and Saki. "D-do you think, erm, they're fine…?"

The detective looked at the animal whisperer for a moment, and he couldn't help but remember that he was supposed to learn lessons from the taller man. He bit into his lips, and he couldn't help but feel bad.

Nonetheless, Watari threw the animal whisperer a look of hesitation, but he forced a confident smirk. "Well, we'll see."

The detective led Shinjimae and Saki around, their search for Ayako and Decebel beginning and continuing as time passed.

Time passed by. Time continued to pass by, and the clock was ticking. Time was ticking down, and Watari found himself sweaty and breathless as he looked around the area. He looked inside of the warehouse and around the corners of the barricade for the outside view. He tried to look around for any sign of life, any sign of the butler or the fashion model, but he found nothing and quickly led Shinjimae and Saki further along the paved road.

Saki barked, and lunged forward. She quickly pointed her nose forward and ran, charged into the paved road and led the two Ultimates away.

The building to the swimming pool and hot springs. The doors were already opened. Saki barked louder and charged inside. Watari and Shinjimae threw each other a look and ran inside.

Watari ran through the entrance and found himself stepping on something- flower petals? Flower petals. Purple and white flower petals which trailed off, making a trail straight from the entrance and into the hot springs.

The detective gulped. Saki and Shinjimae ran forward, and Watari forced himself to steady as he followed.

One, two, step.

He felt the humidity inside of the room, and he felt the warm mist touching his face. He felt sweatdrops forming on his forehead as he stepped inside- that, however, he couldn't completely stepped inside, for Shinjimae and Saki had stopped immediately upon one step in.

Watari found the whole world turning white as he stared blankly at the two bodies in front of him, right through Shinjimae and Saki who fell and cuddled to each other, close in comfort.

What he saw, right in front of his eyes, were Ayako and Decebel- their nonliving, nonliving bodies.

Ayako and Decebel were in the hot springs, bathed in it with their floating, floating bodies. Ayako's hair was wet and soaked, covering part of her face and the water as she float lifeless in her swimsuit. Her face was that of pure horror, her neck mangled and bent to make her head twist to the side. Her legs and arms were spread out, almost as if she was the main star underneath the moonlight. It shone down on her supposedly pretty, natural face. The makeup she wore was completely and utterly washed off. It was, instead, filled with a sickly white deathly color. What was noticed other than her horrible position, however, was the taser that was wrapped around her fingers to the left. It was obvious she had also been electrocuted, for her body was not only a deathly white, but burnt with red and pink.

The same can be said for Decebel, but it was a miracle their neck wasn't mangled up and bent, nonetheless their expression slightly calm and shocked at the same time. They were in a better state than Ayako, and that was for certain- they were floating up, though slightly because of their enormous height and their actual outfit having been soaked, but they were only burnt with red and pink. They must've been electrocuted as well, and that would have to be because of-

-the taser.

Silence.

Or so Watari assumed it was silence. It might've been because of the shock that he's been forced into, but nonetheless-

-the body announcement sounded, and suddenly the detective realized that everyone ran into the scene.

---

... And that is the end of the chapter! I will post the poll up, well, probably when I release the investigation chapter. Anyways, other than that, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, whether in one way or another! Now, I can enjoy my spring break, mwahahahaha.

Plug times as always!

Danganronpa: The Pitiful Plague Called Ignorance by RioA (which is me, wink wink)

Danganronpa: Remnants of My Heart by Prince PokePersona

Fogbound Castaways by Sharkeye

Danganronpa: Final Flight by Shirasaur

Like always, that's all I have to say for now! I'll see you all in the future!