Review replies time!

TheRoseShadow21: Both the chemical in the biolab and the cinema were astute observations on your part. As for their relevance, I'll have to make you wait for spoilers sake... sorry! Aaron in the film was indeed a reference to 72nd Class because I felt like it - don't look too much into it. Kiyo being downright stupid does make sense, but I see it as him being too sleepy to notice anything. Maybe he is just dense, as you said, though. As for Yatarou and Maruko... you'll see. Thank you so much for reviewing!

Katastic Writer: Sassmaster Matsuoka indeed, that boy served some serious sass as soon as he woke up. Indeed, he's back in the game - let's hope he doesn't drop dead before finding out what happened, huh? You think Monokuma would leave dangerous chemicals around, but not dangerous enough to seep through fabric and skin? You wound him, I'm sure. He's a vicious little bugger, don't underestimate him! Let's hope Chigusa manages to achieve her goal soon enough. Thanks a lot for reviewing!

Crimson Spider Lily: I'm glad you noticed my subtle warning on the begginning, although I don't think you noticed it was a warning until the very end, haha. A small correction, I believe you mean Mikan's case instead of Mahiru's, since the latter didn't involve a movie but the former did? Or maybe you're thinking about the videogame motive? A DR3-style video as a motive would be a great idea, in fact! You'll see. Chigusa and Maruko's relationship seems a little rocky, especially when compared to Eita and Yori, huh? There's a few similarities in this story's Act 3 and Chapter 3 of the second game, but you'll see soon enough! All your questions will be answered in due time, though, so do not worry. Thanks so much for leaving a review!

The SENDER and the TRAVELER: The pod mystery is far from over, but all will be revealed sooner or later, haha. You have a pretty nifty theory on Maruko there! Hold on to it, and see how it develops along this third act and the rest of the story. Thank you for your review!

SongBirds-Lullaby: Shizuka bundled up in a blanket burrito would definitely be a sight to behold, haha. The movies will play their part eventually, just you wait! Let's hope Chigusa manages to fulfill her ambitions before it's too late... Shizuka really has missed out on a lot, and just hearing all of it at once would probably take quite a toll on him, I hope he's doing fine... Yuzuru and Frances's - the former's especially - more than likely had quite an impact since she was his only friend. As for Maruko, the circumstances behind her snapping will be made clear eventually, wait a little longer! Reading your thoughts on the already departed was heartwarming, to be fair. The next motive I have is one of my personal favourites, I think it's a clever way to mix things up and throw the students into a bit more chaos than expected. That being said, thanks once again for your reviews!

ACT 3: Holidays For The Hopeless

CHAPTER 3: Anything For A Friend

NIGHT TIME

Location: Anghern Lake

"Couldn't sleep either?" I asked a tearful Chigusa as I left the lake house through the porch and onto the lakeside. She looked behind her, startled and back to the lake, surface slightly glimmering under the moon that shone upon us from up above, up above the walls.

She sobbed and rubbed her eyes with her wrist before shrinking a bit, gripping her knees. "Y-You must think I-I'm a-awful..." she smiled sadly, chin on her knees as she looked at the lake. "I... I-I told you I'd b-be stronger, b-but so far I'm s-still a c-crying mess. C-Can't even sleep p-properly."

"No, no, no..." I comforted her, approaching the Gardener slowly and sitting down outside next to her, eyeing the water in front of us. "Don't say that. Everyone's shaken."

"But... n-no one's as m-much of a c-coward as me..." she sighed, closing her eyes. "I'm a m-mess..."

I comb my fingers through her hair, now exposed since I presume she left her straw hat back inside her room. "I couldn't sleep either, if that makes you feel better. You're as much of a wimp as I am."

"Y-You're n-not a wimp, though, Tsukushi... I-If it w-weren't for you, w-we'd all b-be d-dead..." she commented, reminded of the past two Class Trials. "Y-You're a s-strong, intelligent g-guy... don't c-compare yourself to a w-wimp like me." she laughed lowly, but it was a laugh of sadness, if that made any sense. It was unlike anything I'd heard before, to my knowledge - which given the fact I had my memories erased, wouldn't be too long ago.

"You helped us a lot, too, you know? Back at Asuyo's trial, if it weren't for you, we'd never have found out the truth. Your testimony was precious."

"It... It was, wasn't it?" she smiled a little more genuinely. "S-Sorry for rambling... I... I'm just not f-feeling well."

I nodded sternly and smiled. "It's okay. Your biggest friend in the city just went bananas and we have no idea why. It's only natural you'd feel worried about her."

"S-Speaking of which... wh-where is she? H-How is she?" she turned to me, and I finally got a good look at her green eyes, a bit redder from the recent happenings.

"Riou and Eita and taking turns, keeping an eye on her. So far, so good." I inform her. "She's also under pretty heavy restraints, so she won't be able to freak out like she did earlier, I hope."

"I-If anything g-goes wrong... at least R-Riou is up there." she noticed and looked at the sky hopefully, emerald eyes shining in the moonlight. "I... I hope she's okay."

I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and held her a bit tighter, giving her the positive energy she was so desperately needing. "What do you say you give sleeping another try? It's cold out here, you'll get sick."

"Y-You're right." she nodded and looked back at me. "I c-can't grow stronger with a c-cold messing me up... I'll make M-Maruko proud of h-how strong I b-become! And you and me t-too." the Gardener smiled with her previous resolve and stood up, making me mimic the gesture. "Thanks for, um, helping m-me out once again."

"Don't mention it." I smiled. "Now, back to bed we go?" She nodded and we led our way back to the inside of the lake house, being greeted by a much warmer space. "I'll grab some water and I'll be upstairs in a sec. Good night."

She nodded and hugged me goodbye. "Night, Tsukushi."

MORNING

Location: Lake House (Kitchen)

The morning meeting we held in the kitchen reminded me of how smaller our group had grew in comparison to our breakfast in the resort back at the beginning. From a group of sixteen people, only ten were present, as Shizuka and Maruko were still upstairs, resting.

"Not so much as resting as Maruko's not mentally stable enough to come." Eita corrected my thinking.

Kiyoshi sighed and leaned over the kitchen island lazily. "She's still going batshit insane, then?"

"You can say that." Eita nodded.

"Please, give us a succinct but detailed explanation of her state." Akahana requested, and Riou and Eita complied.

The Boxer began. "She was unconscious through most of the night, but woke up at around 4am or something. She started screaming just like she was before so those restraints were a great idea. Eita shut the door so she wouldn't wake anyone up..."

"As for the rest of the night, she kept screaming and screaming and fell unconscious shortly after. It's also relevant to state she seemed to not pay any attention to what we were saying."

"So in other words..." Kikyo worried, elbows resting on the island as her hips barely touched the stool. "She's gone off the deep end, big time." the Boxer and the Estimator both nodded, confirming her theory grimly. "How, though? What happened to her...?"

"Well, there's always a chance her psyche couldn't handle all of the recent events and she just snapped after carrying so many burdens on her at once." Yori theorized, calmly sat down on a stool on the far left. Chigusa flinched at the idea and quickly dismissed it. "Perhaps she inhaled fumes from the laboratory?"

Kikyo shook her head and thought to herself. "Maybe she had some spoiled food. No... that's not it... maybe some of her food had something from the lab?"

"I'd rather you not accuse me of poisoning." Akahana fought back, defending herself. "I do know I am not as great a cook as Yuki once was, but I would not use such condiments in our dishes. Same goes for Riou, I'd imagine."

"Yeah!" our second cook intervened. "Akahana and I only used stuff from the kitchen on meals. Maybe she couldn't handle the health?"

"Unlikely." Sakurako sighed, but fell silent soon afterwards, bringing a short silence.

"Nevertheless, she must have suffered something... what could it have been?" Kikyo thought aloud. "Yatarou? You've been awfully quiet. Have some theory we can use?"

Yatarou snapped out of a trance I hadn't noticed he was in and looked around, a bit frightened. "H-Huh? Wh-What did you say, Kikyo?"

"Fuckin' loser." Kiyoshi insulted, rolling his eyes.

"Mister Ikeda." Sakurako glared at the Custodian fiercely and shut him up immediately. Not even a jerk like Kiyo would argue against a girl who had just lost someone very dear to her. "Thank you."

Kiyoshi gritted his teeth, restraining his own will to answer. "As I was saying... Yatarou. What do you think happened to Maruko?"

"Oh, I-I don't know." he replied shyly and scratched his head. "Maybe she just hit her head on something? Or was brainwashed?" he threw out short, slightly uninterested sentences.

Akahana rested her chin in between her fingers and rubbed the scar on her chin. "Brainwash, you say? What would Maruko do to be brainwashed? She has been with someone all the time."

"Actually, she hasn't..." I remember. "Chigusa and I left Maruko in the cinema and went for a walk. Has anyone seen any movies yet?"

A quick silence took over the room as I scrolled through all the remaining people. "S-Sounds like n-no one went th-there..." Chigusa noticed. "So m-maybe she really w-was brainwashed by th-the movie...?"

"It's not too far off to think Monokuma could have done that." I pointed out, receiving mostly agreements from the group. "Is there any way we can prove it was the movie's fault though?"

Kiyoshi groaned loudly and crossed his arms, resting his forehead on them. "Uuuuggghhhh, why are you so stupid? This ain't a fucking trial, dumbass! We don't need to prove anything, for fuck's sake."

Although I didn't care for his usual rudeness, it was hard to miss the Custodian made a fair point. Outside the court, proving every little thing isn't particularly necessary, but as a defense attorney, I like having every piece of the puzzle put together. "Well, Kiyoshi is kind of right..." Kikyo agreed. "As much as I hate to say it."

"Exactly!" the Custodian replied. "Who cares if the movie did it or not? Fucking useless ass info, that's what it is."

"Not at all." Sakurako looked at Kiyo and Kikyo, making them flinch for the exact same reason the Custodian had flinched beforehand. "If we cut off the source of this brainwashing, as you call it, then no one else will suffer Maruko's symptoms."

"Sakurako is right." Akahana cut off, not to make the Information Broker push herself too far. "I believe it would be best to try and find out the real source of the problem to plug it and stop it."

A round of quiet agreement sounded off. "Okay." I asserted. "But how do we prove the cinema made her like this? Do we just watch the movie ourselves and see if we go insane as well?"

"Risky, but effective." Riou commented. "I can watch the movie. I probably have the biggest chance of resisting."

"Wrong." Eita fought back, drowsy eyes directed at the Boxer. "I believe you have one of the lesser chances of resistance due to your lack of psychological strength when compared to some of the others, like Blackjack and myself."

Kikyo tilted her head and eyed the Estimator confused. "Aren't we trying to get someone to test it out though? If people have high resistances, then the test is kinda useless..."

"Indeed, which is why we need someone a bit smaller and more frail to do it. Riou is the worst candidate in the group to do so, since none of us would be able to restrain him if he went insane."

"I can go." I volunteer but was quickly cast off the list by a certain Prosecutorial Attorney.

"Chigusa seems to be the best choice. She is frail and easy to defend against, so if she does end up like Maruko it would be easy to restrain her until she's cured."

Yori gathered all attention on him by hitting his magic cane lightly on the floor. His face was displeased and a bit confused. "Are we really going to send one of us into the fire just as a test? I don't mean to be impolite, please forgive me, but we have lost four of us in the past, and two others are severely ill. Are we to waste the few resources we've gathered?"

A heavy silence filled the room as we listened to our previous words on repeat. We really were going to throw poor, defenseless Chigusa into the cinema to watch a horror movie and see if she came out of it the same as Maruko did? Looking back at the idea that seemed logical, it was ethically wrong at best, and downright inhumane at worst, and I'm gravitating towards the latter end of the spectrum.

"W-Wow..." I interjected, eyes wide as I blinked my thoughts away. "Yori is right... we can't do this. Chigusa doesn't deserve it, let's find another way?"

"I agree that Chigusa has done nothing to deserve it, but I feel like this is a necessary evil." Akahana looked at me sternly, dividing the remaining people into the most efficient method or the most morally correct method.

"Yes." I heard a female voice say with remarkable conviction. Cocking my head towards the sound's origin, I found myself looking at a certain Gardener, a look of resolution in her face. "I... I c-can do it."

Kikyo gasped, covering her mouth with both her hands. "A-Are you sure, Chigusa? We... Well, we're not sure how-"

"I know." the Gardener interrupted with a sad, nervous smile. "But I know you'll help me if anything goes wrong so... I can do it. Especially if it helps Maruko out, I don't mind doing this! I trust all of you with my safety."

It was the first time in a while that I had heard Chigusa talk without a single stutter in a full sentence. Everyone was validly taken aback by the defenseless girl's newfound enthusiasm to help her friend. "Are you sure...?" Yori tried to talk her out of this near-suicidal mission but Chigusa nodded in response. The blind Magician had a brief moment of quiet before he sighed. "So be it."

"I will be right back." Chigusa left the kitchen, leaving most of us in awe.

"Did... Did this happen?" Riou asked, jaw dropped as he stared at the door from which the Gardener had just exited. "Did that pipsqueak actually man up?"

"They grow up so fast!" Kikyo teared up, fingers intertwined in a sort of prayer position as her eyes twinkled. "It just goes to show what friendship can do!" she cheered, almost as if she didn't remember we had a sick, suicidal Translator lying upstairs.

AFTERNOON

Location: Lake House (Shizuka's Room)

As I entered the room, Akahana turned to me quickly and shot me a disapproving glance. "You're late." she sighed.

"Sorry." I scratch my head. "I went and checked on Maruko on the way here... she's unconscious again. Riou says she's b-"

"I don't remember asking you anything about Maruko." she shot me down and crossed her arms, walking towards the door I had just came in from. "I'll be on my way. Enjoy your shift."

A sigh left my throat and I deflated slightly before grabbing a chair and sitting down next to Shizuka's bed. "Nakajima-san has been mistreating you for quite a while. Did you do something?" he asked.

"No... not that I can remember." I confess, trying to recall something I'd done that could've made her angry but drawing a complete blank. "It's fine though."

Hang out with Shizuka?

[Yeah, sure] [Oh, heeeeeell no]

Tsukushi: Well, now that it's my turn to take care of you, might as well ask you.

Shizuka: No. I haven't been feeling well, Hananari-san.

Shizuka: I was kidnapped, drugged and locked inside a hypothermia pod.

Tsukushi: Hypothermia pod? That's not an official name, for sure.

Tsukushi: I should've expected as much... how was your day?

Shizuka: Recovering from said kidnapping, drugging and locking.

Shizuka: Everyone's company once in a while has been nice, although I do feel like I'm being a hassle.

Tsukushi: That's not true. We're more than willing to help. You've been through a bad couple days.

Shizuka: I'm forced to agree. Kanzaki-san and Baishou-san's death weren't my ideal awakening.

Shizuka: And Kanzaki-san was the traitor you thought was me all along. Ironic, is it not?

Tsukushi: Sorry about that... it was the conclusion we'd come to on such short notice.

Shizuka: No matter. The past is in the past. If you're marred by past events, you cannot move forward.

Shizuka: I'm sure you've gone through your fair share of difficult trials.

Tsukushi: Yes... but I always kept my cool and came out on top. That's important.

Tsukushi: That reminds me though... I haven't learned a whole lot about you.

Tsukushi: I've never even heard of you prior to being held captive here...

Shizuka: Does the name Hana Kagurazaka ring a bell?

Tsukushi: Yes, she was a famous street magician. You're her student or something?

Shizuka: I am, in fact, her step-son. Now, does that ring a bell?

Tsukushi: I've heard a lot of great news about Hana Kagurazaka's son, alright...

Tsukushi: But I don't think I ever heard your name before.

Shizuka: Growing in the shadow of your own stepmother is a bit troubling, no doubt.

Shizuka: But without her, I would be nowhere but petty magic shows in my hometown.

Shizuka: I was a bit of a troublemaker in my youth, but she made me into a full fledged magician.

Shizuka: I thank her immensely for that. But she wasn't able to make me well-known.

Shizuka: The tabloids are to blame for labeling me another one in the Kagurazaka line. She had no fault to take.

Shizuka: It was quite hard, however, to not see your efforts valued. As I said, though, the past is in the past.

Tsukushi: That's really interesting! Your life as a street magician was kinda rough then, right?

Tsukushi: Being constantly put under your stepmother's name instead of your own individual skills and all.

Shizuka: That was hardly the most concerning of my stories as a Street Magician.

Shizuka: I was once involved in a murder during a test run for a street magic show.

Tsukushi: M-Murder...?

Shizuka: Yes. That is a tale I shouldn't tell now, however. It'd be unbecoming of me to trouble you with homicide so soon after we've suffered a loss ourselves.

Tsukushi: I guess. I'd really like to hear the rest of your story, sometime...

Shizuka: Is that so? Do you really want to hear about murder after all we've been through here?

Tsukushi: Well, things here have been pretty disturbing to me since I'm not used to handling cases with people I knew as the victim.

Tsukushi: But if we take that out of the equation, I'm used to handling murder accusations.

Shizuka: I see. I'll be sure to tell you my tales some other day then. You need but ask, Hananari-san.

Shizuka Matsuoka
Despair Shard obtained!

After the one other encounter we had - back in Valley Views - I finally managed to get some alone time with Shizuka and get to know him a bit better. Much to my surprise, he's the stepson of a member of the Kagurazaka family, which just so happens to be a bloodline known for their magicians. That being said, he had a knack for trickery ever since he was a young kid, and his stepmother took notice of it and forged him into a full fledged entertainer. However, things went wrong when he was only known as the great Hana's son, and the public barely acknowledged his talent for most of his life. He was also involved in a murder earlier in his career.

"I'll be sure to do just that!" I smiled, and a scream surfaced from the hallway. Startled, I traded a glance with Shizuka before he gestured me to check the sound out, and I made a run for the door. Eita was in the hall, looking out into an open door uninterested. "Eita, is everything alright? What was tha-" I cut myself off.

Eita acknowledged my presence by turning his head my way and nodded as a greeting. "It seems you've reached the logical conclusion. The scream was Maruko's doing. She has woken up again... the restraints seem to be working so far, however, so I don't believe we have motive for concern."

"O-Okay..." I stuttered before entering Shizuka's room once again.

"Inubarashi-san, was it?" he asked, pointing me back to the seat I was occupying. "Nakajima-san told me about it during her 'shift', as you call it. Her condition seems to have worsened. Irregular sleep patterns, irritability, suicidal tendencies... it is a scary thing to witness."

I sighed and slumped down on the chair. "Tell me about it... and we're not any closer to finding out what happened to her."

"Oh? Kurogane-san was here earlier and told me you had a guess." Shizuka edged me with curiosity. "Was he wrong?"

"No, no. We have a theory, alright... but it's a little far-fetched. Being brainwashed by a movie seems unrealistic. But, fair enough, hardly anything about our situation is realistic, so why bother trying to carve some sense into it this time?" I confessed and Shizuka agreed silently. "Chigusa was brave enough to venture into the movies and try to see if the symptoms appear again."

The Street Magician was clearly taken aback by my comment. "Takagawa-san of all people? It seems I was off the scene for more than I initially assumed." he noticed, thinking it strange that the Gardener had suddenly taken action when she had been one of the most submissive people in our group from the get-go. "Props to her, however, for managing to face her fears, I suppose."

"Yeah."

"If I may... I'd like to ask you a few questions regarding everyone's situations."

"Go right ahead... what do you want to know?"

"How is Ohwatani-san handling her loss? I'd assume she was heartbroken and a crying mess, but she seems to be fine."

I looked to the ground and silenced myself for a while. "I'm not sure myself... she's been a lot quieter than usual. But other than that, she seems normal. I can only assume she's handling the tears on her own, not to worry anyone. She'll make it out of this despair eventually, though... Sakurako is a strong girl."

"Hm, I see. I shall talk to her later, whenever her 'shift' comes around." he announced, air-quoting the 'shift'. "Secondly... I've been sensing some romantic tension?"

"Wh-What?" I asked, shocked at his change of subject. "What do you mean? And why bring that up now? There're a few more pressing matters, I think."

Shizuka sighed and winked at me. "Oh Hananari-san. I have been noticing much more than you might think, and I can tell that love will be flourishing soon. Be on your guard, we both know how it ended last time."

"Well, that took a depressing turn... but don't worry, there aren't going to be any more killings."

"Heh, you wound me. Need I remind you of what I told you back in Valley Views? Once the ball starts rolling, murders become easier to perpetrate. The tension and fear increase, which leads to bad decisions. We're not off the hook, nor will we ever be until we find a way out."

"Okay, okay, stop! You're free to believe in whatever you want... just, don't jinx us."

Shizuka exhaled with disappointment and shook his head insistently. "Your hope is something to be feared, Hananari-san. But do remember, the bigger they are, the harder they fall. I fear you might be the one to fall in the deepest despair yet."

"S-Stop it. You're freaking me out, Shizuka..."

"It's merely a feeling, don't take it to heart. But be careful."

"I will..." I concluded our conversation, and only a weird quietness reigned over the room afterwards, the atmosphere heavy although the Street Magician seemed relatively unfazed.

What does he mean, I'm the one who'll fall into the deepest despair? It's not my fault I'm an optimist. He's probably just trying to scare me... not going to work, though. I know myself well enough to know I would never succumb to despair - I'll be the one to bring everyone out of this stupid prison of a city.

LATE AFTERNOON

Location: Movie Theater

"Tell me why did we all have to meet up!?" Kiyoshi groaned, still in a fit of grumpiness due to being woken from his afternoon nap, as soon as the news that Chigusa had finished seeing the movie hit our handbooks' inboxes.

Kikyo slapped his arm with a furrowed brow and glared at him, as the Custodian simply rolled his eyes. "Shut it, dude." she said, but the jumpsuit-clad youngster paid her no mind. "Seriously..." she sighed in annoyance as they turned their backs.

"Now that that's over." Shizuka started, enveloping himself tighter in the blankets we brought from the lake house.

"Wait, wait, wait, why didn't we host this in the lake house again...?" Yatarou asked lowly, fiddling around with the strap holding his camera. "Maruko's still back there."

"And?" Akahana objected. "So is Riou."

The Tour Guide's eyes widened as his neck turned left and right, looking for the Boxer. "H-Huh, what do you know, you're right."

"Yatarou, I find it difficult to not sense Riou around me and I am a blind man, you know?" Yori jested with a playful smile.

"Not to mention the fact you were the last one to speak to him before we left the house." Eita added, reminding everyone of the slight waiting he had to do for Yatarou and Riou as they were speaking 'privately' in Maruko's room.

Yatarou simply shrugged it off and hurried the conversation along, as if he wanted to avoid his chat with Riou.

An over-the-top clear of the throat made us all guess who had produced it, and eventually all eyes met at a frail little girl dressed in overalls and a straw hat. "Can I?" Chigusa asked, politely but unusually sure of herself for a change. It wasn't the epitome of self-esteem, pride or anything of the sort, but there was a noticeable change in her aura - which given the fact her friend is suffering and she just came out of a horror movie, is extra surprising.

"Yes, sorry for making you wait." Akahana nodded, not as surprised as the rest of us.

The Gardener nodded and smiled. "That's okay!" she forgave the Prosecutorial Attorney cheerfully before beggining an explanation. "Well, let's see... the movie w-wasn't too bad, if I'm honest. As a horror m-movie at least. It was more of a drama, with people d-dying."

"Nothing worth of being the cause of Inubarashi-san's distress?" Shizuka seeked to make sure of what we all took from Chigusa's small explanation, and the Gardener confirmed his thoughts.

"I don't think so, at l-least." the Gardener continued. "But I think it'd be for the b-best if someone, um, watched over me tonight. Riou and Eita, for example."

The Estimator seemed to agree, although his emotionless mask made it hard to tell until he actually voiced his opinion on the matter. "I think that would be ideal, yes. I'm sure you know we'll probably have to restrain you like we did Maruko. And you might have trouble sleeping due to her screaming."

Chigusa's newfound composure faltered for a bit as her worries became slightly more remarkable, but eventually she agreed to Eita's terms.

"Aaaaand? What now?" Kiyoshi hurried the meeting along, seeking a way out of it as soon as possible. "I want to go back to the fucking lake house and sleep, okay?"

"Go ahead then." I shrug and shoo him off.

"You too, now?" the Custodian sighed and scratched his cheek. "And here I thought you'd be less of a fucking asshole than all of these bastards. Serves me right, huh?"

I was a bit taken aback by his choice of words - for a second, I thought Kiyoshi had expressed some kind of less-negative emotion - but it didn't last long.

"Well, I think we're basically done here, right?" Akahana asked the group, and after a round of agreement, we all went our separate ways, until only me and two other people remained.

Riou looked down at the Gardener, her fists clenched as she emptily looked at the floor. "We should get going, pipsqueak. I don't want you going nuts before we can stop you from doing anything you might regret."

"I see..." she nodded and replied slowly, exhaling a big sigh of relief. "Let's go then. Tsukushi, wanna come along?"

With a proud smile, I gazed at Chigusa. "Yeah, sure." I asserted and approached the two of them. "Good job keeping your cool, just now."

"Yeah, I noticed." the Boxer chimed in, putting himself between me and Chigusa and wrapping his arms around both of us. "You sure changed a lot suddenly, pipsqueak! Good on ya."

"Th-Thanks, you two... I don't know what to say, really. I'm still really scared, believe me, but I've decided to not let it show. There's nothing t-to be scared of anymore, anyway." she ranted as we walked away from the movie theater, side by side. "Maybe Maruko's condition was the push I needed to break out of my hideout... although I'm not saying I'm happy she did! I'm just glad I'm on my way to being a stronger girl."

"As long as you keep motivation up high, your goals are all within reach!" Riou cheered the Gardener on, possibly reminiscing of his motivation to become a Boxer in the first place. "Tsukushi and I are here to help you, too. I'm sure everyone else wouldn't mind helping, either."

"No, no, thank you... but this is something I have to do on my own." she stated with conviction and a determined expression on her face as we walked forward. "I'm sure I c-can, at the very least, try... and I'm gonna d-do it! On my own, too!"

Riou and I looked at each other and grinned, proud of our friend.

NIGHT TIME

Location: Lake House (Tsukushi's Room)

Just as I was about to enter my room, I felt a strong grip on my shoulder and turned around instinctively, stepping back. "O-Oh, hi Riou. Is something wrong?"

"I have a question for you, Tsukushi." he said with a serious, hard-to-decipher expression.

A small lump grew inside my throat and I swallowed in hopes of it disappearing. "A-Ask away... what is it?"

"Do you believe in signals? Like, do you believe, sometimes the universe just shoots down signs that you should do this, or do that, or be like this, or go there, or something?" his grey eyes never looked away from mine - hell, I didn't even notice him blinking. Whatever the reason for his question, it was something serious.

"I guess I do." I answer, crossing my arms with a suspicious eyebrow raise. "Sometimes things set themselves up. Why the question, now of all times?"

"Truth be told, I have no idea. But I've been getting an awful lot of signals lately... the trial, leaf pipsqueak and the camera guy..."

"Chigusa and Yatarou?" My eyes widened a bit at the mention of those two. "What about them?"

Riou's answer was just finished forming as it was aggressively interrupted by a stray sigh. "Nothing. It's just leaf pipsqueak wants to be stronger so bad, and the camera pipsqueak has been building courage to ask a girl out on a date... and I need some of that motivation to do something too."

"Wait, wait, back up there! Yatarou's going to ask someone out!? Who!?"

"I promised I wouldn't tell..." the Boxer gritted his teeth and looked at the floor. "But that doesn't matter right now, Tsukushi! What's important is, I need to be brave like them!"

My shoulders stiffened at his increase in volume. "What are you saying? You're super brave, Riou! You've told me you'd protect me, and you've been protecting us and Maruko, and now Chigusa as well... I couldn't have done it, but you can because of your courage! Don't underestimate yourself like that..."

"I..." Riou began but sighed his reply away. "Forget it..."

"No, no! I can help you, if you want to!"

"Nah, it's fine. I've gotta go. The math pipsqueak can't hold down the fort forever. I'll... I'll see you tomorrow. Sleep tight." I tried to object, but he hugged me tightly, muffling my voice with his body. "Good night." And he walked away.

What happened? Why is Riou acting so weird? Ever since we got to Marine Views, too...

I'm sure he's just tired. Yeah, tired! I'll make it up to him tomorrow. We'll go jogging, and I'll be extra playful. Having a laugh will definitely make him feel better!

Hehe! That'll be sure to fix him...

A/N: If this doesn't please all your Chigusa needs... Just at look at this precious little bean trying her best! I can't be mad at her, I really can't... she's such a sweet little girl, trying to be stronger so she doesn't pull everyone back. Then again, we all know how character development ends in this series. That being said, this is a bit of a breath of fresh air among all the despair.

Shizuka and Riou got a bit of screentime as well! I have a special FTE-chapter concept for this act, so that's the reason why it hasn't come up yet. Spoiler alert, it won't be next chapter as well, probably. What is it, though? OoOoooh, mystery!

Will Maruko recover? Will Chigusa fall into madness like her friend? What does this mean for the both of them? Shizuka's backstory involves murder? What about Riou's sudden need to be brave? And Yatarou has a crush? Sooooo many questions!

QOTC: I've asked who your favourite female characters are, but I never asked for your males! So which canon-DR male character is/are your favourite(s)? Mine are Fuyuhiko, Nekomaru and Ishimaru!

That's all for this update! Until next chapter... Yamazaki out!