Chapter Two-When In Coma-Towa Hospital

Daily Life

Day Twelve

-Naoya's POV-

I awoke to nothing in particular. No startling noises, no pounding on my door, no people straddling me or trying to stab me...

It was both disappointing and enjoyable.

I sat in bed, thinking about how I wanted to spend today. We were nearing the end of the time we had to save the victims. I had lost mine, but it didn't mean someone else might not push their luck.

All I could really do was believe in my friends, I guess.

-Kicho's Special Event-

Kicho Taika was a master at manipulating our emotions. Love, envy, distrust, hatred, she could get us to display any. Which made it all the more painful for me to confront her over her recent actions. Was the person I got to know just a lie?

I couldn't just sit and accept it. I hard to understand, or to at least learn if I could.

She was lounging in the dining hall alone with nobody to talk to, no one to that it surprised me in the slightest. Reap what you sow and all that.

"Kicho."

She nearly jumped back when I called out her name. Still skittish after Honoka had smacked her up.

"Oh... Naoya. You startled me." Kicho tried to regain her haughty attitude, but that had long since passed.

How? "Kicho, I have a bone to pick with you." I walked up to her, "We spent time together, right? So why... Why have you become this way?"

Kicho rolled her eyes, "I am playing the game. That is what we are supposed to do, yes?"

"The only way to win a killing game is not to play," I argued, "Had Hiro killed Kotoko and been executed, someone would have killed you. You know that, right?"

"Antagonists make it to the end," she didn't sound so sure anymore, "And those two are... without a doubt, the most expendable..."

I had to ask her what I intended to from the start, "I don't get why you've become this way, but I'll ask... Did you kill Shiori?" She glanced at me from the side of her eye, "If any part of our bonding actually mattered to you, I NEED to know."

Kicho hesitated for the longest time but eventually spoke, "It was necessary for our survival."

"Kindly tell me how the FUCK that was necessary..." I demanded to know.

"She was the strongest motive," Kicho finally said, "You and Kojiro especially, but anyone here could have killed for her. No one wanted to watch her die once... Now twice?"

I shook my head in exasperation, "Yeah, I'll buy that. You were tempted to kill to save her, so you killed her instead. Fuck off with that!"

Kicho sighed, "Proving my point, kid. I don't expect you to agree with my methods. I just believe that it'll work."

"And if I kill you for what you did?" I threatened.

"Then the one person I still care for left in this group might live..." She tried to touch me, but I jumped back in disgust, "I do care. For you, and Honoka... And... him."

I headed for the door in a rage, "I agree with him. You're just his mistake. You deserve everything bad that happens to you."

She chuckled to herself, thinking I was out of earshot, "That's the first time I heard that aloud."

I ignored her comment and left the room. Whether I ever understood her at all, I could never believe what she did. Whether she cared about us or not, I was done with her.

In the end, I learned one thing; not everyone deserves to be befriended, to be forgiven, to be accepted. *Some* people... like him... don't deserve attention or care.

-Event End-

I have some time to kill. Now just how do I want to do it?

*Free Time Event*

I checked the clock. Definitely enough time to hang out with someone before the night meeting.

*Free Time Event*

-Ryuu's Special Event-

After a long time, it neared 5 PM. I decided to meet up with Ryuu to go visit Tamiko. He intended to say goodbye to her and wanted me there for moral support. When I found him standing in the hallway by the stairs, his face was starkly white.

He looked in my direction when he heard my footsteps. "You're here." He said, his voice was shaky, his anxiety clear, "I was starting to worry I'd have to do this on my own..."

"It's alright. I'm here as promised..." We started walking up the stairs together, not a word spoke between us. When we reached the seventh floor and moved toward the coma wards, I tried to lighten the sullen mood, "So...Gonna confess your love all over again?"

"I... I wish I could..." He shook his head. "If I'm honest, I'm still not entirely sure what I'm going to say... My thoughts are all torn up and tied in a knot every which way."

Part of me that it was funny that the ever thoughtful Ryuu would be this hard up for answers. We reached the doors and I sighed, "We only have to the fourteenth day... It's best to get this over with now."

He nodded. "I know..." He went quiet until we reached room 10. He paused for a moment, just staring at the door in silence.

I didn't have much to say. I opened the door for him and let him go first.

He shook his head, took a deep breath, and stepped inside. "Hey, Tamiko..."

Unlike the others, it seemed Tamiko had awoken. She glanced over at Ryuu with sunken eyes, a husk of what she once was. Monokuma wasn't clear on how badly the brain damage had affected her, but in this moment it didn't bode well.

Ryuu swallowed audibly and walked over to her, and knelt beside her. "How are... How are you feeling..?"

"Ryuu..." She uttered just his name, feeling it out in her mouth, "Did you do it...? Did you make our dream game?"

"I..." He nodded, tearing up. "I did... I was... Holding out... Hoping you'd get better... So you could be the first one to play it..."

I had no idea what they meant, "Dream game?"

Tamiko interjected with slow, methodical words, "A game... that would touch my heart... In a way no other has..." She smiled, "But if... Ryuu was just... himself... He could already."

Ryuu went quiet, taking all he could not to break down in tears. "Tamiko..."

"Don't... be sad Ryuu..." She weakly reached for him, "I... am still here... We can... be together now... right?"

Oh... Monokuma didn't even have the decency to tell them.

"Tamiko... I..." Small teardrops fell to the floor. "I... I wish we could... I wish we could wake up from this like a bad dream..." He wiped his eyes with his sleeve and looked at me, unable to explain it himself.

She shook her head, "The only dream I have left... after losing big bro and...my friends... is to be with you... It's why I... survived... Even... in my dreams... from when... I was comatose... I only dreamt of... seeing you again... We can be a... family now..." She reached out for his hand, weakly, desperately.

Ryuu gently took her hand, placing both hands on hers. "Tamiko..." He went silent, tears falling to the floor tiles as she speaks to him.

"What's... wrong, Ryuu? Aren't... these tears of joy?" She was confused now, the question mark above her head clear to us both.

Ryuu shook his head slowly. "Tamiko... In... In 2 days... You're going to..." He had to stop as the tears overtook him, and he sobbed uncontrollably. "... Die..."

Tamiko seemed even more startled, "...But I'm... feeling... better..."

He shook his head "And I'm... More happy than you could imagine to hear that... But... You... And several others like you... You're being used against us..." He took a breath as he tried to piece the words together. "If... If no one commits a murder... You'll all be executed. And if the murderer gets caught, they'll get executed... If they don't, everyone else will..." He sighed in frustration.

"Isn't this... just a game? You've always been... so creative... That's why I... fell in love with...you..." She leaned back against the bed, "I'm tired... A nice bear gave me food... And told me... that you'd save me... So I won't worry... about that..." And she passed out. Luckily, she was still breathing. I watched the rise and fall of her chest to make sure.

He shook his head, still sobbing. "...Dammit, Tamiko..." He clenched her hand tightly as he hung his head. "I... I couldn't even tell her what I came here to tell her..."

Monokuma popped in, "Oh, boy! Just tell me and I'll give her the memo!"

Ryuu let go of Tamiko's hand, gently placing it over her chest and turning to Monokuma. "Monokuma... What did you put in her food..?" His tears started to subside, a hint of anger stirring in his voice as he spoke to the bear.

"It was a normal Thanksgiving dinner... What, you don't like America? What, this is Japan, you say? 'Every country belongs to America!'" The last bit was said in the accent of a man nicknamed Bandit.

Ryuu was visibly ticked off by that, but pressed the question. "No poison? No toxins? No mysterious tiny eggs?" He glared at Monokuma.

I sighed, "Just leave it be. We'll come back tomorrow, okay?" Monokuma took his leave before Ryuu could retort once more.

"...Tch." He squeezed his hand in a fist, and let go with a sigh. "I guess I'll have to come back later, then..." He looked over at Tamiko. "I have one more day to say goodbye... I just hope... She takes it well..." He shook his head and turned back to me. "I don't suppose you would have any advice..? I'll probably ask around before we have to go to our rooms, if I can..."

"I'll think on it." I still struggled with it, how I would have bid goodbye to Shiori. If I could have handled it... Maybe it was better for me that someone-

Cutting that line of thinking, I faced away from Ryuu, "Anyways, I'm out. This was... depressing for me. Soul-crushing for you... I'll see you later... I need... time."

"I get you... Take care, alright..?" He turned back to Tamiko, intent on staying a little longer before heading back.

-Event End-

-Kotoko's POV-

It was 6:40. Everyone was gathered in the makeshift dining hall we had been using except for Kicho, Kojiro, and Naoya.

Kojiro entered the room without a single word.

"Why're ya late!?" Maria demanded to know.

"I was checking the sensors. For tonight... Floors one to five are under Sho's jurisdiction," Kojiro began doling out the assignment.

"Understood," Sho was taking this more seriously than ever before. He didn't want a repeat of last time.

Kojiro glanced at two people sitting in the back, "Honoka gets six to ten, Ryuu eleven to fifteen."

Honoka asked, "Ryuu, you sure you can-"

"I'll be fine..." He responded quickly, "I think it'll do me good to be out and about."

"And Taka will be floors sixteen to twenty. Any questions?" Kojiro finished reading off the list like the peanut gallery didn't exist.

Akira asked, growing annoyed, "Yeah... Where the hell are the other two? Even if they're not gettin' assigned, it's weird."

Maria nodded, "I suppose you're right. I'll go round the two of them up."

After she left, Hiro wondered aloud, "Surprised we're lasting this long... For once, we might not have a murder."

"Stop making it sound like it's the final chapter or something..." Aya pouted, concerned by the flags he was raising.

Ryuu begrudgingly agreed, "It's surprising. Innocents at risk of dying for sinners like us. What say you, Kojiro? Any thoughts?"

"Oh, you mean... Lorraine, right?" Honoka asked, sweating a bit. Worried for his health, maybe?

"What is his take on all this, eh, Kojiro?" Ryuu asked again.

Kojiro glanced at the duo without uttering a single word.

Silence. No one spoke up for the time it took for Maria to enter the room, grabbing Naoya by the ear.

"Ow ow ow! I was just on my way, come on!" Maria threw Naoya into a chair. He squeaked in pain.

Standing triumphantly, she announced her feat, "I have acquired the latecomer!"

"What about Kicho?" Akira asked it as if it was the most obvious question in the world.

Maria seemed shaken, "Wa-wa-wa-wa!?" She headed for the door, "I'll get right on it!"

"Don't bother," Narutoya announced, adjusting his shades, "We're doing fine without her purposefully inflammatory remarks. Now catch Naoya up to speed and let's go."

Kojiro did just that. Naoya nodded, and we all headed our separate ways. I was nervous, so I followed Naoya to his room. Just outside of it, he asked, "What are you up to now?"

"I wanted to find out why you were late, silly." I was also curious, "Do you like peeled or unpeeled chestnuts!?" I asked, breath coming out as I excitedly questioned him for... compatibility sake.

"Peeled. I just... wasn't feeling well. Shiori and all..."

I nodded, "Ohhh... Did you love her?"

Naoya's eyes darkened, "Did I... love her?" Was he unsure himself? "Of course I..." He clenched his teeth, his face pale, "Like my parents, I have to move on. If I spend the rest of my life mourning... I won't be able to pay the mastermind in kind."

"Naoya..."

He stepped away from me, "I just need time to be alone now. Just go back to your room and... we'll talk tomorrow. I promise."

I nodded, still deeply worried for him, "Okay... See you tomorrow, Naoya."

"Yeah..." He walked into his room and closed the door. I went to bed soon after.

Lying down on my room in my pajamas, I thought about a lot of things. Some were silly, like whether people roasted and then peeled their chestnuts or not. Others wondered what Kicho was up to.

Mostly, I was thinking of my place here. If Naoya did love Shiori, does that mean my feelings would be too late? Eventually, I fell asleep, not knowing the torment the others might endure.