First, the (long overdue) review replies!

Katastic Writer: Thanks for being so supportive and understanding! I do think any group would be a bit unsettled by the presence of an Ultimate Hitman in their midst - then again, they've had to deal with a SHSL Assassin beforehand and that ended well (for them, at least), so maybe this group is a bit of an exception? I do agree that the new area is a bit of a mish-mash of things - the reasons why will be revealed shortly. Even with all the despair and distrust running amok, it'd seem Yatarou and Riou still have it in them to be humorous (be it on purpose or not). Thanks for your review!

BlueTanaka: Thanks for understanding the hiatus! It would seem your theories were not as off-base as they could be. I'm proud to have made a difficult-to-grip third trial, although I do prefer the second one overall. Although I do have to agree, Kiyo did deserve better. If only he wasn't such a jerk to everyone, he might have survived the impending doom. Then again, with Monokuma's motives in effect, is there really hope for anyone to successfully ignore it? Everyone's fear of Shizuka is kind of understandable since he - unlike Yuzuru - didn't reveal his true talent. Thank you so much for reviewing!

The SENDER and the TRAVELER: I'm immensely glad you found my portrayal of Kiyoshi to be as good as you expected, so thanks for the props! You were the one that gave me such a great character to mold, so you have the most merit here. As for Kiyo's cap, the distrust and the snow resort trial - you'll have your answers soon enough! Thanks for reviewing, as per usual.

TheRoseShadow21: I'm happy to be back, although a bit uneven with updates. I'm getting back into the groove though! Thanks for the review!

Airune: I'm glad you're enjoying all the items you mentioned! It makes me proud as a writer to see people compliment my work, haha. Best wishes, and thank you for leaving a review!

ACT 4: Despair is a Dish That's Best Served Cold

CHAPTER 2: To Trust or Not to Trust

LATE AFTERNOON

Location: Snowrise Resort - Tsukushi's Room

As soon as I came to, expecting the somewhat hard floor of the Breaker Room I'd fainted in to be under me, I was both pleasantly surprised and understandably startled. While resting on the soft, fluffy mattress of my suite back in the ground floor of the resort, I was shocked to see a few glaring eyes.

"Tsukushi!" Riou called, breaking the silence I assume was there.

It's not like I was conscious to know that for certain, though.

As he threw himself onto me, kneeling by my bedside, he smothered me as he hugged me tightly, his bulging biceps tightening around my chest, making it hard to breathe. "C-Can't... breathe..." I tried to fight back, making Riou stand up rapidly.

"S-Sorry!" Riou apologized, his posture regained, as Kikyo and Yatarou simply smiled at me from a safe distance, near the foot of the bed. A bit dizzy from standing up too quickly, he knelt back down and grabbed my shoulder. "What happened? You just dropped!"

"Riou..." Kikyo sighed, a bit of a nervous smile on her face. "Don't smother him too much, he's just woken up..."

Eyeing the Hairstylist for an instant, Riou sighed and nodded in agreement. "Sorry, sorry. I was worried..."

"What happened, Tsukushi?" Yatarou asked, raising his voice for the first time since I'd woken up. "Riou told me you were in the room upstairs with Shizuka and him... I thought that damn Hitman got the jump on you..." he explained, venom clearly present in his voice as he gave the side-eye to something, or someone, who I couldn't see, as they were behind Riou.

A male voice snorted and Riou turned around to face whoever the source was. On the corner of the room, far from everyone else, was Shizuka, legs crossed and head slightly hanging forward, intertwined fingers resting atop his knee. "For someone who refused to spend in the same resort as me, you've quite the sharp tongue, Nekomirin-san. You wouldn't want to get on a Hitman's bad side... would you?"

Yatarou flinched and discreetly inched away from Shizuka, his statement's dark implications proving to be a little too much for him to handle. "S-Sorry..." he apologized halfheartedly, still visibly frightened.

"Merely a jest." Shizuka shrugged, uncrossing his legs and raising his chin a bit, being now eye-to-eye with everyone else in the room.

"Are you in a position to say those things?" I asked, sitting up on my bed, back resting against the headboard. "Your situation is bad enough as is."

A second shrug later, Shizuka's hand trailed through his scalp, tidying his hair up a tiny bit. "It's not like it can get any worse. I'm fairly sure the people who trust me right now will continue doing so, and those who don't will never listen to reason. Why not have a bit of fun?"

Groaning, Kikyo struggled not to sound angry as she replied. "You're making everything harder for us too. It's not like we want to have everyone distrust each other, it's just hard for us t-"

"To trust a killer?" Shizuka completed her sentence, and by the widening of the Hairstylist's pink eyes, the Hitman's shot was right on the money. "Are we supposed to forget all about Kanzaki-san?"

From the safety of Kikyo's back, Yatarou edged Shizuka further with his comments. "Well, she was a traitor and was working alongside Monokuma! She was going to murder Sakurako!"

"I'll have to agree that wasn't the best example, Shizuka." Kikyo conceded, giving the Hitman a pity-filled look.

"You make a fair point." With a sigh, Shizuka stood up and walked towards the door. "My time here is done. I have ensured Hananari-san's safety, which is why I came here in the first place. I'll be in my room, should anyone need me." he said as he bid his farewell to us and walked away.

A fair bit of awkward, tense silence filled the room, making the air heavy. "I swear... it's like he's trying to make us despair even further." Kikyo complained, letting out a long, drawn out sigh. Shoulders slumped, she shook her head. "If Yuzuru wasn't the traitor, I'd say Shizuka was a likely candidate."

"That's just his nature..." I rebutted, making everyone turn to me, Kikyo and Yatarou a bit wide-eyed at the sudden defense. "He's... He's just like that. There's no way to change him."

Squinting, Yatarou asked. "Are you really defending him? Maruko, Yori and Kiyo all died because of him."

"That's a stretch." I replied. "He had little to no blame to bear in that case. He almost ended up being a victim, for crying out loud!"

"I thought you were against murderers, Tsukushi?" Yatarou gave me a side-eye, making chills go down my spine. "Now you're standing up for one? What difference does it make if he kills people inside or outside the Mutual Killing Game? He's a killer, dude, open your damn eyes!"

A knot in my throat suddenly formed and I was unable to respond. He made a good point... For the past couple of weeks, we've condemned three people for ending someone else's life. And yet, here I am, defending someone who has ended countless lives, just because I didn't know the people who he assassinated.

"You... You're right."

"Huh?" Yatarou's eyebrows raised in surprise, as everyone looked at me in stunned quiet.

"You're right." I conceded. "It's... unbecoming of a defense attorney to be swayed by his own personal feelings. I didn't make as big of a deal with Shizuka's killings as I did with Asuyo's, Frances' or Kiyoshi's because... I just didn't know the victims. I wasn't involved. That's the worst thing an attorney could do."

"D-Dude, I didn't mean for you to take it that hard... shoot, sorry..."

"No, no!" I quickly reassured him. "You've done nothing wrong. Thanks for making me realize this, I... I'll be sure to think this through at a later time."

Head tilted, Kikyo curiously asked. "Um, think what through?"

Not wanting the issue to be drawn out any longer, I simply shook my head, asking for the three people present to simply forget about it for the time being. Riou was quick to concede to my request, as he found another topic he found more important. "So, Tsukushi, are you feeling well?"

I nodded, smiling. "I'm sobering up alright, thanks, babe."

Visibly swooning over the nickname I chose, I saw Kikyo and Yatarou go into a wild frenzy of small, silent movements out of the corner of my eye, although it'd seem Riou was too fixated on me to notice. "What happened?" Riou continued. "If you weren't feeling well, you could've told me!" he suggested, but quickly retracted his statement before offering a possible scenario. "Was it my back massage!? Did I hurt you!?"

"No, no!" I was quick to reassure him, putting both of my palms in the air, loosely in a 'stop' hand sign. "It's... something I've had to cope with my whole life. I've gotten pretty used to it. Got pretty thick skin as a result!"

Still unsure of what to think, Riou tried to further his knowledge of the situation. "So... you just... faint, once in a while?"

Chuckling, I shake my head and put my hand on his arm. "You make it sound like it's random. It's nothing like that!"

"Then, what is it?" Kikyo asked, butting in the conversation with a sly smile.

"Yeah, yeah, tell us!" Yatarou edged me further.

Smiling at the two fangirls, I scratched my head in embarrassment. "Truth is... I have allergies. Reeeeeeeeally bad allergies." I confessed, feeling like the reasoning behind my sudden drops were anti-climactic to say the least.

A few seconds of shocked silence later, Kikyo repeated my words, in order to assure herself she heard correctly. "Allergies."

"Just... allergies?" Yatarou repeated.

"Uh-huh." I confirmed it once again, nodding.

"How bad do allergies have to be for you to drop dead every time you get them?" Yatarou voiced his confusion. "Pretty damn bad, I'd say."

Shrugging, I gave an uneasy smile. "I know, I know... It's pretty rare. Just my luck, I guess."

Wanting to discuss a bit more, Kikyo curiously questioned. "What are you even allergic to?"

"Pollen, I think? I'm sure it had something to do with nature and plants, specifically." I revealed. "That's why I lost consciousness in Verdant Views when we first got there. When I went to the park for the first time with Eita, I think it was... I started my nose feeling runny all day afterwards, and my head was pretty light. Ended up crashing in the early afternoon and only got back up next morning. At the time, with all that was going on with the building behind the library and such... I didn't make much of it, but now that I think about, the answer was pretty obvious. Allergies."

"Makes sense..." Kikyo nodded. "But we're not in Verdant Views anymore. There's snow here, not plants... right?"

"Riou and I have been on the second floor of the Snowfall Resort already. There's a little indoor garden there, so that'd explain it, I think... it hit me pretty hard this time, though. Never had it happen so fast after I made contact with the actual flowers." With a long sigh, I joked. "Maybe... my immune system isn't as good as it was."

A round of chuckles came about. The tense, heavy atmosphere lifted, we moved to make a bit more of small talk as nighttime approached, and a few minutes before the announcement sounded off, I remembered something. "Oh, I forgot to ask... have any of you been upstairs?"

"Upstairs?" Yatarou repeated, thinking about it a bit more. "Eita came by shortly after you left the dungeon, so I showed him around and then we checked out the dormitory corridor and the garden... still haven't checked anything out here."

"Akahana and Sakurako joined me and we spent the day in this side of the lodge. After checking out the dorms, we were meaning to go and take a look at the basement but... Shizuka was there, so... yeah." Kikyo scratched her cheek shyly, a frown on her face.

Looking down as I let all that Kikyo said sink in, I couldn't help but think aloud. "Akahana, not wanting to investigate because Shizuka's there?"

"What's so weird about it?" Riou asked, oblivious to what I'd gathered.

"It's just... Akahana is a very calm and collected girl, and she has an eye for details. With you three in there, she should've known there wouldn't be any danger. Shizuka couldn't hurt any of you and get away with it."

Head tilted, Riou was still bewildered as to what I was saying.

"The sixth rule says you can only kill one or two other students." I explained. "With three of you there, it's not like he could do anything, if he wanted to. Thing is, I'm pretty sure he doesn't even want to... if he did, he'd have done it."

"What if that's what he's trying to make us think, though!?" Yatarou kept badgering Shizuka, cementing his stance against him.

Kikyo went back to scratching her cheek, thinking about it. "Well, he wouldn't be doing a very good job of it... and Shizuka's smart, so I'm pretty sure he could outsmart most of us."

"Unless, that's what he wants us to believe!" Yatarou rebutted.

"That's a bit too much of a conspiracy theory..." I concluded. "Keep in mind I'm not forgiving him for being a murderer but... as far as we go, I think we can be safe."

Sighing in desperation, Yatarou shook his head and muttered. "It's not like positive thinking will protect us."

Before I could throw in a rebuttal or a joke to lighten up the mood again, the nighttime announcement played over the speakers in the hall, and everyone silently waved, awkwardly shifting away from me and out the room.

The only people in the room were...

"Rest up, okay?" Riou warned, kissing my forehead. "Tomorrow afternoon we're going on a jog in the snow, what do you say?"

Smiling, I nodded. "Only if we can get you actual clothes." I replied, poking his chest. "It's not that I don't like the view, mind you. I just don't want you to get sick."

After letting out a hearty laugh, Riou flexed harshly, making his already big muscles even more prominent. "My immune system is the stuff of legends!" Striking a different pose, he continued. "I have no issues being out in the cold! I'll be fine!"

I couldn't help but laugh at his over-the-top act. I just smiled, watching as he smiled back at me. We just stared at each other for a few seconds before he broke the blissful silence. "I love you."

Smiling genuinely, I nodded. "I love you too, Riou."

Kneeling down, he hovered over me as I sat on the edge of the bed. Our faces inching closer and closer part, I let my eyes close and just let myself get taken by impulse. As I felt the heat of his lips on mine, I smiled - a smile that managed to stay unfettered by when he pulled away.

"Sleep tight, baby."

"Good night, pipsqueak."

"H-Hey!"

EARLY MORNING

Location: Mess Hall

After a surprisingly good enough night of sleep, I trudged to the banquet hall by my lonesome, taking less time than usual getting ready after the morning announcement. As I entered the room that connected both resorts, I found myself still alone, my only company being the wide variety of smells that emanated from the table.

A sharp pain coarsed through my abdomen and my hand instinctively grabbed my stomach. I hadn't notice it while I was unconscious or when I was asleep, but when I thought about it, the more the answer was painfully obvious - very painfully. "I haven't eaten since yesterday's breakfast..." I muttered with a tired sigh, followed by a yawn.

"Talking to yourself?" a female voice arose from behind me, quickly gaining my attention. Turning around to see who was talking to me, I saw the petite Gardener herself. A sad smile afterwards, she greeted me properly. "Morning."

"Morning, Chigusa." I replied with a nod, a bit shy.

Passing by me on her way to the same chair she sat down on the day before, she made conversation. "I heard you weren't feeling well last night. Are you okay?"

"Oh, yes. Just a minor thing." I reassured her, not disclosing the reasons as to why. "Can I join you for breakfast? I'm starving, and I don't feel like waiting for everyone else to show up..."

"Hehe, of course." Chigusa giggled, although still not as chipper as she was a few days back. "Be my guest."

Hang out with Chigusa?

[Yeah, sure] [Oh, heeeeeell no]

Tsukushi: Thanks.

Chigusa: Tell me... I've been meaning to ask. How're you and Riou going?

Tsukushi: Huh? We're... doing fine...

Chigusa: You're dating now, right?

Chigusa: How does it feel to date someone? Like actually have someone who reciprocates your feelings?

Tsukushi: It's... good... it feels nice. Riou is my first boyfriend, so this is new to me.

Chigusa: Huh... I see... I take it you've talked about it then?

Chigusa: About how your relationship is and such... it's kind of weird.

Chigusa: You guys met here. It's funny how you two fell in love when being put in our situation.

Tsukushi: I guess you're right... it is weird we'd meet each other during a killing game and actually date.

Tsukushi: But... dating might be... putting it loosely.

Chigusa: Loosely?

Tsukushi: I... Riou and I never spoke about it. We call each other cute names, we've kissed a couple of times, and we're all around couple-ish...

Tsukushi: But neither of us have asked the other "Hey, do you want to date?" or "I really like you, do you want to be my boyfriend?"

Tsukushi: Well- Now that I say it out loud, that sounds kind of cheesy and childish.

Chigusa: It does sound like something straight out of a movie... but if that's what you wish for, strive for it.

Tsukushi: What do you mean?

Chigusa: If you want a movie-like relationship proposal, then hope that it'll happen with all your strength. Work for it, in other words.

Chigusa: It's not gonna happen if either of you don't address the issue. That's... what I think anyway. You're free to do what you want.

Tsukushi: Y-You're right, but, it's not like I need that... It'd just be nice.

Chigusa: Hm, sounds like an excuse.

Tsukushi: Sh-She saw right through that one. Chigusa has really come a long way ever since the trial two days ago.

Chigusa: Oh, I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry too much. It was just my opinion. I apologize.

Tsukushi: No, no! I actually appreciate the honesty and... to tell the truth, you're right.

Tsukushi: I'll talk to him about it... eventually.

Chigusa: Hehe, that's a start. Try to make that 'eventually' sometime soon. You... never know when it'll be too late.

Chigusa: I'm... still beating myself over not being able to tell Maruko about how I felt about her.

Tsukushi: Oh, d-did you... have feelings for her?

Chigusa: Oh, heavens no... I just really, really valued her as a friend. And I... I couldn't tell her that.

Chigusa: I was too self-centered, only wanting her to help me get stronger.

Chigusa: Don't get me wrong! I didn't enslave her or anything, we were... really good friends. She was my best friend here, actually.

Chigusa: I just... I d-didn't ever sit down and tell her how much I loved her as a friend. And I... I resent that.

Tsukushi: Chigusa... I'm sorry to hear that...

Chigusa: Ah, I-I apologize... Maruko wouldn't want to see me like this. Look at me, hehe... almost crying...

Chigusa: I didn't mean to be this depressing in the morning. There's just been lots of stuff on my mind recently.

Chigusa: The reason I even brought this up was to tell you not to keep postponing it. Tell Riou you care for him and get everything straight.

Tsukushi: Straight?

Chigusa: Heh... that was a clever one.

Tsukushi: I don't want to pry into your life... and don't answer if you're uncomfortable, but...

Tsukushi: The way you said that makes me think you've been in my shoes before... is that so?

Chigusa: Oh? Oh, wow, I wasn't expecting you to get that... I guess it makes sense for a Defense Attorney to notice though.

Chigusa: I... I have. Recently, in fact. But... it didn't go so well. I'll leave it at that. Wouldn't want to kill the mood again.

Chigusa: One final question, though... do you believe in love at first sight?

Tsukushi: Uh... I guess I do...

Chigusa: I see... thanks.

Chigusa Takagawa
Despair Shard obtained!

Chigusa and I had breakfast together as I hadn't eaten at all the past 24 hours, and wasn't in the mood to wait for the others. She seems to be quite inquisitive of my relationship with Riou and wants it to sail smoothly, as it has before. After a bit of digging, I found out she blames herself for not being able to tell Maruko how much she loved her before her untimely assisted suicide only a couple of days prior, and she's egging me on so I don't make that mistake either. I also discovered she had feelings for someone, and the way she said 'recently' makes me think it was someone in this killing game. And what was the final question about love at first sight?

MORNING

Location: Snowrise Resort - Relaxation Area

After Chigusa and I had our little secret heart-to-heart, people filed in bit by bit and got to eating their own portions, with Riou taking hold of a bit under half of all protein on the table for his own gains - as if he needed any more muscle mass. Small talk ended up filling the room during the short meal, with Shizuka being the only outcast, sitting alone at the opposite end of the table. Yatarou and Riou kept a close eye on him, attentive to any sudden movements that might indicate danger.

With a sigh, I stood up and left the room, not wanting to be in such a blatantly discriminatory environment. After telling Riou I'd explore the second floor of the resort - the one I didn't get to see for myself the day before, I stepped out. Cursing myself for forgetting to ask Kikyo what the upper floors of Snowrise would hold, and not being bothered to go back ask, I braced myself for the possibly shocking revelation. After all, seeing the blizzard outside, the macabre dungeon and indoor garden from Snowfall and the dorm rooms and breaker room downstairs, I'd be hard-pressed to say this lodge didn't have diversity in its hangout spots.

Going up the stairs, the second floor of the lodge seemed to be almost entirely composed of a single central room, with two long wooden benches paving a sort of hallway to the doors furthest from the stairs. To my left, I noticed a fogged-up glass door, a few feet away from another glass door, completely clean, on the same wall, a shelf with some white towels in between, while on the wall to my right, was a set of double doors with a lighter wood plank next to it, reading 'Heated Pool and Hot Tub'.

"Huh..." I hummed aloud, making my way to the right first, in order to inspect the so-called pool. Peeking through the glass window on the door, I started looking around for any distinguishing features, effectively coming up short. Entering the room itself afterwards, the facilities were up-to-par with what I expected, based on what conditions the other sectors of Anghern were, as well as every location Monokuma provided us with - be it for recreation, accomodation or... murder.

The pool itself was a rectangular blue-tiled body of water that seemed to be several feet in both width, length and depth, with a shallow entryway that deepened progressively. Inside the pool, aside from the obvious water, were a few lights dotted every couple of feet, if my estimations were right. To the left of the pool, if looking at it from the entryway, two archways boasted themselves, a corridor behind each of them, which I can only expect lead to some kind of locker rooms. The hot tub was to the far right of the white room and had a cilindrical, futuristic design to it, with little to no other features to speak of.

Pleased with what I'd gathered from this room, I moved to exit, going back to the central room, and deciding to set a counter-clockwise route to my investigation. Following the wall I'd exited and going towards the wall opposite the stairs to the lower floors, I found myself at another set of two doors, this time leading to different rooms.

Between them, a sign read: "Welcome to the locker rooms! Entry is permitted only to the corresponding genders! If males try to enter the female changing rooms, or vice-versa, they shall face immediate punishment. No peeking!"

My Monokuma impression is becoming a little too... convincing.

"That's because it wasn't an impression, you idiot, I'm right here!" the robotic bear asserted, stomping his plushy foot on the ground in frustration.

Yep... it sounds quite real. Huh, I might've found my new career path!

"Are you deaf!?" Monokuma, unable to take a hint and leave, kept rambling, making me sigh in defeat and turn around. "Nooooow we're talking! Hey, girl, heeeey!"

"I'm not a girl." I state matter-of-factly, glaring daggers into the robot in front of me.

Monokuma shrugged. "That much is obvious. You're not nearly as effeminate as some of the other protagonist-types I know!"

"What do you even mean, protagonist?" I ask with an eye roll, my curiosity involuntarily getting the better of me.

The black and white ursine simply shrugged again and began cackling, shrieking. "Who knows!" he asked rethorically before going into a fit of laughter.

"I'm not even gonna try." Tired, I decided to ignore him with a second eye roll and turned around, only stopping in my tracks after the sudden change in attitude from Monokuma, who went silent in an instant.

Confused as to what made him shut up so quickly, I cocked my head to look behind me. "Ha! Made you look!" he taunted before he finally disappeared, running away at lightning speed down the stairs.

"Figures."

Entering the actual locker rooms, I was met with typical changing room fare - a small L-shaped room with benches lining the outer part of the L and the upper part connecting to a room hidden away from the view of those who stood at the front entrance. Upon further inspection, I noticed the room in the back was a shower room, and that all eight shower heads were working properly, being detachable from the iron guard above me.

With nothing else to see in the seemingly bland room, I exited and went back to the central room, only two doors left to explore if you didn't count the female locker room I couldn't get in. Going along the wall in a similar fashion as before, I reached one of the two glass doors - the completely clear one - and opened it in search of something else.

The inside resembled something like a turkish bath. A small, compact wooden-tiled room with a floating wooden railing-slash-seat around the perimeter, and, behind a glass case, an electronic device to control the amount and temperature of the steam that would fill the room. Sighing at the small, uninteresting room, I paced towards the foggy glass door and opened it, being greeted by a sudden flurry of heat.

"Ack!" I interjected, the burning mist making me cough as I helplessly waved my hand over my face, trying to dismiss the haze.

"Hm?" a male voice came from inside. "Oh. Hananari-san, hello. Would you kindly join me in the sauna?"

Judging by the honorifics and the tone of voice, I could easily identify the owner of said voice as being a certain Hitman. Tensing up, I apologized for the intrusion as I reached inside, meaning to close the door, but someone else stopped the door from closing. "Oh, I'm sorry. Didn't mean to-"

"Don't mention it, Hananari-san. I do find it rude of you to ignore my invitation however. Do you have any other business to attend to?" Shizuka voiced from behind the curtain of fog, his face slowly becoming a bit more visible.

Unable to lie, I simply blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "N-None! I just-" I paused. "Don't mean to force myself on you."

"You are quite the inexperienced liar, Hananari-san." Shizuka chuckled. "Is something the matter?" he added, a smile becoming visible in the dimming haze, as well as a naked torso, a trail of white across the waist - a towel from outside.

"Oh no, it's-"

"Well, then you should have no issues with coming inside and enjoying yourself." Shizuka insisted. "I have matters I wish to discuss with you."

Raising an eyebrow, I nervously asked. "Oh, d-do you? Can't it wait?"

"I thought you had no other business." Shizuka stated, catching me in my own badly-woven lie. "Come and relax a bit with me. There are towels just outside."

Reluctant, I grabbed a towel and went to the changing room to change into it. Sighing at the lack of lockers in the room, I conceded, leaving my clothes neatly folded in the corner of the bench near the entrance to the showers. A towel around my waist, I left the changing rooms and made a beeline to the fogged-up door, meeting Shizuka inside.

"How nice of you to join me." Shizuka smiled, patting down the seat next to him. "Have a seat. Let's talk."

Nodding silently, I took the seat opposite him - a good enough excuse to put distance between us while being the least suspicious I could be. "Let's." I repeated, forcing a smile, which Shizuka took no time noticing, if the look on his face is to be believed. Shrugging it off, Shizuka and I started making conversation.

Hang out with Shizuka?

[Yeah, sure] [Oh, heeeeeell no]

Tsukushi: What did you want to talk about?

Shizuka: Well, my previous first topic of discussion can wait. I have a more urgent question.

Shizuka: Namely, why are you avoiding me?

Tsukushi: A-Avoiding? No way...

Shizuka: I have told you, Hananari-san, you are not the most capable liar. All your expertise in revealing the truth in court is coming back to haunt you.

Shizuka: You have been avoiding me today. Ignoring my greetings in the morning, trying to escape from the sauna the moment you noticed me...

Shizuka: You even tried to lie to escape me. Do you find me that insufferable?

Tsukushi: N-No! Haha, that's... that's not it. You're probably just imagining things.

Shizuka: You know, Hananari-san? No. Tsukushi, if I may.

Shizuka: As a professional Hitman, I have had to deal with numerous clients. Rest assured, there are an ever increasing number of liars in my line of work.

Shizuka: If I couldn't detect said lies, what good would I be? In a way, I am my own defense attorney.

Tsukushi: I-I'm not sure how I feel about a criminal comparing himself to a lawyer... considering I am a lawyer.

Shizuka: ...a criminal, you say? I see... so Nekomirin-san's hateful drabble did, in fact, strike a cord.

Tsukushi: N-No, it-

Shizuka: That's perfectly fine. I am a criminal, in a sense. No, I am a criminal in the purest sense of the word.

Shizuka: I do believe my intentions to be just, however. What I do, I do for the sake of upholding my own justice.

Tsukushi: H-Huh? What do you mean...?

Shizuka: Why do you think I became a hitman?

Tsukushi: I... I have no i-idea... I'm not sure how people get into that kind of thing.

Shizuka: I shall tell you now, then. I was a happy, successful street magician. That much is true, hence why I introduced myself as a Street Magician when we first met. A certain... incident, however, made me into the man I am today.

Shizuka: While practising one of my many tricks, which involved teleportation, I came across something. A... A body. A severed head, to be precise.

Tsukushi: A d-decapitation?

Shizuka: Yes. And, as if that hadn't scarred me enough, it was one of my assistants. One of the closest to me, I might add... I was... understandably distraught.

Shizuka: All evidence pointed to a scion who was too scared to come out of the closet.

Shizuka: Further evidence pointed to him paying off the police to call off the investigation. Which was the only plausible reason for them doing so, when they were so close to cornering the culprit.

Shizuka: I... was consumed by my own hatred, I'd say. The law was protecting criminals, so I found it in me to execute justice.

Shizuka: A teenager who specialized in knives and killing in broad daylight... was a new, interesting, profitable prospect for the underground world. I became famous quickly. That was the start of my career as a professional.

Tsukushi: S-So... you only kill those you know are criminals...? That doesn't make any sense. We have had three culprits already, and Yuzuru was an Assassin...

Tsukushi: You said so yourself last night when you came over to my room.

Shizuka: Tsukushi, are you even listening to yourself? As a participant in the game, I cannot live on to pave the path of justice if I am the one drawing the culprits' final breaths.

Shizuka: And Yuzuru... is a special case.

Tsukushi: D-Did he...? Like...? Nah... right?

Shizuka: I am sorry to bore you with this backstory spiel. We have strayed off topic. All this to arrive at the conclusion that calling me a criminal is justified.

Shizuka: I hope I explained why I have no reason to commit murder here, and why you should trust me. If you do or not... is your call.

Shizuka Matsuoka
Despair Shard obtained!

After being forcefully pulled into a bit of an awkward encounter with a towel-only-clad Shizuka, I was even more forced into conversation with him. Although I didn't tell him why I was avoiding him, it didn't take him long to put the puzzle pieces together so they fit, unsurprisingly so, since I'd seen his logic abilities during the first and third trials. He then went into a bit of a monologue about how he became a hitman. He told me he became slightly obsessed with the idea of making justice with his own hands after an assistant of his was executed by a scion, who was then acquitted by paying off the police. The fact that he'd done the killing in broad daylight alerted the underground world, and he became a renowned assassin. But...

"Um, Shizuka...?" I called, patting down my knees, covered by the thick fabric of the towel. "You didn't bring me here to tell me about your past, did you? What did you need?"

Shizuka shook his head. "If you do not trust me fully, I can't say I feel at ease discussing my first topic with you. Sorry."

"Oh..." I mouthed. "B-But..."

"No buts." Shizuka stated plainly. "You are free to distrust me. I am a killer, after all. You may leave, if you so wish. Thank you for your company." he added, dismissing me.

Taking the hint, I stood up and tigthened the towel's grip around my waist, careful so it wouldn't fall. Wiping the sweat off my palm on the towel, I bid farewell to Shizuka and left the Hitman in the sauna, exiting to the main area of the second floor, the difference in temperature very noticeable. I quickly returned to the locker room, so as to avoid meeting anyone else. After changing clothes, I left the second floor, and the second I stepped on the stairs, an announcement sounded off.

ATTENTION ALL STUDENTS! THIS IS PRINCIPAL MONOKUMA!
A MEETING IS IN ORDER! PLEASE GATHER AROUND AT THE MESS HALL!
ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY! ANY STUDENT NOT PRESENT WILL BE PUNISHED!

"Oh goddamnit."

A/N: Monthly update get! Haha, it really is becoming a trend for me to update less and less often. Good news: I am now part of an unofficial weekly writing club, so I should be able to devote some time to this story every week! This means... more frequent updates...? Maaaybe...?

That being said, stuff is about to get real! Act 4 is going to be a short one, if everything goes according to plan, but don't worry - there's plenty more in the works. What did you think of Chigusa and Shizuka's free time events?

QOTC: Which area of the lodges are you most interested in? Would you spend time in any of them, or would you rather stay in the dorms?
Also... how's everyone's Danganronpa V3 playthroughs? I just got past Chapter 4's Class Trial and boy, the feels this game has given me thus far. And it'll only get worse I bet, aaaaaaaaaaaa!

Until next update (whenever that is), Yamazaki... out!