Chapter 4: Persona Non Grata (Daily Life 3)
Akira felt the cold floor against her cheek as her vision finally began to settle enough for her to think about opening her eyes. She didn't have the energy to shoot back up, so she sat on the floor as she tried to see what her surroundings were. She was alone, the concrete on the floor was barely lit enough to see that it was covered in cracks. The walls were grey like the floor, and the only light was constantly flickering from the shadow of a small ventilation fan spinning.
The room was cold, and dry, breathing in too hard made her cough, as she slowly stood back onto her feet to look at the room in proper. There was a single bed, a two inch thick mattress covered with a green sheet and a single pillow mounted to a metal frame and secured to the wall using a chain and loop fasteners. There was a desk with a small light on it, and a single glass of water. Around the corner was a bathroom that was literally just a toilet and a sink.
There was a small rucksack sitting on the floor, that Akira quickly picked up to inspect it. Inside was a pair of handcuffs, a small key, a taser with about 3 cartridges of ammunition, and strangely, a keychain with a Monokuma head on it. She tossed the Monokuma keychain aside and slowly reached for the glass of water. She sniffed at the water, wary of drinking this after they had been gassed. Smelling nothing odd, Akira took a few sips before drinking the whole glass. Thankfully, it got the taste of chemical out of her mouth.
She headed for the door out of the room, opening it and seeing a blue hallway with similar doors to the one she had for her room. As she looked, one of the other doors opened, Airi stepping out of the room next to her. "Akira? You okay?" Airi asked, Akira nodding and rubbing her temple.
"Yeah, I just… I'm kind of confused." Akira replied
"I think opening that laptop caused Monokuma to activate his 'motive' for us. From the smell, Halothane was pumped into the room, and we got moved here." Airi said, leaning against the wall in thought.
"Hallo-wha?" Akira asked.
"It's a sleeping gas made in mass production. It's dangerous in super high quantities, but he used it just to knock us out." Airi explained as the other two doors in the hall opened. Hana stepped out of the door on the far left.
"Huh? Where am I? What's- Setsuki?" Hana said, spotting the Ultimate Extreme Sports Star from the far right.
"Hana?" Setsuki asked in response. Without a second, the two rushed over and hugged each other. "Holy crap, you're not dead! This is so hype!"
"I know! I didn't dead!" Hana said excitedly, tightening her grip on Setsuki
"...I think you meant 'die.'" Airi pointed out.
"...Airi! You're not dead!" Hana shouted, running over to hug her, Airi accepted the hug, begrudgingly, looking away and feeling awkward about it.
"It seems like we're fine. Though, I'm not sure about everyone else. Maybe the girls and the boys have been separated?" Akira asked as Setsuki wrapped her arms around the Ultimate Police Cadet. "Ack! Setsuki, it's good to see you too!"
"Possibly. So, we find the boys and then we find out where we are." Airi said, attempting to peel Hana off of her and break her iron tight hug.
"Get hug-dunked, Airi!" Hana exclaimed, getting a sigh out of the spy.
"That's not a thing. Stop trying to make it a thing." Airi said. "We have to go find the boys, now hurry up."
Airi finally pried Hana off and started running out of the hall. Akira dragged Setsuki along as she followed Airi. The girls made their way out of the hallway and into an empty room. Sat against the wall was four keys, placed in a small box lined with velvet.. "Hrm… interesting." Airi said as she walked up to the keys, looking at each one carefully.
"What is it, Airi?" Akira asked.
"The bow of each key… they're shaped like playing card suits." Airi said, pointing to one of the keys. Akira noticed that bow had a heart shape, next to a diamond-shaped key to the right and a spade-shaped key to the left. Along with those was a club-shaped key, completing the set.
"So, ya like the gimmick?" Monokuma asked leaning over Airi's shoulder. Akira and Setsuki both shrieked from surprise, but Airi just looked at him with wide eyes. "Those are keys to certain rooms in the building! Sharing is caring, of course. There's only one of each type! If ya lose it in a grate? Well that sucks, you're not getting it back." he warned.
"You! Where the hell are our friends!" Hana shouted, pointing an accusing finger at the black-and-white bear.
"Not here yet. Kenji and Yukata are trying to fix Haru's shoulder. Yukiji's watching in the corner of the room like a scared kitten, and who cares what Shiro's doing!?" Monokuma answered. Akira was relieved to hear no one was hurt, but now there was the question of where 'here' was.
"And where are we, exactly?" Akira asked.
"Ah-ah-ah! We gotta wait until the boys show up! There's nothing worse for a reader than when characters keep regurgitating exposition because all the characters weren't in a scene." Monokuma taunted. "And I don't like repeating myself, so boo." He teased, sticking out his tongue as the door from the other side of the room swung open.
Shiro, still covered in bruises from being attacked the day before entered the room, adjusting his tie. "So was knocking us out and dragging us to this dour concrete facility part of the motive?" Shiro said.
"Damn it! I said to wait! Stop trying to make the plot nonsense, we've had enough trouble making sense already!" Monokuma yelled, but Shiro looked unamused. "Next we'll have talking penguins, robots who have babies and a helicopter who can turn into a cat." He complained.
"That's not even a reference to anything, I think." Setsuki complained as Kenji, Haru and Yukata entered just after. Haru sporting a sling over the arm he hurt trying to break the door down. Yukiji walked in behind them, rubbing his eyes.
"Alright we're here. What the hell are you planning, Monokuma!?" Kenji shouted across the room, Monokuma starting to giggle as he finally got to explain.
"So what you could guess from the Dean's office, Masato Inoue is one of those weirdo doomsday prepper types! He even commissioned a bunker to stay in, in case of nuclear war! You're still on the campus, just at his weird bunker. Welcome to your new home!" Monokuma announced, hopping onto the table to make himself look taller.
"You have got to be shitting me." Yukata complained as Haru went over to lean against a wall. "We have to stay in this dump!?" He shouted, his voice echoing off the walls.
"Mhm! That is, until the next class trial. You will not be allowed to leave this building unless we do a class trial! Or, if you fulfill the motive! Then you guys can leave without a class trial. Neato, huh?" Monokuma asked, Shiro looking unamused as ever.
"And this is your idea of getting another murder in short notice? What's the motive?" Shiro asked, brow furrowed.
"Well… The motive is this." Monokuma announced, pulling out a remote and hitting a button, a banner unfurling on the wall stating 'KILL SHIRO' in crudely painted fashion. "If Shiro is the next murder, a class trial won't be held! Da da da daaaa! You'll all get off scot free!" He followed, but Shiro felt his eyes shoot wide as an anger filled him.
'W-WHAT!?" He shouted in confusion.
"Ya heard me. The result of the last class trial ticked me off. I didn't feel like changing it, so now you're a loose end. And the only way to deal with loose ends is to cut them!" Monokuma shot back, but Shiro was livid, his fists clenched hard and shaking.
"This is ridiculous! Is this really the motive!?" Shiro exclaimed.
"Yup! In fact, if you would open up your Monopads, there's been a change to the regulations!" Monokuma instructed. Akira pulled out her Monopad and opened it, clicking on the regulations.
Special Regulation: Shiro Kiruma Must Die!
"So, who's it gonna be that does the job? Will it be Kenji, who has hated Shiro from the start? Akira, walking the fine line between justice and revenge? Airi, the cold-blooded spy looking to eliminate a potential threat? The Big Dog, Haru Yamada? Or… one of those other guys I can't think of right now." Monokuma said, waving a paw dismissively.
"You're running this killing game, it could kill you to remember everyone's name!" Setsuki complained, rubbing the back of her head.
"I mean, kill me? Nah. It'd probably kill one of you guys." Monokuma said.
"That's not what I meant." Setsuki said
"Enough banter! Shiro's right there and ready to get his head smashed in! How about it, folks?" Monokuma asked.
"No." Kenji said bluntly.
"Huuuh? No? Kenji, you were like… guy #1 I had in mind for this motive! Whaddya mean by no?" Monokuma said, growing testy.
"Look, I hate Shiro's guts more than anyone here. He's pretty much confirmed to be a fuckface. That doesn't mean I want to kill him, especially not when you want me to." Kenji said, Monokuma's eye twitching slightly.
"Well… I had expected that, honestly. But let's see how you feel about it a few days into this motive, hm?" Monokuma said.
"We'll see how I feel about it a year into the motive! See, if we don't kill Shiro, that stops the Killing Game, right?" Kenji asked, Monokuma standing perfectly still. Kenji grew a defiant smile as he spoke. "You fucked yourself, Monokuma! You made a motive no one would want to do!" Kenji said triumphantly.
"Yeh! This place smells like feet but I think I could get used to living here!" Hana shouted from the back.
"I've lived in worse… I've slept in a hovel in Bolivia during a 10 month monsoon." Airi observed.
"If it means we stop the Killing Game, then I'd rather live here." Akira said.
"B-b-but- What about your memories?! What about the mystery of Enoshima University?!" Monokuma objected.
"If we gotta kill someone to find out the answers, then maybe we're better off not knowing." Yukiji argued, Monokuma gritting his teeth.
"N-no! No! This is not how this is supposed to go!" Monokuma shouted, getting red in the face.
"Well, too bad, ya overgrown chew toy! We're staying here! Get ready to get bored, ya idjit!" Haru shouted, Kiko poking out of his coat pocket and barking in agreement.
"Yeah! We just gotta believe in our bonds and we'll make it through this!" Yukata said, turning to Kenji. "Right, bro?"
"Damn right, Yukata! Friendship and stuff!" Kenji said, the two fistbumping. The students cheered, an air of victory throughout the key room, Monokuma throwing a tantrum on the floor. "We finally beat you, huh Monokuma?"
"ARGH! I want my Killing Game! This isn't fair! You all cheated!" Monokuma wailed, pounding the floor.
"This calls for victory tacos! Yo, Monokuma! Which way is the kitchen?" Setsuki asked, Monokuma suddenly stopping his tantrum and lifting his head up. On his face was the biggest, most twisted smile they had ever seen on him, red eye glowing bright.
"Puhuhuhuhu~ The kitchen? There ain't no kitchen here! Kyaahhahahahah~" Monokuma said, cackling madly. The triumphant air faded instantly as everyone stared at the black-and-white bear, eyes widening slowly.
"Wh-what? No… no, that's bullshit, you're lying!" Kenji said, Monokuma stopping his laughter.
"Look into my eyes, can't you see they're open wide? Would I lie to you, Kenji?" Monokuma said, letting out another hearty laugh at Kenji's expense. "You see, I did a bit of renovation to this old bunker. In fact, if you look in your Monopads, I have a map for you." Monokuma said with a single unfurled claw. Kenji opened up his Monopad, seeing a crudely-drawn map of the bunker.
"Why does this look like it was drawn by a five-year-old?" Yukata asked as everyone looked over the map. Their faces littered a gold-colored room marked as "Key Swap" which was connected to two L-shaped halls, colored Green and Blue. In the Green Hall were the first four bedrooms that Kenji, Yukata, Haru and Yukiji had woken up in. On the far end was a room labeled "Equipment" with a Club symbol.
"Ah, I see. So that's what Monokuma meant." Airi said. "The rooms marked with card symbols. Those must be the keys we need for those rooms." she explained, looking a the hall doors marked with a Heart for the Blue Hall and club for the Green Hall. In the Blue Hall were another four bedrooms. Akira, Hana, Setsuki and Airi woke up in that Hall, which also had the most rooms; an Engine room with a Heart symbol, a Medical Room with a Spade symbol and a Library with a Diamond symbol.
"Wait, but there's only eight bedrooms." Setsuki pointed out.
"Well, yeah. I woke up on the floor in Room 3. Shiro was in the bed." Haru explained.
"Yeah? Well you're heavy!" Monokuma complained, but Haru clenched a fist and shouted back at him.
"And I'm injured! You inconsiderate jerkface!" Haru yelled. "Anyway, you probably did it to make it easier to kill Shiro!"
"Hm? ...Whatever do you mean?" Monokuma asked, feigning innocence.
"Well, if there's eight rooms and nine of us, we'd probably make Shiro sleep out in the halls-"
"I beg your pardon?!" Shiro said.
"Murderers don't get comfy beds, okay? Anyway, if Shiro slept out in the halls, it would leave him vulnerable! That's why there's only eight bedrooms for nine people." Haru finished.
"Hm… no, that's wrong!" Monokuma shouted, laughing. "Actually, there's several sections to the bunkers. We're just in one section.
"...So, what do we do about the rooms?" Yukiji asked.
"Well, I think we do have a room to keep Shiro in." Akira said, looking at the Monopad. At the far end of the Blue Hall, tagged with a Diamond symbol, was a room labeled 'Prison.' "He's gonna be locked in the prison in the Blue Hall. He'll be safe there and he won't try to kill any of us to protect himself." she explained.
"Why do I need to be locked up?! Need I remind you that Taisei was the one savagely attacking me last night? Lock him away for everyone's safety! He's deranged! Are you going to let him get away with assault!?" Shiro objected.
"No, but you've demonstrated that you're capable of murder and there are probably more people who will want to kill you than Kenji." Akira said. "Like it or not, but you're public enemy #1. Even Monokuma wants you dead. Putting you in jail will be for your own good."
"I'd be a sitting duck! You can't trust that no one will try to attack from my cell!" Shiro argued.
"Not if they don't have the key." Akira said, grabbing the Diamond Key from the box and putting it into her pocket. "I'm your facilitator. I'll be the one who can open and close your door. No one else is getting this key as long as we're here, period. Now come on, I'm putting you in for the night." she said, grabbing Shiro by the arm. She dragged him through the Blue Hall as Shiro complained about her grabbing his wrist too hard, or that dragging him wasn't necessary. She kept on walking, heading for the door on the far end of the Blue Hall, opening it up.
Inside was a rounded room with a sleeping bag on the floor, a sink, and a stone bench that wrapped around the outside of the round room to sit on. The door was heavy, steel, but had a small viewing port to see who was on the other side. Besides that, there was a small reading light, but absolutely nothing else in the room except for the toilet beside the sink. Akira pulled Shiro into the Prison, Shiro soon yanking his arm away as he headed for the bed.
"So, this is going to be my new home." Shiro said, groaning in annoyance.
"I'm not gonna mock you for it, but this is just a precaution. Sorry, Shiro." Akira said, Shiro laying on the bed. "Look, we're all going to be living in the same conditions, we just have to make sure nobody tries to kill you."
"So, you admit that all the trust and faith you put in others is meaningless." Shiro replied, Akira sighing.
"No, I still believe that no one here under the right frame of mind would kill anyone. But Monokuma's trying to force our hands and we can't risk you being out in the open." Akira said. "Besides, you of all people can't talk about distrust after what you did."
"...Kazue, could you do something for me?" Shiro asked.
"Yeah?" she said warily.
"When I awoke in the bedroom, there was a small bag on the floor next to me. It felt like there was a book inside. Can you bring that to me tomorrow? I will need something to keep my mind off my hunger pangs." Shiro requested, Akira nodding.
"Sure, you thinkin' of sleeping?" she asked, getting a nod from Shiro. "Then I'll bring it to you tomorrow. Try to get plenty of sleep. You'll need it." Akira said, leaving the Prison and locking the door with the Diamond Key. Akira let out a yawn, heading for the bedrooms. She saw Hana and Setsuki playing an intense series of Rock-Paper-Scissors, Airi standing and watching.
"Hey, what's going on?" Akira asked.
"Hana and Setsuki are fighting to figure out which room is theirs." Airi said, sipping a glass of water while she watched.
"Okay, you totally threw that Rock like, a quarter second after I did! Don't be a cheater, you cheater!" Hana complained, Setsuki sighing as she got ready for another round.
"Just pay attention this time, Hana! And laser isn't part of Rock-Paper-Scissors, you ain't pulling a fast one on me, got it missy?" Setsuki shot back, but Akira looked over at Airi, who continued to take small sips of water.
"What're you doing?" Akira asked.
"Drinking water in slow intervals will help stave off hunger, it tricks the body into thinking it's eating food. I learned that back when I was stationed in Mongolia." Airi explained, taking another sip. "Thankfully, Monokuma is willing to supply us water."
"Why were you in Mongolia?" Akira wondered.
"Classified." Airi replied between sips. Akira couldn't tell she was kidding or not behind that rock solid poker face.
"Right, so which room are you taking?" she asked
"The last. They're all the same, so it doesn't matter which one I pick." Airi said with a shrug.
"I'll take Room 5. It's closer to the Prison, so I can keep a better eye on Shiro." Akira said, Airi nodding in agreement, the two watching the battle between Hana and Setsuki reach its climax.
"HAANAAAA!" Setsuki shouted, her voice echoing off the walls of the bunker, only to be matched by a crescendo of stupid to match her own.
"SETSUKIIIIII!" Hana exclaimed, the two slamming their fists against their hands three times. After the third strike, the two revealed their weapons. Hana's fist was tight, signifying that she had picked rock. Setsuki's hand was flat on her palm.
"Paper! I win!" Setsuki cheered, jumping up and down in the air and doing a ridiculous arm-flailing dance. "Whooo! The hype is real!"
"Nooooo! My rock has been covered!" Hana cried out, dropping to her knees in defeat.
"Good job, Setsuki!" Akira said, clapping for Setsuki.
"Rooms 6 and 7 are available, which one do you want?" Airi asked.
"Hrm… I'm gonna go with Sixtsuki!" Setsuki said, Airi staring at her with an annoyed look before splashing her in the face with water.
"I reject that pun." Airi shot, before turning back to Akira as Setsuki went to strain water from her beanie. "Somehow they get more awful the better I know them. I should have just stayed aloof this whole time."
"That's what friends are, though. Friends are awful, and they annoy you half the time, but you can't live without them, ya know?" Akira said, Airi smiling and pushing off the wall she was leaning against.
"Yeah… anyway, I'd better get to bed. See you all tomorrow." Airi said, waving the other girls goodbye as she headed for Room 8. Akira waved back, going into Room 5 and hitting the bed facefirst. Ignoring the sudden growls of her stomach, Akira shut her eyes and tried to get to sleep.