Hi guys! I hope you will enjoy this!

The remaining nine students stood in the middle of the gymnasium waiting for Monokuma's announcement. Nao stood beside Norio who looked worried about their situation. I never saw Norio like this. Norio was standing in his usual posture. However, his eyes stared at the stage with such intensity he had never seen from him before.

Because of this, Nao decided to check up on him. Nao slowly approached Norio. He tapped him on the shoulder and said, "Hey, is everything alright?"

Norio turned to him. Should have I just let him be? He was scared of Norio. He thought he should have left him alone. After a few seconds, Norio took a deep breath. And just like that, his expression changed. It went back to his usual laid back self.

Norio finally answered, "Sorry if I stared at you like you did something wrong. I am just worried about this whole thing."

"Why?" Nao immediately asked.

"This is definitely going to be a new motive. I am just worried about how quickly everything is happening." Norio explained.

Nao agreed with Norio's points. He is right. I think this is the first time Monokuma will be giving us a motive this fast. Monokuma must really have something big in store for us. After that, Nao just stood in silence beside Norio.

Nao observed the group and everyone looked worried about this new announcement. Asuka was with Samuru and Hana. Umeko was trying to comfort Eri and Takashiro while Mako was standing all alone. I hope they are ready for anything.

After a few minutes, Monokuma finally appeared. He was on the stage. Then, he hopped on to the podium. This caught everyone's attention. All quieted down and was ready to hear whatever Monokuma has to say to them.

"Hello students! Congrats on surviving your third trial! Woohooo!" Monokuma greeted the students with a smile. He took out a party horn and blew it like there was something to celebrate. Although his approach to the students was warmer than he would normally do, all he got was silence and eye rolls.

"Wow! You guys are such a tough crowd. I thought it would make you happier. At least I tried." Monokuma said as he threw the party horn to the side.

Monokuma continued, "Anyway, I called you guys here for your new motive! Are you guys excited?"

Here it is… The new motive… What will it be this time? Is it going to be another video? Is it going to be another threat? Monokuma could present anything. I need to be ready. Nao looked at Norio who was intently listening to Monokuma.

"What is it this time?" Samuru shouted.

"Oooohhhh! We have an enthusiastic one over here!" Monokuma said.

Samuru did not respond and only stared at him. "Sheesh! You could kill with your stare. Well, if you really want to know, follow me!" Monokuma jumped off the stage and walked right past the students. Monokuma turned around to look at the students who were just standing around.

"What are you waiting for? Follow me! We don't have all day!" Monokuma said. After that, he walked out of the gymnasium. Everyone immediately followed. Monokuma was leading them forward. They went past the cafeteria. They were now in the hallways that lead to a locked door.

Is Monokuma leading us to that locked door? Nao looked at the walls. He noticed the previous marks he took note of were covered with posters. The posters used an orange and white motif. It showed several kinds of rides. What are these posters?

The group finally stopped in front of the previously locked door. Now, the simple wooden door was decorated with two clown masks. Its border looked like a circus tent. On top of the door was signage saying "Welcome to Monokumaland". Beside the door was a screen. It displayed:

Number of Visitors:

0

What is this? What is he up to this time? Nao thought as Monokuma scrambled to open the door with his keys.

"Is this the key? I hope this one fits!" Monokuma said as go through the keys he has.

After a few seconds, he finally opened it. He turned the doorknob and opened the door. When he did, he said, "Ta-da! Welcome to Monokumaland! The land where anything is possible, even murder!"

Monokuma stepped in. Everyone soon followed. Nao and Norio were behind the group and saw how everyone rushed in to get inside. Nao immediately noticed something. The number of visitors increased as people pass the door.

"A counter… Interesting…" Norio commented. I guess I was not the only one who noticed this. The two joined the group. The first thing they saw was the place they were standing in. They were on some kind of waiting station. The floor was made of wood with blue chairs. On the wall was a map of the place.

Nao took a look at the map and immediately said, "Wow! This place is huge!" It contained several humungous rides. There were different stalls as well. He also noticed there were lines connecting every important destination to each other. There were three different colored lines. There were green, blue, and violet lines.

Nao looked at the bottom of the map and noticed there was a legend. It says that green means 3-minute travel time, blue means 5-minute travel time, and violet means 10-minute travel time. Travel time?

Monokuma suddenly called everyone's attention. Monokuma was standing near the edge of where they were standing. Behind him was an orange toy-like train. It was decorated with paintings of several animals.

"Welcome to Monokumaland where anything is possible, even murder. This is your new motive!" Monokuma shouted.

"How can this make us kill?" Hana asked.

"Oh, you'll see in a sec. I will be touring you today! Quick note, if you want to go to a destination, just push this button…" Monokuma said. Monokuma was pointing at a stand beside him with a gold button on it.

"Immediately, a train will come to be your ride. If you will step on the ground, this will happen." Monokuma said as he flung his party horn. As soon as it hit the ground, the ground exploded. Dirt and rocks flew towards them. Everyone took cover behind the chairs.

"So, if I were you, just take the train, okay?" Monokuma said.

The ground is filled with land mines. That is scary. One wrong step and I could die. Nao took note of this. After that, Monokuma told everyone to get inside the train. Each cart can only accommodate three people. Everyone quickly went in.

Inside the first cart were Asuka, Hana, and Samuru. The second cart has Eri, Takashiro, and Mako. The last cart has Nao, Norio, and Umeko. Norio was sitting in between Nao and Umeko. It was extremely silent. They were lucky it was Norio who was with them. If not, anyone would have commented on how awkward the atmosphere was.

After everyone was settled in, the train started moving. Nao looked outside of the cart. He looked up and took note of the shape of the ceiling. Its concaved. I think this carnival is in some kind of dome.

The travel was not that long. The train stopped at their first destination. Everyone got off the train and stepped onto the first station. In front of them was a carousel.

The carousel was huge. It looked like it was made of porcelain. The ride had twelve unicorns and a carriage to sit on. The unicorns were white with its mane painted like dripping gold. Its horn was made out of diamonds. Its hooves are made of silver. The unicorn can accommodate one person. On the other hand, the carriage can accommodate two people. It is spherical with its outside painted in white and decorated with diamonds. The wheels are made of gold. It has two unicorns attached to it by a golden leash.

"This is the 18-Karat Carousel. This is made of 18 karat gold, crystals, silver, and thousands of diamonds. If you want to know what it is like to ride on a unicorn, this ride is for you! Also, for your information, this ride is very expensive. So, if I were you, you better not do anything to this! Each round lasts for ten minutes." Monokuma said.

After looking at it, the group went back to the train and went to the next ride. Although they are still far from the next destination, the students could already see it. It was a huge gray cube. Once they arrived, the got off the train and looked at the giant cube.

In front of them were several doors made of wood. Painted on the doors were several splatters of what looks like blood. Above the doors is a giant sign that says "The Underbelly". The walls were painted with different graffitis. Posters of numerous eccentric-looking killers were also pasted on it. There was rat-like animatronics that scurried near the doors.

The group was silently looking at the attraction. Suddenly, a scream came from the cube.

"Mister, please don't kill me! Please! Someone! Help me! Mommy! Daddy! Aaaahhh!" A girl screamed in pain inside the cube.

After hearing this, everyone suddenly tried to go inside to help the girl.

"A helpless little girl is in there! We have to help!" Mako shouted.

Samuru quickly ran. He was about to enter when Monokuma quickly stopped him. Monokuma stood in front of Samuru.

"Stop right there!" Monokuma said.

Samuru grabbed his ax. "What kind of evil is this? How dare you hurt a helpless little child!"

He was ready to swing it when Monokuma said, "It's not real. It's just audio we use for the attraction."

Samuru stood down after hearing this. Norio quickly asked, "How did you get that audio?"

Monokuma did not bother to answer him and went on with the tour.

"Welcome to The Underbelly, the most dangerous part of Monokumaland! It is the hideout of the most dangerous people in the world. It is teeming in deranged serial killers, heartless mafias, hungry cannibals, selfish thieves, armed terrorists, and-" Monokuma looked at Eri. "-pedophiles."

"Oh, that's just gross!" Umeko said.

Monokuma giggled and continued. "If you go inside, you will find yourself stuck in a maze made of different areas such as dirty alleys and bloody dumpsites. If you want to see who can get out of this maze first, you can enter different doors and race to the other end of this maze. But don't worry! If you can't get out of the maze after thirty minutes, a special person will appear and help you to get out."

This is a horror house on a whole other level. I doubt I will enter that maze.

After that, the group went to the next attraction. The group was brought to a Ferris wheel. The Ferris wheel was ginormous. It had a white sleek design. It had ten carts. All of the carts had a number painted on its doors. The cart nearest to the ground was painted "1".

That is one huge Ferris wheel. I wonder how this works.

After a few minutes, Monokuma decided to continue the tour. "This is the Eye in the Sky! This is the best place to have a sweet intimate moment with your loved one." Monokuma stopped and looked at Mako mockingly. Immediately, Monokuma continued. "The carts load and unload for five minutes. After loading every cart, the wheel will start to rotate. The ride approximately lasts for ten minutes."

Everyone was amazed by how it looks. It does look nice. I wonder how it would be like to ride one. Instinctively, Nao looked at Umeko who was happily staring at the wheel. I wonder if she would want to ride it with me.

After that, the group went back to the train. Nao and Norio were first to enter their cart. After a few minutes, Mako appeared.

"Hi guys!" Mako greeted the two.

"Hi Mako! What are you doing here?" Norio asked.

"Umeko said she wanted to do the tour with Eri and Takashiro." Mako explained.

Mako sat beside Nao. They nudged Nao and said, "She was definitely awkward in here, wasn't she?"

Nao nodded. Mako said, "Don't worry! You will have your shot with her."

"Thanks, I guess…" Nao said.

The train began moving. They were off to the next attraction. It did not take long for them to get to the next ride. The group got off the train and saw what the next ride was.

In front of them was a ring with a marble floor. Inside were twenty teacups. Each teacup was designed differently. There were some that had animal prints while others were painted with floral patterns. Some looked like they were embellished with gold while others looked like they were made with clay. However, each teacup had a chip on its brim and was on top of a blue plate.

Monokuma shouted, "Welcome to the Mad Hatter's Spinning Teacups! Just like the mad hatter, these teacups will drive you nuts as it spins you until you vomit your afternoon cup of tea. It is a ride you would not want to skip! The ride lasts for 10 minutes."

It looks like the simplest attraction so far. I think it would be a great ride to just want to have fun.

After that, the group went back to the train and went to the next ride. The ride did not take long to reach the next attraction. The next one had a huge roller coaster. The track was dark blue. It was long and makes three loops. The carts looked like a space shuttle. It was white with black windows painted on it.

When the group arrived, the roller coaster was activated. It was fast and looked dizzying as it did the three loops. When it was at the end of its tracks, it slowly stopped. After a few seconds, the ride suddenly starts and would go through the whole track again but backward.

I think I will vomit if I ever get on that ride. Only the brave would dare to do that. Nao started feeling queasy imagining himself on the ride.

Monokuma finally started talking about the ride. "In front of you is The Great Space Shuttle! The only roller coaster in the world that will make you feel you are riding in hyperdrive. It is definitely not the ride for the weak. It will challenge your bravery, curiosity, and your stomach's endurance to keep it all in!"

Nobody was really interested in the ride so the group went back to the train immediately. The next attraction that they went to looked like an oval race track. It had tires piled up in the middle. There was a line that says "Start/Finish". There was a line of several miniature cars. The cars were not just any simple cars. They were designed based on several sports cars. It had Ferrari, Audi, Opel, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche.

A race track? Seems like it is kind of out of place. Nao looked at the race track once more. It really felt out of place for him. However, he does not understand why it felt like that to him.

Monokuma continued with his tour. "This is the O-Lane, the only lane where you can scratch sports cars and get away with it without paying. This race track-slash-bumper car ring is the place to let your anger out in style with these expensive miniature sports cars."

Bumper cars… That actually sounds fun. I would love to play there.

After that, the group went back to the train to go to the next ride. The next ride looked like a ship. It was big and chocolate brown. Its hull had cannons exposed. The bow had a statue of a siren. Its hair was brown and its tail was emerald green. The ship was suspended from the air. It was swung back and forth. After a few seconds, it made a complete 360-degree swing.

Monokuma immediately continued with the tour. "This is The Tempest! It is a ride that will make you feel seasick without being out in the sea. It does a complete spin and will surely make you feel like you are in the hands of a stormy sea. The ride lasts for twenty minutes."

I don't know about this ride as well.

After that, Monokuma gathered everyone. "The next stop will be our last stop! And, it will be the most important stop! I am so excited for you guys to see it! Hihihihihi! Go board the train!"

It looks like we will be finally seeing the real motive. I hope it is not something too troubling. Everyone was anxious to find out what their last stop will be. No one was excited to guess what it could be. Even Asuka and Hana were quiet throughout the ride.

The train finally stopped after what felt like years. Everyone slowly got off the train and was greeted by various stalls. Each stall had different games. Nao quickly counted the stalls and saw there were only seven different stalls.

Each stall has a different setup but all had one thing in common, instead of the name of the stall was a picture of what seemed to be the prizes for the games. However, the prizes were not something to be desired. There were bombs, masks, daggers, and tasers.

Monokuma immediately continued the tour. "Welcome to the Isle of Games where you can find the most fun games with the most rewarding prizes. Each stall gives you a unique prize that can only be found here! We have a sleeping gas bomb that can make even an elephant fall asleep! To accompany the special sleeping gas bomb is a special gas mask. We have the universal timer, a device that can be attached to anything and make it operate during a certain time. We have a taser that can electrocute anyone in a mere second. We also have a dagger coated in an extremely poisonous substance that will make anyone drier than the Sahara desert! We also have a special map for a special place! And lastly, the most important prize of them all, a picture that will make you kill to your heart's content!"

Monokuma pointed out a stall that has a polaroid for a sign. For its game, it has three shotguns in front of the stall. There are three targets inside the stall. In front of the entire stall was a huge wheel with numbers on it. It had numbers "1" to "16". It also had "2+15", "3+5", "7+12", and "3+11". However, it had a wedge that was decorated the most. It had feathers and glitters. It said "JACKPOT!"

"Whenever you win this game, you get to spin the wheel. You will get a photo corresponding to the number the wheel lands on. When someone gets a photo, let's say photo 7, no one else can get photo 7. That part on the wheel will be crossed out."

This motive seems to be easy. All we have to do is not play these games. Monokuma must be underestimating us this time. Nao was confident no one will kill because of this carnival. After that, Monokuma told everyone to board the train again. They all went back to where they began.

One by one, people got off the train. Before they go, Monokuma had a few more details to share. "A few important things to remember. All rides, except for The Underbelly, only work from 1 pm to midnight but you can enter the rides whenever you want. The Underbelly and the Isle of Games operate 24/7. When you win a prize from the Isle of Games, you may redeem it whenever you want. You don't necessarily have to get it after you win."

After that, everyone exited Monokumaland and went straight to the cafeteria. The group sat down and understood what they were going to do. They will talk about the new motive. Unlike the other times, they were not unnerved by the motive. It did not feel threatening to them. Everyone was relaxed just like how they were earlier.

"That was it?" Hana commented.

"I was expecting something much more…" Takashiro said. He could not find the right term for it.

Norio continued Takashiro's sentence. "Evil?"

"Yes! I thought he would show us something that would make us go batshit crazy!" Asuka added.

"Let's just be thankful it was not as bad as the previous motives were." Nao added.

"We can stop the killings right now if we just don't play those stupid games. Nobody will go to that Isle of Games. You cannot be tempted by what you don't see." Norio told the group.

Everyone agreed with Norio and decided to go with his plan.

"I also want to talk about your daily inventory schedule." Norio said.

"What about it?" Hana asked.

"I think we should adjust it since it looks like everyone is willing to do their part." Norio suggested.

Everyone agrees with this. Norio immediately took charge of assigning the pairs. The pairings were Norio and Mako, Samuru and Asuka, Umeko and Hana, Eri and Takashiro, and Nao and Norio. Norio quickly added that he and Mako will be doing the inventory today. Because of his assertiveness, no one really questioned it, even Samuru.

After that, the meeting was adjourned. People went back to their usual ways. Asuka, Hana, and Samuru were together. Mako went to their room. Norio stayed in the cafeteria as he took a nap. Eri, Nao, Takashiro, and Umeko were all sitting at the same table.

It was completely awkward. Eri and Takashiro tried to shrug it off by talking to each other. Nao wanted to join the conversation but he could not. It was as if his lips were frozen. Umeko was smiling but it was definitely just a front.

Nao looked at her and saw how uncomfortable they were. I want to tell her what I feel. Maybe that will make everything back to the way it was. But I can't. Not right now in front of these two. I should try talking to her. Maybe that might make the mood better.

He turned to her and forced himself to smile at her. He was stuttering at first.

"A…A…uhmmm…" Nao painfully tried to talk but there are no words that came out of his mouth. Umeko turned to him. She waited for Nao to speak.

"Yes?" Umeko asked.

This just made things worse. He could not even make a sound, even just a short stutter.

Umeko looked at the clock. She stood up and told the three, "I am going to the kitchen now. It is time to make lunch."

Eri and Takashiro said goodbye. Nao stood up and said, "I'll help…"

Umeko quickly answered, "No need! Uhmmm… Just stay here! I can do everything by myself." Umeko quickly took off leaving Nao standing in silence. He sat down and slumped on the table. He sighed and whispered, "Why am I like this?"

All of a sudden, Takashiro got his attention using Tori-chan. "It looks like someone is having a problem…" Nao looked at him still slumping on the table.

Suddenly, Takashiro used Bon-san. "Shhhhh! Tori-chan… Don't pry on Nao's life."

"I am sorry! You know I like this kind of stuff! So romantic! I want my own lover as well!" Tori-chan said.

"You can have Tsune-kun if you really are that desperate…" Bon-san said.

"I am desperate but not that desperate! I want someone like Nao, dependable and charming!" Tori-chan replied.

Suddenly, Takshiro put out his puppet Tsune-kun. "What is wrong with me? I'm dependable! I am the most dependable out of all of us three!"

"If you are dependable, then Bon-san is warm and bubbly." Tori-chan continued.

"Shhhhh! How did I become a part of your argument?" Bon-san said.

Nao smiled seeing this silly banter. Takashiro stopped once he saw Nao smiling. "Yeah! Finally, he smiled you guys!" Takashiro said to his puppets. He put his puppets back inside his box. Nao sat up straight after hearing this.

After a few seconds, Eri then spoke. "You look so miserable… You can't even say anything to her… I-I-I wish we could do something to help you."

Nao said, "Don't worry about it. It is just something Umeko and I need to talk about."

"You just have to tell her you like her and everything will be alright!" Takashiro said.

Nao was surprised to hear this. "Like her? I didn't say anything about liking her. I don't like her…" Nao tried to hide the truth from the two but it was obvious the two know more about his situation. He decided to drop his act.

"Okay, fine. I like her but how did you guys even find out about my problem with her?" Nao asked.

"It's obvious!" Takashiro answered.

Eri added, "…and Hana t-t-told us everything."

Of course, Hana had to tell people about it. "What else did Hana tell you two?" Nao asked.

"Umeko kissed you last night…" Eri answered.

"I guess she did not miss a single to detail when telling you guys my problem." Nao commented.

"You know this is Hana we are talking about. I don't really understand why you would tell her about your problem." Takashiro said.

"She overheard it when I was talking to Norio." Nao said.

"That explains a lot!" Takashiro said.

"When are you going to tell her that…you like her?" Eri asked all of a sudden.

Nao was speechless. He was surprised about how upfront Eri was in asking him about this. After a few seconds, he tried to regain his composure and answered, "I want to tell her as soon as possible but I don't know when the perfect time to say it."

"Why don't you ask her to talk to you in private?" Eri answered.

"Did you see me earlier? I could not even make a proper sentence when I talk to her right now let alone ask her to talk with her in private." Nao answered.

"Why don't you surprise her?" Eri asked.

"Surprise?" Nao asked.

"Yes… What if you prepare something for her in advance? In that way, you will be prepared and she will not be able to run away from you. Prepare a surprise date for her." Eri answered.

Nao was surprised by Eri's suggestion. I never knew Eri could come up with things like this. Takashiro quickly agreed with her idea.

"Surprise her!" Takashiro said. He pulled out Tsune-kun and said, "Take the girl out! It is the least she deserves after everything you did to her!"

Nao thought about it. Well, there is no harm in trying this. He quickly gave in to the thought of dating Umeko. He agreed to Eri's suggestion. He said to the two, "Fine, I'll prepare a date with her. But, I don't really know what to do…"

"We can help!" Takashiro said. He pulled out Tori-chan and said, "You have me to help you out!"

Nao smiled and was happy to hear there are people willing to help him out. He quickly asked, "What should I even do?"

"Let's start with the basics!" Tori-chan said.

"Prepare a meal for her…" Eri suggested.

"I think I can cook something for her." Nao said.

"Let's make it romantic! You two should eat together alone! It would be so cute if you two have a candlelit dinner! You two only looking at each other giggling as you talk all lovey-dovey!" Tori-chan said.

"You can do it here…We can scatter fake rose petals…Th-th-there should be music as well." Eri said.

Suddenly, two people joined in the conversation.

"If you need music, you can just tell us!" Asuka said as she sat next to Nao. Hana sat beside Eri and Takashiro.

"Uhmmm…What?" Nao asked.

"Music! Hana and I can make music for all of you if you need one!" Asuka said.

"We are one of the best musicians in our field after all!" Hana said.

"What do you need? Punk, heavy metal, alternative rock?" Asuka asked.

Tori-chan replied with, "We are actually looking for something more romantic…"

"A ballad? What for? If you need a tune to have fucking fun, I suggest trying rock!" Asuka continued.

"This is actually for…Nao's date with Umeko." Eri said.

Asuka suddenly got excited. "You are finally going to confess to her after she kissed you?"

Nao was surprised. "You also know about that?"

Asuka said, "Duh! Hana told me everything!"

Nao looked at Hana for an explanation. "I am sorry! I just can't help it! You guys work so well together! I can't contain my excitement for you two!" Hana answered.

"I am so fucking pumped for this! Fine! Whatever music you need, Hana and I will do it!" Asuka shouted.

"What is the plan for your date so far?" Hana asked.

Nao answered, "Just a simple candlelit dinner with music…nothing too extravagant."

"Why stop there? She deserves more than that!" Hana said.

"I say use every cliché trope in every fucking rom-com movies! Watch a movie with her afterward!" Asuka suggested.

"That would be actually sweet!" Tori-chan said.

"I know! You two will definitely be alone! You can use that to make her feel comfortable with you even more before you tell her you like her!" Asuka said.

"Then, for the grand finale, take her to the Ferris wheel! That would be very romantic. Give her a gift! It will be amazing! You two can talk your hearts out in there." Asuka said.

"What should I give her?" Nao asked.

"Something she likes! Obviously!" Asuka said.

Something she likes… Nao thought about it carefully. Suddenly, he remembered something and got an idea.

"I think I know what I will give her but I need your help Eri…" Nao said.

"What is it?" Eri asked.

Nao leaned to her and whispered his idea. Eri's eyes lit up hearing this. She was excited about Nao's idea. "Do you think you can do it?" Nao asked.

"Don't worry! I will make it work!" Eri said with full of excitement.

"Good!" Nao said. He smiled feeling good about everything. I can't believe people are willing to help me out on this. I am so excited to do this. I will make sure Umeko will have fun and I will be able to tell her how I really feel.

Hana quickly teased Nao. "It looks like our loverboy is excited to announce his love for his princess!"

"I am!" Nao said.

Hana suddenly jolted with excitement. "OMG! This is going to be fun! Asuka and I better get going and start making your music!"

Hana stood up and dragged Asuka with her. Eri stood up as well and said, "Takashiro and I will get going as well! I will start m-m-making your gift! Expect it to be done tomorrow!"

"Thank you for giving me this idea of surprising her!" Nao told her.

"Anything for a friend!" Eri said. The two went on. Nao was left all alone imagining what his surprise date for Umeko will be like.

"I hope everything will work out fine!" Nao said as he slumped on to the table again.

That is it for this update! I hope you guys enjoyed it!

What do you think of Monokumaland and the new motive? Who do you think will be tempted to play the games? What do you think will happen with Nao's date with Umeko?

If you want to talk about this story, you can join the discord server for this story! The link is on my profile.

I really hope you enjoyed reading this!

Anyway, that is it for now!

Good luck to all of us!