For this update, we have Norio's POV! I hope you guys are excited to see parts of how he thinks on a daily basis!


It was already midnight. Most of them have already fallen asleep while some found it difficult to lie on their bed and wait for their eyes to shut. One person, in particular, is haunted by numerous worries. All he could do is think about them forcing him to be awake.

Norio is on his bed looking at his ceiling thinking about his situation. He looked at the ceiling hoping he would attain some sort of peace. However, he knew that was impossible. As long as Monokuma is around, he will never be at peace.

He turned and shuffled on his bed trying to find the position that will help him fall asleep. But, it was all for nothing. It only made him more awake. Realizing this, he became frustrated. Immediately, he took off his blanket and got out of his bed. He walked to a chair in his room and sat down.

This is frustrating. Norio thought as he looked at his messy bed wishing he was already asleep on it. Ever since Ayumu's death, Norio has never easily fallen asleep. After Umeko's death, his condition became worse. Monokuma is becoming more cunning. If we are not careful, Umeko's death will not be the last.

Thinking about one of them dying built up Norio's anger. He clenched his fist and slammed it onto the arm of the chair. I am not going to let that happen. No one is dying. This has to end now. Norio's anger has even made him more awake.

He stood up and took his tablet on his bedside table. He opened it and looked at everyone's profile. One by one, he read the profiles. Suddenly, he stopped at one of the profiles. It was Eri's. He looked at her photo. Worry started to build up the longer he stared. Eri is in trouble. Monokuma has been out to get me and Rei from the start because we know too much. He has not gotten me yet because I am not as fragile as Rei. If Monokuma targets Eri next, I am not sure she will be able to handle it.

Slowly, he took deep breaths to calm himself down. Eri needs to be protected. I will not let anyone harm her. Norio continued to dwell on Eri. What will Monokuma do this time? I am sure he will be presenting a new motive tomorrow. He might target Eri then. I need to make sure she will be always safe.

After that, Norio continued to scroll the profiles. There was only one profile left. It was Nao's. He opened it and looked at Nao. Nao is going through a lot right now. I wish I can comfort him but I have never been good with that kind of stuff. It is him who's been the one who is good at this. If there was only another Nao to lift his spirit, Nao would be back to normal by now.

Norio can't help but feel sorry for Nao. He wants to help him but he could not figure out what to do. I need to talk to him and force him to go back to normal but that would be insensitive. He is still mourning but for how long will he do this? I still have to try even if I will come off as cold.

After that, Norio turned off his tablet. He sat quietly as he pondered on what will happen next. Based on Monokuma's previous actions, he will definitely present a new motive. I am not sure what it will be but I have to be prepared. Right now, Monokuma can throw anything at us as a motive. He knows so much about us that he could twist everything into his liking.

As Norio continued to worry, he let out a yawn. Finally, drowsiness was catching up to him. He stretched his arms and looked at the time in his tablet. 1:19… He walked to his bed and lied down. He set aside his tablet. After a few seconds, Norio finally fell asleep.


Morning came. It was already past Monokuma's morning announcement. Unlike the others, Norio was not woken up by the animatronics' loud and annoying voice. He was still peacefully sleeping unbothered by everything around him. Covered in his blanket, he felt safe and that no one would disrupt his slumber.

All of a sudden, three loud knocks came from his door. However, it did not wake him up. After a few more seconds, three more knocks were made. This was when Norio slowly wakes up. He first reached out his arm for his tablet. Then, he looked at the time. 7:47… After that, he got up and sat on his bed. He looked around his room and yawned. What was that sound?

Another three loud knocks were heard. This time, Norio clearly heard it. He got up and went to his door. This is a first. No one has knocked on my door before. Slowly, he opened the door to reveal Eri standing in front of his room.

"Uhmmm… D-D-Did I wake you up?" Eri asked.

"Yes…" Norio answered.

"C-C-Can I talk to you in your room?" Eri asked.

Norio immediately answered, "No. Someone might see us."

Eri immediately replied "Everyone is already in the cafeteria… except for Nao. I-I-I think it is safe."

Norio looked around the hallway. After that, he looked back inside his room. Good thing I am not a messy person. The only thing that was unorganized was his bed. "Come in." Norio said. Eri quickly went inside his room.

Immediately, Norio motioned Eri to a chair. She sat down and put her bear on her lap. Norio sat down on his bed. He looked at Eri and could see how awkward she was. You are pushing yourself too much, Eri. You are forcing yourself in an uncomfortable situation for the sake of others. Norio then asked, "What is it?"

Eri took a second to answer. "How can I help everyone?" I already expected that question.

Norio smiled and answered, "You don't need to force yourself too much. Just help everyone out in any way you can. If you notice something weird, tell me. Don't hide it from me."

Eri nodded. "I-I-Is that all?"

"That is all for now." Norio answered.

"Okay… Uhmmm… I have another q-q-question." Eri said.

"What is it?" Norio asked.

"Who is our enemy?" Eri asked. I wish I could tell you but Monokuma is watching us. The moment you find out, you will become another prime target of Monokuma.

Norio just smiled and said, "Aren't you hungry? You should eat breakfast first."

Eri smiled and said, "L-L-Let's go together."

"Why don't you wait outside while I get ready." Norio said.

Eri then went outside. After that, Norio did his morning routine. He brushed his teeth, took a bath, and changed into new clothes. Before he left, he grabbed his tablet. When he opened the door, Eri was standing in front waiting for him.

"L-L-Let's go…" Eri said.

The two started walking to the cafeteria. They were both silent as before. Norio could feel the awkwardness emanating from Eri. Eri was hugging her bear as she walked while looking down on the floor. This is awkward. Norio continued to disregard it. However, when he looked at Eri who suddenly looked at him, he felt obligated to say something.

"Uhmmm…" Norio said. What should I ask her?

"A-A-Are you wondering ab-b-bout Nao?" Eri asked.

Norio immediately answered, "Yes. How was he?"

"He did not eat. He… kicked me t-t-to get rid of me…" Eri answered.

Kicked Eri? Nao is out of his mind. I guess I will have to talk to him then. Unknown to Norio, anger was painted all over his face. Eri quickly tugged his sleeve and said, "D-D-Don't be angry. I am sure he did not m-m-mean to be rude."

Norio quickly calmed down and said, "I am not angry. I am disappointed."

Eri said, "L-L-Losing Umeko hurt him so much."

"It did." Norio said.

The two continued to talk about random topics. At first, it was Norio who was trying to keep the conversation. However, it was Eri who kept the conversation going. She is finally coming out of her shell. Eventually, the two made it to the cafeteria. Norio opened the door for Eri.

"Thank you…" Eri said as she entered the cafeteria. No problem.

Norio closed the door as he entered. Immediately, Eri sat beside Takashiro while Norio took his time to sit beside Hana. Before Norio and Eri arrived, there were only three people inside. Asuka, Hana, and Takashiro were talking like they usually would. It was filled with laughter and smiles. The atmosphere was free from problems. It felt like a safe space to be in.

Norio sat silently as he observed the three talk while Eri tries to catch up with the conversation. As usual, Hana was the one leading the conversation with her teases. Hana is such a tease. She is lucky that she comes off as bubbly.

He turned his attention to Asuka who was Hana's victim in the conversation. She was taking every insulting joke about her with a smile. She can be unruly but she is trying to adjust to everyone. Not a lot of people would be willing like her.

Then, he turned to Takashiro who was quietly laughing at the girls' banter. He would occasionally join Hana in the jokes. Takashiro, you are smarter than what you are letting us believe. Why are you so afraid to show that mature side of yours?

After that, he started eating his breakfast along with Eri. After three bites, Hana's attention suddenly turned to him. "Hey, what is up with you and Eri?"

It caught Norio off-guard. He almost swallowed a whole chunk of meat. Before he answered, he drank a glass of water. He turned to Hana and asked, "What do you mean?"

Hana smiled and said, "This is the second time you guys went to breakfast together. Also, this time, you guys were smiling at each other. So, is she your best friend?" Suddenly, everyone turned to Norio. Eri immediately blushed from this.

"Of course not. It was just pure coincidence." Norio answered. How come I suddenly became Hana's victim? After that, Norio went back to eating his breakfast.

Suddenly, Hana turned to Eri. "Are you Norio's friend? No lying!"

Eri struggled to answer. She kept looking at Norio and everyone else. "Uhmmm… I think so…" I guess Hana will have something new to tease me about.

Hana immediately clapped. "Our Norio is starting to make friends! This is a miracle This calls for a celebration!" Is it really that big of a deal?

Takashiro then pulled Eri closer to him and said, "I will let Eri be your friend but I am her best friend! Remember that, okay!" I know that.

Seeing this ruckus, he could not help but laugh at it. I have always thought of you all as my friends. The three stopped when they saw Norio let out a small laugh. Asuka pointed at Norio and said, "You giggled. Who are you?"

Norio rolled his eyes and told them, "Why can't I laugh?"

Takashiro said, "It is not like that. It is just we have never seen you laugh." Takashiro turned to Eri and said, "What did you do to him?"

"N-N-Nothing…" Eri answered.

Norio suddenly asks, "What did you take me for? A robot?"

All of them looked at each other. In unison, they answered, "Yes." Well, I can't blame them for having this kind of perception of me. I have been cold and distant. Norio shook his head and let out another small laugh.

"His laughing again!" Asuka said.

"He must have lost it." Hana added,

Norio suddenly shouts, "I am fine okay! I laugh when I want to laugh! Seriously, I am not a robot." This is bringing me back a lot of memories. After this, Norio continued to eat while the group opened another topic.

After a few seconds, Norio suddenly stopped. He gazed at everyone. However, it felt like they were incomplete. Where is Samuru? Eri said everyone is here. Then, he asked about Samuru. "Did Samuru eat already?"

"Yes. He left before you guys arrived. Why?" Hana answered.

"Oh… Okay…" Norio said.

Takashiro then asked, "Why? Is there a problem with Samuru?"

Norio quickly answered, "Of course, there is none. I was just wondering where he is since Eri told me every one is here."

"Oh, okay…" Takashiro said.

As they were continuing with their conversations, Monokuma's voice filled the school. The audio system was turned on and Monokuma made an announcement. The group stopped with what they were doing and listened to the announcement.

"Hello, twerps! Go to the gymnasium, now! Attendance will be checked!" Monokuma shouted. Then, he turned off the audio system. As soon as the system was off, he finished his meal and the group went to the gymnasium.

On their way, they met with Samuru. As soon as his eyes laid on him, he noticed how lethargic Samuru was. It was as if the Samuru he was looking at is not Samuru. He was pale and had dark eye bags. What happened to him? He approached him and asked, "Are you alright?"

Samuru turned to him and answered, "Yes. Don't worry about me. I'm just having a problem falling asleep."

After that, Norio did not bother him anymore. Eventually, the group made it to the gymnasium. All of them decided to sit on the bleachers while they waited for Monokuma. As they were waiting, the group would talk about random topics. Mostly, it was Asuka, Hana, and Takashiro who were doing the talking. Norio and Eri were both listening while Samuru is dozing off. The group was laughing with everything Hana had to say. It was the first time since the party for the gymnasium to be filled with echoes of laughter.

As the group was talking, the door suddenly opened. Everyone stopped and looked in that direction. There they saw Nao standing wearing his dirty pajamas. Nao, you finally went out of your room. Hana quickly waved a hi to him and shouted, "Nao! Sit with us!"

Nao only looked at her and walked towards the bleacher. He did not sit with the group but he was near them. Seeing Nao in his current state, all of them could only think of pitying him. We need to help you.

Everyone wanted to talk to him and reassure him everything is going to be fine but no one could find the courage to talk to him except for one. Eri stood up and sat beside him. Seeing this surprised everyone.

Eri started speaking. "Hi Nao! Uhmmm… A-A-Are you hungry?"

She waited for him to respond but all she got was Nao ignoring her. However, this did not stop her. She stood in front of him and smiled. "Uhmmm… D-D-Do you need anything? Sh-sh-should we get you food?"

Eri leaned closer and said, "I-I-If you n-n-need anything, Honey and I will get it for you!"

All of a sudden, Nao pushed Eri on the head making her fall to the ground. "Get out of my face."

Seeing this, everyone rushed to Eri's side. People were fuming with anger. Hana and Takashiro helped Eri stand up again. "Hey, are you fine? Can you stand up?" Hana asked,

Eri simply nodded.

Out of everyone, Asuka was the angriest of them all. "You could have just told her to leave you alone. Why did you have to push her? She was being nice to you! Just because Umeko d-" Asuka immediately stopped herself. She took a deep breath and continued. "You did not have to be a douche, douchebag!"

No matter what Asuka said, it did not matter. It was clear in Nao's face he was not listening, that he was not mentally present. Nao needs to get it together. I will have to talk to him later.

All of a sudden, Monokuma appeared. Seeing all of the commotions made him giggle. "Damn! I haven't even given the motive and people are fighting already! It looks like things will be interesting. Upupupu!"

Hearing his voice, everyone gathered at the center. Everyone distanced themselves from Nao except for Norio. Norio looked around and noticed this. This is not the time to make Nao feel alone. But then again, he pushed the sweetest person here to the floor. Nao can be such an ass when he is upset.

He slowly walked towards the space between the group and Nao. As everyone looks at Monokuma, Norio made his way. Once he was in between the group and Nao, he stopped. Discreetly, he took a glance at Nao.

Now that he has seen Nao up close, all he could think of was pity for him. He was wearing his dirty pajamas. His hair was unkempt as well. His face that is usually full of life is now only a blank slate void of emotion. You should take care of yourself, Nao. Umeko will not be happy if she sees you like this.

Norio's eyes were glued on to Nao. However, Monokuma suddenly spoke. The obnoxious tone of Monokuma's voice immediately snapped Norio back to normal. He turned to Monokuma ready to listen to him.

"Hello shit-for-brains! Today, I will be presenting your new motive!" Monokuma shouted. I thought so.

"What is it this time, Monokuma?" Samuru asked.

Monokuma chuckled. The bear turned to the executioner and said, "Ooohhh! Are you excited about it too?"

Suddenly, Samuru grabbed his ax and pointed it at Monokuma. "You watch your tone or I will rip you to shreds."

Immediately, Monokuma said, "Sorry! Got a little carried away!"

After that, Samuru put down his ax. He crossed his arms and was ready to listen.

"Anyway, your new motive is the new floor!" Monokuma shouted.

All of a sudden, everyone's tablets were ringing. As soon as Norio's buzzed, he took it out and read the new file Monokuma sent. It is the complete floor plan of the fourth floor. Baffled by this, he looked at Monokuma with confusion. The fourth floor? What is in there that will make us kill each other?

"I am not yet done. Starting today, your rooms will be on the fourth floor! I have already moved your stuff there. That is the reason why I got here a little late. All of you have too many clothes. Those were fucking heavy." Monokuma added.

Everyone was surprised by this. "We have bedrooms on the fourth floor?" Asuka asked.

"Yes! Were you even listening, bird brain?" Monokuma answered.

Everyone had so many questions. Each one raised their own concerns about this. The questions started mixing and turning into rumblings. It was too noisy. Suddenly, Monokuma clapped. One by one, people shut up until there was only silence. Monokuma eventually stopped and said, "I have to go! I got something to take care of! If you have questions, I don't fucking care! Goodbye!"

Just like that, Monokuma disappeared. As soon as he was gone, everyone looked at each other hoping for someone to know something. However, everyone was confused. I think it is time we check it out.

"Let's explore the new floor together." Norio suggested.

Everyone looked at him, including Nao. No one looked like they were against his ideas. Seeing the trust in their faces, Norio started walking out of the gymnasium. Immediately, everyone followed. The group first climbed a flight of stairs.

Once they reached the third floor, Norio called out Nao's attention. "Nao, I don't think you know this already. That is why I am telling you this. The chemical storage room and chemistry lab are off-limits right now. We are not sure why."

After that, the group finally made it to the fourth floor. The first thing they noticed was the statues of all sixteen of them. The likeness of the statue to their real counterparts was uncanny. Staring at it was unsettling. Norio went closer to his statue and touched it. He wiped his hands on the statue. After touching it, he turned to everyone and said, "These are just wax figures." I can't believe these tacky statues are still here.

Hearing this, everyone moved on to the rooms. The first thing they found was a wooden door. It looked like a normal office door. Norio was the first one to approach it. He tried to open it, however, it was locked. "We have another locked room."

They went to the next room. The door was similar to the first door. It was also locked. Why is Monokuma hiding the contents of this room?

They immediately moved on to the next set of rooms. The group continued to walk around the hallway. Quickly, they saw eight rooms on their right and eight rooms on their left. The rooms on their right were for the men and Mako while the other eight were for the women. Each door had a pixelated icon of the owner of the room. As they were looking at the doors, they immediately noticed the arrangements of their rooms are the same as their original quarters.

As they were looking at the doors, Nao left the group. As soon as he found his room, he went in and slammed the door closed. The loud thud surprised everyone. Tonight, I will talk to him. Seeing everyone's reaction, Norio grabbed everyone's attention.

"Let's look into our own rooms later. I think we should continue looking around the floor." Norio told everyone. Everyone followed his suggestion.

The group continued walking only to found one new room. The door was painted in a variety of flowers. Its doorknob was silver and had a sign hanging on it. The sign was rectangular. It said, "Welcome! We are open!"

Without hesitation, Norio opened the door and they were greeted by a beautiful garden. It was filled with a variety of plants. The floor was like a meadow. It was covered by freshly trimmed grass. There were also cobblestone paths. The group continued wandering and saw ponds and fountains. Eventually, the group stopped when there was nothing left to find.

Before leaving, Norio pointed out something. "Everyone, look up."

Just like Norio told them to do, everyone looked up and saw that the ceiling was made of glass. After so long, they were finally able to see the blue sky. There were clouds floating. A flock of birds passed by as well. Being stuck inside the building, the group was happy just to see a glimpse of the outside world.

Suddenly, Takashiro shouted, "We can shatter that and get out of here!"

Immediately, Samuru positioned himself. He grabbed his ax and flung it to the glass. Everyone was excited. All of them were anticipating the loud, cracking noise of the glass. To see it crack was the only thing the group wanted to see. To see it crack would be amazing but I know that is not going to happen.

The ax finally hit the glass. However, it only created a loud thud and the ax bounced back to the ground. Hana ran to the ax and tried to pull it out. "No! Why didn't it shatter the glass? It should have cracked! It should have! Why?"

All of a sudden, Hana's tears flowed down her cheeks. Norio went to her and tried to console her. "It is a shatter-proof glass. Monokuma knew that to mess with us." Samuru followed and took back his ax.

"Maybe my ax is not sharp enough. I shall sharpen it later." Samuru said. Why bother?

Norio shouted, "Everyone, listen up! Those are shatter-proof glass. It will not crack easily."

Everyone's hopes of getting out were suddenly crushed into tiny million pieces. Hearing this broke their hearts. Seeing the outside only made them long more to get out. We should get out of here before people start freaking out about this.

Norio immediately escorted everyone out of the garden. Eventually, everyone went into their rooms. Norio opened his room and saw the interior. It was the same as his own room from the outside world. His room only had a desk with stacks of paper on it, a wooden chair, and his bed.

He sat on his bed looking around the room. "It is just like the way I left it."


Hours passed by and it was already night. While the rest are in their rooms peacefully sleeping, one of them is in the hallway. Norio is standing in front of Nao's room thinking of how to initiate the talk. He knew it will be difficult to catch his attention. However, he was willing to do anything to get through Nao.

Nao, please respond. Hesitantly, Norio knocked on Nao's door. The loud thuds echoed through the hallway. "Nao, we need to talk." Norio said after knocking.

A few seconds passed and Nao has still yet to respond. At first, Norio thought Nao must be asleep. However, as he looked at the bottom of the door, he could see light seeping through the space between the door and the floor. I guess I will have to do this.

Norio knocks again. This time he shouted, "Nao, I need to talk to you. You need help. You and I both know what you are doing is wrong. Come out. Umeko will not like to see what you are doing. Think of what Umeko will say. Do you think she will be okay with this? Umeko-"

As he was talking, he was cut off by the loud swoosh of the door. After for so long, Nao finally opened his door. Norio was greeted by the miserable, angry Nao. Annoyance was painted on Nao's face. Clenching his fist, he stared at Norio as if he was ready to punch him. Sorry Nao. I knew Umeko will be the only thing to get you out of there.

Immediately, Nao shouted, "Umeko is not here! I don't care about what she thinks! She is not here anymore… She is not… Get away from me…" From anger, Nao shifted to sadness. It was evident in his eyes how much he is drowning in sadness. His hands were shaking. His voice was quaking. It felt like Nao was about to explode in tears.

Norio quickly asked, "Is that really how you want to remember Umeko? You want to remember her as the dead girl? The girl who is not anymore here?"

"Of course not! Of course… She… She means too much to me to be just that…" Nao answered. Everyone was painful to hear. Nao sounded like he was forcing himself just to be able to speak. He is starting to break.

"Umeko was a great person. She was the kindest and most caring of the group. Everyone could feel her absence in the room. No one is anymore asking how everyone is. No one is checking if everything is alright. It is not just you who is mourning. Everyone is." Norio said.

Nao could not say anything. Norio's words were too much. It was too honest. Tears in his eyes were forming. Norio saw this and continued, "You can be sad about Umeko's death. You can mourn and grieve all you want but you can do it with us. Everyone is mourning just like you. Let us be there for you. Pushing us away will not help you. Trust us to be the friends you need right now."

All of sudden, Nao burst into tears. Norio was surprised by this. He just stood there looking at Nao ready to help him in whatever he needed. Suddenly, Nao hugged Norio. He cried on his shoulders. Even though Norio is uncomfortable with physical contact, he stood still to help his friend cry his sadness away.


That is it for now! I hope you guys enjoyed it!

What do you guys think of the new floor? What is your opinion on Norio's POV? We will have a POV shift every update until the murder happens.

If you guys want to talk about this story and other fun stuff, you can join the discord server for this. The link is on my profile.

Anyway, that is it for now!

Good luck to all of us!