IV - The Inmates' Ensemble: Daily Life Part 2

*Past chapter referenced: 22

Walking along the tarmac path towards the Ultimate Inventor's Laboratory, Ryoma absently tosses up and catches the levistone in his hand. "Nice day, isn't it?"

"Indeed," replies Korekiyo. "As it always is."

"True. Can't say I remember it ever raining while we've been here."

"It has not. Which would imply that we are situated somewhere near the equator."

"You think we're not in Japan?"

"Perhaps we are, perhaps we are not. It would depend on the time of year, but alas…" Korekiyo sighs. "I have long lost track of the days."

Ryoma frowns. "Hmph. No need to feel bad about something like that. It's not like any of us know any better."

"I suppose that is true."

Silence falls between them. The fur trees rustle together in the humid air and an Exisal trundles in the distance in a closed-off construction site just beyond the pair.

"Hey, Shinguuji."

"Yes?"

"You sure you're all right?"

Exhaling, Korekiyo gazes off into the distance. "You have asked me this once already today, Ryoma. I am certain. Ever since the despair disease has left my system, I have been—"

"I wasn't talking about the despair disease."

"Oh? Then what were you referring to?"

Ryoma shoves his hands inside his pockets. "Since the trial, you've been awfully quiet." He clenches his fists. "Your face right now… it reminds me of myself, back when I'd found out my girlfriend had been killed. Just saying, if you wanna talk about it, just know I understand what you're—"

Korekiyo's footsteps slow to a standstill. "I can't hear her anymore."

Ryoma looks over his shoulder. "Hmm?"

Korekiyo hugs himself tighter. "Whatever that… that bear did to me. Whatever he injected me with to give me that illness, it… it stole her from me." He takes a deep breath. "My beloved Sister, I can no longer feel her warmth… the warmth I've felt since that séance is no longer there." His voice is soft and uncharacteristically shaky. "I think… she's gone."

Ryoma dips his head. "I see. I'm sorry. I'd tell you it gets easier, but you just become numb to it, after a while." He sighs. "Unlike me though, you have things to remember her by, don't you? Physical things, I mean."

Korekiyo nods. "This uniform. It was hand-tailored by her. And also…" Reaching inside his jacket, he pulls out a small sketchbook. "This."

"Hmm?" Ryoma takes the offered book from Korekiyo. A photorealistic drawing of a woman is etched into the first page. Ryoma's eyes go wide. "Is this…?"

"Yes," Korekiyo breathes. "That is Sister."

Ryoma half-smiles. "She's beautiful."

Korekiyo pulls his hat over his eyes. "Yes. She really was."

Ryoma hums. "I'm guessing Yonaga drew this? I think I saw this same sketchpad at the school store the other day." He smiles. "Heh. You guys really got along in the end, didn't you?"

"Y-yes. Although I…" Korekiyo's fists tighten. "I wonder if it was the right thing to do. To spare her when I had the chance."

Ryoma blinks. "You were thinking of sending her to your sister?"

Korekiyo nods. "I… almost did. She talked me out of it. But if I hadn't been so lenient… perhaps Monokuma would not have instilled that motive, and Sister could still be with me—"

"You did the right thing, Shinguuji," Ryoma says.

Korekiyo narrows his eyes. "I wonder about that. Had I gone through with it as planned, perhaps only two of us would have been sent to the grave, rather than three."

Ryoma shrugs. "Hmph. Whether it's two people or three people, the impact would have been the same. We'd have still had to do a trial, and we'd still be mourning two people." He turns to look at the academy looming in the distance. "But I know how you feel. Remember back in the early days when I tried to sacrifice myself? Amami was the one who stopped me. But even after that I sometimes wonder whether conceding was the right thing to do."

Korekiyo blinks at him. "Ryoma?"

"Y'know, recently I'd gotten closer with Tojo. She was the first person I'd really gotten friendly with since Gokuhara. Both of them ended up dead." Ryoma kicks a piece of gravel and watches it dance across the pavement. "Sorry, I didn't mean to get so dark. I just wonder why killers like us are able to still be here, alive, when innocent people like Gokuhara, Tojo, and even Yonaga all had to… forget it."

Pulling the levistone out of his jacket pocket, Ryoma slots it neatly into the black and red box nearby. The stone glows a fiery shade of blue, shoots up into the sky, and crashes back down to the ground in the form of a huge, round, planetarium-esque building.

Ryoma whistles. "Well. Can't say I saw that one coming."

Korekiyo takes a step towards the building. "Another research lab, I would presume?"

"Seems like it." Walking over to the entrance, Ryoma reaches out and pulls at the door handle. "Locked. So the owner's dead."

Korekiyo rubs his chin. "All of the deceased received their research labs prior to their deaths aside from Tenko, whose research lab is the dojo situated across from us. That only leaves—"

"HEY!"

The doors to the Ultimate Inventor's lab fly open and Miu explodes onto the tarmac. "What the fuck is going on out here? How am I supposed to work when there's a goddamn earthquake shaking all my shit—" Her eyes gravitate to the building newly adjoined to hers. Miu's mouth falls open. "Wh-what?"

"Kiibo's lab, or so we assume," states Korekiyo.

Without another word, Miu races past Korekiyo, shoves Ryoma aside, and tugs at the door handle to no avail. "Grrrrrgh! C'mon, open!" She rasps between breaths. "There… there could be somethin' in here I could use to rebuild…" She shoots upright. "Wait, that's it! My drill! I could use my power drill to tear the door down and—"

"Didn't Ouma and Yumeno already get reprimanded for trying that?" Ryoma asks.

Miu slumps into a heap at the door's entrance. "Fuck… you're right." Her head falls into her hands. "Kiibo… I'm so fuckin' sorry…"

"Iruma," says Ryoma. "Look at us."

Miu turns away from him. "Wh-why should I? I don't wanna look at your fuckin' ugly-ass faces—"

"You sound close to tears," Korekiyo remarks.

"Tch! That's—" Gritting her teeth, Miu's head snaps up. "I'm not crying, you fucking string bean creep! I'm just… frustrated is all." She crosses her arms over her chest and huffs. "Frustrated because this lab probably has some amazing tech locked away in there and now I have to work away in my shithole knowing that I can't access—"

Ryoma tugs at his cap with a sigh. "Geez. Sounds like we're all going through the same thing here."

"Hah? The fuck do you mean?" sneers Miu. "You fuckers don't understand in the slightes—"

Ryoma's face darkens. "You don't think I understand how it feels to lose a loved one? The person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with was stolen away from me because of my own wrongdoings. You don't think I know how it feels to experience that?"

Miu flinches. "Wh-what?"

Ryoma clenches and unclenches his fist. "She's the reason I killed, the reason I'm on death row… the reason why I'm stuck in this place with you guys."

Miu blinks. "She…? You mean like a girlfriend!?"

Ryoma looks to the sky. "I met her in the US when I was abroad studying tennis. At the time I didn't believe in love, I thought it was some sorta joke. Even to this day, I still can't remember how we fell for each other but…" He sighs. "It happened and went just as quickly. It's my fault she was killed, I didn't protect her when she needed it most. I was a fool for making her leave my side. If I'd stayed with her… at least she wouldn't have died alone."

"Sh-shut up!" Miu snaps. "No one asked for your fuckin' backstory. Why the fuck should I care about your stupid mistakes?"

Ryoma crosses his arms over his chest. "You shouldn't. I just don't want you making the same 'stupid mistakes' that I did."

Miu scoffs. "Tch, as if I'd be able to fuck up my life as hard as you fucked yours."

"Life is strange like that," says Korekiyo. "One day, you are blessed with the presence of a loved one. The next…" He looks down. "You may not be so lucky. It feels like you've lost a part of yourself. Empty. Bereft. But knowing that your love could be lost at any time makes your love for them all the more fervent and beautiful—"

"I don't give a shit about your sucky love lives!" Miu jumps to her feet and glares them both down. "Why the fuck should I care about two fuckin' murderers? If you two want to lick each other's wounds like a pair of demented, lovesick puppies, that's fine, but don't try dragging me into it! Now make like a tree and get the fuck away from me and my lab!" She grits her teeth and storms back into her lab, but not before adding, "Mine and Kiibo's labs!"

Silence hangs in the courtyard. Only the echo of Miu's door slamming shut ripples through the air.

Ryoma sighs. "She's really having a rough time."

"Ah, so you could tell as well?" asks Korekiyo.

Ryoma grunts. "Like I said, she has the same look as you do. The same look I once had…"

Korekiyo thinks for a moment. "I suppose we should leave her to her own devices and report back to the others then."

"Yeah, sure thing. But I'm gonna take some time to myself first." Ryoma tugs his beanie over his eyes. "I need to think some stuff over."

"Before you go."

"Hmm?"

Korekiyo's face softens. "The way you speak of your lover, Ryoma… you really did love her, didn't you?"

"Hmph. I guess you could say that."

"If you don't mind me asking, what was her name?"

Ryoma turns and walks away. "Maria. Her name was Maria."

Kaede presses the tip of the Octobrush against the hanging scroll on the fourth floor. The scroll flashes with colour and a mural forms on the rough paper. When the scroll rolls itself up into the ceiling, a staircase falls in front of her.

Kaito puts his hands on his hips. "So there's a fifth floor, huh? How many more floors are there in this place?"

Rantaro takes a step forward. "Only one way to find out."

Kaede pumps her fists. "That's right! And if we stick together—"

"No need for that!" Kaito's already halfway up the staircase. "It's just another floor with labs on it, right? How bad can it be?"

Maki rolls her eyes and follows him. "You just don't want to stay on this floor any longer."

"N-no, I just— It's creepy, okay? It makes me feel weird."

Sighing, Kaede follows the group to the fifth floor. The level is entirely composed of old stone and stained glass, not unlike a church. Huge looming stone statues of Monokuma as both an angel and as a devil tower menacingly over the hall. Glistening light streams in from the huge circular window, the window Kaede recognises as the outside window from the top the academy.

Tsumugi hums. "This place has a completely different feel from the fourth level."

Kaede puts a hand to her head. "You can say that again. This place... it's gotta be the top of the school." She glances up. "The way this ceiling arches up is the same as the roof."

Maki stares up at the looming Monokuma figures. "Those angel and demon statues. Don't chapels normally have those?"

Kaede nods. "Yeah…" Her face falls. "Angie would have probably liked this floor…"

"It's funny," says Rantaro. "This place makes you feel like there's no god, and then there's this…" He holds his chin and frowns. "Is that a coincidence, or just Monokuma's sense of humour?"

"What are you trying to say?" asks Maki.

Rantaro shrugs. "Dunno. Just sayin' what I'm thinking."

"I mean, I guess it's possible that Monokuma… huh?"

"What's wrong?" asks Kaede.

"Ah, well nothing." Tsumugi points off to the left. "It's just that door over there is just plain suspicious."

Kaede follows her finger towards a door at the left corner of the floor. Silver double doors surrounded by images of thimbles, sewing coils, and mannequins stare back at them.

"Hey!" says Kaito. "Looks like your lab, Tsumugi!"

Tsumugi's eyes light up. "You're right. It must be!"

Rantaro clears his throat. "And that might not the only lab up here. Look over there."

Kaede glances to the right, at the long stone hallway stretching out towards them. "A hallway, huh…" She looks to Maki and swallows.

"H-hey, Tsumugi! Let me go!"

Kaede whips round to see Kaito being pulled away by Tsumugi in the direction of the double doors.

Tsumugi shakes her head. "Nuh-uh! If this really is my lab, then I'm going to need a subject to work on!"

Kaito blanches. "S-subject!?"

"Yes! It's just plain boring fitting and making clothes for myself. And what better bodies are there to start with than a tall, toned, fit astronaut like yourself?"

"Heheh, well, when you put it like that… I guess taking a look around your lab wouldn't hurt."

Kaede's jaw drops. "It was that easy!?"

Sighing, Maki rolls her eyes. "Don't worry. I'll… keep an eye on them."

"Oh," says Kaede. "Sure thing." She watches with an uncertain smile as Maki, Tsumugi and Kaito disappear through the double doors.

Exhaling through his nose, Rantaro's hands fall to his hips. "Well, looks like it's just us again, Kaede." He heads off towards the hallway. "Heheh, hopefully this time around we don't come across any dead bodies, huh?"

Kaede shoots him a look.

Rantaro titters. "Sorry, was just trying to make light of the situation."

"Yeah," sighs Kaede. "I figured." They walk through the corridor in silence. "It's weird though."

"What's that?"

"From the courtyard we could see this floor, but I didn't think it was gonna be this big."

Rantaro hums. "Perhaps they expanded it recently? Since they knew it was going to open for us soon."

"I mean, I guess that's not impossible… ah!" Kaede points to the corner of the corridor. "Look, another research lab!"

Rantaro whistles. "Guess this one's Shuichi's, huh?"

Kaede's blood chills. "H-how did you—"

"How did I know?" Rantaro shrugs. "Just a feeling, I suppose. Also, the magnifying glass above the door kinda gives it away."

"O-oh, right…" Heart hammering in her chest, Kaede approaches the door. Takes a hold of the door handle. Pushes down. "H-huh!? It opened?" Kaede steps back. "But Shuichi's…"

"Alive, right?" Rantaro pushes the door the rest of the way open. "Tenko's lab is sealed shut because she was executed, but Shuichi took that Perk and graduated when he… Anyway, might as well take a look inside while we're here." Rantaro disappears into the room with an expression Kaede can't quite gauge. With a tug on Shuichi's cap she follows, a fresh bud of guilt blossoming in her heart.

Inside, clean wooden shelves and cabinets lined with various books and bottles frame the fireplace in the room's centre. Silver velvet furniture fill the rest of the floor, as do wooden tables covered in papers, hats, potions, and china crockery. In the centre of the room, metallic cogs quietly groan as they rotate on the blue wallpapered walls. The fireplace casts long shadows over the carpet, golden flames curling and swaying as they burn up the dry wood.

Kaede runs a hand along one of the tables. "This sure does seem like a detective's room." She shudders. "But for some reason… I'm getting a bad feeling from this place."

"Might be because of these." Rantaro, raps on the glass cabinet filled to the brim with various bottles.

Kaede glances up. "What are those?"

"It's hard to say, but if I had to guess… poison."

"P-poison!?"

"Why would there be regular medicine in the Ultimate Detective's lab?" Rantaro opens the cabinet and picks up one of the bottles. "Yeah… I've heard of this one before."

Kaede stumbles over to the cabinet. "Then we have to get rid of them! If someone else sees these, maybe they'll try something, like what happened with Gonta and—"

"No point," says Rantaro. "Even if we did that, Monokuma would just replace them."

"Damn right I would!" The door opens and in strides Monokuma holding a large white ring-binder. "I heard my name and I was summoned! Is what I'd like to say, but actually, I just needed to add something to the collection in here."

"Collection?" Rantaro narrows his eyes. "That folder you're holding…"

Monokuma waddles over and hands it to Kaede. "Yep! It's the latest addition!" He waves a paw in the direction of the shelves lined with similar ring-binders. "Top shelf, next to number fifty-two, if you please!" He hangs his head. "I'm too small to reach it…"

Kaede turns the folder over in her hands. "Huh? This folder. It's locked?" She tugs at the huge padlock sealing the contents shut.

Monokuma chuckles. "The contents of that specific folder are not yet accessible for you, I'm afraid. I sealed it for your own good, so be happy!" A smirk splits his face in two. "I think you in particular would find what's inside quite unsettling."

Kaede scowls. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Puhuhu. What indeed?"

Rolling her eyes, Kaede begrudgingly walks over to the shelf and reaches up to slot the binder into place. "Grrrrrgh! Just a little more…" She stretches up on her tiptoes, but to no avail.

"You need a hand with that?" Rantaro asks.

"No," says Kaede. "I can do it. I just need to—"

"Upsy-daisy."

"A-ah?!" Strong hands grab Kaede's sides. Her feet leave the floor as she's hoisted into the air. Kaede's face explodes with heat. "Wh— Rantaro!?"

"Heheh… you're a little heavier than you look, y'know."

"Wh-what are you d-doing!?"

"Huh? Giving you a boost up, what does it look like? Are you gonna put that binder in?"

"O-oh, right." Heart hammering at a-mile-a-minute, Kaede slips the binder onto the top shelf next to the other two, and is gently placed back on the floor. "R-Rantaro," Kaede mumbles, hiding her reddened face in her hands. "D-don't do that so suddenly…"

Rantaro tilts his head. "Oh, should I not have helped? My bad." Laughing, he runs a hand through his hair. "I do that sorta stuff all the time at home, so I figured it was no big deal."

First painting nails and now randomly lifting up girls? Kaede thinks. What kind of home does Rantaro come from?

"Anyway," Rantaro goes on. "Looks like Monokuma took his chance to run off while we were distracted."

Kaede glances round the room. "I guess he really did just want us to put that book on the shelf, huh?" She looks back up at the shelves lined with folders and quickly multiplies in her head. "Ten on each shelf, multiplied by five, plus three… equals fifty-three of these weird documents. That's such a random number of— wait, fifty-three!?"

Rantaro's eyes go wide. "That was what Monokuma said Kirumi's sickness was related to."

After thinking for a moment, Monokuma caves. "Fine. I'll give you a one-word clue." He crosses his paws. "Fifty-three."

Kaede frowns. "Fifty-three? But that's a number."

"It's still a word nonetheless!" Monophanie flares. "Don't be rude to Daddy!"

"Fifty-three…" Rantaro mumbles, holding his head. "Fifty-three… fifty-three... fifty-three… fifty…"

"Maybe that's the age of the dead person that went into Kirumi?" suggests Tsumugi.

"That number," Rantaro mumbles.

Kaede blinks. "Did you figure something out?"

"No, I just…" Rantaro scrunches his features with confusion. "Fifty… I feel like that number is relevant somehow. It gives me a weird feeling whenever I hear it."

"A weird feeling…" Kaede thinks for a moment. "Perhaps if we flick through some of these folders we might figure something out about Kirumi? Or perhaps we'll remember something!"

Rantaro shrugs. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to try, right? Why don't we start at both ends and meet at the middle? I'll take the top shelf." He winks. "I think you'll find the bottom shelves a little easier to get to."

Heat creeps into Kaede's cheeks. "Hmph. Fine." Crouching down on all-fours, she reaches down and slides the folder simply titled "1" out of its place on the bottom shelf.

"Huh? These are… illustrations?" Kaede squints. "Wait… they're drawings of murder scenes!" She hurriedly turns the page. "And each picture has an explanation of the tricks that were used by the culprit. This one, for example, says that the culprit killed his victim with a dumbbell in a men's locker room, then obscured the place of murder by moving the carpets and posters that were stained with blood along with the body into the girl's locker room. But then it says a little further down that this was actually done to protect the victim's secret? What does that mean?" Kaede glances up. "Rantaro, what do you think this means—? Rantaro?"

Rantaro's staring into the folder labelled "52" with wide eyes. His mouth is agape, and the colour is completely gone from his face.

"Rantaro, are you okay?"

"Huh?" Like a light switch being flipped, Rantaro smiles down at her. "Oh, yeah. I'm fine. Sorry, I just got a little caught up in what I was reading." He chuckles. "Man these murder cases, huh? Pretty graphic, aren't they?"

Kaede raises an eyebrow. "You think?" She looks back down into her folder. "I mean they're just drawings. Though they are kinda gory, I'll admit."

"Oh, illustrations?" says Rantaro. "The file I'm looking at has photographs, though."

"What?" Kaede jumps to her feet to peer into Rantaro's folder. Sure enough, various coloured photographs of sanguinary scenes of murder decorate each page of the fifty-second book.

"Kaede," Rantaro mutters in a low voice. "Do any of these people look familiar to you?"

Kaede blinks. "Familiar? In these photos?"

"Yeah."

"Um, I don't think so, no. Why? Do you recognise them?"

There's a pause.

"No, I don't. I was just curious." Rantaro smiles tightly. "So, you said your folder had illustrations?"

"Oh, right." Kaede holds out her binder. "Yeah, see? Weird isn't it?"

"Are they all like that?"

"Let me see." Kaede pulls a couple more files off the shelf. "Yep. All drawings. I wonder why…?"

"And all these newer files have actual photos accompanying them," Rantaro surmises. "What does that mean, I wonder…?"

Kaede scratches her chin. "Hmmm, that all the older files are just fictional? Or perhaps they're so old that cameras weren't around then, so they had to depict the crime scenes through drawings…?"

"But by that logic, shouldn't there be a period of photos that are just black and white?" Rantaro plucks a file from the centre of the shelves. "These middle ones are colour photographs too."

Kaede sighs. "If Shuichi was here… he'd probably know what these are…"

Rantaro starts to place the files back in their respective order. "Probably."

The room goes silent, save for the crackling of the fireplace.

"Thanks, by the way."

Rantaro looks up from his work. "Hm? For what?"

Shifting on her foot, Kaede moves to help him. "For going along with my lie. In the trial yesterday." She doesn't meet his eyes. "I was meant to thank you yesterday, but I forgot."

"Oh." Rantaro slides a book onto the shelf. "Well, there's no need to thank me. We were able to give more credibility to Miu's story— even if it wasn't exactly real credibility. It all worked out in the end, didn't it?"

"I mean…" Images of Angie's execution flash through Kaede's head. "I guess it worked out as well as it could have."

Rantaro closes his eyes. "For sure. So what was it you really wanted to tell me?"

Kaede freezes in place. "What? How did you—"

Rantaro shrugs. "Just a feeling, I guess. I get a lot of those, don't I?" He slumps down beside her. "If you're comfortable telling me, of course. I don't want to pressure you or anything."

Kaede fiddles with the file on her lap. "I wanted to ask you about the hidden door in the library."

"Oh yeah?"

Kaede nods. "Yeah. How did you find it? I only noticed it thanks to Shuichi, so I was wondering if you just happened across it, or…"

Rantaro looks to the ceiling. "Hmm, that's a good one. How did I know about it...?"

"Can you not remember?" asks Kaede.

"Mmmm, it's not that, it's just…" Rantaro hesitates, then meets her eyes. "You know, I meant what I said yesterday. About trusting you."

Kaede blinks. "O-oh? Um, okay…"

"I guess I'm just a little paranoid about sharing secrets with people," Rantaro goes on. "Maybe it's because of something I did or said in the past, but I… even though I'm pretty bad at it, I want to at least try this time. Trusting someone, that is." He clenches a fist. "I was given a second chance at this game for a reason, so I don't want to waste it like last time. I learnt the hard way that not trusting others can lead to your own demise. And for apparently no good reason, either." He sighs. "Aaaah, and there I was thinkin' it was the best way outta this place. For you guys, I mean. Not me, obviously."

Kaede's eyes go wide. "Wait, what? Rantaro, what are you—"

"N-nyeh!? Why are you guys huddled in the corner like that? Am I walking in on something naughty?"

"H-Himiko!" Kaede jumps to her feet, followed swiftly by Rantaro. "No, it's not what it looks like!"

Himiko tilts her head. "Really? 'Cause it sure did look like 'that'."

Chuckling as he dusts himself down, Rantaro asks, "So, what brings you here, Himiko? Did Kokichi run off without you?"

"Does you figure out the motive key card went?" Kaede asks.

"No to both of you," Himiko replies. "We tried everywhere, but the card didn't open any magical portals to other dimensions." She deflates. "It was a real disappointment."

Rantaro narrows his eyes. "Even… the library?"

"Even the library."

Kaede folds her arms. "So then, it wasn't the mastermind's keycard…" Not that it matters anymore, she thinks to herself. The bathroom passageway flashes before her eyes.

Himiko shrugs. "I mean, I dunno about that, but that's not important right now. Behold! I found the Flashback Light!"

"Oh, hey! Good on you!" says Rantaro. "Where'dya find it?"

Himiko smirks. "I summoned it with a manifestation spell."

"Really? That's awesome! I'm sure you must be very tired after doing that."

"Nyeh, once I have a mana-replenishing nap I'll be fine again."

"Um, guys?" says Kaede. "Can you continue your conversation after we've looked at the Flashback Light?"

"Oh, right." Himiko flings the Flashback Light in their direction. "Kokichi's rounding up the others. We're going to meet in the dining hall so hurry down." She stamps her foot. "This is an order from your Student Council President! I'll be waiting outside."

Rantaro smiles. "I guess we have no choice. Kaede?"

"Sure."

As Kaede turns to leave, she spies a hat stand in her peripheral vision. She stops in her tracks. Lifting her hand, Kaede's fingers ghost the bill of the cap on her head. Four grey bowler hats hang from the wooden pegs, leaving two pegs untouched. Kaede grips Shuichi's cap tighter. Should I… leave it here? This is Shuichi's lab after all.

A gentle hand landing on Kaede's shoulder pulls her out of her thoughts.

"Leave it on," says Rantaro. "You made a promise to him, right? To give it back to him after we escape from this place."

Kaede bites her lip. "That's true, but—"

Rantaro lifts his hand. "If you're worried about me, don't sweat it. I know Shuichi had good intentions when he killed me, so I have no ill feelings towards him, y'know? 'Sides—" He grins. "You look good with it on."

Kaede flushes pink. "H-huh?!"

"Hey!" Comes Himiko's voice from the hallway. "Come oooon! Or I'll cast a 'You-Will-Always-Be-An-Hour-Early-To-Everything-You-Ever-Do' hex on you!"

"C-coming!" Pulling Shuichi's hat further down her face, she follows Rantaro out of the room.

"Oh, there's another door out here." Rantaro points to the ginormous stone door towering over the trio from their left.

Himiko places a palm against the door. "There's a very strong magical barrier surrounding whatever's on the other side of this door."

"What does that mean?" asks Kaede.

"Good question." Himiko taps her chin. "I've used too much magic already today to disarm the barrier." She yawns. "Maybe tomorrow. Or the day after, or the day after that—"

"Weren't you supposed to be leading us to the dining hall, or something?" asks Rantaro.

Himiko jolts upright. "Ah, that's right! Follow me, fellow students!"

Kaede sighs as Himiko marches past her. "She gets distracted so easily."

Rantaro chuckles. "It's cute. She reminds me of my little sister."

"Oh! You have a little sister?" Kaede hits her palm with her fist. "So that's why you know how to paint nails!"

"Ah." Rantaro's face falls. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess so…"

"Rantaro?"

"Nothing. I said too much again. My bad." He laughs sheepishly. "Sorry, Kaede. I'm just…"

Kaede's face softens. "It's okay. I understand. Opening up is hard." Her gaze lowers to the stone floor as they walk along. "I find it pretty difficult too." She clenches a fist. "Maybe if I'd trusted you guys more, you wouldn't have had to…"

Rantaro blinks. "Hmm? Had to what?"

"S-sorry." Kaede grimaces. "I can't tell you…"

"Hahaha, touché."

With his typical simper, Kokichi kicks his legs up over the dining table. "Nee-heehee! Took you guys long enough to get here."

Kaito rolls his eyes. "Says the person who didn't bother helping us find the new places!"

"I did my own special kind of exploring, thank you very much!"

Kaede takes a step forward. "Kokichi. What did you do with that key card?"

"Ohhh, you're worried about that still?" Kokichi waves a dismissive hand. "Relax, relax. Did Himiko not tell you guys? We couldn't use it anywhere."

"You couldn't?" Tsumugi echoes.

Kokichi pouts. "Nope. We couldn't figure it out, so we just gave up in the end after we found the Flashback Light."

Maki frowns. "You don't seem too disappointed."

"I am disappointed!" Kokichi flares. "I wanted to use that card key so, so bad!"

"Tch, I smell another fuckin' lie," grumbles Miu.

"Miu…" Biting her lip, Kaede watches as Miu tosses her hair back and turns away from the group.

"Ignore him," says Kaito. "Talking to that brat is just a waste of our time."

"Hey!" Himiko shoots him a look. "No name-calling! That's bullying!"

Ryoma scowls. "Enforce your rules later." His eyes drop to the torch in Himiko's hand. "We have more important things to do right now."

"Oh, right, the Flashback Light." Kokichi makes a grabbing motion. "Lemme see that." He reaches over and snatches the torch from Himiko.

"N-nyeh!?" Himiko lunges at him. "Give it back! You said I could turn it on!"

"I can't possibly let a small, weak girl like you be in charge of something as important as the Flashback Light."

"I'm not weak! That's no way to talk to your president!"

"I'm the Ultimate Supreme Leader! I'm far superior to you!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Uh-huh!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Hey, hey." Rantaro pushes the squabbling pair apart and wrings the Flashback Light out of Kokichi's slackened grasp. "No need for fighting."

"Just turn the fucking thing on, ghost-dick!" Miu snaps from her corner. "I don't wanna stay another fuckin' minute in this trashcan of a canteen!"

"I will in a moment," says Rantaro. "But I think first we should all share our findings with one another. Just so we're all on the same page, yeah?"

With an elongated groan, Miu's head falls into her arms.

Korekiyo clears his throat. "If I may go first, myself and Ryoma uncovered what we deduced to be Kiibo's research laboratory in the courtyard, right besides Miu's." His gaze lowers. "However, due to Kiibo's… status in the Killing Game, we were unable to open the laboratory."

"Kaito, Maki and I found my lab on the fifth floor," Tsumugi continues. "It's… rather plain, actually. So I suppose it's quite fitting."

"What kind of things were in it?" asks Kaede.

"Well, there's a couple of mannequins up there I can use to fit clothes to. There was also a camera, a sewing machine, a worktable, and a few backgrounds for me to pose people against." Tsumugi's eyes start to sparkle. "Ahhh… I'm going to have so much fun dressing everyone up!"

"Don't forget about the bar," adds Maki

"A b-bar?" Kaede splutters. "Like… an alcoholic bar?"

Miu lifts her head from the table. "Huh?"

"I used to work part-time as a barmaid," Tsumugi explains. "At first I thought it was just another set in the room, but no. It's the real deal. The drinks in there are also top-quality stuff. I'll make sure to make everyone drinks before we escape here." She beams. "Non-alcoholic of course!"

"Huh," says Ryoma. "Was there anything else up there on the new floor?"

Kaede takes a breath. "There was a long corridor that led to two doors. One we still can't open, but the other…" Sighing, she looks to the floor. "The other lab we found was Shuichi's."

Kaito's eyebrows lift into his hair. "Oh, Shuichi's lab, huh?"

Kaede nods. "Inside were some documents of…" She glances at Rantaro. "…what we assumed were past murder cases, and on the other side of the room was a glass cabinet full of—"

"So, I think we've all said our parts, right?" asks Rantaro. Smiling, he holds up the Flashback Light. "Will I go ahead and turn this on now?"

"Wait a sec." Ryoma holds up a hand. "Akamatsu, you guys were able to go into Saihara's lab?"

Korekiyo tilts his head. "But Shuichi isn't present any longer, should his room not have been locked like Tenko's and Kiibo's?"

Kokichi clicks his tongue. "Who cares about that killer? It's only fair we get to mess in his lab after what he did to my poor, beloved Rantaro!"

Rantaro blinks. "Beloved?"

"Can you please turn on the Flashback Light?" asks Maki. "I'm getting sick of being in the same room as that brat."

"Oh, right." Rantaro squints at the light in his hand. "Uh… I've never seen one of these before. I'm guessing it's the red button I need to push?"

"Yes," shouts Kaito. "Just press it already!"

"Okay!"

Click!

The moment Rantaro presses the switch down, for the third time, Kaede's world goes completely white. Vivid memories bursting with colour paint the darkest crevices of her mind, and the sounds of craters crashing to the Earth's surface boom in her ears.

Within seconds, Kaede remembers everything.

"The meteorites!" Kaede claps a hand over her mouth. "How did we forget about the meteorites?"

Shuddering Tsumugi hugs herself. "I remember it now… there was so much damage done to near where I lived. People around me were saying it was only a matter of time until we got hit by them too."

"Researchers were saying something similar," Maki adds. "Similar meteor impacts happened thousands of years ago. All living organisms were wiped out."

Himiko deflates. "I remember my master saying that we were probably gonna end up like the dinosaurs…"

"We got moved around from prison to prison whenever the meteors hit near us," says Ryoma. "Not sure why they bothered moving a prisoner on death row but… I remember hearing the crashes from my cell at night-time."

"So do you guys remember the riots, too?" Kaito asks. "Those weird guys that showed up on the streets sayin' stuff about how we deserved it?"

Kaede nods. "Those people who'd hand out fliers on the streets you mean? I remember those… I have a pile of those fliers in my room."

Korekiyo hums. "But that begs the question… what happened to the meteorites? I don't believe I've seen even one since we got here."

"Maybe they died down?" Tsumugi suggests.

Kaito frowns. "But what happened to the plan then? The one to save the world from meteorites?"

Kokichi tilts his head. "The Gofer Project, right? That plan that was supposed to save humankind. Didn't that fail?"

Tsumugi blanches. "What? It did?"

"I remember that too," says Maki. "I can't remember why, though…"

"Same here," Ryoma adds.

Himiko taps her lip. "So we can't remember anything past that again."

"Maybe next time," says Kaede. "Next time we get a Flashback Light, we might be able to rememb—"

"Heh… hehehehehehe. Mankind deserves damnation, huh?" Giggling manically, Miu rises to her feet on wobbly legs. "F-fuck that… fuck all of this…"

Kaede reaches out a hand. "Miu, it's going to be—"

Slamming her palms down on the table, Miu screeches, "We're all already damned! Just bein' in this shithole is damning enough! I'd rather be out there gettin' smashed by craters, than bein' stuck in here with you asswipes!"

Himiko thrusts a finger in her direction. "What did I say before about name calling—"

"Grrrrraaaaaaaaagh! Fuck all of this shit! I don't understand any of this!" Miu kicks her chair to the floor. "I just want out! I'm too fuckin' tired to stay here anymore!"

Kaede raises a hand but Miu shoves past her, bolting out of the cafeteria at top speed.

Sighing, Kaede slumps further down into her chair. "I don't get any of this either…"

"Don't worry, Kaede," comes Kokichi's voice from her side. "Just one more liiiiiiittle memory, and everything will start to connect."

Kaede narrows her eyes. "How can you be so sure of that?"

Kokichi presses a finger to his lip. "That'd be telling, wouldn't it?" He rocks back on his chair. "But whatever ends up being the truth to where we are, I don't think I'll be surprised by it. Like, if we all end up actually being dead, and we find out this is the afterlife."

Gritting his teeth, Kaito clenches his fist. "Always messin' around… stop with your crappy analogies!"

Kokichi blinks. "Huh? How is it crappy? If meteorites can happen, why can't us being in the afterlife happen as well? Need I remind you again that we are in the presence of a literal zombie? Speaking of…" His eyes slide to Rantaro. "You've been awfully quiet since you turned on the flashlight, Rantaro."

"Ah, have I?"

"Yeah, you have. You're the only one who didn't speak up about what you remembered." Kokichi's eyes narrow. "You did remember the meteorites, right?"

Rantaro laughs. "Of course I did! Meteors, Gopher Project—"

"It's Gofer, not Gopher," Maki points out.

"That's what I meant." Holding his head, Rantaro focuses his attention to his lap. "Sorry, I'm just feelin' a little lightheaded right now." He clenches his fist. "I was just hoping to remember something else to be honest."

"Like what?" asks Ryoma.

"Like this." Rantaro pulls a large, white ring binder out from under the table and slides it into the centre.

Kaede's eyes go wide. "Isn't that one of the files from Shuichi's lab?"

"Yep. I brought it down with us." He pauses. "I, uh, was wondering if you guys could take a look through this folder. Do any of these people seem familiar to anyone?"

"These appear to be pictures of crime scenes," says Korekiyo. "The victims are a little difficult to make out, but I don't believe I recognise any of these faces."

"Why does it even matter?" asks Kokichi. "They're dead. Oh! I know!" He leans over the table with glistening eyes. "What if you saw all these guys while you were in the after-life?"

Kaito slams his palms on the table. "I told you to stop with that dumb talk!"

Kokichi frowns. "But Kaito, you're an astronaut! Space is full of mysteries that we humans can't even begin to fathom. Like I said earlier, if the meteors really did fall on us, anything is possible. Perhaps a mysterious virus could have spread across the world, causing a pandemic. Or maybe aliens invaded us and bent space and time with an unknown substance that they brought with them—!"

"That's all science fiction!" Himiko exclaims. "I thought our theme was magic!"

Tsumugi sighs. "That's just your theme, Himiko."

Kaito grits his teeth. "You guys are being stupid now. That's like the setting for some third-rate anime or game!"

"But maybe we are in a game, Kaito," Kokichi retorts. "Or perhaps we're just characters in a story, just living out whatever the author tells us to, with no free will of our own. Don't you get it? How else would Monokuma, the Exisals, or the Flashback Lights exist? Do you have a better answer? Are you seriously that stupid to think there's a logical explanation to any of this!?"

"Shut up!" Kaito booms. "First of all, I'm the only one here who's allowed to talk about space. Got it?"

Kokichi scoffs. "Oh, I didn't know there was a rule like that. My bad!"

"And second of all," Kaito goes on. "It's obvious you're just tryna' rile up people for no reason! All Rantaro did was ask a question and here you are making us all scared and crap with your stupid lies."

Tsumugi tilts her head. "You're the only one here getting riled up, though."

"It's fine." Rantaro closes the binder. "I didn't expect anyone to actually know who the guys in these photos were." He laughs. "I don't either, honest. But…"

Kaede blinks. "But…?"

"No, it's nothing. I just…" His eyes cloud over with something distant. "I just… feel like I should recognise them. No matter. Like Kaede said, maybe next time, yeah? Now, if we're done here…" Rantaro gets to his feet, taking the folder with him. "I'll be putting this back where I found it."

Kokichi's hand shoots into the air. "I'll come with you! I wanna see what Shuichi's lab looks like." He flashes Kaede a smirk. "Wanna see if there's any shot-put balls in there, that kinda stuff, y'know?" He turns to Himiko. "That's okay, right, Pres?"

Humming, Himiko closes her eyes and nods. "I'll allow it just this once. After all, I have something else to attend to."

"Oh?" says Kaito. "What's that?"

"Putting the manhole cover back how it was," Himiko states. She looks to the floor. "I know Angie covered it so we wouldn't be able to escape, but if the meteorites come to wherever we are…"

"We'll need a swift escape route," Ryoma punctuates. "Good thinking, Yumeno."

Tsumugi smiles. "You're really trying to change, aren't you Himiko?"

"Nyeh," Himiko grunts. "I still think trying to escape from there is pointless, but the smell down there isn't as bad when the lid is off."

"Wait, Himiko," says Kaede. "You're going to move the cover on your own?"

"Normally I would be able to but…" Himiko pouts. "I used up most of my mana magically searching for a place that key card could go… so I might need a little help."

"I'll help," says Maki.

"Nyeh? Really?"

Kaito jumps up. "I'll help too!"

Maki folds her arms. "No, I can do it myself."

"Wha? No, no I wanna help! You girls can't lift possibly something that heavy on your own."

Maki's eyes go dark. "Excuse me?"

Himiko tilts her head. "Nyeh, would you even be able to help? I thought you were sick…"

"Sick? Me? Hahaha, no way!" Kaito clears his throat. "How many times have I told you, it's just a cut in my throat. It'll heal itself!"

"Gokuhara's the one who removed it last time," Ryoma mutters. "We'll probably need multiple people to even come close to matching his strength."

Korekiyo nods. "Indeed, let us lend our help as well."

Tsumugi raises her hand. "Okay, then I'll help to. Then afterwards one of you is coming with me to my lab for cosplay!"

Kaito grimaces. "Not again…"

"Oh boy," Kaede sighs. "I guess I'd better come too…"

"Then if everyone's ready…" Himiko gestures melodramatically towards the terrace door. "To the boiler house!"

The group, led by Himiko and Kaito, chat and laugh amongst themselves as they head towards the boiler house. Kaede lags a few feet behind, stopping and gazing up at the Ultimate Academy, at that big circular window.

"No, it's nothing. I just…" Rantaro's eyes cloud over with something distant. "I just… feel like I should recognise them. No matter. Like Kaede said, maybe next time, yeah?"

Kaede frowns. But why would Rantaro want to recognise twelve people that have already been murdered…?

"Kaede?"

Blinking, Kaede's snapped out of thoughts. "Huh? Tsumugi?"

"Are you coming? The others are waiting for you!" Tsumugi tilts her head. "Is something wrong?"

Kaede shakes her head. "Nope, it's nothing. Sorry!" She pumps her fists. "Let's go lift this manhole!"

Sorry there was no update last month! A lot happened in my personal life in October that I won't get into but it kind of stripped my motivation for everything and anything away for a couple of weeks. ( ˘︹˘ ) But slowly and surely, my mojo has been coming back to me and I was able to finish this chapter not too late! I hope you enjoyed it despite it being just an exploration chapter!

Back when I wrote the Himiko/Kokichi lockpicking scene with Monokuma in chapter 3 I said it was one of the scenes I'd had envisioned since the start. Well fun fact of the day is that the scene here with Monokuma walking into Shuichi's lab with the 53rd file was another one of those 2018 scenes, so writing it finally after 2 years of it being in my head was an amazing feeling! I think the rest of those scenes all happen in Chapter V, so it'll be a while until I get to show you, but hopefully not TOO long, haha. I'll definitely point them out when they come up, just because it makes me feel fulfilled to finally see all of my ideas come into fruition after so long of keeping them to myself! (✿◠‿◠)

Chapter 26: Training finally makes a return, and someone gets a little too high on life. Or low? Who knows? ( ͡❛ ͜ʖ ͡❛)