❀ 4.5 - Mascot Facelift ❀
I let out a yawn when I hear the tell-tale bell of the academy reverberating inside my room from the dormitory lobby. Normally that bell never wakes me up since it doesn't play in my room, but I must be close enough to waking up that it's the last push I need to slowly come into consciousness.
For once, I guess I'll be able to meet everyone in the dining hall at the right time. That is, if I can get my body to cooperate and step out from under the warm blankets, which are oh so warm and toasty, as per usual…although not as warm and toasty as it had been when I first fell asleep...
Sensing something amiss, I poke my head out from under the blankets to look towards the side of the bed where I remember someone else having fallen asleep there the night before.
Where did that clumsy skyscraper stumble off to?
I feel something tickling my cheek, making me aware of a note on my pillow I've slightly drooled on. Gross, but a quick wipe of it with a spare tissue from my night table cleans it off...and makes the ink on the note run slightly, but who cares since it's still legible. Rantaro has really nice cursive handwriting.
"I was hoping you would be awake by the time I was finished getting ready in my room, but I didn't want to wake you up. I figured I'd just leave this to let you know I've gone ahead to help with making food since we aren't relying on Kirumi anymore. We've made a system to watch one another so the food is prepared in front of at least two other people, just because it's easier to cook in bulk and to spare the few others who aren't proficient in the kitchen. I know you're not an early riser, but I really hope you aren't about to sleep for another five days. For your health, and my sanity.
-Rantaro Amami"
He even signed it...like there would be anyone else leaving me a note. What a dummy. He's funny even when he doesn't mean to be.
I turn it around when I see the shadow of writing from the other side of the paper.
"P.S. Dress warm. There's a surprise outside."
My eyebrows furrow in confusion at the line. "Dress warm"...? With what? My ultimate outfit has holes in it and it's not the thickest fabric in the world...it's mostly meant to protect jutting rocks from scratching me through the suit, and it's even failed at that. The times I've been cut through it probably would have been worse had I not been wearing my suit...although those large open slits at my waist leave my sides and tummy totally vulnerable.
He said there's a surprise outside though, I wonder what he means by that? Cryptic man is cryptic.
Either way, time to get up and find something warm. Not that I can't imagine why I'd need to- this is still technically an enclosure even if it can get chilly in here at times. Maybe Monokuma amped up the air conditioning in the whole academy?
I cast my dormitory room a suspicious glance before evidently discarding my jammies for shower time. Nevermind being wary of Kokichi breaking and entering, I'm more concerned that I'll be seeing that jerk in the dining hall. I'd rather just pretend he'd never existed altogether!
Brushing through my wet hair with a brush after stepping out of the shower, I eventually get most of the water out and take on taming my curls with my hair dryer. Glancing at my watch...I rescind my earlier thought of joining early. It's already eight-twenty and my hair is still fantastically damp.
Come on, hurry up, stupid hair! Get dry faster, we have things to do!
I jitter in my seat through the hair drying process until I have it mostly dried, unplugging the infernal device and sloppily tossing it in a drawer to jump over to my dresser. When I open it up…
…?
There's an unfamiliar outfit hanging in the dresser. Seven replicas of this unfamiliar outfit, to be exact. They have a dark color very similar to the shades on my normal ultimate outfit, of which one hangs to the far right of the new outfits along with my original pre-reset uniform.
Curious, I pull one of the duplicates out and examine it on it's hanger. Giving it a quick once over, I eventually take it back to my bed and toss it there where I can see it better.
It looks like a dress with pants, one that's a fluffy charcoal brown with a tangy pink pastel cotton at the bottom hem. There's also a matching shawl wrap with the same type of warm plushy fabric and cotton at the top and bottom hem. When I untie the bow at the front of the shawl, I see the dress has six silver buttons and looks like an overcoat without the shawl in the way.
Opening the brown belt and unbuttoning the front allows me to see the warm shirt underneath that's of a thick and plush fabric, with more of a solid charcoal brown at the front. I remove it from the hanger and pull it over my head, glancing back at the mirror to examine the fit.
Who makes these outfits anyways? I would have originally suspected Tsumugi, but even alleviating the burden of making seven outfits for each of us- excluding me- by only making one outfit each and having a factory reproduce six replicas each is still making sixteen outfits. I know Tsumugi was passionate about Danganronpa, but even I find it hard to believe she would make every single outfit. Maybe the designs are hers, but what about these ones? I can't imagine she would have had seven more outfits made from out of nowhere, especially with how she's already passed away...so who-
"You're lucky I didn't make a giant hole where your butt goes, Ugly!"
I shriek a little in surprise, ducking behind my bed quickly until I realize it's just Monophanie standing at the top of my lamp by my night table. She's got her feet elegantly positioned over the wooden shaped Monokuma head that's part of the top of the lamp. As soon as I glance her way, she hops onto my bed and jumps over to my new outfit where I have them set out.
"W-What are you doing in here? How'd you get in if the door didn't-" I start to ask, only for Monophanie to remark, "I came in while you were showering. I'm surprised you didn't notice, I've just been sitting on your night table the entire time! Which makes you both ugly and blind!" Monophanie decides pleasantly enough that I can't help but scowl.
She notably skipped that first question...but that second remark of hers makes my internal queries all the more understandable. So she made them?
"I guess it's still cute, even if you were the one that made them," I say, noting how Monophanie seems to care very little about my approval on the matter. "I'm surprised, it looks like you tried."
"Don't go getting any ideas, I was asked to make this by daddy! The reason it looks like I put effort is because I did it for him, not you. The outfit I made for Rantaro though...that one I worked the hardest on. I think it looks great! You'll be so jealous that you can't give him as good of a gift as I can. I'm ten times better than you. I can cook, I'm a seamstress, I'm deadly with my Exisal and I can protect him...but you? You're the one in need of coddling, it seems. What's so attractive about being a woman-child?"
Admittedly, hearing her tell me I can't protect him stings a lot harder than even being called a woman-child. I'm not trying to win his favor since I already have it, nor am I trying to look for romance in Rantaro like I did with Kokichi. I learned my lesson and I'm not about to entertain the thought in regards to Rantaro.
You sure about that one?
I swat the rebellious thought out of my head and shake off my irritation since I'll bet Monophanie's intentionally trying to get on my bad side. Well, I'm not interested in being her punching bag today.
"It doesn't matter much to me. Rantaro and I are just friends and it's going to stay that way," I simply answer, prompting Monophanie to pause and glance my way in visual confusion. "Instead of being worried about me trying to 'steal' him, maybe you should worry more about him possibly dying in your daddy's killing game. I'm sure not going to kill him...but how sure are you that no one else is gonna try? Don't you think someone is eventually going to get tired of trying to go for the golden target motive?"
"No! It's the perfect motive! N-Nobody's going to kill Rantaro!" Monophanie snaps, objecting vehemently to just the thought. "Why would you even say that?!"
"Because. You're behaving as if you're head over heels for him and it contradicts what you're letting Monokuma get away with. You think Rantaro likes this killing game? You think he likes that the others are being pushed to kill in hopes of finding reprieve from the danger of this place? I just find it funny that for being so smitten, you're not trying at all to save us. Being able to cook and sew won't really impress him if he's dead or depressed by his comrades all dying, don't you think?"
Monophanie visibly bristles, but doesn't say anything to combat my words. Instead, she just leaps off my bed and bounds out of my room quickly. I don't exactly know her intentions of coming in here in the first place, but if it was just to brag and talk down to me over my crush on Rantaro, then it's not important. The door slams shut loudly behind her, and I turn my attention back to the clothing laid out on my bed.
I start pulling on the rest of the outfit until I'm all snuggly in the thick warm fabric. It isn't until I'm about to pull on the shawl that I decide to pull my hair up in a high ponytail and tie my bow up nicely over it, pulling the shawl on after and stepping towards my mirror to make sure everything's okay. With everything in order after a small pat down, I yank on my gloves and finally the sherpa-lined socks and boots.
With my keys at hand, I step out of the dorm room with a smile. So I'm late, but at least I made sure I look good!
Hold on though. Why is it feeling like it's colder out here than it normally is? Even my room is warmer!
"Kokichi?" I hear a voice from below ask, making me lock my room door to peer over the edge of the second story rails.
It's Shuichi, who immediately brightens up in surprise when my blue eyes meet his gold ones. "Prairie! You're awake!"
Shuichi also has on a different outfit than usual, although it's still with a similar color scheme and design to his original. I've got to say, the fact he's wearing a trench coat now makes him look like more of a detective than he did before. Around his neck is a long navy blue scarf, thick and clearly meant for the cold weather.
"Hi, Shuichi. Any clue about this whole new wardrobe thing? Or is this something I missed out on while I was asleep?" I ask as I sit down on the edge casually and push myself off to drop down. Shuichi must not remember I can handle the drop, even though he previously saw me drop from a higher place once before, because he scrambles towards my landing spot to catch me at the last minute in a hug that I'm so surprised about that I evidently discard my concerns about the new winter garb to laugh.
"Thanks, but did you forget I've dropped from higher places? It's really nothing too challenging, there's no need to worry about me in that regard, I promise," I say as he sets me down with a sheepish expression of embarrassment.
"Y-Yeah, I suppose. Sorry, I just moved without thinking. Nevermind that though, how are you doing? You were out for five days," Shuichi tentatively states, allowing me my personal space in case of a dramatic reaction to the revelation I already know. At that, I jump close again to link arms with his. When I give him a cheeky smile, Shuichi seems unable to get any other words out.
"It's just escorting, calm down, Saihara. I don't have cooties, pinkie swear!" I laugh as I lead him to the exit of the dormitories. "I actually woke up last night. Rantaro was nice enough to fill me in on all the details. I also ran into Korekiyo and Kokichi…and Kirumi, but this isn't about her. I'm fine and I'm not feeling sleepy anymore. All my injuries even seem to be doing well when I gave them a look-see too."
"I-" Shuichi starts, before pausing and letting out a sigh. "Well, at least you're okay. That's all that really matters in the end."
With a satisfied smile that he doesn't object to my explanation, nor asks any questions on the Kirumi matter, I help Shuichi push open the dormitory doors and…
We both stop in our tracks.
I'm not sure what catches me off guard first, the cold blast of air in my face or the sight ahead that makes my expression twist in confusion.
How?
How is it snowing?!
"Ah. No wonder it was so cold when I stepped out of my room," Shuichi easily brushes off the sight. A sight he has no idea is completely uncanny regarding certain circumstances he is not privy to.
In what realm would this make sense when this is an enclosed space? I know the others aren't aware of it, but we are indoors! The atmosphere where weather happens is outside!
"The winter clothing definitely makes sense now. Hm…so we're geographically located somewhere where snowy weather is possible…that possibly boots out more general locations like near the equator, but there's still too many variables to exclude that, let alone pinpoint a definitive general area," Shuichi contemplates, all the while I stick out a hand for the powder snow currently falling from the ceiling to land in my waiting palm.
A snowflake melts in my palm as soon as it makes contact, prompting me to close my hand and gently rub the small speck of liquid between my fingers. So it's definitely real...but how real is the idea that Monokuma decided to build an indoor weather machine? I guess it's not impossible from what we've seen of his arsenal of tech, but what would this contribute to Monokuma's dream killing game? Is he just creating some setting changes for viewers watching us to enjoy better scenery?
That's probably it. Knowing that sick bear, he'd probably say you could see the blood easier if the area was coated in white snow.
So far, there hasn't been too much snow build-up. Roofs, trees, shrubs and the like are covered in powder snow, but it's not a white winter wonderland or anything yet. It makes sense though, it definitely wasn't all that cold and it definitely wasn't starting to snow while Kokichi and I were running around last night. I think we would have noticed a temperature change with how soaked we got from the fire-safe sprinklers, so it must have started after I went back to my room to be with Rantaro. Greenery is still visible as of right now- though I wonder how long that will last with how much snow is falling.
I wonder how the snow will pan out though. I mean, it needs to evaporate or it'll sink into the ground as water and will probably build up, won't it? What if it creates the perfect setup for a sinkhole? Or is that an unfounded concern…? How do sinkholes even form anyways?
…
Whatever, I guess it doesn't really matter what I think. It's not like we as prisoners get to choose what our captors do or how they run the place.
"We can think about that when we meet with the others. Let's get moving, I'm starving," I say to Shuichi, pulling on his arm with mine so we can keep moving.
"Ah, right. I'm sorry. So Rantaro explained everything then? Things between the two of you are good again?" Shuichi inquires curiously, still looking around at the falling snow despite the change in the topic. On the note of not leaving things alone though...to think he'd still be so curious about Rantaro and I is surprising though. I guess he really does want Rantaro and I to get along.
"Yep. I'm gonna save what I have to say until we get back to the dining hall, but Rantaro and I had a long talk. We made up, but it's not magically going to fix everything, so we're going to try our best to be understanding of one another and open to criticisms of what we're trying to improve in ourselves. He'll watch me to control my temper, and I'll watch him to control how overbearing he gets. It sounds very basic and like it isn't hard work, but it is...I don't want to lose my friendship with Rantaro though, so I'm not gonna slack off with this plan!" I elaborate, noting Shuichi's smile at my claims.
"I'm happy for the two of you. It just wasn't the same while the two of you were at odds. You were both clearly suffering from the fight and it was difficult for us to watch it…" Shuichi confesses as we walk up the steps into the school.
"I'm sorry for worrying you guys. I-" I begin, only for a familiar voice to make himself known. The warm conversation with Shuichi turns cold very quickly, prompting my gaze to fall on the short haired teen standing in the hallway.
"Ah! If it isn't my two favorite people in this joint! I was just about to go looking for both of you- though Rantaro threatened me with my life if I got too close to Prairie Dog. Oh well, at least you're both here now. The two of you look cute in those outfits~" Kokichi observes, making Shuichi look away in a manner that appears as if he's confused but flattered. A second later though, one of his eyebrows twitches like he realizes the compliment could very well be a lie on Kokichi's part.
Me on the other hand?
I just shoot Kokichi the nastiest look of disgust I can possibly muster. He ends up focusing on me when he sees the expression I'm wearing, his interest piqued considerably.
"How are you doing, Prairie Dog? You left so suddenly last night in the middle of our date, I wasn't sure what to think! I know it got a little bumpy near the end, but you didn't have to run off..." Kokichi claims innocently, as if having no idea why I would storm off on him like I did.
"Choke on a frog, you rotten scumbag," I snap so suddenly that it seems to catch Shuichi off guard by the one-eighty response. He looks suddenly anxious by the fact I've gotten aggressive while still attached to his arm. The only thing that's probably keeping him from detaching is his manners at this point.
Kokichi actually drops his bright smile to stare blankly at me, but I can't tell if it's because he's shocked by my words. Not that I wait for him to tell me, I just let go of Shuichi and shove straight past Kokichi rudely to make my way into the dining hall. Kokichi nearly topples over with how hard my shoulder hits him, but he manages to jump aside to regain his balance.
"Kokichi, what in the world did you do this time?" I hear Shuichi urgently ask, followed by Kokichi's chuckle and a comment of, "Nothing that warrants a response like that, that's for sure. Don't worry about it, she won't be mad forever!"
I try not to look like I'm about to erupt and rage about. Clearly Kokichi is underestimating my ability to hold a grudge, because I'm really angry. I'm much angrier with him than I've ever been before, and my rage is built upon a foundation of hurt and salt by his abuse of my feelings towards him.
If the reaction I'm having right now isn't what Kokichi wanted, then he royally screwed up.
Whatever. I'm not about to forgive him anytime soon and he won't have to wait very long to realize that. How he's unable to figure that out on his own since he's so smart, I have no idea. I think he's maybe banking on the idea that my feelings will let him get away with it, or he just thinks the situation will blow over like most situations do.
As soon as I step through the doorway into the dining hall, a few heads facing the dining hall entrance turn in my direction. One of those people in particular lets out a squeal of glee in the same moment.
"Prairie!" Tenko jumps straight out of her chair and runs around the table to wrap her arms around me, knocking over whoever is misfortunate enough to be in the path leading in my direction.
Well, I say "wrap", but it's more like she tackles me and knocks all the wind out of my lungs in her excitement. I sputter a little in shock, eyes widening half a fraction as my feet are lifted off the floor and she swings my body around like a rag doll. "You really are awake! I was so worried- thank god you woke up!"
"Yes, yes! Blessed be Atua's power. Her awakening was an inevitable outcome, as I told you all. She is perfectly fine just as Atua predicted!" Angie speaks up, garnering the attention of Kiibo and Himiko as they nod in agreement with her words.
"A most comforting fact indeed! It's good to know Atua is on our side!" Kiibo agrees brightly, followed by Himiko closing her eyes and taking up a weird prayer-like pose. She hums deeply in almost a musical chant, prompting my eyes to narrow in confusion as I shift my chin up to a more comfortable place over Tenko's shoulder to see them better.
Unbelievable! Well, maybe not for Himiko, but Angie managed to recruit Kiibo into her little religious club? ...Ah, what does it matter? They can worship whoever they want, it's not any of my business.
"How are you doing? Are you at full speed, or still half asleep? If you need any help waking up, we can have a quick tussle right now!" Tenko says, already in a fighting stance once she releases me from her deathgrip. As I land on my feet with a small grunt, I hear Shuichi sputter from behind me nervously at her impulsive proposal.
"I-In the dining hall?!" He asks, though I don't turn my head since I know Kokichi is probably right next to him. The less I have to see his leechy annoying face, the better. Instead, I just smile and wave off Tenko's offer.
"Ah, maybe not right now. I'm mainly here for food since Rantaro left me a note that he was cooking here," I explain, just as Rantaro peeks out from the kitchen. At the sight of his face, I perk up in unison and offer a wave of delight he doesn't hesitate to return with equal contentedness.
On the other hand, Shuichi just breathes a sigh of relief that I hear the purple devil chuckle lightly at. Did Shuichi really think I'd go and agree with fighting in the dining hall? I'm not gonna do anything except keel over and die without food in my tummy first and foremost. Even if I don't feel any sort of sensation akin to starvation, I know logically that I haven't eaten for five days- which means I should probably deal with that before my body decides to give off those sorts of hunger warnings.
"Just in time. Take a seat and I'll bring your food out," Rantaro says as he re-enters the kitchen to do his thing.
Something about being on good terms with him again makes me feel like I have butterflies in my stomach again- although it may not be a good sign that the butterflies are a lot more intense than they've been in the past. Still, I do as Rantaro has asked and I take a seat beside Kaito who's eating something...well, it looks yummy, but I don't know what it is. He casts me a smile between bites, eventually swallowing his food to speak.
"Really though, how do you feel, Prairie? I'll admit we were all worried when we thought you wouldn't wake up again...hell, even damn Monokuma was concerned by it, and that made it even more freaky!" Kaito says, chopsticks pulling up one of the little bun-like objects in his plate as I shrug in response.
"I feel fine, actually. Better than I did before I fell asleep. Don't worry too much about it for now, it's in the past," I just say to get the topic over with. Kaito pauses lifting the bun to his mouth, prompting me to pull my gaze away from the yummy food to find him staring at me. "Oh, sorry..."
I mainly apologize because I initially assume he's uncomfortable with me staring at his food. When I sit back and cross both my arms and legs though, I realize everyone else is staring at me as well. At that point, it clicks that they're not staring at me because I was drooling over Kaito's food.
...What did I say again?
"We're worrying about it. And frankly, I don't think five days ago counts as 'in the past'. It was fairly recent," Kiibo points out, prompting me to laugh nervously. I misspoke, but too late to go back on that now, I guess.
"Okay, listen. I don't mean to downplay it, because I know it looks bad. I really do mean it when I say it's fine though, you don't need to worry over something like that. If you need more reassurance, just know Rantaro has my back and he's helping me," I explain, just as Rantaro comes back with a soup bowl and sets it down on the table where I'm seated, along with a set of chopsticks and a spoon. As he does, he angles his face discreetly to cast me a meaningful look.
Probably because I haven't actually told him anything related to it. Not that I really can tell him, but for the sake of giving the others a false sense of security so they don't worry needlessly, Rantaro looks up from me and casts everyone a smile.
"She's told me more or less everything she possibly can without undermining Monokuma. Trust me, I'll take care of her. I always have," Rantaro says to the others, prompting Shuichi to share a look with Kaito as he steps beside his chair with Kokichi.
"Thaaat sounds like a lie…well, not the part that he'll take care of her, but the part where he said Prairie's told him everything she possibly can. Nishishi~! I don't think even he believes that could be true," Kokichi remarks, grinning mischievously despite the slant side eye of annoyance from Kaito on Shuichi's other side.
"Because you're an expert on Prairie or something? Pipe down, you're embarrassing yourself," Kaito huffs, taking another bite of his food. "She can't even stand looking at you half of the time."
"That doesn't matter, it's not the point of this conversation. The point is that Rantaro would be ready to follow Prairie straight down to hell if it came to it, and that sort of worries me…" Kokichi tosses us a concerned look, the quality of it as fake as his usual masks of deception. "I mean...he's only worried for Prairie, you know? Who knows if he'll be as reckless as her and start putting the rest of us in danger as well. She may have already corrupted him with her careless ideas and philosophies…!"
Rantaro looks mildly annoyed, but he just gives Kokichi a stiff smile in return.
"We don't need to prove anything to you of all people, Kokichi. We're not a danger to the rest of the group, and I'm still my own person beyond Prairie. Furthermore, this is why Prairie's willing to speak to me more than anyone else here, save for maybe two other people. Don't be delusional in thinking you're an option on that list- at least not anymore," Rantaro bluntly spells it out for the teen with the checkered bandana around his collar, who only casts me a wounded look as Rantaro skirts around the table to head back into the kitchen.
"Prairie loves me! She told me so! Five times in the hotel! We even cuddled last night and nearly shared a true love's kiss near the stroke of midnight!" Kokichi eventually objects, his violet eyes becoming two longing hues of glossy betrayal.
"Liar! She wouldn't!" Tenko barks, followed a little too closely by Himiko remarking dryly in a lazy tone, "Actually, she probably would…"
I hate that he's acting like he didn't do something extremely unforgivable last night. Like lead me on, play with my emotions, and trick me into a corner so he could burn up some important blueprints I had. He can argue all he wants that he did it to protect us from my "bad ideas", but honestly? It only says one thing to me: Kokichi doesn't respect me as a person.
Or is he really that clueless about it? He really thinks what he did wasn't so bad?
He probably has a block of ice for a heart, in that case.
With that, I turn my head away with a "hmph" of disdain, nose upturned in indignant disgust at the sight of him. If I look at him any longer, the soup Rantaro made me will end up being unappetizing. I don't want that leech ruining my meal with his rancid presence.
"Angie agrees with Himiko!" Angie remarks after a moment of silence, which is broken first by Rantaro returning with a bowl of his own soup. It seems to be a light broth of veggie noodles, mushrooms, and chopped onion. Even the fragrance catches the envy of some around us as I pick up my chopsticks.
"Agree with her or not, it doesn't matter! I refuse to believe it!" Tenko disagrees, before I lift up my spoon to stir my soup and answer dryly, "Well, believe it, because it nearly happened. Thank god it didn't."
I knew Rantaro could cook, but whoa...is this simple but fragrant dish maybe a sort of "make-up breakfast"? Because we fought before and everything? I'm certainly not gonna complain about it if it is! Ramen bowls, come hither into my waiting belly!
I have the sense to pause and wait until I see Rantaro lift his chopsticks, noting how he pauses as well to glance at me when I don't move to immediately eat it. At first, he appears a little confused, but half a second later he seems to understand and offers me a smile for waiting. My heart jumps up to my throat for a moment, and then we both start eating together.
"Huuuuh? You're actually admitting it? ...Not gonna tell them you were completely willing though? Don't go giving the illusion I tried forcing it on you, I gave you plenty of time before I went for it!" Kokichi says, looking rather amused even though there's a hint of mild confusion in his eyes. I suppose it's from my bland confirmation of events and my lack of visible embarrassment, which he's gotten so used to.
Well, I am embarrassed. I'm embarrassed I believed he was going to really kiss me in the first place. That being said though, I refuse to give him the satisfaction.
"He's not lying," I confirm Kokichi's words after a bite of my meal, even though I'd prefer him shutting up and leaving me alone much more. Tenko lets out a choking sound like the information has caused damage to her internal organs. I try not to let it get to me. "What does it matter anyways? I know I was stupid for believing him when I knew it was a lie from the start, so no one start telling me what I already know. Unless you want to argue with my fists, don't bring it up in front of me. Leave your gossiping when I'm not around to hear it."
There's a droning silence after my confirmation and words, making me peek up from my soup to see the reaction of the group. I expect them to be looking at me in disgust, shock, and/or horror at the idea of liking Kokichi legitimately. They all knew before, and I did see a few expressions like that when they first found out I might have liked him.
When I do lift my head enough though, I realize the others, besides Rantaro who already knew of the situation, are all looking straight at Kokichi much to my surprise. Even the bite-sized bun that Kaito has been holding between his chopsticks for a while now is about to fall on the table. Still, his sharp gaze of disapproval remains on Kokichi solely.
Kokichi blinks, glancing around in confusion.
"...You're an asshole," Himiko pipes up with a dark scowl, prompting Kokichi to look her way. He didn't seem to expect that out of her, and raises a brow of amusement.
"What? It's not like I did it just to mess with her...Nee-hee-hee! I mean, it was partly that, but she had those blueprints for the Monokubs that Maki and Kirumi saw. You heard what Monokuma said during the investigation when he was lifting up that dumb yellow bear, right? I mean...you realize what she did, don't you?" Kokichi hints, leaning towards Himiko to face her. She shifts back from him slightly, red eyes narrowed on him like he's a moldy piece of bread.
"Ohh? You are saying she was messing with the insides of a Monokub then?" Angie inquires, clearly more perceptive than she usually lets on. She looks intrigued, but she just turns away from Kokichi to cast me a smile. I can't tell what this smile of her's is supposed to mean, but I let my gaze duck back down to my meal since Rantaro is ignoring their conversation the same way, despite the deep frown etched on his face.
I suppose he's still angry with Kokichi, but then again, it seems like admitting what happened and telling the truth has resulted in much of the other's disapproval of Kokichi's actions as well.
"You…!" Kaito slams his chopsticks down and jumps up to his feet, the tasty bun he'd been holding landing on the table between our dishes. The look on Kaito's face says it all- he's caught onto Kokichi's little antics. "Whatever you're trying to spin this into, it's not going to work! Are you telling me I'm supposed to believe that Prairie altering the state of a Monokub is supposed to excuse your actions? Like she deserves having her feelings played with like that? You're insane…! You don't have to like her back, but what the hell is wrong with you!?"
"I'm surprised...I would have expected a normal human would be absolutely ecstatic to be pursued by Prairie. Don't humans tend to chase after suitable partners with lots of money and fame behind them? It doesn't hurt that she's very pretty as well, right? Or is my assessment of human attraction...faulty?" Kiibo asks, making me flinch slightly and duck my head lower into my soup to hide a little. Rantaro has to reach over to pull my head back up to prevent me from drowning myself in my soup over Kiibo's statement.
"No, I suppose that's somewhat true. That being said though, some people don't need money or fame, and although it's factual that Prairie is pretty-" I nearly choke on my ramen at Rantaro's dumb words, whining and objecting around the food in my mouth to try and stop it from coming back out. At the same time, I glare at Rantaro for his embarrassing input through the heat rolling over my features, grabbing a napkin to keep my face clean. Rantaro seems amused by my struggle beside him, half chuckling through his next words, "-beauty tends to be subjective."
Kiibo cocks his head to the side in confusion, glancing between Rantaro and me to Kokichi inquisitively.
"So if Prairie's factually pretty...then Kokichi was crazy to reject her, right?" Kiibo asks, prompting Tenko to immediately respond with a shout that I'm sure only serves to rupture the sound receivers on Kiibo when he jerks unnaturally with a yelp of horror.
"YES! But you know what? Although I hate how Kokichi rejected her, I'm glad he didn't return her feelings! She doesn't deserve an ungrateful menace like him!" Tenko snaps, making my stomach twist a little in pain at the words. It hurts just a bit more knowing that personally I wasn't glad about his rejection, and that I'm still upset over his lie despite my anger towards him.
I feel Rantaro rub the back of my head, making me glance at him as he gestures with a nod to my soup. Understanding the motion, I refocus back on my bowl and continue eating. This is no time to be groveling over stupid Kokichi. I hate him and I don't want to think about him.
"Is that what you would call being sympathetic towards Prairie's feelings, Tenko? You may not like Kokichi, but it seems Prairie still liked him. Perhaps save such sharp callous words for when Prairie isn't present to be cut by them."
At the voice, I look up to see Korekiyo entering the kitchen, Maki trailing just a few feet behind him with Gonta. I suppose they were all in there with Rantaro to monitor cooking like Rantaro said? They probably overheard everything then.
No Kirumi in sight...which is definitely a given. She did attempt cold-blooded murder on me again just the night before.
"What?! Who are you to tell me…" Tenko pauses from swinging around to look at Korekiyo, peering in my direction as if to confirm his words.
I'm not exactly sure what sort of expression I'm wearing, but...well, I was hoping the conversation about stupid Kokichi would have ended already. It just feels like it's getting dragged on and on at this point. Whatever she sees on my face though, it's enough for her anger to immediately sizzle out as she looks away from me with an edge of guilt gracing her features. Well, she's good at sensing the emotions of others, so I guess there's no hiding how I felt about her words.
Still, I'm glad she's dropped the topic.
"Can we go back to the important part of the conversation? Back when I heard a comment about Prairie messing with the insides of the yellow bear?" Maki asks, her red eyes narrowing straight on me. Yet again, I'm a victim of her deadly gaze...I suppose she has a good reason this time.
Even though I helped him, Monosuke still hates me. I still want to help the bears, even if the others don't agree or consider it dangerous. If they want answers about what I've done to the mechanics of Monosuke though…
"You must have a crazy imagination. Are you listening to yourself? Like really, how is that supposed to make sense? I'm the Ultimate Rock Climber, not the Ultimate Mechanic. I don't know the first thing about how robots function, so what makes you think I could mess with a Monokub like you're thinking when I haven't even picked up a book yet? I don't even have ameteur experience, I'd probably blow myself up with that bomb inside of them," I state plainly, somewhat proud of myself for my logical argument. "You're letting Kokichi rile you up because he just doesn't want to be held accountable for his actions. I mean, he waited until I told you about what he did to finally say something, didn't he? Isn't that pretty telling? It's not my fault he's such a rotten liar."
Kokichi's violet eyes flash when I glance his way. I'm almost done with my food, and seeing that Kaito isn't about to pick up the bun he dropped between us on the table, I happily snatch it up with my chopsticks and shove it in my mouth. It's meaty...seems like there was beef, veggies, and some sort of mushroomy textured thing inside. Kaito sighs in resignation when he sees my opportunist side strike, making me jitter happily in my seat when he passes me another one from his plate with his chopsticks. I guess he noticed I was eyeing them earlier.
"You little liar..." Kokichi huffs, grinning stiffly to cover the vexation behind his eyes. "Winnie the poo-poo got suddenly lighter. As in mechanisms were removed from his body, and you want to say you had nothing to do with it?"
"Yeah. That's exactly what I'm saying," I repeat, lying right through my teeth and using his tips to get away with it. No surprise that it still doesn't seem to work on Kokichi, but there's no arguing with my logic even if he can see it's a lie.
Unless Korekiyo were to expose what I said the night before about wanting to remove the bombs from the bears, Kokichi could maybe put up a valid argument. Glancing Korekiyo's way though, he doesn't seem like he's about to say anything at all. He's silently watching me, hazel eyes tinted with hints of mirth like he's enjoying our squabble. If anything, he's probably still irritated with Kokichi's behavior from yesterday and is enjoying the attitude I'm giving the leech.
Good.
"I wasn't born yesterday and neither were you, Prairie Dog. Monokuma wasn't the cause, that much I know for sure. And those bears are about as smart as board planks, so they definitely didn't do it themselves. That leaves the girl that disappeared for a straight three days, doesn't it? The one that eventually came back up with a bag of tools and Monokub blueprints to go with them, right? Hey, what was that girl's name again, huh? It sort escapes me...I think I dated her once."
My temper spikes from zero to sixty.
"Date this, you diseased toad leg!" I snap before I've even noticed I'm picking up the leftover bowl of soup and standing to hurl it's contents across the table with such a force that Kokichi can't get out of the way fast enough for the liquid to miss him. He jumps back with a shout of surprise as it splashes over his face, swatting the soup off until he can see without soup getting to his eyes.
I don't think I've ever seen Kokichi so unbelievably shocked before...at least not while in the presence of everyone else for that matter.
"P-P-PRAIRIE?!" Shuichi audibly panics, the look of horror on his face mirrored on Gonta's, Kaito's, and Kiibo's.
"K-Kokichi okay?!" Gonta asks, rushing over to help the shorter teen and hand him a handful of wadded up napkins Gonta swipes off the table.
Fully understanding what I've done, I glance down at the bowl in my hands...and feel my heart sink a little. I didn't even hesitate. I just threw it all at him with everything I had. I was just so angry I couldn't control myself again, and now…
"...I was still eating that…" I comment sadly, my tempter already doused to the visible disbelief of those around us.
If they were expecting me to feel bad over my behavior towards Kokichi, too bad. I'm not sorry.
"Here, it's okay. You can have some of my soup," Rantaro is suddenly quick to jump in, a flowery bright smile of delight on his...wait, is he actually glad I threw the soup at Kokichi's face?
Rantaro is totally in happytown as he pours half of his soup broth into my bowl, handing me my spoon to continue eating. If Rantaro isn't mad, I guess I don't need to be worried about anything else. I sit back down beside him without another word, somewhat surprised when no one speaks up to condemn me for my actions.
"...Anyways, he definitely deserved it," Himiko almost dismissively comments from where she's sitting, picking her fork up to eat the omelet she's only half finished.
"After everything he does to get on her bad side, I'm not surprised she totally hates him now," Kiibo comments, just as Kokichi finishes wiping himself down and turns to leave wordlessly.
"Where Kokichi going? K-Kokichi?" Gonta inquires in confusion, though we don't get to hear Kokichi's response since Gonta quickly follows the shorter teen out of the dining hall.
I guess he got the message I might actually be "mad forever" about what he did. Still...that was a very quiet exit he made. A little too quiet. No arguments, no objections out of him. Should I be worried?
I catch Maki still looking straight at me once the door out of the dining hall shuts behind the two guys. Going by her expression, I suppose that stands to mean she still doesn't trust me, but I dismiss it by returning to my soup and trying to convince myself I definitely didn't overreact just now.
Did I though? Rantaro's not much of a help concerning this issue either, so I can't ask him to help me think through my actions. As far as I can tell, rational Rantaro is on vacation and this version of him is out for Kokichi's blood.
"Hohoho~! The fire of hate between sworn rivals is my favorite type of television show!" A voice exclaims a moment after I've nearly finished my soup, making me jump a little as the dishes and silverware on the table shake. Kaito catches my bowl when it nearly spills over me, making me breathe out a long sigh of relief.
I almost thought I was about to receive karmic punishment for throwing soup in Kokichi's face…!
"You guys take forever to eat, you know? I'm almost sort of glad we have a limited supply of food! The less food you have to eat, the worse your skills in deduction when it comes to crime scenes after all!" Monokuma states, laying back comfortably atop the table in front of us and snatching up Himiko's glass of mango juice.
"H-Hey!" She objects, before pausing when the bear gives it a noticeable sniff and pours it's contents in his mouth. "...Isn't that bad for a robot?"
"YES," Kiibo answers with an intensity of shock, eyeing Monokuma critically like he's crazy. "We don't have digestive systems to handle human beverages, that should-"
Just as predicted, Monokuma sparks a little from his mouth as he sets the glass down, eyes wide as his body gives a violent jitter. He freezes for a few beats, causing the rest of us to look around at each other in confusion.
Because really, what the heck is Monokuma doing?
…
"Huh, that didn't go as well as I thought it would. I guess that's what happens when you try and eat things not meant for your body!" His voice appears behind my seat, making me jump up with a squeak and leap back from my chair. Monokuma bounces onto the table where his last body is still layed out, frozen in that ridiculous pose of nonchalance. He circles it a few times before he seems satisfied and faces me with a grin. "Right, Miss Marble?"
...Is he implying something again? If he's talking about Kirumi's poisoned food dish from before, I don't understand what he's getting at. We know it's a weird point about me, but hinting at it only puts him at a disadvantage, doesn't it? He's the one that wants to keep my weird qualities under wraps after all, not me.
Tenko is already at my side by the time Rantaro is out of his seat, but she doesn't discourage him from approaching me as well despite her usual nature.
"Always with your theatrics, is that so…? Admittedly, this would have sufficed once we had concluded our mealtime, wouldn't you say?" Korekiyo inquiries with a edge of detestation in his voice.
Even someone as well mannered as Korekiyo wouldn't be content with his meal getting disturbed, I guess...but then again, who would? If I wasn't almost done with my food, I probably would have thrown my chair at the stupid bear.
"Nope!" Monokuma answers. "This doesn't bother me at all, but thanks for your concern!"
"Rotten bear...! What do you think you're doing popping up and trying to get soup on Prairie! After she's gotten all dressed up in something cute too!" Tenko yells, already in a fighting stance in case she needs to snap Monokuma in half.
"Well! What brings you here, Monokuma~?" Angie asks pleasantly, even though most of the other students are edged at the corners of their seats like they want to jump away from the table. The scare certainly doesn't help settle any appetites, I'm sure...
"Well, you know how it goes! Someone kills, people die...and then we present the survivors of the trial with rewards for not dying! After all, we wouldn't want those ratings to fall considering we've only aired our first trial and execution!" Monokuma announces, arms held out wide. "So here we go! Prizes at the ready, my precious kubbies~!"
As he does, the Monokubs bound into the room- Monodam, Monosuke, and Monophanie standing on the table beside him with the new items at the ready. Monokid on the other hand, just takes a seat on the table and crosses his arms grumpily in distaste, indignant to Monokuma's hijinks as per usual.
"Rise and shine, ursine!" The other three bears cheer, flanking Monokuma's side proudly.
"Ahh, everything is always one percent better when my cute little kubs are around…" Monokuma says with a delicate sigh, prompting Monophanie to turn his way in confusion.
"O-Only one percent, Daddy?!...Wait, why are there two Daddy's again?!" Monophanie asks, abruptly dropping the item she's holding on the table. As if equally shocked, Monosuke and Monodam also do the same.
"I always knew this day would come...you're all seriously so cute…! I almost don't want to anymore!" Monokuma laments, gripping at his thorax as if overwhelmed with emotion. I can feel my expression is all scrunched up, but I don't notice it until I feel Rantaro rub the back of my head to ease my straining thoughts.
"Don't want to do what? Pops? You're really confusin' us here, it's getting scary!" Monosuke comments, looking from the broken Monokuma to the working one.
"It's time! I've been keeping an eye on this killing game fiasco long enough, don't you think? Yes...the franchise is in need of a facelift in the form of a new mascot," Monokuma explains with a wave of his paw towards the kubs. "One of you adorable babies! And yes, even our residential reject Monokid is included in the equation!"
"No, he's not," Monokid snaps from where he's seated away from them, turning to give them his back.
"...Excluding our residential reject Monokid then!" Monokuma proceeds, totally unsurprised by Monokid's refusal. "Nevertheless, it's time for me to retire!"
…
"WHAT?!" The three kubs around him exclaim in confusion, followed by Monokuma pulling out a dark green fedora with a white feather to put on his head. From the ceiling, a medium sized suitcase lands smack on the table and food, sending bits flying so the other students all jump out of their seats quickly to avoid getting dirty.
"Gross…" Maki grunts irritably, slapping a stray rice crumbs off her arm and onto the floor. Thankfully, most of them only got attacked by crumbs, unlike Kokichi's situation before all of this.
Shuichi is kind enough to reach over and help Maki by dusting rice off her shoulder, up until Maki pauses and lifts her red eyes to stare deep into his soul incredulously. Death and torture likely reflected in her eyes, Shuichi has the sense to hold up his hands and back off with a soft apology once he realizes she doesn't need nor want his help.
Yikes, I'll remember to tone it down if I look like that to Shuichi's eyes when I'm angry.
"My breakfast…" Tenko mumbles from beside Rantaro and I, prompting me to focus on her and take her hand in mine. Almost immediately upon registering my hand in hers though, breakfast seems to be the last of her worries as she pulls me away from Rantaro to hug me. A barely audible squee of delight escapes her as she nuzzles her cheek against the top of my head.
Thankfully she isn't about to shatter my rib cage this time.
Monokuma picks up his food stained suitcase, grinning at his kubs who are also now half covered in food from the table. They more or less seem completely unfazed by their new edible coat. Even Monokid, who looks moody sitting away from them, doesn't do anything about the banana peel sitting on his head.
"I look forward to how my kubs decide who'll be the new mascot to the Danganronpa series now that December has started! Don't forget to hand out those prizes for surviving the trial to them too. Good luck! I'm off on a journey to reach self-actualization as per the rules to a mid-life crisis!" Monokuma finishes, before tipping his hat and bounding out of there.
His three follower kubs all appear flabbergasted, looking at each other in confusion.
"H-He didn't really mean that, did he? This is just another skit, right?" Monophanie asks, before turning to look towards me pointedly. My heart instinctively jumps to my throat. "Ugly! Did you do something to make Daddy go away?!"
"Wha-? I didn't do anything! I only saw him once yesterday, and nothing happened at all! He just made fun of me and called it a night!" I object as Tenko's arms become more protective under Monophanie's scrutinizing gaze.
It's strange that even the kubs are acting up over Monokuma's little acting scene...is it really not normal for him to go off "script" or whatever it is they follow so they're all somewhat on the same page.
"He-Said-He-Didn't-Want-To-Follow-The-Old-Script-For-Part-Three. We-Burned-It-Up-For-A-Reason," Monodam says, scratching his head curiously.
"Yeah, but maybe he made a new one!" Monosuke suggests, before Monophanie questions in frustration, "He made a new one without telling us? He said we were going to go for improv!"
He just implemented the features of my watch though...he said he wanted to experiment on me, so I don't think he's actually gone. He can't be, right? Unless he's watching online, I guess, but why would he want to leave at all if he enjoys the killing game so much? There must be some reason for him to leave if he's really leaving, but I don't think I could guess that. Not even with my intuition.
…
"Whatever! Blue balls, take these! Yadda-yadda hammer, key, scroll!" Monosuke states, picking up the three prizes and tossing them towards a very unprepared Shuichi. He fumbles to catch the hammer and scroll, but the key ends up hitting him square in the forehead before falling in his arms along with the other items. Once they're secure in his hold, he relaxes with a long sigh and the three kubs bound out of the dining hall quickly. "We gotta find out if Pops is really gone!"
Monokid seems surprised at this point, turning his head to look back at the space the bears all were at once. When no one appears to order him around, he stands up and swats the banana peel off his head with invigorated fire.
"Wait a minute…I'm free...?" He asks no one in particular, looking around at the array of students around him. There's a beat, but no response, prompting him to jump up and howl in delight. "I'M FREE! WHOOOOO BABY!'
At that, he turns to face my direction, taking a running start and leaping off the table straight for me. I feel Tenko's arms tense in preparation for striking Monokid down, prompting me to swiftly raise mine out of her hold and thrust my hand down to get her arms out of the way. Tenko makes a noise of surprise as I reach out and catch the bear, ignoring the gaze of the other students as Monokid melts in my arms.
"...Sorry, but I trust Monokid whether you guys do or not," I huff in response to their gazes. "None of you will change my mind."
"This kind of thing is what got them to put that watch on you in the first place. You're not really stupid enough to fall for it again, are you?" Maki asks, shooting me a stare of disbelief. "It's a wonder you're still alive right now."
"Maybe I'm just extra lucky," I suggest dismissively, picking bits of rice off of Monokid. Rantaro reaches over to help, making me smile up at him to see his warm expression reflected back.
Just when we think things have settled, Monodam reappears into the dining hall on quick feet. He leaps at me to grab Monokid by his legs, yanking him straight down out of my grip so I'm left gaping where I stand. Monokid, realizing the green bear has a hold on him, sticks out his claws to sink them into the ground.
"No! Nonono! I'm free! I'M FREE, DAMN IT, LET ME GOOOO!" Monokid wails, tears streaming from his eyes as Monodam proceeds to drag him out of the dining hall with much ease. There's a trail of white scratch marks left on the tile from his extended claws.
"You're-Free-To-Complain. That-Is-All," Monodam answers monotonously, ignoring Monokids despair induced wailing as the doors slam shut behind them.
Here I thought I'd get to hang out with Monokid for what little time Monokuma was going to keep up his "retirement" charade...
"Okaaay...that aside, we got new pieces of junk to use around the school. Did you catch what else Monokuma said before he upped and left though? He said December just started, right? We haven't seen any sign of what day it is at all in here!" Kaito continues, hands on his hips in thought.
"So based on that statement, we may assume it's December first. At the very least, that's the earliest it could possibly be," Korekiyo agrees in confirmation, making Himiko blink curiously before opening her mouth and promptly falling silent. Before she can say anything, something seems to occur to Tenko that makes her gasp loudly enough to gather everyone's attention.
"Himiko's birthday is on December third!" She squeals, prompting Himiko to look up in mild surprise. I guess she underestimated how much Tenko adores her.
"You know when's my birthday…?" Himiko asks, her expression somewhat...touched in a way. She really didn't think Tenko wouldn't have looked and memorized that?
...Wait, when's my birthday?
I reach over to Rantaro's back pocket to rob him of his monopad, making sure to see it's the normal one and not the "survivor perk" one by angling myself where Tenko isn't able to see it. Thankfully he's carrying the normal one, and I scroll over to my own profile in the interface.
Among the measurements, including the one of my chest that I'm still disturbed exists, I scan down to my birthday and cock my head slightly to the side when I see the date.
It says April fourteenth on my profile, but I don't find it particularly memorable. I wonder if it's wrong, or if it's because of my amnesia that I don't remember?
"Nyahaha! Nevermind that for now! We're going to be expanding the school again! Looks like we will be having lots of fun today, isn't that right? Atua has truly blessed us! First Prairie's prophetic awakening, then Monokuma's retirement, now this!" Angie claims, prompting me to raise an eyebrow her way. Last time they all thought Monokuma was gone for sure, they can't really think he's gone for real this time, can they?
"Praise be, Atua," Himiko agrees, hands clasped together and eyes shut.
"Praise be, Atua," Kiibo joins in, prompting my eyebrows to knit together.
I guess they can...
"Well, I'm not sure how much I believe his 'retirement', but...I guess we'll be leaving the junk up to my sidekick again! Shuichi, you've got it handled, right?" Kaito asks, snapping Shuichi out of a daze by addressing him directly.
"Oh, um, yeah. I've got it," Shuichi answers sheepishly, turning towards me before he nods his head towards the exit insinuating my accompaniment. "Prairie, do you want to come with me? You've got a sharp eye too, and I think it would help."
I think about it for a second, glancing at the table with all the dishes we're essentially leaving behind. Someone's gonna have to clean all this up, right? Looking up at Rantaro, he evidently offers me a smile and waves me away.
"I can survive five minutes without you, I promise," he responds, before pointing towards Kaito and Korekiyo. "If you're worried everyone's gonna leave the cleaning all to me, I got those two to help me out on cleaning duty."
It eases my nerves hearing he won't be having the whole job dumped on him, but I purse my lips in mild amusement as I hand him his monopad back. He said that first part with so much confidence, but isn't he the one that tends to get worried when he doesn't see me for a certain amount of time?
I know there's a legitimate reason for it, but just so he doesn't get glum or have dark thoughts...
"Can you really survive without me though…?" I ask teasingly with a tilt of my head, watching as he narrows his eyes and pushes me forward in the opposite direction. I can tell he's a little embarrassed by my comment, even if he's pretending to be cool and collected hearing it.
"Go away, Prairie," he sighs in mocking exasperation, making me giggle as I give Tenko a quick wave and go to join Shuichi where he's waiting for me.
"...Can you though?" I hear Kaito ask Rantaro as I walk around the table, prompting Rantaro to lightly smack his chest and shush him quickly in response. This does nothing to stop Kaito's chuckling.
Tenko seems a little lost at first, visibly conflicted in deciding whether to join me or Himiko. She starts to take a step towards Shuichi and I, but stops at the sound of Angie's abrupt laughter from the other side of the dining hall.
"Come come, Himiko and Kiibo! Let us congregate to continue our conversation from yesterday. Atua is our guiding light, and we must obey his wishes," Angie says, making Himiko and Kiibo nod before following her off to god knows where.
Seeing Himiko following Angie, panic rushes over Tenko's features and she hurries to catch up with them instead.
"...Should we be worried about Monokuma disappearing on us?" Shuichi asks, even though it sounds like he's already made up his mind about it. I hum in thought, pulling at my shawl to cover my shoulders more once we're out of the dining hall.
"Knowing that bear?" I say, wrinkling my nose as I think back to everything we've gone through thus far. "We should be worried about everything he does."
❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀
❀ End of 4.5 - Mascot Facelift ❀