CHAPTER 1, ACT 2
"Attention, Ultimate Students! It is now 7 AM! Rise and shine, up and at 'er!"
Monokuma… Of course he's what I have to wake up to.
Dai slowly got out of bed, putting a pair of glasses on. Still here, still at this place. It's still happening. Somehow, it's honest to god real. A few moments after she woke up, Dai heard knocking at the door.
"Coming, coming…"
She walked up to it, opening it.
"Hajime?"
"Hey, Dai!" He smiled, seeming to be a bit tired, but still okay otherwise. "You sleep alright, given the circumstances?"
"Fine enough, though… I can't say the same for you."
"I suppose not, heh… In any case, there's something going on. Me and Mikiko were chatting last night, trying to come up with any plans to keep us all together, and we decided on a small rule of our own. Every day, at 7:30 AM and 9:30 PM, we'll all meet up in the dining hall. Think of it as a roll call, maybe?"
"Well, if it keeps us all together… Then let's do it."
"Alright, that's good. I think everyone else is there, I'll see you there, Dai!"
He headed off, almost tripping down the stairs as he left. Eventually, Dai followed suit, heading towards the dining hall.
The remaining fourteen students were already seated. No casualties yet, and everyone seemed in decently high spirits…
(Beautiful Dead)
"And so, the seeker of justice and the dispeller of despair finally arrive!" It seemed Hiroto was putting on an act once more, much to everyone else's chagrin. "And with that said, we are all here, attending the counting of heads!"
"Well, that's one way to put it," Sayori commented. "That, and it's some kind of… "bonding exercise", to keep us all together, and to prevent any killings." She went back to writing things down in a notebook she had on her.
Haruka looked towards her. "I'm guessing activities to keep us all in high spirits will be needed, especially around now. Simply sitting around and praying that we'll all get along won't do us much good."
"Eh, you've got a fair point."
"Well, now that we're all here…" Hajime began to explain, "I'm guessing that we should just go over our schedule. Once we've finished roll call in the morning, you're pretty much free to do whatever you'd like. Explore, play games, whatever you wanna do!"
Aino interrupted him, questioning his statement. "Well, yeah, sure, that sounds fine and dandy. You're splitting up the party, I'm sure nothing bad will come of that!"
Dai shot him a quick look, though he pretended to not see it.
"W-Well, I… Actually, I didn't think of that, uh..." Hajime began thinking to himself, before Souta raised his hand.
"If… If I might suggest something, maybe we can try and stick together in pairs, maybe groups of three? As long as people generally know who's with who, we should be fine if any… Incidents happen."
The threat was certainly there, nobody could deny the possibility. If somebody was left alone… The results could be disastrous.
"Alright, then." Hajime looked around. "Anybody opposed to this system?" Everyone remained silent. Doesn't seem to be the case. "Alright, then! Just be sure to let a few people know who your "group" is, and you should be fine!"
And with that, the rules of exploration were set… And Free Time began.
(Beautiful Lie)
"Come on, there's gotta be somethin' you do to destress!"
Daisuke and Yukari were messing around in one of the lounges near the main hall. Being some of the students still holding out on the belief that the situation was just one big prank, they decided to look around for entertainment in the mansion.
"W-Well…" The programmer began to stutter out, "I don't have… That much to go off of. I just sorta wake up, work on projects, eat… And then sleep."
Yukari looked at him, confused. "Wait, that's seriously it? No going out, no hangin' with friends, nothing of the sort? You're dead serious?"
"I mean… I still chat with people in our developer groups, when I have the spare time. I'm just sort of… Busy with contracts. Some of the larger corporations have already heard of me, and now they're interested in me working for them."
"Mhm." Yukari could certainly relate to some extent. "Getting dragged around by people, just for your work isn't the most fun experience, I can tell. Sometimes… You just wanna do your own sorta thing, am I right?"
"Yeah… I have gotten the chance to do that before, but it's mostly been smaller-scale projects. Stuff like calculators, basic tower defense, that sort of thing. Nothing serious, but… They're still my own projects."
"I mean, they're still functional things, they're worth something! You're the Ultimate Game Designer, for god sake, why are you so shy about your own works?"
Daisuke seemed nervous at the thought, he didn't have one major, concrete answer. If he had to pick something…
"More or less… It's just worrying that "hey, I don't compare in the slightest to bigger-budget developers", stuff like that."
"Who the hell cares!" Yukari shouted out, essentially breaking any quietness or mood the conversation once had. "You've still got enough skills to get the big heads going after you, there's clear skill there! You've gotta break out of this funk!"
"Wh-How do I-"
"We need to break out of here, for one. Once that's done, we go out there, brush up on our old techniques, and go nuts! I don't know jack about programming, but if it breaks you out of whatever you've got going on, then I'll help!"
… The Game Developer stood up… It was nice to have some degree of backup in the industry. "Yeah, that… That'd be appreciated. Thanks, we'll be able to work on our careers as soon as we get out of here."
The Rapper smiled. "You bet! Just be sure to help me with my lyrics from time to time, m'kay? I don't exactly have the easiest time either."
"S-Sure, I can do that…"
"Alright, world! WE'RE GETTING THE HELL OUTTA HERE!"
"P-Please try to be quiet!"
"Ah… Alright, alright!"
Dai, Sora and Mikiko were wandering around, checking the storage closets. Jokingly calling themselves the "Law Squad", they were arguably the group most focused on figuring out Monokuma's identity. The closets themselves had no shortage of supply, between books, various wigs, cutlery, and plants.
"Think it's the headmaster?", Mikiko asked. "He seemed a little… Weird, if you ask me. Kinda secretive, both himself and his family."
Sora pondered the possibility for a moment, before dismissing it. "I don't think he had a criminal record before coming here. And from what I saw from the guy, he seemed decent enough."
"I guess so… Still, it's something we can't dismiss. As headmaster, he's in that position, both funding-wise, and in terms of having info on us. We'd best keep it noted down, you know?"
"Right…"
The group kept wandering around. The headmaster was certainly an option for the one behind this, but not much else really came to mind. Maybe a serial killer, or some sort of group?
"Hey, everyone," Dai called out, "I think you might wanna take a look at this."
The other two members rushed over to Dai's side, checking an open closet… And inside, a spare Monokuma resided.
"... Why is he here?" Sora looked at it. "It's certainly Monokuma, but why's he knocked out cold?"
Mikiko chuckled to herself. "I dunno, maybe he's hibernating?"
Out of nowhere, the doll sprung to life, his eye lighting up.
"Maybe you're right!"
(Mr. Monokuma's Lesson)
"WH-HUH-!?" All three took a step back, shocked by his sudden awakening.
"Upupupupu! Did I getcha? I gotcha, didn't I!"
"... Monokuma, what is it now?" Dai looked towards him.
"I just saw you walking in on lil' ol' me getting some rest! Don't you know not to disturb a bear!?"
"You looked unconscious to us."
"Oh, fine, fine…"
He jumped out of the closet, and paced around the room.
"So, you kids are calling the shots around here, upholdin' the law? I'm proud, really! Somebody has to pick up the slack when the bodies start dropping, after all!"
"Assuming they drop in the first place," Mikiko added. "Which hopefully shouldn't be happening anytime soon."
Monokuma laughed to himself again… That damn laugh. "Well, it's always good to have insurance, after all! Upupupu!"
Finished messing with the students, he sprinted off.
"Yeah… I think I lost my drive to explore."
"Same, honestly…"
(Beautiful Lie)
Tired from the previous endeavor, the Law Squad returned to the dining hall, to see a trio of students already occupying themselves within.
"This isn't human. No matter how you look at it, it simply isn't human."
Eiken was in the dining hall, watching Hajime and Shinjiro playing chess together, Shinjiro with the upper hand. He looked to Eiken, confused.
"Nah, pretty sure you're talking to a person here. Sheesh, is my skin that pale?"
"Actually… It sort of is." Hajime looked towards Shinjiro, seeming a bit concerned. "How often do you get out?"
"Eh… Not all that much, really. I'm more focused on practicing against my family, to be quite honest!"
"That can't possibly be good for your health, physically or mentally. I'd recommend giving practicing outside a shot, once we've escaped."
"Yeah… Sure thing."
The three girls stepped towards everyone else, Sora starting the conversation.
"What're you three up to?"
"Observing these two play chess," Eiken added, "to almost superhuman levels, if I'm being honest."
Shinjiro chuckled from the statement. "I understand the pieces, you see. I make them go where I want!"
"You've been training for an awfully long time, I suppose." Sora looked at the board. "It's good to have a skill you're dedicated to."
"Right… What about y'all? How long have you been at work in terms of your talent?"
"I helped solve a homicide when I was around fifteen," Sora mentioned. "More or less, I've been at work since, solving crime seems like interesting work."
Hajime sighed. "Well, people around me… Haven't had the best lives. I've been trying to teach myself how to help others since, and I applied for a job a year ago."
"My grandfather was a cop before passing away," Mikiko mentioned. "So I figure I'd take on his legacy, to some extent. Y'know, carrying the torch, helping protect people!"
"As for myself, I saw several science-based shows in classes when I was younger." Eiken smirked underneath his gas mask. "It was a real inspiration, I must say."
Dai was about to speak, explaining how she'd gotten into prosecution… But they heard something from behind them.
Smash!
"Whoops, my bad!"
Monokuma was standing near the table, with a sly look on his face. And next to him, a broken flower vase.
"Monokuma, what's going on?" Mikiko questioned.
"Well… I'm doin' some redecorating!" Some of the chairs in the hall did seem to be swapped out, going from brown wood to black. A few paintings on the wall seemed to be different as well. "This place's just too boring!" From there, he slowly pulled up something new, tossing a vase onto the middle of the table. A large, red and yellow flower sat in the vase, at a slight angle.
"Hm… It actually looks nice," Hajime commented. "Where did you find this?"
"Well, I just sorta found some lying around outside, so I brought 'em in! Figured this house's previous owner wouldn't mind! Oh, and be sure not to mistake it for the menu, y'hear?" He looked at the students, dead in the eye. "Never know what chemicals could be within…" He hopped off the table, walking away. "Well, that's all folks! Catch ya next time!" Once again, Monokuma darted off to parts unknown…
"Well," Sora said aloud, "that certainly happened."
"Write your names down, everybody! We'll have an easier time checking who's here if we go down that route!"
Hajime began collecting signatures of everyone at evening roll-call. Thankfully, all sixteen students still seemed to be present. Everyone was up to their own thing, Hiroto telling his usual stories, Hajime and Shinjiro playing chess, Sora and Sayori chatting with each other, along with Daisuke and Yukari hanging around, among other people.
"Well then," Sayori thought aloud, "did anyone find anything to do with escape routes, any clues on the identity of Monokuma, all that?"
Takeshi looked down. "Nae on the escape route, Miss. Me and Ari searched everywhere, but we couldn't find anything at all. There were far too many locked rooms, there's gotta be a key somewhere around here, I'm willing to bet that monochrome monstrosity has one."
Dai looked towards Sayori. "As for Monokuma's identity, we didn't find much. All we know is that the Headmaster of Hope's Peak might be a suspect as for who's controlling Monokuma, the "mastermind". Admittedly, it's not all that likely, but it's still a possibility we can't really ignore."
"The mastermind being Jin… Now that's something I can get behind." Aino giggled, acting as if he was a step ahead from everyone else.
Mikiko walked over to him. "Aino, what's going on. What do you know?"
Aino began to shout out. "Alright, then! Listen up, everybody! I found something real crucial out… To tell you the truth, there isn't one sole Monokuma! Judging by the closets he's spread around, there's likely tons all across this place!"
And that… That's how he showed up so suddenly, while we were exploring.
"That… Alright, then. Thanks for the help, Aino."
"No problemo, Miss Prosecutor!" He got up, leaving for his room, as the bell came on.
Ding dong, Bing bong!
"Attention, Ultimate Students! It is now 10 PM! Soon, the doors to the dining hall will be locked, and entry from that point onwards is strictly prohibited. Sweet dreams, everyone!"
"Well, we'd better split. Thanks for the meeting, everyone!" Hajime smiled. "I'll see you all tomorrow!"
"Good rest to you all."
"See y'all later!"
"Goooood night! Don't let the Mono-bugs bite!"
"Night, everyone."
"Tomorrow'll be awesome, I know it!"
"I-If you say so…"
After the announcement, Dai rushed up the stairs, practically jumping into bed… Monokuma warping around was certainly something to keep in mind, but things should be fine. The group seemed closer than before, and with a group she could call her own…
Everything will be fine. Tomorrow is another day.
With that, Dai finally headed to rest, prepared for tomorrow…
"O-OH GOD!"
Dai shot out of bed, hearing the scream. She looked over at her clock, 6:30 AM. The scream sounded like it had come from…
"The art room… I-I've gotta get going!"
She began to run down the stairs, heading in the direction of the art room. She saw a couple of students still awake, but that didn't matter, not now...
She finally arrived at the art room. Souta was cowering in a corner, looking as if he'd seen a ghost.
"N-No… This isn't happening, it isn't, it isn't happening…"
"Souta? What's going o-"
(Despair Pollution Noise Music)
Dai looked down the hall, and finally saw what had stricken fear into Souta's heart. What had initially been a peaceful, relaxing hall had been torn down. Paintings knocked down, scattered about haphazardly, and light amounts of blood on the wall destroyed the previous mood of the area. And on center stage, was a body.
The body of Sayori Kalashikov, the Ultimate Gunsmith.
SURVIVING STUDENTS: 15
Note: (It had to happen eventually, I suppose… As much as a shame it was, Sayori didn't stand much of a chance, she didn't have much to contribute to trials or conversations. Still, she'll be missed. Investigation's up next, see you then!)