The next morning is completely uneventful, something for which Shizu is immensely grateful. Everyone comes to breakfast at one point or another, though the entire group doesn't meet together. There are a few people who don't care to wait for Joshua to wake up, and they leave early. Other than that, the meal is surprisingly peaceful.

Still, she has a sinking feeling in her gut that something upsetting will happen soon. They've had two relatively peaceful days, and she doubts Monokuma will allow for a third.

Shizu stays until nearly everyone else has left. She waves off Tsubame, who had wanted to talk with Joshua, and Fumika, who had only hung around because of Tsubame. Joshua is still finishing off his toast, so she decides to vacate the dining hall as well.

When she enters the kitchen to wash her dishes, she finds Soraru there, standing on a footstool. Xe's kneading out a large glob of dough, whistling a random tune. Xe pauses in xer efforts when she passes by xem but thankfully doesn't do anything stupid.

She's content to ignore xem until xer whistling gets sharper and sharper. Finally, after a particularly dreadful note, she says, "Would you stop that?"

"Aw… But you were ignoring me." Xe pouts. "How else was I supposed to get you to say hello?"

Shizu didn't say 'hello', but pointing that out would be a waste of her time. "I suppose this means you're back to annoying people then? You've been suspiciously quiet for a while."

"Huh? Huh? What's suspicious? I've never been suspicious!" xe retorts.

She crosses her arms. "Need I remind you of the cake incident?"

The kneading pauses. "Uh… maybe don't do that. No reminding of any of that whatsoever!"

Shizu acquiesces and goes back to her original topic. "In any case, a lack of any of your antics has been quite noticeable. Am I right to assume you've spent most of your time in the greenhouse?"

"No duh. You literally saw me in there. Wait, did you forget already?" Soraru sticks xer tongue out. "Oh, that's why you take all those notes! You can't remember anything unless you write it down. You just trick people into thinking that you're smart!"

She's unable to suppress an eye twitch. "For your information, I would rather make myself look forgetful than to come to an incorrect conclusion. After all, I have not been following your every move. Perhaps you weren't able to get into the greenhouse yesterday, on account of it being occupied."

"Hey, no need to get all worked up. I'm just trying to get a rise out of you." To emphasize xer point, xe slams the dough with vigor. "…Actually, forget I said that. That pun would have worked way if I was already done kneading this. Get offended in a few minutes so I can say it again."

Shizu instead returns to the original topic. "So, you were in the greenhouse. I recall you having a rather large interest in the plants. That's not the sort of hobby I'd imagine a baker having."

"Yeah, I'm actually required by law to only have cooking related hobbies." Xe puts a finger up to xer lips and whisper conspiratorially, "Don't let Big Brother know."

Right. That whole 'Big Brother' thing… Shizu doubts she'll get any answers to that mystery any time soon. One question at a time. "When exactly did you get an interest in gardening?"

"It all started with an ancient prophecy on the day of my birth," xe responds solemnly. "It was foretold that, one day, I would see a 'flower' and 'think that it was pretty.' From then on, I would be doomed to be a slave to plants."

"…How thrilling," she says.

Xe puffs up xer cheeks. "What did you want me to say? I liked flowers as a kid, and that led be to like plants in general. You're making it sound like I need some deep reason or whatever."

Shizu adjusts her glasses. "Was picking up baking similarly spur of the moment?"

This question, surprisingly, makes xem slow down xer movements until xe're standing completely still. Eventually, xe replies in a far quieter voice, "Yeah, I guess so. I didn't plan on picking it up."

"In that case, why didn't you focus on horticulture instead?" Shizu asks. The topic is obviously sensitive, so pushing back in the direction of plants may get a better response.

Her plan works, as a small smile slips onto xer face. "Hmm… Hmm… I wanna hear your theories on this one. Why didn't I just focus on gardening? What's the Shizu special opinion?"

Shizu pinches her forehead. "If you want me to take a guess… Perhaps you're actually terrible at gardening and were left with no choice but to pursue baking."

"Bzzzt! Wrong!" Soraru makes an X with xer hands. "I'm great with plants! A real natural nature lover! A genius of greenhouses! A third thing that has to do with plants that I can't think of!"

"If you're really as good as you say…" Shizu stops herself from asking why xer ultimate talent is that of Baker and wracks her brain to come up with any other semi-reasonable question. "…Then why did you spend so much time figuring out everything about the garden?"

Xe tilts xer head. "That's a good question. Why didn't I immediately know how to work the very complicated sprinkler scheduling machine or exactly how much water each of the plants need? It will forever be a mystery."

Something in that sarcastic quip sticks out. "Actually, how did you learn about each of the plants? I highly doubt you, or anyone else for that matter, has an encyclopedic knowledge of every kind of plant." At most, xe would have known the names, as everything was labelled.

"Hey, finally a not dumb question!" xe cheers. "Yeah, I had to whine forever to Monokuma to get him to spill. It took hours, but eventually I wore him down."

That's certainly strange. Monokuma doesn't seem like the type to indulge people for that long, especially over something that would provide someone comfort. "I'm not sure whether I feel worse for you or for the bear."

"Me, obviously!" Soraru shouts. "It's not even comparable! He set up that whole greenhouse wrong! Like, half of the plants were being overwatered! They'd die after a few weeks of that. Good thing I'm around."

Shizu shudders at the thought of being trapped in this killing game for that long. Perhaps that's why Monokuma didn't set up the greenhouse meticulously. He may be hoping that someone would successfully escape before then. Pushing those thoughts aside for the moment, she says, "So, you reprogramed the sprinklers to water everything correctly. I wasn't aware that they would have that fine of a control to tune."

"They uh… don't. At least not that I could figure out." Xe stares spitefully at the dough, as if it's responsible. "It took forever to learn as much as I did. In the end, I had to move some of the plants around, and, woof, that was too much exercise for me."

This entire conversation has been very enlightening. Shizu hadn't been aware that Soraru could show this much diligence towards anything other than being a nuisance. "It certainly sounds as though you've done a good thing. Now, you can relax as the automation takes care of it all. Unless there were some parts that require manual oversight, that is."

Xe poses with xer hands on xer hips. "Nah, I'm too lazy to keep checking in. I made sure it'd all work without me having to lift a finger."

"Avoiding future work by working hard in the present… You've certainly impressed me," she muses.

Soraru actually looks embarrassed by her praise. "Huh? Huh? Where's all this coming from? How am I supposed to react to that? This is illegal!"

Just then, Joshua stumbles through the kitchen doors, carrying his dishes haphazardly. "Yo, what's this about a crime?"

Without missing a beat, Soraru throws xer hands in the air. "Curses! And I was just about to finish stealing all this dough!"

"That is a pretty fat stack there. You're gonna be put away for a long time," Joshua says, passing xem casually to move over to the dishwasher. "Or at least you would if I didn't have my hands full." Seemingly too lazy to put down what he was carrying, he instead chooses to use his foot to open the dishwasher.

"Joshua, just let me do it." Shizu doesn't want him falling over and knocking himself out trying to be funny. Better that she just takes care of it for him.

Soraru pouts. "Aw… I wanted to see him do it."

"But you're not even looking this way," Joshua points out.

"If this is the shoddy treatment I can expect from you, then this is the last time I bake you anything." Xe punctuates xer statement by slamming xer dough into a bowl, only to gently cover the bowl with a towel.

He scratches his cheek. "Huh? I thought you were baking bread for yourself. You know, 'cause you said something about the packaged stuff tasting worse or whatever. When did I enter this equation?"

"Well obviously, I was gonna share with you." Hopping off of xer stool, xe pokes him in the chest. Leftover dough sticks to his pajama shirt. "Honestly, it's like you're not even trying to take advantage of free food."

He wipes a hand over the splotch but only succeeds in spreading it further. "Uh… Isn't all of the food here free?" Then, he blinks. "Wait, am I still getting some of the bread? I can't tell if I've already missed out or if I'm just digging myself deeper."

"Why not both?" Soraru cheers.

He smiles. "Works for me."

"However…" Grabbing him by the arm, xe drags him over to the table and says, "you're gonna have to make your own dough now."

Joshua stares at the goopy substance as if it's an unknown alien species. He tentatively reaches out a hand towards it, only to get slapped by Soraru.

"What are you doing? You're not even gonna wash your hands? Gross!" Xe pushes him towards the sink.

"Oof!" He grunts when his stomach collides with it. "Hey, you're the one that brought me over there. I didn't have the chance to wash them."

Shizu decides to take her leave as Soraru physically grabs his hands, demonstrating how to wash them as though he's a toddler unfamiliar with the concept. The two of them certainly have an interesting dynamic. As long as they're getting along, though, they're the least of her concerns.

Conversation with Soraru Kishinuma (2)

- Extremely interested in gardening from an early age

- Plants seem to be xer main passion, strange how xe ended up becoming a baker

- Topic is sensitive, bring up with caution

- Understands how the sprinkler system in the greenhouse works

- System is apparently complicated, only have xer word to go by

- Might be the only one to fully understand it if that's the case

- Rearranged the greenhouse, so it may look different when I look again

Writing about the greenhouse reminds Shizu that she needs to investigate that hatch that she found in the closet yesterday. She's unsure if it's anything important, but information is very important. At the very least, knowing if it can open or not would give her knowledge of a potential spot to hide things.

When she gets off of the elevator on the 4th floor, she bumps into Michio and Sawako locked in a rather deep discussion. She's caught off-guard when Michio immediately turns and points to her.

"Shizu, you solve this," he demands. "If you could only have either the lounge or the rec room, which one would you prefer?"

Sawako runs a hand through her hair. "Hold on one moment, please! That is not the terms of our debate. It was not exclusive. It was which room is better."

"Look, I'm just taking it to the logical extreme." Michio raises both of his hands. "If you really want to know how someone feels, it makes sense to take the question that far."

"But you've changed the premise of the argument. Not having access to one of the rooms is very different from enjoying one more than another," Sawako claims.

He counters by saying, "Is it really though? The only way that it's different is if your enjoyment of one room relies on the other, and, in that case, it seems pretty obvious which one is superior."

Sawako scrunches up her mouth. "Still, that doesn't reflect the reality we live in. What is the point of this hypothetical? All it does is distract from the main issue."

By this point, Shizu has had enough. She cuts in before Michio can respond. "What are you two even talking about? Why does it matter if you prefer… what was it, the lounge or the rec room? Is there some point that you're trying to make?"

Both of them stop. Sawako blushes and makes a sheepish expression. Michio gives an awkward grin and rubs the back of his neck. "Ah, sorry, we came on a little strong there," he apologizes. "We just got to talking about the rec room and got into a disagreement."

Sawako nods, her face still slightly pink. "Yes. I'm afraid the folly is mine. Michio was merely excited about all of the movies he'd found, and I was rather… dismissive?" She looks back at him. "Is that the correct word? I feel as though I must have been quite impolite."

"Nah, nah, nothing that bad." Michio reassures her by patting her on the shoulder. "It was just shocking. I mean, we've had nothing to do for, like, a week, and here you are telling me that you'd rather sit in the lounge than binge movies."

She purses her lips. "I… well… That's not exactly how I meant it. I am willing to watch a movie or show, but I wouldn't call it relaxing, per say. I find that the atmosphere in the lounge is better suited for that."

Shizu clicks her tongue. "There is something more appealing about the lighting and color scheme of the lounge in comparison to the rec room. The rec room is far brighter. Noisier too, if you're using it for its intended purpose."

"Seriously? How is my opinion the unpopular one?" Michio throws his hands up in exasperation. "Are you two really telling me that you can't chill out while watching TV?"

Shaking her head vigorously, Sawako declares, "Absolutely not! I must stay attentive at all times. I do not wish to miss anything, especially if a treasured friend is the one who wants me to watch it."

Shizu shrugs. "I thought you'd have better grasp of my personality by this point. I'm not one for popular culture."

He gives a defeated laugh. "Just my luck. I can't believe I'm stuck having this argument with the two people here who don't think like normal people."

"There are plenty of others here whom I am sure would think similarly to us." Shizu flips through her notes to back up her assertions. "For one, Chouki almost certainly say something about people being slaves to hedonism or something of the like."

Sawako adds, "I am also uncertain of Fumika's hobbies. Much of her is a mystery, but I feel as though she would be more comfortable with a book than she would be with a film."

Seeing as the he's outnumbered, Michio caves and joins in. "Yeah, and Pal would probably be all, 'It is difficult… to have a television… when you live underwater…' or whatever." He groans, but his small smile betrays his true feelings. "I guess Ultimates are just built differently."

"When you dedicate all of your time to pursuing a singular goal, it leaves little time for relaxation. When I was in training, I would always feel guilty whenever I would take a break. Such a way of living may warp one's perspective on how most others live." Sawako's musings trail off.

Michio whistles. "Dang, that's kinda heavy." He can't suppress the tiny shiver that runs through his body. "I always make sure I have lots of me-time, even when I'm at my busiest. I can't be at my best if I'm not having fun."

"For some of us, our work is fun," Shizu says. Both Sawako and Michio give her a look that she can only interpret as misplaced pity.

"I enjoy my work very much," Sawako states, "but I would remiss if I did not find it draining. The times I get to rest are relatively short, as I must be on call at all times, but I take advantage of them to the fullest."

"Yeah, it sounds like you really bought into that 'get a job doing what you love, and you'll never work a day in your life' stuff that bosses are always trying to sell their workers," Michio agrees. "Honestly, you're so uptight that you need to relax more than any of us."

Shizu glares. "Perhaps you don't understand that I am much the same as I always am when relaxing."

Michio puts on a teasing smile. "Shizu, have you ever had fun? Even once?"

"I'm not even going to dignify that with a response." She glances back at her notepad. "If you'll excuse me, there's something that I need to investigate."

"Investigate? After two days of having the new rooms?" Michio raises on eyebrow and smirks. "Sure, okay, you can go do run off and pretend like you didn't lose this argument."

Sawako is less judgmental. "Oh, I hope that you find something of use. Good luck!"

Giving a hurried wave to the two of them, Shizu rushes off towards the greenhouse. She makes sure to completely disregard any of Michio's words. It's clear that he just doesn't understand the kind of person that she is.

The greenhouse itself does look slightly different. Soraru must have been telling the truth about rearranging things, though most of the foliage isn't distinct enough to leave it feeling all that different. What's more interesting to her are the muffled noises coming from the door to the bee room.

Carefully, she treads closer to the door, making sure not to slip on any of the wet grates. The noises become clearer, soft thumps and the ruffling of cloth. Someone must be fiddling around in the closet.

The source is revealed when she opens the door just in time to see the closet door open simultaneously. Out steps Morgan, looking surprised to see her. Her composure quickly rights itself, and she smiles. "Ah, Shizu. So, it was you whom I heard enter."

Shizu does not return the politeness. "Morgan. What are you doing in here?"

"Me?" Clearly feigning shock at the question, Morgan lifts a hand delicately over her mouth and gasps. "Why, there's no need to be so aggressive. Certainly, you've entered the garden by this point, yes?"

Shizu closes her eyes and fiddles with her glasses. "You mean the bee room? Yes, I have."

Morgan clasps her hands together. "Ah, so that is what you call it. I find that name to be much less… personable. Garden suits it better, for it contains a decent facsimile of the outside world. I found it to be quite the peaceful place to meditate."

"Are you claiming to be able to meditate with all of the bees flying around you?" Shizu crosses her arms.

Her hostility only makes Morgan giggle. "Bees are simply a part of nature, one that most often chooses to ignore humans. If anything, they help with the relaxation."

She still isn't buying it. "I find it hard to imagine you relaxing while wearing a bulky beekeeping suit."

"Yes, I find that you often have a hard time imagining things, Shizu." Before Shizu can retort, Morgan continues. "It seems that you often find yourself trapped in your own headspace. Honestly, you would be well advised to become a little more worldly."

If by 'more worldly' she means 'easier to fool with fortune telling nonsense', then Shizu thinks that she's good. Not that bringing that up would do any good. Instead, she says, "I take it that you believe yourself to a worldly person."

Morgan covers her mouth. "Oh? Do you think I am not? I dare say that I'm surprised to hear you say that. After all, I did have to emigrate to Japan from Britain to even be talking to you. To think that I would not be so unaware of the world… It's downright silly." She flutters her eyelashes. "But of course, you didn't mean anything like that. You are rather clever, after all."

Shizu can feel her hands clench under the pressure of her mocking. She has to find something else to talk about, and, lucky for her, Morgan said something that catches her attention. "Your compliments are noted. However, now that you mention it, I am curious about how you were scouted in the first place."

"I know that you are a skeptic," Morgan says, lowering her eyebrows, "but I'm sure even you can admit that there are many believers in the world. There must have simply been some who worked on the Ultimate Initiative."

"That's not what I meant." Shizu clears her throat before clarifying. "I was more curious about how they managed to find a random fortune teller in a completely different country. I would have expected any fortune tellers they approached would be more… local."

To this, Morgan actually frowns. "Hmm… Truthfully, I am also unaware. At the time, I was still preparing for my big media debut. Perhaps they were guided by the spirits to find me whilst scouting other potential persons of interest."

Shizu blinks. "What? You mean you were unknown at the time, even in your home country?" She was certain that Morgan would have taken the opportunity to brag about her fame. How curious…

"I wouldn't say I was unknown at all," Morgan declares, waving a finger in Shizu's face. "On the contrary, I was very successful, if I may be so bold. I attracted many clients, each eager to receive my fortunes. Would an unknown entity be able to do that?"

"…My surprise was not meant as an insult," Shizu says.

Morgan shakes her head. "My apologies. I simply find it insulting to belittle my hard work and talent." She taps a finger to her chin. "You were wondering if I had only just begun fortune telling when I was scouted, yes? Well, as I have stated, that is incorrect. In truth, I had made it into the news quite a few times. I had even managed to set a date to have a session on television. However…"

"You were scouted before you were actually scheduled to appear," Shizu finishes.

She nods. "Now you understand the bizarre circumstances behind the bestowal of my Ultimate title. Truly, fate works in mysterious ways. Well, mysterious to most people, that is."

"Fascinating." To her own shock, Shizu is honestly interested in this story. For all of Morgan's eccentricities, she certainly can put on a good performance. Perhaps she and Tsubame could share notes. "It's most likely that a scout was researching another person while they were in your area. Then, either from word of mouth or luck, they got their fortune read and were impressed."

Shrugging, Morgan says, "Perhaps it is as you say. Personally, I find that explanation to be lacking. Maybe if you considered elements of the world that you've so casually dismissed, you would find come to a more satisfying conclusion."

Shizu gives her a flat stare. "I think I'm good, thank you very much."

Giggling once more, Morgan says, "Very well. One day, you may find yourself feeling very silly for your skepticism." Her eyes light up. "That day may very well be today. Would you like a prediction?"

"Does it matter what I say?" Shizu asks.

Morgan lets out a deep sigh. "Of course it matters, Shizu. Do you truly believe I would foist a fortune onto an unwilling soul? The negative energy from such an act would be catastrophic."

Groaning, Shizu relents. "Fine, get it over with quick."

"Excellent! Please give me your hand." When Shizu holds out her right hand, Morgan flips it so that her palm is facing upright. She grasps it with both hands at first, making a few humming noises. Then, she holds it steady with her left hand and traces the lines on it with her right. Finally, after what feels like far too long, she lets go entirely.

Shizu brings it back to her side quickly. "Well? What 'mysteries' did you manage to uncover?"

It takes Morgan a few moments to collect her thoughts. Once she's ready, she brings a hand up to her face. "My, my, you have a very interesting future ahead of you. There is much I wish to share, though I fear any long-term warnings would go unheeded. Would you like to hear what lies in store for your immediate future?"

Any "long-term" prediction would either be so vague as to be useless or very specific and, thus, obviously incorrect. Morgan is smart enough not to bother with falsifying something like that. She might as well humor her. "You are the professional, apparently."

Ignoring that last statement, Morgan says, "Very well then. Let's see… You will have a most curious meeting in an unusual location." She closes her eyes. "Yes, I see it. In the gymnasium, you will find a group who are ill-suited to such a place. They will have much to talk about."

Shizu can't help but notice that she didn't name anyone specific. It's not exactly bold to say that someone 'ill-suited' is in there, as Sawako is the only person who doesn't fit that bill, and she was already on this floor. That being said, she can't imagine many others using the gym. "Is that all?"

Morgan shakes her head. "No, there is more. At the end of the day… oh dear." She clutches her chest. "It appears something very unpleasant awaits you. I did not wish to look too closely, but be warned. It is very foreboding."

Recalling the feeling of dread that she felt this morning, Shizu cannot help but wonder for a brief moment before she mentally slaps herself. "I see. I suppose I should thank you for the warning."

"No need for that. I can sense you still don't believe me. The experience was its own reward." Morgan steps past her into the greenhouse proper. "That being said, if you truly wished to thank me, I would be interested in hearing if I was correct or not. Whatever you choose, both the spirits and I wish you the best."

With those final words, Morgan exits her line of sight. Shizu stays there for a moment, contemplating whether she should check the gym or not. In the end, she decides that it wouldn't hurt. If there really is someone there, she should check in on them, regardless of Morgan's ramblings.

First, though, she enters the closet. It takes her a moment to locate the hatch, despite knowing of its existence. It really does blend in well. Kneeling on the floor, she grasps it with both hands and pulls.

It's a little heavy, but it's nothing she can't manage. What she finds is rather lacking. There are some gardening gloves, a small plastic scoop meant for shoveling soil, and a large pack of dirt. Why is any of this even in here? Surely, it would make more sense to have all of the gardening tools out in the open. Was this here just to waste her time?

Frustrated with the lack of anything worthwhile, Shizu closes the hatch. She flinches when it slams down with more force than she anticipated. All that's left in her agenda is to check the gym.

Conversation with Morgan Feysonn (2)

- Still going on about energy and spirit nonsense, though likely she really was meditating in the bee room

- Originally from Britain (clearly foreign but wasn't sure where the accent was from)

- Semi-popular fortune teller back home but was scouted prior to TV debut

- Likely got lucky to encounter a scout, not purposefully sought out

- Capable of palm readings

- Still don't think that she actually believes the mystical nonsense she spews, just clever enough to spot things that others miss/unintentionally let slip

Her path from the elevator is once again impeded, this time on the 3rd floor. It's a stranger scene that Michio and Sawako arguing about rooms. Kaixi and Samia are carrying a rather large cork board towards the elevator.

Samia spots her first, as Kaixi is facing away, and frowns. "Excuse us, Shizu," she says.

Kaixi looks over his shoulder. "Hey there Shizu! Could you make sure that the door doesn't close on us?"

She maneuvers out of the way, making sure to hold a hand in front of the elevator door. Both of them carefully walk past her, Kaixi giving her a thankful look, while Samia merely glances. Once they're safely inside, she keeps her hand steady. "What's with the cork board?"

"Decorating!" Kaixi cheers. "Samia agreed to help me spruce up my room a bit. It was kinda dull, honestly. It was really kind of her."

Shaking her head, Samia says, "I told you, it's fine. I'm happy to help. You need to think about yourself more."

He moves a hand to the back of his hat, but this messes with their balance, as the board tips towards him. Quickly, he regrabs it and sighs. "Phew… Sorry about that. Are you sure that you don't to do your room first?"

Samia's forehead wrinkles. "Kaixi, we're already in the elevator with this thing."

"I know, but I still feel bad about turning things around like this. This all started because I wanted to help you with your room, and now you're helping me with mine." Kaixi looks flustered.

This is a very awkward situation to be in. Shizu notices Samia glaring at her with a mixture of frustration and pleading. Interpreting the signal, she lets go of the elevator door and stands back. "Samia is correct. By this point, you should focus on the task at hand rather than worry about hypotheticals."

"I can't help it," he cries, even as the doors slowly obscure him from view. "It's in my nature to care!"

Shizu decides that she doesn't want to get involved at this moment and proceeds towards the gym. As she passes through the dorm hallway, she hears a faint clanging noise echoing off the walls. It sounds like someone is dropping the weights.

Entering the gym, she easily spies Pal laying on one of the gym mats, panting. He's flanked on either side by Hachi, who looks concerned, and Chouki, who looks like a Chouki-exclusive version of concerned. A further scan of the room reveals a rather large weight on the ground at an angle.

Pal notices her first and raises a shaky hand to greet her. It quickly flops back onto the mat. "Good day… Shizu…" he says. If she only heard his voice, she would have a hard time telling whether he was exhausted or not.

"You're certainly an odd trio to find here," Shizu says. She's sure that Morgan, wherever she is, is laughing at her.

Chouki side-eyes her. "What, you think none of us like exercise or something?"

"Um…" Hachi presses her index fingers together. "Isn't that why we came here though? 'Cause we didn't think anyone else would be here since no one really likes exercising?"

He flinches before responding, "Well, obviously that's wrong, since Shizu's here."

"I'm only here because I heard some noises as I was walking through the halls." She chooses to give a half-truth, even if it doesn't hold up well. The only things in this direction are the gym and a gate. "If you wish to be alone, I will comply."

"That will not be necessary," Pal says surprisingly quickly, likely to undercut Chouki's attempt to send her away. "All are… welcome here."

"Yeah, we'd be super happy to have you here," Hachi agrees. It seems that her mis-step yesterday has been forgiven, or possibly forgotten.

Shizu nods and slowly approaches them. "I take it that the lounge isn't private enough for your liking?"

"Sometimes, some people hear a conversation going on and just invite themselves in." Chouki gives her a meaningful glare. She rolls her eyes. Message received.

Pal pushes himself up. "You yourself said… that it was fine… most of the time. We merely wished to try out… a new location… to see if it would be to our liking."

"I accidentally overheard them talking, but they were super nice about it." Hachi holds her hands behind her back. "I told them that the gym's usually free. I heard Sawako talk about working out before breakfast, so I figured… y'know, it'd be empty."

"Not bad reasoning," Shizu tells her.

Hachi beams with pride, but Chouki groans. "Well, it was empty, until someone decided to lift weights and cause a bunch of noise."

"I merely wished to demonstrate… that anyone could use this room… for it's fated purpose," Pal explains.

Chouki sighs. "Yeah, I know, you don't have to say it again. I don't get the point, though. We've both gotten enough exercise swimming around. You don't have to show off by trying to lift something that's too heavy."

"There is no pool here… and it would not do… to dismiss me completely," Pal says. By this point, his breathing has returned to normal. "Sirens… such as myself… have strength far beyond that… which you can detect… simply by looking."

Shaking her head, Hachi says, "You were doing pretty well for a while, until you had us add on that last bit. But then your hands started wobbling and… and…"

"We literally had to lift that thing off of you." Chouki's complaints are tinged with worry. "Even with three of us, that thing was way too heavy."

Pal merely smiles. "Ah, but I was aware of this… I knew that I… would be able to draw both of you in… to help in my efforts. You would arrive… and our combined strengths… would overcome the struggles of Atlas."

Shizu raises her eyebrows. "Did you seriously put too much weight on your barbell so that these two would be forced to help you lift it? Were you trying to trick them into exercising or something?"

He says nothing, but the reactions of Chouki speaks for him. Chouki rounds on him and points accusatorially. "I knew it! You knew exactly what you were doing!"

"B-but Pal… I thought that I told you I'm not good with working out and stuff…" Hachi pokes her stomach, misery dripping from her words. "What if… what if we weren't able to lift it up?"

"I have the utmost confidence… in all of us," Pal assures them. "There was never any danger. If only you both… could understand this… fully." He makes a grand gesture to the entirety of the gym. "This place… is for all of us… not a chosen few. I only wish… for you to make use of it."

Hachi looks around, uncertain. "I don't know about that. I wouldn't even know where to start. And, it's not like I'd ever be any good at it." She peeks back at Pal's face, which shows nothing but calmness. "B-but maybe if you believe in me, maybe then I could believe in myself?"

Chouki is much less optimistic. "No thank you. I don't want to waste my time with any of this stuff. I already know it would make me miserable."

At this, Hachi's confidence fades. "Yeah, if I'm gonna be honest, I don't even know if your belief would make me have fun here."

"Very well… I will not push the matter. I only wished… to give you the option. Misery sometimes… builds character… but, in such times, I do not think… such a thing is necessary." Pal's concession is as gentle as Shizu would expect.

"Whatever. Just don't go randomly setting the treadmill to max or anything," Chouki says.

Instantly, everyone can tell that he's said the wrong thing by the glint in Pal's eye. "Oh… is that so? You do not think… I am capable?"

Hachi grabs onto his arm. "No way, he wasn't saying anything like that. He's just being grumpy as always."

Pal frowns. "You would be surprised… at how quickly a siren… can speed through the waters."

"The treadmills aren't underwater!" Chouki complains. "What does that have to do with anything?"

The three of them bicker playfully, and Shizu takes this as her cue to leave. It's nice to see Chouki tolerate others again. It would be a shame for her to ruin that. She's positive that none of them hear her footsteps as Pal pretends to struggle against Hachi and Chouki holding him back.

At the elevators, she bumps into Kaixi. He's holding a tape measure in his right hand and looks somewhat embarrassed. He waves to her as he hits the call button. "Hey Shizu! I forgot to measure my room out, so I gotta go do that now. I feel really stupid right now, ha!"

"I'm sure there's enough space, but it never hurts to check again," Shizu assures him.

He gives her a thumbs up. "Yeah, that's my line of thinking too. Oh, and Samia's as well." Then, he snaps his finger. "Oh wait, I feel really bad about leaving Samia to do construction all by herself. Do you think you could maybe go to the storage room and lend her a hand? At least until I'm back?"

Shizu frowns. "I don't think she would appreciate my presence very much, helpful or not."

"What? But you're great." Blissfully unaware, Kaixi waves off her concerns. "I think she'd be more upset at having to do all of the work herself. Please, Shizu? Wait, unless you're really busy. I don't want to waste your time."

There's nothing on her schedule right now, and it feels rather petty to lie about that. Plus, it's not as if he'd be gone for a long time. Mentally sighing, she says, "Alright. I'll see what I can do to help."

He grins. "Thank you so much! I'll be back faster than you know."

Kaixi disappears behind the elevator doors and with him disappears the good cheer. Still, she upholds her promise and heads over to the storage room. She internally curses herself for being unable to slow down her walking speed.

Samia is sitting on the floor, surrounded by parts of what appears to be a chair. Or maybe a stool of some kind? Whatever it is, it has a seat. She's holding the main part steady as she carefully screws in another part. There's a tipped over bottle of glue near her as well.

Shizu waits for Samia to finish before she makes herself known. Samia, predictably, looks annoyed at her arrival. "Don't let me stop you from getting what you need out of here."

"That not it. Kaixi asked me to lend you a hand with… whatever this is," Shizu explains.

"And you said yes?" Pinching her forehead with her free hand, Samia asks, "You thought that we'd somehow be more productive together?"

Tapping her foot, Shizu says, "No. However, it's clear that we have a problem with each other. Things won't resolve themselves if we do nothing, and you seem like someone with whom I am more able to negotiate my differences. Now is as good a time as any."

Samia takes a deep breath before she speaks. "I hope you realize that the way you're talking about this isn't doing you any favors." Still, she pats the ground next to her. "If we're going to do this, you might as well make yourself useful. And watch the glue. It's more powerful than most. I've already ruined one chair by sticking a leg in the wrong place."

Shizu takes care to sit far away from the glue bottle. "Very well, let us begin." She follows Samia's instructions for a short while, mostly involving finding the right pieces and holding the chair steady. Once enough time has passed, she makes her move. "If it's not too much trouble, I would like to discuss our current standing with each other. Clearly, my actions during the trial have upset you."

"You think?" Samia snorts.

The sarcasm is evident, but Shizu chooses to answer sincerely. "Yes. From what I remember, you didn't seem to have much of a problem with me before then, and I can remember you getting upset with me several times while I was presenting my arguments."

Samia lets out a deep breath. "Okay, that's problem number one right there. You keep framing yourself as blameless in this whole thing. 'Presenting your arguments' is a real neutral way of describing how you were shouting everyone down."

This all sounds very familiar to what Tsubame had told her a few days prior. Samia has a much different temperament than Tsubame, so Shizu decides to choose her words carefully. "I admit that I was very forceful and aggressive. Maybe not all of it was necessary."

Giving her a flat stare, Samia grumbles under her breath. "Not all necessary… that's all she's willing to admit?" Then, she speaks louder. "You literally told everyone to shut up while we were in the middle of a discussion. Every time someone had an issue with your points, you acted like they were personally insulting you. There's no 'maybe' about your methods."

"What do you want me to say?" It's taking all of Shizu's restraint to not go on the defensive. "I regret my rudeness, but, at the same time, I was correct most of the time. I was also able to identify the culprit, someone who had evaded everyone else's suspicions."

"Do you think that you're the only person able to come to those conclusions?" Samia demands, brandishing a screwdriver at her.

Shizu shakes her head. "Of course not. However, I was the first and, thus, the fastest. Are you suggesting that you would have been happier had I waited to speak up or if somebody else was the one to present the same ideas?"

Samia's expression resembles that of an overworked daycare attendant trying to wrangle an energetic toddler. "You really don't understand at all." She runs a hand over her headscarf. "You just can't imagine the possibility that you're wrong, can you?"

The accusation makes Shizu flinch. For a moment, she sees the bars of her old cell in front of her. "…Perhaps once I was so arrogant as to think myself infallible, but I assure you that this is no longer the case."

Samia continues, apparently not even having head her. "I've met a lot of people like you in my life. All of them, so convinced that they've worked out everything, that they're so smart… They can't make mistakes; you just don't know any better. By the time they've actually admitted that you're right, they've already caused endless suffering."

"…I get the feeling you're not talking about me anymore." At least, that's what Shizu hopes. She cannot imagine that Samia would be aware of… that.

"Not exclusively you," Samia corrects, thankfully unaware of Shizu's worries. "So many people in my government... so many doctors out there… They just don't get it."

Shizu does a double take. "Hold on, what's this about doctors?"

"Doctors don't actually care if there's something wrong with you or not. They'll ignore anything of your problems that you say you have, because people always lie about those kinds of things, and they know better. You need to get someone to fight hard against their arrogance to get an actual…" Samia pauses in the middle of her rant, as if she only now remembered she's talking to someone. "… an actual diagnosis," she finishes lamely.

"I suppose I've been lucky in health thus far to not encounter this problem," Shizu states. "It sounds rather personal."

Giving a slow nod, Samia says, "Yeah… it uh… it happened to someone in my family. Real pain."

"My condolences." It's obvious to Shizu that Samia is talking about herself, but pushing on that fact seems unwise.

However, Samia groans. "You don't have to pretend you believe me. It's obvious you don't."

Shizu fiddles with her glasses. "Hmm… I find asking about your illness to be in poor taste in this situation, despite my curiosity."

"All you need to know is that it was a problem for a long time, and doctors kept telling me there was nothing wrong until my mom fought them on it." There's a fondness in Samia's eyes. "She gave it all of her energy. I probably owe her my life."

"It was that bad?" Shizu winces in sympathy.

Samia hurriedly says, "I'm fine now. Nothing to worry about anymore." It's a little too quick a reassurance. "But yeah, I probably would be a lot weaker if my mother hadn't done something."

"She sounds like quite the force to be reckoned with."

"Yeah. I love her a lot." Then, Samia snaps back to the present. "Anyways, that's why I can't accept your attitude. I have first hand experience in what can go wrong when an expert doesn't listen to anyone. Someone has to keep you in check."

"In that case, I hope you will someday see that I no longer come to any conclusions lightly. If you wish to challenge my reasoning, you will find that I am more than capable of backing it up," Shizu responds.

Just then, Kaixi comes barreling into the storage room, panting lightly. "Sorry to keep you waiting! There's space to fit in a chair and table in my room, so we haven't been wasting our time." He smiles at them until he senses the tension in the room. "Uh… I didn't interrupt something bad, did I?"

Samia is the first one to break eye contact. "No, we're reached a mutual understanding for now. We're almost done with the chair, too."

"Hold on, you mentioned a table. Isn't there already one in your room?" Shizu asks.

Kaixi scratches his neck. "Oh, yeah, there is, but it's kinda small for what I want, you know?"

"We're building Kaixi a small workstation where he can sort through his photos and pin the ones he likes best up on the wall," Samia explains.

Ah, that would be why they were carrying the corkboard earlier. Though that still doesn't sound right. "Hold on, how are you even getting the photos developed in the first place? I don't recall your model of camera being able to print them out."

Kaixi frowns. "Uh… I actually had to bother Monokuma a bunch about it. I really didn't want to, but I thought having some kind of physical memories would be better than just digital ones. He complained a bunch about me being a brat, but he agreed in the end."

"Huh… My regards for having to put up with him." Shizu shakes her head. "I suppose this is what spurred on your furniture quest."

"Samia's the one who brought the idea up. She's got lots of great ideas like that!" Kaixi beams and looks at Shizu. "O-oh, but you've got lots of great ideas too, Shizu!"

"It's not a competition- Wait Kaixi, there's glue there, watch where you're stepping!" Samia reaches out a hand to stop him, but it's too late. Kaixi accidentally walks into a puddle where the glue had leaked.

Luckily, only his shoe is stuck. Samia wasn't joking, however, as the glue is rather powerful. It takes all three of them pulling to get it free, and, even then, it takes a minute or two of effort. At the very least, the incident succeeds in refocusing their efforts.

Conversation with Samia Bahouri (2)

- Has grown to dislike me due to my attitude when presenting my theories

- Has met a number of individuals apparently similar to me, e.g. politicians and doctors

- Sick with some kind of chronic illness, claims to be cured but I believe otherwise

- Chronic illness ignored by multiple doctors, only diagnosed thanks to efforts from her mother

- Epidemiology interest could stem from her chronic illness

The combined efforts of all three of them produce a chair and a table, both of which Shizu feels are well-constructed, especially given their lack of expertise. However, she's quite dusty by the end of it, and the mess of her clothes reminds her that she should do laundry.

Kaixi and Samia are both fine with letting her leave, while they take the completed furniture to Kaixi's room. She says her goodbyes and runs to the elevator, hoping to get to the fourth floor fast enough that they won't be stuck waiting for it to come back down.

It only occurs to her after she's already on the second floor that she should have checked to see if anyone else was using the laundry room. The telltale sounds of washing machines frustrate her to no end. Still, she carries her hamper over, hoping to either snatch the other one or stake her claim if both are in use.

Kogi is inside, staring at the spinning clothes with a listless expression. He glances over to her when she walks in but goes back to his task after a second. It appears that he's taken both machines, but at least they both look to be finishing the cycle soon.

She sets her hamper down a good distance away. To her surprise, he speaks up. "You don't have to wait. The other washing machines are working."

"What?" She glances over to them, and, sure enough, the digital displays, which were once dark, now show the number 0. "When did that happen?"

He shrugs. "No idea."

Well, she won't complain about finally getting some decent accommodations. She moves over to one on the opposite end of the room and gets set up.

Right as she's starting the cycle, Tsubame and Fumika enter as well, holding a large basket of sheets. Fumika sees that Kogi's claimed the original two machines and looks ready to groan until she spots Shizu. "Wait, are they all finally fixed?"

Shizu nods. "That appears to be the case."

"Finally," Fumika complains. She and Tsubame maneuver to a machine in the middle and set down the basket. "Why didn't Monokuma tell anyone?"

"Maybe he did, but it was by the same method as when he announced the rooms opening up," Tsubame offers.

The suggestion Kogi offers is less polite. "Probably didn't care enough."

"That sounds like his reasoning," Fumika mutters before raising her voice. "Actually, it's good you're both here. There's something I wanted to talk about."

Shizu frowns and stares at her. "With us in particular?"

"No, with someone else completely," Kogi snarks. "What is it?"

"If you must know, you were two of the people who I was interested in talking with, but it was not exclusively either of you." Fumika directs this comment towards Kogi, but he doesn't react.

Tsubame speaks as she shovels sheets into the washing machine. "Is this what you were mentioning to me earlier? About the reason we're all here?"

"Yes. It's something we've been ignoring since the very beginning. What's the point of all of this?" Fumika jabs the start button with ferocity.

Leaning onto the machine which had only seconds ago stopped vibrating, Kogi evaluates her. "What makes you think we know?"

"I don't think you know," Fumika admits. "But you seem like the type to think about it."

He hums. "Hmm… entertainment."

Tsubame takes a step backwards. "Excuse me? You think that there's someone out there who finds our suffering enjoyable?"

"Lots of sickos out there," Kogi mumbles, nonchalantly carrying his clean clothes over to a drier.

Fumika nods her head slowly. "I'd considered something like that. It would explain a lot of odd stuff, like the arbitrary rules or the fact that we're all Ultimates. It's a way to keep things engaging with an easy to explain setup."

"Hold on, please," Tsubame begs. "Where is all of this coming from? I'm still having trouble accepting the premise."

Shizu, having already pulled out her notepad, taps her pen rhythmically against the paper. "We have been subjected to a plethora of cruel ordeals for seemingly no reason. If we cannot comprehend why, the reason may be that there is no reason. It's simply mindless entertainment for some twisted audience."

"That's–" Words fail Tsubame, the performer in her balking at the idea.

"However," Shizu continues, "I have my doubts as to whether that's the case or not." She gazes up at the ceiling. "For one, this setup must have cost a fortune. The construction of such a large building would cost an exorbitant sum."

Fumika hops up to sit on one of the nonactive washing machines. "You'd be surprised how much some game shows cost to set up. As long as whoever's running the show can expect a good return on investment, it would be worth it."

Tsubame shivers in place. "If… if that's truly the case, I cannot imagine many people being fully invested in this nightmare. Surely, by this point, they would have had to realize that our plight is genuine. There would be an outroar."

"Unless it's only being shown to a few, select clients," Fumika argues. "A few, incredibly wealthy clients."

Kogi snorts. "The rich have sick hobbies, that's for sure. But I doubt this cost all that much to set up."

"What are you talking about? We're stuck inside a building that is at least four stories tall. Even without considering the amenities, that's still very costly," Shizu says.

"What a pain." He leans onto a dryer. "What makes you think this was built for us? It's half-assed and half-finished."

Fumika stares at him, her expression unreadable. "You're arguing that this building has been repurposed for our usage."

He gives a lazy thumbs up. "Who builds anything like this? Why have a dining hall on a floor without any bathrooms? Why is there a state-of-the-art indoor greenhouse but only two usable washing machines at the start? Why have all of us split up across different floors? It's because this place wasn't originally meant for us."

Is that really the case? Kogi brings up several valid points, but those seem to point more towards a lack of planning time rather than reusing an old space. Or perhaps she would rather not consider what him being correct would mean.

Shizu forces herself out of her headspace to say, "Even if that is the case, I still have other concerns. I find it odd that Ultimates in particular would be targeted. We are rather famous. There are many other people who would be easier to kidnap."

"There's no doubt that us being Ultimates is a key part of the equation," Fumika agrees.

Kogi snorts. "Obviously. They needed us to be Ultimates, or it wouldn't be entertaining."

"Are you talking about our specific skillset?" Tsubame asks. "Does us being notorious for a single task help in some way?"

"You're thinking about it all wrong." Kogi stands up straight. Even with his facemask, it's clear that he's scowling. "They don't care about our talents; they care that we have titles at all. They picked us because they hate us. They want us to suffer. That's the entertainment."

The laundry room goes silent, save for the gentle rumblings of the washers and dryers. Shizu can't force herself to look away from Kogi's grim expression. Tsubame's hands are tangled in her braid.

Only Fumika appears as calm as ever, regarding his statement silently. "It sounds like you've got a lot of enemies."

"We all do." He shoves his hands into his pockets. "Whether you can admit it or not."

A chime rings out, echoing off of the halls.

"Attention, all Ultimates!" Monokuma's voice booms. "Your game master has a special gift for you all. Please make your way to the announcement room on the second floor. And don't keep me waiting, or else! See you real soon!"

The P.A. system clicks off. Kogi takes off without another word, not bothering to wait for the rest of them. Shizu, Fumika, and Tsubame share a meaningful look before exiting as well. All of them match Tsubame's slow, shaky walk, not feeling comfortable arriving on their own.

There are already quite a few people in the announcement room. Kogi, of course, has taken a seat in the back. Soraru and Joshua, both covered in batter, linger off on the left. Sawako is sitting front and center. Shizu makes a point of sitting far away from her, though this also leaves her sitting apart from Tsubame and Fumika.

The rest of the group trickle in, a few making half-hearted attempts at small talk before finding an open seat. At last, when Kaixi and Samia literally sprint in, all of them are there. Shizu barely has any time to note that Samia is particularly winded and pale before the stage lights kick on and highlight the podium.

Out leaps Monokuma, raising a paw in the air. "Good evening, all you wonderful captives! It's so good to see all your smiling faces."

"Uh… none of us are smiling," Joshua mumbles, but nobody pays attention.

Chouki taps his foot. "What do you want, bear? What's all this about a 'gift'?"

Standing up, Sawako declares, "It will be nothing good. That much can be certain. We will not fall for your tricks!" She punctuates her statement by pointing at Monokuma.

He looks at his feet, faking depression. "Aw gee, really? And after I spent so much time getting you all more washing machines. I guess you don't want them after all."

Several people perk up at this. "W-wait, hang on, that's the gift?" Kaixi looks torn between disbelief and relief. "We wouldn't have to keep worrying about not being able to do laundry?"

Monokuma sighs. "Yeah, but it sounds like no one's interested."

"No, I definitely want those!" Hachi cries out.

Morgan clasps her hands together. "Indeed. I do not wish to waste my energy divining whether or not that room is already in use."

"You already brought them in. It's a little late to take them out," Tsubame points out to him.

Gazing over the sea of faces, Monokuma raises a paw to his cheek. "Huh? You all want them?" He steps up higher on the podium and raises both paws in the air. "Then make up your damn minds already! Don't complain before you've even heard the offer! The nerve of you bastards…"

A collective flinch runs through the group, and it takes a moment for things to settle down. Pal regards their captor with apprehension. "The washing machines… Were they the only reason… you gathered us here?"

"What a pain. We already knew about them. You've wasted our time." Kogi mutters something else, but Shizu is too far away to hear it. It's likely very impolite.

Michio raises a finger. "Actually, I didn't know about it. If I had to extrapolate, I'd say that anyone who didn't do their laundry today also didn't know."

"Yeah!" Soraru leans backwards in xer chair to glare at Kogi. "What's all this 'we' talk?"

He slouches over further in his chair. "Fine. Next time, I won't assume that you're smart."

"Thank you." Xe sits back upright, hands on xer hips.

Samia doesn't let his snide comment slide. "That's not the issue, and you know it."

"Hey!" Monokuma's shout silences them all and drags their attention back to the stage. He's sharpening his claws, making sure the sound goes right into the microphone. "Much better. Now, to answer that waterlogged idiot's question, no. I have one more gift for you all."

"One more gift?" Tsubame tugs on her braid, unnerved by the tone of his last sentence.

"Waterlogged… idiot?" Unlike the rest of them, Pal focuses on something else completely.

Sawako is back on her feet in an instant. "I knew it! You had a fiendish plan in mind this entire time. Know this, bear: we will not sit back idly and let you do as you please!"

Not even threatened in the slightest by her declaration, Monokuma grins. "Oh good, a volunteer."

As Sawako stretches out her hand again to point at him, he moves towards her, much faster than she can react. In a flash, she finds herself holding a folded-up piece of white paper. The speed at which it happens causes her to recoil backwards and nearly stumble over her chair.

"What is this?" Sawako unfolds the paper and scans it for a few seconds. Her confusion grows even after she processes whatever is written on it. "What… Excuse me?! What is this supposed to mean?"

Monokuma, who has already forced more papers onto Samia and Pal, laughs. "Oh? Are you having a hard time reading? I know you police officers take a lot of hits to the head, but I thought you'd be literate."

"That's…" She shakes her head. "You know that is not my problem! What is the meaning of this… confession?"

Suddenly, Pal too speaks up. "I do not… I cannot… is this the truth?"

Samia is far less calm. "What the fuck is this?!" Her eyes burn with fury. "Who the hell gave you the right to tell anyone this?!"

By this point, most of the people in the room have gotten their own piece of paper, presumably with something horribly upsetting written on it. Monokuma's glee only grows as more and more of the group voices their displeasure, demanding answers.

Finally, he gets to Shizu. Unlike what he did to everyone else, he instead holds her paper out, waiting for her to take it of her own volition. She hesitates for a moment before snatching it up. It would be futile to refuse. Still, she waits to open it.

Monokuma leaps back onto the stage and clears his throat. "Ahem! Now that everyone has had a chance to read their specially prepared message, allow me to explain. You hold in your hands the deepest, darkest secret of somebody else in this game!"

"Someone else's secret?" Joshua has gone stark white. He hasn't taken his eyes off of his paper since he first looked at it.

"Thaaaaat's right! You all thought that you'd get all buddy buddy with each other, so I thought I'd give you all a hand!" He leans on one of his paws. "After all, what kind of best friends keep secrets? That just won't do at all!"

Morgan appears far less concerned than most, merely folding the secret she got back up. "Hmm… The secrets are rather… vague about who they belong to."

"Yeah, mine just says 'someone here', not a name," Michio adds.

"Vague? What's vague about it?" Monokuma pretends to be confused. "If you all really know each other that well, it should be obvious who each secret belongs to!"

Kaixi gulps. "H-hang on just a second. This… this can't possibly be true. I doubt the secret I got applies to anyone here at all!"

At this, Monokuma gets red with anger. "No, no, no! I spent a long time digging into all of your pasts. I guarantee that these facts are one-hundred percent true! There's not a single lie to be found in any of these!"

"What's the point though?" Chouki demands, holding his paper lazily between his two of his fingers. "Why tell us this anyways? Not like I couldn't have guessed this 'secret' myself."

"Well because, it's your brand-new motive!" Monokuma throws his arms up in celebration, and a pitiful amount of confetti slowly falls from the ceiling.

Hachi trembles. "M-motive?"

"If a murder does not occur within the next five days, I'll be revealing every secret to the world. Just think about it – the thing you want hidden most: broadcast live to the entire world! Oh, and since there are billions of people who aren't best friends with you, I won't be hiding the names. The public deserves to know!"

Fumika balls her fists. "Five days for a kill to happen, or the world learns the worst bits about us."

"Hold on… if that's the case, then what's the point of giving us each other's secrets?" Shizu can't help but ask. "Perhaps if you were to give us our own secrets, then it would put pressure on us, but that isn't the case. We aren't even sure to whom these secrets belong."

Pal sways left and right as he thinks. "That sounds… correct. Why not inform us… of which secret you will be disclosing to the world?"

Tracing the tattoos along his right arm, Chouki scoffs. "Obviously because these secrets are limp. He's gotta scare us by thinking he's gonna reveal something worse. No one's killing over these things."

"I still think they could be lies," Kaixi says, a bit more confidence present this time.

Despite their comments, Monokuma is not phased. "Oh, is that what you think? Maybe you're right. We'll find out in five days or probably sooner!"

Samia grunts and crosses her arms. "Whatever. I don't even want to look at this… this thing anymore. I'm tossing it out."

"Don't even think about it!" Monokuma yells.

She freezes in place and splutters out, "What? Why not? I already read it! It's not like I'm going to be able to forget."

His crooked, red eye flashes. "I worked very hard to find all of those. I won't have you throwing out my precious research like it's second-rate trash!"

"Yeah, this is at least first-rate trash," Soraru claims, only to hunch over when Monokuma brandishes a claw in xer direction.

"Alright punks! Sounds like you need a new rule." He makes sure to enunciate clearly. "Each secret must be kept on person at all times. Throwing it away, abandoning it, locking it up… Anything like that will result in punishment!"

Joshua raises his hand. "Hey, wait a sec. What about we're taking a bath or something? Do we have to bring the secret with us then?"

Everyone looks at him with varying degrees of annoyance. Monokuma ignores his comment. "Alright, that's all from me. You losers take your time treasuring your secrets!" Then, he disappears behind the podium and out of sight altogether.

Tsubame lets out a relieved sigh. "Thank goodness that is over."

"I'm just glad this motive isn't anywhere near as extreme as the first one." Michio sounds confident, but Shizu notices that his hands are shaking.

Kogi shrugs. "Guess he needed the big guns to start the killing."

"Yeah, there's like a lot of stuff I don't want anyone to know, but I'm definitely never gonna kill over it." Balling up her fists, Hachi puts on her determined face.

Morgan brings a hand up to her face. "Indeed. I cannot imagine this motive appealing to very many. We are rather fortunate to have the worst behind us."

"Is that true?" Ever the pessimist, Fumika says, "I doubt anyone would admit that they'd have a secret that they would kill to hide."

Tsubame lays a tentative hand on her shoulder. "But surely that's the not the case for you, right?"

"I just told you that I wouldn't say yes regardless of if I was telling the truth," Fumika retorts, shuffling out of her grasp.

Meanwhile, Joshua still looks confused and concerned. "Wait, but he didn't answer my question."

He gets whacked upside the head by Soraru's open palm. "C'mon dude, think about it. You're not gonna abandon it if you just leave it with your clothes. It's right next to you!"

"I just wanted to make sure." Embarrassed, he pulls his beanie down lower.

Xe doesn't relent. "What, do you normally just leave your dirty clothes lying around after a shower? Cause that's gross!"

Shizu tunes out the rest of the conversations going on around her. Her feet carry her out of the announcement room and back towards the safety of her own room. She still hasn't looked at the secret she was given.

The door to her room swings shut beyond her. Only once the lock clicks does she pull it out of her blazer pocket. She has no idea what to expect. Though most of the group claimed the secrets they got weren't bad, she doesn't feel confident in assuming anything.

With a deep breath, she unfolds the piece of paper and reads it.

Then, she freezes.

She knows exactly who this secret belongs to.

Someone here is directly responsible for the Ultimate Riots breaking out.

This secret belongs to her.

Shizu's Notes

Rule Addition

- Rule 10: Each secret must be kept on person at all times. Attempting to get rid of the secret in any way will result in punishment.

Secrets Motive

- Each person was given the "deepest, darkest secret" of another person locked up in this building

- Secrets are apparently anonymous, though we may be able to figure out who they belong to if we know each other well enough

- If a murder does not occur in five days, then the secrets will be broadcast to the entire world

- It is possible for people to get their own motives, as evidenced by myself

- Cannot currently think of the purpose of distributing random, anonymous motives around, perhaps some are bad enough to warrant a murder attempt if you know whose it is?

Closet Hatch Investigation

- Only houses a few scant garden tools

- Disappointing, not even locked up, hardly worth the effort of remembering

Laundry Room Update

- All broken washing machines have been fixed/replaced, courtesy of Monokuma

- Revealed to everyone at the same time as the motive, maybe as some good news, bad news deal

- Remember to pick up laundry tonight, nearly forgot after I was told the motive

A/N: Motive time. Will this one be as effective as the last one, or will it be a dud? Tune in eventually to find out. Side note: I hope that these FTEs shed a little more light into the personal backstories than the previous set. I had reasons for Shizu not immediately prying into everyone's pasts at the start, but it feels more appropriate to me now. With that out of the way, thank you again to everyone sticking with this.