Danganronpa: Fresh Meat (SYOC CLOSED)

by mandipokemon

The youth is the future of tomorrow. Schools train their students either to lead or be led. This is no different when it comes to Hope's Peak Academy with their Ultimates. What will happen to the supposed leaders of tomorrow if they find themselves stuck in a remote island to compete in a twisted killing game? Will a leader emerge? Or, will the group crumble to pieces?

28. A Feast For The Most 1

Hello everyone! I am so excited for you to read the first part of chapter 3! I really cannot believe that we are almost halfway through with the story! I am so pumped up to write. Hopefully, you will enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing every bit of it!

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It was a solemn early morning on a remote island in the middle of a vast cerulean ocean. The forever stretching sky was pitch black with little to no clouds passing by. The jet-black horizon was still littered with the hundreds of brilliant stars blinking away as time went on. The glow of the waning moon beamed down the little rock providing light to its inhabitants. On the island were the different flora glowing of different colors lighting up pathways and areas of the little space its shine can reach. Giant waves from the big blue ocean crashed on the rocky walls of the island as if they were ready to engulf the island and pull it to the bottom of the deepest trench where no human has ever been to. Aside from the occasional thrashing of the waves, the whooshing of the bushes and trees created a melodic tune echoing through the island. The island was still in slumber from the tiresome day it had yesterday, and so were its inhabitants.

The ten remaining campers were still in their rooms enjoying the little peace they have. After the daunting day they had yesterday, lying on a bed that is holding them as if someone's hugging them is the least they deserve. Although they had no choice but to live in these cabins, they have managed to find some comfort in their temporary abode. All of them were still tucked under their warm, soft blankets, still recovering from the draining task they had the past day. Some were as still as a baby lying on their mattress while others had their whole body in a position as if they were dropped from the ceiling with pillows on the floor and the blanket barely covering their feet and is only a few push away from completely falling to the ground.

Out of the ten captives of the island, Mitsue was one of the few who were sleeping that have not made much movement on their beds. The emergency response team leader was still the way he was before he shut his eyes close. With his blanket covering him up to his chest, he was still asleep lost in his dream of living his normal life as a rescuer. Although his daily life is a big ball of stress, he still missed the days where he would run into a scene checking the vitals of the victims giving the best that he had in order to save them. Even though some would get under his skin, he still missed the team he created and trained to serve the public in their best form. He missed going straight to his office after school and walking home after a long night of being on duty. However, what he yearns for the most is spending time with his family. He wishes to hear their voices once more even if their words are for scolding him. He just wants everything to go back to the way it was.

After a few more minutes of living his ideal life in his dream, Mitsue has finally woken up to the reality he is in −the reality that he is stuck on an island in the middle of nowhere with nine other captives who are forced to play a sadistic game monitored by an animatronic bear. The first thing his eyes landed on was the ceiling with a thin streak of light that has escaped from the gap between the curtain and the window. The light has only reminded him of how grim his situation is.

It is a brand new day and I am still on this fucking island. Will I ever be able to wake up somewhere other than in this cabin? I am getting tired of this place. I am exhausted with everything that is happening on this island. I am sick of having to deal with all of the problems on this island. I wish our captor becomes tired of their shenanigans and set us free. However, we are talking about a crazy person. They will never grow bored of seeing us suffer. I am sure they will throw some shit on us to make things more interesting for their twisted viewing pleasure.

After a few minutes of silently gazing at the ceiling of his room, Mitsue let out a loud sigh before freeing himself from the comfortable constrain of his blanket. Then, he placed his hands below his head and continued with his aimlessly staring at the space above him. No matter how hard he tried, his mind only drifted to the atrocity that was the trial yesterday. Trying to replace it with some of his fondest memories, the vision of Naoki lifelessly sunken in the lake and the visceral screams of pain by Kaya only plagues his mind more. Frustrated of what is stuck in his mind on replay, Mitsue whispered, "Fuck this life!"

Naoki deserved better. He had so much ahead of him. His time was unfairly cut short. If only Kai had not meddled with our letters, maybe I could have stopped Kaya and no one would have died in the end. I might have been able to save everyone from the grueling day we had yesterday. Things could have ended differently for Naoki. He could still be sleeping in his room right now, recovering for another day of leading the group. However, this is all just an assumption. It could still end with someone's death. I could be the one who has kicked the bucket by now. I could be the one the group cannot recover from the lake. I would be the one being mourned over if anyone cared enough about me.

"I cannot understand how heartless Kaya was." Mitsue softly uttered as his forehead creased in disappointment. She did not even show any hint of remorse when we found out it was all of her doing. She was willing to sacrifice all of our lives for the sake of pursuing knowledge and cutting off everyone from her world. I know how fucking annoying people can be. It has made me wish I am the only one left on earth but I have never taken the thought seriously. She is definitely wired differently from the rest of the group. If only someone was able to convince her that her idea of isolation will never work, maybe she would have never attempted to kill anyone in the first place.

Those two are, sadly, victims of this barbarous game. If we were never captured, those two would be free to do their heart's content in their daily lives. I wonder how our kidnapper got the idea to do this game. No one in their right mind would host something as ludicrous as this game. Not only does it not make any sense but it is also time-consuming to monitor everyone's movement. And, the setup for this game must have cost a fortune. It is as if the culprit to our suffering has unlimited resources. I wish they put all of the efforts they have put into creating this game into something beneficial to society. Sadly, there are people who have been molded to be evil.

Feeling the weight of his head on his hands, Mitsue crossed his arms and shifted to his right. As his thoughts were finally freed of Kaya and Naoki, details from the end of the trial bombarded his mind. Kai sure loves to stir shit. Right at the end of the trial, he immediately turned into a dickhead to everyone he can talk to. I cannot believe he has little to no compassion for Akari after seeing her cry her heart out for Naoki. Then, his attention changed to picking a fight with Mizuki and Kaoru. I get his problem with Kaoru. I agree with his thoughts of Kaoru but Mizuki too? She did not even do anything to be attacked by that bastard. Now there are only a few of us left, more people will feel the sharpness of that idiot's tongue, not just me.

"But… I kinda wonder what will happen now in terms of the group's leader." Mitsue whispered. Mizuki's principles are aligned with what the group needs. However, does she have the voice to enforce it? I am not sure about that. Kai can talk back at her. That is not a good sign for any leader. She needs to toughen up or else someone will bulldoze her off of her position. I can see a power struggle will happen if she does not get her act together. I hope that does not happen to her. I know she can be a great leader. She is a freaking preacher for fuck's sake. She has what it takes to command a room.

After a few seconds, Mitsue sat up straight. His eyes landed on his lap as he crossed his legs on the bed. Letting out a yawn, Mitsue asked, "I wonder how Akari, Connor, and Kaito are doing?" Those three seemed to be the most bothered after the trial. I understand why Akari was in that state. She just lost someone she admired for so long. She was truly heartbroken. I could tell the sincerity of her feelings even from when she expressed disappointment that I was the one who got her letter, not her crush. Even I would be devastated that I will never be able to express my feelings for someone.

On the other hand, Kaito seemed to be doing better until someone died. His trauma has completely taken over him. I wish I could do something to make all of his pain go away. However, being stuck on this bloody island will negate every effort of taking better care of him. He will be constantly reminded of what his sister did to him. We are surrounded by death and death is, for him, synonymous with her sister. I hope yesterday will be the last time he will ever have a breakdown on this island.

However, the most surprising outcome of the trial is Connor's reaction. He lost the special zest that he has. He became as quiet as a mouse. Normally, he would be the one with the most electrifying and contagious energy. That man never failed to make things more light-hearted. I wonder what got into him yesterday. Was it because of the words Kaya told him before she was executed? Those were empty words. I hope he can go back to the way he was. Although I am bothered by his outgoing personality sometimes, I prefer him like that over the poker-faced guy that I left with after the trial.

Shaking his head, Mitsue remarked, "But they are not the only problem we have." Monokuma revealed a monster is within our midst. Someone has been seriously considering killing one of us every time he introduces a motive. They have this certain willingness to do the unspeakable deed that even caught Monokuma's attention. However, for some reason, they will always pull back and let someone else kill. If they have the iron will to do something as vile as committing murder, why do they always fall back? I doubt it is because they feel sorry for their chosen victim. Monokuma has likened their ruthlessness to Kaya's. Something is holding them back. I hope whatever it is will continue to keep this monster restrained. We do not need another death especially not like Naoki's.

"Ayame…" Mitsue mumbled as he was reminded of his secret pen pal by the thought of Kaya. I hope Ayame is not the secret monster. I do not think they are capable of doing what Monokuma has described. They have been nothing but an angel. Based on what they have done for me, they are more humane than some of the people on this island. I hope they will not turn out to be a menace to society. I do not think I will be able to handle that reality. If ever they turn out to be the secret devil, I hope I will be able to change them. I do not want to lose someone else like Iris.

Suddenly, the emergency response team leader got out of his bed and stomped his right foot. "What the fuck am I doing? It is too early for me to feel like shit! The sun has not even risen and I am already thinking of the fucking problems in life!" Mitsue shouted at himself. I just have to deal with them when I encounter them face to face. There is no use in burying myself in problems before I even have to deal with them. Just let the day go and fix it when it is fucking necessary.

Hurriedly, Mitsue took his monopad from his bedside table. Opening it, he checked what time it was. "Almost five… I should get ready. Hiroto is probably raking outside on his own." With his monopad in his left hand, he went to his closet and grabbed a new fresh set of clothes. After mindlessly picking out his attire, he went to the bathroom and began preparing for the day. Once he was done diligently brushing his teeth and taking a morning shower, he put on his clothes and went out of his bathroom. Zipping up his hoodie, he went in front of the mirror on one of the doors of his closet for one last look. This will have to do. After checking himself out, he went out of his room.

As soon as he opened the door, he was greeted by the strong swoosh of the cold morning breeze. The sky has turned from jet-black to a deep navy blue. The countless stars that spanned throughout the sky were no more while the moon has lost some of its glow, preparing for the coming of the sunlight. Stepping out of his cabin, he looked at the grounds in front of him and already saw one camper was awake.

Silently raking the leaves as the day starts to unravel, Hiroto was near the women's cabins clearing the ground of dead leaves. Pulling the leaves into a pile, Hiroto continued with his laborious task without noticing the unyielding gaze of Mitsue. He is already awake doing his task without asking any help from me as usual. He should really learn to knock on my door whenever he is about to rake. I feel bad seeing him do this on his own. It is as if I am letting him do it on my behalf. I am not okay with that.

Grabbing the rake on his patio, Mitsue quickly ran towards the runway model to join him on their chore together. Instantly, Mitsue began raking the men's side. Following Hiroto's lead, the emergency response team leader piled the leaves at the center of the ground.

Raking the ground, Mitsue greeted Hiroto. "Good morning! How was your sleep?"

"Morning… I slept fine considering what happened yesterday." Hiroto replied, focusing on the leaves in front of him.

"After our meal, you went back to your cabin and you never came out again for dinner. Did you fall asleep as soon as you lied down on your bed?" Mitsue asked, raking his side of the grounds.

"I did. The trial took everything I had. Once I laid on my bed, I felt drowsy. The next thing I know, I fell asleep. I was going to join the group for dinner but I guess my body wanted to sleep more than eat." Hiroto shared.

"The trial was a bitch! Honestly, I do not know how you and Kaito do it. Listening to everything and trying to understand what we had so far, it felt like my mind was doing somersaults in trying to wrap my brain around it. I do not want to do anything like that ever again. It was more tiring than rescuing twenty people from an accident." Mitsue commented, shaking his head.

"That is what we get for having someone as ruthless and as smart as Kaya as an opponent. If she only used her brain for something else, maybe she would be still alive. She is a smart lady. She should have known everything was stacked against her when she has ten people to battle." Hiroto remarked.

"I hope we do not have to deal with anyone like her in the future again. It is much better to work together than fight one another. If only there is a way to deactivate that fucking bear, I would. But, Monokuma is a walking bomb. Once someone tries to harm it, it will blow up in an instant. It is unfair how it is built like that." Mitsue added, kicking the leaves in front of him.

"Calm down. You are messing up your pile." Hiroto reminded Mitsue.

"Right…" Mitsue shook his head. "Let us just pray to the gods that there will not be any more shit like this in the future because I do not know how I will fucking handle this stress. I cannot handle someone dying once a week."

"Me too…" Hiroto agreed. "By the way, how was dinner last night? Did everyone come out to eat?"

"Nope! Other than you, Akari, Connor, Kai, and Kaito locked up in their rooms. Mizuki did not eat much which worried Kaoru and Otoha a lot. On the other hand, Yo ate as if nothing happened. I do not know if she does not care or she is hiding her worry but she sometimes weirds me out and makes me worried at the same time." Mitsue shared.

"Yo is something else…" Hiroto described. That is true. She is one of a kind but I am not sure if that is a good thing…

"However, I am hopeful most of us will be able to go back to the way were before Kaya messed up everything. I would like to be able to gather again as a group. It is better that way than being isolated from everyone else. Being divided makes it easier for Monokuma to conquer us." Mitsue shared.

Hiroto nodded. After that, the two men grew silent as they focused on their tasks. After a few minutes, the two of them were finished raking their side. All of the leaves were piled up. The only thing left is to rake the leaves into a single pile. The two of them immediately began raking the leaves together. As they were raking, Hiroto suddenly spoke.

"I forgot to thank you for the meal yesterday. As soon as we finished eating, we went back to our cabins and I completely forgot to express my gratitude because nothing was loading in my head anymore. Sorry for being rude. You even cooked what I requested which were hard to make." Hiroto shared.

"It was nothing." Mitsue smiled. "After everything you have done for me in the past and for the group in the trial, it was the least I can do. I hope it was up to your taste. I was skeptical about the ratatouille I made. It has been ages since I last cooked that one. I was doubting myself the whole time cooking it."

"It tasted the way it should. You did well cooking one considering you have not cooked it in a while." Hiroto complimented Mitsue.

"From what you are saying, it sounds like you were forced to eat it since that was the only option. It is okay if you say my cooking was shit. I will not take it personally. I promise. Just do not expect I will cook for you again." Mitsue added, waving his hand.

"I did not say that." Hiroto remarked, smiling as he held back his laughter. "I did like your food, especially the tarte tatin. It was sticky and sweet. And, the puff pastry was perfect."

"Sure… Whatever you say…" Mitsue added, rolling his eyes.

Out of nowhere, Hiroto put his left hand on Mitsue's right shoulder. Grabbing his attention, Mitsue stared at Hiroto's light blue eyes. "Just take the compliment as it is. I like your food. I would like to eat anything you make again." Hiroto reassured Mitsue ending with a smile.

Grabbing Hiroto's arm, Mitsue put the runway model's hand off of him. "Okay, okay… I was just kidding. For a moment there, it seemed like you really thought I will not let you eat my food again. Do not worry. I am not stingy." Mitsue commented, giggling.

"That is good to hear." Hiroto whispered as he went back to raking. What was that about? Whatever. He just takes things too seriously.

"By the way, I noticed you like French cuisine a lot. Beef bourguignon, coq au vin, ratatouille, souffle, éclair, tarte tatin… All of those are French food. You have an expensive taste in food. It must be because you go to fashion shows in Paris all the time. That is all the food you are surrounded by. You must have gotten used to eating the cuisine, haven't you?" Mitsue shared.

"I grew up eating the food. That is why I like it so much." Hiroto clarified.

"You grew up eating the food?" Mitsue asked.

Hiroto nodded. "I was born and raised in France. I think I have mentioned this to you before when we were looking around the tennis court. It was either you or Kaito who asked if I knew how to play tennis and I said yes because I learned it when I was growing up in France. Do you not remember?" Hiroto shared. Shit, this is awkward! How can I forget something like this? I look like a dick for not remembering simple conversations about this.

"I am sorry. I cannot recall anything about you mentioning to me that you grew up in France." Mitsue apologized, bowing his head.

"It is alright. I did not go into detail when it was brought up. That must have been why you easily forgot about it." Hiroto commented. That is why he does not look like a typical Japanese man. He is probably half-French. If that is the case, why is he here in Japan instead of in France? Usually, mixed families like his would stay outside of Japan.

"I do not mean to pry but why are you here in Japan if you grew up in France?" Mitsue asked.

"The answer to that one is complicated." Hiroto answered, looking down to the ground. It looks like I hit a sensitive subject. I should just change the topic quickly before everything becomes too tense. I do not want to make him feel uncomfortable.

"You do not need to answer. I am sorry for asking too many questions. Let us just move on and pretend I never said anything." Mitsue shared, going back to raking the ground.

"It is alright. I think I can share my story with you. It is you so I trust you." Hiroto replied, patting Mitsue on the shoulder. Mistue stopped what he was doing.

"My dad is French while my mom is Japanese. We were just like any other family in France. My father taught me different sports while my mom taught me how to cook various cuisines including the French cuisine my father loves. My life was as normal as it could be until my father found out my mom was cheating on him with our neighbor. They never reconciled and ended up filing for divorce. From a loving couple to bitter enemies, they fought on everything, including my custody. In the end, my mom won my custody.

"At the age of thirteen, my mom dragged me to Japan with her. After that, I lost all of my connection with my dad. He never once tried to look for me even when I made headlines when I walked on various runways in Paris fashion week. On the other hand, my mom stopped caring about me. All she did was worry about making money for herself or get drunk when her wallet or bank account was empty. When things get rough, I would make something my family used to eat together, usually a French dish. It would remind me of the good times I used to have. I guess I instinctively asked for those dishes because of the tough time we had during the trial." Hiroto calmly shared with Mitsue with a smile on his face. However, looking at Hiroto, Mitsue could see that the model's eyes were incapable of lying.

Dropping his rake, Mitsue gave Hiroto a hug. Whispering to the model's ears, Mitsue shared, "It is alright. You do not need to act tough."

After a few seconds of silence, Hiroto gripped onto Mitsue's hoodie and began sobbing on the emergency respondent's shoulder. As the model cried, Mitsue gently patted Hiroto's back.

"I am so… sorry for being emotional…" Hiroto mumbled as he continued to pour his heart out onto Mitsue.

"It is alright. There is nothing wrong with crying. Just let it all out." Mitsue whispered.

"Talking about my family… It makes me feel like nobody really cares about me… I… I wish someone from… the two of them will worry about me… I hope someday… they will ask me if… if I am okay…" Hiroto shared, still in tears. This must be why he has been so prickly with everyone, especially with the more outgoing ones. The warmth he receives from other people reminds him of how cold his parents are to him now. Why are there parents like these? It was not Hiroto's fault they separated but why did Hiroto have to suffer the most? His parents make me boil in anger. If I ever meet them, I will knock some sense into their head. Maybe that will remind them how to take care of Hiroto.

Few minutes have passed when Hiroto has finally recomposed himself. Wiping off any trace of tears on his face, Hiroto turned to Mitsue. "I am sorry for crying on you. I made a mess of your hoodie. You can give it to me later and I will wash it for you."

"There is no need for that. It is just tears. I am glad I was able to help you release some of your pent-up emotions. If you ever need anyone to listen to you, you can always count on me, okay?" Mitsue remarked, patting Hiroto on his shoulder.

"Thank you… I will keep that in mind." Hiroto replied, picking up Mitsue's rake.

"That must be why you were able to say all of those things to Kaya yesterday." Mitsue added as he took the rake from Hiroto.

"What I said yesterday was about someone else." Hiroto cleared up. Someone else? Someone else made him feel isolated from the world? How many bullshit people did he have to deal with in this lifetime? No wonder Hiroto turned out the way he is. He must be anxious to meet new people all the time. I should make sure I will not turn out like the rest of them. I do not want to add more problems to his life. I cannot be another trauma.

"What are you still standing for? Are you not going to help me rake these leaves?" Hiroto asked.

"Oh, I am sorry! I will get right to it!" Mitsue immediately began raking with Hiroto again.

The two men continued with their task in silence. The sky has turned light blue and the moon was nowhere to be seen. The warmth of the sun is finally beaming down the sky and onto the island. It was already six in the morning and it felt like the day has officially started. Signifying this was the morning announcement that was blasted through the island.

"Good morning campers! What a beautiful day, isn't it? So many wonderful things to do like maybe plot a new murder? Hahahahaha!" Monokuma shouted. Oh, shut up! We do not need your bullshit to start our day. And, we just got out of a trial! Hell no we are going to have another trial soon! I will not stand for that.

"Anyway, I just want to share with everyone that a new area is now accessible! You can go and do some exploring. You might find new weapons to your liking. Get inspired by the new places to create your own unique murder! I am excited to see whatever you come up with this time! Hahahaha!" Monokuma ended his announcement. That bear can drop in a vat of acid and I will not care. I just wish that bear would rust and disintegrate already! Nobody wants him here. Just go away and haunt your original owner instead.

"That bear can kiss my ass. I will never tolerate his bullshit." Mitsue mumbled.

"Just calm down." Hiroto reminded Mitsue.

"I am just sick and tired of hearing it spout its nonsense." Mitsue explained.

"Who is not? Anyway, if you get past that obnoxious voice, you will know the announcement shared that there is a new area we can go to." Hiroto added. I should check it out later. It will help me know what to look out for in that area. I do not want to be pessimistic but it might help us be prepared for anything in the future. Hopefully, all of this will only be for prevention.

"Do you want to come with me and take a look around the area later after lunch?" Mitsue invited Hiroto.

"I am okay with that." Hiroto answered, smiling back at Mitsue. It is great to see him smile again, especially after what he revealed to me. I hope this smile stays on his face forever. He looks better like this than his normally stoic expression. I used to ask why he cannot smile more often. At least now I know what has been hindering him to do so.

Out of nowhere, someone standing beside them shouted. "Ooooh! Can I join too? It would be super duper fun to be with you two! I am so excited to run around and look for new stuff! Do you think we will find something interesting? Or, maybe there will be something out of this world like spooky stuff! What do you guys say? Will you not let this good ole gal pal of yours join your crew? Huh?" Yo frantically begged the two men. Someone seriously needs to give this girl a bell. She can crawl up on anyone and will not even make the slightest sound. This girl should work as a ghost in a haunted house attraction.

Losing his smile, Hiroto turned to the fan club president. "No." Hiroto flat out rejected Yo. Oh shit! I did not expect him to be that direct! I have to say, that was pretty amusing to see unfold.

Mitsue giggled as he watched Hiroto blankly stare at the zany fan club president.

"Why not? Am I not fun enough to join the adventure?" Yo asked.

Hiroto looked back to Mitsue. Hiroto's face while listening to Yo is my mood right now.

"It looks like Hiroto is uncomfortable with you around. You can join someone else's group if you want." Mitsue recommended.

"What! I make you uncomfortable?" Yo turned to Hiroto, grabbing the model's hand. "What did I do to make you feel uneasy with me? I am a friendly, energetic, outgoing, lovable person! You can do anything you want with me! There is no need to be so formal! Loosen up! It is only me! So, what do you say? Will you give me a chance to change your mind and join the two of you in your quest to explore the uncharted new area and search for the bounties it has to offer?"

"No." Hiroto shook his head as he pulled his hand away from the fan club president.

"Why?" Yo screamed. Suddenly, she turned to Mitsue. "Help me convince Hiroto to join your group."

"No, thank you…" Mitsue quickly turned down Yo.

Dramatically, Yo fell down on her knees. Then, she put her hands on the ground. Looking at nothing but the dusty ground, Yo continued. "Why must I be forsaken to join in the fun of these two brilliant men!" Weirdo…

"Get up. You will not find the answer while staring at dust. You might get sand in your eyes if you continue though." Mitsue shared, tapping Yo's arm with his right foot. However, I would like to watch how things will spin into chaos if that does happen. With Yo around, shit like that will turn into comedy gold.

Slowly, Yo stood up. "That hurt on the knees. Why did I do that?" Yo mumbled to herself, brushing off the dust on her palms and knees. I do not know. You are the idiot who knelt so forcefully and suddenly.

After a few seconds, Yo looked at the two men. Yo's face went back and forth between the two men. A while has passed before she stepped back. Pointing at the two men, a sly smile formed on her face. "Is the reason why I cannot join the two of you later is that you are going on a date while you look around the area? Is that it? You do not need to lie to me. I will keep it a secret if you want to. I know so many secret celebrity couples that I have never told the world about. There is no need to be afraid. I am an ally and a supporter of this relationship." Yo teased the two, forming a heart with her hands.

"No!" Mitsue shouted while Hiroto looked at him with his eyes wide open.

"You do not need to be shy. Just come clean already!" Yo continued, giving the two men finger hearts.

Mitsue turned to Hiroto.

"We are… not anything…" Hiroto shared as he still looked at the emergency response team leader.

"That ought to convince me. Hahahaha!" Yo commented, pointing at Hiroto.

Grabbing the hands of the two men, Yo interlocked them together. "Do not worry. Your secret is safe with me. You have my honor." What has gone into her head?

"We are not dating…" Mitsue re-emphasized, pulling away from Yo's hold.

"Sure… Whatever you say…" Yo replied, winking at Mitsue. This is hopeless. I give up. Let her think whatever she wants to think. It is not like she will spread this fake rumor. She said she will keep it a secret. I sure hope so because she is fucked if this shit spreads, especially if it reaches Kai. The world will be more annoying if that bastard "finds out" about this. Yo, if you love your life, I hope you keep your mouth shut about this.

"Anyway, since the two of you are done raking the ground so early in the morning, do you want to join me for a light jog. It will be great for your health! What do you say? But, if you prefer to do it alone…" Yo stopped, looking around before continuing, "…as a couple… I can stay at the back and be a witness to this blossoming relationship."

"I do not think so." Mitsue quickly answered.

"To the jog or letting me witness your love grow?" Yo asked.

"Both!" Mitsue fired back.

"That is a shame. However, I do understand why. It will be weird to have a third wheel around. You do not want to inconvenience me and at the same time make your Hiroto uncomfortable. I totally get it. No hard feelings!" Yo commented. That is not why I turned you down! How is this bitch this hyper early in the morning? She sure is imaginative!

"Goodbye." Hiroto remarked, gesturing with his hand to shoo away Yo.

"Oh, am I staying too long with you? Alright! I will give you two some space to be alone. I wish your relationship the best of luck! I will be off now and jog to my heart's content. Let's get physically active everyone! Hahahaha!" Yo shouted as she jogged away from the two. Yo is something else…

Immediately, Mitsue turned to Hiroto. "I am sorry about that. That must have made you uncomfortable." Mitsue apologized.

"Not really." Hiroto replied.

"Really?" Mitsue asked. I did not expect that at all.

"It is Yo we are talking about. Anything can come out of her mouth. I expected something far worse would come out from that conversation. Luckily, it was just that." Hiroto answered.

"You do not mind being mistaken as a couple with me?" Mitsue asked.

"No…" Hiroto answered, looking away from Mitsue. "Yo did say she will not share it with anyone. I think it will be safe to just let her think of us like that." I guess so… As long as he is okay with it, I guess I cannot complain that much about it.

"We should eat breakfast. Join the group with me for the meal." Hiroto shared.

"Sure. I think people are more comfortable with me now." Mitsue remarked, nodding his head.

"I will just go back to my cabin first and grab something first." Hiroto shared, pointing at his cabin.

"Go on ahead, I will have to take care of something as well. We can meet up in front of my cabin and go together if you want." Mitsue added.

"I am fine with that." Hiroto replied, nodding his head.

The two men agreed and went back to their cabins. Mitsue left his rake on his patio before entering his cabin. Then, he took a quick visit in the bathroom and fixed himself up. After a few minutes, Mitsue went back outside and stood by his mailbox and waited for Hiroto to come out of his cabin. A few seconds have passed and Hiroto finally came out. Spotting Mitsue, Hiroto went straight to him.

"I am sorry if it took me a while." Hiroto apologized.

"It is alright. Let's go." Mitsue remarked, waving his hand at Hiroto to follow him.

The two ultimates silently made their way to the dining hall. Neither one of them spoke as they walked alongside each other. However, there was no palpable tension between the two of them. No one was rushing to reach their destination. Both of them were at peace with making their way to the dining hall together. Unlike before when the two had an excruciating awkwardness with each other, they were completely fine to be with each other's company.

After a few seconds of tranquil strolling under the glorious warmth of the blazing sun, the two gentlemen have finally reached the dining hall. As soon as they reached the doors, Mitsue grabbed one of the doors and pushed it open. Still at the door, Mitsue gestured at Hiroto to go in first. After Hiroto entered the building, Mitsue soon followed closing the entryway. Both of them were welcomed by the silence of the almost vacant hall. The cool gust of wind from the ventilation system was the first thing that greeted them. Looking around the hall, they were greeted next by the anxious Kaito who was sitting alone at the spot the group normally eats at.

"Good morning…" Kaito greeted them with a weak smile and an unsure wave of a hand. I did not expect him to be here. I thought he would wait for the group to finish their breakfast first. And, from what happened to him yesterday, I guessed he was going to lock himself up again. What made him go out of his room? Well, whatever his reason is, I am glad to see him not isolate himself from the group. I just have to make sure to make him feel comfortable with everyone around.

Mitsue and Hiroto quickly walked to Kaito. Sitting next to each other, the two men sat down in front of Kaito. Once they were settled in, Mitsue waved hello to Kaito.

"Hi! You are up early today." Mitsue commented.

"I guess I am. But, it is not like I got any decent sleep from last night." Kaito remarked with his eyes lingering to the side.

"The trial haunted you in your dreams?" Mitsue asked.

"That is what has been running in my mind the past couple of hours. It is so exhausting trying to think of something else. I feel like I am going insane because every time my mind goes blank, it automatically goes back to yesterday's event. Because of that, I have been in and out of sleep. As you can probably see, I am a hot mess right now. I just want to stop thinking about it so that I can stop cowering in fear." Kaito shared, fidgeting with his hands. I feel sorry for him. It is not like anyone's trauma can go away that easily.

"I do not know how you are exactly feeling right now but I can relate with being plagued by the horror we went through yesterday." Mitsue shared, placing his hand on the astrophysicist's arm. "As soon as I woke up, the shit we went through yesterday kept replaying in my head. If it is not Naoki's corpse occupying my brain, Kaya's screams keep on replaying. It sucks to be trapped in that mind loop. To top it off, all I could think of are the problems of the group. I cannot stop worrying about you and Connor and Akari. Kai is basically a villain in my eyes now after the numerous times I cursed him in my brain. And, I feel like suffocating whenever I think of another murder that might happen. The day has not even started and I am already a train wreck."

"But you do not look like a mess. You look perfectly fine to me. Are you sure you are telling me the truth?" Kaito commented, raising his right eyebrow.

"I am. It is just that all of us deal with our problems differently. You have a visible mental breakdown while I keep my shit together until I cannot do anything anymore and it explodes in front of my face. It is because we have different experiences which helped us develop our coping mechanisms. Whatever coping mechanism a person has, they are still in a shitty situation. It does not really change anything." Mitsue described.

"I wish I can stop my breakdowns. I hate it so much for bothering other people. I feel like an annoyance whenever I have one. If only I could bottle up my feelings as you do, maybe I would not be as pathetic as I am right now. It sucks to be a wimp." Kaito added.

"Do not think like that. It is okay not to be okay. There are some things we cannot control. And, asking for help should not be something we are ashamed of. We should celebrate it instead because it means we recognize our problems and we are willing to work on them with guidance from others. It is not your fault you ended up being traumatized so do not act like you are the one to be blamed for everything you are going through." Mitsue continued.

"Thank you… I really needed to hear that. I know it will not be easy but I truly want to work on myself. I do not want to stay the same scaredy-cat that I am. I hope I will be able to conquer all of my problems and be free from the control of trauma. I want to live like nothing is holding me back anymore." Kaito shared.

"That is the spirit. I know you can do it. You have what it takes to push through despite your struggles. I hope that day will come soon." Mitsue commented, smiling at the astrophysicist.

"Me too… I hope I get to live like that one of these days." Kaito remarked, smiling back at the emergency response team leader. Kaito seems to be doing better. I hope he stays this way and nothing will ever derail him from this path of redemption. He does not deserve to go through another traumatic event. I do not think he will make it if he ever has an unfortunate encounter again.

Laughing at himself, Kaito turned to the runway model. "I am sorry Hiroto! You must have felt left out from that conversation. I did not mean to hog all of the attention."

"It did not bother me." Hiroto replied, glaring at Kaito. If it does not bother you, why are you still looking at Kaito like you are about to eat him? Can you give the poor man a break? He just opened his heart to us and you are like Cyclops from X-men, your stare looks like laser beams will come out any second to kill Kaito.

Out of nowhere, Mitsue elbowed Hiroto.

"What?" Hiroto's death glare vanished as he turned to Mitsue.

"Stop glaring at him. You looked like you were seconds away from chopping off the guy's fucking head. Why do you always glare at Kaito?" Mitsue asked.

"Was I glaring at him?" Hiroto asked.

"You were not aware that you were? How incredible you can be that clueless!" Mitsue commented, smiling at Hiroto as pointed at the model's face.

"How was I glaring at him?" Hiroto asked monotonously.

"You were like this." Mitsue shouted before mimicking Hiroto. The emergency response team leader stared at Hiroto as he embodied the model's deadly gaze. Creasing his forehead and furrowing his eyebrows, Mitsue was only focused on Hiroto. You should know how it feels like to be at the receiving end of your glares. This might help you determine what not to do when looking at someone. Seriously, it is like you only have three facial expressions. There is the stoic "I do not give a fuck" face, the infamous death glare, and the rare majestic smile.

"Okay. I will try not to do it again on Kaito." Hiroto remarked, blankly staring at Mitsue.

"That is great to hear." Mitsue commented, nodding his head.

"By the way, how long do you plan to hold Kaito's arm?" Hiroto asked as he stared at the ceiling. Hold what?

Immediately, Mitsue and Kaito pulled away their arms from each other.

"Sorry about that!" Mitsue apologized to Kaito.

"It is alright. I did not really mind it until Hiroto pointed it out." Kaito replied, looking at the runway model.

Slapping Hiroto's back, Mitsue asked, "What were you trying to do with that question?"

"Nothing." Hiroto turned to Mitsue, staring straight at Mitsue's eyes.

"Bullshit Hiroto!" Mitsue remarked.

"Think whatever you want to think of it. It does not really matter to me." Hiroto shared, still stoically facing Mitsue.

As the two men stared at each other, Kaito broke out in laughter. Immediately, the sound of Kaito trying to stop himself broke the two men's eye contact. Mitsue and Hiroto stared at Kaito in confusion. What is the matter with him? Did we say something funny?

"Why are you laughing?" Mitsue asked.

"The two of you looked like a great pair! The thought of it was freaking hilarious. I am so sorry for laughing at you two. I cannot help myself." Kaito answered.

"A great pair?" Hiroto asked.

"To be honest, you two are an unlikely duo. One is a man of burning temper while the other is ice cold. You complement each other. If I had not known that you have only met days ago, I would have mistaken the two of you as long-time best friends. It is crazy to think that you two are the least approachable people on this island back then. It is nice to see you two get along quite well." Kaito commented, resting his right cheek on his hand.

"Best friends?" Hiroto asked. We do get along well these past few days. It is probably because we have spent so much time together raking the leaves early in the morning. And, we have shared a lot of things. With all of that time, it is not hard to think that we have grown comfortable with each other. At least that is how I feel towards him. I do not know what this man beside me is thinking. It is so difficult to read his mind. I hope he does not mind it because I certainly do not.

"The two of you have changed the past couple of days. Mitsue still has his temper but it feels like you have more control over it. It is nice you do not pick fights with anyone and end up using violence. Hiroto on the other hand is still as cold as ice to everyone but it is nice to see that you can be warm to people like Mitsue. It is great to see you having petty fights with Mitsue and, on rare occasions, smile." Kaito brought it up.

"I am not fighting with Mitsue. I never fought him." Hiroto commented. He does not consider what just happened between the two of us as a fight?

"It does not matter. As long as you are able to talk to someone, it shows you have changed." Kaito added

"Did I really change that much? I certainly do not feel like it." Mitsue asked, pointing at himself.

"That is because it is hard to notice changes in one's self. You do not see what other people see. Trust me when I say you have changed." Kaito reassured Mitsue. If people say I have changed, maybe that is true. I do not have any opinion about changing. However, if people like the person I am changing to be, I guess I am on the right track. As long as everyone is happy with who I am turning into, that is all I can really ask for. I hope I will be able to help more people this way.

Mitsue was about to add on to Kaito's remark when the doors of the dining hall suddenly swooshed open. The loud push of the door echoed through the loud vicinity of the hall grabbing the attention of the three men sitting inside engaging in meaningful conversations as they waited for people to arrive. Hearing the loud thud, the three boys turned around to see who has forcefully opened the doors. As soon as they saw the face of the person behind the unexpected bang, it immediately made sense to them what happened.

At the entryway was Yo with her arms stretched out from opening the door with all of her might. Behind her were two other women who do not necessarily match the energy Yo has. On Yo's right was the docile Mizuki with her hands behind her back. To their left was Otoha who was looking weirdly at the fan club president. Taking the spotlight, Yo strutted her way to the men, brimming with confidence. Once she was in front of the lads, Yo sat beside Kaito.

"Hello boys!" Yo greeted the three men.

"Good morning Yo…" Kaito greeted with his eyes wandering somewhere else.

"Hello Hiroto and Mitsue! It has not been long since we met earlier." Yo turned to the two men in front of her, giving them a suspicious wink. She is not going to drop that, is she?

"Hello Yo. You seem to be full of energy for someone who had just jogged around the island. Are you sure you did not hit your head on a rock on your way back?" Mitsue greeted.

"Do not worry about me! I am perfectly fine! I did not trip or anything. I just feel rejuvenated after taking in the beautiful scenery this island has to offer. After seeing the wonders of this island, I feel ready to take on the day. No matter what life will throw at me, I will be prepared to face it head-on. There is something about today that makes me want to spread love and happiness. Do you ever get that feeling?" Yo shared, tilting her head as she stared at the three men. Does she think she is some sort of fairy godmother? In what realm is her consciousness at right now? There is a lot of disconnect between her words and the reality we are in. I love optimism but this is just kind of bordering crazy.

"I do not know what you mean." Kaito remarked. Same thoughts.

"That is too bad. One day, I am sure you will wake up and know how it feels when you and the day are already entwined together. It is the best mood to wake up in to start another amazing day!" Yo shared, slamming her hand on the table. Seeing you like this, I do not think I want to know how it feels to be one with the day as soon as I wake up. It is kind of scary.

"As always, Yo is full of energy. What else can we expect from our wacky lady." Otoha commented, sitting down beside Mitsue. Mizuki soon followed as she sat down beside Yo.

"At least one of us is still full of happiness despite… yesterday. I hope we can learn from her positivity." Mizuki remarked, nodding her head.

"Good morning Otoha and Mizuki!" Mitsue greeted the two, nodding at them.

"Good morning to you too as well as to Hiroto and Kaito." Otoha replied, waving her hand to the other two men.

Hiroto simply nodded.

"Hello Otoha…" Kaito greeted the dollmaker.

"It is nice to see you join us for a meal. You did not join us for lunch or dinner yesterday. I am sure you have quite an appetite to fill today. What do you want for breakfast? I will take note of it when I come up with what we are going to eat for today." Otoha asked, leaning towards the astrophysicist.

"I am not really craving for anything. Maybe a sausage will be nice. I do not know really. You can just go ahead and cook whatever you think is best for the group. I will eat whatever you cook for us." Kaito answered.

Then, the dollmaker turned to Mitsue. "What about you? Do you want anything in particular?"

"A sunny-side-up egg will be nice with sausage. What do you think?" Mitsue answered.

"Oooh! Splendid choice!" Otoha shouted.

"So, we now have toast from Mizuki, bacon from Yo, sausage from Kaito, and egg from Mitsue. How about Hiroto? Do you have anything you want to add to that?" Otoha asked.

Hiroto shook his head.

"Not a picky eater. If that is the case, why don't I make an English-style breakfast for everyone since it has everything all of you suggested? Does that sound good to all of you?" Otoha asked.

"That sounds amazing! I cannot wait for the baked beans and the hash browns and the mushrooms and the tomatoes! This is going to be one of the best breakfasts yet! It will be a scrumpt-dilly-dump-tious meal! And, everything you make is instantly twice better than it originally tastes! I am so excited to dig in the food. I could already smell the dishes!" Yo exclaimed, showing two thumbs-up to Otoha.

"I am glad to hear that. It seems like today's cooking of breakfast will be tough but I am sure it will be worth it once all of you dig into it!" Otoha remarked, smiling at the group.

"Are our requests too much for you? It sounds like it will be a difficult cook." Mizuki asked.

"It is a lot to cook alone but I think I will be able to manage on my own." Otoha answered.

"I hope God will bless you for all that you have done for us. Praise the Lord for giving us an angel like you during these tough times!" Mizuki remarked, grabbing Otoha's right hand.

"Oh, stop it. I am just trying to help the team as much as I can." Otoha shared.

"But you do deserve to be complimented. You have tremendously helped the group since day one. Even though I have not been around all the time, I can see how much your help is vital to the group. Just take it. It is not like our words are that valuable for you to be embarrassed to receive. Otoha, you have done well for the group." Mitsue added.

"Thank you, Mitsue. That means a lot coming from you." Otoha replied, looking at Mitsue.

"So, do you need any extra hand in cooking? I can help you out! Believe it or not but I know how to cook!" Yo shouted, flexing her arms. "I got these guns from rolling out dough. What do you say, will you let me be your minion for the time being?" I think I remember Yo mention she is kind of the maid of her family. She does every chore including cooking. I guess she might be handy in the kitchen but I do not think she will be organized enough to help out Otoha.

"It is not that I do not trust you but I think you can help me better in other tasks. But, thank you for the offer." Otoha turned down Yo.

"Okay then." Yo rested her face on the table.

"But I do know someone who might be able to help me…" Otoha turned to Mitsue.

"Me?" Mitsue asked, pointing to himself.

"Yup! You are great in the kitchen and I miss cooking with you. What do you say? Want to help me cook for everyone again?" Otoha asked.

"I do not know… Maybe you can ask someone else." Mitsue answered. It is not that I do not want to help her. It is just that based on what has happened so far, I do not think my cooking for everyone will be welcomed by everybody. Considering I poisoned Kia from my cooking, I am sure someone will doubt whatever I serve them. I do not want anyone to skip a meal just because of me.

"That is disappointing to hear. I really wanted to cook alongside you again." Otoha commented.

Out of nowhere, Yo chuckled as she raised her head from the table. Leaning towards Otoha, Yo slyly smiled at the dollmaker. "Otoha, is this your way of trying to rekindle the old flame you had for Mitsue? I did not think you will take the initiative to do so. I am thoroughly impressed! You go girl!"

"Old flame?" Hiroto asked.

"You know, Otoha's previous crush on Mitsue!" Yo answered.

"Yo! That has passed already! Stop bringing it up!" Otoha shouted at Yo.

"Has it though?" Yo asked.

"I do not see Mitsue like that anymore. I just see him as an acquaintance. That is all. And regardless of that, I will not do anything to Mitsue knowing I am not of his preferred kind. I do not want to force myself on him. It will be disrespectful." Otoha remarked.

"Oh, I almost forgot about that. Akari told us you are gay. Is that really true?" Kaito asked.

"Yes, I am gay. I am also out of the closet. I just never told anyone on this island because no one asked me about it and I did not think it was necessary. I just want to get those things out of the way before anyone asks me about all of this stuff." Mitsue shared.

"How did you know you are gay?" Yo asked.

"I do not really know. Growing up, I just knew I do not like women and preferred men over them. I never dated anyone from both sexes but it was clear to me I do not feel anything when I see beautiful women compared to men. It is like one of those 'The wind whispered to my ear that I was gay.' sort of thing. Does that make sense?" Mitsue answered.

"It does! I know what you mean by that! It is like you just woke up and had clarity." Yo remarked.

"It sounds great that you can live your life freely. Not many have the liberty to do so." Otoha shared.

"Is anyone else here part of the LGBT+ community that we do not know of?" Kaito asked the group.

"I am!" Yo raised her hand. "I am asexual which means I do not feel anything sexually towards other people. I like looking at statuesque, model-like beauties but that is pretty much all I want to do when I see them. I do like hugs but nothing beyond that if you know what I mean. Hihihihi!" I would have never thought she would be like that.

"Is there anyone else who wants to share their truth? Do not worry! This is a no-judgment zone." Otoha reassured everyone.

"I am bisexual. I think everyone knows what that means so I do not think I need to explain what I am to all of you." Hiroto shared, staring at the table.

Before anyone could react or add on to Hiroto's revelation, the doors of the hall loudly swung open again. As soon as the doors swayed, light from the outside raced into the hall lighting a path for the person who has made a loud statement as an entrance. Once the doors were pushed all the way, the man responsible for the attention-grabbing entry stood in the middle of the doorway. With his right hand akimbo and his left hand pointing at the group, Kai greeted the group.

"It looks like you were having a beautiful coming out party and you did not even think of inviting me to join the fun. I wonder why you did not look for me and include me in all the fun! So, did I miss anyone else's coming out?" Kai remarked, raising his right eyebrow. We were having an amazing moment and then this fucker walks in. He really has the aptitude to ruin everything even if he does not mean to. I could only think of him as a walking pop-up ad. You just never know when they will appear but it will surely annoy the heck out of you once they do.

The drama writer made his way to the group. Tailing him was Kaoru who is inexplicably in a bad mood. The aromatherapist walked in with a creased forehead, furrowed eyebrows, focused glare, and a continuous mumbling under his breath. Kaoru's eyes never went away from Kai even when the little boy sat down beside his leader, Mizuki. Kai, on the other hand, sat down beside Otoha which made him sit across the bothered Kaoru. I guess Kaoru was Kai's first victim of the day. I have never seen him this pressed. I wonder what Kai did to make his blood boil.

"So, other than our gay emergency response team leader and our bisexual runway model, did I miss anyone else's coming out? Should I know someone else's gender here? Come on now. Do not be shy. It is just me trying to know the truth." Kai asked the group.

"I am asexual." Yo exclaimed, pointing at herself.

"Oh! Interesting. I did not peg you as one. If anything, I thought you were going to come out as non-binary because of your out-of-the-box perspective. What made you reject sexual attraction? Did anything embarrassing happen to you that traumatized you into becoming one?" Kai asked.

"Nothing like that happened to me. I just knew I am that. It is that simple." Yo answered, tilting her head as she looked at the drama writer.

"Hmm…" Kai suddenly turned to Otoha. "What about you? Are you hiding any secret from us?"

"I am not a part of their community but I do think of myself as an ally. As an ally, I think this is very inappropriate of you to use people's gender identity and sexuality to tease them. It is not easy for anyone to accept their true selves and proudly tell the world about it. This childish behavior undermines the courage they mustered to proudly share it and it must be stopped. There is nothing amusing about bullying people for who they are. Kai, there are some boundaries we should never cross. I suggest you watch the next words you will speak." Otoha politely clapped back, simply smiling through it.

"Oh wow, I am scared! At least I do not mean most of what I say. Everything I say is only meant to trigger someone. Nothing more, nothing less. Unlike some of the people here, they preach hate for Mitsue's kind. And even if they deny it, all they could offer is tolerance which in my opinion is worse because it is being fake." Kai added, staring at Mizuki.

"Are you talking about my leader?" Kaoru asked.

"Are you talking about my leader?" Kai mocked Kaoru. "Who do you think here has the belief system that I just described? Sometimes, use your brain. Do not just rely on your leader to think for you. Remember what I told you on our way here? You have your own brain so use it."

"You keep on talking down on Mizuki the moment you saw me! Can you just stop disparaging her? Your insults are a waste of air! Instead of using your brain for coming up with baseless criticisms, why do you not use it for something more useful like supporting her to help the group?" Kaoru shouted.

"First of all, I do not need to support her to help the group. I can help the group in my own twisted way. Second of all, none of my criticisms are baseless. They are all based on what I have seen which is a lackluster showing as a leader. You cannot persuade me to change my mind. After all, your words are as good as rubbish because you are blinded by her. And lastly, if you do not believe me, go ask her about her opinion about the LGBT community. Let her prove me wrong." Kai pointed out, ending with gesturing to Mizuki.

Everyone waited for Mizuki's comment. After a few seconds, Mizuki finally spoke up. "I cannot say I approve of their lifestyle since it is against my beliefs. However, I will not go out of my way and demonize them and make them feel less of a person than anyone else. I think it is cruel if I just air out my opinions when no one asked for it."

"But, you will be willing to pray to your God to change them. You will silently disapprove of the person and hope that they will be magically swayed to adhere to your principles. You expect people to agree that your belief is the universal standard. In short, you will pray the gay away." Kai asked.

"I do not think it is right to call it praying the gay away. I would say I ask God to guide them. I believe my religion is the universal standard but I am decent enough not to call out people in public for practicing activities I personally do not agree with because I think that it is not helpful and only causes unnecessary drama. I am as respectful of other people's beliefs as I am hoping other people will respect mine. Regardless of religion, unwanted opinion is still an unwanted opinion. It is neither needed nor helpful to anyone." Mizuki answered.

"In short, you do not shame these people face to face but you go on to your televised preaching and scare people into denying who they are. That sounds like an admirable leader, do you not agree Kaoru?" Kai turned to Kaoru.

Kaoru's anger was showing on his face. No one has ever seen Kaoru glare so intensely at someone before. His hands curled into fists as he ground his molars. Tapping his right foot repeatedly, tension began to rise.

Unlike Kaoru, Kai was as cool as ice. He rested his arms on the table and placed his chin on it as he stared at the fuming aromatherapist. With a smile that can irritate anyone, Kai locked eyes at Kaoru. The drama writer did not change position and winked at the little man several times, taunting Kaoru to have a go at him.

After a few seconds, Kai remarked, "Are you going to hit my pretty face?"

"Do not listen to him. Do not let him aggravate you." Mizuki whispered, placing her hand on Kaoru's shoulder.

"You are lucky my leader is merciful." Kaoru declared.

"Or what? You were going to punch me? Do you really think I am scared of your knuckles?" Kai acted scared.

"If I were you, I would be scared. Do you not remember Kaoru's secret from the first motive?" Otoha asked.

"What secret?" Kai asked.

"He knocked out a pedophile with a single punch. Even though he is a tiny guy, he has the power to knock out someone who is as twice as large as he is. Consider yourself lucky that Mizuki stopped Kaoru or you would have seen stars after a single punch. You have to worry about more than just a massive black eye." Otoha reminded the drama writer.

"Thank you for not resorting to violence." Kai half-heartedly shouted. "Whatever! It does not change my opinion on Mizuki as a leader. She is a terrible one and the group is better off without her leading it. All she did was follow Naoki and Kaya's lead. The only thing she ever did on her own was to push through with the party and look at what happened to that. Everything she has done has only led us to the mess we are in."

Suddenly, the drama writer stood up and went to the vending machine. Pressing a button, he continued. "If you come up with something to prove me wrong, just find me and I will listen. But now that I have my fill of drama for the morning, I will bounce. Goodbye folks!" Kai waved goodbye to everyone as he reached down the machine to grab his snacks. After a few seconds, the drama writer left the hall. He sure knows how to dampen the mood. However, I do not totally disagree with everything he had to say. He made some valid points. But, I am curious why is he only pointing this out now? He could have said something about this a long time ago.

"Anyway, I should prepare our English-style breakfast. I am sure some of you are already hungry from all of that unnecessary fighting." Otoha smilingly stated, standing up.

"Can I help out?" Mizuki asked.

"Sure!" Otoha nodded. Then, she turned to the group, "We will get going so we can eat already." The two ladies left and went to the kitchen. The four silent men were left at the mercy of Yo's untiring mouth. Can someone else other than Yo talk?

---

It was one in the afternoon and the remote island is basking under the intense shine of the glorious sun. The sky was a clear azure blue with feathery cirrus clouds passing by. Normally, days like this would mean torture for the campers due to the prickly heat from the sun. Some would liken it to being roasted alive in an oven. Fortunately for them, a strong sea breeze would travel through the island cooling off anything it passes by. With its push, the gust of wind rustles the branches of the trees and the heads of bushes. It would lift leaves and carry them to a different destination.

For most of the campers, it was a no-brainer to choose to stay indoors where they are protected from the scorching heat and can lounge around and enjoy the cold air from the air-conditioning units. Free from the strenuous demands of the island, they plan to enjoy the afternoon on their own. However, there were some that were under the harsh rays of the sun. They were either going around the island to look for something to pass time with or patiently waiting for someone.

Standing at the gateway to the new area, Mitsue stood silently as he looked around and anticipate Hiroto's arrival. Looking at his monopad, Mitsue let out a sharp exhale. I think he is not coming. He should be here by now. Usually, he is on time. I guess something more important must have come up. I better go on if I want to finish this search quickly. I am kind of disappointed. I wish he told me something about it so that I did not have to wait for him like an idiot. Well, it is not like I can do anything. I should get a move on.

As Mitsue was about to step into the new area, someone suddenly shouted from behind him. "Wait!" Who was that?

The emergency response team leader turned around and saw Hiroto running towards him. The runway model was sweating bullets as he rushed towards Mitsue. Once he was close enough he stopped to catch his breath. He came and he ran! I never saw him dash like that. He is usually as cool as a cucumber. He just strolls around no matter what was happening. That was an interesting sight to behold. What happened to him? What got him late? And more importantly, what made him run like a mad man?

"You are late." Mitsue stated, staring at Hiroto.

"I am sorry…" Hiroto barely made any sense from panting.

"Why are you late?" Mitsue asked, crossing his arms.

"Yo! She will not let me go. She kept on following me insisting to join us. No matter how many times I turned her down, she will not give up. I just did not want her to come with me so I had to lose her. Once she looked away from me, I ran away as quickly as I could to lose her. The persistent ones are truly the most troublesome people. They do not know when to give up. I do not want that when we tour around the area." Hiroto shared. So it was Yo after all. He hated the idea of being with Yo so much that he went all out just to lose her. That is some serious determination. I wonder what Yo specifically did to him to make him hate her presence.

"Good job for losing her. You are lucky you caught me before going inside. I was about to leave before you called out for me." Mitsue shared.

"I know. I saw you. Again, I am sorry for being late." Hiroto replied.

"Let's go! We have so much to look around and see." Mitsue shared, gesturing to Hiroto to follow him.

The runway model made his way to Mitsue's side before the two of them began their walk to the unknown area. As they were walking quietly side by side, the two men quickly found a new place to search for. Seeing this, the two of them did not waste any second to check it out. Mitsue and Hiroto made their way to a wide area that is fenced with white wooden planks. The only way to get inside was through the white wooden gate. Inside the fenced area were several black and white boxes with Monokuma's signature red eye painted on their lids. The boxes made up ten rows with fifteen boxes within each row. What are these boxes? I have never seen boxes like this before.

Once entering the area, the two men approached one of these boxes. We should be careful when opening these boxes. We never know what is inside it. It might be a trap Monokuma has set up. I cannot risk Hiroto's safety.

"Get back. I will open it." Mitsue ordered Hiroto.

Hiroto simply nodded as he took a few steps back. Once Hiroto was far enough, Mitsue carefully placed his hand on the lid. It does not feel like it is locked. I can quickly open this. I hope nothing jumps out. Counting down to himself from three, Mitsue prepared for whatever the box may contain. When he finally reached one, he opened the lid and threw it on the ground. I am still alive. Nothing went off. Nothing came out of the box. That is a relief!

"You were worried for nothing." Hiroto commented.

"It is better safe than sorry." Mitsue replied.

Once they knew it was safe, the two men walked back to the box and took a peek. In an instant, Mitsue knew what was inside. These are honeycombs. What are these doing in the middle of an island? Mitsue grabbed one of the panels that contained a large chunk of honeycomb and showed it to Hiroto.

"What is that?" Hiroto asked.

"You are looking at a fresh honeycomb." Mitsue answered as the viscous honey trickled down to the ground. "And, this box is a beehouse which makes this whole area a bee farm. We are standing in a bee farm."

"A bee farm? But, where are the bees?" Hiroto asked.

"I do not know." Mitsue answered. There should be bees around here somewhere. There is no way this honeycomb would exist without bees. It is that fresh. There is plenty of honey. However, I do not see any swarm of bees near us. I do not even hear one. Where are they? Did they leave this farm and migrated somewhere else? But, that does not explain this fresh honeycomb. What is going on here?

"Look, there is a shed over there." Hiroto pointed out.

Putting back the honeycomb, Mitsue replied, "We should check it out."

The two men quickly made their way to the shed next to the farm. The shed was small and rickety. The door is only hanging by one hinge. The roof had a huge hole. And, it looked like only one person would fit. We have another poorly maintained shed. I wonder what this one will have for us. I hope nothing too dangerous. Mitsue grabbed the door handle and pulled it open. Unexpectedly, the door fell off from the single hinge it was attached to. Oh shit! It broke on me! I did not even pull it that forcefully. This shed is on the verge of falling apart.

"You broke it." Hiroto commented, pointing at the door.

"I know. There is no need to tell me." Mitsue replied, putting down the door on the ground.

Once Mitsue has put the door aside, the pair took a peek at what was inside. The first thing they noticed was the dusty suits hanging inside. Below it was boots and gloves stuffed inside it. There were also these huge hats with nets hanging off their rim. These are beekeeping suits. They must have been used by the previous caretaker of the farm. It looks like it has been a while since these have been touched. Where did the caretaker of this farm go? Did they leave with the bees?

"I wonder where its past user is." Mitsue commented.

After that, the two looked around and saw that there was nothing left to discover. Eventually, they moved on with their search. As they were walking, Mitsue spotted two familiar figures ahead of them. Squinting to get a clearer view, Mitsue pointed at the two people in front of them. Aren't those Connor and Kaito? Are they looking around the area together as well?

"Those are Connor and Kaito, right?" Mitsue asked Hiroto, pointing at the two people in front of them.

"Yes. Why?" Hiroto asked.

"Do you want us to join them?" Mitsue asked.

"No." Hiroto answered.

"Why not? Are you not that fond of their company as well?" Mitsue asked.

"It is not like that… I just want this search to be as peaceful as possible. And, I do not want to bother them. They did not invite us after all. If they wanted us to come, they would have asked us to join them, especially Connor." Hiroto answered.

"You have a point. I guess we should just let them be." Mitsue nodded in agreement.

Suddenly, as the two were walking, Kaito, who was in front of them, waved at them. I guess they have spotted us. Should we run towards them? Mitsue looked at Hiroto as the runway model who was taking a deep breath while looking straight ahead. What does Hiroto want to do? It does not look like he is in a rush to join them. I will just match his pace. It would be awkward if I start running and I accidentally leave him behind. I am sure Hiroto will not be a big fan of that.

Mitsue and Hiroto continued walking at a controlled pace while Connor and Kaito stopped to wait for the two. Eventually, the four men reunited. Out of the four, the first to greet was Kaito.

"Hello! Are you also looking around the new place?" Kaito asked.

"We are. We just came from the abandoned bee farm. How about you two? Where have you been so far?" Mitsue answered.

"That is the only place we have visited so far." Kaito answered.

"I see…" Mitsue commented. The emergency response team leader could not help himself but look at Connor. He is smiling but he does not have the same aura as before. This time, his smile feels forced. I wonder what has gotten into him. He has been like this since yesterday.

"Connor, have you eaten already? You did not join us for breakfast and lunch." Mitsue asked.

"Oh! I already did! This man over here made sure I ate before going to this expedition." Connor answered, putting his arm around Kaito.

"I told him to eat before we leave." Kaito shared.

"That is good to hear. If anything is bothering you, you can share with us your problem." Mitsue reminded Connor.

"Do not worry about me, bro! This is nothing. My mind is just preoccupied with a lot of things. I will be back to normal soon enough. Sorry if I made all of you worried. Yesterday was just a lot that it has sucked the life out of me." Connor remarked, patting Mitsue on the shoulder.

"If you say so…" Mitsue commented. Something is going on with Connor. I hope he does not bottle up everything as I do. Out of the four of us, I thought he would be the one who will find it easy to share their problems with other people. He is outgoing enough to ask for help. But, people are different when they are plagued with a problem. I hope he reaches out for help. It does not feel right to see him less lively than he normally is.

"I have an idea! Since we have only seen the same place, why don't we just group up together? It will be more fun to look around when there are more of us! What do you guys say?" Connor remarked.

"I am okay with that." Mitsue answered. Then, he quickly turned to Hiroto who was looking at him.

"Okay…" Hiroto answered, sighing without breaking eye contact with Mitsue. I thought for a second he will turn down the idea. That was a relief to hear.

"Awesome! Me and my bros are going on a tour together! This will be fun!" Connor shouted, pumping his right fist in the air. That is the Connor I know. I hope he stays this way throughout the entire trip. Although I am not always a fan of his outgoing nature, it is better to see him brimming with energy than sulking in his room on his own.

"What are we waiting for? Let us get a move on! There are so many to be discovered!" Connor added, putting his arms around Kaito and Hiroto.

"Connor, your arms are heavy." Kaito commented, tapping on the saxophonist's hand.

"Oh, sorry about that!" Connor remarked, putting his hand away from the two men.

Hiroto was simply glaring at Connor and Kaito the whole time.

"Let's go!" Mitsue shouted as he walked forward. Hiroto immediately caught up with Mitsue to walk beside the emergency response team leader.

The four of them continued with their search. With Connor among them, the group did not have a dull moment. The silence was nowhere to be found. Connor kept on bringing up random topics with Kaito continuously engaging with him. In rare moments, Mitsue would add to the conversation. The only one who did not share anything was the always tight-lipped Hiroto. However, that did not matter for the other three men. All of them continued with their talks until they eventually found a new place.

In front of the men was a huge vegetable garden filled with various vegetables. The garden was fenced with wooden planks painted in beige. It had rows of different vegetables such as ruby red cherry tomatoes, plump pumpkins, gorgeous squashes, peas of different varieties, carrots, potatoes, beetroots, taros, and gingers. Each row had wooden signages erected in front of it containing the name of the row of the plant behind it. In the corner is a wheelbarrow filled with manure and a trowel on top sticking out of it. Beside the garden were chicken coops filled with hay. Each coop also contained a stainless steel bowl of water and a large rectangular plastic container filled with yellow feeds.

"Is this some sort of mini-farm?" Kaito commented.

"Look at those tomatoes! They look delicious!" Connor pointed out.

"It looks well-maintained. Who took care of all of these vegetables the whole time we were here?" Mitsue asked as he leaned on the fence. We have an empty bee farm filled with fresh honeycomb. Now, we have a healthy vegetable garden ready to be harvested and clean chicken coops that have no chickens. Who is behind all of this? And, where are all the animals?

"Whoever they are, they have one hell of a skill in gardening." Connor remarked, nodding his head.

"Look at that!" Kaito pointed at the huge building near the garden.

"We should check it out." Mitsue suggested, walking towards the mysterious building. The three men quickly followed.

As soon as they were in front of the building, they immediately noticed something.

"This looks the same with the garage of carts." Kaito commented.

"If it is, in fact, a garage again, a button to open the door should be around here somewhere." Mitsue narrated as he looked to the side of the building. After a few seconds, he spotted buttons that were similar to what the garage of carts near the lake has. Here it is.

Immediately, Mitsue pushed the button. In an instant, the corrugated door slowly rose and revealed what was inside. The first thing that caught the group's eye was the small, intensely dark forest green roofless tractor parked inside. Beside it was a table of various tools for fixing the tractor. Behind the vehicle were several spare tires stacked on top of each other.

"We now have a tractor as well?" Kaito commented as he walked up to the vehicle.

"It looks like it has not been used in a while." Mitsue inferred as he looked at the clean tires.

"This must have been used to make the beautiful garden outside." Connor added.

"I wonder if we can drive it…" Mitsue whispered to himself.

Standing beside Mitsue was Hiroto. "I found the key lying on the table. Do you want to try it?" Hiroto shared, handing the key to Mitsue.

"Let us give it a try." Mitsue remarked, snatching the key from Hiroto.

Free of hesitation, Mitsue sat inside the tractor. Then, he looked for a keyhole. There it is. Afterward, he placed the key and started the ignition. After a few tries, the tractor was finally operating. The tractor still has fuel. Eventually, he pulled out the key and turned off the tractor. Once the tractor stopped running, he jumped off the vehicle and landed beside Hiroto.

"That was so cool! Why did you not go for a test drive?" Connor asked.

"It is a waste of time. It is a tractor after all. There is nothing thrilling about driving one. It is as slow as a snail. We should just move on with our search. It does not seem like we will find anything new in here." Mitsue suggested to the group.

The three men agreed and followed Mitsue's lead. After closing the garage, the four men continued with their search. After walking for minutes under the intense heat of the sun, they finally found a new place to look around. Near the base of a hill was a simple wooden shed with a tap and a hose outside. Unlike the shed at the bee farm, the shed seemed to be in good condition. And, it is larger than the one on the bee farm.

"What is a shed doing here?" Mitsue asked.

The four men walked towards it with Mitsue opening the door. As soon as they stepped inside, they knew what the shed was for.

"Every gardening tool you can imagine is inside this shed. Trowels of different sizes, shovels, garden shears of different lengths, rakes of different widths, wheelbarrows of different storage capacities…" Kaito pointed out.

A lot of dangerous tools… I am guessing Monokuma wants us to be inspired by this place to plan a murder. I should keep an eye out for this place. Once a tool goes missing such as those garden shears and machetes go missing, that means someone is on the move to kill. We cannot afford that to happen. That will never happen on my watch!

"Other than gardening tools, there is nothing much in here." Connor shared, grabbing one of the tiny rakes.

"We should get out of here and continue looking around somewhere else." Mitsue suggested.

After a few seconds, the group went out of the shed and was once again greeted by the harsh sunlight. As soon as Mitsue stepped out, he noticed something not far away from them. Turning to his companions, Mitsue pointed at the huge dark hole at the base of the hill. "Did anyone notice that hole when we first came here? I do not recall seeing it. Did it just pop out of nowhere?" Mitsue asked the group.

"It must have been hidden by those huge boulders from our plane of sight." Hiroto answered, pointing at the pile of rocks near the mysterious opening.

"It looks ominous! Let's check it out!" Connor shouted, grabbing Kaito with him as he walked towards the hole.

Mitsue and Hiroto soon followed.

"What do you think is inside the hole?" Mitsue asked.

"I have no idea. Probably a tunnel through the hill?" Hiroto guessed.

"That sounds like a great guess." Mitsue commented as he carefully made his way to the hole on a downward path.

"What about-" Hiroto was about to ask Mitsue when he suddenly slipped.

Instinctively, Mitsue reached out his hands and quickly took a hold of the runway model. Lucky for Hiroto, Mitsue was able to catch him before he hit his head on the rock just beneath his head.

"That was close. You could have had a concussion or worse, a cracked skull." Mitsue commented, looking at the rock below Hiroto.

After a few seconds, Mitsue's eyes wandered back to Hiroto. "Are you alright?" Mitsue asked.

Looking straight at Mitsue's eyes, Hiroto simply nodded.

"That is a relief. Let me help you stand up." Mitsue remarked, letting out a sigh. Afterward, he gently positioned Hiroto to stand up again.

"Thank you…" Hiroto mumbled while staring at the ground.

"It was nothing." Mitsue patted Hiroto on the shoulder.

Putting his hands around his mouth, Mitsue shouted at the two men who were way ahead of them, "Be careful! The path is muddy! Don't slip and hit your head on your way down!"

Connor raised his hand showing a thumbs-up.

"Let's follow them." Mitsue grabbed Hiroto's hand, guiding the model to descend to the opening carefully.

After a few minutes of taking their time to reach the opening, the four men finally reached the hole.

"What took you so long?" Kaito asked.

"Hiroto slipped and almost cracked his skull open." Mitsue pointed at the runway model.

"But you saved him." Connor commented.

"In the nick of time…" Mitsue added.

"That is the ultimate emergency response team leader for you." Kaito commented.

"Have you looked around already?" Mitsue asked, walking towards the hole.

"Yeah, we have. Kaito says it looks like an abandoned mine." Connor shared. An abandoned mine? Interesting…

Mitsue took a quick glance and noticed what the hole contained. The men stood on a cliff which was a couple of feet above the deepest surface in the cave which contained several glimmering precious stones. There was a minecart in front of them. It was sitting on a track that stretched beyond the cliff. Beside the track were a lever and a red button. Other than the shiny stones below, there was no other source of light. Because of this, the mine was dim.

I wonder if this minecart still works. Mitsue grabbed the lever and pulled it down. Looking around, Mitsue searched the cave to see if something has changed after pulling the lever. To his disappointment, everything stayed the same. Maybe the button will do something… The next thing Mitsue did was press the button. Just like with the lever, nothing changed. This mine has no source of power. It is completely abandoned.

"There is nothing more to see here." Mitsue declared, turning to the three men. "We should get going. Be careful on your way up."

The four of them went out of the mine and went back to the gardening tools shed.

"Where should we go next?" Kaito asked.

"Let's try trekking up that small hill." Mitsue pointed at the hill in front of them.

"Sounds like an adventure! I am down for it!" Connor shouted, cracking his knuckles.

"This is going to be tiring!" Kaito mumbled under his breath.

The four of them began the daunting task to walk up the small hill. The hill was clear and did not have many plants growing. There were still flowers that can be spotted growing but there was not a lot to see on the hill. After a few minutes of walking uphill, the group finally reached its peak. From where they were standing, they could see the whole new area. This area is more of a meadow compared to the two other accessible areas. There are not many trees. The view on this hill has to be the most scenic thing on this island. It is breathtaking!

"Mitsue, look at that! There is a huge field of flowers down there! We should check it out!" Kaito pointed out, placing his hand on Mitsue's shoulder.

Not far from the field of flowers, Mitsue also spotted a greenhouse nearby. We should check that out as well.

"Let's go." Mitsue told the group. The four of them quickly made their way down the hill. It did not take them long to reach the bottom. As soon as they were standing on flat ground again, they looked around and saw the greenhouse first. The group immediately walked towards it to investigate the area. The greenhouse was made of translucent glass panels. From the walls to the roof, the house was covered with glass panels bordered by white steel frames. Outside the greenhouse was another wheelbarrow with dirt in it. It looks like a typical greenhouse from the outside. I wonder what kind of plants it houses.

Mitsue went straight to the door and opened it. As soon as he took a step inside, a strange smell hit him in the face. That smells like a rotten corpse. Where is that foul odor coming from? After a few seconds of ignoring the smell, he finally noticed the plants around. In an instant, he was shocked by the plants inside. These are all oversized carnivorous plants. Hanging off the wall are giant venus fly traps. Running along the sides of the greenhouse were giant tentacle-like sundews. Scattered on the floor were giant yellow flowers of butterworts. And, at the back of the room were pitcher plants that were as tall as Kaito.

"Holy Neptune! What are these?" Kaito asked.

"These are giant carnivorous plants. Usually, they only pose threat to insects because of their size. But now that they are as big as us, I would consider them to be highly dangerous." Mitsue warned the group.

"Those pitcher plants are as tall as Kaito. Some of us in the group will not even be able to reach the opening without stepping on something." Connor commented.

"Check this out!" Kaito called everyone. In front of the astrophysicist was a table with a thick binder on it. Below were burlap sacks containing unknown objects while stacked on several stools, some were wooden while others were made of steel.

"Let me see that." Mitsue asked for the binder. Kaito quickly gave the binder to Mitsue.

Immediately, Mitsue opened the binder. A manual on how to activate the carnivorous plants? What does that supposed to mean? Mitsue continued flipping through the binder until he understood what it was for. After going through the pages, Mitsue put down the binder.

"What does it say?" Kaito asked.

"It says these plants are in a dormant phase and need to be fed by certain pellets from the sacks to wake up. Currently, these plants are harmless since they are 'asleep'. However, once they wake up, they will digest anything that it catches. If we want it to stay that way, I suggest we avoid waking up these beasts." Mitsue shared.

"Who grew these plants? What a weirdo!" Connor commented, shaking his head in disapproval.

"Let's get out of here already. I do not think I can stomach the smell any longer." Kaito shared.

After that, the group went out of the greenhouse. As soon as Connor stepped out, he stretched out. "Fresh air! Oh, how I missed you!" As the saxophonist was stretching his arms, something caught his eye. Turning to the group, Connor pointed at the hole.

"Look! There is another hole over there! Let's check it out!" Connor suggested. Everyone agreed.

The four of them went to the hole together. It did not take long for them to reach the opening. As soon as they were at the entryway, Mitsue commented, "It looks like another entrance for the mine." At the opening was a cliff as well with tracks that stretched beyond it. However, unlike the previous cave they saw, there was no cart on the track.

"It must be only one track connecting this opening to the one we found earlier." Kaito guessed.

"It would be useful to use to travel back and forth from the gardening tool shed to here. Unfortunately, nothing is working in here which means the only way to reach the greenhouse and the field of flowers is by going up and down the hill." Mitsue shared. It is a good thing though. It will discourage everyone to visit that horror house. The only downside I see from this is we will not be able to visit the field of flowers often because of how exhausting the way will be. It is such a shame because the flower field does look lovely.

"Since we have seen everything there is to see here, why don't we end our trip by visiting the flower field?" Mitsue suggested to the group.

"That sounds lovely." Kaito commented, clapping his hands.

"If that is the case, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Connor shouted.

Just like how it has been throughout the trip, Connor and Kaito were in front of the group leading the way to the huge patch of flowers while Hiroto and Mitsue stayed behind silently following the two. As they were walking, Mitsue glanced at the runway model.

"Are you looking forward to visiting the flower field?" Mitsue asked.

"I am." Hiroto answered, turning to Mitsue as his lips curved into a smile. Visiting a flower field can make him smile? That is something I should take note of. It is not common to find something to make this man smile. Why is he excited to see the flowers? What else makes him excited like this.

After a few minutes, they eventually reached the field. In front of them was an enormous field of flowers that seemed like a sea of flowers. The field is made up of different flowers that are randomly scattered throughout the area. There were random pops of color from the different flowers in the field. Some of the patches looked like a bouquet was growing on them because of the numerous types of flowers that were blooming together.

"I have no words to describe what I am seeing right now!" Kaito whispered, looking at the field.

"Guys, I have no clue when it comes to flowers but all of them look so beautiful! It looks like something that came out of a movie set." Connor shared.

It really is a sight to behold. Instinctively, Mitsue turned to Hiroto. Out of everyone, Hiroto was the most speechless. Pointing at the different flowers, Hiroto mumbled, "Tulips… Chrysanthemums… Oleander… Baby's Breath… Dandelions… Daffodils… Daisies… Violets… Lavenders… Marigold… Carnations…" I had never seen him so entranced by anything before. It is nice to see this side of him. What could be going through his mind right now?

Out of nowhere, a voice called out to the men. "Hi everyone! What are you looking at?"

The four men turned around and saw it was Otoha waving at them. With her were Kaoru and Mizuki. As soon as the three of them saw the field, they quickly ran up to the men to join them.

"Wow! There is nothing else I can say but wow!" Otoha shared.

"It is like what I imagine heaven would be." Mizuki commented.

Suddenly, the aromatherapist ran into the field. "This is the best thing that is on this island! So many flowers to look at and smell! I am so happy I get to see a field like this! Hahaha!" Kaoru shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Kaoru, wait for me!" Mizuki ran towards Kaoru.

"Are we only going to stand around and not join them in the fun?" Otoha asked, pointing at Kaoru and Mizuki, enjoying the time of their lives.

Afterward, all of them went into the field and began looking at flowers. Connor and Kaito paired up while Hiroto separated from the group to look at a stargazer. Kaoru and Mizuki were still together playing in the field which left Mitsue with Otoha.

"Where did you got to before coming here?" Mitsue asked.

"We came from that disgusting greenhouse. We were so lucky to have spotted your group or else we will not be ending on a high note like this." Otoha shared, brushing her hand against the dandelions beside her.

"That place was atrocious but good thing something like this exists near it. It will at least divert people from going in there." Mitsue shared.

The two of them continued walking around together until they ended up with Kaoru and Mizuki. As they were watching the two, Kaoru suddenly ran towards them while hiding something behind his back.

"Hello Kaoru! Are you having fun?" Otoha asked.

"Yup! Look what I got for you!" Kaoru showed the lavender he was hiding from Mitsue and Otoha. This place has lavender as well. Ayame would like this field. They love lavender. I wonder what they will think of when they see this place. Will it remind them of their home?

"Out of all of the lavenders in the field, this one is the best-smelling! Take a sniff!" Kaoru shared.

"It does smell nice. I can already smell it just standing here." Otoha shared.

"It does smell amazing, doesn't it? I really love lavender! It is my favorite since it always reminds me of home. Also, I use it all the time for my essential oils." Kaoru shared. Kaoru likes lavender because it reminds them of their home just like Ayame…

"You know so much about flowers! What about this? Do you know what this is?" Otoha asked as she crouched down and pointed at a purple flower in front of her.

"Wow! That is a Japanese iris. But, to be more specific, that is an ayame." Kaoru shared. That flower is called an ayame?

"That is right! It is a Japanese iris but I did not know it is also called an ayame." Otoha shared.

"Not many know that there are three variants of a Japanese iris, one of which is ayame. I knew that from trying to use it in my oils but it never really worked. But, it still remains one of my favorites! It is so pretty to look at." Kaoru added.

"Is it common knowledge to know what an ayame is?" Mitsue asked.

"No! Usually, people just refer to them as irises. Only people like me who handle plants regularly or are plant enthusiasts know this stuff. Why are you asking?" Kaoru answered, tilting his head.

"Nothing important really… I was just curious…" Mitsue explained, crossing his arms.

The group continued to observe around the field as they filled the area with their beaming smiles and boisterous waves of laughter. Everyone was enjoying the rare moment they have to bask in the serenity the field has to offer. They were either enthusiastically watching the flowers sway to the wind or playfully running around the field. In the middle of it was Mitsue who was quietly standing with his eyes locked on a certain someone.

Is it possible that Kaoru is Ayame?

---

That is it for this update! I hope you enjoyed that! Although it was a long update, I hope you enjoyed reading through it!

What do you think of the new area? I personally love it and it is my favorite area that I have planned for this story. What are your predictions for this chapter? You can tell me through the comments.

Also, if you want to talk about this story and other fun stuff, you can always join the discord server for this story. The invite is on my profile!

Anyway, that is it for now! I hope you enjoyed it!

Good luck with everything!

Stay safe!