String Theory (Danganronpa V3)

by NeoStarReset

Among the 17 Ultimates, the protagonist Prairie Marble has no memories of her past, nor is she able to retain any memories from flashback lights. Something about her is just too odd to ignore, even for an Ultimate, and Monokuma wants to get to the bottom of it. Is escape possible? Or will despair conquer? (Juicedup14's translation used for canon dialogue)

64. 4:11 - Promising Challenges

❀ 4.11 - Promising Challenges ❀

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

It's seven at night.

We worked tirelessly to accommodate all the decorum in the gym- even though people (mostly Rantaro and Angie) kept bringing up my oncoming performance and suggesting I practice for it.

I appreciate their eagerness (read: no, I don't), but it's gotten a little repetitive…especially how late into the night it already is. I'd much rather leave and start winding down for bedtime and tonight's sleepover. A few of the others retired even earlier including Kokichi, Maki, Kaito, Korekiyo, and Kiibo.

Kokichi's departure without Gonta is slightly my fault…though I can't say that I'm not happy I've managed to separate the two even for this brief time frame.

It wasn't serious after I did what I did in the Inventor Lab, but Kokichi was somewhat unhappy with the bread I gently stamped against his face. I can't imagine why he was upset considering he asked for it, but he ended up chasing me all around the lab in an attempt to "give it back".

And by "give it back", he meant non-traditionally.

…Probably in the same way I gave it to him in the first place.

Still, this was another terrible mistake on my part. He didn't manage to get me or anything, but after Tenko caught him and put a stop to his efforts, he seemed kind of…happy? I mean, his mustard coated grin as Tenko dragged him away was pretty apparent, so I clearly did something wrong if he considered it a positive experience. I shouldn't have instigated anything.

"Remember, don't mention anything about a party in front of Himiko, or she'll be suspicious!" Tenko says out loud, maybe a bit too loud considering this is supposed to be secretive and technically Himiko could overhear it from down the hall if she was around. Still, I nod along with the others that remained to help.

"Gonta promise to no tell!" Gonta firmly agrees, thumping a fisted hand over his chest.

"I'm glad we got as much done as we could manage though. I mean, I'm actually pretty surprised how well it's gone," Rantaro says, his arms around my shoulders as he rests his chin over my head. Looks like he's getting sleepy…I'm starting to notice he tends to get a little bit "cuddlier" with me when he's tired.

"Surprised as you are, we still have much more to do tomorrow as well! Be sure to rest well, everybody! And don't forget what you've volunteered to help with, Rantaro! If Atua sees you get cold feet…" Angie's stare gets just a shade darker as her teal blue eyes bore straight into Rantaro's soul. "Atua will not be so merciful."

Rantaro sleepily nods, though he doesn't seem the least bit intimidated.

"Alright then! You're all dismissed! Blessed be to Atua~!" Angie finishes up, just before Shuichi turns to face Rantaro and I.

"I think I'm gonna head off to check on Kokichi…" He says, eyes shifting my way curiously. "He wasn't too upset getting booted off of helping set up for today, was he? He told me he needed to do this to, uh, redeem himself. I'm sure you both could guess why."

"Ah. No, he took it pretty well, actually. Left with a smile and everything, even though Tenko was dragging him out," Rantaro comments, his eyes following Tenko and Angie as they depart first. My eyes follow Tenko for a little bit, eyes trailing down to the way her chain link twin-tails follow her movements. "Although I don't think she meant to, Prairie made him happy. I guess negative attention is still attention."

"He's stupid and I hate him," I huff, feeling my cheeks puff up with quiet rage. Seeing this, Shuichi gives an awkward laugh of understanding.

"I don't blame you after what he did…" Shuichi adds.

"...He's lucky you guys didn't see what he did to me after we met in Gonta's lab," I grumble under my breath, though not quietly enough when Rantaro's body tenses up behind me like a cat whose mood has been suddenly rumpled.

Oops.

"Huh? What? What do you mean? What did he d-" Shuichi starts to question, until I wave him off and wiggle out from my imprisonment in Rantaro's arms to hold his hand.

"Nothing! See you later, Shoelace," I chirp, causing Shuichi to stammer in a flustered mess from the sudden nickname.

"J-Just like that?!" He asks incredulously even as I lead Rantaro away quickly so he's forced to stride after me to keep his hand in mine.

"...What did Kokichi do? You never did tell me."

Dang it, Rantaro's not going to drop it now. I should have been more worried about him asking about it again since I brushed it off the last time he asked.

I can practically feel the dark aura surrounding my companion behind me now, but I make an effort to not look back at him. I don't want him thinking I still need him to go beat up Kokichi, especially because he's already been giving Kiibo less than savory glances.

"It's really nothing you need to worry about. As you can see from my mustard-bread attack earlier, I've got it handled," I say as we reach the doorway leading out of the school building. We adjust our coats and pull up our hoods, stepping carefully over the large rug placed in front of the entrance. There's snow and water all over the sides- mainly from stray snow that flits in as well as snow brought in by our respective snow boots when we come in and out of the academy building.

"...Alright, but if you ever change your mind, I'll be ready," Rantaro relents after a moment, prompting me to laugh despite myself.

"You're scary. Which is pretty surprising for somebody as lame and clumsy as you," I say, already bolting into a run until his hand manages to grab hold of my wrist before I can detach from him. As a result, I jerk back into him where he dumps a bunch of snow over my hooded head. I let out a squealing whine, hearing his laughter as he smothers the snow against my head cruelly. How evil!

"Maybe that will teach you to watch what you say?...Ah, probably not," he laughs, before properly holding my hand again and walking me along the recently shoveled paths of the courtyard. He's making a point to keep me in the center where I can't reach for snow even when I try, the self-satisfactory smile on his face just a tad bit too smug for his own good.

The snow outside is about ankle deep or so now…I wonder how deep it'll eventually get? Do the bears have a depth they're aiming for, or…is it just going to thicken until a murder happens?

Let's not think about that right now. It's already pretty late now- not quite night hours yet, but it's already somewhat dark. Probably late enough to go visit Maki after I tidy up my room for the sleepover with Tenko and the others.

"I'm glad Kokichi didn't manage to get any mustard on me though, or else I'd have to clean up more than I already need to," I sigh as we step into the dormitory building, shaking off the last of the snow and water Rantaro and the weather got on me. Once we get to my room door and open it up to step inside, I cast a long look at the space to figure out what I need to do. "...I think I'll just throw all the bedding on the floor. I'm pretty sure that's the classic way to do sleepovers, right?"

"Huh? Um…I suppose. I recall my sisters always doing it like that, though they really put effort in making it fort-like," Rantaro comments dismissively, the poor guy staring longingly at my bed. "You sure the bed's a willing sacrifice though? I feel like it'd still be more comfortable than the floor."

"Yeah, but the bed is too small for us. There's more space if we dump the bedding on the carpet where we can extend out if we want to," I explain to Rantaro's visible and immense confusion. Before he can add to it, I say, "I just need to do that and then I can go see what Maki wants from me."

This seems to switch his tired gears for a moment.

"Did she ever say what she wanted to see you about?" He asks, appearing somewhat apprehensive about the meeting ever since I mentioned it to him.

I shake my head as I pick up stray socks from the floor, along with the two books on robotics and computer coding I initially shoved under my bed after breaking into Kokichi's room for them. Rather than try to hide just how prepared I am, he gets a generous eyeful of the titles and covers as I stick them back in my bag with my tools and the other semi-water damaged books.

"...How do you know you can safely remove the bombs, by the way? I mean, you even had trouble with Kiibo's system. What if you detonate the bomb by accident while trying to remove them?"

"Don't worry, I won't! The map's all up here either way. I'll be careful, I promise," I say casually, pointing at my head right before realizing what I've said and continuing with, "I've seen Monosuke's schematics, so I know what to expect with the other bears. I didn't die then, so I definitely won't die this time. Just trust me."

"...Even if I didn't, I'm not about to stop you. Can I at least be with you when you do it though? Just in case...I'm no expert in computers, but I could probably help with something," Rantaro suggests, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

Oh...if I let him tag along, how will I be able to work on the bears though? I'll need my intuition to do anything, and he's not supposed to know.

…

"Of course," I relent despite my better judgement screaming at me for allowing it. Still, watching his face light up with relief is more than enough to make my better judgement take a seat and bask the warmth. Holding the bag of my tools and books, I lift it up a little so he sees it. "That being said though, I don't think it'd be smart to have them around right now, so do you think you can have them in your room for the night? Just until the sleepover is done with?"

"What do you...mean? I- you already showed them to me, so why would you still want to hide it?" Rantaro asks in confusion- much to my own puzzled state. Somewhere during our conversation this oaf got lost, that much I can tell...now to find the miscommunication.

"Well, I don't mind if you know. You're Rantato-Potato," I say, prompting him to laugh at the funny nickname. "I just can't have the others knowing when they come in here later tonight, that's all."

"...'Later tonight'? Won't we be asleep by that time?" He asks innocently, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck. It's the usual thing he does when he's confused, coupled with his adorable perplexed smile…

What a loser. Now I see what's going on here.

"Rantaro…" I start, putting the bag down beside us and resting my hands on my hips. "By 'sleepover', I'm not talking about you and me. I'm having a sleepover with Tenko, Angie, Himiko, and Kiibo."

Rantaro's confused smile disappears, replaced with surprise and...betrayal? Jeez, he looks like I just told him green is the worst of all the colors.

"Wait, we're not having another sleepover? You're...kicking me out?" He asks in such a dismayed query that I can't help the giggles that flutter out from behind my hands over my mouth. "And you're letting Kiibo join you too? After what he did and everything with the bikini pictures? You know I wouldn't do something like that, right?"

He offers me a somewhat begging smile, earning a shake of my head.

"No, we're not replacing Kiibo with you. If I let you in, you'll make more teasing comments about Tenko and I," I accuse, much to his chagrin.

"That's not something I'd do and you know it. You just don't want to invite me," Rantaro sighs with an annoyed huff, making me shrug helplessly.

"Yeah, that's exactly it. Sorry, sister-complex," I drop, watching his eyebrows rise in unadulterated shock as he slowly turns his head to face me. As he does so, I grab my bag up again and push it in Rantaro's arms so I can guide him to the exit. He walks backwards as he stops my bag from hitting his chest, glancing back quickly as if confirming to himself that I'm definitely and actively ushering him out of my room. "Time to go, big guy."

"So you do think I really have a sister-complex! You're embarrassed to have me around in front of Tenko, aren't you?" He asks, narrowing his eyes on me in an accusatory stare.

"No, no, I just think that you're getting too comfortable and starting to have more brother-hen ideas than I'd like you to have. Remember how this is my room and my bed? And how you have your own room and bed?"

"My room sucks," he tries again, just to see if I change my mind. When I manage to get him to the doorway, the nerd of clumsyville grabs the frame of my bedroom doorway to halt his departure. He's acting like I'm trying to push him off a cliff or something! What a baby! "Wait! I left my book on your night table!"

"Aw. Sucks for you, Amami. Read something new, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea is old anyways," I say just as I unhook his desperate hand from the doorframe.

"Prairie-!" He complains, but he's cut off once I've casually shut the door on him.

"Don't let Kokichi see my bag with you!" I call through the door, hearing his long heavy sign of resignation before his footsteps depart from my doorway. It isn't until I'm sure he's gone that I laugh and get started organizing everything, tossing my blankets around the floor so we have somewhere comfy all of us can throw ourselves together on the blanky-nest.

Kiibo doesn't even sleep, does he? So how is this even going to work with him?

The passing thought boggles my mind for all but a few minutes as I organize everything. Eventually once I open my room door and step out, it's all but faded. We'll probably figure that out later or something- for now everything is at least set up properly, so I don't need to worry too much.

It isn't until I've skipped down the stairs to the first level that I hear a dorm room door open. When I follow the sound curiously, I see Kaito stepping out into the lobby. He looks like he just woke up from a nap or something, stretching his arms up in the air with an exhale of relief.

What time is it now anyways?

"Hi, Kaito," I chirp as I peek at my watch. Right now it's a few minutes past seven twenty...I wonder what Kaito is up to at this hour?

"Oh, hey, Prairie! Stepping out before night hours officially hit too? I'll walk with you if you're headed to the academy," Kaito says, flashing his signature smile at me and shrugging his large dark-magenta overcoat on as he joins my side.

"Only if it's not too much to ask. I mean, it'd suck if Kirumi saw me alone and tried to take advantage of my solitude to…" I trail off, somewhat reluctant to utter the words despite everything that's happened thus far. Maybe it's because I'm wishfully hoping nothing else happens again, but I still can't say it. "Well, you know...I don't wanna say it out loud…"

"Aw, it's okay. Don't worry about a single thing, Kaito's here to ease your worries!" Kaito declares as he opens the doors for us.

We step "outside" into the snowy courtyard, the doors shutting loudly from the wind. Although the outdoors is actually synthetic and indoors, I can't help but be somewhat impressed.

I don't exactly have a baseline for what would constitute "believable weather", but it seems to have fooled the others well enough. Even Rantaro, the one that's traveled to so many places, is none the wiser.

"Rantaro mentioned how the two of you were planning on using the kitchen tomorrow, is that right? I meant to give one of the kitchen keys to you earlier, but we were all so absorbed with preparing the decoration in the gym and then I left to get a nap," Kaito comments as he digs into his snow coat pocket and produces his keys. As we walk, he wrestles the specific key out and eventually holds it out to me. "Here you go! Try not to lose it, or we'll have to bust that portable door lock down- and I'd rather save what locks we have since there aren't many in the first place."

"Okay, I'll be careful with it," I answer, taking out my own key ring to slide it in with the rest of my keys. "I'm surprised though. You're one of the earlier risers in this place, aren't you? I thought you'd already be in bed winding down by now."

"Wha- at seven? Psh, no way! I'm one hundred and seventy percent energy right now! In bed at seven…! You think I'm someone's grandpappy or something?" Kaito demands jokingly, resulting in a fierce wild giggling to rise from me.

"With that goatee, sure," I snicker, only to be caught off guard when I feel him grab my arm and dig his knuckles into my scalp with force- a noogie to reprimand me. I squee and wiggle to get away, only eventually managing my escape when I twist under his arm and skip ahead a few paces out of grabbing range to fix my rumpled hair.

Lucky me, I'm getting better at escaping skyscrapers thanks to Rantaro chasing me around in the snow earlier...aaand then in the academy halls before we called a truce to cash out my nectarine.

Eventually, Kaito joins me at the doorway inside the school building, dusting off snow from his jacket.

"Should I assume I leave you here? I gotta take the stairs, so if you're also headed up…" He says, prompting me to rejoin his side.

"Y-Yeah, I'm headed upstairs too," I answer, the conversation going quiet as we glance down the other end of the hallway cautiously. Who knows where Kirumi could come out from. It really is a shame she hasn't been caught by anyone and restrained yet.

Then again, I doubt anyone would elect themselves to do that when Kirumi's walking around with a giant axe…

Kaito and I ascend the stairs with my expectations being that he'll probably part ways with me sometime before we reach the third where Maki's lab is.

When we pass the second floor and he doesn't part ways yet, my stomach churns a little. If I go to Maki's lab, she probably won't let me in with him in the area, right? He could end up seeing what's inside...or he might start pestering me to know what it's like inside and such. It's not like I would tell him if he started getting annoying about it, but still...I don't want him knowing I can go into Maki's lab.

"...I'm sorry, I never even asked you where you were headed," Kaito laughs awkwardly as if feigning the realization. "Where are you off to?"

My insides do a little surprised flip. Okay, time to not be suspicious! And be better at it than Rantaro!

"Uhh...third floor," I respond vaguely, almost facepalming at my clumsy response as Kaito hums in understanding. He seems somewhat unsatisfied with my answer, but doesn't press me for an exact location. Still, I fire one off back at him. "What about you? Where are you headed?"

"Ah, same. Third floor," he also answers discreetly much to my chagrin. I try not to make it obvious that I don't like him not telling me, but that being said...I know why I'm hiding my destination. What's he hiding his destination for? To be spiteful for my own lack of a proper answer?

"What a coincidence," I simply remark, the two of us walking deeper down the hall...until we both start nearing Maki's hallway lab.

And then we both stop.

…

"Y-You don't have to escort me the whole way or anything…" I say in mild frustration and confusion.

"Eh? Oh...no, I was also still going this way," he responds, much to my further confusion. He's headed the same way…? I'm not actually headed that way though, but if he leaves me here, he'll see me go down Maki's hallway.

I guess I'll have to keep walking some more until he parts ways first. When he does and goes out of sight, I'll turn around and run to Maki's lab unseen!

At that, we keep walking and pass my destination much to my reluctance. I'm not willing to out her, so I resolve to keep walking despite wanting to ditch Kaito so I don't keep her waiting.

Thus we keep walking and walking, up until we reach the very end of the hallway. We stop at the stairs leading up to the fourth floor, and that's when the thought occurs to me.

Wait. Kaito's been hanging around Maki lately, right? Maybe...he's trying to secretly see her! Because he has a crush on her! And maybe I'm getting in the way and he's trying to hide the fact he wants to lure her out for romancy-lovey-dovey alone time!

My cheeks heat up to a sudden unbearably embarrassing temperature, causing me to try lowering my sudden speedy heart rate by slowing my breathing to long quiet breaths. Jeez, all of a sudden I'm becoming like Shuichi! The romance is between Kaito and Maki (allegedly), not me and, like, Tenko for example!

…

My state gets worse.

"Hey, are you feeling alright? You're really flushed in the face all of a sudden. Do you feel sick, or-?" Kaito begins to ask, prompting me to jerk in surprise at his sharp eye.

"No! No, no, I'm fine! I was just…!" I scramble for an excuse before coming to a bright idea- one that is rather shameful, but enough to ward off Kaito's curiosity. "I was thinking of Rantaro!"

Kaito looks somewhat speechless at my admission, staring down at me with his mouth parted slightly like a fish. A few seconds later though and he relaxes substantially with an amused burst of laughter.

"Oh, yeah? Ha! You must really like him if you're willing to be open about it then!" Kaito laughs.

Gweeehhhh...I'm gonna diiieeee…!

"D-Don't tell him…" I add feebly, my cheeks heating up even more at the idea of more sappy confessions of my "attraction" reaching Rantaro's ears. "Anyone but him…"

"You got it!" Kaito quickly affirms with a flashy grin and a thumbs up. "I'll say you two already look absolutely adorable together, so I'm rooting for you!"

I wonder what he'd say if I told him about my real crush on Tenko…

"Perfect together! AAAL-RIIIGHT!" Kaito's imaginary voice rings in my head, causing yet another wave of flustered embarrassment to wash over me.

Stop daydreaming! Forget the Rantaro thing and don't start with Tenko! Address the elephant in the room! Why hasn't Kaito left?! For real?!

"Going up the stairs?" I ask, prompting Kaito's cheerful mood to sober up as he glances towards the stairs. Looks like we've beaten around the bush enough.

"No."

…

Silence…

…

"Okay, so...we're obviously both going somewhere we don't want one another to know about- for whatever innocent reason," I say, watching as Kaito seems to consider objecting to my words. A second later though, he deflates and sighs in resignation.

"Ah, okay, fine. You got me," Kaito answers, before casting me a curious look. "Are you trying to sneak off to see Kokichi?"

I inhale sharply in shock, cheeks bursting in flames yet again.

"N-No! Ew! Like I wanna be around that gross zit in human form! Don't even suggest something like that, I'd rather brush my teeth with sewage water," I fume, watching as Kaito exhales in relief and laughs a little.

"Somehow I was expecting that answer- just wanted to be sure! Still, that's intense. I'm glad you're not letting him push you around anymore," Kaito comments, making me cross my arms and roll my eyes even as my initial rage starts dissipating.

"What about you? You're trying to sneak off to be with Maki aren't you? You've been following her around like a lost puppy for a while now," I accuse, watching as Kaito blinks in surprise and then lets out an amused scoff.

"Me and Maki? You sure have some kind of imagination…she'd sooner strangle me! Besides, it's not true anyways. I'm not following her for any sort of reason like that. Where'd you even get that idea?" Kaito asks, making me stiffen up.

Me and my stupid overreactive imagination…!

"W-Well! I'm just saying what we're all thinking. You wouldn't have any other reason to be following her around so insistently like that, would you? Friends have boundaries, and you're really running after her," I huff, feeling my cheeks puff up in mild embarrassment for my initial thoughts.

"Hey! It's not like that!" Kaito objects. "She's just hard to pin down and talk to! I'm just...you know, trying to integrate her into the group a little. She's always off on her own- sort of like Ryoma was. It'd just be safer..."

That's a bit of a sharp point right there. Stings.

"...Alright, I guess you've got a point. You can't make her do things she doesn't want to though, I hope you know that. None of us know her, for one," I say, even though I told Rantaro I wanted to do exactly the same as Kaito is attempting. Making sure she's not alone and easy pickings without some sort of support system.

"I know that. It's not going to stop me though. I mean, she's starting to come out of her shell at least! She met up with you to hang out after all, didn't she?" Kaito points out, making me cross my arms and decide to come clean at this point.

"Well, that's what I'm here for. To meet up with her," I firmly say, prompting Kaito's eyes to become somewhat suspicious.

"Okay...so you're saying she invited you into her lab…?" Kaito asks, making me nod in confirmation. He stares long and hard at me before eventually shaking his head. "No, I don't believe it. She wouldn't invite just anyone into her lab like that."

I scowl up at him, cheeks puffed up even more.

"Except she did. I was invited in- her words, not mine," I add. "I'm not 'just anyone', I'm an ally. I've been in her lab before anyways!"

Kaito looks immediately dubious of my claims, stroking his goatee with squinted eyes of disbelief.

"Oh, have you? Alright, then...what's it look like inside?" He challenges me, much to my immediate annoyance. He's a lunatic if he thinks I'm dense enough to fall for that!

"Nice try. Maki would beat me up if I disclosed that and I'm prioritizing her need for privacy," I declare firmly, crossing my arms to show my immovable stance on the matter.

"Okay, just tell me the color of her lab walls then, how about that?" Kaito says, making me turn my head with an indignant 'hmph' of defiance. "It's not that you refuse, you just can't actually tell me, can you? Because you've never been inside. Exactly as I suspected."

My nose twitches a little in quiet rage, up until something occurs to me, making me peer up at him snootily.

"Oh...but you have? That's so weird, you asking me to confirm something you yourself couldn't possibly know either. If she wouldn't let me in, why would she let a total clown like you inside her lab? Invite a clown in, expect a circus," I snicker with a smug wide grin.

"A clown?! Oh, you little…! You know, I take back what I said about you and Rantaro! You're better off with Kokichi considering your behavior and attitude!" Kaito flings, making my cheeks burn in both rage and embarrassment.

TEN.

"You oversized, self-righteous, greasy bean pole!" I start, pushing up the sleeves of my coat so I can freely move my hands to jump and smack his head. He dodges quickly, until I'm chasing him down the hall. "You think you can just say garbage like that and get away with it?! I'm gonna cut off every hair from that nasty pube goatee of yours! SLOWLY!"

"Like hell you fuckin' are! You get the hell away from my pride and joy, crazy midget!" Kaito snaps, the two of us beginning to run up and down the hall repeatedly in our little debacle.

I finally latch onto him just a few feet away from the hallway to Maki's lab after a little exercise, climbing up his backside. I grab his chin as he tries to shake me off, the two of us hitting the ground in a mess as I pull his head up where I can reach his goatee better.

"Kiss that fuzzy hamster on your chin goodbye!" I bark, pulling my knife out much to Kaito's disturbed shock.

"H-Hey, wait! No! Do you have any idea how long it took to grow this thing out?! Do you know how hard it is to grow facial hair at seventeen for some of us?! Get that thing away from me!"

He grabs my hand with the knife, surprisingly prying my hand open enough to wrangle the survival knife away from me and throw it aside where I can't reach it. He's stronger than he looks, I guess. I wasn't actually expecting him to take the knife from me like taking candy from a baby…

"Wait, that's it?" He actually has the audacity to say, before standing up with me still clinging to him. At the sudden realization of how little of a threat I am, he suddenly bursts out laughing, making me gasp in offense.

"What are you laughing for?!" I snap viciously, my temper exploding at this point as I sink my nails into his scalp when I grab for his hair. "Take me seriously!"

"OW, OW, OW!" He cries out, up until we hear the sound of something loud behind us.

Startled, I leap off of Kaito and stumble on my landing. It isn't until I fall hard on my behind with a yelp that I turn to find the cause of the noise, seeing Maki standing at the entrance of the hallway with a metal tray at hand she is holding up. She obviously used it to hit the wall and scare us into stopping our squabble.

"...What the hell are you two doing?" She asks, watching as Kaito- still standing- glances my way when I turn to look up at him.

…

"Nothing," we answer in unison, silently in mutual agreement to pretend that what happened didn't happen. Still, he's rubbing his head and I'm rubbing my bum-bum as I stand up again.

Maki sighs heavily, turning away and gesturing for us to follow.

"Well, come on then," Maki says unflinchingly. When both Kaito and I move to follow her, we both stop at the notice of one another and share a dubious look one last time. Presumably because she can't hear our footsteps, she glances back at us and narrows her eyes. "Both of you."

She did let the six-foot clown in…! I overestimated her!

Kaito seems just as surprised at my invitation as I am of his, but we straighten ourselves out and eventually follow her down the hall to her lab. She opens the door and lets us in first, following in after to attach the portable door lock from the inside and test the door. When she's unable to open it, she finally faces us and leans back against the door.

"I'll be honest, I didn't think you'd actually take the invitation. I figured after you saw me walking around with a gun, you'd try avoiding me," Maki comments, looking straight at me as I try to relax my nerves. Gun or not, she's still scary…! I don't wanna get on her bad side!

"I mean…you haven't tried to shoot any of us so far, so why would I avoid you?" I comment, prompting her eyes to narrow slightly.

"You're scared of me. That much I know," Maki points out critically.

"Well, yeah? When you give me looks like that and stuff, of course I'm scared!" I huff, only mildly irritated. "I'm not scared you're gonna put a bullet in my head though…! I'm more scared of you pulling on my hair again or beating me up."

Maki doesn't seem very convinced, but evidently drops the subject. With that, Kaito watches as we converse, pretty at ease for someone surrounded by the amount of weapons around us. The metal shafts of pistols and guns reflect light back at us, most of them a charcoal black color that seems more or less unassuming as far as weaponry goes.

Put the right bullet in it though, and it becomes deadly.

"I thought you took that large battle axe."

I turn my attention back to Maki, who's now staring down at the ground with that scowl of hers.

"That's what I wanted to ask about. I was ready to confront you about entering my lab and taking the battle axe for yourself, but then I saw Kirumi with it when she came to get her memory from the flashback light earlier today. I know you only know about my thoughts because I'm telling you now, but for all that it's worth, I'm...sorry for jumping to conclusions," Maki sighs, prompting the corners of my lips to lift just a little. It's like her shell is being cracked...is this Kaito's doing? Wow, first Shuichi, then Maki! "Stop smiling. Do you want to die?"

"Nope! I'm just a little happy...you're scary, but I'm glad you're talking to me more," I reply honestly, even with that little threat she stapled to the end of her command. I'm inclined to believe she doesn't really mean it when she says it right now.

"I'm surprised you know about Maki Roll's lab though. When did you find out?" Kaito asks, making my smile fade as I shrug shyly and try to look innocent.

What do I say? Nothing or the truth? I feel like they'd notice my lie immediately...if I tell the truth, Maki might get angry and revert a couple steps back to hating and distrusting me.

"Um...I, uh…" I start, suddenly finding it difficult to find the words.

"She snuck in sometime when I was out. It doesn't matter when it was, she didn't tell anyone either way...right?" Maki asks, her eyes becoming slitted at the ends when they flick over to look at me. This time I'm much less intimidated mainly because she's accepted the hardest part of that revelation.

"No way. I don't wanna know what happens if the others find out. I want to think that they'd believe you're not dangerous to us, but if they don't, then you'll get pushed away. Or you'll isolate yourself like Ryoma. And then-" The words get stuck in my throat before I'm done, forming an ice block that doesn't melt even with the surprise that coats Maki's face.

She's silent for a moment, but a sheer pink hue rises to her cheeks as she averts her gaze.

"You're stupid...I can protect myself," she huffs irritably. I guess I stepped on a few of her toes there by thinking she'd get picked off.

"...For the sake of transparency, and because I don't think he'd mind if I told you, I learned Rantaro knows about your talent's true nature too. Like, he doesn't know what exactly your official title is, but he knows you deal with these kinds of weapons. He's also not planning on saying anything either, but I figured it'd be better if you knew about him," I add, making Maki look up with a raised brow.

"Is there anyone else?" Maki inquires, although she looks at both Kaito and I when she says it. Maybe to just be sure Kaito isn't keeping any secrets either.

"Not from my end, that's for sure. Only I saw the motive video, I didn't show anyone else or even hint at it," Kaito explains, before their eyes jump to me when I shake my head.

Oh, so that's how Kaito knows...he got Maki's motive video and it didn't hide anything for her.

"Just Rantaro and I. No one else," I say, watching as Maki nods and then pushes off away from the door to walk to one of the counters and take a seat. When she does, Kaito and I follow suit and sit either side of her, with me having to jump a bit more to actually get my behind on the counter.

Once we're settled, Maki seems to relax between us.

"...No one else other than Kirumi," Maki sighs, making my nerves spike with worry at the realization.

"I'm surprised she hasn't tried to bring it up again, especially after insisting the gun was yours during the trial. You'd think she'd have tried to bring a camera to take pictures and get proof while she robbed you of a weapon…" I start to say, before recalling why she nabbed the weapon in the first place and shrugging as I mention, "Then again, she grabbed it when Kokichi and I were running away from her last night, so she probably didn't have a chance to actually get proof like that."

"That's what I get for forgetting to lock my lab yesterday night…" Maki sighs, before turning to look at me. "There's something else I want to ask you though. It wasn't something I was sure I'd ask, but where did you learn to fight?"

I blink in surprise at the question, giving it some thought.

"Well, Tenko taught me some Neo-Aikido, I guess," I say, making Maki shake her head at my meek answer. "No? Then what do you…?"

"Some of the fighting moves you've exhibited aren't like Tenko's. They're not of the aikido martial arts," Maki answers to wave off my first suggestion.

"Before all this, Prairie used to trail in boxing and wrestling as a pass time, so maybe that could have-?" Kaito starts until Maki shakes her head again.

"I can see some of that, but that's not it. Some of the fighting techniques I've seen Prairie make are the kinds a person that knows how to kill would make. The way I've seen you implement them has been pacifistic compared to how they're supposed to be executed, but still…" Maki remarks, looking back at me and staring for a second.

I have fighting moves that are meant for killing? I really hope she's looking too far into it, that's not really comforting to hear...even if I'm making them pacifistic, it doesn't look good I know those moves in the first place.

My eyes instinctually flick down to the ground at the thought, but I feel Kaito rub my back from the side to console me.

"Not happy about hearing it, huh? Don't worry about it. What you're doing right now speaks volumes, so we can think about your past some other time," Kaito says, flashing me a bright smile that does manage to abate some of my concerns.

...Oh, right, I shouldn't forget to ask now that I'm here.

"There's something I wanted to ask, Maki?" I start, watching as she motions for me to continue. "You know how Kirumi came in here and took that axe, right? Well...why didn't she just take a gun to make the job easy? I'm confused why she went with the axe instead of firearms."

Maki hums at that, glancing towards the walls where all the guns sit along the tallest part of the wall. They're still clearly on display, the blue lights in her lab bouncing off of them and casting an ultramarine hue along our figures and the furniture.

"My doing. I got rid of the ammo, so the guns here are no more useful than bricks," Maki explains casually, prompting my brows to raise. She got rid of all the ammo? For every gun in here? I mean, kudos for the quick thinking and getting rid of them, but couldn't we have used some of it just in case? What if something happens and we end up needing long distance weapons?

"Wait, all of it?" Kaito doesn't seem all too thrilled about that revelation either. "We could have used it still! I mean, not against each other, but...well, the Exisals! Those still had a use beyond killing!"

"No, they really didn't," Maki directs her attention to Kaito now, scarlet eyes meeting his gaze. "None of the guns here would have been useful against those things. I think you're greatly underestimating the durability of those Exisals, Kaito. If you really want to do damage to them, you'd have to do what Prairie first thought to do- try getting one of the Exisals to break the others. They can be wrecked by each other, but not by guns," Maki elaborates, running her fingers through the end of her pigtail. "That being said, I did keep the ammo of only my crossbow. Just...just in case we ever get into a tight spot. I thought it was the safest option since I'm sure no one but me is likely to know how to assemble it."

"I...well, if you say so. Alright, I'm putting my trust in you, Maki-roll!" Kaito comments with a wink and a thumbs up, prompting to watch as a pink tint returns to Maki's cheeks. I almost can't help my stare as I watch the two interacting, blue eyes bouncing from one to the other. To think Kaito could make Maki act like that…

Maybe I was the one underestimating Kaito in the end?

"Don't call me that...do you want to die?" She levels with him despite Kaito easily brushing the hollow threat off with a grin. Maki looks irritated, but says nothing more.

"Well, at least we won't have to worry about guns anymore. The rest of the things in here though...let's just say I'm happy you have a lock on this room now," I sigh after casting the weapons along the walls a look. Deeming this the best we can do with all these dangerous things in our situation, I glance down at my kidwatch. It's gonna be eight soon...we still have some time before night hours hit.

"I'm sick of looking at this room. Come on, I'll bet Shuichi's already waiting in the classroom for us," Maki sighs, already walking towards the door with Kaito at her heels. I follow behind Kaito, scurrying around him and to Maki's side once she starts locking up her lab with the portable door lock.

"It's not exactly the most reliable thing, but at least it will ward off most people...other than maybe Kokichi. Doesn't seem like that jerk's tried to break in thus far though, so here's to hoping he stays disinterested," Kaito remarks, prompting my eyes to flick back to the portable lock.

Just seeing it from the outside, it looks like something Kokichi could easily unlock and relock with little to no problem. Would these two even notice if he'd done so? He could have already done it, now that I think about it. But if that's true, why wouldn't he say anything about it by now?

…

Either he's been in there and isn't saying what he saw, or he hasn't been interested or had the time to go in there. Regardless of the reasons...at least he's not causing any trouble regarding Maki.

"Shuichi's waiting where?" I ask curiously, making Kaito brighten up suddenly like an idea struck him.

"Hey! Now that I think about it, you're physically fit, right, Prairie? You should come work out with us!"

"Eh? No, I'm not all that-" I start, just as Maki grabs my wrist with an eye roll and starts dragging me off much to my shock. "M-Maki?"

"You don't get to run away if he's making me do it too. Besides, this should be easy for the two of us compared to them," Maki answers simply, making me crack a bit of a smile.

I don't know if she's opening up to me now based on what she said in the gym before or because of my visit, but...I'd like to think even if she still doesn't like me, at least she's tolerating my presence now.

Who knows? Maybe we could even be friends later.

"Stop smiling or I'll break your wrist, Prairie."

"A-Ah! Sorry…!"

"And stop hiding in your hair all the time, you're tougher than that."

"Okay, I'll do my best!"

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

Shuichi is the first to flop against the ground after Kaito calls it time, Maki and I easily standing up even after keeping a steady pace with the final routine of push-ups. The pleasant afterglow of the exercise alongside my sleepiness makes me smile, but not as much as watching Shuichi drool against the tile of the classroom does.

"Shuichi, you're...kinda pathetic," I can't help but giggle as I walk over and start helping him on his feet. "It's a good thing Kaito wants to whip you into shape. Once he's through with you, you'll be able to catch up with every criminal you'd need to chase down!"

"Heh, alright! I'm glad you see the benefits to the work-out, Prairie! All in a day's work for the Luminary of the Stars!" Kaito proudly preens.

"You're giving him way too much credit. He couldn't even keep up with us," Maki remarks and crosses her arms, though her quip doesn't waver Kaito's confidence even the slightest bit considering his huge grin.

"I just...need a m...hhh…" Shuichi comments dizzily, prompting me to just grin as I sling his arm over my shorter shoulder and move us to collect his jacket from one of the several desks we stacked along the wall to get some room. Still, I manage to support his weight easily as I roll the jacket up and tuck it under my arm. The fact some of the intact parts of the school are equipped with heaters was enough for us to remove our jackets to work out, though Kaito and Shuichi clearly scouted this room sometime earlier. When we met with Shuichi here, there were already several layers of plastic wrap sealing the barbed wire windows shut.

A shoddy attempt at sealing the room from the snowy weather, but it'll have to do. We don't actually have any tools to try anything like window repairs...let alone a new replacement window to seal the hole up.

"I'm gonna hang with Maki for a little while longer, you don't mind taking Shuichi back alone, right?" Kaito asks, prompting me to look up at him as I collect my own things.

"No, I've got him. Goodnight, you two!" I chirp, feeling Shuichi's heaving breaths gradually evening out.

It isn't until we're nearly halfway to the stairs that he eventually manages to stop us and stand on his own- albeit shakily on legs like a newborn giraffe.

"I'm okay...thanks," he says after a few seconds, casting me a smile while he releases his lingering grip from my shoulder. I hand him his jacket, watching as he unfolds it and decidedly slings it over his shoulder. "I probably shouldn't have pushed myself as much as I did today with the workout."

"Yeah...I know Kaito was encouraging it, but you don't have to match mine and Maki's pace, you know? We're both physically fit and you're...um...well, at least you're not unhealthy!" I comment, taking a moment to poke his tummy and watching as he jerks a little in surprise. Unlike me he doesn't yelp or squeak like I normally would, but the jump is enough to make me giggle brightly in amusement.

"Thanks? Uh, anyways, I'm probably not headed for the dormitory building just yet. I need to get my gift for Himiko before I leave it at the last minute and forget. Have you gotten her anything?" Shuichi asks, pausing at the base of the stairs with me to shrug on his coat. Now that we're at the lower level where there's more open windows and broken holes in the walls of the academy, it's gotten quite a bit chiller here. Not as cold as it is outside, but definitely enough for us to pull our attire back together as it was prior to working out.

Nevermind that though! I haven't gotten Himiko anything!

"I- but what could we even get for her birthday in this place? It's not like there's a supermarket around the corner…besides, all we have is that crappy warehouse. I don't think there's anything in there that Himiko wouldn't be able to get herself on her own, let alone anything she'd even want," I state, causing Shuichi to gesture down the hall.

"Maybe it's not the best option, but I'm going to try my hand at the monomachine in the student store to get her something. You could do that too- or if you still have casino coins, there might be some prizes over there that she may not be able to get herself," Shuichi suggests, prompting me to eye the student store door down the hall.

"I have a ton of casino coins to burn through compared to monocoins, so I'll probably stop by the casino really fast, to see if I can get her something. Besides, I'd rather spend on something I'm guaranteed to receive compared to stuffing coins in a machine and crossing my fingers," I say, beaming up at him as I turn to walk backwards with a wave. "Night then, Shoelace!"

"Where'd you even get the idea for that name…?" Shuichi asks hesitantly with a smile, appearing almost uncertain about his query from where I've left him.

"Well, both you and a shoelace are...um, well...shoelaces technically count as tools, right?" I ask sweetly, keeping the innocent look on my face up until the point Shuichi's expression turns into shock.

"You're calling me a tool?!" He blurts out, even though I already turn to scurry away on my springy feet like a true prairie dog of the wild west. My laughter fills the hall as I give a little jump on my way to the exit, pulling up my hood and continuing my pleasant walk at a calmer pace.

I don't know if it's just the initial change from going "outside" into the frigid weather, but...it almost feels as if it's gotten a bit windier.

Snow that was once falling gradually is now falling in a slant that is far more noticeable than it was before. It sweeps past me, pelting my back with little flecks of frozen flakes that stick to my coat when they begin to slowly melt with contact.

Eventually growing tired of the snow, I speed up to a jog again and eventually cross the large open gate leading to both the casino and the love hotel. I pause at the entrance, feeling my stomach plummet when I see the hotel again.

The lights illuminate the dark "sky", tinting the stationary snow and the falling snow neon shades. The lights blinking are so bright it actually almost hurts my eyes…

It's incredible a murder happened and no one saw Tsumugi in the act when she was moving Ryoma from the hotel fountain to the…

…

I hate that building.

Shaking off my discomfort, I start walking towards the path leading to the casino. The path here has been cleared of the falling snow as well- although it's hard to tell where that snow went since the surrounding fountain water is completely frozen over. I stop a few feet by the edge and crouch down a moment to poke at the ice curiously. When it doesn't break under the pressure of my finger, I try using my whole fist to try and push it through.

Pretty durable. I wonder if it would break if I were to step on it?

I stand and lift my foot, beginning to move it over the ice until I think better and set it back down on the path where I'm securely grounded.

Let's say it would break and my leg would go straight through. There'd be all this water underneath it and I'd end up having my entire leg all soaked. Then I'd have to hobble to the casino with a single wet leg in the freezing cold.

That being said, I'd much rather not.

It's when I begin to walk again that I hear the sound of something behind me that doesn't sound like an Exisal. The sound…of clicking heels.

Clicking fast from behind me.

In my direction.

I spin around with only a second to shriek when I see Kirumi mid swing with her axe. Jumping back to avoid the blade hitting me, I'm only reminded of the frozen water when my back feet start to slide in my retreat. My entire body wobbles to regain balance, voice caught in my throat.

Kirumi is already swinging her axe again, this time using the momentum of the last swing to bring it up and down over me.

"S-STOP-!" I blurt out on impulse.

Of course she's not going to stop.

It just tumbles out of my mouth, inevitable like her resolve within the walls of the killing game.

With my stability completely lost, I use as much force as I can to simply fling myself back. Kirumi's axe embeds its blade into the frozen ice, cracks feathering out from the impact further than I'd like to see them go.

I didn't move back as far as I would've liked, and my brain only registers the blade implanted in the ice between my knees a precious second after she pulls it back up. The ice doesn't help in my retreat, leaving me scrambling in place despite my desperation to put more space between us.

The hole she made! There's a ridge now!

I stick the heel of my boot against the crack and launch myself back along the ice, sliding until I'm far enough to get a moment of relief.

Kirumi, who was preparing to swing that giant axe again, relaxes her grip and stares at me from the path. I can see her eyes searching for a way to get to me, up until she eventually shifts the axe back over her shoulder. Seems like she made a long strap to carry it across her back, the leather resting over her shoulder and across her torso.

She doesn't even test a foot against the ice- likely because she's wearing heels. It's the first time I'm seeing her snow outfit, leaving her adorned in a long white coat with gray fur along the hem. There's a tie around the waist the color of dark olive, keeping her outfit underneath concealed and protected from the elements. To be wearing heels in this weather though? They look like hiking shoes, but the heel is still there...it's really not practical for the snow.

You're letting yourself get distracted. Now's not that time for that, you don't know what else she could be carrying. What if she has something lethal she can throw at you? Acid, a molotov cocktail? A grenade? Did Maki have grenades in her lab? Is this it?

Breathing hard from where I'm lying along the ice, I watch as she adjusts the cuffs of her sleeves and I await her next move. This results in Kirumi turning and walking towards the gate- though not for the purpose of leaving.

Instead, she closes the two large doors with much effort, grunting and only halting once the two sides are closed. She can't lock it from the inside- nor can she lock it from the outside without the special crank item that Shuichi used to open it in the first place. Still, she seems satisfied once we're closed off from the rest of the courtyard, and likely other students.

She's still going to come after me then, isn't she?

My heart beats faster when she returns to the spot she was before- straight across from me on the path.

I feel like a cornered animal.

"...I should have already been out of here, Prairie," Kirumi surprisingly states, prompting mild surprise to cross my features. She wants to...talk now?

Any response I would normally be able to produce is clogged in my throat. I'm still scared. I'm scared of moving even though I'm much too far away for her to attack, or at least I think I am…

"You licked that dish clean, remember?" Kirumi elaborates. My eyebrows knit together nervously, watching as she narrows her sharp gaze on me. "You ingested everything without even a single sign of discomfort. As soon as that soup went down your throat...no, as soon as it went past your lips, you should have been in agony. At that point, it didn't matter if I was caught or not, I would have already won my right to freedom."

…

"So why aren't you dead?" Kirumi presses, her expression twisting into a scowl.

I shiver violently, either from her or the cold. Or maybe even both. I don't even think I could answer her if I was allowed and wanted to…

Why aren't I dead? Is it my intuition? Something else? Maybe...Kirumi just didn't put enough of the chemical in my food.

I want to speak up and give her some sort of response, but my lips won't move. At this rate, the snow is starting to flake over my eyelashes as well. I should reach up and cover my eyes so the melted water doesn't refreeze there, but my body is frozen in a much different way before her.

"What sort of person ingests half a cup of drain cleaner without internal damage to their body? It should have broken down tissue and ripped you apart from the inside," Kirumi remarks, turning to begin walking towards the other end of the path. My body flinches and I scramble back further, only succeeding in having my hands and feet slip against the ice uselessly. When she turns around near the end, I relax only a smidgen when I realize she's pacing- maybe to keep warm.

Half a cup of drain cleaner…? Is that how much she put in my food altogether?

Kirumi pauses after a few trips along the path, a hand under her chin as she glances back my way. I can see her breath in the air, cut off as if she's just remembered something important.

"Before she died, Tsumugi said you were some kind of 'freak of nature'...what did she mean by that?"

This is bad. I knew she must have suspected something was off about me, but I didn't think she'd piece it together and take it as a possibility that quickly. Does this count as me breaking an Ugly Rule even though I didn't expose it intentionally?

"...Fine. Don't answer. I'll figure it out myself- after I've killed you," Kirumi calmly states. "Have a good night, Prairie."

Kirumi walks back to the gate, opening one of the sides enough to slip out. I wait for a good few minutes before I can finally move, first reaching up to melt the snow that's started to seal my eyes shut when I blink. With my chilled palms against my eyes, it takes a bit longer for the ice to melt from my closed lashes than I'd like.

I'm still alone when I open them back up.

No Kirumi, no Monokuma, no Monokubs…

No one.

I let out a huge sigh of relief, the warmth fogging the air as I begin looking around for a way off the ice.

When I try to stand, I simply slide before I can get upright. Even trying to use my intuition is futile, especially when it tells me the only way out is to call out for help and get pulled out.

I wrinkle my nose at the news, considering I'm more of the type to get myself out of trouble if I can. Still, it's been more than enough time that I've been struggling and I can feel my hair and clothes matting from the melting snow. The ice is just too slippery to walk on with my stupid boots.

"H-Help!" I call out, feeling somewhat embarrassed despite my position. Still, I clear my icy dry throat and try again louder. "Someone, HELP!"

If Rantaro ends up finding me like this, he's gonna be so upset…!

I don't know how long I'm sitting there calling for help. Every second feels longer than a minute, the snow collecting over me despite my efforts to sweep it off of me every time. Water is beginning to touch my skin, and it's getting gradually colder by the moment.

The gate creaks, and my heart leaps up to my throat. I know I was calling out for help, but if Kirumi has decided to come back with a long distance weapon, I'm going to pass out.

…

Korekiyo pushes the gate entirely open as it had been prior, looking down the path until I squeak and break into a cough from the cold air. His gaze eventually drags on over to me.

"My, my, my...this is quite the surprise, I must say. How in the world did you manage to get yourself over…" Korekiyo starts, before walking over to the portion of the path Kirumi once stood at and pausing when he sees the massive indent in the ice. It doesn't take all too long for the dots to connect, if I'm to go by the look of understanding in his eyes. "...Well then. It pains me to ask you to give me a moment to acquire a tool in which to pull you from this debacle, but alas here we are. Please wait."

He takes to a brisk walk towards the casino, disappearing past the doors. Unfortunately, those minutes are more like hours for me in the cold, shivering violently despite my attire. I'm soaked at this point- soaked yet frozen. When he finally comes back with a rope, he has someone else running out from the casino with him.

"Prairie!" Tenko wails, the horror on her face palpable as she stops alongside Korekiyo. "We're going to get you out of there, okay, sweetheart?!"

"T-T-Take yo-our...t-tiim-me…" I barely manage, though it's not loud enough for them to hear since it's barely over a whisper. Any louder and my throat would punish me with a coughing fit that'll only serve to ruin my voice even more.

The two toss the end of the rope over to me, fashioned into a loop which I'm able to slowly put my arm through from how badly I'm shivering. Tenko ends up stealing the rope from Kiyo after a few moments, putting all her effort into pulling me off the ice until I'm just at their feet. She tosses the rope to the ground and scoops me up to speed off back into the casino, only setting me down once we're inside by the stairs leading to the gambling floor.

"What happened?! How long have you been stuck out there?" She asks, dusting snow from my clothes and hair until I'm more or less cleared of the ice that didn't get through my clothes.

"K-Kiru-umi," I stammer through chattering teeth, feeling my heart skip several beats when Tenko pulls me into her arms.

"I'm shocked you didn't realize she was calling out from outside, although…" Korekiyo casts a distasteful glance down the stairs. "I suppose I understand considering the ruckus from those machines downstairs."

"Yeah, I didn't hear anything! Poor Prairie…! I would have come running if I had, you know that, right?" She asks, regarding me until I manage a chilled smile to abate her concerns. Of course I know that…she did tell me when we first met that she'd come running if I ever screamed for help. She lets out a whine of guilt from her throat, pulling me close again so she can rest her cheek over my soaked hair and ribbon. "You'll have to wait till you're all warmed up to go back outside, okay? I just need to get you something dry to wear…"

Tenko looks around at the casino, though we're both well aware that there's nothing in here that would help in that regard. After a few seconds of quiet ruminating though, she speaks up again.

"Hey! Yellow flea bag at the counter!" Tenko barks, the three of us looking towards the casino prize corner and watching as Monosuke slowly rises up from the counter to peer over at us.

"Don't call me a flea bag! What the hell do ya want?!" Monosuke demands, paws on his hips as he meets Tenko's sharp look head on.

"Are there any clothing prizes in there that Prairie can exchange casino coins for? Anything warm is fine!"

"No," Monosuke answers straight away, causing Tenko's teal eyes to narrow.

"You didn't even look…" she hisses, to which Monosuke just shrugs in answer.

"I know all the prizes in the casino, so I don't need to look. Besides, if the one who needs it is Ugly, then I definitely don't have anything! Now buzz off!" Monosuke bounds away quickly at that point, leaping out from the front and making his way downstairs before anyone can get another word in.

"Ugh! Dang it, I guess I'll have to…" Tenko looks at Korekiyo and grits her teeth a little before glancing back down at me. "If I leave you with Kiyo, do you think you'll be okay?"

"Oh? You hold me at such a low level of mistrust, Tenko. What do you assume I might do to her?" Korekiyo inquires coyly, amusement flickering in his irises.

Tenko whips her head up quickly with obvious guilt, though the semi-scowl directed at Korekiyo says she still doesn't like the idea.

"I don't know! Kill her?! I don't trust you," she accuses, prompting me to pull at her sleeve for her attention. She doesn't seem to notice.

"Alright. In that case, perhaps you would feel more comfortable if I were to retrieve her dry clothing from her dormitory room-"

"No! Who knows what you do in her room! You could set up a trap or go through her things!"

I pull harder on her sleeve.

"T-Tenk-ko!" I finally manage to say louder, making the girl turn her head to face me when I pull out my room key and push them in her hand. "I'll b-be f-f-ine her-re…you g-go."

Her brow knits together with uncertainty, and she glances back at Korekiyo for a fraction of a second.

"Are you sure?" She asks one last time. Instead of answering verbally, I force my frozen muscles to nod at her. The conflicted look in her eyes says she doesn't like the plan, but she reluctantly releases me so I'm surrendered to the casino environment. Last time I was in the casino it was kind of chilly, but I'm so frozen from being stuck on the ice outside that it feels warm inside in comparison. "I'll be back then…"

She hesitates once she's standing up, but allows Korekiyo to kneel down beside me. After a moment of watching like a hawk when he pulls me gently into his arms to offer his warmth, she starts to walk towards the exit.

"You better take care of her, or else!" She calls back, before taking off in a sudden sprint. "This will be quick, don't worry, Prairie!"

The door swings open and she continues on her way until it's just Korekiyo and I again.

It's silent save for the sound of the casino slot machines downstairs. Now that it's just us though, I can't help but feel the small sliver of tension that's risen in the air. Maybe it's because I'm still reeling from Kirumi's attack or maybe it's because I'm so cold…

Or maybe it's because I'm suddenly thinking about a certain document I found underneath the academy. A document that pointed out Korekiyo to be the intentional third blackened in the killing game.

I wasn't so nervous last time, was I? In the library, everything was going fine and then he even gave me a ribbon as a gift…

...No. I shouldn't lie to myself. I know I felt a little nervous at the library with him, even if I am dead-set on convincing him to give up any murderous plans he may have. I tried to find some other excuse for my nerves before, but it was definitely Kiyo himself that made me nervous.

"You're afraid I'm going to murder you, aren't you?"

I let out a low noise of surprise.

What did he just say?

"You assumed I wouldn't take notice? You're quivering far more in my arms than you were with Tenko. Every time I'm around, you appear as if you're dreading something foul...like an attempt at murder," Korekiyo comments nonchalantly, weaving a finger through a lock of my damp hair and curling it like we're in the middle of a casual chat.

I swallow thickly, eyes flicking up at him when he allows his hand to drag over my neck.

"Pretending to feel safe when you know very well you aren't...that's an intriguing reaction when you know what you know," Korekiyo continues, a finger trailing across my throat.

When I know...what? What does he mean by that?

"You're well aware that I'm abnormal in certain ways. I would think it's safe to assume that one of the names in the document for murderers was my own. Correct?" Korekiyo asks, gently pushing against a few areas of my throat lightly with his index finger. When the silence extends for longer than I'd like, he continues. "Your silence is telling, Prairie. The thing that truly puzzles me however…"

He leans down lower to whisper by my ear.

"...Is why you've chosen not to warn everyone else around you."

My mouth feels dryer than before when I feel his hand wrap around my neck. It's not tight, but the presence of his hand there is definitely nerve wracking all the same. He could break my neck right now if he wanted to.

"Why do you choose to stay silent if you know I am a potential threat? You were exceedingly vocal in regards to Kirumi...should I attempt to kill you now too so you come to your senses again?"

"...Y-You don't...ha-ave t-to bec-come a blacken-ned…" I manage to get out, even with his hand tightening around my throat slowly.

When I say it though, he pauses and releases the tension to something looser. He seems surprised I'd bring that up.

"You're concerned about that? Well, you shouldn't be. I was already blackened prior to stepping foot in this killing game. And you of all people can't possibly change me from the path in life I chose."

…

"Ninety-six."

My brown knits together in confusion at the number. He doesn't make me wait to clarify what he means by it though.

"Once I hit one-hundred, these dark days will be over. If I were to kill you…" Korekiyo shifts carefully so his arm hooks around my neck in a lock, making an example of how he could end my life. "You would tick the count up to ninety-seven. So you see, convincing me to stop is well out of the question when I'm already making plans."

My teeth chatter as I struggle to find my voice in response to his blatant confession.

"W-Watch me," I defiantly state, earning a look of disbelief before Korekiyo releases me from the headlock and moves his arms to a less threatening position around me.

"Exceedingly intriguing. Your responses leave me conflicted for other reasons...but you'd make an excellent companion for my sister all the same. You simply need to die first for the friendship to blossom."

So that's what he meant about me becoming his sister's friend before...but what's the deal with telling me everything right now? When he knows Tenko is going to be coming back? Isn't he afraid I'll out him to her right now? Why does he want to make it harder for himself by putting everything in the spotlight?

"I know you're well aware I'm not going to kill you now. If anything...I'll be putting the effort in to keep you reserved as my final kill. Number one hundred."

Me as his final kill? But to do one hundred kills, doesn't he have to…?

My stomach drops at what he's implying, and when I peek up at him, I notice the curvature of his lower lid as if he's grinning.

"Three left till then," he comments, holding up three fingers where I can see. "I welcome your efforts to purify my soul, Prairie. I highly doubt you'll come close to convincing me, but c'est la vie. It goes without saying you're welcome to warn the others if you have a change of heart, however...I highly doubt you will if you haven't thus far. Just remember one thing."

He reaches up and knots his fingers in my hair, making me grunt in discomfort as he forces my head back to look up at him completely. His olive gaze is critical, as if he's enjoying this conversation.

"If anyone dies by my hand as a result of your silence, you are complicit. You won't be executed for assisting, but you'll have to live your life with that grim reality. That is, if luck is on your side and you happen to survive the killing game altogether."

"...D-Duly not-ed…" I huff, my upper lip pulling up in a semi snarl as I jerk my head aside so he's forced to untangle his hand from my damp locks. "Isn-n't one hund-dred f-friends excessi-ive t-though?"

Korekiyo doesn't answer.

Maybe I really should just warn the others. Is there a way to do it discreetly without completely throwing Korekiyo to the wolves? He's obviously trying to convince me to take action, if only for the reason that he'll enjoy watching me try…maybe he really can't be changed.

"Yo-ou're so convinced I c-can't chan-nge your mi-ind, yet you don-n't think I'll o-out you…" I huff, trembling even more. I don't know what he's thinking in that head of his.

"Be realistic, Prairie…I'm too far deep into this lifestyle at this point in time. You have absolutely no chance. If you met me two years ago, you still would have had no chance to change my ways."

…

The doors swing open and in runs Tenko with a bag. She's not alone this time though, as Angie and Kiibo are a few steps behind her. Trailing after them at a slower jog is Himiko, who nearly lands face first on the ground once she's inside the casino.

"Always the one for heartstopping adventures, aren't you, Prairie? Atua told me something was wrong after Tenko came flying into the dormitories!" Angie chirps, kneeling down beside Korekiyo and I to help me on my feet. "And how nice of Kiyo to keep you company in the meantime!"

Korekiyo nods amicably, getting back up on his feet as if we didn't just completely confirm he's a potential murderer…with a long standing bloody history.

"What happened? Tenko hasn't said anything this entire time!" Kiibo complains, just as Himiko finally draga herself over to examine my state. Considering my still-chattering teeth, I hardly get the chance to answer when Tenko pulls me away from Angie's hold to lead me towards the staircase.

"Later! We'll be right back, she needs to change right now," Tenko interrupts the robot, only slowing down to adjust the bag around her arm so she can lift me up again. "Sorry, you probably don't want me to carry you so much, but we'll get to the bathroom faster this way."

She probably thinks I dislike being hauled around like a kid, but I can't really say I'm complaining about the development considering the smile playing on my lips. Being in Tenko's arms is more than enough of a treat after being toyed with by Korekiyo and his taunting words.

He's definitely looking down on me for wanting to change him. Unlike other cases though…he's probably right to. I don't know the first thing about Korekiyo. Other than the fact he wants to sacrifice one hundred victims to his sister as "friends", I have no idea what could stop him if he's got a track record of ninety-six corpses behind him already.

After I've finished changing in the casino bathroom with Tenko's help, I stuff my damp clothing in the bag and adjust my new dry clothes. My teeth are still chattering, but not as much as they had been before.

"Prairie, you've been quiet since I got back…you're okay, right? Kiyo didn't do anything, did he?" Tenko asks as we're exiting the bathroom, holding the door open for me so I step out behind her with a small "thank you".

I should tell her.

"Uh…" I start, before fumbling with my words a little until I can speak properly. "He just kept me warm and told me about his sister."

What?! Why are you saying that?! Just tell her! Give up! You already know you're not going to be convincing Kiyo to swap hobbies from murder to knitting!

"Oh, um, but also, I…" I start again, struggling to get it out.

Spit it out!

"I was…wondering if you got Himiko a present yet?" I ask, mentally exasperated by inability to out Korekiyo. Idiot…

"Oh, I sure did! Why do you ask? You haven't gotten her anything yet?" Tenko asks curiously, prompting me to nod. After a second, it seems to click in her mind why I'm here. "Ohh, is that why you're here visiting the casino? Me too! I got her this pretty crystal bangle from here!"

I nod and then glance towards the stairs. "Himiko's up there now. Do you think you could distract her while I grab her something from the prize counter? Hopefully they have something else she might like…"

"Hmm...I saw they had a teddy bear and one of those digital pet toys. Also some weird stuff like a survival flag? It's probably useless, but kind of cute…if the reminder isn't," Tenko suggests as we stop at the foot of the stairs to continue discussing. "I'll go up and lead them outside first, give me just a minute or two!"

Tenko hurries up the stairs first and I hear her voice as she speaks to the others. At first I think Korekiyo must have gone since I don't hear his voice among those upstairs. It isn't until I hear the sound of fingers snapping twice past the sound of the slot machines that I turn around to find him seated on a stool beside one of the gambling games.

He rolls the slots with a knowing look aimed my way, amusement twinkling in his eyes. I can't help the dread it incites this time I see it.

"Every second of your indecisiveness is another second I create a plan of action. Unlike Kirumi, I'm a murderer with experience."

Cocky jerk. He's overlooking something important about murdering in the killing game though.

"If you murder one of the other's here, you'll still have to participate in a murder trial, Kiyo. I'll have to out you either way at that point, and you'll end up dying with only ninety-seven."

Maybe I can convince him to start targeting me. I've avoided Kirumi again, and she's pretty dangerous- dealing with Korekiyo…well, it's not safer or easier, but it's better than having him target anyone else.

Or worse, target Maki, since I don't know if she's willing to kill someone who threatens her. She'd end up becoming a blackened if that were to go down.

"Don't you think it'd be better if you targeted me so you could get out of here? Like that, you can take your chances having free reign on who to kill outside of this place. I'm sure it'd be much easier," I subtly suggest, watching as he raises a single brow and rolls the slot again. He's actually winning his pulls back…that's pretty lucky of him.

"Kirumi isn't sufficient stress on your nerves as is, Prairie? I'm shocked you would be inclined to offer yourself to me as a victim straight away. Your heart is truly a warm one if your intentions are to protect your companions..."

He reaches to the side of the machine and inserts a few more tokens, watching as the machine lights up with excitement at the next roll of the slots. Korekiyo pulls the lever and watches as the reels spin, taking a second before continuing his train of thought.

"In regards to that though, neither Monokuma nor the Monokubs ever said we couldn't kill more than one individual per blackened. You remain to be my preferred final victim."

"...Even if it means your last chance to kill me might not work out for you? Once we're in the trial grounds, murder won't be allowed. You'll get killed for murdering me."

Kiyo grins, one that's unnervingly noticeable from the way the zipper of his mask tilts up at the end.

"If I am to be executed or punished after one hundred kills, I'll be reunited with my sister on top of completing her wishes. It would end in my favor regardless whether I die or not," he remarks. Before I can add anything else to argue, he lifts his arm and taps his wrist insinuatingly. "I believe your friends are going to be wondering of your whereabouts if you don't hurry along retrieving Himiko's present."

I pause and eventually sigh angrily in resignation, turning to hurry up the stairs and get to the prize corner. Picking the prizes and grabbing an extra bag to shove them further inside the bag of my damp clothes, I run out of the casino to meet with the girls and Kiibo as they're about to head back into the casino.

"Sorry I took so long! Just had to deal with the main thing I came here for. Let's hurry back to the dormitories," I say to them, only to be stopped by Angie taking hold of my hand to slow me down from my rush to leave.

"I'm sensing you're upset…neither you nor Tenko have explained what led to your state when we followed her here. Did something happen?" Angie asks, making me tighten my hand around hers much to her visible surprise. I suppose it's out of character for me when it comes to Angie, but we need to move.

"I'll explain in the room. For now, let's get going. We don't want to be outside when it's so dark- even if we are in a group."

"A very good point! Let's pray Atua keeps us safe on our way back then," Kiibo answers, prompting Himiko to clasp her hands together beside him and Tenko.

"Amen…" She murmurs, before we all bunch together in a close group and hurry back to the dormitory building.

My sensitivity to the cold must have increased a bit, since I already start shivering despite my fresh garment change. It might be because my hair is still sort of wet, but…there's really nothing I can do about it right now.

Either way, it's better than sticking around and waiting for it to dry in the casino with Korekiyo around…I'm sure I'll be able to handle his presence alone when I'm trying to change his mind in the coming days, but right now I need to process everything that happened.

And I need to relax before I start taking charge on any reckless plans, especially one regarding the confrontation of a straight up serial killer.

To think someone like that has been in our group for so long without us ever realizing. I know he was a little bit creepy, but still…I wonder if Kokichi noticed and that's why he was so rude to him?

…Kokichi thought he saw Korekiyo trying to strangle me with that blue ribbon he tied around my neck. Maybe Korekiyo did something to instigate Kokichi's actions though? Kiyo was definitely acting weird when Kokichi burst in, like he was feigning surprise at the leech's explosive entry. As if there was something funny that the two didn't think to tell me about…

Did he try to kill Kokichi before? Is that why he was acting so shifty around Kiyo?

I stop in my tracks after a second and hand Angie my bag, making her pause in surprise when Himiko bumps into us from behind with a displeased "nyeh".

"H-Hold on, I forgot something," I stammer, digging my keys out from the bag and handing them to Angie. "You can enter my room without me, I'll be right back."

"Wh- Prairie?!" Tenko calls out, already moving to chase after me.

"I'll be fine! I need to ask Kiyo something really important, just take care of the others for me! I promise I'll be okay!" I call back, watching as she slows down and eventually turns back to lead the others to the dormitory building. Hopefully she's not upset I'm running off on my own…she probably is, but maybe I can make her feel better about it once I get back.

I race back into the casino with stiffening muscles, shaking off the snow and water at the entrance where the mat sits with a damp puddle and little grains of scattered snow. It isn't until I get downstairs that I stop in my tracks and freeze in place when I see Korekiyo exactly where I left him.

With Kokichi.

Shoot, what the heck is Kokichi doing here?! Has he been here this whole time? Tenko didn't mention him! I can't ask in front of the leech, then there won't be any way for me to try and stop Kiyo before he tries anything stupid! What if me coming back makes him want to kill Kokichi right at this moment?

I'm just turning around ready to sneak back up the stairs when I hear Korekiyo speak up.

"If your intentions aren't deceptive, you may take your inquiries to Prairie herself. See, she's right behind you now," Korekiyo calmly states, making me glance back to see him gesturing to me so Kokichi turns his head.

Kokichi doesn't look the least bit surprised, but Korekiyo gets up and stalks around him at a casual stride until he's making his way up the steps I just came down from.

"Time flies faster than it would seem, doesn't it Prairie? I hope you know what you're doing. Also, there's no need to fret..." Korekiyo says under his breath as he passes me, mirth in his low voice. "I only target women."

Okay, I'm glad Kokichi's safe, but...targeting only "women" isn't a comforting revelation either.

When I turn back to look at Kokichi, he's already walking towards me, prompting my heart to suddenly jump up to my throat. The look in his eyes is critical, like he's already picking me apart for clues before he's even asked me anything.

It's really just a painful reminder of how it feels to be around him after what he did though, and I practically bolt the other way to the machines where I can keep him at a permanent distance.

Seeing this, he pauses and then groans exasperated.

"Even now? Come on, Prairie Dog, this will only take a second! It's really important!" Kokichi says, causing my stomach to flip.

"No!" I answer without hesitation, feeling the flip-flops in my stomach increase tenfold when he speeds up to try and catch me. I dash away, leaping on a stool and sending it falling when I use it to jump atop a casino machine. Kokichi stops when it nearly hits his legs, backing away until he sees me glaring at him from where I'm kneeling on the tall machine. He could fix the step stool and try to climb up to me, but it'd probably be difficult and I'd also be able to leap to a new safe spot by the time he got himself up.

"Fine, I'll ask from down here then," he gives up with crossed arms. "I saw Kiyo with you upstairs. Why were you all soaked? Did something happen?"

Because Kirumi attacked me? I don't need to tell him that though.

Or play any of his mind games in general.

"Nothing that I need to tell you, that's for sure," I snap, watching his eyebrows meet in a knot. Looks like I lit a fuse and burnt out his patience already.

"Jesus christ!" Kokichi objects suddenly, running a hand through his hair so it messes up. "What the hell do I need to do so you're not so angry with me anymore?! I'm sorry! I'm really fucking sorry! Do I need to get down on my knees?!"

Kokichi surprises me when he shoves the stool out of his way and kneels down, looking up at me again. The desperate determination in his eyes is actually a bit off-putting compared to how he usually acts, but he doesn't make an attempt to smooth out his behavior.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

I'm sure he's really hoping it's enough, but it still isn't. If he's just going to keep up his meaningless apologies though, I guess he needs to know why they're total garbagio in the first place…

"Okay, Kokichi," I start, watching as his violet eyes spark with a sliver of hope. He really doesn't know how this works does he? "Since you're not giving up, I'll just go ahead and tell you exactly what you're doing wrong with the apology. Maybe….maybe, you can try again later and I'll actually have an inkling you might mean it."

Kokichi looks suddenly upset again, but before he can say anything, I jump down from the machine and face him. He must have thought the chumminess from Miu's lab would have stuck after so much joking around in there, but really? I still hate him, and laughing together doesn't change anything.

He's still awful.

"Do I matter to you?" I ask him. He hesitates, and that's enough for me to see the lie before he's even said it.

"Yes."

"Liar. I'm asking if I, as an entire person with no utility in our situation, matter to you. I don't mean anything past platonic, I'm asking if you would be upset if I ran off and disappeared from your life permanently. Not dead, but definitely out of your life. Would it matter to you?"

"Yes!" He snaps immediately, this time without taking half a second to get his answer out.

"Okay, why do I matter to you?" I press on.

Kokichi actually freezes at that, probably floundering in his mind to figure out what I would want him to say rather than what he would naturally say.

"Because you're Prairie Dog…?" He answers with uncertainty. This time he doesn't even know what to fake saying by the looks of it. I sigh and gesture at him.

"You're giving me a vague answer because you can't come up with anything on a level that the apology merits."

His confusion is palpable, but I'll give him credit for the fact he really looks like he's trying to understand.

"Okay, let me reiterate a few points I've already made before. Just wait until I'm done if you want to say something," I start off again, hoping he understands this round since he obviously hasn't in the last few arguments. "Ready?"

Kokichi sighs, but picks up the stool to set it upright and take a seat. That's a good sign at least…

"You aren't sorry you hurt me and you aren't sorry you made me cry. You made me believe that you legitimately cared about me for a moment, when you know full well I have nobody but you guys in here. And now you're inconvenienced because my feelings are getting in the way of whatever it is you're up to half of the time in here. If you don't care about me, then I already know whatever you need my help with is definitely nothing that will be in my favor."

"No. It- I get that I screwed up and I know I hurt you, but-"

There he goes again, ready to be oppositional.

"And you'd do it again in a heartbeat! Because here you are talking over me again and showing me you don't care about anything but yourself!" I interrupt him, raising my voice even as my throat begins to get tight. He stops talking at that. "Maybe you wouldn't pretend to like me and lead me on like that again since you learned that was a bad thing to do, but you'll do something else. Like tell me I have nobody outside waiting for me because I have too much attitude and can't control my feelings," I give him an example. He looks away at that, cringing just a bit. Maybe it was a heat of the moment quip on his part, but I can't help but bring it up again to dig into the wrongness of his actions. "You hurt me, Kokichi. Whenever I see you, I keep hurting. I just don't want you around me."

"That's it then? I'm not allowed to talk to you ever again, not allowed to come near you, and not allowed to ask you important things regarding our survival?" He asks for clarification.

"No. I don't want you hovering around me anymore like this," I answer resolutely. "Besides, 'our' survival isn't guaranteed if the only thing you've shown me is carelessness for the rest of us."

…

"Alright. I hear you." With that, Kokichi stands up from the stool and pushes it back towards the slot machine so it's out of the way. "I don't know if I get it, but hopefully I do."

He takes a deep breath, staring at the ground before looking up and meeting my gaze. I almost flinch at the sudden intense eye contact, but manage not to look away by the time he starts speaking again.

"But I'm not going to stop trying to get you to forgive me," Kokichi decidedly answers, crossing his arms defiantly after the pause between us. "Even if it takes the entire killing game, I'll earn your forgiveness somehow. I'll figure out how to get you to see that this time I mean it."

That's actually not what I was expecting.

"Why are you even trying so hard anyways? You're wasting the time you could be spending trying to get the utility of other students to help your scheming along," I say with a puzzled frown, watching as he smiles at me with this coy look.

"Why do you think I'm trying so hard? You do matter to me beyond the killing game, but…maybe my value for how much you matter is a lot lower than what's normal for a person's value. That's my fault if that's the case," Kokichi answers carefully, before poking his chin thoughtfully and cracking a bit of a smile. "Or you just think I'm lying due to my reputation. Fair enough. I'll get through to you somehow."

"No, you won't," I state with a scowl, just as he leans forward a little.

"Trust me, I will. Remember the first and second 'C's? They stand for 'cute' and 'clever' respectively," he answers, prompting a groan out of me from how long ago that travesty was. "Maybe you've ditched me for Tenko, but I know there's a little something in that little rodent heart of yours that still cares about me at least as a friend. If you could handle having me around while messing with Kiibo's system, I know I still have a chance to win your trust back properly!"

Before my face can start warming at how he obviously has caught wind of my crush on Tenko, he starts striding towards the stairs quickly. I fumble to say something back, a slight garble of words on my part until he lifts a hand up.

"Talk to you later, Prairie Dog!" He chirps to my utmost disgust, waving like a chummy friend.

"First of all, I have no idea what you're bringing up Tenko for. Secondly, no, you won't! I'm serious, Kokichi, stay the heck away from me! I'm still angry about everything and I mean it when I say I hate you and I'll NEVER forgive you!" I shout after him, watching as he waves a dismissive hand in the air.

"Still a bad liar. Hate me all you want though. Enjoy it while it lasts, actually! Sooner rather than later, we'll be frolicking among the flowers like the best friends we were meant to be!" Kokichi laughs happily, even though I grab a random cigarette tray laying on the slot machine and hurl it his way. It hits the ground close to him rather than him directly, and despite my hostility, he just laughs even more and speeds to a run up the stairs. "We're future besties, Prairie Dog!"

"GET RUN OVER BY AN EXISAL, YOU ROTTEN VIOLET WART!"

Once he's gone, I'm left breathing hard from where I am by the casino machines, looking around and exhaling heavily now that Kokichi is gone.

I didn't get to ask Kiyo what I wanted, and I guess I could have asked Kokichi discreetly, but…I think it would set off alarms if he didn't already have suspicions about Korekiyo.

Time to head to the dormitories. I shouldn't keep the group waiting any longer than they already are waiting.

With that, I make my way out of the casino and up the stairs. I hesitate as I reach the door, biting my lip just a bit when I remember Kirumi again.

…

I can't just hide inside all over again just because she's out there.

With a sigh on my part, I pull up my hood and push open the casino doors to brave the icy weather on my own again.

❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀ 〰〰〰〰〰〰 ❀

❀ End of 4.11 - Promising Challenges ❀