Chapter 1: This Could Be Anywhere In The World (Daily Life 1)

Saya calmly strode her way through the lounge, ignoring everyone as she walked down the hall toward the elevator. She did all she could retain her composure as she felt more and more lightheaded. Marching past other students and outright ignoring them as she went back to her room.

Once inside, she rifled through her drawers, searching until she finally found what she was looking for; an inhaler. Her captors had been stringent on giving her proper breathing medication. Saying she only had one canister to use, so she had been conserving it for the last few months. She forgot to bring it with her when she left the room with Izumi, and it was one of the only ways she can get through stress or physical activity.

Saya pressed her hand against the wall, coughing so hard she felt the blood in her head squeeze at her brain from the blood pressure. In the middle of the cough, she pulled the inhaler up to her mouth. She quickly pressed down on the canister, medicine quickly coating her lungs and the tension in her chest finally subsided, giving her the first few clear breaths since the red-haired person named Junichi was impaled.

She took a few minutes to fully regain her composure, once again trying to force down the strands of hair that were sticking upward. "Come on… come on! Ugh! Does this room have scissors?" Saya asked, rummaging through the dresser until she found a pair of scissors. Saya began to line the scissors up, carefully trying to figure out how much to cut off when there was a knock at her door, nearly dropping the scissors. "Ah! Hello?"

"Saya? Are you in there? I got your water…" came Izumi's voice from behind the door. Saya took a deep breath, setting down the scissors, pocketing her inhaler and heading for the door, opening it to see Izumi standing there with a bottle of water.

"Thank you, Igarashi," Saya said, uncapping the bottle and taking a sip of water.

"Why did you leave so suddenly? I mean, I know Junichi got hurt and all but... I saw you run off." Izumi asked, concerned.

"There was something I needed to take care of," Saya said. "Now then, is everyone still in the lounge?" she asked.

"A few people are, the rest of them are exploring different floors. I think Koba left with Rinne and Chiwa to explore, while everyone else is waiting to see if Junichi's going to be okay. Airi went with them to keep an eye on Chiwa." Izumi explained.

"I see… then I should introduce myself to the others properly." Saya said, taking another sip before leaving her room, Izumi following after her to the elevator. Izumi pressed the call button, the door soon opening to Monokuma standing in the frame of the door.

"Hi," Monokuma said, waving a paw at the two of them.

"B-bear!" Izumi shouted, throwing a notepad from her pocket that bounced off his head. "Get away f-from me!"

"Ow." Monokuma flatly said, rubbing where his head was hit by the notepad.

"Don't do that, Igarashi. Do you want to be impaled next?" Saya warned Izumi, pressing her yardstick across the girl's apron covered chest.

"O-oh! Sorry. Can I have that back?" Izumi asked, pointing to her notepad.

"Get it yourself," Monokuma said. "Ya… NINCOMPOOP!" Monokuma shouted, throwing the notepad back at her and hitting her in the head.

"O-ow!" Izumi exclaimed, rubbing her forehead.

"HOW DOES IT FEEL!?" Monokuma shouted.

"It was just a reaction!" Izumi shot back.

"What if I threw 15 thousand of these at you eh?! How many papercuts do you want, missy!?" Monokuma asked, shaking a paw.

"N-none!" Izumi said.

"Igarashi, please pick up your notebook…" Saya said. Izumi nodded and picked up the notebook, Saya turning to Monokuma. "What do you want, Monokuma?"

"You see, I kind of got caught up in the spectacle of things and completely forgot to explain how this killing game thing is supposed to work! I mean, it's not often a guy gets skewered on the first day of a killing game. We have a rulebook, and I feel like it's important to know how it works."

"Ah yes, the regulations. So, you came here so I could review the regulations?"

"Yup! I'm here because SOMEBODY forgot to tell you!"

"Do you mean that you forgot?"

"...Shut up. I only forgot because Hojo forgot to remind me to not forget! I forgot to remember, damn it!" Monokuma ranted. "Anyway, be sure to read the regulations. If you don't that's your fault."

"Fine. Anything else?" Saya asked, pulling out her student handbook.

"Don't forget to have fun!" Monokuma said, pressing one of the elevator buttons, the doors shutting in front of them. "Ding! Elevator away!" The bear announced, muffled as it began to change floors.

"Did he just use our elevator?" Izumi asked, blinking a couple of times before turning to a subtly pissed Saya. "We… We have to wait until it comes back."

"I'll remember that..." Saya said, gripping her yardstick tightly.

"M-maybe we should take the stairs…"

"No. I'm determined to use the elevator just to spite that bear," Saya replied with a cold glare at the elevator doors. "I'll even steal the elevator from him the next time I see him!"

"...O-okay then," Izumi said, pressing the call button and waiting for the elevator to return. The elevator chimed again, the doors opening to an empty elevator. Saya sighed in relief as the two stepped in.

"...Do you know where everyone is at the moment, Igarashi?"

"No, but I've found something kind of cool. The student handbooks show the last area each person was at." Izumi said, pointing to them on the map. "See? It's showing us in the hallway."

"Ah. I wonder what the intervals are. We might have to investigate that later. Now, let's see the Regulations…" Saya said, pushing up her glasses as she turned on her student handbook.

Welcome, Saya Kiruma!

Saya swiped through menus on her way to the Regulations menu, reading them aloud as the elevator made its descent.

#1: Students are required to cohabitate together in the facility for the foreseeable future.

#2: If and when a murder in the Hotel is committed, a class trial will be conducted. Participation for this trial is mandatory for all living students.

#3: If the killer (Referred to as 'The Blackened' from this point on) is identified and voted guilty in the class trial, they will be subject to punishment.

#4: If the Blackened is either misidentified or cannot be identified during the class trial, all the students who are not the Blackened will be punished instead.

#5: If the Blackened survives the class trial for the murder they committed, they will graduate from the killing game and will be allowed to enter the outside world.

#6: The innocent students, also known as The Spotless will continue to hold class trials, the trials will stop if two Spotless remain.

#7: Nighttime is between the hours of 10:00 PM and 7:00 AM, certain facilities such as the dining hall, kitchens and the casino hall are forbidden to enter.

#8: Violence against the Host, Monokuma is strictly prohibited and will be severely punished (Especially if it's Asana)

#9: Monokuma is not allowed to participate, or be an accomplice to any of the murders. Class trials will ALWAYS have a Blackened and ALWAYS have a victim.

#10: Student handbooks are the key to your survival in the Hotel. Do not dispose of, or damage them.

#11: The culprit discovering the body does not count as discovering the body, other students must discover the body.

#12: You are not to harm any of the hotel staff. They are not part of the killing game, and cannot be used as witnesses.

#13: Likewise, the staff cannot give you any information that isn't approved by Monokuma, any servant who does will be subject to Monokuma's wrath.

#14: Monokuma can add and remove regulations as he sees fit.

The elevator came to a stop as Saya finished reading, her and Izumi stepping through the doors and heading down to the hall. They were soon back in the lounge, Saya looking around the room to see who was still there. She found them all gathered around the couch, flipping through channels on the television; there was the girl with auburn hair in the blue dress and orange blouse, the tan girl in the denim, sat next to the pale girl wearing thick glasses with dirty blonde hair, the boy clad in black with a skullcap and goatee, and finally the boy in the brown leather flat cap and matching suit jacket. The boy in the flat cap turned to them, getting up from the couch and looking up at her.

"Hey, you were that girl who went into the dining hall without talking to us. What's up?" he asked.

"Well, since you're not all shouting at each other, I figured I would introduce myself. I'm Saya Kiruma, I'm sure you've already met Izumi Igarashi." Saya said.

"I'm Touki Minami. But you can call me…" Touki began, taking off his cap and running his hand through his side-parted brown hair. "Anytime," he finished, giving Saya double finger-guns.

"No," Saya said bluntly.

"What? What do you mean no?" Touki asked, thrown off by how little effect it had on her.

"I would rather rip out my own tongue out than call you that or anything else you have written down as a follow-up," Saya responded.

"That's not what the joke is supposed to me-" Touki objected, Saya slamming her yardstick against the floor, everyone turning to look at her.

"Do you think I care!?" Saya shouted at Touki.

"Step on me," Touki said under his breath.

"W-What!?" Saya asked, eyes widening slightly.

"Y-you didn't hear that!" Touki stammered.

"I did," Izumi quietly interjected.

Saya pinched her forehead. "...Minami, where's Koba Tsujishi, the Ultimate Detective?"

"Does this mean you're not interested?" Touki asked

"Do I look interested?" Saya asked, pointing to the glare on her face.

"Yyyeeeeeeeeea-" Touki began, seeing the glare forming on Saya's face. "Okay, no. Fine. Koba's on the 20th floor, with Rinne, Chiwa and Airi."

"Alright. I'm going to be joining their investigation. Don't follow me." she warned, tapping her yardstick against her palm.

"Call me a bad dog," Touki muttered softly. Saya just reached up to adjust her cracked glasses, then swiftly turned on her heel to take a deep breath through her teeth. Izumi took a small step away from Touki and looked away from the swelling of awkward tension in the room.

"I'm never speaking to you again," Saya said tersely.

"I-it was a joke! I swear! I… I was kidding! Why don't you believe me!?" Touki cried out, Saya walking away as fast as her body could walk.

"Igarashi, inform Minami that he is to not say anything in my presence," Saya demanded. "Then, follow me so we can find Koba."

"A-alright, Saya!" Izumi said with a bow, turning to Touki. "Sorry, Touki. Saya said you can't talk to her anymore," she said before running off to follow Saya.

"I heard that!" Touki objected. "She heard me say that!"

"He said he heard that!" Izumi called to Saya.

"..." Saya said nothing in response.

"Wait! I need to say something to clear my name!"

"Touki said he wants to clear his name," Izumi said, continuing to act as the emissary between Saya and Touki.

"I'd kill for a restraining order right now..." Saya muttered.

"T-that's not funny! This is a killing game, isn't it!?" Touki shouted over at her.

"H-he said that wasn'-" Izumi started, Saya covering her mouth with a hand.

"I heard him, Igarashi. Stop engaging Minami, you'll only encourage him." Saya said, picking up her pace to try and draw distance between her and Touki.

"You guys are mean!" Touki called from the far end of the hall.

"He srs yr mrn," Izumi said, muffled by Saya's hand.

"I'm well aware of that," Saya said, stopping at the elevator

"Sh serz she-" Izumi lifted a finger to indicate that she was talking, but Saya just shushed her again.

"Screw this, I'm going back to the TV!" Touk shouted, heading back into the lounge. Saya and Izumi stepped into the elevator, Saya taking her hand off Izumi's mouth.

"So uh... Did I do okay?" Izumi asked.

"I don't recall you being under my employment," Saya said.

"You ordered me to do that!" Izumi complained.

"A leader doesn't make orders." Saya started. "A leader suggests ideas that make the most sense, and others choose to follow said suggestions out of a need for order and common sense."

"...I don't get it." Izumi said. "Anyway, you said I'm your assistant, right?"

"I said you're my assistant, but you chose to continue to assist me."

"Because you're scary!" Izumi objected. "I just do these things because I think you're gonna put pushpins under my fingernails if I don't!"

"I would do no such thing. Such a manner of punishment would be barbaric and would leave marks. A simple strike from my yardstick leaves a decent sting that puts most students in line… Most." Saya said, letting another sigh. "And you haven't been particularly rude, contrarian or ill-tempered, so I find you're the first I turn to when needing someone to do something for me."

"I-I mean.. T-thanks I guess I just… I feel like that's because no one else wanted to talk to you."

"..."

"S-sorry! I said that wrong! I didn't mean it like that."

"I will ignore that for now," Saya said, feeling the elevator come to a stop, the doors opening up to a rather large hallway with two doors on each side of the floor. One was open, and Airi, Rinne, Chiwa, and Koba were all standing at the entrance to one of the rooms.

"What are all you staring at?" Saya asked as she walked up to Rinne.

"Oh, hey. You're Saya, right?" Rinne asked. Saya nodded in response. "Well, this room has four student research labs on them and Koba just figured out how to unlock the rooms," she explained, Koba turning his head to join the conversation.

"We have labs? Why?" Izumi asked.

"It's a system implemented by schools like Hope's Peak to help the students to refine their talents," Koba explained. "I'm suspecting this is Monokuma's way to copy it."

"The labs require your student handbook, but if it's lost, you can use your birthday as a passcode," Koba explained further. "I assume each lab for each person requires that person's birthday."

"I see. And who's lab is… is... " Saya said, trailing off as she looked into the open doorway of the lab. The lab was a sterile room with walls covered in several devices, a large shelf with bottles and vials of liquids and powders, all labeled. The only things that looked even slightly normal was a filing cabinet at the back wall and a desk with a swivel chair. "Wh-what is this…?" Saya asked, mouth agape.

"My lab," Airi said bluntly as Izumi poked her head in, her jaw dropping.

"Airi... why is… the knife was one thing, but this? Wh-what is all of this?!" Izumi asked, waving all over the room.

"Babysitting supplies," Airi replied as Saya walked into the lab and looked over the shelf, picking up one of the vials.

"Trichloromethane… that's… this is chloroform! Why does a babysitter have chloroform?!" Saya asked, dumbfounded and worried.

"Well, if a kid is being particularly bratty, you take a rag and pour a little bit on. Then you put it under their nose to make them pass out." Airi said from the doorframe with an unnervingly peaceful smile. "Works every time."

"Kudo, that isn't- you don't- what are those?!" Saya asked, pointing at the wall of devices.

"Surveillance equipment. It's so I know if they're and bed and where they are if they aren't in bed." Airi explained.

"That's what baby monitors are for! Not night-vision cameras!" Izumi exclaimed.

"...What happens if they aren't in bed?" Chiwa asked nervously.

"I make them go to bed," Airi responded, sending a chill down Chiwa's spine as she said it, holding Socrates up over her face.

"I-I don't like you and neither does Socrates!" Chiwa sputtered out.

"That hurts, Chiwa. I'm just doing my job." Airi said, looking down.

"Airi, you're a babysitter! Babysitters are supposed to sit kids in front of the TV for two hours, feed them microwave macaroni and run up the parents' phone bill talking to their boyfriends! They're not supposed to be confused with a kidnapper or an assassin! You can't just use horse tranquilizers on a 10-year-old!" Izumi said, exasperated.

"Only if he's misbehaving." Airi countered.

"No! Not ever! Do you steal kids' teeth and ship them to Africa when you're done babysitting them?" Izumi asked.

"No, I leave them to the tooth fairy if they lose a tooth," Airi said.

"Saya, are we sure Airi's not some kind of wanted criminal if she has this kind of lab?" Izumi asked her 'boss.'

"It wouldn't be a farfetched assumption at this point," Saya said, adjusting her broken glasses to see a little bit better.

"To be fair, I didn't choose what was in this lab. This is just… what my lab is like." Airi said.

"Then why are you trying to justify it!?" Chiwa interjected.

"I dunno, it all makes sense to me. You're all being weird about it." Airi said with a shrug.

"...You guys are all weird." Rinne complained.

"Anyway, I think we've seen enough of Airi's lab," Koba said. "I'm just going to advise all of you to stay out of this lab, since… it seems like if you want to commit a murder, you'll end up breaking into here." Koba started, adjusting the brim of his cap. "I would also advise not to share the fact birthdays can open the door."

"Why?" Izumi asked.

"Birthdays are on the student cards in the handbook; it pretty much means if you know about this, you can break into any lab you want," Koba explained.

"But Airi's birthday is Christmas Day, isn't that kind of easy to guess?" Rinne pointed out.

"Not if they don't know the room codes are birthdays." Koba countered

"Your birthday is Christmas?" Izumi asked Airi.

"I'm known to be quite jolly." Airi joked.

"Stop lying!" Chiwa complained.

"So, which labs are on this floor?" Saya asked.

"Airi, Izumi, Sora and Surumi's labs," Koba answered. Izumi let out an excited gasp.

"Oh! OH! I know Taiga's birthday!" Izumi exclaimed, running over to the door of his lab, as each lab had a crude drawing symbolizing their face printed out as a sign on each door.

"Of course you know Hitose's birthday…" Saya said with a sigh as Izumi walked up to the door, putting in the numbers 1028. Izumi swung the door open, eyes wide and shining with joy.

"G-got it!" Izumi said with excitement.

"I was going to advise not to check a lab of someone who isn't here with us but I'm glad people heed my advice," Koba said, sarcasm in his voice. "Fine, we'll check Sora's. I don't want us to check Surumi's without her consent."

Izumi ran in, seeing a room with a polished epoxy floor and walls covered in posters. The posters were all of the same group, TYPHOON, printed in all capital letters. In the corner of the room was a dance arcade machine covered with the Typhoon logo and members covering the cabinet. Izumi's ecstatic squeal was followed by her hopping on her toes in excitement.

"Oh my gosh, all this memorabilia! I have most of these posters. It's like this is my room! I can't wait!" Izumi said, walking further into the room before feeling her body begin to slide back out of the room. "I can't wait to s-NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Izumi shouted, as Saya grabbed her collar and started to drag her out of the room, finally pulling out of the room and slamming the door shut behind her.

"That's trespassing, Igarashi!" Saya shouted. "I will NOT allow any of my subordinates break the social contract of trust and consent! Keep your butt out of this room until Hitose allows you to enter!" Saya shouted, Izumi took a breath and raised a hand to protest, but Saya slapped her raised hand with her yardstick.

"O-ow!" Izumi cried out, holding her hand to her chest.

"Behave, Igarashi!" Saya commanded, tightly gripping the yardstick.

"That hurts. Stop doing that!" Izumi whimpered.

"Then you will not enter Hitose's room without his permission!" Saya said. "Is that clear?"

"Y-yes, Ma'am!" Izumi said.

"So does that mean the only other available lab would be Izumi's?" Chiwa asked. "Does that mean we need to ask Izumi if she wishes us to view the lab?"

"I guess it's fine," Izumi said, nursing her hand. "I'm pretty sure my lab wouldn't have a flamethrower in it."

"Was that joke at my expense?" Airi asked.

"Y-yes!" Izumi shouted.

"How dare. I don't have a flamethrower in my lab. Fire is dangerous for small children." Airi explained, a gloved hand cutting the air. "I wouldn't dare let a child get set on fire."

"...You sure?" Rinne asked. "It would let the kid go to bed, right?." Rinne continued to morbidly joke. "It works in your logic, right, Airi? Burn a baby alive, have a good night's sleep!"

"..." Koba stood with his mouth open in shock. "That was… a bit macabre, don't you think?"

"I thought it was funny." Rinne retorted.

"Now we're talking about setting children on fire," Chiwa said with a sigh. "Socrates, let's just go to Izumi's lab already," she said, using her thumbs to make the rabbit's head nod. Izumi turned to her lab door, putting in 1121 into the keypad next to her lab door and hearing an affirmative beep.

Izumi's lab looked like a small diner with black and white checkerboard tiles on the floor. Strangely, near the door was a fake brick road to make it look like they were on a street. The walls were a fake blue sky, and there were several chairs underneath an awning that served as dining tables. There was a booth that looked like both a place to cook and serve food behind a Plexiglass wall that was about chest height.

"It's weird… The lights are tinted orange to look like sunlight, and the walls are painted like a sky… This whole place looks like a little coffee shop." Koba said, seeing Izumi's eyes lit up for once as she looked it over.

"I-it's cute…" she exclaimed with a small smile. "I'm still upset we're trapped here, but I always wanted one of these little streetside shops… It looks like it's supposed to be French, or Italian," she said, letting out a delighted sigh.

"This lab does have a cozy quality to it. It's actually similar to La Zefiro," Saya said, running a finger along the awning to check for dust.

"O-oh! You've been to La Zefiro?" Izumi asked as she went behind the booth.

"Of course. My family went there to celebrate my brother's admission to Future Crest." Saya said.

"Oh yeah, my dad told me to stay out of the way during that dinner…" Izumi said.

"Hm? Igarashi, do you work for La Zefiro?" Saya asked, surprised.

"Oh, well... My dad ran the place for the last 20 years. He inherited it from his grandfather since his father was kind of a deadbeat. He didn't really pay me, but he taught me how to be a waitress and a chef." Izumi started. "Eventually, I got good enough to be hired onto the staff."

"I see... " Saya said, turning to Koba. "Before I forget, Koba. What did you find during your investigation?"

"The floor beneath us has a laundromat and an incinerator, along with a breaker room." Koba listed on each finger. "There's also a kitchen attached to the dining hall on the 18th floor.

"Which is CLOSED!" Monokuma said, suddenly appearing behind the group.

"Wh-what?! How did you get in here?" Chiwa asked.

"I'm in the walls~" Monokuma said, twiddling his fingers. "Any bit of drywall? Me! The sprinkler system? Also me! The plumbing system? Reluctantly also me."

"...Are you going to come out of a toilet at some point?"

"Only if I have to."

"Refrain from appearing in the women's toilets," Saya demanded. "Anyway, you said the kitchen was closed, right?"

"Yup! See, we were gonna have this big banquet, but then Junichi went and made himself a kebab, we gotta get all the blood outta the carpet. That and uhh.. The food delivery's late." Monokuma explained.

"You were going to have a banquet and didn't prepare for a late shipment on food?" Izumi asked.

"Look, I was busy kidnapping sixteen people! Do you know how hard kidnappings are?!" Monokuma ranted.

"...Do you want me to say yes?" Izumi asked.

"VERY! Especially when one of them is a black ops super agent!" Monokuma shouted, pointing to Rinne.

"Well, you cheated," Rinne said, sticking her tongue out. "Horse tranquilizers is cheating, ya know."

"Shaddup! Anyway, you guys are gonna be going to be going without food for a bit. I'm beary sorry about that! Ruahahahaha!" He shouted, having a gut laugh.

"That pun was terrible," Chiwa said.

"Pah! You just don't appreciate the classics!" Monokuma said with a dismissive wave of his paw. The bear soon vanished as quickly as he appeared.

"...How can one person be so unhelpful?" Izumi asked.

"When they're a talking bear, Izumi," Rinne replied.

"Well, it shouldn't be too much of a problem. Izumi, does your booth have any food in it?

"Huh? I think so… hold on, lemme check." Izumi said, looking through the cabinets. "Oh, we do! It's mostly pastry and bread stuff though. It's gonna be a lot of sandwiches, french toast, stuff like that."

"That will be fine for now," Saya said.