Chapter 1: This Could Be Anywhere In The World (Daily Life 7)
"Puhuhuhu~ This video is for Saya Kiruma, the Ultimate Class President!" Monokuma announced on the screen of the DVD player's flip out monitor. "I guess you could say, I have some… tragic news for you, so I highly suggest you watch this alone so you don't have any eavesdroppers," he stated. Saya, who was sitting cross-legged on the bed of her room, with the DVD player in her lap, was entirely alone.
She had been alone since she was threatened by Katsuya the night before, it was almost nighttime, and she still has barely left her room, and hasn't even eaten since. Her fingers wouldn't stop reaching up to rub the bandage covered cut on her cheek, but the video she was watching from Monokuma had her distracted.
"Norimoto Kiruma should ring a bell to you, Saya. Isn't that your father? If I remember correctly, you and your brother Shiro both dislike him for being a 'failure' compared to the Prime Minister of Japan, and I believe to be your uncle, Ryushi Izumura. Different last name? Guess he's an uncle on your mother's side." Monokuma said, reading a piece of paper in his paw.
"I know a lot about you and your brother… Your father would beat your mother after his campaign to join the Japanese Diet failed when he got caught sneaking into a women's public bathing house to attempt to court an underaged fan of his. This caused your mom to fall into alcoholism and depression, and she died after her car went careening off a pass in Gunma prefecture." Monokuma continued to read, showing her mother on the nightly news the day they reported her death. Saya swallowed some spit, him knowing that was making her uncomfortable. All of this had never left the Kiruma household, so one could or should know this. She gripped tightly on her inhaler but her heart rate was steady.
"So what would a father do if the apple of his eye, at least when it comes to abuse, is dead? Beat the eldest son, of course!" Monokuma said, happily. "No wonder why he became such a mess in his adulthood… Anyways, your father was clearly a troubled man after your mother passed… but did you know how troubled he would become once he heard that both his daughter and his son vanished one day?" Monokuma said, as the video cut to news footage, showing her father, a white-haired man wearing glasses in his middle age walking out of their home wearing handcuffs.
"In an update to our earlier breaking news, we would like to report that the main suspect for the murder of Japanese Prime Minister Ryushi Izumura is now in police custody. The fallen politician, Norimoto Kiruma has been arrested for bludgeoning his brother in law to death with a marble statue of a bear. We're not entirely sure why he could do such an act, especially after both of his kids were reported missing and Ryushi promised to investigate the disappearance, but I feel like the Japanese people will feel safer at night knowing that such unstable men as him are behind bars." A sharply dressed female newscaster announced as the video played in the upper right corner of her father's arrest.
"No… he wouldn't…" Saya said in barely a whisper. Her dad was not a good man, not good at all. He would hurt her older brother and project all the things he wasn't into these absurd expectations for him… Punishing him for any minor failure in his progress to be the politician his father wasn't. Compounded when he went to Hope's Peak as the Ultimate Politician. Shiro broke and burned every bridge he had because of it.
But to become a murderer is a whole step beyond being kind of a terrible dad. Especially murdering his brother-in-law and a highly respected figure like the Prime Minister "So… I bet you want to know what happened! Remember, capital punishment is totally legal in Japan, and after his trial in about 21 days… I assume we'll be seeing him hanging from a noose." Monokuma spoke as her father sat behind bars.
KILL TO ESCAPE, SAYA
Saya pulled her inhaler up as her lungs began to tighten. She took in a deep breath of medicine the tight feeling on her lungs fading as she firmly shut the DVD player, and threw it against a wall, breaking it. Her father was in jail, she and her brother had been kidnapped and her uncle was dead. Everything around her was falling apart around her. She felt her eyes begin to sting slightly when there was a sudden knock at her door.
"...Saya? Are you in there?" came Izumi's voice from behind her bedroom door. "I haven't seen you all day, are you alright in there?"
"Ah… Igara… Izu…" Saya began, trying to choose between the Ultimate Waitress' first and last names. "Hold on," Saya said, barely audible as she took a deep breath to compose herself. She grabbed her heels off the floor, putting them on as she looked herself over in the mirror, hiding away her inhaler in the drawer. She quickly wiped the corner of her eyes, though her sclera had still reddened slightly. Another series of knocks followed. "I'm coming!" Saya yelled abruptly, taking another deep breath before heading to the door.
Saya opened the door to see Izumi standing in front of her, carrying a plastic tray with a lid coated in steam, condensing on the lid. "What brings you here, Igarashi?"
"W-well, you never came around for breakfast or lunch, I got worried that you haven't eaten at all today!" Izumi said. "So I made you an omelet!" she offered, holding up the tray closer to Saya.
"Ah… thank you." Saya said, taking the tray and walking over to her bed, taking a seat. She gently popped the top of the lid off, nostrils hit with the smell coming out with the steam. It was an inviting scent, so she looked down, seeing a rather well-made omelet with green peppers, cheese, chives and coated in black pepper. Next to it was a pair of chopsticks, with small packets of ketchup, mustard, and chopped onions.
"Are… Are you sure that you're okay?" Izumi asked softly, slowly walking over to Saya.
"Yes… I… I've been…" Saya said, trying to think of a convincing lie, but looking Izumi in the eyes made it difficult. Izumi looked at her with such innocent eyes, almost like a puppy in human form. Saya looked down at the omelet, hoping that avoiding her would make Izumi leave.
"If you're not feeling well, you can talk to me. I won't tell anyone. I… I understand what it feels like when you tell someone how you feel privately like it's just supposed to be between two friends… and other people catch wind of it and start… making assumptions about you." Izumi said, not breaking her gaze from Saya's
"Igarashi, you ca-" Saya said before Izumi cut her off.
"Saya; It's okay. I'm here for you." Izumi said with a small bow.
"...I…" Saya began, looking up at Izumi. She finally took a deep breath through her nose and closed her eyes. "C-close the door behind you."
"Done and done," Izumi said, walking over to the door and shutting.
"How did you really know something was wrong?" Saya asked as Izumi walked over to take a seat next to Saya.
"You expect for me to watch you completely change your behavior around me and -not- think something happened? I've only known you for so long, but I can tell these things. You're not as good at hiding how you feel than you think you are, at least to someone whose… used to sadness as I am." Izumi said, Saya blinking in surprise.
"I watched my 'motive' video, that's all," Saya admitted.
"You're wrong. You were like this before the existence of the DVDs… S-something has you scared right now, I want you to stop lying to me, and tell me what it is." Izumi said, her face hardening slightly.
"Ah! Fine… while I was getting my glasses replaced, I ran into Suba…" Saya began.
"Suba…? Y-you mean the hunter with the bear hood, right? That scary guy?" Izumi asked.
"Yes. I tried to confront him on his solitary nature. He threw a knife at me to cut my cheek, then shoved me against the wall."
"Ah! You said you scraped your face on a shelf corner!" Izumi said, pointing to Saya's cheek bandage.
"Well, I lied then," Saya said, Izumi's eyes widening.
"Why didn't you tell anyone about this? Isn't this dangerous to just… have someone attack you and you do nothing about it? We should tell Junichi and hi-"
"Absolutely not." Saya shot back.
"What? Why not?" Izumi asked, shocked. "What your doing isn't common sense, Saya. Someone attacked you and you're going to do nothing?" She asked.
"Do you think we'll be better off if we were panicking like startled deer? Constantly accusing each other of being violent, constantly distrusting one another because we don't know who we can trust. This place needs order, this place needs me. I feel like if I panic, the rest of you will panic. And once we panic, the rest of us will die." Saya claimed, adjusting her glasses and reaching over to grab her yardstick.
"And what if he killed you?" Izumi accused. "What if he decided that he wanted the other students to panic? What if he saw that cut he did as proof that he could get to you and wanted to follow it up?! He's a hunter, Saya!" She continued, pointing a finger at Saya, for it only to be slapped away by her yardstick.
"You think I don't know that, Igarashi?!" Saya shouted in response, startling Izumi enough for her to step back from the student council president. "Do you think I don't know that he wants me afraid of him so I'm easier to kill!? Do you think I'm an idiot!?" She said, now breathing heavily from shouting. She had to hold back the urge to reach for her inhaler. Izumi's expression faded, as the silence between the two began to grow uncomfortably long.
"S-Saya…" Izumi said, saddened by Saya's lashing out.
Saya took off her glasses, and closed her eyes. Izumi just quietly handing her the tray with the omelet on it, she put her glasses in her shirt pocket, and took the food from the Ultimate Waitress.
"When I was accepted to Hope's Peak, I expected to hone my skills as a leader and build career prospects for my future. I had no idea this was going to happen. I.. I thought I was going to be a moral pillar for others. Death wasn't supposed to be involved. But damn it, if I have to lead us out of this hotel, then I cannot show any signs of weakness! I cannot and will not let anyone hold power over me. Not Suba, not Kakihara and especially not Monokuma! I can't afford to fail… If I fail, I… I don't know who else people would be able to put their faith in." Saya said, balling her hands into fists.
"Puhuhuhu~ Did somebody say my name?" Monokuma asked.
"Oh, not you again!" Izumi exclaimed.
"What are you doing here, bear?" Saya asked.
"I guess you folks can just sort of expect me as already here, but hiding somewhere typically. Be it the bedroom, the kitchen, or the bathroom, I'll be the- Oh. That last part makes me sound weird. Scratch that part, alright?"
"Quite the opposite, I'm making a mental note," Saya said, holding up her yardstick. "Now, explain why you're here."
"Well, since you two watched your motive videos, I'd thought I'd tell you about this little detail about the Killing Suite; blah blah blah blah blah," Monokuma said, rolling his wrist.
"What?" Izumi asked.
"Uhh… I guess I thought I told everyone already, so I wouldn't have to say it again! But I forgot you two are different characters!" Monokuma said. "Anyway, one of you losers is working for me! I mean.. One of the 16 of ya, not one of the two of you. But who knows? Maybe it is one of you two. Oooh, did I say that after you two had a heart-to-heart?" Monokuma asked with a mocking giggle.
"A traitor? You're saying one of the people here is a plant who works for you and not a hostage?" Saya asked.
"Yup-yup! That's the idea! And, you know the whole saying about how one bad apple spoils the bunch? That whole… indefinite spending time here thing? If you don't have someone kill the traitor for me, I'll kill every other student within the next 20 days!" Monokuma announced sadistically, his maniacal grin widening.
"It won't matter. We'll be out of this hotel before then," Saya said, trying to create an air of confidence. Monokuma let out a long yawn.
"Awwwnh~ Again with this? I just… I thought you were interesting, Saya. Can you go back to having a breakdown? This fake confidence you're exuding… You're kind of delaying the good part." Monokuma said. "And even worse, you're just doing the stupid cliches again. 'We'll get out of here! We won't kill anyone! I'm gonna stop the killing game!' Just once can one of you main character types try something else?!"
"You're gonna try and persevere through the power of friendship, or hope, or good morals or some crap because what else are you going to do to spite me? An armed insurrection? A ritual suicide? Be creative! C'mon! This is writing 101. You always subvert expectations! If someone finds out what you're doing, instantly subvert their expectations! A story is never good if you know what's going to happen next!" Monokuma raved.
"This isn't a story, Monokuma. You locked a bunch of us in here expecting us to just snap and kill each other. Do you think we're all just a bunch of murderers?" Izumi contended.
"Eh. You know what'll happen if ya don't get a-killin', waitress gal. C'mon, strap a girl to a pole, record a murder on camera, do a weird switcharoo with the bodies like the Mikan ripoff you are. You know what happens to your sister if you don't hustle hustle hustle!" Monokuma said, clapping his hands on each 'hustle.' Izumi's eyes widened in shock and slight confusion.
"Your sister, Igarashi?" Saya asked, concerned slightly.
"Who's Mikan!? I don't know what you're talking about! Stop comparing me to people I don't know!" Izumi said, hoping to avoid Saya's question.
"Subvert my expectations, Izumi! Subvert them!" Monokuma demanded, pointing at Izumi. "You're making me bored. Your character arc sucks!" he shouted. Izumi just sighed and rubbed a hand through her unkempt hair. "I just… I want SOMETHING, guys! Please… This whole thing feels like a waste of time…"
"...I'll tell you when the bear leaves, Saya," Izumi said as Saya continued to look at her.
"Maybe I should start over this killing game. I dunno, put a weird serial killer with amnesia or something in it as the main character; Maybe that might get good ratings…" Monokuma muttered, kicking his paw lightly against a bedpost over and over. "Everything's the saaaame. It's booooring…" he said with a defeated tone before walking out of the room.
"What is his obsession with our 'writing?' He acts like… He acts like we're all on a script. He keeps comparing us to characters he knows like some kind of… weird fanboy." Izumi said, before turning to Saya.
"Don't dodge the answer. Tell me what happened to your sister." Saya said, pointing her yardstick to Izumi's chest.
"You're dodging the fact you hid dangerous information to yourself, you should really tell people he's dangerous."
"You said that what we talk about doesn't leave the room; I'll tell you what my motive video was if you drop it."
"...Fine." Izumi said with a sigh. "This got… really awkward. That wasn't my intention, I just.. I came to give you omelets." Izumi said, leaning against a desk. "I… I have an older sister. She was the latest Ultimate Chef after the last few moved on with their lives. Her name is Kasumi Igarashi… And was the real heir to my father's restaurant." She said. "My father… he was a cruel man. He didn't want his restaurant, something that was passed through the generations for centuries to be run by a woman. So.. he insulted, screamed at, and hurt Kasumi for any small failure." Izumi stated. Saya felt a familiar feeling to all of this. "He wanted a son, but his wife left him after having me, so he hated me too."
"She… She shot herself in the head one day. The night before the Emperor visited the restaurant. But, she didn't die. But she fell into a coma that she couldn't wake up from, partially brain dead, she was put on life support to see if she'd recover. I… I was kidnapped on the way to seeing her, and Monokuma threatened to pull her life support if I don't kill somebody."
"My father killed my uncle, who was the Prime Minister of Japan. It's more… complex than that, but… That's the basic part of it." Saya explained. "I… I don't really want to say much more, but I understand how you feel, Izumi." She added, taking a deep sigh to calm herself down. "I should finish this omelet, it's getting late and it's getting cold." She said.
"That's… wow. Those motive videos… it must be like this for everybody." Izumi said, as Saya grabbed her chopsticks and started to take a ginger bite of the well cooked, though somewhat lukewarm meal. "Junichi… Taiga… Surumi… They all must be going through something like this."
"...Igarashi, do you mind taking a MonoCoin from me and getting a drink from one of the vending machines? I just realized I don't have anything to wash this down with." Saya asked, reaching into her pocket and lightly flicking a coin toward Izumi, who caught it on one of her bandage covered hands.
"Y-yeah, alright," Izumi said, heading for the door.
"Before you go, a question," Saya requested.
"Yeah?" Izumi responded nervously.
"Why are your hands bandaged?" Saya asked. "Are you wounded? Are you trying to hide an old injury…?"
"Oh, uhh… It's dumb." Izumi said, looking at her hands, which had clean bandages running up her fingers and nearly to her elbows. "It's to protect my hands. Chefs knives are seriously sharp, you can chop a finger off just as easily as slicing through a filet because it's almost entirely for cutting food. I'm kind of clumsy… So I put on these bandages so I don't knick my fingers." Izumi said with an awkward laugh.
"Wouldn't you just wear gloves to prevent the knife from cutting you?" Saya asked, intrigued.
"A lot of people think chefs wear gloves… we don't. Our hands are usually just very sterile so we have our dexterity unhindered, and using gloves means my hands can slip, bandages have a lot of grip to them so I don't drop anything."
"I see… carry on, then. My curiosity is sated but my throat needs water," Saya said.
"R-right!" Izumi said with a quick bow, heading for the door.
"And Igarashi?" Saya asked as Izumi opened the door.
"Y-yes, Saya?" Izumi asked, somewhat nervously.
"Thank you for listening... " Saya said with a small smile. Izumi smiled back and headed out the door, leaving Saya to eat her omelet in peace.
19 DAYS REMAIN