Never Say Never
Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa or the characters associated with it.
Chapter 2
Act 3
"Are you doing okay? Need a break?"
"No…let's just get there fast."
Shuffling down the hallway toward the dormitory with a slender arm slung over his shoulder, Leon hoisted up a slow moving Sayaka as she did her best to walk on her own. Her broken wrist was still in its sling and this meant if she fell, she wouldn't be able to catch herself, hence Leon's presence.
"…You sure you don't need to rest?"
"I can rest when I get to my room…can we please hurry up?"
All in all though, she was doing well for someone that had lost so much blood the previous day, but it was painfully obvious she had little strength. She needed someone to counter balance her and hold her upright as she walked and it just had to be the person that had inflicted her wounds in the first place.
"Yeah, this ain't awkward at all…" Leon mused as they moved along at a snail's pace.
In truth, Sayaka was in no condition to be traveling so soon after her bandages had been replaced but it couldn't be helped. Monokuma had made his demands quite clear…
One Hour Earlier:
As usual, Monokuma's presence stunned the students into silence. The bear never came around without a purpose and like it or not, their survival depended on listening to every depraved thing their "Headmaster" had to say. Even so, some of the students seemed to be growing accustomed to the bear's constant intrusions.
"You're not welcome here," the stern voice of Byakuya shook the room, startling everyone. "Get out; we're having an important discussion."
"Eh…really?" Monokuma said with a head tilt. "It looked like a bunch of meaningless prattle from a group of grade school-children, considering that it took over an hour to finally get to the good part."
"What do you mean, 'the good part'?" Hiro absent-mindedly asked, earning a few frustrated glares, particularly from Byakuya and Junko.
"Oh come now! Did you really think that you all could talk about punishments without having the Master of Masochistic Mayhem meander into the mix?!" While everyone rolled their eyes at Monokuma's self-appointed title, the bear set the box at its side down in plain view for everyone. "Besides, I have this wonderful little show for you all to see!"
"Whatever it is, we don't want to see it," Junko spoke up, folding her arms and glaring menacingly at the bear. Its gaze downcast, Monokuma didn't bother to lift its head as a maniacal chuckle echoed, sending chills down each student's spine.
"Upupupupu...is that so? Are you sure you all feel the same way? You're all completely fine with the fact that two of your classmates, who willingly betrayed you, are getting off scot free?" Snapping its head up, the bear's half-grin seemed to widen as it continued, "That's great! Such forgiveness is exactly what our communal life here is all about!"
A frightful silence engulfed the room, as no one had expected Monokuma to say anything remotely cheerful. It was a shock but also felt more terrifying than if the bear had threatened them. There had to be something more to this…
"Oh, but I should remind you of something," Monokuma abruptly spoke again, continuing to be the central focus. "I am your delightfully vigilant headmaster, and as such, I feel that it is my duty to keep you all safe and sound while you're in my school. And if there are any, shall we say, concerns that you might have about another student…I may be persuaded to discipline them."
"What exactly are you getting at?" Byakuya asked, as if intrigued by the bear's offer.
Spinning around joyfully, Monokuma halted mid turn and pointed both of its claws at the small box that had been set down in front of them.
"To answer that, I must refer all of you to the visual aid I brought with me!"
Without further ado, the bear tore off the lid to the box and turned it on its side so everyone could get a better view. Much to everyone's surprise, the inside was quite detailed and seemed to resemble a concert stage, like the ones seen in pop videos. And standing in the center of that stage, trapped in a stereotypical idol pose, was a small doll with long blue hair.
It took the students all of two seconds to recognize what, or rather who, the doll was supposed to be.
"Is…is that…me?" Sayaka practically whimpered as she saw her tiny replica on the box's 'stage'.
"Indeed it is!" Monokuma confirmed as it grabbed the doll and proceeded to make it 'dance' all about the 'stage'. Leon gritted his teeth, trying to repress how disgusting it was to watch the half and half bear toy with not only the doll, but Sayaka's feelings as well.
"Once there was a lovely girl named Sayaka Maizono, who only wished for the heavenly warmth of the stage," Monokuma monologued as it continued to play with the doll. "In fact, she loved it sooooo much that she was willing to do unspeakable things to keep it! But such naughty girls need to realize that no matter how hard they try—".
Without warning Monokuma released the doll from its grasp, letting it stand upright in the center of the stage. Then, inexplicably from behind its back, the bear produced a small lever and skillfully plugged it into the side of the box. Turning the lever slowly, the familiar melody of "Pop Goes the Weasel" began to echo from inside the box.
*ding…ding-ding…ding-ding-ding-ding-ding…ding-ding…ding-ding…ding—CRUNCH*
Suddenly, just before the last note of the song, a bear-trap that had been cleverly hidden away beneath the box snapped shut. As the teeth of the trap snapped, they dug into the small body of the Sayaka doll, severing the head from the doll's shoulders with a splat. An ominous gush of pink gunk shot out from the headless doll, spraying the floor all around the box.
And, as if guided by fate, the bloody, severed head of the doll flew straight toward Sayaka, smacking into her chest and making her jump and shrill at in terror.
"—you can never escape your punishment!"
As Sayaka's terrified scream filled the room, Mukuro had to grab onto a nearby bed-frame to keep herself from reacting. She could have easily caught the flying doll head before it got anywhere near Sayaka but, of course, that would have ruined her guise. Her soldier's instincts instantly put her on guard the moment she saw the box, and she knew that, even if it wasn't something deadly, if Junko decided to use it, there was an express purpose.
The doll's beheading combined with Sayaka's fearful cry had put them all on edge. Glancing around she noticed that all of her classmates were startled; even Kyoko held the faintest bit of shock on her face as the scene unfolded. But that didn't answer the question of why Junko had done it in the first place.
Perhaps the purpose had simply been to frighten all of them, Sayaka in particular, but there was something about the box trap that only Mukuro would know of. The way the Sayaka doll had been…destroyed, it was identical to what Junko had planned for the real Sayaka's execution. A giant bear-trap on a stage she couldn't escape, lulling her into a false sense of security that she might survive before brutally ending her life, it was tailor-made to play on the idol's fears.
Was Junko upset that she may have lost the chance to perform the pop idol's actual execution? No, there was still a chance Sayaka might fall to the temptation of murder once more…no matter how unlikely that was.
"But then…why go through the trouble of building a small execution replica?"
As Mukuro pondered that notion her eyes shifted over to see Monokuma, going unnoticed during the confusion, staring at her with a devilish grin. It was then that, clear as day, the animatronic bear finished it's sentence from earlier.
"—you can never escape your punishment!"
Mukuro's eyes widened as she realized the purpose of this little display. Everyone had been too distracted to notice that Monokuma's final words were directed at her, something that Junko certainly must have planned. And while she was certain that the beheading had been a means of tormenting Sayaka, as well as agitating the rest of her class; more specifically it had been Junko's way of sending her sister a very specific message.
"If I make a single mistake, if any of my classmates discover who I really am…I'll have to face punishment as well."
As Sayaka's shrilled voice pierced everyone's ears, Leon found himself speeding to her bedside. Grasping the bloody doll head in his hand, he quickly tossed it away from her. The instant it was gone from her sight, the pop idol finally finished screaming, falling eerily silent as her body trembled from the sudden activity. Her breathing became ragged and she struggled for air, her abdomen wound obviously plaguing her.
Once things started to settle, all hell began to break loose.
"What the hell was that about?!" Mondo suddenly shouted at Monokuma. "Trying to scare us like that is pretty low, man!"
"Indeed!" Taka joined in, pointing furiously at the bear. "Such a diorama is not acceptable! It didn't have nearly enough detail to be considered A+ material, and to top it off, it was too deadly to be presented properly!"
"That's not even remotely the issue here…" Junko muttered with a heavy sigh.
"Anyway," Kyoko's calm voice entered the fray, "What exactly was your purpose for coming here? And why was the 'visual display' needed?"
"I already told you, that was nothing more than a little visual aid. It was mainly for my own amusement since someone interrupted the execution yesterday," Monokuma answered, shrugging off her comment while sending a slight glare toward Junko, who leaned against the wall, flipping the bear off.
Folding her arms, Kyoko continued, "Then would you mind telling us the reason for the visual aid? You never answered that."
For a moment, it seemed that Monokuma growled a bit as Kyoko made her demand. However, the sound faded almost in instant later as the bear said, "Basically, if you all think that Sayaka can't be trusted…I can arrange for a 'repeat performance'. Only this time, we'd have it be the real deal."
"Uh, wait…you're saying that—", Hiro tried to say before he was abruptly cut off.
"If we desire it, you can have any one of us executed? Is that what you're implying?" Sakura said, unnerved by such an idea.
Taken aback by the sudden suggestion, a look of shock overtook Monokuma's features and it waved its arms frantically in a 'no' formation.
"Oh me, oh my! Goodness, no! That would disrupt the rules that govern our little community!" the bear explained, slowly letting its arms fall to its side. "But if she just so happened to break any of the rules for whatever reason and one of you were to inform me of it…then I'd certainly have to punish her accordingly. And don't worry; in this case, snitches won't get stitches!"
A heavy silence dug into everyone as a familiar unease set into everyone. What the bear was suggesting was beyond unfair. If any of them reported Sayaka for even a minor rule breaker…she could be executed on the spot, with seemingly no repercussions imposed on whoever reported it.
Sayaka in particular began darting her eyes around the room gauging everyone. It was the first day all over again, with her being terrified of just about everyone. And this time, Makoto wouldn't be here for her to rely on…a consequence she'd brought upon herself.
"So, if you see her breaking any rules, feel free to let me know so that I can carry out the justice our society demands of us!"
Monokuma cackled as everyone hung their heads, realizing how fragile their lives really were as long as the bear had control over the school. However, in the middle of its laughing fit, the bear was interrupted by a furious shout.
"You little bastard!" Leon seethed as he glared at Monokuma, the bear only just finishing its chuckling. "You think this is funny, don't you! Messing with her just after she'd finally woken up! Who the hell do you think you are?!"
Without missing a beat, Monokuma placed its hands on its hips and replied, "I…am…Monokuma! Headmaster of this school! I figured you would have that down by now…I've said it like forty-seven times already—".
"Get out…" a small voice interrupted, startling the bear and ballplayer. Both of them turned to see Sayaka glaring daggers at Monokuma, holding her pillow in her good hand. Tears rolled down her face as she angrily shouted, "I said, get out, you little monster! I've had enough of you! Leave me alone!"
Seeing exactly where this was leading, Junko's eyes widened and she shouted, "No! Stop!"
But it was too late…
In a fit of anger, she flung her arm outward, hurling the pillow toward the bear. Unlike before, her aim was spot on and it flew directly at its target. Monokuma's grin widened as the pillow grew closer and closer. And everyone knew that, the instant it reached the bear, her fate would be sealed, and there would be no escaping it this time.
*THWAP*
…
…
…
"No freakin' way…" Leon whispered, unable to move.
He and everyone gasped as they saw the pillow, only a few inches from Monokuma's smug face, held firmly in the grasp of someone's hands. Even more surprising was that the one holding the pillow, the one who'd blocked it and kept it from striking the bear...was none other than Byakuya Togami.
"Although normally it's beneath me to side with such peasants, in this instance, I must agree with them. We have no need of your services. Not now or ever," Byakuya said sternly but without raising his voice. "We can decide the fate of our classmates on our own. You're just in the way here. Be gone."
Everyone paused as Byakuya's demands reverberated around the room, strangely coming to his classmate's defense. However, no one was more surprised than Monokuma, its face burning a bright red as its temper began to boil over.
"W-What's it to you, anyway?! Weren't you the one who thought that they needed to be punished—?!"
"I don't recall saying that at all," Byakuya cruelly interrupted, slowly turning to face the bear directly. "All I said was that we needed to decide what should be done with them. I never proposed any kind of punishment or execution. That was Sayaka. She, and she alone, was the one who felt the need to be punished."
A deep furious growl slowly began to rise out of Monokuma as the Affluent Progeny's calculating eyes narrowed in on the mistake the bear had flippantly made.
With an air of superiority about him, Byakuya continued, "I, on the other hand, think that isolation is the proper recourse here. For you see, I refuse to give you the satisfaction of executing one of us without due process."
If Monokuma had had a vein in its head, it would have popped at the pure rage that exuded from the bear as it shouted in fury.
"AHHHRGH! Fine! Just do whatever the hell you want with 'em!" Monokuma screamed, waddle-stomping toward the door furiously. However, just before it left, the bear whirled around and said, "I hope you die penniless in a snowstorm."
And without further ado, the bear flung open the infirmary door and disappeared into the hall, slamming the door with a furious clacking. The instant the bear was gone, an awkward silence covered the area for a moment before an ecstasy filled moan startled everyone.
"A-Amazing!" Toko chocked out, her face beet red with sweat dripping down from her forehead. "M-Master Byakuya d-drove off the fiendish bear w-with his aura alone!"
"That's not remotely close to what happened," Hiro semi-protested but kept his voice low all the same.
"I'm more surprised by the fact that you decided to defend such 'lowly commoners'," Kyoko said, a suspicious glare on her face.
A light scoff escaped Byakuya's lips as he answered, "Don't misunderstand me. I simply didn't want the bear interfering in my business. I won't tolerate such uncouth behavior from anyone, let alone a pathetic remote controlled toy with a superiority complex."
"Even so, that was quite a shock to see," Celeste decided to interrupt, a crafty smile on her delicate face. "If you hadn't of caught the pillow, Sayaka would surely have been executed. Did you perhaps—?"
"Don't make me repeat myself," Byakuya cut her off, sending her a chilling glare her way. "I only intervened because the bear has no place here. We still need to decide what needs to be done with these two betrayers."
Without another word, Byakuya tossed the pillow back toward Sayaka, making her panic as she realized there wasn't enough time for her to catch it. However, before it got close to her face, Leon snagged it out of the air. Before she could react, he was already holding it out for her to take from him.
Slowly reaching a hand out, she grasped the pillow and pulled it into her chest.
"T-Thanks—".
"Okay, is no one going to address what just happened?" Junko abruptly asked, frowning at all of them.
"You mean how Mr. Togami became imbued with super human speed and—", Hifumi tried to say before the Fashionista sent him what he interpreted as a death glare. "Eeeep!"
Shifting her gaze to glance at everyone again, Junko furrowed her brows and said, "I'm talking about the fact that no one seems to be upset about Sayaka nearly getting herself executed!"
There was a subtle pause as everyone realized that they had been too focused on Byakuya's daring (and unexpected) rescue to really think about the situation. And unfortunately, the only one of them who had enough confidence to retort, shouldn't have.
"Well, is it really that big a deal," Hiro replied nonchalantly, waving one hand dismissively. "It's not like anything happened—".
*Smack*
"Arhhh!"
Everyone in the room heard the resounding slap as Junko's palm brutally smacked into Hiro's cheek. And for a moment, everyone just stood there as Junko, her body trembling from anger, glared at him furiously.
"One of us nearly got executed for a pillow fight! Does that sound like nothing to you?!"
"Uh, um, uh, uhhh…" Hiro tried to reply but the pain in his cheek combined with the absolute fear the Fashionista put into him compelled him to be silent. Luckily for him, Junko directed her attention over to the now terrified pop idol.
"And you, Sayaka! What the hell were you thinking?!" she continued on her tirade, practically stomping over to Sayaka's bedside with all haste. Her teeth were grit and it was obvious she was struggling to keep her fury in check. The pop idol shrunk under her furious gaze, feeling more ashamed than ever over her stupid mistake.
"You're already on thin ice and you pull a bullshit stunt like that?! What would you have done if…Byakuya hadn't caught the pillow?! Or do you think that you deserve to die for not actually killing anyone?!"
The entire room seemed to shake as Junko uncharacteristically scolded her classmate.
"Well?! What do you have to say for yourself—?!"
"I don't know!" Sayaka instantly replied, hanging her head, her body trembling. "I don't know what I should do anymore! I don't want to die! But I have to get out of here and find my friends! M-My friends…my friends could be dead and I…and I…"
Her words cut deep into everyone, each of them recalling their own DVD and the motive that had come with them. The frustration and desperation those little discs had caused were more powerful than any of them previously thought. Even Junko, whose fury seemed to have subsided, hung her head for a moment as most of the students realized how close they had come to buckling under the pressure.
They had all been just one step away from being in either Sayaka or Leon's position, and if she hadn't acted as quickly as she had, one of them could have fallen to that same temptation. It was a somber fact that not even Kyoko or the great Byakuya could refute.
Amidst the silence, Sayaka closed her eyes began to sob as she continued, "I…I don't want…to hurt anyone…but…my friends…I…I don't…"
To her sudden surprise, a pair of arms wrapped around her and her head was laid gently against a soft surface. Sayaka's eyes snapped open to see Junko gently caressing her head, running a careful hand through the pop idol's hair.
"It's okay…just let it out…"
Confusion warped Sayaka's features but it quickly dissipated as she gave in to her own grief, latching her good arm around the Fashionista and openly weeping. Her tears stained Junko's designer blouse but the fashion model said nothing about it as she let Sayaka's head rest against her bosom.
Mukuro didn't know what possessed her to do such a thing for Sayaka. Perhaps memories of her time carrying the pop idol to the infirmary had something to do with it, or it could be some kind of maternal instinct that she'd never been aware of before. Either way, she didn't say a word as she let the pop idol cry her heart out.
However, she did manage to shift her gaze over to Leon, who looked on the verge of tears himself. She kind of wanted him to join her and help to soothe Sayaka's grievances but she wasn't so naïve as to think it would be that easy.
It was the first time in all her life that she'd ever used physical contact to comfort someone…hell it was probably the first time she'd ever really tried to comfort anyone ever. Neither she nor her sister had ever needed that kind of consolation. Junko was always too busy reveling in the despair and Mukuro, being a soldier, never let the horror of her life affect her.
However, as she held onto Sayaka and gently stroked her hair, memories of the moment Junko had abandoned her rushed into her mind. And as she tightly hugged Sayaka to her chest, the Ultimate Soldier couldn't help but feel the tiniest hint of jealousy.
"There was no one to hold me while I was in despair…" she briefly thought before gently shaking her head to expel all of her negative thoughts as she continued to soothe her classmate's woes.
As Sayaka continued to weep, everyone in the room felt their anger for her begin to fade…aside from Byakuya, of course. In the midst of her weeping, he cleared his throat loudly, gathering everyone, including the grieving Sayaka's, attention.
"Sorry to interrupt your little pity party but we still need to decide what needs to be done with these two," he stoutly informed everyone, ignoring the furious glares he received, particularly from Leon and Junko. However, he scoffed at their gazes and continued, "Don't look at me like that. You all knew this was coming, we decided to vote and I believe we've put it off long enough."
A depressing silence dug into everyone as they realized they couldn't put it off any longer.
Hina looked to Sakura for support but all the martial artist could do was shake her head solemnly. Even though he normally would have been ecstatic to lead the charge in the voting, Taka felt sickened by the nature of the vote and couldn't bring himself to ask for it. Chihiro looked at everyone nervously not wanting to have to vote at all. Mondo, conflicted about how he should vote, hung his head and averted his gaze.
Toko, still in the thralls of excitement over Byakuya's brave dealings with Monokuma, was ready to cast her vote right now if her white knight would take note of her. Celeste also seemed ready to vote; her decision had probably been made the moment Sayaka tried to throw a pillow at her. Hifumi opted to remain silent in the whole affair, knowing how he wanted to vote but otherwise unsure of how he could contribute to the situation. And Hiro didn't really understand the need for the vote but knew which way he should vote regardless.
Sayaka still clutched onto Junko, afraid of what the verdict will be, and Leon remained rooted in place, unable to escape whatever fate his classmates chose for him. At the very least, it seemed that this vote wasn't as life threatening as it had been the first time…that is, if Byakuya had been telling Monokuma the truth.
"Before we do that, I have a question."
Startled, everyone turned to see Kyoko, who was still leaning against the far wall, staring directly at Byakuya.
"Go ahead," the Affluent Progeny insisted, already anticipating her query.
"Did you mean it?" she asked carefully.
"Mean what?" he replied with skepticism.
"Everything you said to Monokuma, about isolating them instead of killing them. Or were you simply bluffing to force his hand?" she asked directly, leaving no room for misinterpretation.
There was another slight pause before Byakuya scoffed and folded his arms, glaring at her accusatorily. "Don't make me laugh. My name is Byakuya Togami, my word is my oath. If I didn't mean it, then I would never have said it."
"And if we happen to vote the other way, you'll abide by it?" Kyoko continued her questioning, her stoic features not budging an inch.
Byakuya's eye slightly twitched at the implication she was making but other than that, he remained completely motionless as he replied, "As I said, a Togami never goes back on his word. Whatever the outcome, I will abide by it."
Byakuya found it odd that she was pushing this so much but he didn't have time to process it before she spoke again.
"Then I'd like to make an alteration to the vote," she said purposefully before continuing, so no one could interrupt her. "If we decide to allow them to rejoin us, then someone will need to attend to Sayaka's needs, at least until she fully recovers."
"W-Wait a second—!" Sayaka tried to interject, finally releasing Junko from her grasp.
"Hmm, I can agree to that." Everyone was shocked when Byakuya suddenly complied. However, the devious smirk on his face instantly put everyone back on edge. "However, I'd like to request that Leon be the one to look after Sayaka—".
"What?!" the pop idol practically shrieked, staring wide-eyed at the Affluent Progeny. "Why would Leon need to be the one to—?"
With a sideways glance, Byakuya cut her off as he explained, "If the two of you are together, and one of you ends up murdered, then we'll have a suspect."
"Also, it will serve as a form of punishment for both of you," Celeste added with a sickly sweet smile. "That is what you wanted, isn't Sayaka? To be punished for you crimes?"
Sayaka began to see red and was about to protest again when she was cut off by someone unexpected.
"I'm cool with that," Leon complied quickly, shocking the pop idol into silence.
Before she could muster up the words to respond, Junko stepped away from her bed, turned to face him directly and asked, "You sure about this?"
It may not have seemed like much, but everyone knew it was a loaded question. However, unlike what everyone expected, the ballplayer didn't hesitate.
"Yeah, I'm sure," he answered solemnly, his eyes hardened with determination.
Sayaka felt her mouth go dry as he accepted the role. She wasn't ready to be within a few feet of him, let alone be alone with him! And if he was the one who had to serve her meals and probably help her eat, since her dominate hand was out of commission, it would be beyond awkward. She couldn't escape the guilt of what she'd done, she'd have to be reminded of it every time she saw him.
Then again, just as Celeste said, it was a fitting punishment for what she'd done. But then, was it fair to force Leon to suffer with her…?
Before she could really consider that notion, Taka finally regained the will to speak.
"S-So, I guess we should get down to the voting now," he said carefully, trying to regain his former enthusiasm.
"Yeah, I'd like to get it over with as soon as we could. Alright?" Hiro almost pleaded, obviously not enjoying how long this had dragged out.
"But, uh, how exactly do we do the voting thing? And how do we make sure no one sees what we voted for?" Hina chimed in, fidgeting nervously.
"Indeed, confidentiality should be taken into consideration," Sakura added, reassuring Hina if only slightly.
"I see no reason to hide any of our votes," Byakuya cruelly answered, glancing around the room and speaking to everyone. "If you all feel strongly about your vote, then there should be no reason to hide it."
"I…I suppose he has a point," Hifumi reluctantly concurred, obviously not pleased with the idea either.
"So then, you're asking us to vote but how would you like us to proceed with that?" Celeste questioned Byakuya, trying to get everyone back on track. "Will we be raising our hands or writing down our votes on paper?"
"A simple tally by raised hands should suffice," Byakuya answered, narrowing his gaze at both Sayaka and Leon. "And of course, neither of you shall be voting."
"R-Right…"
"Whatever…"
The two of them answered simultaneously, averting their gazes from everyone in the process.
With everyone ready, Byakuya stood in the center of the room and said, "Alright then, let's begin. Everyone in favor of isolating Leon and Sayaka until further notice?"
Byakuya, Celeste, Hifumi, Hiro, Toko and surprisingly Mondo, all raised their hands. There was a bit of shock at seeing the bike gang leader's decision but there was no time to dwell on it.
Taking the lead from there, Junko stepped forward and proclaimed, "All in favor of allowing Leon and Sayaka to rejoin our group?"
Kyoko, Hina, Sakura, Taka, Chihiro and Junko herself raised their hands. For a moment, everyone took a second to tally the votes but were disappointed with the results.
"Aw crap!" Mondo said aloud, making everyone groan. "So what the hell do we do now? It's an even split!"
"He's right! We never established punishment games in the event of a tie!" Hifumi frantically pointed out, much to everyone's chagrin.
"Actually, it's not an even split."
Everyone froze as Kyoko spoke up, her words earning raised brows and confused glances.
"That can't be right!" Taka abruptly countered, holding up a piece of paper he must have had in his pocket. On the paper, he had tallied each person's vote into two separate columns. "According to my chart, there are exactly twelve of us and six votes for each side. Therefore, we are at an impasse. We will simply have to keep voting until someone changes their—".
"…Actually, as reluctant as I am to admit it, Kyoko is correct." Byakuya's smooth voice interrupted Taka's ramblings, not giving his classmate the chance to finish.
"But…how can that be?" Hina joined in, now very confused. "There are only twelve of us, if you don't count Sayaka or Leon."
A smirk appeared on Byakuya's lips, chuckling as he answered, "A simple case of addition keeps you from seeing the answer. How sad…"
"What?! Are you calling me stupid or something?!" the swimmer shouted, glaring at him angrily as she was held back by Sakura.
"Please get to the point," the Ultimate Martial Artist insisted, her voice deadly serious. "Now isn't the time for games."
With a hint of frustration in his voice, the Togami Heir continued, "There is one more person whose vote was not accounted for. The only one of us who isn't present."
It took the confused students all of two seconds to understand who he was referring to, but only Sayaka found the courage to say it aloud.
"…Makoto."
"Exactly." Byakuya further explained, "Since we know that he would vote for them to rejoin us, that brings the vote up seven to six, in favor of them rejoining."
Even as he said that, Sayaka felt as though she hadn't really won. In fact, a small part of her wished to be isolated, to be kept away from everyone and avoid facing her crimes head on. And Byakuya must have been keenly aware of that, because less than a moment later, he smirked fiendishly toward her and Leon. He didn't have to say anything, it was all in his expression. He was enjoying knowing how difficult it was going to be having to be around each other so often.
And to top it all off, he promised to abide by the outcome of the vote, so he obviously had no intention of helping them. Not that they expected him to do any such thing anyway.
As the reality of their new situation set in on them, Junko turned and smiled at both of them before saying, "Look at it this way, you'll have plenty of time to work out your issues now. Why don't you help Sayaka to her room, Leon? I'm sure she wants to rest after all that's happened."
"Y-Yeah, sure…"
For the first time in what felt like ages, Leon turned toward Sayaka and she made the fatal mistake of glancing over to him as well. The instant their eyes met, she felt the same fear and apprehension that had overtaken her the previous night. This was her punishment.
She had brought this on herself and this time, there was nothing she could do about it.
"At least everything worked out. For now anyway," Leon thought as he and Sayaka made it past the cafeteria and into the red-tinted dorm hall.
As they approached the dorm room, Leon instinctively began to turn toward the door labeled: Sayaka. However, the injured pop idol visibly winced as he shifted his weight against her. Shocked at her sudden display of pain, the ballplayer ceased all movement, holding her up as cautiously as he could.
"W-Whoa! What's wrong?" he carefully asked, trying his best not to sound surprised.
With a slight glare, Sayaka shifted her gaze to him and said, "You moved too quickly in a different direction. Why the hell do we need to go right for, anyway?"
"Well…because this is your room," Leon explained nodding his head toward the door. Taking one look at the door, an exhausted sigh escaped Sayaka's lips and she furrowed her brows in frustration.
"Leon…That's Makoto's room…I'm the next door down."
The ballplayer felt like face-palming but his hands were too full. Instead a hint of red stained his cheeks as he embarrassedly said, "Oh…yeah." Without another word, he continued to hobble down the hallway with Sayaka in tow, reaching her actual dorm in only a few moments.
Turning the handle and pulling open the door, Leon shuffled the both of them inside. The instant he was in the room, he paused. It was so incredibly…plain. There were no posters, no make-up kits, no dresser to apply said make-up at, hell there was no pop idol type stuff in there at all! Aside from the sheets of her bed being pink, there was absolutely no indication that this was a girl's room at all…well aside from the pleasantly female aroma that filled his nostrils.
For some reason, it was oddly comforting to him…although he couldn't quite tell why. It should have been more alluring than anything but, truth be told; it was more familiar than he thought possible. But he didn't let that thought stray too far before he continued looking around her room.
It was like everything had been removed or something, which was exactly the opposite of his room. When he'd returned to his own room, he'd found his baseball equipment, a good deal of his rock posters and even his own electric guitar set was ready and waiting for him. It was all stuff he'd shipped to the school before his arrival so he hadn't been that surprised to see it, but it wasn't until now that he realized how strange it was.
Why did his room have so much of his stuff but Sayaka seemed to have nothing? She must have sent her belongings to the school before she arrived, the same as he did, so why did she—?
"Hey…would you let me sit down?" Sayaka's voice snapped him back to reality as he realized that he must have been standing there for quite some time.
"Y-Yeah," he said quickly, shaking off the strange feeling that thought had given him.
Moving over to the bed, Sayaka practically pushed herself away from him when she was close enough, plopping down on the bed. Not two seconds after she'd separated from him, she said, "Thanks, you can go."
Leon felt his eye twitch at her attitude. Sure, she'd said the words but there was practically no gratitude in her voice as she'd thanked him. And the way she insisted that he be gone also hurt just a bit. However, it wasn't as if he didn't understand. He'd probably be acting the same if the person who'd almost killed him had to take care of him.
"Even so, she doesn't have to be so pushy about it…" he thought to himself as he took a few steps back. "It's not like it's easy to carry a person down three hallways, especially since I haven't really eaten today—!"
Leon's eyes widened slightly as he realized that, not only had he neglected to eat, Sayaka hadn't even had the chance to eat since she'd awoken. And with everything that had happened, she must be starving.
"So, uh, are you hungry or—?"
"No, I'm not."
A deep frown formed on Leon's face as she blatantly refused. "Seriously? You haven't eaten for like two days."
"It doesn't matter. I'm not hungry," she sternly replied, not even looking at him as she slid over to lie down in the center of the bed. "So just go already."
Leon really didn't want to get mad at her, he wanted to calmly explain why she needed to eat and convince her to let him get her something. However, he utterly failed at that notion.
"Look, I know you're not happy with this but you gotta eat something," he said sternly, getting more and more frustrated. "You gotta eat to get your strength back and stuff right? Even if you're not hungry, you have to eat something—".
He was surprised when Sayaka snapped her head over to glare at him, her eyes narrowed angrily. The ballplayer involuntarily flinched at the sight, it reminded him far too much of the fury she'd had the night before last, although there certainly was a lack of bloodlust in her eyes this time.
"What's it going to take to get you to leave me alone?" Sayaka seethed, blatantly spelling out her desire to him.
However, Leon didn't back down and returned her angry glare as he replied, "Let me bring you some food and I'll leave you alone for the rest of the night. Deal?"
For a second, they stared at each other in frustration, neither of them willing to back down. This was exactly what both of them worried was going to happen and it seemed that their situation was going to continue on until one of them finally gave him.
Surprisingly, it was Sayaka that broke down first, heaving a great sigh as she averted her gaze and said, "…Fine. Just be quick about it." And with that, she rolled over to completely turn her back to him.
Again, her tone infuriated him but at the very least, she was going to get some food. It was a minor victory but at least Leon felt as if he'd accomplished something.
"Alright, what do you want?" he asked, prepared for whatever she might request.
"I don't care as long as it's edible."
Okay, so he wasn't quite as ready as he'd expected. There was a crap ton of food in the cafeteria and deciding what she should eat would not be an easy task. However, Leon told himself that he should just be happy she was willing to eat and turned to head for the door.
"Alright, I'll be back inna bit. Don't go anywhere…"
The words had fallen out of his mouth before he'd even realized it. A twinge of guilt prodded at his heart as he realized that, even if she wanted to, she was in no condition to go anywhere. And even if she could, there was nowhere to go, not with them trapped in this deathtrap of a school. Forcing that thought from his mind, the ballplayer decided to focus his thoughts on what food he should get for her, exiting the room without another word.
As the door closed, Sayaka briefly turned back to glance at the doorway, a hint of moisture glinting in the corner of her eyes.
"What the hell am I supposed to do now?" Mondo wondered aloud as he sat with his feet propped up on one of the cafeteria tables.
After they'd finished deciding what to do about Sayaka and Leon, everyone had pretty much gone their separate ways. Mondo had been feeling hungry so he'd come here to get a snack and found himself not knowing what to do next. He wasn't tired and it was still pretty early, so he had no reason to go back to his room. He'd been there for almost fifteen minutes and still, he just couldn't decide what he needed to do.
"I ain't never been good at thinking about this kinda crap. Why can't I just beat the crap outta the mastermind and force 'em to—?"
In the middle of his rambling, the doors to the cafeteria opened and Mondo lazily turned his gaze to see who it was. However, upon seeing the red-haired baseball player entering the room, the biker quickly tensed and averted his gaze.
"Shit…what the hell is he doing here?" Mondo pondered for a brief moment before groaning as he remembered he was in the food court, where anyone could get food.
Honestly, the real issue was that Mondo just wasn't ready to face the ballplayer quite yet. After all, he'd openly voted to lock up both Leon and Sayaka. At the time, it seemed like the best option to make sure nothing bad happened, but after seeing people like Chihiro and Kyoko voting to let them stay, he felt a bit ashamed.
He felt like he could trust people like Chihiro and Kyoko, the first because of her honest nature and the latter because she was really freaking smart during the trial. If he had known they were gonna vote to let them stay, he may have changed his vote. Then again, he was still kind of worried about what Sayaka or Leon might try to do…he thought?
"Uhg, I really am no good at this thinking crap!" he berated himself as he remained rooted to his seat.
He hadn't even noticed that Leon had already gone to the kitchen and was already returning with a plate of food. Mondo had no intention of saying anything; he still wasn't quite sure what to feel about Leon…or Sayaka for that matter. Sure, he'd kinda forgiven them since no one had actually died but it was still pretty complicated and he just didn't know how to deal with it.
However, as the ballplayer passed by him this time, the biker absentmindedly blurted, "So, that for you or did Miss Pop Idol get the munchies?"
Mondo was trying to be casual and just talk to Leon like he would have before everything that went down but even he realized how insensitive his comment had been. He watched as Leon flinched but didn't stop moving.
"It's for Sayaka…" was all Leon replied, pushing open the cafeteria door and exiting without really acknowledging the biker.
Almost instantly after Leon had gone, Mondo felt his blood boil. Pulling his feet off the table, Mondo furiously grabbed an innocent chair with one hand, lifted it up high and slammed it into the floor with a furious shout. As the sound of the now smashed chair echoed in the cafeteria, the biker clenched his fists tightly.
"It's not like I wanted to vote for you!" the biker seethed, his anger overshadowing his reason.
Mondo felt his shame begin to overtake him. He needed to let his anger out somehow and if he had to smash every single chair in the room, then that's what was gonna happen! However, before he could grab another defenseless chair, the doors to the cafeteria burst open.
"What is going on in here?!" the voice of Taka erupted, making the biker snap his head to glare at the Ultimate Moral Compass as he entered the room. "I should have known it was you, Mondo! Can't you cease your delinquent activities until we've found a way to escape?!"
Just seeing the rule obsessed dipshit made the fury Mondo struggled to contain overflow and he narrowed his gaze at his classmate as he said, "Dude…I am in no fucking mood for your bullshit…"
*Tick*…*Tick*…*Tick*…*Tick*
The hour hand of the wall clock was barely past '8', while the minute hand was already nearing the '6'. So much time had passed and it seemed like no one had noticed it. The clock on the wall continued to count the time as it passed, oblivious to the grief stricken Pop Idol sitting upright in her bed.
Sayaka stared downward almost lifelessly, not knowing or really caring what she should be doing now. She hugged her knees to her chest; ignoring the ache this caused her wounds. She'd taken her broken wrist out of the sling, setting the sling itself beside her on the bed, and let her injured arm rest atop her knees, a visible reminder of her crime.
Beside her bed, on a small serving table that must have come from the storage room, was a platter of fresh food that Leon had brought for her. He'd said very little, their confrontation from earlier obviously still affecting him, and had only stayed for a moment before departing. That was almost an hour ago and still she hadn't touched her meal.
Feeling a bit ashamed by the awful comments she shouted at him earlier, she couldn't stop herself from glancing over at the tray to see what he'd brought her. A turkey sandwich with lettuce, accompanied by an apple and a bottle of water. All foods she could eat with one hand. Leon had gone the extra mile and even unscrewed the lid of the water bottle for easier access. Unshed tears moistened the corners of her eyes and she quickly wiped them away, averting her gaze from the platter.
"Why…why is he…being so…nice to me?" she slowly spoke, choking back a sob. "I tried to…I tried to…"
Squeezing her eyes shut, she buried her face in her knees, refusing to let any tears fall from her eyes. Her stomach wound ached and her broken wrist was numb but she barely paid it any mind, letting a different kind of darkness begin to consume her.
Suddenly, a knock came from her door.
Her head shot up and she stared wide-eyed toward the small hallway that led to her door. She waited a moment, unsure if she had really head the noise or not, but only a few seconds later, someone rapped on the door again. In truth, Sayaka didn't want to acknowledge it was happening, opting to bury her head in her knees again. But just as before, the knocking came and disrupted her thoughts.
A small part of her mind considered that this might be a trap, like the one she'd set for Leon. But even if that was the case, she didn't feel that she had the right to resist. Of course, she didn't want to die but she also didn't want to keep on living with such crushing guilt any longer.
Perhaps that's why, even though she knew she was going against her better judgment, she made the decision to answer the door.
Picking up her arm sling, she slung her arm through it as she inched closer to the edge of her bed. Slowly stretching her legs over the side of her bed, she carefully lifted herself up, standing on her own for the first time since the incident. Her legs were weak and wobbly but somehow, she found the strength to take the smallest of steps toward the door. They were baby-steps and she was barely able to lift each foot off the ground as she progressed, but little by little, she made her way toward the door.
The knocking continued, albeit not as frequently as before, but enough for her to know that whoever was summoning her was still there.
"I-It's probably Leon…" Sayaka surmised as she neared the door, "He just doesn't know how to take a hint…"
Her comment was meant to ease her frazzled nerves, which had been growing more frantic with each step closer to the door. However, she couldn't deny the fear that welled up, thinking that it may be someone here to do her harm. But it was too late to turn back now, she was already at the door, twisting the handle and slowly pulling it open.
Opening the heavy door just a crack, she peered outside and said, "Y-Yes…"
"Um…Sayaka?" a nervous but familiar voice called out.
Sayaka's blood froze and her eyes widened as Makoto came into view just beyond her door. Her hand slipped from the door handle, inadvertently opening it wider, allowing both parties to get a good look at each other.
For a few moments, neither of them spoke or even moved, aside from the tiniest bit of trembling that began to overtake Sayaka. A new kind of fear was overwhelming her as she was now face to face with one of the people she'd manipulated. At that moment, the terror of facing death seemed insignificant compared to the horror of having to live with her crimes.
"Can I…come in?" Makoto finally asked, speaking quietly.
Despite her mind practically shouting not to allow him in, Sayaka found herself replying, "S-Sure…"
Backing away from the door, Makoto took slow steps as he entered the room and shut the door behind him. Without waiting for him to say anything, Sayaka turned and slowly began making her way back toward her bed. Her movements were slow and she knew that if she asked he would have helped her, but she couldn't bring herself to do that.
"I've done enough to him already…"
As she expected of him, Makoto was very patient and waited as she slowly reached her bed and sat down. It was then that Sayaka lifted her gaze and finally took a good long look at him.
To her torture, Makoto still appeared quite tired, even after sleeping for so long. His clothes were ruffled and his hair was a mess. He probably hadn't even showered before coming over to see her, which showed just how concerned he must be for her.
"Did he really…stay up all night and watch over me…after all I've done to him?" Sayaka wondered as she took in his disheveled appearance.
As she looked him over, her eyes lifted up to see him anxiously glancing her way and she immediately averted her gaze, dropping it down to stare at the carpet.
"So, uh, you seem to be getting around alright," Makoto abruptly commented, nervously scratching his head. Out of the corner of her eye, Sayaka saw him glancing around the room until he spotted the platter of food. "Oh, so Leon brought you something to eat? I heard that he was gonna be the one bringing you food until you felt better. I…uh, I know that probably isn't easy for either of you so…if you want, I can—".
"What do you want, Makoto?" Sayaka suddenly found herself saying, her tone harsher than she'd wanted.
However, she couldn't stand to hear him talking about any of this anymore. He was still the same as always, so kind and considerate, willing to do anything to help her. His honest and pure nature should have been comforting…but she couldn't see it that way anymore. Not after she'd manipulated his compassionate nature to try and commit murder. She just wanted to hear what he had to say and send him away, his very presence making her uneasy.
She realized that her words must of taken him aback because for a moment, Makoto opted to stay silent. However, it didn't seem to take him long to recover before he spoke up again.
"There's…something I need to ask you, Sayaka."
His stern tone startled the pop idol and against her better judgment, she lifted her head up. She barely managed to hold in her shock as she saw the serious expression on his face. Not once since they'd been trapped here had he made such a face, and in that moment, she suddenly understood how the tender-hearted Makoto had been able to be a driving force in the class trial. Sakura had told her that he had been the most adamant about solving the case and pursued it relentlessly, even after discovering her betrayal half-way through.
Despite being unnerved by his determined visage, she kept her shock to herself as she replied, "Go ahead."
"I need to know…" he began slowly, as if working up the courage himself. "From the very beginning, since we all got trapped in here…were you just using me the entire time?"
Sayaka thought she was prepared for anything he could say, that nothing he could possibly ask of her would break her, but she was wrong. Even if externally, she showed absolutely not sign of change, on the inside she felt her conscience being twisted and pulled asunder.
She wanted to tell him the truth, tell him that she had honestly befriended him because she felt comfortable around him, because she'd admired him long before she'd become an idol. But she just couldn't do it; the words just didn't come, trapped inside by the guilt that was tearing her soul apart.
And then it hit her, she realized what she needed to do to protect him. She knew that this was her one and only chance to do the right thing…no matter how horrible it would seem.
Without hesitation, she furrowed her brows and answered, "Of course. I thought you figured that out already."
A look of genuine shock and hurt spread over Makoto's face as he heard her, his determined and stern visage from before completely vanishing. And as it did, Sayaka felt her heart breaking as she watched him avert his gaze. She knew she was hurting him and that he, above everyone else, didn't deserve that. But she also knew it had to be done.
"Well, yeah, I guess I did…" Makoto stammered, as if trying to convince himself before abruptly shooting his gaze back to her. "But Kyo—ehh, someone else thought that…maybe the reason you wrote Leon's name on the wall was to…protect me?"
Sayaka felt her insides twist as he hit the nail on the head but knew she couldn't acknowledge it. So instead, she grunted angrily and replied, "Don't be so naïve, Makoto. I obviously did it just to get back at Leon. I wanted everyone to know who had…attacked me. It was just a coincidence that it helped you too."
"B-But—!"
Makoto seemed on the verge of arguing with her, as if he truly didn't want her words to be true. And Sayaka knew that if she was going to convince him, she was going to have to do the unforgiveable…
"Get it through your thick head, loser!" she abruptly shouted, gritting her teeth and glaring at him. "Did you really think that someone like me would willingly associate with someone as pathetic as you?"
"That can't be true! We're friends! You…you apologized for what you did to me and Leon!" Makoto fired back, doing his best to deny what he was hearing.
His words dug into her and Sayaka clenched the fist of her good hand to keep from breaking down and admitting the truth. However, somehow, she found the resolve to continue the charade.
"I do regret what I've done…but that doesn't change anything." Slowly, she lifted her head and practically sneered, "I don't want anything to do with you anymore. We're not friends. We never were and we never will be. You were just a means to an end. So, will you just get out of here and leave me alone!"
As her words echoed in the small room, she was never more appreciative of the dorms being soundproof. What she'd said was completely unforgiveable and she didn't want anyone else to hear. Forcing Makoto to listen to it was horrific enough…
Continuing to glare fiercely at him, Sayaka was forced to watch as all of the color drained from Makoto's face. She could practically see the hurt she'd caused him as he hung his head, tears glistening in his eyes. Even so, she kept her angered visage intact, knowing that if she broke now, everything she'd done would be for nothing.
Finally, after nearly an entire minute of silence, Makoto finally spoke, "I see…I'll leave you be then."
His voice was beyond dejected and as he turned around his features saddened as he tried to keep the hurt inside. With slow steps, he began moving toward the door, never looking back.
All the while, Sayaka kept reminding herself that she had done the right thing.
"I can't hurt him anymore…He needs to stay away from me or else I may hurt him again…That's why…That's why…I can't…I can't…"
She was managing to hold on, her angry features not flinching in the least as Makoto departed. However, just he reached the door and opened it; he did something she never would have expected.
Wiping away what must have been tears with his sleeve, Makoto slowly glanced over his shoulder. His eyes were closed but he had the warmest smile she'd ever seen from him plastered over his face, as if forgiving her for everything.
"I hope you get better soon…"
That was all he said before he turned away and exited her room, slowly closing the door behind him. But those words had more of an impact than Makoto would ever realize.
The instant she heard those words, Sayaka's façade came crashing down. Tears spilled from her eyes, rolling down her cheeks and she reached out her good hand, as if to try and stop him from leaving. However, he was already gone…the damage she'd done was irreversible. She'd been trying to protect him but had only hurt him so much more…and even then he didn't give up on her! He still cared for her despite all that she'd said, despite insinuating that their friendship was a farce! He valued their friendship, cherished it more than she could ever have known!
He still believed in her after all she'd done…and she'd cruelly turned her back on him.
A heavy silence engulfed the room for a few moments but it was quickly shattered as Sayaka burst into tears. She collapsed on her bed and buried her face in her pillow, weeping uncontrollably and not caring that her despair was being recorded by the camera above her.
Sayaka had absolutely no idea that, in his haste to get out of her room, Makoto hadn't completely shut the door, leaving it open just enough for sound to be heard. However, he'd already made his way over and into his own room before he could have heard anything. And in addition to that, he also hadn't noticed a certain red-haired baseball star leaning against a nearby wall.
And whether he intended to or not, Leon found himself listening intently as Sayaka's weeping filled the otherwise empty hallway.
However, he felt that he had absolutely no right to even go near her right now. No matter how much he wanted to comfort her and tell her that none of this was her fault, he knew that he would never be able to do that. He'd destroyed any possibility of that happening the moment he'd accidentally stabbed her.
Unable to force himself to listen to her sobs, he slowly approached her door and gently closed it, hoping that she didn't notice. Once the door was closed, keeping her cries from resounding through the halls, Leon found himself sighing deeply as his stomach grumbled.
"I never did get anything for myself," he remembered, slowly shifting his weight to walk down the hall, toward the cafeteria.
As he neared the food court doors, he was too distracted by his own hunger and conflicting emotions to notice the voices of his two classmates arguing loudly.
To Be Continued…
Greetings, my beautiful readers! So, it wasn't the most action packed chapter but some good development happened here. And so, what do you think is going to happen now? Will Leon be swept up into the confusion? Will Sayaka be able to overcome her despair? You'll have to stay tuned to the next chapter to find out!
Also, in the next chapter, we get a deviation from the original story. I won't say what but there will be a few instances such as these in future chapters, as more and more students survive and therefore will be present for events that they never would have dreamed of experiencing.
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Leave a comment or review to tell me what you're thinking about the story or if you have questions or just general praise for anything you like. Until next time, keep on smiling, my beautiful readers!