Never Say Never
Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa or the characters associated with it.
Chapter 2
Act 12
"Yeah…yeah…I did it…I attacked Chihiro…"
Those words hung in the air for what felt like an eternity. No one dared to speak, most of them too shocked by the biker's confession to form thoughts properly. Even with all the evidence and that confession, it was still so hard to believe. But the one question everyone had on their mind was—
"Why…?" Makoto bravely asked, his mouth speaking before his mind could reason for him to stop. "Why did you do it…Mondo?"
Mondo made no move to respond, hanging his head in utter shame and choosing to remain silent. The reality of the situation began to sink in and all of the students found themselves still reeling from the revelation.
"Since he's no longer willing to defend himself, I'm just gonna call this one!" Monokuma shouted, standing up in its seat. "The first case of bullying is solved! It was Mondo Owada, in the boy's locker room, with the dumbbell!"
"It can't be!" Taka immediately protested, still unbelieving of the verdict. "Bro would never do something like that! Tell them, Mondo!"
Taka stared at his Bro, his eyes pleading for the biker to refute them. However, Mondo couldn't even bring himself to meet his friend's gaze, keeping his eyes shut while clenching his fists.
"…Sorry, man."
All of Taka's enthusiasm died in his throat as Mondo quietly refuted him. The Moral Compass' complexion paled as the truth began to piece itself together in his mind. Even so, it appeared as though he adamantly disbelieved it, because if he accepted it as fact…he knew it would destroy him.
"No…it can't be true! I refuse to believe it!" Taka insisted, blocking out the truth with excessive yelling. "B-Besides, we aren't even sure if he really did attack Chihiro…we haven't even voted yet!"
As if expecting that, Monokuma tilted its head to glare at the Moral Compass with its large red eye.
"Mondo Owada was the one who attacked Chihiro Fujisaki. I won't repeat it again."
Monokuma's irritated voice sent chills down Taka's spine as he was forced to accept the reality that bore down on him. Losing his strength, Taka felt his knees buckle and he barely caught himself on the railing, his eyes widened in pure shock.
"Oh, but don't you worry, there'll still be voting!" Monokuma continued without giving them a moments rest. "But I'm not gonna have you vote twice, that would just be redundant! So instead, now's the time to decide the fate of the culprit who disturbed the peace of our fine school—!"
"Wait!" Makoto shouted, interrupting the bear. Everyone turned to the lucky student, who somehow kept himself composed as he glanced toward Mondo. "There's still something we need to know first."
Although a bit perturbed by the interruption, Monokuma didn't seem all that interested in pursuing the vote right away. Instead, the bear seemed to grin knowingly as it asked, "Oh? And what's that?"
Ignoring how much their captor was obviously enjoying themselves, Makoto kept his gaze focused on his guilty classmate as he asked, "Mondo, why did you move Chihiro into the girl's locker room?"
The question was swift but the implication heavy. Mondo visibly flinched but again kept quiet. Whether from grief or shame or stubbornness, no one could say. However, in Mondo's place, an authoritative voice spoke up instead.
"I knew you were a fool but I never imagined it extended to this level of idiocy," Byakuya practically spat, glaring at Makoto. "It's obvious, isn't it? He was trying to cover up his crime, and confuse us—".
"I don't think that's the case," Sayaka cut him off, much to the Togami Heir's frustration. "Unlike you, I don't think Mondo enjoyed messing with the scene. In fact, if I had to guess…I'd say he did it to try and keep Chihiro's secret from us."
A wave of shock struck the courtroom at the pop idol's suggestion. Even the arrogant Byakuya flinched slightly, as if actually considering the possibility. A heavy silence hung over the room, as everyone seemed to silently accept that conclusion.
"Regardless, he still tried to deceive us," Celeste decided to remind everyone. "There is no guarantee that it wasn't his intention from the beginning—".
"Shut up…" Everyone, especially Celeste, was surprised when Leon snapped at her. "I'm tired of all the bullshit you keep spouting. Trying to make it sound like everyone's just as twisted and heartless as you are!"
"Oh, does this mean you have a rebuttal?" the gambler inquired, a raised brow her only show of annoyance.
Not backing down, Leon huffed and said, "Hell yeah I do! You keep trying to make Mondo look like a fucking monster and that's complete bullshit! If he was as cruel as you say he is, why the hell would he have come to get us to try and help Chihiro?!"
"That is because—", Celeste began to answer before being cut off.
"That was a rhetorical question!" Leon shouted, ignoring a now fuming Celeste as he continued. "Because it was an accident! I bet he didn't mean to attack Chihiro at all! And when it happened, he moved her into the girl's locker room to hide her secret because that's what Mondo does!"
Despite Leon's utter incompetence in the ways of rhetorical questions, no one could deny that he'd brought up an interesting point. And while it didn't change the situation at all, at the very least it was making some of the students reconsider their opinion of Mondo.
"That was a very astute observation. And I agree with it," Kyoko spoke up, throwing her two cents in. Turning her gaze toward the biker, she asked, "Would you be willing to tell us everything that happened?"
"And we'd appreciate the truth this time," Byakuya quipped, ignoring the stern glare from Kyoko.
However, before Mondo could give any sort of reply, Monokuma cleared its throat loudly.
"In the interests of time, and my growing boredom, I've decided that a little show and tell would be more appropriate for this situation."
Again, before anyone had time to question what the bear meant, the lights suddenly went out and a screen descended from above. A bright light shot out and struck the screen, and it didn't take long to see that it was a kind of movie projector. Slowly lifting his head, Mondo gasped as he saw exactly what it was.
It was footage from the security cameras. It showed him talking to Chihiro outside the locker rooms. Then, it showed her letting both of them inside the boy's locker room. The scene switched to the camera in the locker room itself and everyone watched in silence as the two had a conversation. There was no audio, so they couldn't hear what was being said, but it was obvious that Mondo was growing more and more frustrated…until he abruptly grabbed the dumbbell and swung it.
A collective gasp rang out as they watched Chihiro crumple to the floor. An instant later, they watched as the dumbbell slipped from Mondo's hand and he fell to his knees in front of Chihiro's unconscious body. And then, the film went black.
A horrified silence followed the film, with many of the students left short of breath from shock.
Byakuya and Celeste seemed eerily quiet, not having expected to see the crime itself taking place. Hina and Sakura looked to each other for support but didn't have any words for each other. Leon and Sayaka had averted their gazes from the screen, memories of their own crimes coming back to haunt them. Hiro muttered some kind of Buddhist prayer while Hifumi murmured incomprehensively. Genocide Jill bit her own thumb as she contained her frustration, probably wanting to have committed the crime herself. Junko stared wide-eyed, as if she couldn't comprehend what she was seeing. Taka hung his head, his expression unreadable as he processed this information.
Only Makoto and Kyoko seemed able to keep a level head as they watched the video, with the lucky student turning to gauge Mondo's reaction.
Staring up at the screen, watching his own crime, Mondo reached a hand out toward the image of himself, as if trying to stop his past self from committing such an atrocity. With his teeth gritted tightly and tears forming in the corner of his eyes, it was obvious that guilt was overtaking his entire being.
"They say a picture is worth a thousand words! But that was a video so it must have been, like, millions of words!" Monokuma cackled as the lights came back on and the screen ascended back toward the ceiling. "Regardless of the circumstances, Mondo blatantly attacked Chihiro. Isn't it only fair that someone who violated your trust should—?"
"This doesn't prove anything!" Junko abruptly shouted, looking around the room anxiously. "We couldn't hear what they were saying! For all we know, it might have—".
"It very well might have been an accident. I can agree with that," Byakuya interrupted, his voice surprisingly somber. "However, that doesn't change the fact that Mondo lashed out, in rage I might add, and struck down Chihiro."
"But if it was an accident, then—!" Sayaka tried to interject but was interrupted.
"The facts are the facts. That video proved his guilt," Byakuya said without hesitation, his eyes staring forward, avoiding eye contact with anyone.
"But Chihiro is still alive!" Leon refuted, slamming his fist down onto the railing in front of him. "It's bullshit to have him executed when he didn't mean to—".
"Let me ask you this…" the Togami Heir cut in, finally turning and shifting his gaze back to his classmates. "If Mondo had actually killed Chihiro…can you honestly say that you wouldn't vote to have him executed?"
At that implication, Sayaka, Leon, and Junko fell silent. And even though it was obvious that they wanted to say that they wouldn't, realistically, if Mondo had actually murdered Chihiro…they would have voted for him already. It was a sick and twisted feeling and they hated it.
Amidst the silence, the stoic voice of Kyoko abruptly spoke up, "Regardless of what we've seen, we still don't know his motivations. And until we do, we can't make a rash judgment."
Hearing that rational suggestion, everyone seemed to calm down a bit. No one seemed particularly eager to vote, not even the usually abrasive Byakuya. Unfortunately, that didn't mean that all of them were content with just remaining silent.
"Wasn't it to keep his own secret safe?" Hiro entered the conversation, much to everyone's annoyance. "I mean, why else would he have bashed Chihiro upside the head like that?"
Oblivious to the seething glares most of his classmates sent him, Hiro continued to wait for an answer to his question. And unfortunately, he got it from the most unlikely source.
"If you really wanna know…I can tell you!"
No one had expected Monokuma to speak up, and they weren't prepared for the revelation that was about to be made clear to them.
"You wanna know what Mondo's secret is! He killed his own brother!"
Monokuma cackled as it jeered, humiliating the already dejected biker as his crime was made clear to everyone. Without warning, the demented bear gushed about the incident with Mondo's brother, sparing no detail. And, as the truth of Mondo's secret came to light, all of the students began to understand why Mondo had lost his temper and committed such an atrocity.
…To keep his own secret safe. Or at least, that's what they were led to believe.
And, as much as she tried to understand it, in reality, Mukuro couldn't wrap her head around what was happening. Sure, she knew that Mondo could fly off the handle sometimes, but he'd never gone so far before. Honestly, it was hard to believe that he had really been the one to attack Chihiro.
And while she could trust that the video they saw was genuine, the reason it was shown was obviously to incite anger toward Mondo for what he'd done. Her sister wouldn't have introduced it if she hadn't thought it would bring out more despair. But even so, Mukuro still found it hard to accept.
During the two years she'd known Mondo, she had never heard this story. It was as much of a shock for her as it was for everyone else. Perhaps Junko had known about it but she'd neglected to relay it to her sister. And even if she had, Mukuro wasn't sure that, at the time, she would have cared enough to remember.
And to make matters worse, Monokuma, or rather, her sister who controlled the bear from up on high, was verbally crucifying her classmate. The way the bear told it, Mondo was a monster that had blatantly lied about and even profited from his brother's death, taking over their gang in one fell swoop. Not only that, he was a despicable traitor who had deceived his own friends and classmates, at least that's how Monokuma painted him.
And while Mukuro didn't understand Mondo's motivations…not even in the slightest, she knew better than to blindly trust what her sister was spouting to all of them. And she'd be damned before she'd just let her sister have her way!
"—and are you really going to allow such a distrustful person to go unpunished for their crimes?" Monokuma chided, obviously encouraging them to begin the vote. "If I were you, I'd—".
"Who's voting? You or us? Just stay out of this!" Mukuro abruptly shouted, cutting the bear off midsentence. Without giving the shell-shocked automaton time to respond, she turned toward Mondo and asked, "Just tell us the truth…did you do this on purpose? Or was it an accident?"
She watched as Mondo flinched and hung his head, his hands grasping the wooden railing in front of him.
"It doesn't matter…I still did it…I…I…I attacked Chihiro!" the biker shouted, almost as if scolding himself. "I've done something utterly unforgiveable! I let my anger…my own weakness take control of me! Chihiro…I was jealous of how strong she was! She was strong enough to face her own secret…strong enough to ask for help when she needed it! And she came to me for help! But instead…of helping…her…I…I…"
A deafening silence hung in the room for a moment before the horrifying sounds of Mondo's sobs ripped through the courtroom. Tears fell from his eyes but he made no move to stop them, instead he lifted his tearstained face up for all of them to see.
"I don't deserve to be forgiven! I almost killed her! She trusted me! She trusted me and I almost killed her! I don't deserve to call myself a man! I'm nothing more than a pathetic piece of shit!" he shouted, his voice cracking as he berated himself. Taking in quick, shallow breaths, he let his head hang once more before he finished, "I won't ask for forgiveness…just get to voting and get it over with! Execute me already!"
Mukuro didn't know exactly what she should be feeling as she heard that, but it was akin to a mixture of anger and sadness. She wanted to yell at him for being so stupid, scold him for giving up on life…but she realized how hypocritical that would be. After all, when Junko had abandoned her, she'd practically done the same thing.
The guilt was crushing him and Mukuro knew that, if someone didn't do something, there would be nothing she could do to save him from execution. Sadly, there was little that she could do at this point.
All she could do was wonder how this was affecting her fellow classmates…especially a certain Moral Compass who could soon be losing his only real friend in this place. Shifting her gaze over to Taka, she found him with his eyes downcast but an unmistakable anger exuding from him.
The Moral Compass was obviously feeling betrayed, and it was no surprise why. As far as Taka knew, the first person he had ever really opened up to had committed such a foul crime, and tried to deceive them all just to get out of being punished.
Honestly, Mukuro couldn't remember if Taka and Mondo had ever been as close as they'd become in the last 24 hours. During their time in school together, Mukuro hadn't really paid attention to who was friends with who; she'd been too focused on trying to please her sister to bother taking note about her classmates' social standings. Plus, she'd seen Taka interacting with almost everyone at one point or another, but she didn't know if he truly had made friends with anyone during their first year at Hope's Peak.
But that didn't really matter at this point. She at least knew Taka enough to understand that, even if they chose not to execute Mondo, their relationship would never be the same again. As depressing as it was to think about, by the end of the day, Taka was probably going to be friendless once again.
"Why…Why did…Why did you do it?…Bro…"
The images from the footage continued to replay in Taka's mind, no matter how much he tried to will them away.
Throughout the entire film, Taka had been completely silent. He had stared in disbelieve at what he had seen but couldn't muster the courage to say anything at all. His eyes had followed Mondo the entire way through and he honestly couldn't believe that his friend was capable of such a horrific act.
And even though he tried not to, it forced Taka to see his 'Bro' in an entirely different light.
He had thought that, despite his outer appearance, Mondo was a good man at heart. Before this incident, Taka had no doubts that his Bro was just misunderstood, and would eventually become an integral part of society after they escaped the school. However, after hearing about lying to his gang members about his brother's death, coupled with the fact that he'd outright lied to all of them about Chihiro…Taka's faith in his Bro had been shaken.
It hurt…and it was a pain he'd known all too well.
"Why…why does this always happen?! Why do the people I respect most…betray me?!"
Although he didn't want to, Taka couldn't stop comparing Mondo's betrayal to that of his grandfather's. Even though the circumstances were entirely different, both of them had betrayed the expectations Taka had placed in them.
Ever since their time in the sauna, Mondo had been a source of strength for him, giving him courage to survive this hellish situation. The Moral Compass had even begun to idolize how purely and honestly the biker lived his life, and wanted to find the strength to do so himself. And he knew that if Mondo had needed his help, he would have done anything in his power to assist him.
"So why then…why did you do this Mondo?! Was our friendship one-sided?! Was I not a good enough friend that you felt you could trust me?! Why didn't you come to me for help?!"
More than sadness, anger was coursing through Taka's veins as he struggled to understand how things had gotten like this. Was it his fault? If he had insisted on working out with Mondo, could he have intervened and prevented all of this? Should he have insisted that everyone reveal their secrets? Was there really anything that he could have done?
In the end, he just didn't know. All he knew was that Mondo had not only betrayed him personally…but all of them. He'd placed his own safety above all of theirs and had attempted to graduate. It was unforgivable…and yet it was completely understandable, now that he knew Mondo's secret. A tragedy, that's what this situation was…and exceptions should always be made for such things!
And thus, an internal dilemma arose in Taka.
A part of him felt that Mondo needed to face punishment for his actions…but at the same time, he didn't want to execute the only friend he'd ever had! Until now, Taka had always prided himself on doing the right thing but…what was the right thing to do in this situation?!
Did he betray the rules of justice and order…to keep his only friend from execution? Or…should he do as society would have demanded…and punish Mondo for his crimes?
"What…what am I supposed to do?!"
"Okay then, now that everything's out in the open. It's time for the voting to begin!"
Monokuma's announcement shook the foundation of the room, as they honestly didn't expect the choice to be thrust upon them so quickly.
Makoto's mind was already racing with all of the information about Mondo's past being thrust upon them. And he knew that voting now, after just hearing that, would affect how they might vote for the biker. That was probably the bear's intention and Makoto felt the need to speak up about it.
"H-Hey, hold on!" the lucky student protested, trying to reason with the bear. "We're not ready for—!"
"Just do it already!" Everyone gasped as Mondo shouted at all of them, his head hung so low his pompadour almost touched the railing in front of him. "I know how this is gonna end…so don't drag it out anymore! Just vote and get it over with!"
Mondo's words echoed all throughout the courtroom, sending waves of unease through absolutely everyone. Makoto could only watch as the biker's hands squeezed the railing in front of him so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Seeing his classmate so broken, so hopeless, so down-right defeated, it upset Makoto to his very core.
The lucky student wanted to reassure him that everything was going to be okay…but he honestly didn't know. He couldn't tell what most of his classmates were thinking, especially after seeing that video.
He wanted to believe that, after hearing about Mondo's tragic past, everyone would understand the biker's plight and vote to let him live. However, considering what had happened during the first trial, he found his optimism stunted. Even so, Makoto found himself clinging to that tiny thread of hope…already having forgiven Mondo for his mistake. He just hoped the others could find it within them to do the same…
"You heard the man! Let's get to voting!" Monokuma cheered, spinning around in a circle gleefully. "And I think I want to start with…Sayaka!"
The bear pointed directly at the pop idol, who shrunk back in fear before replying, "W-What do you mean…start with—".
"Oh, didn't I mention it before?" Monokuma said with a cheeky tone. "For a class trial without a blackened, we'll be voting one at a time instead of using the levers. This way, everyone gets a chance to say why they voted for or against the culprit! Which remind me…!"
With a snap of its paw, Monokuma called forth a chalk board from behind his seat. On it, there were two pictures separated by a dividing line. On one side, was the image of Mondo's head. But on the other…was a picture of a tub of butter.
"I'll be making a tally for every vote! If you vote to let Mondo live…boring…I make a tally here," Monokuma demonstrated by using a claw to swipe on the side with Mondo's head. "And if you vote for him to be executed…much more exciting…then I'll make a tally on the other side."
Again the bear lifted its claw and pretended to make a mark on the side with the butter. Before Monokuma had the time to continue, a confused Leon called out, "Okay, so I get the Mondo picture but what the hell is the butter supposed to mean?"
Leon almost instantly regretted asking as Monokuma's grin widened as it replied, "Well now…you'll just have to vote for Mondo to be executed to find out, now won't you?"
Feeling his anger rise, Makoto furiously countered, "Why do we need to vote individually anyway?! Shouldn't that sort of thing be private?!"
Turning and glaring at him, Monokuma sneered, "It's the only way this can be fair. If we lose track of the votes, we'll have to start aaaaaaaaall over again! You don't want that, now do you? This way, there'll be no confusion as to who voted for Mondo or the butter—err, I mean execution!"
Even before the explanation, Makoto knew there was more to it than that. Monokuma, or rather, the Mastermind behind their imprisonment, was trying to break them down. The Mastermind had been upfront about what they wanted from all of them…it wanted their despair. And what better way to get that than to force them all to say to Mondo exactly why they would vote to have him executed.
It was a cruel system but one that they couldn't avoid. And so, like it or not, the voting began.
"Alright then, like I said, let's start with Sayaka. After that, we'll go counter-clockwise around the room until we've heard from everybody. Sound good kids?" Monokuma falsely asked before pointedly pointing at the pop idol. "Okay then, you're up, doll-face!"
Sayaka frowned deeply at the nickname she'd been given and didn't immediately respond. In fact, she seemed to have something weighing on her mind that she wanted to say. The students didn't have to wonder long because she turned to face Mondo directly, staring at his downcast visage.
"Hey, Mondo…is it true? Do you really have my e-handbook?" she asked respectfully, much to everyone's surprise.
A bit shocked himself, Mondo lifted his head enough to get a good look at her. She was staring at him with a serious expression and he felt compelled to answer, "…Yeah…I do…"
"Can I have it back please?" she said clearly, leaving no room for misinterpretation.
Almost reflexively, Mondo reached a hand into his pocket and pulled out her e-handbook. Without a word, he extended it out and Kyoko took it from him, passing it down until it arrived safely in Sayaka's hands.
Upon receiving it, she pushed the button and it chimed as it booted up. Confirming that it was hers, Sayaka turned it off before slipping it into her pocket. Once it was there, she breathed a sigh of relief before smiling brightly.
"Okay then, I forgive you," she said, much to everyone's shock. Turning to Monokuma and scowling at it, she finished, "I vote for Mondo to live."
Monokuma looked confused for all of two seconds before shrugging and whipping out a piece of chalk and placing a tally on the side with Mondo's head.
"Okay then, let's move on to…actually never mind, Makoto we're skipping you," the bear said quickly before placing another tally next to Mondo's head.
Stunned by that treatment, Makoto angrily shouted, "Hey! You can't skip me like that!"
"Yes, I can," the bear insisted before glaring over its shoulder at him. "I already marked your vote for him to live, just like we all know you'll vote, so it's fine! Or did you want to vote the other way?"
"W-Well no, but—", Makoto tried to protest but was cut off.
"Then it's fine to skip you! Next up, Hifumi! Which way you voting?!" Monokuma said, brushing off the lucky student and turning his attention to the fanfic creator.
Hifumi, a bit startled from being called on, fidgeted with his fingers as he hung his head. A conflicted expression marred his face as he slowly lifted his head up to glance at Mondo.
"Forgive me, Mr. Owada…but I vote for execution."
This time, almost everyone was surprised by the vote. Even Celeste seemed quite perplexed that the fanfic creator had actually voted in favor of execution. In fact, there was only one among them that seemed pleased with that decision.
"Awesome! That's one! Finally!" Monokuma shouted gleefully, happily tallying a mark under the butter image.
Despite himself, Makoto couldn't stop from turning to Hifumi with a perplexed gaze and asking, "…Hifumi, why would you—?"
"I'm sorry…I really am…but I'm more afraid than I am sorry," the fanfic creator answered, his voice all too serious for once. "I know that…I tend to say some off the wall things sometimes. And…I can't help but worry that I'm gonna say something to Mr. Owada that might anger him enough to…attack me, too. So…please forgive me!"
Abruptly bowing his head, Hifumi's explanation came to an end. As if cold water had been poured on all their heads, the entire class shuddered as they realized that the fanfic creator wasn't as naïve or foolish as they'd originally thought. He was a unique individual, to be certain, but underneath that pudgy exterior was a terrified young man who feared for his life. And absolutely none of them could refute him for feeling that way.
"Alright then! Let's ride this emotional rollercoaster right into the ground!" Monokuma suddenly shouted, ignoring the harsh glares of the students. "Next up, we've got—".
"Me! Me! Me! I'm up next!" Genocide Jill elatedly exclaimed. "I vote for the butter!"
A parade of shocked faces turned to face the serial killer, Monokuma surprisingly among them.
"I'm not complaining, just want to get that out in the open," the bear said as it tallied the second mark on the butter side. "But yeah, kinda surprised a serial killer would vote for execution. Hypocrite much?"
"Well, it's not my butt on the line, so why should I be worried?" Genocide Jill defended before smiling widely and staring at the tally board. "Besides…I really want to know what the butter means!"
Again, the students were surprised by how honest and straightforward their serial killer classmate was being. And while some of them wanted to reprimand her, none of them had the courage to do so.
"Okaaaay then…points for curiosity," Monokuma commented before shifting its gaze over to the next person. "Alrighty Leon, time to make your—".
"Finally! I've waited forever for this!" the baseball star shouted, much to the bear's frustration. "It's not fair for Mondo to get executed when he didn't actually kill anyone! I didn't get executed for…what I did…" He paused for only a moment before continuing, "…So Mondo shouldn't either! He fucked up but that doesn't mean he deserves to—!"
"Sheesh, we get it already. One more vote for him to live. Moving on!" Monokuma said while making a tally on the 'let Mondo live' side.
"Hey! I wasn't finished yet—!" Leon tried to protest before he was cut off by the next voter.
"I vote for his execution." No one was surprised to hear that response from Celeste, who laced her fingers together and smiled. "Mondo, I truly harbor no ill will toward you. But having you around is a gamble that even I am not willing to take."
Mondo didn't even flinch at her words, keeping his head pointed down and just taking her verbal abuse. Before any of the opposing students could chastise the gambler for her decision, the next voter stepped up without Monokuma's intervention.
"I also vote for execution."
Again, not a single student was surprised to hear Byakuya voting to put the biker down. However, what they didn't expect was for him to remain silent afterword.
"Hmm? No words of wisdom for the soon to be punished?" Monokuma tried to encourage the Togami Heir. To everyone's continued surprise, Byakuya slowly shook his head.
"I've said all that I need to."
The Affluent Progeny folded his hands behind his back, and stood up completely straight. It almost appeared to be an uncharacteristic sign of respect, but no one dared to call him out on it. Still a bit confused as to why the usually antagonistic Byakuya was being so passive, Monokuma somehow clicked its teeth before shrugging and adding another tally to the butter side.
"As you all can see, that makes the current tally four to three, in favor of the butter!" the bear related to everyone, obviously pleased with the ranking so far. "So next, we move on to Chihiro—oh wait! We can't! Because she's in a coma!"
Mondo flinched again and the sympathetic students all glared daggers at Monokuma, who simply ignored them and decided to move on.
"Moving right along, next we have Hiro! Lay it on us, future-man!"
At the sound of his name being called, Hiro shuddered. He glanced around the room and found two different kinds of expectant gazes; ones wishing for him to show mercy, the others silently demanding he bloody his hands. Under the weight of their stares, Hiro quickly laughed nervously before shutting his mouth, realizing this was no time to be joking around.
Sweating from the pressure, Hiro decided to try and reason with everyone. "Well, uh, it's not really that simple—".
"Yes it is!" Monokuma interjected, making the clairvoyant jerk around and stare at the bear fearfully. "Vote for him to live or vote for the ultra, super secret butter…AKA execution!"
"Gah!" Hiro shrieked in surprise before nervously stuttering, "W-W-Well, I, uh, I mean that, well…I vote Mondo did a bad thing?"
A painful silence stung the courtroom as Hiro's seemingly indecisive answer invaded all of their ears. However, before that frustration could give way to anger, Monokuma sighed audibly and said, "Alright then, another vote for execution."
"Wait, what?! No! I didn't—!" Hiro tried to back-peddle but the menacing gaze of Monokuma silenced him.
"You voted that he did something wrong. By my understanding, when someone does something wrong, they get punished. That means, you voted for punishment!"
"No! I didn't…did I?" the indecisive Hiro questioned himself, not knowing he'd stepped into the bear's trap.
"Indeed, you did! It was your choice, now you have to live with it!" the bear jeered as another tally was marked on the butter side.
A look of pure shame came over Hiro as all of his classmates, regardless of how they'd voted, glared at the clairvoyant for his stupidity. He'd lost his only chance to take back his own vote and decide properly, something that none of his classmates could overlook. Lowering his head, Hiro lifted his gaze up just enough to give Mondo an apologetic look, but other than that, he said nothing.
Not giving them time to rest, Monokuma shouted, "Moving forward, next we have—".
"Me. And I vote for Mondo to live," Hina interrupted, her features hardened with determination. "I won't punish Mondo like this! Maybe he needs detention or something but he doesn't deserve to die!"
Everyone, aside from Sakura, was a bit surprised by Hina's staunch determination. The normally bubbly girl had obviously thought about this and come to a reasonable conclusion. Then again, given her peaceful nature, none of the students were all that shocked by her decision.
"Blughk! Too much sugar in that vote, if you ask me!" Monokuma sneered but added another vote for Mondo to live to the board. "And I hope you don't mind but we'll be skipping you, Mondo. Can't have you tainting the vote, now can we?"
Gripping the railing in front of him so tight you could hear it creaking, Mondo gritted his teeth and replied, "…Whatever. Just hurry this up and get it over with…"
"As you wish!" the bear gleefully agreed, saluting the biker before pointing to the tally board. "Currently, we have five votes to four, in favor of execution once again! Now, the next few votes will be critical, so I encourage all the remaining voters to—".
"I vote for Mondo to live," Kyoko's stern voice interrupted, staring at the bear with absolutely no fear. "I believe that ties up the votes, does it not?"
Even with her emotionless expression, it appeared as though she had been waiting for the perfect moment to spoil the bear's fun. Unfortunately, Monokuma didn't seem to take that interruption well. Instead of using the chalk, the bear decided to slash a tally on the 'let Mondo live' side with its own claw, a grating sound reverberating and causing the students to flinch.
"Okay…then…whose…next?!" the bear furiously questioned through gritted teeth, not realizing exactly who was being addressed next.
"That would be me," Sakura answered plainly, much to the bear's chagrin. "I also cast my vote for Mondo to live. His actions, while deplorable, are not completely without merit. Specifically the actions he took to ensure Chihiro's secret be kept hidden."
A noiseless gasp escaped Mondo and he lifted his head up to stare, completely confused, at Sakura. Either he'd figured out that the odds were now in his favor to survive, because of that vote, or he honestly didn't expect someone like Sakura to vote for him to live. In either case, the biker didn't seem to let this revelation encourage him, averting his gaze from the martial artist and simply waiting for the next two votes…the ones that would truly decide his fate.
Meanwhile, Monokuma was busy practicing meditational breathing, possibly to keep from flying into a rage, when it decided that it was time to finish off the last of the voting.
"So then…with that vote, we now have six votes to five…in favor of Mondo's survival." The demented bear choked out the last word before clearing its throat and continuing, "With that said, the next votes will be the most important. If both votes are for execution, then it's butter time!"
Although still confused about what that could be, the students who had voted for Mondo's survival glanced over to the next vote and couldn't help but smile. At the same time, Monokuma slowly turned his attention over and said, "Now then, Junko. Time for you to cast your—".
Monokuma froze as it looked over to see Junko, with a cocky grin on her face, flipping the bear off with both hands. If the mechanical bear had been equipped with veins, several of them certainly would have popped at seeing that.
"Biker boy gets to live! 'Butter' try harder next time!" Junko taunted, her smirk widening.
"…Rude," was all Monokuma uttered before kicking the tally board over and letting the sound of it clattering to the floor get everyone's attention. "Fine then! Voting time is over! By majority decision…Mondo gets to live…"
Having not been paying attention to Junko's "vote", Mondo's head abruptly shot up in utter surprise.
"W-Wait…what the hell?!" he shouted at everyone, still in shock. "I thought…I thought you were all gonna vote for me to get executed! I…I deserve it! I…I lied to everyone! I almost got all of you killed! I should't be allowed to—!"
"That's enough," a stern voice halted Mondo's self-deprecation.
Even though he shouldn't have been surprise, he was still a bit shaken when he saw that Junko was the one glaring at him. And what was even more surprising, was the fearsome look she had in her eyes…as if she was going off to war or something. Whatever that look was, it was nothing like Mondo had ever seen before, and it was enough to keep him quiet as she cleared her throat.
"We voted for you to live. And you have to deal with that," the Fashionista forcefully told him. Still stunned by her powerful voice, the biker remained quiet as she continued, "Instead of whining about not getting punished, why don't you try to figure out how you're going to apologize to Chihiro for what you did? Shouldn't that be your primary concern right now?"
Each word Junko spoke was harsh and stern, but hit right on the mark. Even more terrifying was that she hadn't raised her voice to him. Her entire being practically radiated strength and determination…the kind that Mondo had fought to gain for himself all his life.
"Junko…she's…just like Chihiro…she's strong, too…much stronger than I was…than I am…"
The biker jealously lamented his laughable state, feeling his anger beginning to rise again. However, as he felt his jealousy rise, the images of his crimes flashed through his mind, reminding him of his own weakness. His vision began to blur as he felt himself losing control of his anger once again…feeling the weakest he'd ever felt in his entire life.
And just as he felt he was going to be consumed by that weakness, he recalled Chihiro's smiling face as she'd told him she wanted to get stronger…with his help.
"That's right…Chihiro! I still…I still…have a promise that I need to keep!"
Almost instantly, he beat back down those feelings of anger and jealousy, knowing it was those feelings that had put him into this position in the first place. Lowering his gaze, Mondo could feel Junko's eyes focused on him. More specifically, he could feel the strength she exuded over him. But this time, he didn't let that upset him.
"So what if she's…stronger than me…I just…have to get stronger…like Chihiro did!"
Slowly taking a deep breath, Mondo unclenched his fists and lifted his head up to meet Junko's hardened gaze. Underestimating how difficult it was to maintain eye contact with the Fashionista, the biker hesitated for a moment but quickly found his resolve.
"You're right…but I don't just owe Chihiro an apology…I owe it to all of you." As if hearing the magic words, Junko's stern gaze softened and she let a warm smile decorate her lips as she nodded firmly to him. Nodding back, Mondo then turned and bowed deeply to everyone as he shouted, "Sorry I'm such a dumbass!"
Stillness fell upon the group, with seemingly no one willing to verbally accept his apology. As if to confirm that assumption, an irritated scoff echoed a moment later.
"Do you really believe a simple apology is enough?" Celeste said to him, brutally breaking the silence. With a slight huff, she averted her gaze and said, "Remember that not all of us voted in favor of your survival."
Her words echoed in Mondo's ears and though he did his best not to let them affect him, he found himself sinking back into self-loathing. However, he had expected it and chose to be silent as this class trial came to a close.
Watching through Monokuma's eyes, the real Junko frowned as her former classmates made the decision to spare Mondo.
"Uhg…so boring! I at least wanted a bit of melodrama!" she complained to herself before pressing her head into the monitor in front of her.
Just then, almost before she realized what she was doing, Junko leaned back, unclipped her Monokuma hair clips and quickly retied her hair in a pony tail up above her head. Reaching into her pocket, she whipped out a pair of fake glasses and slipped them over her eyes. Finally, she grabbed a nearby clipboard and held it as if she was taking notes.
"Well, all things considered, this was to be expected." Her voice became sultry and silky, her new ensemble making her look like an educator. "Statistically, the odds were stacked against despair this time, what with Chihiro surviving and all. Therefore, when the first real murder does occur, the shock to their systems will be so great that the despair it brings will be greater than I first calculated. I suppose that will have to suffice for now."
Quick as lightning, Junko discarded her glasses and clipboard, and re-clipped her Monokuma hair clips back into place to make her hair into pig tails again.
"Oh! I guess that's right! Good thinking, me!" she said aloud to herself before making a mental note to add the 'Sexy School Teacher' persona to her new list of personalities to perform while she was bored. "In the meantime, let's end the boring trial and move on to the next phase…"
Gleefully retaking control of Monokuma, Junko momentarily eyed the large bag sitting next to her chair, the bag itself filled to the brim with stacks of money.
"Alright you little brats! This concludes the end of the first bullying class trial!" Monokuma announced to everyone, getting a few relieved sighs in the process. "Also, I feel it's important to note that, because it wouldn't affect anything anyway, there wasn't a need to get that last vote! So yeah, I wanted to personally apologize to you about that Mr. Honor Student!"
"…Whatever."
That uncharacteristic reply came directly from Taka, who stared forward angrily. The sight of his apparent fury perturbed everyone, Monokuma included. Even Byakuya and Celeste, who had never been intimidated by him before, felt a shiver run down their spine at the utter rage that burned behind the Moral Compass' eyes. Mondo in particular had a hard time looking Taka's way, knowing the exact source of his friend's anger.
Before anything else could be said, Makoto called out, "We should probably head back upstairs then. We need to check on Chihiro."
"…Indeed, we do." Again Taka spoke swiftly and decisively, not wasting a single syllable.
Just as everyone prepared to leave their spots and head for the elevator, the voice of their Headmaster stopped them.
"Oh! I completely forgot to mention something important regarding Chihiro!" Monokuma suddenly exclaimed, immediately getting everyone's attention. "Due to her 'special' condition right now, she'll be the only one allowed to stay in the nurse's office for the time being."
A huge wave of relief hit everyone, expecting there to be something more sinister.
"Is that all? That's a huge relief!" Hiro voiced for everyone, not realizing it may have been wiser to remain silent.
However a moment later, Monokuma's head slowly turned to glare down at the clairvoyant as it said, "A relief? Now why would that be? I mean, you're all just leaving a defenseless kid alone until they wake up."
Something about the way the bear said that sent chills down everyone's spine. Narrowing her gaze, Junko questioned, "What exactly are you getting at?"
Looking her way with fake puzzlement, Monokuma tilted its head and replied, "Didn't you hear what I just said? Until Chihiro wakes up, unless you have a medical emergency, absolutely no one other than Chihiro is allowed to be in the nurse's office!"
A round of gasps escaped the students and it was quickly followed by a plethora of complaints.
"T-That's crazy! How can we take care of her like that?!" Makoto was the first to voice concern.
"Yeah! She needs someone to be there for her when she wakes up!" Leon concurred, slamming his hands down onto the railing.
"You can't expect her to properly recover if she remains unattended," Sakura agreed, her aura becoming fearsome as she spoke.
Amidst the complaints, Kyoko decided to voice an important question. "And what happens if Chihiro were to come to harm while she's recovering?"
"Oh, I never thought of that," Monokuma answered with false surprise. "Well, since it was Mondo who put her in that situation, then any harm that befalls her will solely be his fault and he'll need to be punished accordingly!"
"What?! But that's bullshit!" a surprised but furious Mondo shouted, obviously not enjoying being reminded of his crime. "How am I supposed to apologize to her if I can't even get in to see her?!"
"That sounds like a personal problem…" Monokuma jeered, basking in the seething glares all of the students were giving.
"At least allow one person to remain by Chihiro's side until she wakes up," Kyoko suggested, hoping her plea would be answered. "That way, we can be assured that you didn't play a hand in any harm that might come to Chihiro."
At that accusation, Monokuma's face burned red with anger as it retorted, "How dare you assume I would do such a thing! I'm an impartial judge here and I would never personally involve myself in the game! It would violate the rules that only a student may participate in the killing."
"I'm afraid that I must agree with Kyoko this time," Celeste spoke up, glancing at Monokuma with calculating eyes. "Without a proper way to monitor if you were involved in a potential case, it would violate your precious rules. Would it not?"
Reeling back in obvious shock, Monokuma stuttered, "U-Uh…w-well, I suppose that's a good point…" Realizing that it may have backed itself into a corner, the demented bear cleared its throat and clarified, "Alright then, one and only one student may remain in the room with Chihiro. No switching shifts or any crap like that! So, you'd better chose someone you can trust to—".
"I'll do it. I'll look after Chihiro."
Although they shouldn't have been, most of the students were surprised that Mondo chose to volunteer himself for the position. As the students turned and gazed at the biker, most of them with scrutiny in their eyes, they couldn't help but question if it was right to allow the very person who had attacked Chihiro to be the one to take care of her.
"I'm not opposed to it but…Mondo, are you sure?" Makoto cautiously asked, trying not to sound insensitive.
Although obviously a bit insulted by the lucky student's lack of confidence, Mondo knew that he…that everyone had a right to doubt him right now. But that was why he couldn't afford to let anyone else do this!
"Please guys…let me do this!" the biker pleaded, bowing his head. "I gotta make up for what I did! So please, let me make this right! Let me take care of Chihiro!"
A brief pause occurred as Mondo's words echoed in the courtroom but it was shattered when Leon proclaimed, "I say we let him do it!" Now it was the ballplayer's turn to get the scrutinous glances, which he shrugged off as he continued, "Hey, I was put in charge of helping Sayaka while she recovers. So I think we can trust Mondo to help Chihiro while she recovers."
"I agree. We should give him a chance to prove himself," Sayaka concurred, smiling brightly at Leon.
"Are you two certain about that?" the skeptical voice of Celeste questioned, making the pair glare at her. Ignoring them, the gambler continued, "Should we not be concerned that someone with such a violent temper, not to mention someone that tried to deceive us, will be in charge of Chihiro's fate?"
Unwillingly, both Sayaka and Leon began to internally second guess themselves, knowing that there was some sense in what Celeste was saying, though they'd rather bite their own tongues than admit it.
"Personally, I think it would be fine idea."
Everyone was shocked when Byakuya, of all people, threw his hat into the ring. Mondo especially raised an eyebrow at the affluent progeny's apparent confidence in him.
"Oh? I'm surprised to hear you say that," Celeste admitted, unable to understand the Togami Heir's reasoning. "I wonder…is this your own way of seeking redemption for what you've done to Chihiro?"
Scoffing at her suggestion, Byakuya folded his arms and replied, "Hardly. I actually support the idea because, if something horrid were to happen to Chihiro this time, we'd have a clear suspect to convict. And there would be no voting to help weasel his way out of it…"
A fiendish smirk decorated Byakuya's lips as his intentions were made clear. Before anyone could call him a soul-less bastard, Monokuma cheered and said, "Alright then! It's decided! Mondo's fate will be directly tied to Chihiro! And, if Chihiro happens to die under his watch…then he'll suffer the butter!"
A puzzled look was shared by most of the class before Monokuma realized they still didn't know the implication of the butter. With a deep sigh, the bear finished, "Execution…basically."
"So what you're saying is, if Chihiro dies, either from health complications or from another student attacking her, then Mondo is the one who will be punished?" Kyoko asked, more to outline the terms of the bear's agreement to having someone watch over Chihiro.
"Grrrrh, yes! That's how this is gonna go! Chihiro dies, so does Mondo! How much clearer can I make that?!" Monokuma shouted, sounding oddly weary. Then again, it was getting late and whomever was controlling the bear had to sleep sometime.
A few "ahs" were shared as the class fully understood the implications of having Mondo as Chihiro's guard. With that all settled, Monokuma stood up, as if preparing to leave, and said, "If that's all, I think I'll retire for the evening—".
"Hey, Monokuma…you said that only a student may participate in the killing, right?" Junko audibly questioned, her gaze lowering in thought as she repeated the bear's words from earlier. "So you're suggesting that if a student snuck into the nurse's office, they could attack Chihiro?"
"Yes! Exactly!" Monokuma latched onto that comment, trying to claw its way out of the conversation so it could leave. "Therefore, you can be assured that I would never be personally involved in this, because I'm your Headmaster and not a student!"
"And how, exactly, can we be sure of that?" the suspicious voice of Junko asked, making everyone turn to her. "For all we know, it's a student who's controlling that stupid bear, right now!"
Absolutely every student's eyes widened at the accusation, including Byakuya and Kyoko, both of whom had never considered that possibility. And while the revelation went over some of the student's heads, Hiro in particular, because Monokuma had said that only a student could attack Chihiro, it made even Mondo wonder if the one who had trapped them here was indeed a student of the academy.
As that question hung in the air, a low chuckle slowly began to echo around them. It didn't take long for everyone to realize that it was Monokuma who was chuckling, its laughter growing with each passing moment. In only a few moments, the bear was audibly roaring with laughter, much to everyone's frustration.
"Hey! What's so damn funny?!" Leon shouted, irritated by the bear's cackling.
"Is Junko right? Are you actually a student…just like us?!" Sayaka bravely spoke up, taking a cue from Leon's momentum.
Slowly, the cackling bear came down from its laughter high and said, "Oh…oh…my sides! I haven't had such a good laugh in years! Oh, am I the only one that finds that question hilarious?!"
Chuckling to itself once again, it seemed that the bear didn't have any intention of answering, which prompted a certain Affluent Progeny to say, "Just answer the question. Now."
Byakuya's authoritative voice didn't have the desired effect, much to his chagrin, as the bear's laughter began to completely die down. Only once it was completely silent did Monokuma clear its throat and answer them.
"I've been saying it all along but none of you paid attention, it seems. And I even added so many puns for it too—".
"Enough of your games. Out with it. Are you a student or not?" Kyoko pressed, seeming almost desperate for the answer for the first time since they'd been sealed with the school.
Jerking its head toward her, Monokuma grinned widely and answered, "Of course…not! I keep telling you all that I'm not a person! I'm a bear! And bears can't be students! That's just silly if you ask me…"
"We aren't asking you, we're asking whomever is controlling you," Kyoko further interrogated, completely unrelenting.
"I'm sorry…the number you have dialed has been disconnected or is no longer in service…" Monokuma said in complete monotone. "Please hang up and try your call again later…"
Kyoko's eyes widened as she predicted what the bear was going to do and she called out, "Stop!"
But it was too late, the cushion of Monokuma's judge chair suddenly gave way and the bear fell through, leaving the students all alone in the courtroom. Suddenly, a bang echoed and everyone turned to see Kyoko with her gloved fists pressed into the railing. Everyone was shocked to see the normally stoic girl gritting her teeth and silently seething, but at least they understood exactly why.
"Our best lead…and now it's gone." She took a moment to collect herself before returning to her usual stoic visage. "At least we have something to go on now. And we have you to thank for it, Junko."
As all attention focused on her, the Fashionista flushed as she replied, "Uh…what did I do now?"
Kyoko watched her in silence for a moment before answering, "You managed to see something that most of us overlooked. And we were obviously on the right track. Considering how flustered Monokuma became as we pressed the issue."
"It actually was more astute than I thought you capable of," Byakuya joined in, almost intentionally mocking her…which earned him a glare from the Fashionista. "Although, I do have to wonder…what possessed you to say such a thing, hm?"
Even though she obviously disapproved of his selfish comment, Junko answered, "I dunno. I just thought that it may be possible some crazy student from the school decided to trap us in here. I mean, we are all Ultimates here, who's to say that it's not the Ultimate Kidnapper or something?"
"That very well may be the case," Sakura concurred, lowering her gaze in deep thought. "We don't know anything about who our captor really is. Any information we can glean from them gives us an advantage. You have my thanks for that."
"Yeah, we all owe you big time, Junko!" Makoto chimed in, a bright and vibrant smile on his face.
Upon hearing her own name from Makoto, the Fashionista almost seemed to wince, as if hearing it somehow upset her. However, an instant later, she beamed for everyone and said, "Well, it was just luck, I guess. But you're welcome anyway!"
Although that answer appeased most of the class, both Kyoko and Byakuya couldn't help but ponder further. However, before either of them could act on it, the rest of the class began to grow restless.
"So, uh, can we get out of here now? This place kind of unnerves me," Hina admitted, making everyone realize that they could, in fact, leave whenever they wanted.
"Right! Let's head back up to the school." Makoto enthusiastically shouted, before turning to head for the elevator.
As a group, everyone began to head for the elevator, with Mondo bringing up the rear. It was then that he notice that Taka hadn't moved from his spot. The Moral Compass' eyes were downcast and his expression unnervingly unreadable. And even though his better judgment told him not to, Mondo couldn't stop himself from walking over to his friend.
As everyone passed Taka on their way to the elevator, no one spoke a word. The Moral Compass told himself it was out of respect, but deep down, he imagined that it was because they just didn't care about his feelings on the proceedings.
"Why…why does my chest ache?!" Taka questioned himself, gripping his chest with one hand. "Mondo was spared…but he didn't face punishment for his crimes! This flawed system…it's because we don't have capable people to pass righteous judgment when we need it most!"
As Taka continued to mentally debate the failings of Monokuma's court system, a voice that Taka didn't want to hear invaded his ears.
"Uh…hey, Bro. The elevator's gonna go soon…"
It was undoubtedly Mondo's voice…there was no way the Moral Compass would ever forget the voice of the man that had betrayed him! Betrayed all of them! And didn't even get sufficient punishment for it!
"Just like…Grandfather…"
Despite his wishes, the loathsome voice of his grandfather came back to haunt him.
…
"The fools will all see I'm right, sooner or later."
"Responsibility? Why should I have to take responsibility for the masses misunderstanding my vision for Japan?"
"Of course my family understands the choices I've made! And they support me regardless!"
"Kiyotaka…my grandson…don't ever go into politics…being Prime Minister is pointless anyway…"
…
His grandfather… a man that he had deeply respected…told him that his dreams and aspirations for becoming a politician were utterly pointless. And that hurt almost as much as his grandfather's betrayal itself.
Taka had only been a child at the time of his grandfather's scandal and it had warped his life in so many ways. People resented him and his family just for being related to his grandfather, and it was hard for Taka to make friends because of it. His grandfather's betrayal had robbed him of any chance to be a normal citizen. Because of his grandfather's selfish acts, Taka had to devote his life to restoring his family's good name.
Almost unbeknownst to him, Taka's hands clenched into fists as he mentally seethed.
"Why does everyone have to be so selfish?! First Grandfather…now Mondo! Can't they see how their actions affect others?! Why couldn't they just—?!"
"Uh…Bro, we should probably get going before—".
Mondo reached his hand out but before it even had the chance to get close, Taka abruptly slapped it away.
"Don't ever call me that again. I'm not your 'Bro' anymore…" Taka seethed, glaring at Mondo with fiery red eyes. "From now on, don't even bother talking to me…you traitor!"
Obviously hurt by his friend's words, Mondo flinched and averted his gaze. However, it only took him a moment to shift it back over and say, "Bro—Taka! I…I'm sorry, man! I didn't mean to—!"
Pure anger coursed through Taka's veins as he interrupted, "Don't make excuses! Excuses are for cowards! I thought you were better than that, but just like everyone else, you showed your true, deceitful colors! I trusted you! But you obviously didn't trust me! Otherwise…you would have come to me for help rather than lying to my face about attacking Chihiro!"
As the two of them shouted between each other, the rest of the students could only watch somberly from the elevator. Leon, in particular, wanted to jump in and interject, but he knew that nothing he said would fix what Taka felt right now. Unfortunately, there was nothing anyone could do to help either of them at this point.
Startled by Taka's demeaning words, Mondo stuttered, "B-B-But…but I…I…I…I didn't want this to happen! You gotta believe—!"
"Enough!" Taka practically screamed, turning his back on his…former friend. "You had best stay away from me from now on! Because if you pull this kind of treacherous stunt again…I'll make sure you're punished for it!"
Without letting Mondo get in another word, Taka headed for the elevator, pushing past anyone that got in his way, earning concerned and surprised glances from his classmates.
Thinking about his words toward Mondo, Taka realized that it was the first time that he'd actively threatened anyone before…it was a sickening feeling and he didn't like it. However, if he was going to enforce the rules and justice of society while trapped in this place, then something about him needed to change. He couldn't afford to let something like this happen again! If he merely forgave Mondo as easily as he'd forgiven Leon…then someone else might get attacked on his watch! And that was something that he couldn't allow to happen…ever again!
"No more pink slips…no more write ups…from now on, I'll enforce order though any means necessary!"
As they all crammed into the elevator, the metal doors closed and the machine began to take them back up. In the semi-dark of the elevator, Taka's red eyes burned…like a white hot flame.
To Be Continued…
Greetings, my beautiful readers! Now, wasn't that an emotion rollercoaster of a trial! But what's going to happen to everyone now?! How will Mondo cope with his guilt while guarding Chihiro? Has Taka gone over to the dark side? What will Junko come up with now that her plans have failed twice? You'll have to wait for the next chapter to find out!
We've got one more 'Act' before this 'Chapter' is over and then I'll be on a bit of a break, as I mentioned before. However, I've got a few interesting developments that I'm already working on, so I hope you all can wait for them!
As always, your reviews give me strength and confidence, so if you have any questions, concerns, comments, fears, tears, traumas, phobias…please let me know so I can address them. And once again, thank you all for reading and have a wonderful day, my beautiful readers!