Never Say Never
Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa or the characters associated with it.
Chapter 3
Act 2
"No…this can't be happening…it's just not possible," Taka whispered to himself as he stood outside the cafeteria. However, as if to mock his shock, the sound of his classmates' voices echoed from just beyond the doors.
"Do you remember anything specific about the masked figure? Anything at all would be useful."
"Besides the freaky mask, I don't remember all that much."
"At the time, my only concern was Hina's safety and I attacked without properly assessing my opponent."
Staring through the cracks of the cafeteria doors, a look of abject horror on his face, Taka stood completely rooted in place. However, he continued to listen to his classmates as they discussed what he could only assume was an altercation that that occurred last night.
"I'm just glad the two of you are alright…"
"Now that we know that someone other than ourselves is in here with us, we need to be more cautious."
"Maybe we should set up a buddy-system? That way, if anything happens, we'll never be alone."
The sounds of their discussion were like nails on a chalkboard for Taka. It wasn't even 7AM, and yet, everyone seemed to have gathered in the cafeteria…without him. They hadn't even bothered to tell him that some sort of obviously dangerous altercation had occurred…which obviously meant that they didn't feel that they could trust him!
"How…How could they do this…to me?" he quietly seethed. "They didn't even…bother to…!"
His hands instinctively tightened around the small box he was carrying with him, his mind made up and his choice clear.
-Earlier That Morning-
"Rrrhg…Hrraghh…Urrraahh!"
Taka grunted audibly to keep himself from cursing as he crumpled yet another piece of paper. Tossing it behind him, it landed perfectly in his trash bin, which was almost completely full now that almost the entire night had passed. Once again he began writing a draft for his plan to maintain order, and thus, keep everyone alive.
"Not that any of them seem to appreciate all my hard work!" Taka seethed as he became more frustrated. "So…if we start with this…and then go to here…then we can…No! No! That won't work either, I didn't even think about that! Rrrrahg!"
This time, instead of crumpling the paper, he outright tore it to pieces. Throwing the shredded paper up as if it were confetti, Taka slumped against his desk and slammed his head into the hard wood, the shards of paper fluttering down atop his head and desk.
"…Why…why can't I…what am I…why did…why did Mondo…why did Mondo have to—?!"
As he spoke, Taka repeatedly pounded his fists on top of the desk in a vain attempt to understand why Mondo had betrayed him…betrayed all of them. However, he knew that beating the wood wouldn't give him the answers he desired. But then, he wasn't sure what he should be doing anyway.
Upon returning to his room last night, Taka had set himself onto this path, to keep himself from breaking down. And while he was frustrated and angry on the outside, deep within him, he was beyond distraught. He'd lost the only true friend he'd ever had…not to death or distance…but to murderous betrayal. And no matter how much he told himself that it didn't bother him that Mondo had turned on him…he knew that it would never be true. And because of that, he couldn't just go back to being the person he had been before befriending Mondo.
"…Bro, how could you? Did you not think of what your actions would do to the rest of us…to me?"
As if summoned by those dark thoughts, a familiar voice called out to him.
"Hey, whatcha working on?"
Taka didn't have to lift his head to recognize the maniacal voice of Monokuma from across the room. A part of him wasn't even startled that the bear had appeared before him, considering that it was responsible for everything that had happened. Even so, the Moral Compass knew to be cautious and slowly picked his head up, the shredded paper slipping off his hair and gliding to the floor. Retrieving another blank piece of paper, he resumed the task he'd given himself earlier that night and didn't even bother to look at Monokuma as he spoke.
"Please don't interrupt my studies. Unless you have an urgent matter that you need brought to my attention, please see yourself out."
For a moment there was silence, and Taka could only assume that his statement had startled the bear. However, it wasn't long before he heard the bear chuckling to itself.
"Well, that was unexpected. I never expected you to be so calm about someone intruding into your room—".
"As I said, I am quite busy. If you don't have anything for me to address, then please leave."
Taka's tone was firmer that time, as if he were lecturing a delinquent that he'd caught running in the halls. In the back of his mind, he knew it probably wasn't smart to talk to his captor like that. However, given his current state of mind, he couldn't care less. He was falling back on the automatic reactions he'd gained during his time in the disciplinary committee, and that suited him just fine.
Monokuma, on the other hand, didn't seem bothered by his tone, and continued to jovially reply, "All work and no play makes the stick up Taka's ass go deeper." When Taka didn't even react to that statement, the bear must have decided that playtime was over. "But seriously, what have you been working on all this time?"
Taka gave another frustrated grunt before losing his concentration, thus messing up whatever he was writing. With one hand, he crumpled yet another failure of a plan and tossed it aside, pulling another sheet from a stack of rapidly decreasing blank paper.
"Why is it any of your business?" the Moral Compass fired back, beginning his writing anew.
Taka could practically hear the bear shrug as it answered, "I was just wondering what you'd been working on…the entire night!"
That made Taka's bloodshot eyes widen and he whirled around to stare at the clock above him. To his horror, it was already 6:45AM, and that meant that he had only a few minutes to arrive early for the morning meeting! However, he couldn't find the strength to stand…the weight of his failed attempts coming into view. Glaring at the trash can filled with worthless plans, Taka felt more shame than he'd ever felt before.
How could he go to the morning meeting so unprepared? Had he really wasted an entire night failing to come up with a proper solution to this problem? What would everyone think of him when he had nothing to offer this morning?!
"So…whatcha been working on?" Monokuma pressed, obviously enjoying his torment.
Despite himself, Taka gritted his teeth and glared at the bear as he answered, "I was…I was…I was working on a complete schedule for everyone to follow! One that would assure our continued survival and guarantee that no one would betray our trust ever again!"
Completely surprised, Monokuma remained silent for a moment before replying, "…Seriously?"
"I am always serious!" Taka shouted back, leaping to his feet and letting his chair fall over. "With a proper schedule, we can regulate our time together, form proper bonds of friendship, and learn to work together to be able to actually support each other when we need it most!"
Panting from his outburst, Taka felt like scolding himself for raising his voice so high but knew it was redundant. Instead, he focused on glaring at Monokuma, who simply stood in the center of the room, staring back at him. For a full minute, they both held their ground, locking eyes with each other. Just when Taka felt he needed to disengage and, regretfully, head for the morning meeting empty-handed, he heard Monokuma sigh.
"Hate to break it to you, but that plan just won't work," the bear said, turning its head away from him. "Let's say you actually did have such a schedule, you couldn't force everyone to follow it. That would cause more friction and eventually drive everyone apart…the exact opposite of what you want."
His eyes widening, Taka furiously retorted, "W-What?! But everyone desires structure for—!"
"Unless you can convince Byakuya that friendship is magic, there's at least one person who won't go along with it," Monokuma continued, ignoring the Moral Compass' attempt to interject. "And I'm sure others would agree that they don't want to be tied down by your idea of law and order. I mean, come on! You actually spent all night trying to come up with a complete schedule that suits each and every student here without even realizing why you kept failing? Well, let me tell you why…it's because you know that I'm right!"
A noiseless gasp escaped Taka and he became frozen in place as the bear continued.
"You couldn't find a way to please everyone so you kept giving up! Look at the pile of failures you've produced so far! That's proof that everything I've said is correct! And while I applaud your tenacity…I have to point out how idiotic your idea was to begin with!"
With each word Monokuma spoke, Taka felt his willpower being drained away. He couldn't deny that he agreed with everything the bear was saying. Everyone was just so different, he'd come to understand that while being trapped in the school with them. He'd tried, time and time again, to create the perfect schedule to compliment all of their needs…but it was impossible!
Some were easy to figure out, like Makoto! He'd go with anything logical as long as it was pleasant and simple. Kyoko and Junko would probably see reason, considering how much those two wanted to help everyone. But after that it got difficult! Firstly, Leon would be taking care of Sayaka, so they would be with each other most of the time. But that meant that the baseball star wouldn't be able to do much of anything else, which was unfair to him! So, they would have to rotate taking care of Sayaka, but he couldn't trust Byakuya or Celeste to agree to such a thing, so that wouldn't be fair either! And then there was Genocide Jack…or Jill…or whatever the serial killer called herself! She'd need to be locked up and monitored 24 hours a day, stretching their manpower and making scheduling nearly impossible! They could always lock Byakuya in a room with her to keep her contained but that would be unfair to Byakuya! Not to mention that being trapped in a room with Byakuya was another form of torture…which was still unfair! And then there was Celeste and her lazy behavior to take into consideration! She'd never conform to his plan unless he offered her something she wanted and, from what he could tell, all she wanted was to be lazy! And if she was lazy, it was unfair to those who weren't! Not to mention that Mondo…forget about Mondo for the moment! Chihiro would need looking after, at least Mondo would suffice for that but that was also…unfair. Plus, there was Hifumi to consider as well…which he had absolutely no idea how to handle because he couldn't understand half of what the fanfic creator said half the time, which was unfair in a whole different way! Sakura and Hina would prefer a more active schedule, which would conflict with his purely study filled regimen he'd been planning, which was, of course, unfair for both sides!
And the worst part was…Taka couldn't come up with a single group activity that would satisfy all of them!
He'd wracked his brain all night but still came up empty-handed, which only further proved that Monokuma was right…this task was far beyond his capabilities. But then…what use was there for him? What purpose did he serve if not to maintain order? Was he…not needed?
"No…that can't be…and even if that was the case…I can't just give up!" Taka shouted back at the bear, feeling his burning passion for order resurface. "My classmates need me! They might not be aware of it, but I am the only person capable of preventing any more acts of betrayal! I won't let what happened between me and Mondo happen to anyone else! The betrayals shall end with me!"
Even with that declaration, Taka was still just as lost as he'd been before Monokuma arrived. However, for some strange reason, the bear actually seemed impressed by his words.
"Now that's the spirit! I mean, how could you become Prime Minister someday if you buckled under a little bit of pressure like this, huh?" Monokuma cheered before pulling a small box out from behind its back. "And that's why I decided to give you this! To help with your struggle!"
Immediately suspicious of this offer, Taka skeptically glared at the box and said, "And what makes you think that I'd accept any kind of help from you? After all, you are the one trying to force us to kill each other in the first place!"
"Oh! That hurts!" Monokuma grunted and grabbed its chest, as if Taka's words had physically attacked him. However, the bear quickly recovered and gave the Moral Compass a side-ways glare. "But I'm afraid you're wrong. I never told anyone that they had to kill anyone! I just told you about the only way to get out of the school. I never forced any of you to attack each other. You all chose to do that—".
"But you can't deny that that's exactly what you want!" Taka fired back, still wary of the bear's generosity. "I won't be taken in by your tricks! I won't let you—".
"Expose the secrets that everyone's hiding? Because that's what I intend to do."
Taka's vigor suddenly vanished as those words echoed in his head. Instinctively, his gaze shifted down to the box Monokuma had brought. Seeing him staring, the bear flicked its paw at the top of the box, opening it for the Moral Compass to see its contents. Inside the open box was a stack of envelopes, none of them labeled. Before Taka could call the bear's bluff, Monokuma pushed the box toward him.
"Go ahead…take a look. I put yours on top," Monokuma encouraged. "I'll even turn around so that I don't see you do it!"
True to his word, the bear spun around and covered its eyes for good measure, leaving Taka with that temptation lying at his feet.
Warning alarms were blaring in his mind, and every fiber of his being told Taka not to trust the bear. All he needed to do was push the box back over to the bear, tell it to leave and then go to the morning meeting. That's what he needed do…that's what he should have done…but he didn't. Before he'd even realized it, he'd bent over and picked up the top envelop and opened it. As he read the words on paper, he knew that Monokuma was telling the truth…this box contained everyone's secrets…including his own.
Folding the envelop as neatly as he'd found it, he replaced it in the box, a horrified expression stuck on his face.
"Why…why would you give these…to me?"
As he asked, he lifted his head to see that Monokuma was no longer in front of him, but over by his now open door. With as much of a straight face as the bear could give, it answered, "Because I think that you're going to make good use of them."
Before Taka could interject, Monokuma disappeared behind the door, closing it ever so politely. Standing there, with a box that held the motive for his former friend's betrayal…the Moral Compass felt something within him stir as he scooped up the box and practically raced toward the cafeteria.
Slowly opening his door, Byakuya Togami peered into the hall beyond. He glanced down the hallway to the left, then to the right. He even took an additional moment to observe his surroundings, his calculating eyes examining every avenue before he dared to fully open the door and step out. Quietly closing his door behind him, the Affluent Progeny cautiously began heading down the hall toward the cafeteria.
It was still early, a few minutes before the morning announcement was set to play. And although he didn't feel particularly inclined to, Byakuya decided to grace the morning meeting with his presence. However, it wasn't to socialize, and it wasn't because he knew the others would want to talk about how to proceed next. No…it was because his safety was absolutely guaranteed as long as he stayed near the rabble.
His run in with Genocide Jill last night still weighed on his mind. It had prevented him from getting a restful night sleep, something that hadn't been difficult until she'd proclaimed her 'affection' for him. As a result, he was restless and even though they were naïvely infuriating, at least he could find amusement in his classmates' stupidity. Not to mention that, even though he was relatively certain that Genocide Jill wouldn't be after his life for the time being, it didn't hurt to be cautious. After all, trusting the word of a known serial killer that targeted men like him…would be utterly foolish! It would put him on the same level as the irritatingly trustful Makoto. And he would rather be drawn and quartered than be compared to such a gullible fool.
"I may be surrounded by idiots but not even she would be foolish enough to try anything while in their company," he assured himself, slightly picking up the pace.
However, as he reached the lobby area just outside the cafeteria, he noticed someone standing in front of the cafeteria doors. Almost against his will, Byakuya sped behind the nearby corner, completely hidden from whoever was standing in the lobby. He panted as he tried to remain calm, flashbacks from his encounter with Jill racing through his mind. However, he instantly felt ashamed for cowering in hiding.
"How shameful! I am Byakuya Togami! I am the alpha to this world's omega! Get it together!" he mentally scolded himself.
Taking a few moments to breathe and regain his composure, the Togami heir decided it was best to gather information on whoever was there instead of cowering. After all, he seemed to find himself in the most fortuitous of situations naturally, such as being the one who saw Mondo fleeing the scene of the crime just yesterday. This encounter could potentially prove useful to him.
And…if the person just around the corner happened to be Jill, then he could simply sneak back to his room and lock the door. It was a sound strategy, if a bit overly cautious. However, protecting his life came first. After all, if he were to die here, who would lead the ignorant masses of the world?
Carefully glancing around the corner, Byakuya found the last person he'd expected to see.
Taka, the Ultimate Moral Compass, was peering through a crack in the cafeteria doors. His face was reddened and tearstained, and he seemed to be clutching some sort of box very tightly in his hands. Also, if Byakuya was not mistaken, it seemed that his eyes were almost on fire, as if his rage was burning from his irises. He was also muttering to himself, though the Togami Heir couldn't even remotely hear what was being uttered.
However, one thing was abundantly clear:
"His mental health is clearly declining," Byakuya said quietly to himself, a fearsome smirk appearing on his lips. "He's becoming more and more unstable. It won't be long before he snaps—".
"You think so?" a voice directly behind Byakuya pondered quietly. "He looks kinda constipated to me."
Byakuya abruptly jerked around as that familiar, yet terrifying voice echoed in his hears. Just as he feared, standing directly behind him, peering around him to look at Taka, was none other than Genocide Jill. As usual, she bore a pair of Genoscissors in each hand, snipping them occasionally out of habit.
Despite the absolute terror that welled up as the sight of her, Byakuya managed to keep his voice low as he seethed, "What are you doing here?!"
With a confused head tilt, Jill glanced up at him and replied, "Spying, obviously. Tick Tock seems pretty thrashed. Maybe he needs a hug?"
Immediately, she went back to staring at Taka, who seemed to be growing more and more agitated with each passing moment. Byakuya also felt himself becoming flustered, but for an entirely different reason. Forgetting his fears of her for a moment, he grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back behind the corner, turning her so he could speak with her directly.
"I meant, why are you here instead of the cafeteria?!" the Togami Heir seethed as quietly as he could, still gripping her shoulder tightly.
Instead of answering, Genocide Jill let out a soft moan and glanced down at Byakuya's hand. The instant the Affluent Progeny realized he was still grasping her, he retracted his hand and wiped it furiously on his very expensive pants. A moment later, he looked up to see Jill wrapping her arm around her body lustfully, drooling all the while.
"Ooooooh…being man-handled by Master so early in the morning! I knew it was better to wait for you around the corner rather than in the hallway!" Genocide Jill half-moaned as she spoke, sending chills down Byakuya's spine.
Just then, the full impact of her words dawned on him. She'd been waiting for him even before he'd left his room. Probably down at the farthest end of the hallway. She must have been waiting there for quite some time, eagerly awaiting the moment he would leave his room. Her dedication to her craft was beginning to make the Togami Heir understand how she'd never been caught during her crime spree. And the most horrific idea was…he hadn't even noticed he'd been followed until she made herself known!
The only thing that had saved him…was the fact that she didn't want him dead, at least not yet. If she hadn't taken a personal interest in him, the great Byakuya Togami would have been slain, and this world would have been plunged into everlasting chaos. More than anything else, Byakuya could not allow that to happen. His family were the sole inheritors of the world itself. Without them, the entire world would crumble into nothing. And, if nothing else, Byakuya would never allow that to happen. The shame his family would have to endure would be unbearable. Regardless of his own life, he couldn't allow his duty to shape the world be destroyed by a disgusting, perverted, utterly worthless serial killer like her!
It was time to regain his honor.
Straightening up to his full height, Byakuya Togami forced any and all fear of her from his mind as he glared down at her. At the same time, Genocide Jill stared up at him, unfortunately awed by his imposing stature.
"Would you cease with following—".
"—Stalking!" Jill instantly corrected.
Byakuya's face twisted in rage but he managed to keep his voice low as he seethed, "Would you cease STALKING me through the halls in the morning?! Or can you not see that I'm incredibly busy—".
*Ding*Dong*Bing*Bong*
"Good morning everyone! It is now 7AM and nighttime is officially over! Time to rise and shine! Get ready to greet another beautiful day!"
As the morning announcement interrupted Byakuya's speech, a powerful voice suddenly erupted from outside the cafeteria.
"RRRRRAAAAHHHHHHHH!"
Byakuya and Jill flinched as an ear shattering scream reached them. The Togami Heir pushed past her and glanced around the corner. At the same time, Genocide Jill spun her scissors and went into a defensive position, keeping a watchful eye out in case someone tried to attack her Master.
However, neither of them were prepared for what awaited them just around the corner.
"What am I…supposed to do…?!"
Taka continued to question himself as guilt and anger began swirling around in his mind. He didn't want to believe that his friends would betray him like this, meeting in secret without him. At the same time, he hadn't believed that Mondo had been capable of deceiving all of them during the last trial, either. His perception of trust was being called into question and he wasn't sure of what needed to be done anymore.
Glancing down at the box filled with everyone's secrets, he felt sick to his stomach just holding such a package.
He had intended to do the right thing when he'd left his room: deliver the secrets to his classmates and let them all decide what should be done with them. It was the simplest option and one that everyone could discuss and hopefully find agreement with. However, all that changed when he heard his classmates discussing important matters…without asking for his input!
Did they not feel that his voice had worth? Did they think that his ideas weren't valid? Did they not trust him to do as he promised, and keep everyone safe?
…Then again, he could hardly blame them for thinking those things, if they were in fact true.
Twice now, his carefully laid out rules hadn't of been of any use, and innocent students had been attacked. However, in spite of that, he'd done his best to reduce tension between everyone. He'd tried to foster friendship with nicknames, graciously shortening his own, despite how uncomfortable it had initially made him. He also designated times for them to meet and become friendly with each other; the morning meeting in particular was meant to foster friendship but they treated it as some kind of chore!
They treated his ideas of unity as a joke and didn't seem to respect his authority as a disciplinary committee member—!
Taka sharply gasped as a terrifying realization was visited upon him. All this time, he'd been trying to be something he wasn't…a common student. He had thought that, if he was to forge friendships with others, he needed to change himself. However, that obviously wasn't working. More than anything, he was a disciplinary committee member, someone dedicated to protecting the school and it's students through rigorous enforcement of the rules.
"Could…could that be the case?" he pondered quietly to himself. "Is that why…I was unable to stop Mondo?"
If he had done as he'd originally wanted, reprimanding and punishing Mondo for being so aggressive, rather than being civil and accepting the biker's challenge, and subsequently befriending him in the sauna, then the incident with Chihiro never would have occurred! Taka had chosen to foster a dangerous friendship rather than preserve the honor and safety of his classmates! He was being nothing short of a selfish fiend who thought only of himself! He was no better than Byakuya, as painful as that was to admit.
It was no wonder his classmates didn't trust him, not the way he was right now! He hadn't demonstrated that he could make difficult choices and follow through with them, regardless of the ill will he'd undoubtedly receive from his classmates. Even if some of them would hate him for it, Taka knew in his heart that a little bit of tough love was exactly what he and his classmates needed.
And now, in his hand, he held the key to evening out everything and setting everyone straight. And as he glanced down at the box that held his friends—no…his classmates' secrets, it became clear to him exactly what he needed to do. It would serve as a warning and as a firm reminder that trust was not to be betrayed.
A part of him felt guilty for making this choice himself, without consulting everyone else. However, they had also violated his trust and injured his feelings by leaving him out of an obviously important meeting. They had only themselves to blame for their punishment.
"I will not falter…I will not allow my judgment to be tainted…! I will be the guiding light in this time of darkness! I am the one who will bring order from the chaos! I am the hall monitor, that patrols during the night!" Taka furiously thought, a feeling of power rising up from within his body. "I will ensure that all of my classmates are safe and that NONE of us are ever betrayed ever again!"
As if on cue, the morning announcement rang out around him.
*Ding*Dong*Bing*Bong*
"Good morning everyone! It is now 7AM and nighttime is officially over! Time to rise and shine! Get ready to greet another beautiful day!"
The schools bell was like a switch that suddenly flipped in Taka's mind, and all at once, he felt a surge of passion and strength unlike anything he'd ever experience before!
"RRRRRAAAAHHHHHHHH!"
From deep within, Taka unleashed a furious shout, so loud he felt that the entire room was shaking. His entire body shook and his hair seemed to gravitate upwards, a white sheen overtaking the usual ebony of his hair. As he opened his eyes after the shout, he feel the burning passion of discipline, feeling as though white hot flames raged forth from his eyes.
Without any hesitation, he lifted his foot and kicked open the doors to the cafeteria. All of his classmates abruptly turned and stared at him, complete shock on their face. Taka didn't give them any time to react before he drew in a large breath and shouted:
"…Can anyone tell me why all of you thought that you could start the morning meeting that I proposed…without me?!"
A fearful chill swept through the cafeteria as Taka's dramatic entrance stunned all of them into silence. His entire body seemed to shine with a furious glow, his features warped with anger.
Leon and Sayaka were completely taken aback by his sudden arrival. For Sayaka, it was because of his strikingly different visage. For Leon, however, it was because when Taka had burst in, the baseball star's freshly made sandwich had slipped from his grasp and flopped onto the floor, splattering against the dirty linoleum and causing all of the layers to fly off in different directions, utterly destroying the innocent sandwich. Leon fought back tears at witnessing such a tragedy before looking up and gasping at Taka's appearance, now disturbed for two reasons.
As for Hifumi, all he could do was stare at Taka's transformation and whisper, "He's…he's become…the 'Legendary Super Moral Compass'!" However, no one seemed to even bother being surprised by his strange comments at this point.
For some unexplainable reason, Hiro didn't seem all that bothered by Taka's visage, waving a hand and saying, "Oh, hey Taka! Weird how Mr. Sticks-to-the-Rules would be late for once, huh?" His joke didn't seem to have any effect, so he simply chose to remain quiet afterward.
Hina didn't seem to know how to react, just staring at Taka in confusion. However, she did lean over to Sakura and whisper, "Are his eyes on fire?!" to which the marital artist could only shrug. At the same time, after sizing him up for a moment, Sakura couldn't help but put herself on guard. Although she doubted that Taka would attempt anything violent, it was obvious that he was disturbed by what had occurred the day before, and that put the martial artist on edge, especially considering what had transpired last night. And though she didn't believe that the Moral Compass was the masked figure who had attacked her, she couldn't deny the possibly. After all, while Taka may be a bookworm, he couldn't hide how physically fit he was underneath that uniform, at least not from Sakura's discerning eye.
Junko looked as if she wanted to ask what was wrong but she must have been so distracted by his new found appearance that she couldn't find the words. Even the cynical and antagonistic Celeste found herself wordlessly shocked at seeing the normally composed and collected Taka in such a furious state. In fact, the only student who seemed to keep their composure was, unsurprisingly, Kyoko. More to the point, she seemed preoccupied, not with examining his new appearance, but with the small box he held in his hand. The hand resting on her chin tensed as she noticed a certain symbol printed on the side of the box…the crest for Hope's Peak Academy. Instantly, she knew that whatever was in the box spelled disaster for all of them.
Finally, Makoto's stunned expression shifted into concern as he slowly recovered from the shock, and he seemed to be the only student able to compose himself enough to slowly approach their obviously distraught friend.
"T-Taka? Are you okay—?!"
"I'm fine! Isn't that obvious by my being here?!" the Moral Compass shouted without even glancing Makoto's way before briskly walking passed him and heading for the front of the room.
"I'm not so sure about that…" Junko retorted, as pleasantly as she could manage. However, Taka said nothing as he moved to pass beside her. As he did, the Fashionista scoffed and asked, "And what's with the intimidating aura? Did someone piss in your cornflakes—?"
"LANGUAGE!" Taka abruptly screamed, suddenly stopping beside her and thrusting his finger in her face. Rearing back in surprise, Junko visibly flinched, as if stopping herself from doing something. However, Taka didn't seem to notice as he continued his tirade. "Such vulgar language is not allowed on school grounds! You may use the words 'urinate' or 'tinkle'. I will even allow the use of the phrase, 'Going Number 1'! However…that word, will not be tolerated! Do I make myself clear?!"
As spittle splattered onto her face from his excessive shouting, Junko's entire visage shifted. She scowled fiercely and narrowed her eyes dangerously, taking in a deep breath at the same time. She was obviously working quite hard to keep her growing anger in check, and she looked as though she was going to explode at any moment. And a second later, she did.
"Fine then…tinkle off, jerk!" she fired back at him.
Her comment instantly made Taka glare at her and for a moment, it seemed as though an altercation was going to break out between then. However, to everyone's surprise, the Moral Compass calmly reached into his pocket and pulled out a pink notepad. Without a word, he scribbled something down on the pad, tore it off and held it out for Junko to take. Not wanting things to get more awkward, the Fashionista snatched the page from him and glanced at it. When she did, her jaw dropped.
It was a disciplinary pink slip. Written on it was a single phrase: First Offense – Verbal Warning.
As if on cue, Taka said, "As this is your first offense, I shall graciously forgo punishment this time in favor of a verbal warning. However, I won't be so forgiving next time. So watch your mouth, young lady!"
Not giving her time to respond, which she couldn't because she was so flabbergasted anyway, Taka stepped around her and made his way toward the front, leaving everyone even more shocked than they had been upon his arrival. Junko angrily crushed the pink slip in one hand before turning and glaring daggers at Taka's back as he reached the head of the long table everyone always sat around.
Before he could set his mysterious box down, Makoto cautiously called out to him, "Taka, what's gotten in to you? I know that everything that happened yesterday was upsetting, but—".
"Yesterday's events have nothing to do with this," the Moral Compass harshly cut him off, practically slamming the box down. "The reason for my being here right now is because we all agreed to meet this morning…but it seems that you all felt the need to go behind my back and have an even earlier meeting without so much as informing me!"
Like a building fell over on them, everyone in the room began to understand what he was talking about.
"You were eavesdropping on our conversation?" Kyoko stoically asked with no hint of remorse, probably because she didn't believe they had done anything wrong.
"Uh, Kyoko," Hina abruptly spoke up, trying to decrease tension, "If you say it like that, it kinda sounds like we were having a secret meeting without him."
"Which we totally weren't!" Leon jumped in, trying his best to help convince the Moral Compass. "We just all happened to get here really early and then Sakura and Hina told us about what happened last night with someone attacking them—".
The instant Taka registered those words he slammed his fist onto the table, startling Leon into silence.
"I knew it! You were all discussing something horrible that happened and you couldn't be bothered to let me in on it!" he shouted before pointing around the room at everyone. "I heard everything! Someone in a mask attacked two of our classmates and yet, no one thought it was appropriate to gather everyone and hold a meeting to see if we could discover their identity?! Not only that, you didn't even wait for everyone to arrive before relaying that information! What else can that mean other than you don't trust whoever wasn't present for the meeting?!"
"Please hold on for a moment," Sakura reassuringly called out. "Our intentions were merely to let everyone know of the danger. We planned on informing you once you arrived for the meeting. We had no intention to keep this from you."
"That's right!" Hina concurred, folding her arms and glaring at the powered-up prefect. "Besides, it's not just you. Byakuya and Toko aren't here either! We would have waited for them too! So, it's not just you, we didn't plan to keep you in dark or anything like that!"
For a brief moment, Taka's powerful aura seemed to falter, as though he was actually considering what the swimmer was saying. There was indecisiveness in his eyes and just as it seemed that he might 'power-down' from his rage-induced state, a lazy voice spoke up.
"Except that we don't really trust Byakuya or Toko either, so I don't think any of us would have waited for them to get here to tell everyone about what happened," Hiro absent-mindedly blurted, earning a harsh glare from almost everyone in the room. Taking note of their glares, the fortune teller shrugged and said, "I mean, it's not like any of us actually trust them, right?"
All at once, it seemed that the tension everyone had worked so hard to erase flooded the room once more. Hiro's foolhardy words were all it took for Taka's rage to be re-ignited and he instantly hardened his visage. His eyes narrowed dangerously, the indecision that had been there a moment earlier completely replaced with firm resolution.
Lowering his gaze only slightly, he said, "…I see. So trust is not only an issue you have with me…but with Byakuya and Toko as well."
"That's not what we meant," Sayaka finally spoke up after remaining silent for so long. Her voice was calm and even, and she hoped it would help him understand her sincerity. "We don't feel that we can trust Byakuya or Toko because of what happened during the trial—".
"And I suppose that you would say the same about Mondo then?" Taka rudely interrupted, lifting his head and staring down his nose at her. "After all, he betrayed us all far worse than they did!"
Sayaka flinched at his shouts but said nothing, her face showing the confliction she had on the subject. However, before she could find the words to retort, a firm hand reached out and grasped her own. She looked over and smiled, unsurprised to see Leon grasping her hand and glaring at Taka in her place.
"At least he didn't mess with Chihiro when she was unconscious or was secretly a serial killer!" Leon defended, meeting Taka's harsh gaze. "Mondo may have fucked up but at least he admitted it and asked to be punished! As far as I'm concerned, we've got more to worry about from that bastard and his stalker than we do from Mondo!"
Leon turned and shared a small smile with Sayaka, who reciprocated the gesture and tightly grasped his hand.
However, Taka glared and huffed at Leon's comment before replying, "Again, I must reiterate. Language." He quickly wrote up another pink slip and slid it down the table toward Leon, who crumpled it upon receiving. "Secondly, I should have known you'd side with him. Both of you." He paused and glared at Sayaka as well. "After all, neither of you were properly punished for what you tried to do either!"
At the mention of punishment and the reminder of their crimes, both Leon and Sayaka visibly tensed, never expecting Taka to hurl such cruelty at them. Leon was especially shocked, considering how the Moral Compass had express remorse for voting for him in the first trial. This asshole that claimed to be Taka, who looked like he belonged in a shounen manga, he wasn't the same person the baseball star had unintentionally boded with in the sauna a few nights ago. It was like he was a completely different person…
And they weren't the only ones to be stunned. Makoto's eyes widened and his mouth hung open in pure shock. Hiro nervously scratched his head and tried to ignore the horrible things the Moral Compass had said. Hifumi shrunk a bit as he felt powerless to stop the cruelty happening before him. At the same time, Hina and Sakura looked as if they were about to walk up and smack some much needed sense into Taka too. Kyoko, although stoically quiet, averted her gaze, obviously disappointed. Even Celeste held a hand over her mouth, hiding the look of disgust on her face. And finally, Junko, who's fists were clenched tightly at her side to keep her from losing her temper, was barely able to contain herself as she stood there and glared menacingly at the scene.
"However, as your 'punishment' was already decided, I won't intervene now," Taka continued to berate them, as if looking down on them. "But don't think that I've forgotten what you both tried to do! As far as I'm concerned, neither you can be trust—".
"Okay, that's enough!" the powerful voice of Junko shook the room, halting Taka's words instantly. Everyone, including Taka, turned to see her. Most of them weren't surprised to see her gritting her teeth at the Moral Compass, not after what he'd said, but they were surprised when she suddenly slammed her un-manicured hand on the table and seethed, "Just because you're upset about Mondo doesn't mean you can take it out on the rest of us! You have no right to talk to Leon or Sayaka like that! I mean, who the hell do you think you are, Taka?!"
The entire room shook as she made her argument, and no one other than Taka even thought about refuting her. In fact, it looked as though some of them also wanted to give Taka a piece of their minds, Hina and Sakura in particular. As Junko's furious shouts died down, Taka hung his head for a moment.
Just when it seemed like her speech had gotten through to him, the Moral Compass let out an audible scoff and said, "Don't call me that…ever again…"
Confused, Junko put her hand to her ear and said, "What's that?! I can't hear you!"
Without a moment's hesitation, Taka lifted his fiery gaze up and shouted, "Don't you ever call me 'Taka' again! Any of you!"
"W-What?! But you told us to call you that?!" Junko fired back, not willing to back down now.
"And now that offer has been rescinded!" Taka said, reaching out an arm and miming ripping an imaginary item back from everyone. "I did that in order to foster friendship but if you all refuse my friendship and would prefer me to act as an enforcer of the rules, then I shall! From now on, you will address me as…Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishimaru!"
A look of disgust and anger flooded everyone's face as Taka openly mocked them.
"This is so stupid," Junko retorted, pinching the bridge of her nose in annoyance. "Why the hell would you give yourself such a ridiculously long title?!"
"Silence!" Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishimaru ordered, swiftly swiping his hand to one side in order to emphasize his command. "From this moment on, I shall take on the great burden of supervising all of you. Clearly, decisive leadership is needed during these trying times, and only the swift hand of the Disciplinary Committee can resolve such matters without loss of morals…or life."
"Pardon me," Celeste, at last, spoke up, politely raising a hand. "But I don't believe that any of us asked for you to take on such a…burden, if you will."
Turning his burning gaze toward her, Taka almost seemed to smirk as he replied, "And you have no need to thank me for it! For I know now that, with firm enforcement of rules and diligent management, we can overcome this valley of distrust and ascend into the rolling hills of acceptance!"
As he continued to ramble on, everyone was beginning to get exhausted. Even Junko, who was still plenty upset about his cruel words toward Sayaka and Leon, seemed to be running out of steam as he prattled on and on about rules and responsibility. Just then, a hand shot up that belonged to none other than Hifumi.
"Um, excuse me, Mr. Ishimaru?" he said, careful not to use 'Taka'. Though given the fanfic creator's respectful nature, he probably would have called him 'Mr. Ishimaru' regardless, as he had up until this point. "I have a question about—".
Hearing his name called, Taka snapped his head over and interrupted Hifumi by saying, "Hmmm, Mr. Ishimaru instead of Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishimaru…I suppose it's easier to say…very well! I shall allow you all to call me Mr. Ishimaru, but only upon occasion! We need to maintain discipline here and using my full title is the best way to start!" He placed his hands on his hips, evidently proud of himself and completely oblivious to the furious glares everyone was giving him. Nevertheless, he didn't let that stop him from continuing, "Now, what can I do for you, Hifumi Yamada?"
A bit taken aback by the use of his full name, Hifumi hesitated for a moment before answering, "Well…as I was saying, I was curious as to what you brought that box along for? If you don't mind my asking."
"Yeah! What's in the box?! What's in the boooooooox?!" a familiar voice suddenly shouted, turning everyone's attention to the cafeteria doors. Standing just inside in front of the doors were none other than Byakuya Togami and Genocide Jill, with the serial killer being the one to have called out earlier.
"B-Byakuya! Tok—err, I mean Genocide Jill! What are you two doing here?" Makoto took the liberty to ask, just as surprised by their appearance as everyone else.
"I believe that someone requested that we all be present for the morning meeting," Byakuya curtly replied, stealing an accusatory glance at Kyoko before turning to glare at Taka. "We arrived just after the Disciplinary Committee Chairman," he continued, not bothering to hide the mocking tone he used when addressing the title Taka had assigned himself.
"So, you two have just been hanging out in the back this entire time? What, were you making out or something?" Leon chided, knowing it would rile Byakuya a bit.
"Dammit! I missed my chance!" Genocide Jill said before turning to her Master and puckering her lips. "It's not too late Master! We can sneak in a quick one—".
"I have no time for your perverse games," the Affluent Progeny abruptly shot her down, but not before flinching in disgust. An instant later he pushed past her and advanced toward the center of the room before addressing Taka directly, "I'm also curious as to what you've got hidden away from us. Care for a little 'show and tell'?"
Byakuya almost regretted it as, immediately after being asked, Taka glanced down and smiled, almost menacingly, at the box. Honestly, the way the Moral Compass stared at the box slightly disturbed Byakuya, having never seen such a malicious look cross Taka's face before. The Togami Heir had seen that look on many people before; business rivals, his family members, janitors, etc…but seeing it on the usually annoying Moral Compass felt…wrong, almost dangerous.
A second later, Taka then let out a low but disturbing chuckle as he replied, "I'm glad that you asked. I had almost forgotten about it. Thanks for reminding me."
The way he spoke sent chills down everyone's spines, as if that box had been the key to his sudden transformation. They watched as he slowly pulled the lid off, revealing a number of folded pieces of paper stacked on top of one another. Aside from Genocide Jill, who made a groan of disappointment, no one said a word as Taka pulled the first one from the box.
"This box was given to me by Monokuma! Each of our secrets are written on each of these pieces of paper!" A collective gasp followed this announcement and Taka took that opportunity to continue, "In the spirit of fairness, I will now read them out loud to everyone!"
Multiple forms of shock registered around the room at Taka's announcement. Most of them gasped, those that didn't flinched unexpectedly, and a select few of them felt anger of their own rising to the surface.
"Y-You can't do that!" Hina abruptly shouted, beating everyone to the punch. "That's an invasion of privacy!"
"I must agree," Celeste quickly spoke up, a bead of sweat trickling down the side of her face, the first sign of nervousness they'd seen from her since the game began. "You have no right to expose our secrets in such a way…if you do indeed have them."
"Not to mention that, if Monokuma was the one to give it, then how are we to be certain that our secrets are indeed contained within?" Sakura posed, hoping to appeal to the Moral Compass' logic.
However, it seemed that Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishimaru would not be swayed on the matter, as he defiantly protested, "I have verified the contents for myself! I read my own secret first, proof that this box contains only the truth!"
Taka's steadfast opposition to their protests further increased tension as he reached into the box and pulled out the first secret.
"Hold on," the authoritative voice of Byakuya rang out, stopping Taka before he could even unfold the first paper. "What purpose do you think revealing our secrets will serve? If you're trying to inspire camaraderie then you're sorely mistaken in your methods."
"Agreed," Celeste instantly concurred, nodding fervently. "We have already seen the damage our secrets have caused. Do you not think that revealing everyone's darkest and most private thoughts would instead sow distrust amongst us? Have we not already been plagued by enough suspicions of everyone's character lately?"
While it was odd to see Byakuya and Celeste speak for the benefit of the entire group, it made sense that they would be opposed to it, with their own dirty laundry about to be laid bare for all to see. And even if their motivation was purely in their own self interest, since it aligned with what the rest of the students agreed was a foolish idea, the rest of the class was content to let them dissuade the dysfunctional Moral Compass. However, as if anticipating their argument, Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishimaru scoffed audibly before addressing everyone.
"Fear not!" Taka shouted, holding up his hand to silence everyone, an all too calm smile on his face. Lifting up the folded page in his hand, he held it out for all to see as he continued, "As you can see, they are not labeled, and the messages inside them don't contain our names. These are different from the ones we received from Monokuma before. As I recall, at the very least, mine had my name written inside along with my secret. If I simply read them as they are, only the secret itself will be revealed."
"So then, you're suggesting that we won't know who each secret belongs to. We'll only hear the secret itself," Kyoko pondered aloud, looking not the least bit nervous about possibly having her own secret revealed. "That way, no one will be singled out for what they've done. But in turn, we all will know each other's pasts. Is that what you believe?"
"Exactly!" Taka assured her, pleased that someone seemed to understand his intention. "By having only the secret itself revealed, we can begin to truly understand each other and, with nothing left to hide from one another, there will be no reason to distrust your fellow classmates!"
"E-Even if that's the case, those secrets almost cost us two of our friend's lives! I don't think we should tempt fate by revealing all of them so casually!" Makoto suddenly protested, trying to get the Moral Compass to understand the dire consequences of his actions.
"Finally, someone who's talking sense!" Junko immediately agreed, folding her arms as she continued. "We've seen how devastating revealing our secrets can be. We should learn from what happened with Chihiro and Mondo, and just let sleeping dogs lie."
As the Fashionista's words echoed around the room, more and more of the students began to voice their own objections.
"Yeah, what they said!" Leon concurred, wiping nervous sweat from his brow. "B-Besides, most of our secrets are probably lame anyway!"
"I'm not quite ready for anyone to know my secret either," Sayaka bravely admitted, looking away as some of her classmates eyed her suspiciously.
"I would also like to add that mine should never be revealed…for personal and private reasons," Hifumi added, twiddling his fingers nervously.
"While I understand your motivation, I do think it's misplaced," Kyoko said, trying to ease tension as best she could. "Rather than read them aloud, should we not be given the chance to come forward with our secrets?"
"I believe that would be best," Sakura agreed with a firm nod. "We should talk this over with Mondo and Chihiro, once both of them are able to do so. It's unfair to leave them out of this altogether."
"Even though we know what their secrets are, it still feels uncomfortable to leave them out…secrets being revealed aside," Hina confessed, adding her voice to the opposition.
As everyone began to turn against him and his decision, Taka felt his rage boil up unlike ever before. Gritting his teeth and snarling from being disrupted so many times, Taka slammed his hand down on the table, the reverberating smack startling everyone into silence.
"Why…why can't any of you see what I'm trying to do?!" the Moral Compass shouted, pointing his finger toward all of them. The white sheen of his hair glistened and his eyes burned with incalculable fury as he insisted, "If I don't do it this way, then Monokuma will surely find a more diabolical way to spread them! With this, at least, the threat of our hidden secrets will be diminished, and true order can be born from this chaos! Now, be silent as I read them!"
Stunned into silence by his crude logic, none of the students were able to stop him before he lifted the paper in his hand up, unfolded it and read it aloud:
"One of us has a huge stockpile of…idol porn!"
A loud and abrupt gasp caught everyone's attention and they couldn't help but turn to see Leon, panic etched into his face, his mouth hung open in pure shock. At the very least, they didn't have to wonder whose secret that belonged to. However, that didn't stop the anger that rose up in all of them.
"How could you do this?!" Hina protested as her face turned red, genuinely shocked that Taka had gone through with his threat.
"Indeed, such vile behavior," Celeste concurred, averting her gaze and scowling.
"No matter how you look at, what you're doing is wrong! You need to stop!" Makoto shouted at Taka, hoping to get him to understand the gravity of his choice.
"Believe me…I am just as distraught as the rest of you…" Taka suddenly admitted, much to everyone's shock. However, the shock instantly vanished as the Moral Compass slammed his fists on the table and shouted, "It is imperative that I am made aware of who is stockpiling such…filthy material on school property! And while I can't force the perpetrator to come forward, I will be lenient if you decide to speak with me privately about the matter later!"
"You could not be further from the point!" Junko insisted, who appeared to be contemplating walking up and snatching the secrets away from him.
"Excuse you, Miss Enoshima, but ensuring that this school remains pure and functions only as a place of learning does not fall upon your shoulders, but mine! So if you would please refrain from interrupting, I have a very serious task to continue!" the Moral Compass scolded without hesitation.
A massive groan from all of the students followed his inane decree, not that Taka seemed to notice in the least. Instead, he began to reach for the next secret. However, as he grabbed one and lifted it up, a gloved hand gripped his arm. He and everyone else were surprised to see Kyoko physically stopping him from getting the next secret read.
Her lavender eyes were cold and stern but the strength behind them startled even the powered-up Taka. In a low and even voice, she said, "You need to stop this now. Before you do something that you'll forever regret."
Unexpectedly, Taka flinched as her words hit him. With yesterday's narrowly avoided execution still fresh in everyone's minds, it was obvious that he was struggling with the advice his stoic classmate had given him. Kyoko was never one to mince words, and she had no trouble speaking up if she thought one of her classmates was acting inappropriately. However, for her to actively put herself out there, forcefully stopping him from continuing on his destructive path…it was a side of her that none of them had seen before. Some could speculate that Junko's newfound straightforward attitude might have attributed to it, but in the end, no one could really say.
What was clear, however, was that Kyoko was no longer satisfied with keeping her distance from everyone. Up until now, she'd been a voice of reason, but that was all, just a voice of conviction for everyone to listen to. But now, seeing her go out of her way to try and help her classmates with this situation, it brought a whole new aspect of her to light. Her posture, her tone, and the determination in her eyes showed that Kyoko Kirigiri was not to be trifled with, especially when she thought you were doing something wrong.
For a moment, hesitation became clear in Taka's eyes, and he completely stopped moving for a second, as if in deep thought. He, too, must have been shocked by Kyoko's intervention, at least enough for him to seriously consider his actions until this point. As he seemed to come to a decision, he looked directly at her as if he was about to reply.
Instead, however, a high-pitched voice called out, "Now, now, Kyoko. It's not right to deny another student's right to free speech, now is it?"
The entire room flinched as Monokuma suddenly appeared on the other side of the room, wearing a fedora with a small paper stuck on it that had the word 'PRESS' clearly displayed, and holding a camera with which it took many flashy pictures.
"I can see it now! The headlines will read: 'Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishimaru assaulted by crazy beggar woman! See more on page 8'," the demented bear jeered as it continued to snap pictures.
Everyone was stunned by the bear's sudden appearance. Kyoko and Taka turned and stared at Monokuma, almost in disbelief that it was interrupting them. Sayaka and Leon reacted as they had since their incident, holding onto each other as their bodies trembled, though they seemed much more composed than any other time this had happened. Junko took a brave step forward but otherwise said nothing, glaring angrily. Makoto kept his cool, but also held surprise on his face at seeing the bear's strange appearance. Genocide Jill tilted her head in confusion but chose to remain silent, much to Byakuya's relief. Byakuya and Celeste glared at Monokuma with utter annoyance, both of them already perturbed by the possibility of their secrets getting revealed. Hiro and Hifumi stood off to the side, as if trying to blend into the scenery and not get involved with either situation. Hina scowled at the bear, knowing that everything was going to get more complicated now. And finally, Sakura clenched her fists as a murderous red glint appeared in her eyes as she stared down Monokuma.
"Fiend! Is it true that you were the one who gave Taka all of our secrets?!" Sakura immediately shouted upon seeing the bear, her aura practically scorching the air around her.
"That's confidential," was all Monokuma uttered as it continued to photograph Kyoko's man-handling of Taka.
"Confidential, my ass…" Junko muttered, confirming what they all already knew. "You're probably the one who put this whole disciplinary committee crap in his head too."
"Hey, give the boy some credit!" Monokuma jeered, pausing a moment from taking pictures. "He decided on this new identity all on his own. At least we don't have another case of split-personality."
"Eh, it's better this way. After all, I wouldn't want someone else muscling in on my shtick," Genocide Jill said with a shrug.
Whether from embarrassment or displeasure, Kyoko slowly released her grip on Taka's arm and turned to face the bear. "And to what do we own the honor of your presence?" she said evenly, not showing a hint of emotion whatsoever.
"Isn't it obvious? I'm here getting the scoop of the century as Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishimaru makes history by unveiling everyone's secrets," Monokuma cheered, waving a paw enthusiastically. "I mean, sure, nobody but me will know exactly whose secret is whose, but the speculation that all of you will have about whose secret goes with who will surely be enjoyable to watch. Besides, I did promise to reveal them one way or another…or would you rather have all your darkest moments be made public by yours truly?"
A wave of uncertainly swept through the room as the students began to analyze what the bear was implying. With Taka, their secrets would be revealed but without their names attached to them, but only within the confines of the school. However, Monokuma implied that, if the Mastermind were to be in charge of revealing them, the entire world might come to know their deepest secrets.
Either way, there seemed to be no way to forestall the inevitable. One way or another, everyone's secrets were about to be exposed.
The instant the bear finished speaking, Kyoko turned her determined gaze back to Taka and said, "Do you see now? You're being manipulated. This is all for Monokuma's twisted pleasure—".
"To be fair, I never said that it wouldn't be when I gave them to him!" Monokuma briefly interrupted before letting her continue.
"You're playing right into his hands," Kyoko reiterated, trying to get Taka's attention away from the bear for a moment. "He knows that revealing our secrets could cause us to become suspicious of each other, especially if we don't know whose secret belongs to whom. You need to stop before—".
Suddenly, Taka held up his hand to silence her. Falling silent, Kyoko held out hope that her words had reached him. However, as he lifted his gaze, she saw that the fire burning in his eyes had only strengthened, as if he had come to a decision that, regardless of the consequences, he would see through to the end. In that moment, she knew that it was already too late.
"While I agree that Monokuma may have ulterior motives, that doesn't change anything that I said before," the Moral Compass explained, his voice growing louder with each sentence. "Without strict moral discipline, none of us will be able to trust each other, let alone survive! If I must bear the burden of your anger so that order may be established, then it shall be done! I'm used to everyone failing to understand the importance of rules and discipline, I dealt with it every day before coming to Hope's Peak and I won't falter now! And if it's the last thing I do, I will ensure that all of you learn a valuable lesson from this situation!"
"But Taka—", Makoto tried to interject before the Moral Compass pointed an accusatory finger at him.
"That's Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishimaru to you!" he shouted, his words forcing Makoto to reluctantly back down. "Now everyone take a seat and be respectful as I finish reading all of our secrets aloud!"
Everyone was on the verge of protesting when Monokuma abruptly concurred, "Yeah! Quiet down! This Press Conference has had enough interruptions for one morning! Sit down and shut your traps!"
No one missed the clear order that Monokuma was giving them, and they all knew the price for defying him. Junko glanced down at her bandaged hand for a moment before striding over to the table and taking up her usual seat. She looked completely defeated and entirely frustrated, which didn't help ease the group's tension. Knowing they couldn't argue about this any longer, the rest of the students slowly began taking their seats.
Leon and Sayaka stayed where they were at the long table, having not gotten up since the commotion began. Hina and Sakura sat next to each other with Hiro and Hifumi on either side of them. Celeste took a seat at the end of the table, her hands folded in front of her face, obscuring the scowl she didn't want her classmates to see. Byakuya decided to sit at the table that was removed from the group and began to regret it as Genocide Jill pulled up a chair directly behind him, salivating noisily, to his displeasure. Makoto sat in his usual seat, which was close to the head of the table, a worried expression on his face.
Finally, Kyoko took a step away from Taka, lowered her gaze and slightly shook her head in disappointment before walking over to join them, taking the empty seat right next to Makoto.
With all of them properly seated, Monokuma let out a prideful laugh at it continued to snap pictures. "Alright then, now that order has been established, go ahead and do what you came to do, Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishi—!"
"Be quiet! Can't you see we are in the middle of an important meeting! If you're going to be a distraction, then be off with you!" Taka abruptly shouted at Monokuma, all of his rage directed at the bear in that single moment.
"Ggahhh!" the bear shrieked, obviously not expecting such a reaction. "I-I was only trying to—".
"Disrupting the peace of our meeting is not to be taken lightly!" Taka shouted, fearlessly standing up to the bear. "I may have taken on more responsibilities but I still don't intend to let you have your way! We will find a way to escape from you eventually, and when we do, I shall have the full force of the law come down on your head!"
Even if it was only for a moment, Makoto and the others felt that the original Taka had come back to them. Even though his hair had that white sheen and his eyes burned with furious passion, the way he stood up to Monokuma and earnestly wanted to escape from here with everyone surprised them. Unfortunately, it seemed that Monokuma didn't appreciate being talked down to.
"Upupupupupupu…I see, the law, huh?" Monokuma mischievously jeered. "Good luck with that."
Without a moment's notice, the bear suddenly leapt off the table and slipped into the kitchen and out of sight, presumably leaving them to their own devices. Taka took that opportunity to clear his throat and ready himself, turning to address his classmates.
"Before I begin, let me just say that, if you wish to confess which secret is your privately, then see me after this meeting and we shall discuss proper discipline, if the secret warrants it."
And just like that, the little bit of renewed faith they had in Taka dissolved. Then, like a teacher reading a note passed in class, Taka picked up the next secret and began reading:
"One of us wet the bed until they were in fifth grade!"
Although he said nothing, Makoto's face instantly reddened and he prayed that no one was looking at him. A moment of silence passed before stifled snickering and repressed laughter could be heard from a select few students…one of which being Leon. However, Taka shot the baseball player a stern look, which ceased any and all laughter from that point on.
Confident that it had settled in, the Moral Compass drew the next secret.
"One of us has…a crush on Makoto?"
"What?!" the lucky student instantly shouted, his face now completely red from two forms of embarrassment.
Glancing around, Makoto tried to guess which of his classmates it could be…but he honestly didn't have any idea. It was strange how someone else's secret put him on edge this much. Plus, he wasn't a detective or anything, so he wouldn't know where to begin figuring out who this secret belonged to.
In fact, the only thing that stuck out in his mind was that fact that Kyoko was currently averting her gaze from him, as if trying to hide something. Then again, it could also be the fact that her efforts to stop this whole event had been derailed…was it because this was her secret and she didn't want him to know?!
At that thought, Makoto smiled and whispered to himself, "No way…it couldn't be that simple."
As he dropped his head down and conceded to the fact that he may never find out who had the crush, he failed to notice Kyoko glancing at him out of the corner of her eyes. And both of them failed to notice that Junko was eyeing them both throughout that exchange, a hint of jealousy in her eyes.
"Hmm, what a strange secret…" Taka objectively said, not understanding how delicate a situation this could become. "Despite that, I do encourage whomever this secret belongs to please be careful about getting into a relationship while attending school! It will undoubtedly interfere with your studies—!"
"You would know…" Junko muttered under her breath, which Taka luckily didn't hear.
"That being said," the Moral Compass droned on, "If you wish to convey your feelings, I must ask that you do it privately! Public displays of affection have no place in a school environment!"
"And yet you made the fact that someone has a crush very public," Junko again muttered before lowering her gaze to the down to the table, seeming strangely sad for some reason.
Due to his inability to read the atmosphere, Taka soldiered on with his task, pulling out the next secret before clearing his throat.
"One of us…killed their own brother."
An awkward silence filled the room as that secret was read, knowing exactly who it belonged it. Without so much as commenting on it, Taka placed the paper atop the other ones he'd already read and hastily grabbed another one, obviously wanting to distance himself from that topic.
"One of us…is actually a boy."
Again, no one felt the need to say or do anything. Memories from the last trial flared up in all of their minds, as did a few growing concerns.
"…Did anyone check on Mondo or Chihiro this morning?" Makoto bravely asked, looking around to see if anyone would answer. Most of the students shook their heads, while others like Byakuya and Celeste merely shrugged unapologetically. "Oh…I see. We should probably get some food over to them after we're done here. At the very least, Mondo's probably starving."
"Yes, I imagine he is," Kyoko unabashedly replied, sending a quick glare in Taka's direction.
If Taka noticed her gaze, he didn't show it as he reached into the box to once more pull out a secret that he would reveal to them.
"One of us ruined a pop idol's career."
At the mention of 'pop idol', the students couldn't stop themselves from stealing a quick glance at Sayaka. Byakuya in particular sent her a nasty glare, but she pretended that she hadn't seen it. At the same time, Makoto sent a worried expression her way before averting his gaze, not wanting to ask if the secret was indeed hers.
In reality, she could feel all of their gazes, both the harsh and the sympathetic, forced upon her and did her best to keep an even and stoic visage. However, she couldn't keep her hands from trembling no matter how hard she tried, until Leon slipped his hand down and laced his fingers in between her own. She almost gasped but held it in, looking over to see him smiling encouragingly at her. Almost without realizing it, she smiled back and was finally able to keep her hands from shaking.
After what he considered to be sufficient time passed, Taka drew another secret from the box.
"One of us…bribed a teacher by working at a Maid Café?!"
Taka's shock was shared with almost everyone in the room, although for very different reasons than his own.
"Bribing a teacher is grounds for expulsion! I demand to know—".
"No one has to tell you anything!" Junko interrupted, glaring at him menacingly. "Whoever it was probably had a good reason. And besides, they can always confess to you privately, can't they? That's only fair, right?"
Taka opened his mouth to protest but quickly shut it, knowing that he would be contradicting the rules that he himself had been setting for everyone. Taking a moment to compose himself, he finally answered, "Fine then…as I promised the others, if you decide to confide in me privately…your punishment will be lessened. But don't think you can simply get away with something so—".
"Yeah, yeah, we get it! Bribery is bad and all that…but seriously? How is working at a maid café a bribe anyway?" Hina asked, utterly confused.
"It is the best kind of bribery, if you ask me!" Hifumi couldn't stop himself from replying, shouting over everyone else. "I must know! Ladies, who among you have come to play for my side of the team?!"
Before anyone could be disgusted by the fanfic creator's lewd comment, Leon smirked as he said, "Without a doubt, it has to be Celeste. I mean, she already half-dresses the part anyway."
"…What?" the Ultimate Gambler barely had time to seethe before Hifumi suddenly appeared right next to her, a surprised yelp from her echoing as he inched closer to her.
"Of course! I should have known by your eloquent tastes Miss Ludenberg! Tell me, what kind of—", he licked his lips before continuing, inching closer and closer as he did so, "—special events did you participate in? Perhaps wearing some kitty ears? Or having to call your guests Master—?"
Before he even finished, Celeste suddenly pressed her hand in the center of his face, gripping him so tightly he feared his eyes would pop out. Her eyes flared with unfathomable rage, snarled at him with gritted teeth, and just for a moment, her mask fell, revealing a raging she-demon behind it.
"Listen up, lardo! Don't you ever say such a thing to me ever again! Got it?!"
Hifumi felt himself gripped by an unimaginable fear and panic, but that was mainly because, with her grappling his face to harshly, he couldn't get away from her! He couldn't even muster the words to answer her. Instead, he fervently nodded his head and prayed that she decided to show him mercy.
His prayers were answered when she effortlessly replaced her gritted teeth with a sickly sweet smile and slowly retracted her hand from his face. The instant he was free, Hifumi darted back to his chair but didn't sit in it. Instead, he meaninglessly hid behind it, hoping that it would be enough to fend off the gambler's wrath.
"Ah…now then, since it is now obvious that this secret doesn't belong to me, let's move on to the next one. Shall we?" she said daintily, folding her hands under her chin and smiling at everyone, despite their horrified and disturbed visages. In particular, Leon cowered behind Sayaka, afraid to even look Celeste in the eye right now.
Rather than asking about her sudden change in demeanor, and risk having to be exposed to it again, the students decided that it was best to just let Taka read the next secret, which he already had in hand.
"One of us has amnesia."
To this, many of the students were puzzled. None of them seemed too confused or perplexed about their situation. Rather, everyone was doing all they could to help in any way they could.
"Um, I hate to ask but…if someone has amnesia, why haven't they told us yet?" Hiro questioned, not realizing how insensitive he was being. "I mean, they should know if they have amnesia right? Unless they forgot that, too…how would that work?"
As the clairvoyant's strange commentary went on, Byakuya couldn't stop himself from saying, "You know, somewhere there is a tree that is working twice as hard to replace the oxygen you're currently wasting. Now go apologize to it."
To that, Hiro's expression twisted into confusion and he said, "Uh…I don't get it."
Another scoff came from the Togami Heir and he promptly answered, "I have neither the time nor the crayons to explain it to you."
Finally registering that it was an insult, Hiro pointed an accusatory finger at him and said, "Yeah, well…you spout so much hot air that you need, like, twenty trees to replace all the oxygen you waste! You…you…tree killer!"
For a moment, Hiro was proud of his comment but it instantly vanished as Byakuya smirked and chided, "I've been called worse things by better people."
Before Hiro could lose his temper and embarrass himself more, Taka stepped in and shouted, "Fighting is not permitted on school grounds! Even if it's verbally! Now, apologize!"
A perplexed look overtook Hiro's features as he asked, "Wait, why do I have to apologize to him for—?!"
"Very well then," Byakuya surprisingly consented, with those who understood his thought process already piecing together what he was about to say. "I apologize for trying to teach the idiot how to comprehend rational thought. I should have known better. There. Let us move on to the next secret, please."
"Alright then, since you asked politely, I'd be happy to move on," Taka immediately agreed, drawing another secret.
"H-Hold on a second!" Hiro tried to speak up before Taka glared at him.
"I will have no further interruptions from you, Yasuhiro Hagakure! If you insist on disturbing us, you will be placed in detention!" the Moral Compass threatened, ignoring the clairvoyant's pleas for understanding.
Not wanting to complicate matters further, Hiro regrettably fell silent as Taka opened up and began reading the next secret.
"One of us…got hard during sexual education class."
This time an awkward silence filled the room. However, it wasn't because they wondered who this could belong to, it was because it didn't seem all that secretive to them. The 'got hard' bit referred to a guy, obviously, but it wasn't exactly abnormal for a guy to get hard during sex ed., especially when they played videos explaining how to do everything with the opposite sex.
Hiro kind of looked like he wanted to point that fact out, but after what happened last time, he decided to keep his trap shut just in case he got insulted by anyone again. Even Taka didn't seem all that perturbed by the revelation, setting that secret aside and grabbing another from the box without a single word. In fact, everyone was a bit surprised when he started reading the next secret.
"One of us is…no longer a virgin!"
At this, an uproar of confusion overtook the students, with each of them glancing around at their fellow classmates, trying to figure out who it could be. And no one was more vocal in his surprise than Taka.
"This. Is. Out. Rageous! To have your purity taken before you even get through high school…before marriage even! How could someone let this—?!"
"Does it really matter all that much in our current situation?" Kyoko suddenly asked, stopping Taka's rant before he had a chance to suspect someone.
The Moral Compass turned his furious gaze directly toward her, obviously suspecting her because she spoke up. However, he didn't have time to voice his opinion before someone else interrupted.
"Besides, that's a completely private matter. We have no right to intrude on it," Junko concurred, folding her arms and glaring at Taka. "What someone else chooses to do with their body is their decision and their decision alone. Or do you plan on disrespecting our personal space as well as our privacy?"
At this, Taka's face reddened with anger as he shouted, "How dare you! I am the Ultimate Moral Compass! I would never consider doing such a thing! I just think that it wouldn't be proper not to speak up about—!"
"I'm not a virgin," Genocide Jill abruptly interrupted, staring Taka down while twiddling with her scissors. "I mean, it's not like I had sex or anything but I can certainly tell you, I popped my cherry in a very different way—!"
"T-T-That's quite enough!" Taka abruptly cut in, not wanting to know about what kind of 'cherry' a serial killer would have popped or how. "V-Very well then, as before, if anyone wants to confess…speak with me privately…"
"Hopefully not too privately, if ya know what I mean!" Genocide Jill chided with a wink toward Byakuya, who completely turned away from her in response.
"S-Silence!" the Moral Compass ordered, grabbing the next secret from the box. "Now isn't the time for such things—".
"But I'm sure it will be later…" Genocide Jill finished with a smirk before falling silent.
Despite knowing how dangerous she was, the Moral Compass bravely glared at her for a moment, to be sure she wouldn't interrupt him again, before slowly opening the paper in his hand so he could read the next secret.
"One of us is secretly aiding destitute members of their family."
Again, the students were perplexed by how unimportant the secret seemed to be. Byakuya, however, remained eerily silent, doing his best not to draw attention to himself. He just wanted this to pass so that his secret could be kept secure. If he made any comment, it would draw attention, which, for once, he didn't feel he needed for now.
"Well, I don't know who this secret belongs to, but I think that's sweet!" a smiling Hina said to everyone. "We should all learn to be a little more like that person!"
At the mention of that, Byakuya couldn't stop the low chuckle that erupted from his throat. The irony was just too perfect for him not to react, despite how much he knew he needed to remain silent. Unfortunately for him, Hina had overheard his stifled laugh and didn't seem too pleased.
"And what's so funny about that, huh?!" she demanded, turning and glaring at him furiously.
Thinking quickly, he responded, "Am I not entitled to find it humorous that you're wanting to be like someone you know nothing about? One good deed doesn't make them a saint, you know."
All eyes were on him now, just like he hadn't wanted. Fortunately, none of them seemed to have pieced together that it was his own secret, only that he was being insensitive toward Hina and her comment. He only prayed that it was enough for them not to consider the matter further.
Luckily for him, it seemed that no one picked up on his subtle hinting, especially when Hina retorted, "A cold hearted bastardly like you could learn to be a little kinder to people!"
Again he let out a low chuckle, but this time it was to further demonstrate the point he'd just made. A moment later, everyone gave him the same disgusted looks he'd become accustomed to getting and turned away from them. Only when they all averted their gazes did the Togami Heir allow himself to breathe a relieved sigh…for that was almost too close.
However, as Byakuya lifted his head up, his eyes widened as he saw that Kyoko was actually still staring in his direction. However, before he could react further, she abruptly turned away, as if to mock him. Gritting his teeth, Byakuya felt anger boiling up inside him for allowing a moment of weakness to be observed. He would need to be more careful in the future.
As he continued to seethe, Taka drew the next secret from the box and prepared to read it.
"One of us is…Genocide Jack."
"Oh! Oh! Oh! That's me!" the serial killer immediately shouted, waving her scissors and striking a formidable pose. "The enigmatic ender of pretty boy lives is here for your pleasure…and mine too! Eyahahahahahaha!"
Everyone groaned a bit but didn't feel the need to discuss that reveal further. Byakuya in particular eyed the box with their secrets, mentally willing Taka to draw the next one as soon as possible to stop Jill's absurd laughter.
With no further need to deal with this secret, Taka did as expected and pulled the next one.
"One of us is involved with…uploading raw manga?"
For a moment there was confusion, as many of them didn't have a clue as to what Scanlation was. However, they soon began to understand when Hifumi began to laugh loudly, in a vain attempt to cover up his nervousness.
"W-W-Who would ever be involved with such a thing?! Not me! That's certain! I wouldn't know anything about scanning manga and putting it online for people across the world to see just because I believe that all manga should be distributed equally! Nope! I certainly wouldn't be involved with that! Ahahahahahaha!"
By now, it was more than obvious that he was the culprit but no one seemed to have the heart to reprimand him. That was most likely because most of them, aside from Kyoko and surprisingly Byakuya, didn't know that uploading raw manga was very illegal, especially in Japan. However, they both decided to keep that information to themselves: Byakuya, so that he could use it as leverage if he ever needed it, and Kyoko, because she didn't believe that bringing it up now would help resolve the tension they all felt.
At the same time, Taka raised an eyebrow at Hifumi's speech before replying, "Well, it's great to hear that you aren't involved with that sort of thing! Or else I would have to report it to the school board! Ahahahahahaha!"
As Taka laughed heartily, completely believing the fanfic creator's obvious lie, Hifumi's laughter slowed until it became a very low whining sound, which the Moral Compass didn't seem to notice but everyone else did.
Without waiting for anyone else, Taka grabbed what appeared to be the final secret left in the box. As he opened it and read it, he paused and stared at it for a moment.
"This one is…actually confusing to me," Taka admitted, making everyone a bit curious.
"Well? What does it say?" Byakuya insisted, obviously losing his patience.
Seeing that everyone was staring at him, Taka looked at the paper one more time before reading it aloud:
"It's just a name…Taeko Yasuhiro…"
To Be Continued…
Greetings, my beautiful readers! What a jam packed chapter after being gone for so long! But what's gonna happen now?! How will Celeste react to that last secret? How will these secrets being revealed affect everyone? Did we even get to all of the secrets?! (one is missing for a spoiler-ish reason and will be in the next chapter) You'll have to keep on reading to find out!
Now, I do have another important announcement, and it's not that I'm going to be gone again. In fact, updates should be back on track from this point on! Anyway, I wanted you all to know that my story was recently plagiarized by another writer. However, I contacted the person in question and resolved the issue peacefully.
In addition, I would appreciate it if any of you happen to find my story being plagiarized in someone else story, to let me know of it as soon as possible. I am only one person and I can't monitor everything, so your help would be greatly appreciated. A special thanks goes out to the person who informed me about the previous incident: Thank you very much!
Again, if you're enjoying the story, feel free to let me know! I also take questions and do my best to respond to all reviews/comments that I get! I always appreciate you all letting me know how I'm doing and what I can do to improve my writing, so thanks to all of you who review/comment/read my story!
Until next time, keep on smiling my beautiful readers!