Never Say Never
Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa or the characters associated with it.
Chapter 3
Act 9
A heavy silence hung around the students following Taka's departure. So much had happened in only a few minutes and no one was more shocked than Mukuro.
She had known that Taka was getting more and more delusional as the days went on, it was the reason she had tried to convince everyone that they needed to help him instead of plotting how to overthrow him. However, she never imagined he'd take his duties in this direction. She shouldn't have been surprised that he'd eventually resort to this sort of punishment. After all, forcing someone to remain in their room was actually a good way to keep them and everyone else safe.
At the same time, however, this also presented a lot of problems for Mukuro.
With his increasingly erratic behavior, it was only a matter of time before Taka stepped over the line and unintentionally provoked someone to attempt murder, particularly on him. And now that she would be forced to stay in her room, there was no way she'd be able to prevent one of her classmates from committing that fatal sin!
Not only that, the new motive her sister had left for them sent up all kinds of red flags. She had actually been in favor of letting Taka burn the money, even knowing that it could potentially cause Taka to become a target of some of their greedier classmates. Fortunately, some of her classmates, such as Byakuya, were not tempted by money. For that, Mukuro felt very lucky, because while she was a capable fighter, she was no match for the Togami Heir's cunning if he did try his hand at playing Monokuma's game. No, this time around, the real threat would come from the students who had the most need for that money.
In particular, Mukuro knew that Celeste could absolutely not be trusted with this motive in play. The soldier honestly didn't know much about her personally, but while they had been in school together, Celestia Ludenberg had proven that she would step over absolutely anyone to get what she wanted. And, unfortunately for her, no matter how perfect her mask was, Mukuro could see the glint of greed sparkling deep within her crimson irises.
In addition, Celeste had been acting strange for the last few days. She'd completely given up on insulting or teasing almost all of their classmates and had focused solely on proving that Taka was the mole that Byakuya was so fond of mentioning. Not that Mukuro believed there was a mole to begin with. After all, she had been that mole, but now that she'd switched sides, she knew that Junko had no one in her pocket to manipulate events. In either case, she couldn't figure out what Celeste was up to…which bothered her all the more.
"I was the one who predicted that she'd be the first to commit murder…I hope that I'm wrong."
Before Taka had sentenced her to isolation in her own room, she'd been planning on trying to talk with Celeste, possibly follow her around if she did anything suspicious. But now, she had no way to prevent whatever the gambler might be planning. And while she couldn't be absolutely sure that she was plotting anything…her soldier's instincts told her to be on guard around the gambler for the time being.
Unfortunately, there wasn't much she could do, as Taka had unwittingly decreased all of their chances for survival because of his absent-minded obsession with maintaining order! However…Mukuro knew that he wasn't completely at fault for what had happened…
"Good job, Mukuro…" the soldier mentally scolded herself her hands clenched into fists. "All I had to do was keep my mouth shut…but nooooo! I had to go and insult the power mad, order obsessed, Rule-Nazi! And for what? Just because he gave me an entire purse full of pink slips doesn't mean I should have antagonized him!"
"…the fuck are we supposed to do now?" the voice of a certain baseball star caught her, and everyone else's, attention. They all turned to see Leon, standing dejectedly next to Sayaka with his head slumped forward. "I hate to say it but…Taka's going off the deep end, fast. We should…probably think about tying him up or something—".
"No!" Mukuro instinctively found herself saying, unintentionally drawing all eyes to her. Stumbling a bit under their gazes, she continued, "W-We don't know what Monokuma will do if we jump him or something. Yeah, it sucks to be me right now but, I think I'd better just do as he says and—".
"But it's not fair!" Sayaka interrupted, her voice low and menacing. "You didn't do anything wrong! You shouldn't be punished because he's being a fucking asshole!"
There was a slight gasp as she openly swore, and very loudly at that. The pop idol took all of two seconds to glance around the room before raising an eyebrow at her classmates.
"What?" she said to everyone, not the least bit embarrassed. "When I'm pissed off, I can swear too!"
Mukuro fought off a smirk that threatened to break through, a little bit impressed with Sayaka's deviation from her usual attitude. She'd been fairly soft spoken for quite a while now, and although it was kind of shocking to hear such coarse language from her, it felt more natural somehow…like when they all were back at school and Sayaka would lose her temper when one of them did something dangerous and/or stupid.
Mukuro guessed that it was Leon's influence that had awakened that part of her personality but she was forced keep that to herself. After all, now wasn't the time to be speculating just how much of their subconscious memories had or would ever return.
As if on cue, a stern scoff interrupted the silence.
"Hmph, foul language aside, I agree that something must be done," Byakuya told everyone, much to their chagrin. "Our task now will be to decide how to best dispose of Kiyotaka before he—".
"'Dispose'?! What do you mean 'dispose'?!" Hina abruptly cut him off, a horrified yet angry expression on her face.
"It is a common term used to describe means of removing obstacles from one's path," the Togami Heir answered, not even looking her way. However, before he continued, he glared at her out of the corner of his eye and finished, "Perhaps you need to update your vocabulary—".
"That's it! I've had enough of your bullshit!" Leon shouted over him, his fists clenched and seemingly ready to charge at him. "You keep talking down to us like you're better than the rest of—!"
"That's because I am," Byakuya harshly countered, a confident smirk on his lips. "I am destined for greatness that your plebian mind can't even comprehend. And besides, what's wrong with suggesting those lower than myself pursue higher education? Inconsequential fools such as yourself should be grateful that I'm even bothering to assist in disposing of traitors—".
"Oh yeah! Well how do we know that you're not actually the traitor!" the baseball star fired back, making Byakuya raise an eyebrow. "You keep talking about how there must be a traitor! You're probably just trying to get everyone to believe that it's someone else when you're the one working for Monokuma!"
"Absurd," the Togami Heir said with a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose under his glasses. "For starters—".
"T-That's right!" Toko interjected, pointing furiously at Leon. "There's no way someone as…d-devilishly handsome and in-incredibly reliable as Master would e-ever stoop to being a l-lapdog for the Mastermind!"
Glaring at her for interrupting him, Byakuya seethed, "Enough of your prattle. If I desired your input, I would have said so. Now, until I give you leave, be silent."
"Eeep! Yes, Mast—" the writer said quietly before slapping her hand in front of her face to stop herself, dutifully following his commands.
Turning his attention back to the baseball star, Byakuya cleared his throat before continuing, "As I was saying, if I was the traitor, I would not have drawn attention or put the idea into your minds. Besides, if we're going to accuse anyone of being suspicious, it would be Junko."
Hearing that, Mukuro felt her heart skip a beat but she knew better than to show any surprise. Instead, she narrowed her gaze at the Togami Heir and seethed, "What was that?"
"You heard me. Ever since your miraculous rescue during the first trial, you have acted very suspiciously," Byakuya pointed out for everyone, glaring at Mukuro accusatorily before huffing and focusing his gaze on his classmates. "Before that incident, Junko's personality was incredibly different than what it is now. Don't any of you find that disturbing?"
Before Mukuro had a chance to respond to his accusation, Sayaka abruptly interrupted, "And I suppose that nearly getting killed by Monokuma wouldn't change your attitude?"
Mukuro turned and almost gasped as she saw the menacing glare that the pop idol was giving Byakuya. She'd never seen Sayaka sport such a terrifying visage, not even during their time in school together. Seeing her act openly aggressive like this…it no longer surprised Mukuro that the pop idol had once been close to murdering her classmates. And while a part of the soldier felt grateful that her classmate was so quick to come to her defense, she also knew that arguing was only going to exacerbate the situation.
"Great, we're already getting at each other's throats! The reason I went along with Taka's demand was to avoid confrontation. We can't afford to start turning on each other now! It's exactly what my sister wants!"
Just then, as if trying to ease her worries, Makoto stepped up and said, "C'mon guys, now isn't the time for all this. We should focus on doing what we can—".
"Ah yes, 'do what we can'." Byakuya's mocking tone returned, immediately intensifying the tension. "That's practically become Junko's catchphrase, hasn't it? Right alongside your 'You've got that wrong', Makoto."
"W-What?! I…I don't say that all the time…do I?" Makoto asked, glancing around at everyone, to which they could only nod or murmur a 'yes'.
"My point is," Byakuya continued, his harsh criticism earning several glares. "Junko has been slowly worming her way into all of your minds. Her actions are not unlike those used by a certain Nazi-Germany interrogator, Hanns-Joachim Gottlob Scharff. This interrogator would use kindness to get secrets from his prisoners, often giving them food or comfort when they needed it most. He would become their friend and ally, then they would voluntarily give him information. Is that not eerily similar to how Junko has been portraying herself ever since her brush with death?"
Mukuro did her best to keep her temper in check as Byakuya flexed his intellectual muscles for everyone. A part of her actually felt a bit proud to being compared to such a famous interrogator, but a larger part of her was insulted by the Togami Heir's insinuation. However, she was even more frustrated by the fact that she was inadvertently standing out, despite knowing how important it was to keep a low profile. And if Byakuya had noticed her odd behavior…then so had someone who actually had the means to uncover her identity.
As surreptitiously as she could, Mukuro glanced over her shoulder at Kyoko, who had elected to remain silent all this time, which made the soldier all the more nervous.
"Shut the fuck up!" Leon suddenly screamed, stomping his foot at the same time, as if preparing to rush Byakuya. Fortunately, Makoto quickly grabbed onto him, his grip just barely stopping the ballplayer from charging the Togami Heir. However, it wasn't enough to keep Leon from continuing to run his mouth. "Junko's been ten times more useful than you this entire time! You have no idea what it's like…almost being killed…having to live with…your own guilt…you have no idea what that feels like!"
Almost subconsciously, Leon patted his stomach where those few baseballs had struck him. At the same time, Sayaka also felt her hand trace the length of the scar on her abdomen. Even Mukuro couldn't stop herself from glancing down at her scarred right hand...the ugly gash almost healed but still visibly disturbing.
"Besides, we don't need someone as twisted as you helping us anyway!" Leon insisted, growing angry once more. "After what you did to Chihiro, I'd say we're better off without you, ya bastard!"
Surprisingly, Byakuya's smirk was replaced by a menacing scowl and a low growl escaped his throat.
"Well, isn't that the pot calling the kettle the whore," the Togami Heir snidely responded, scoffing down at both Leon and Sayaka specifically. "I don't know why you bother comforting each other. Your actions have already doomed yourselves."
Narrowing her gaze, Sayaka took an angry step toward Byakuya and said, "And what exactly do you mean by that?"
A malicious grin spread over Byakuya's face as he replied, "Even some of your most dedicated fans will abandon you once they learn that their idol is an attempted murderer. After all, who wants to have a girl with bloodstained hands sing a joyful pop tune?"
Sayaka flinched at his words, tears brimming in the corners of her eyes. Seeing that, Mukuro felt her anger rising. It was the first time anyone had put words to the pop idol's worst fears, a truth that no one could help ease. But to ruthlessly throw that in her face…it was beyond forgivable. It took all of Mukuro's mental fortitude to keep from breaking both of Byakuya's legs.
Not giving them time to respond, Byakuya glanced at Leon and continued, "Not to mention that no one in their right mind would sign you to anything more than a janitor's position, and that's without your attempted murder record."
Leon gritted his teeth so hard he felt they might crack and struggled to get free of Makoto's grip. However, the lucky student fervently held on, not wanting his friend to endanger himself. Seeing that his words finally had the desired effect, the smug Togami Heir added one final nail to the coffin.
"Even if you both survive this game; I assure you that your actions will be made public. And even if you're not punished by the law, the damage will be irreversible. In fact, I will personally ensure that neither of you will ever be able to show your faces in public again—".
"You son of a bitch!" Leon shouted, finally breaking away from Makoto's grasp and charging Byakuya.
Time seemed to slow down as Mukuro watched the scene unfold, powerless to do anything to stop it. True, she could easily dash over, intercept Leon and smash in some of Byakuya's perfect teeth for good measure, with the allegations lodged against her fresh in everyone's mind, she knew it would lead to her identity being discovered. And while she didn't know if her sister would act right away, considering that Monokuma was MIA at the moment, she knew that if she intervened, her life would be lost…
Grimacing at her own powerlessness, the Ultimate Soldier was consumed with self-loathing as she was forced to watch as all her efforts to keep everyone united fell apart right in front of her.
…It was then that a miracle stepped up to answer her silent prayers for assistance.
Leon charged directly at Byakuya, who smirked fiendishly as the ballplayer approached.
However, before Leon could get close enough to attempt anything, a large figure intercepted, speeding in front of him and holding him back with one massive hand. Shocked, both of the men stopped and stared upward to find Sakura Ogami glaring angrily down at both of them, her eyes wild and furious.
"Stop it! Both of you!" the Ultimate Martial Artist demanded, her deep voice resonating through the entire gymnasium. Gently pushing Leon back, so that he didn't stumble, Sakura looked between the two of them and said, "This isn't the time for petty infighting. If you wish to continue this recklessness…you will have to go through me."
Inadvertently, Leon and Byakuya flinched, knowing all too well how impossible of a feat that was.
"Well? Do you wish to continue?" Sakura asked, assuming a defensive stance.
As her voiced echoed all around them, a sense of calm slowly befell the group. Somehow, her words reached both Byakuya and Leon, who, although quickly glaring at each other, seemed to desist. Once it seemed that neither of them had any intention of provoking the other, Sakura relaxed her posture and stood up straight.
"Good," she said calmly, trying to ease the tension. "Now, let us get back to our previous discussion. I believe that our primary concern should be figuring out what needs to be done about Monokuma's motive."
"I agree. We need to come to a decision on how to properly avert this motive," Celeste concurred, finally speaking up after being silent throughout the previous exchange. "As I said before, I do not believe it is wise to destroy the motive. We would not want to incur Monokuma's wrath due to our carelessness."
"I suppose that's true," Kyoko begrudgingly agreed, also only now voicing her opinion. "However, as long as Taka remains in his position of power, it will make discussion of this matter difficult."
A mocking scoff reached everyone's ears and they turned to see Byakuya folding his arms and scowling at them.
"This is why I initiated the conversation about how we should go about neutralizing him," the Affluent Progeny insisted, changing his wording from before. Whether or not he refrained from using the word 'dispose' due to their previous argument was unknown.
Barely acknowledging him, Kyoko nodded before saying, "We've found ourselves in a precarious situation but one that cannot be resolved quickly…"
The whole group fell silent as they all pondered the situation. In a way, it was obvious what needed to be done, but at the same time, it wasn't. Taka needed to be removed from his position but there was no way to do that without potentially provoking Monokuma and causing another bullying trial. Not to mention that tensions were already sky high and the fact that distrust was quickly sowing between them only amplified how hopeless the situation was becoming.
"This whole situation's all kinds of screwed up…for serious," Hiro commented, further adding to the dismal atmosphere.
"Indeed," Hifumi concurred, his shoulders slumping in depression. "It's even stranger than the time Pudgy Princess Piggles was turned into a sea slug and forced to fight an army of crustaceans."
"Yeah…" Hina said, almost absent-mindedly. "It's even weirder than the time I saw Chihiro's severed head in the changing room…"
All at once, everyone snapped their heads toward the swimmer, shocked expressions on all of their faces. It took Hina a moment to realize that everyone was staring at her, but when she did, she blinked rapidly in surprise.
"…What?"
"What the hell do you mean you saw Chihiro's head in the changing room?!" Mondo shouted at Hina as he and everyone else gathered outside the nurse's office.
"That's why we're here," Makoto told him, trying to calm him down. "We wanted to make sure she was okay."
"Of course she's—", Mondo began but quickly silenced himself, a worried look overtaking his features. Spinning around, he dashed into the nurse's office. A moment later, the sounds of sheets ruffling was heard, along with a heavily relieved sigh. Loud footsteps preceded Mondo's return as he dashed back out of the office with a thumbs up. "Yup! She's fine! Her body's still there and everything!"
"That is a relief," Celeste said aloud before turning toward Hina. "Now then, the question is, what is it that you saw in the changing room if it wasn't, in fact, Chihiro's head?"
A bit embarrassed to have caused such a scene, Hina dropped her gaze to the floor and said, "I-I don't know…I mean, it happened on the night when I was attacked by that masked weirdo and—".
"And you didn't think about sharing that information earlier?" Byakuya harshly commented, looking at her with utter disapproval.
Snapping her head up, the swimmer glared at him and replied, "O-Of course I did! But…I figured it was just a hallucination brought about by hunger!"
"In either case," Kyoko jumped in before another argument could break out. "We need to verify if what you saw was really a hallucination or not."
"Huh…? Really?" Hina responded, more than a bit confused. "I mean; we already know that Chihiro's alright. What else could it have possibly been?"
"We won't know until we go and see for ourselves," Junko encouraged everyone, obviously ready to head out.
A murmur of agreement was shared by most of the students, with Byakuya remaining silent but obviously invested in seeing what it could have been. Just as the students began to depart, Mondo abruptly called out to them.
"Hey, I'm coming along too!" the biker's ferocious voice stopped all of them in their tracks, and they all looked back at him. Walking toward them, pounding his fists together, Mondo cracked his neck as he said, "I won't forgive anyone who tries to pull a freaky stunt like that with my friend's head!"
A moment of silence followed before Makoto, with a dejected visage, took a step toward him and said, "Uh, no offense, but what about Chihiro?"
"What about Chihiro?" Mondo asked, utterly confused before it suddenly hit him. Face palming so hard it echoed down the hall, the biker cursed under his breath and said, "Dammit, I can't believe I forgot about that!
Chuckling as she approached, Junko walked over to him and said, "How about this? I can stay out here and watch Chihiro. I did promise that I'd take over guard duty at some point right? Might as well be now. Besides, you've probably got cabin fever from being trapped in there for so long."
Mondo's cheeks unintentionally flushed as she chided him and he instinctively replied, "Yeah, something like that. Anyway, thanks. Take care of Chihiro for—".
"I'm afraid that won't do," Byakuya interrupted, a menacing smirk on his lips. "Shouldn't you be running on back to your room about now, Junko? I'd hate to imagine what kind of punishment would befall you if Taka were to see you out and about like this."
Junko opened her mouth to retort but quickly shut it, gritting her teeth as the Togami Heir continued to grin at her. All the while, Mondo had a very perplexed look on his face, clearly feeling left out. Before he could inquire about it, however, a sickly sweet voice chimed in.
"I think it should be fine to allow her to investigate the changing room with us." Everyone was surprised to hear that from Celeste, who continued to smirk at all of them. "After all, no one said that she needed to return to her room right away, now did they?"
The gambler directed the last question toward Byakuya, who scowled at her interference but replied, "I suppose that should be fine. After all, it's not as though I'm the one making the rules."
Again, the overwhelming tension began to engulf everyone. However, just before it began to peak, Makoto stepped forward and said, "Okay, so we need someone else to watch over Chihiro for Mondo then…"
"Then why don't Leon and I watch over Chihiro," Sayaka proposed, giving the ballplayer a pat on the back. "We can go and check out the bathhouse later, if it turns out to be something special, that is."
"That's cool with me," Leon agreed before smiling at Mondo. "We got this, bro! You go and see what's up for me!"
At first, Mondo was a bit shocked by their selflessness but he quickly snapped out of it and nodded firmly to them. Whether their resolve had inspired him, or he was simply pleased that everything had worked out, no one could say…not that it particularly mattered regardless.
"Thanks, guys. I owe ya one!"
Leon and Sayaka smiled back and nodded, already moving past him to stand just outside the nurse's office. Once they were there, and the remainder of the class started heading for the bathhouse changing room, Mondo turned to Junko and said, "So, why the hell do you have to go back to your room?"
With a heavy sigh, Junko readjusted the large purse on her shoulder before answering, "Long story…let's just say that I'm not carrying this bulky purse around just as a fashion statement."
…
…
…Analyzing Data…63%
…Analyzing Data…63%
…Analyzing Data…63%
…Analyzing Data…63%
…Analyzing Data…64%
…
…
…Motion Detected…Scanning…
…Multiple Lifeforms Detected…
…External Camera Operational…Performing Facial Scan…
…Zero Percent Recognition…
…Referencing…Referencing Complete…
…Classmates of Master Chihiro Fujisaki Recognized…
…Analyzing…Analysis complete…
…
…
Kyoko Kirigiri: Highly intelligent. Mysterious. Master finds her cold personality unnerving but essential for their situation.
Makoto Naegi: Kind. Straight-forward. Unlucky. Master finds him to be a source of encouragement.
Byakuya Togami: Jerk. Hateful. Master finds his attitude unappealing and wishes for "a bus to run him over twice". Reference 'bastard' for more information.
Aoi Asahina AKA "Hina": Joyful. Attractive. Master finds her chest area very appealing and expressed a desire to 'motorboat'.
Sakura Ogami: Stout. Powerful. Master describes her as "a force to be reckoned with." Reference 'ogre' for more information.
Toko Fukawa: Quiet. Foul-smelling. Master finds her to be disturbing due to foul odor and an obsession with Byakuya Togami.
Celestia Ludenberg: Japanese. Two-Faced. Master is very wary of her but admits to admiring her ability to hide her true nature.
Hifumi Yamada: Otaku. Pervert. Master finds his level of 'otaku' knowledge impressive. Once described as a 'vast wealth of knowledge on subjects far too complex" for Master to understand. **Possibility of usefulness for Master's secondary objective: Information Gathering**
Yasuhiro Hagakure AKA "Hiro": Lazy. Unintelligent. Master has no references beyond these initial descriptions.
Junko Enoshima: Beautiful. Motherly. Master describes her as "a beautiful angel that does her best to keep us together". **Master had once spoken her name very loudly while observing her image on a 'fashion magazine'**
Mondo Owada: Strong. Dependable. Master speaks of Mondo Owada the most often. Master finds his strength and determination to be "the coolest". Master has expressed numerous wishes to be more like Mondo Owada. **Master last departed to speak with Mondo Owada in private**
…
…
…Confirmation Of External User Input Detected…
…User Accessing 'Alter Ego' Application…
…
…
…Main Unit Online…
…Primary Directive: Obtain Information On Master's Whereabouts…
…Secondary Objective: Information Gathering…
…Accessing Appropriate Emotional Response…Complete…
…
…
"Hello, it's nice to meet you. I'm Chihiro Fujisaki…"
Everyone in the room gasped as the computer, bearing Chihiro's likeness, introduced itself as the programmer herself! It had been shocking enough to find what they had initially thought to be a broken laptop sitting in one of the small lockers, but the fact that it turned on and displayed their friend's face was even more perplexing! Stunned into silence, none of the students could muster the will to speak.
Of all of them, however, Kyoko was the only one who seemed to understand the significance of this discover.
"An AI program running on the school's laptop…could there be files left behind on it? I doubt the Mastermind would leave such a valuable piece of information just sitting in the library, regardless of the fact that it appeared to be non-functional. If we can use this to access the internet…we may be able to send for help."
A part of her doubted that was possible, since the Mastermind appeared to be rather thorough. At the same time, the Mastermind had proven that even they made mistakes, such as being unable to tell that Sayaka had actually survived her near-fatal wound. However, Kyoko couldn't help the nagging feeling that if the Mastermind left the computer out in the open, then it probably didn't contain any information that would help ease their plight.
As Kyoko continuously tried to wrap her head around the Mastermind's possible error in judgment, her lavender eyes scanned the room, passing over each of her classmates.
As expected, Makoto was utterly shocked but held a hopeful glint in his eyes, a sight that made a tiny smile tug at Kyoko's lips. Byakuya, though normally composed, held a faint expression of shock on his face, obviously having disbelieved Hina's earlier claims. The swimmer herself held her hands over her mouth, her eyes wide with surprise. Next to her, Sakura also stared bewildered at the laptop, unable to comprehend what she was seeing. Far in the back, Toko nervously fidgeted, probably feeling more than a little confused. Not too far from her, Hiro scratched his head with his mouth hung open, the very picture of dumbfounded.
Of all of them, though, Mondo was certainly the one who looked the most dejected. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the screen, the image of Chihiro practically burning into his retinas. Not to mention how he'd twitched when he heard her voice. Kyoko could only imagine how torturous it must have been for him, having to see the smiling face of the person he'd had yet to apologize to. And yet, she could see in his eyes that a part of him was relieved, even if it was only there for a moment.
Everyone appeared to be having the same reaction, more or less…except for two individuals.
Hifumi stared at the laptop, his eyes sparkling with a twinkle shimmering behind his gaze. He had begun sweating profusely, pulling on his collar and swallowing a lump in his throat. It was almost as if he was…nervous, which was odd because he'd been nothing but unabashedly confident the entire time they had known him. And his expression, the way he longingly gazed at the laptop…it put Kyoko on edge.
However, that was nothing compared to the stoic gaze Celeste focused on the computer. And while, by comparison, it shouldn't have been as disturbing as Hifumi's obvious interest, Kyoko couldn't shake the feeling that something more was hidden behind the gambler's perfect mask. In fact, the way she barely reacted at all was perturbing, considering her odd behavior of late. It was as if she was intentionally keeping that stoic visage in place, in an effort to hide something...exactly what she was hiding, Kyoko could only speculate.
"Whoa…what the hell is this?" a voice from just behind Kyoko suddenly startled her, though she showed no hint of it.
The amnesiac girl glanced behind her to see Junko peering over her shoulder, a look of true and complete confusion marring her features for the first time since the game began. Honestly, it was kind of refreshing to see the Fashionista thrown off her game, since it happened so rarely. To that point, ever since she'd survived being skewered with spears, she'd taken a lead in trying to assist and encourage everyone. And while Kyoko didn't object to that…the fact that Junko never seemed truly surprised about anything had stuck out…as if she was privy to information that none of the rest of them were. But now, seeing her completely in shock at finding the laptop, a part of Kyoko felt at ease. It meant that Junko didn't know everything and that she was just as much in the dark as they were about its existence, which was and wasn't a good thing.
Even so, that didn't excuse all of Junko's other odd behaviors, such as the way she talked to herself while in the cafeteria a few days ago. Kyoko hadn't meant to eavesdrop but she couldn't deny that it had happened…and it only increased her suspicions as to what the Fashionista's true agenda could be.
"She's definitely hiding something," Kyoko mentally noted, averting her gaze to keep from looking suspicious. "Whether whatever it is has to do without situation or not…I can't say right now."
Tearing her thoughts away from suspecting her classmates for a moment, the amnesiac girl refocused her vision on the laptop that held Chihiro's visage. Her mind was already processing guesses as to its purpose but at the very least, one thing was abundantly clear.
"Either way…things are about to get a lot more complicated…"
After a few more moments of silence, the computer spoke again, "Eheh…I always get embarrassed during introductions."
As the voice from the computer interrupted the silence, the shock that had paralyzed the students suddenly came undone.
"T-That voice…the tone and everything…!" Makoto blurted, his mouth trying to catch up with his brain. "It's…It's Chihiro!"
"Indeed, that does seem to be the case," Sakura concurred, glancing at the laptop with an inquisitive gaze. "But still…it is obviously not Chihiro."
"Alter Ego…that was the program's name," Kyoko pondered aloud, a gloved hand resting on her chin. "With Chihiro's skills as a programmer, it's not inconceivable that she would be able to recreate the program that earned her the title of Ultimate Programmer. She most likely used a support vector machine and reinforced learning software to develop it…"
As her analysis of the laptop concluded, the amnesiac girl turned to see a number of her classmates, including Makoto and Hiro, perplexed by her explanation. And although she felt a tiny bit frustrated that they couldn't grasp how vital of a find this was, she supposed that it couldn't be helped. After all, not even she could remember exactly where she learned all of that information…
"Uh…English please?" Hiro abruptly asked, utterly confused by the large terminology Kyoko was using.
With an annoyed sigh, Kyoko answered, "To put it simply, it's an AI program that can learn and gain experience through repeating tasks and gathering information. The personality of the AI is often based on whomever created it."
"And that is why it is called 'Alter Ego', correct?" Celeste suggested, seemingly fascinated by the device. "Like most creatures, the program can create memories, process 'thoughts' and evolve over time. The process isn't much different from how humans grow and learn. If one were to create their own AI and have it learn at the same rate as oneself, then it truly would be an 'Alter Ego', would it not?"
Nodding to her, Kyoko finished, "A perfect duplicate of yourself that will never age and will continue to grow forever. That is what Chihiro has created…"
A heavy silence fell upon the room as they all processed exactly what they had stumbled across. And while the explanation went over some of the student's heads, they at least understood that it was a computer program that Chihiro expertly designed, and that was enough for now.
"Oh crap, that's right!" Mondo loudly proclaimed, disrupting the silence while slapping a hand to his forehead. "I completely forgot about this thing!"
At once, everyone shot their gazes over to the biker, making him feel more than a bit anxious.
"Mondo…you knew this was here?" Makoto carefully asked, just as shocked as everyone else.
"Huh? Oh yeah…" the biker answered, sadly recalling the time he'd met Chihiro here…just before the incident. "I saw Chihiro leave it in here…when she asked to talk to me about…herself."
As he explained, a silence fell over the group. Even though it had been a few days, the wounds from the second trial were still healing. Not to mention that, with Taka's newfound position making their lives hell, there hadn't been much time to recover.
"You mean to say you actually knew of this thing's existence beforehand and didn't bother to inform the rest of us?" Byakuya said, inserting himself into the conversation. As his harsh words reached Mondo, the biker sent him an ugly glare.
"Just what the hell are you getting at?" Mondo sneered, his voice an obvious warning.
However, Byakuya paid the threat no mind, staring down the biker with absolutely no fear. "I'm just curious what else you might be keeping from us? Secrets do appear to be your forte—".
"You little bitch—!" Mondo shouted, gritting his teeth at the Togami Heir.
"That is enough." Both men froze as Sakura's powerful voice called out to them, her eyes flashing a silent warning. "Right now, we need to find out what this laptop is used for. And possibly, how it relates to both Chihiro and our situation."
Taking a moment to send one last glare Mondo's way, Byakuya scoffed and turned his back to the biker. Walking toward the laptop, the Affluent Progeny said, "I suppose you have a point. Let's see if this thing can be of any use to us, shall we?"
Just before he could stand in front of it, ready to discover its secrets, Kyoko unexpectedly stepped in front of him, her back to his face. Abruptly halting, and a bit surprised, the Togami Heir scowled deeply as she put herself in front of the screen, leaving him unable to even see properly.
"Agreed," Kyoko backhandedly concurred with him, her gloved finger already resting on the keyboard. "Let us see what we can discover."
Instantly, her fingers began typing and although Byakuya grunted angrily, he said nothing as she typed her first message to the computer entity. The words were instantly displayed in the text box just below Alter Ego's head.
[What are you?]
As if taking a moment to think, Alter Ego smiled and said, "I'm an AI program created by Master Chihiro Fujisaki."
The instant the word 'Master' was spoken, Hifumi seemed to flinch and couldn't stop himself from saying, "Oh…all of this 'Master' talk…yes, yes…it makes me feel…"
Kyoko shot him a quick glare, which he instantly noticed and coughed to hide his intentions. Slowly averting her gaze from him, the amnesiac girl typed her next message.
[How much do you know about our situation?]
Pausing for a moment, as if reading her message, Alter Ego quickly replied, "Master gave me a general idea of what's happening. It's seems that you're all really fortunate that no one had died yet."
"You can say that again," Junko said with a sigh, glancing at her scarred palm as Kyoko rhythmically typed her next question.
[Why are you here?]
'Seeing' the next message, Alter Ego's face became slightly serious as she answered, "Master brought me here, to keep my existence hidden from the Mastermind. I'm currently analyzing the information kept on this computer's hard drive. Master believes that the files may contain information about Hope's Peak Academy, due to the fact that the protection on them is surprisingly strong. Perhaps they may even hold…the secret of this school."
A gasp was shared by all the students before faint looks of hope began to spread over their faces. Before anyone had time to think, Kyoko furiously typed a message to Alter Ego once again.
[How long will it take for you to unlock the files?]
Looking over the message, Alter Ego answered, "I'm busy trying to decrypt them as we speak, but it'll take a while for me to finish. But I promise that I'll work as hard as I can to finish them soon!"
"Well, that's good at least," Junko said softly, a small sigh accompanying her. "As long as we're patient, we should be able to get to the bottom of this pretty soon!"
"Indeed," Celeste concurred with a smile. "It seems that Chihiro is still working to help us, despite her condition. We will have to thank her when she awakens."
At the mention of Chihiro, Mondo sent a glare the gambler's way but quickly averted his gaze, guilt from his actions still haunting him. Very quietly, he agreed, "Yeah…we will…"
Stepping up one last time, Kyoko typed her last message to the computer program.
[Keep it up but be careful not to be discovered by the Mastermind.]
Taking in that message, Alter Ego gave them all a cheerful smile before answering, "Don't worry, I already have a secret plan for that! If someone I don't know comes in here, my built-in camera will see them…and I'll scream real loud!"
"Kind of a basic plan…" Makoto commented before smiling. "But it should work. We should be able to hear it from anywhere on the first floor, so as long as one of us stays on the first floor—".
"Pardon me," Celeste politely interrupted, trying not to cause a scene. "But what will we do about the night time? If we all abide by the night time rule, then none of us will be able to hear a scream at night."
To that, everyone fell silent for a moment, trying to come up with a solution. A moment later, a deep sigh reached their ears, accompanied by a suggestion.
"How about this then. Since I can't leave my room anyway, I'll leave my door open all night, just in case." Junko offered, her face completely serious. "After all, Taka never said I had to keep the door closed."
"W-What?! No! That's way too dangerous!" Makoto instantly objected, concern written all over his face. "What if something happens?! Like the Mastermind tries to attack you or something?!"
Furrowing her brows and folding her arms, Junko cocked a hip as she retorted, "Trust me, I can take care of myself. Did you already forget that I had to live on the streets for a while? I'll be fine—".
"Not good enough! There ain't no way I'm gonna let you do that!" Mondo suddenly protested, earning a stern look from Junko. However, it had little effect on the biker as he continued, "I'll watch over Alter Ego! There ain't no need for you to put yourself in danger like that!"
Shaking her head, Junko replied, "That won't work. You've gotta watch over Chihiro, remember?"
Again, Mondo felt a wave of stupidity wash over him as he face-palmed, groaning with embarrassment as he realized his mistake. Before he could muster up the courage to try and get her to desist, a stoic voice entered the fray.
"Then why don't I leave my door open as well?" Kyoko suggested, making Makoto's eyes widen. "That way, if one of us is attacked the other will know about it. And we will both be able to hear if Alter Ego screams—".
"Not you too, Kyoko!" the lucky student protested, seemingly even more worried than when Junko had offered, much to the Fashionista's chagrin. "It's too dangerous! I can't let the two of you—".
As if anticipating a long argument, Kyoko snapped her eyes over to Makoto and said, "It will be risky. We both know that. But I can guarantee you, neither of us will go down without a fight."
Her words resonated around the room, seeping into everyone's ears and sending chills down their spines. Kyoko had never been this assertive before, and now that she was, it was obvious that she had the willpower to back up her words. There was a strength unlike anything any of them had felt before. She was completely confident that both of them would be alright.
Not wanting to be outdone, Junko slapped her fist into her palm and concurred, "You said it, sister! I won't let anyone take me by surprise! You guys just leave this to us!"
Just like Kyoko, the Fashionista radiated a power of her own, one that even Mondo didn't feel he could challenge. At the same time, Junko's strength was something entirely different from Kyoko's. It was…natural. Almost primal even. As if she had been born on a battlefield and was ready to face the cruel hardships that came along with it. She was…almost like a hardened soldier…
Looking over to her and nodding, Kyoko looked back at her classmates as she replied, "We won't let you all down. That I can promise you."
"B-But…" Makoto tried to protest, only for his words to be stifled by the determined visages of Kyoko and Junko. Realizing that there was little he could do to change their minds, the lucky student hardened his features and said, "At least promise that you'll wake us all up if something happens."
"…I can agree to that," Kyoko conceded, glancing to Junko for approval. "Is that alright with you?"
"No objections here," Junko concurred, a confident smirk spreading over her lips. "Just leave guard duty to us!"
Makoto knew it was impossible to argue with them after such a display, opting to simply smile at them instead, which they both seemed to appreciate. The strength of their determination was almost overwhelming. Even Byakuya didn't feel the need to protest their decision, although that may have been due to the fact that the risk involved amused him, but no one could say for sure. Feeling confident about this decision, everyone soon began to relax a bit.
That is, until Alter Ego decided to raise a concern of her own.
"Excuse me, but I have a question." Everyone turned and looked at the computer as it spoke. "So, I haven't seen Master for a while now. When you all got here, I assumed Master would be with you. Why is Master…not with you?"
All at once, the tension in the room returned, even more ferocious than before. The way Alter Ego had asked that question…there was a hint of desperation in her voice…as if she was afraid to hear the answer. Despite that, and knowing that it needed to be done, Kyoko didn't hesitate for a second before typing out a response. Her answer was clear and concise.
[Chihiro is unconscious. Mondo attacked her.]
Everyone watched as the smile on Alter Ego's face slowly fell and almost inexplicably…tears formed in the corners of Alter Ego's virtual eyes.
"Oh…I see." Alter Ego paused, as if taking time to consider a response. "I had feared that Master might have been killed. And while I'm happy Master is still alive…"
Alter Ego fell into silence, obviously contemplating how to act in this situation. However, before the AI program had much time to consult, Mondo abruptly approached. Gently pushing Kyoko out of the way, the biker crouched down to stare at the screen. The instant he did, Alter Ego looked up at him, shock encompassing the AI program's face.
Mondo flinched a bit, gritting his teeth and nearly averting his gaze. However, he managed to keep himself there, refocusing his eyes on Chihiro's avatar. Tears began to well up in the corners of Mondo's eyes but he refused to look away, despite how much he wanted to run away. Tightly clenching his fists, the biker took in a shaky breath to try and calm himself…it didn't work.
"I…I…I'm…I'm sorry, Chihiro!" the biker shouted at the screen. Even though he knew it wasn't the real Chihiro, the fact that it had Chihiro's face made him temporarily forget that. "I…I was such a dumbass! I…I hurt you…You came to me for help…and I hurt you! I don't deserve your forgiveness…and I won't ask for it! Just…just…just know that I'm sorry!"
Tears streamed down his cheeks as he bowed deeply to the screen, his deep sobs echoing all around the room. All the while, a very confused and teary eyed Alter Ego stared back at him.
After a few moments of enduring the biker's sobs, Alter Ego slowly asked, "Why is…Mondo crying?"
Since the biker was in no shape to answer, Kyoko took it upon herself to slide her hands in front of him and type a response.
[Mondo apologizes for attacking Chihiro.]
The instant those words were recognized by Alter Ego, a bright and warm smile erupted onto her face.
"Don't worry, Mondo! Master would never hate you! Master respects you more than anyone else!" As Alter Ego's words reached him, Mondo's gaze shot up and he stared, blurry-eyed, at the smiling AI on the screen. Seeing that he was listening, Alter Ego continued, "I don't know what happened between you and Master, but I know that if you apologize, then Master will forgive you!"
Hearing that, Mondo took in a shaky gasp, struggling to breathe through his tears. "…You…you really…think…she can…forgive me…?" he asked, not understanding that the computer couldn't hear him.
Despite that, however, Alter Ego smiled and finished, "I know that Master will forgive you! Master truly cares for all of you, especially you Mondo!"
As those words sank in, Mondo felt a part of him suddenly get lighter, as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. And although it didn't come close to clearing his conscience completely, the undeniable relief he felt resonated through his entire body. Slowly, he was able to take a full breath and exhale deeply, feeling as though all his negative emotions were being forced out along with that breath. And for the first time since the incident with Chihiro…Mondo dared to have a little bit of hope that he might eventually be forgiven.
A sudden pat on the back forced Mondo to turn and see a smiling Junko standing next to him. "You gotta stay strong, alright. For Chihiro."
Taking another moment to breathe, Mondo nodded fervently before furiously wiping the tears from his eyes. "Yeah…yeah…do what we can, right?" he replied, smiling back at her.
Her smile widening, Junko nodded back and said, "Hell yeah!"
A moment of peaceful quiet resonated in the small room, with only the ceiling fan making any noise. At least, until one of the students found that they couldn't keep their excitement contained any longer.
"Aww, that was beautiful!" Hina commented, unable to stop herself from smiling and fist pumping. "Alright! All things considered, that's the best news we've gotten in, like, forever!"
"Indeed. Well done, Hina." Sakura said, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder. "It was all thanks to you finding Alter Ego. You should be proud."
"Yeah…seriously," Mondo abruptly joined in, his face still red from tears but smiling nonetheless. "I owe ya one. Thanks a lot!"
Hina cheeks flushed as she heard the praise, nodding happily and saying, "Sure! No problem!"
"Don't get ahead of yourself," Byakuya abruptly commented, bringing the mood down. "We still have no idea if the information on that laptop will be of any use. Besides, we were likely to have come across it the next time we bathed anyway, considering the locker was open when we arrived."
The Togami Heir's borderline abusive comment stung Hina deeply and she practically flinched as he spat his words at her. However, she also furrowed her brows and scowled deeply at him, with Sakura showcasing an equally perturbed glare of her own. However, before either of them could retort, they received help from an unlikely ally.
"That is not necessarily true. In fact, Hina does indeed deserve praise for this accomplishment."
Everyone was shocked when Celeste suddenly spoke up on the swimmer's behalf, moving to stand next to Hina and Sakura. Staring down Byakuya without fear, the gambler smirked as she continued.
"If we had delayed for too much longer, the Mastermind may have discovered our newfound trump card, and we would still be at square one. Personally, I am feeling quite relieved now that we have found something that could potentially lead to discovering how we became entrapped here and possibly how we can escape. And it is all thanks to Hina. You should show a little more appreciation, rather than jealousy for not discovering it yourself."
A slight gasp escaped Byakuya's throat before he sneered, "How dare you…!"
Instead of replying, the gambler simply gave him one of her sickly sweet smiles, closing her eyes and turning away from him, as if ignoring his existence. Meanwhile, everyone, excluding Byakuya, held completely surprised expressions as Celeste came to Hina's defense. Not only that, she effortlessly put Byakuya in his place, a feat that few of them had been able to accomplish.
"Wow…Celeste…that was really nice of you!" Hina proclaimed, happily smiling at the gambler. "I think I may have misjudged you. You're not so bad after all!"
With a tiny laugh, Celeste nodded and said, "Why thank you, dear. And I meant every word. Besides, you are not so bad yourself."
"All according to plan…" Celeste said to herself, smirking on the inside. "It'll take a bit more time, but soon enough, I'll convert them all over to my side. Byakuya's an idiot if he thinks that constantly antagonizing everyone will win them over. His stubbornness will be his undoing."
As the gambler effortlessly went along with her charade of being friendly with Hina, she knew that a few of the others were watching her like a hawk. Celeste wasn't foolish enough to believe that everyone would fall for her ruse, particularly Kyoko, Byakuya, or Junko. However, if she had enough of the others believing in her, then perhaps it would be enough to enact her plan ahead of schedule…especially now that she had two new pawns to utilize.
"Hina will make an exceptional pawn for my strategy, as will Chihiro's avatar. And if need be, I can sacrifice either one of them. All that remains now is to secure the services of my knight…the one who will strike down King Taka for me!"
As surreptitiously as she could manage, Celeste let her eyes linger on Hifumi, who was too busy staring at Alter Ego to even notice.
The Togami Heir had never been so insulted in all his life! First Mondo had dared to raise his voice to him, then Kyoko had upstaged him in communicating with Alter Ego, and now Celeste had denied him the right to show how foolish it was for them to become overconfident just because a talking laptop may have useful information!
Did they not realize that, in the event the information was useless, their newfound hopes would be dashed and therefore make it harder for him to utilize them? A ruler was only as effect when he had sufficient tools to work with, but it seemed that the plebeians he surrounded himself with had no intention of serving his grander goals.
However, he was graciously trying to show them the proper way to survive the game and they spurned him for it. In truth, he didn't need them to be victorious in this game. He could win this little game all on his own. Once he was the last man standing, and the game was won, they would look at him from beyond the grave and wish they had listened.
"Fine then. If they want to let their foolishness lead them to an early grave, then I'll let them."
It took him a few moments, but Byakuya finally managed to calm down, adjusting his glasses as he returned to his usual smug visage.
"Unfortunately, for you, I must disagree," Byakuya countered, gesturing up toward the corners of the room. "As you can see, there are no cameras in this room. The Mastermind is blind here. Therefore, it would not matter how long we waited. They would never have known of it regardless."
"Except for the fact that there are still audio devices in the room, jackass!" Mukuro furiously thought to herself, knowing that she couldn't speak up.
A part of her wanted to believe that she might be able to hint about the listening devices but knew that it would be too risky. She'd been standing out way too much lately and she didn't need any more fuel added to the fire. Despite that, she hoped that some of her more capable classmates might suggest it.
Fortunately, for all of them, it seemed that one of her classmates had the same train of thought as she did.
"The Mastermind may not be able to see in here, but it's still possible they may be able to hear our conversation," Sakura informed them, taking everyone by surprise.
Byakuya, in particular, sent her a glare but she easily matched it, to which he averted his gaze. A half smile crept over the fighter's lips at that sight, wanting to repay his disrespect toward her good friend Hina.
"That's a good point," Kyoko concurred, glancing around the room. "From now on, we should be careful with our words, in case our conversations are being monitored."
"…I suppose that is the best course of action," Byakuya was forced to admit, obviously still bitter about the whole affair. "However, I must ask that we refrain from speaking about this to the Disciplinary Committee Chairman. It will only exacerbate the situation."
"On that, we are agreed," Celeste said, a sad expression on her face. "The way he is acting now…we cannot be sure that he won't take Alter Ego for himself."
"…That's definitely a possibility," Kyoko concurred, although begrudgingly. "Very well then. For now, we'll keep Alter Ego a secret between ourselves."
"Would anyone mind if I showed Alter Ego to Leon and Sayaka later though? They are kind of missing all this," Makoto asked, looking around for approval.
"That's fine, just be sure that you're not discovered," Kyoko warned, to which Makoto happily nodded.
"Uh, hey guys…who's this Disciplinary Commission guy anyway?" Mondo asked, having never heard the term before. "Is that what Monokuma calls himself now or something?"
A brief silence followed the question, causing Mondo to raise an eyebrow in confusion. Before he was left in the dark too long, however, Sakura chose to be the one to break the news to him.
"Actually, that would be…Kiyotaka," the martial artist informed him, already predicting the fallout that answer would cause.
"What?! Hold on a sec! You want us to lie to Bro?!" Mondo shouted at Byakuya before the martial artist placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him instantly.
"I know it's cruel, but I'm afraid it cannot be helped," Sakura told him calmly, trying to settle him down. "Besides, with our conversations possibly being listened to, it would be best to keep this information quiet."
"B-But that's no reason to keep this from Bro!" the biker tried to insist, only to be met with the saddened expressions of his classmates.
"As much as I hate to say it…they've got a point," Junko spoke up, startling Mondo a bit. Before he could interject, the Fashionista continued, "Taka's not exactly in the best state of mind right now…and we don't want to make things harder…for him or for us…"
Still unable to accept this decision, Mondo growled under his breath and said, "T-That's no reason to—!"
Suddenly, the hand on his shoulder squeezed tight and the biker looked up to see that Sakura was still there, holding him back. "I realize how painful this must be for you…but if we are to have any hope of escape…I'm afraid this is how it needs to be."
Mondo paused for a moment but his eyes showed that he desperately wanted to object. However, in the end, he must have realized that there was nothing he could do.
"…Alright, fine…"
Taking her hand off his shoulder, Sakura secretly let out deep breath, a bit embarrassed that she had to be the one to express this concern. However, having dealt with the Mastermind personally, she knew just how crafty they could be. It was best to simply leave Taka out of the loop for the moment and hope for the best.
Unfortunately for Sakura, thinking about the Mastermind also brought about other depressing thoughts.
Her role as the mole hadn't been utilized for the past few days, making Sakura believe that Monokuma was indeed leaving them to their own devices, at least for now. However, she couldn't help but fear reprisal once the Mastermind 'returned'. It had kept her up at night for the last few days, always expecting the bear to pop in and ask her to end a classmate's life.
"Perhaps that is one of the Mastermind's strategies," she pondered silently to herself. "Once I let my guard down, the Mastermind might ask me to do the unforgivable! I must remain vigilant…for my…friend's sakes."
All at once, crippling guilt overtook Sakura's entire being. She had spent the last few days free of the Mastermind's influence…and for a time, she'd forgotten that she was in the Mastermind's employ. However, cruel reality had finally caught up with her, making her realize that her actions to protect her classmates would result in her family's dojo being defiled…
"No…I mustn't think about that! I need to focus…on keeping my friend's safe!"
Despite her internal encouragement, deep within her mind, there was still a part of her that was unsure if she could control herself if Monokuma truly threatened her family's sacred dojo.
"Oh, now I get it!" Hiro suddenly shouted, nodding fervently and making everyone turn to him in surprise. "So, basically Chihiro created this little guy to help us escape! And she left him in here so that the Mastermind wouldn't find it! Wahoo! Props to you, Chihiro!"
All at once, everyone let out a deep sigh, realizing that Hiro had just now put everything together. As the clairvoyant let out a hearty laugh, a large hand suddenly gripped his shoulder. Immediately ceasing his laughter, Hiro turned to see none other than Hifumi glaring at him.
"Excuse me, but I believe you meant that Miss Fujisaki hid 'her' in here!" The fanfic creator's words echoed in the small room, his voice surprisingly deeper and more masculine than usual. "Since MissFujisaki obviously prefers to be identified as female, then it's only natural to think of her creation as female as well!"
Hiro, very unaccustomed to someone shouting in his face, reared back in shock as he stammered, "W-Well, I guess that makes sense—".
"Indeed!" Hifumi shouted, pointing toward the laptop with a mischievous grin. "This wonderful maiden is like a princess who has been trapped in a steam filled castle! But now, her hero has come to liberate her from the chains of oppression and shower her with all of my—".
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, man!" Hiro cut in, a shiver running down his spine at seeing how…passionate, Hifumi was acting. "I thought you were only into the 2D, man?"
Hifumi paused for a moment, but only long enough to place his hands on his hips and shout, "But of course my only interest is in the 2D! And she is the most EXCELLENT kind of 2D!"
"But…it's just a computer program," Hiro countered, feeling more and more uncomfortable having this conversation.
Adjusting his glasses with a wild smirk on his face, the fanfic creator answered, "Oh, I assure you, that aspect is no problem. I'm quite used to it actually…"
"TMI, man…TMI…" the clairvoyant shuddered as he replied, feeling the worst kind of goosebumps spreading all over his body.
"Grand delusions aside, we must decide what to do with it," Byakuya intervened, tired of their irritating performance. "Since Chihiro left this machine behind, I propose that we—".
"Wait just a fucking minute!" Mondo interrupted, his voice easily canceling out the Affluent Progeny's demands. Being silenced, Byakuya was forced to turn his attention over to the biker, who had walked over and was now towering over him. "Chihiro didn't 'leave her behind'! She hid Alter Ego here to keep 'her' safe from the Mastermind and weirdos like him!"
The biker's last statement was aimed directly at Hifumi, who gasped at hearing that accusation and retorted, "How…dare you! Comparing my pure-hearted feelings to those of our captor's! Have you no soul?!
As that insult was hurled at him, Mondo slowly turned about face and glared angrily down at Hifumi. "What did you say, punk?! Try saying that to my face, asshole!"
"Ha! You see! A brute will always be a brute!" Hifumi countered, puffing his chest out defiantly. As he stared down the furious biker, he further tempted fate by continuing, "You've no more control over your anger than before! Someone like you is unfit to call himself a man! It's no wonder you attacked Chihiro—!"
"You son of a bitch!" Mondo screamed rearing his fist back and preparing to smash the otaku's glasses into his face. However, before he could let his fist fly, a stern voice stopped him.
"Alright, that's enough!"
Quicker than either of them had realized, Junko stood between them, a hand on both of their chests, keeping them from attacking each other. Both of them were rather shocked that she effortlessly held them back, but then again, she was proving to be an extraordinary woman!
"If you're gonna do this, at least do it outside!" the Fashionista shouted, retracting her hands and pointing toward the exit. "Then, when Taka sees your dick measuring contest, you'll both be confined to your rooms, just like me! Won't that be fun?!"
A thick silence fell upon both of them as the Fashionista waited patiently for their answer. And slowly, answer they did:
"…No, not really…" Hifumi sadly conceded.
"…Hell no…" Mondo concurred quietly.
Smirking at them, Junko let her arms dropped and said, "That's what I though. Now let's get the hell out of here. This steam is gonna mess up my hair!"
Leading the way, Junko headed toward the partition just in front of the changing room entrance, with her classmates following after her. Before leaving, Kyoko decided to close the locker door that housed Alter Ego, just in case Taka found himself in the changing room for any reason.
However, Mondo lingered behind for a moment, unable to get the Chihiro-like visage on Alter Ego's screen out of his mind. For despite the AI's kind words, the biker knew it would take much more than Chihiro's forgiveness for him to atone for his crimes. With an uncomfortable sigh, the biker finally followed after everyone.
As he stepped out into the main hall, however, a familiar voice angrily shouted, "And just what do all of you think you're doing in the bathhouse at the same time!"
Each and every student froze as the furious voice of Taka engulfed them. Slowly turning their heads toward the entrance to the dorms, they all saw him stomping toward them, a fiery trail blazing behind him as his burning eyeballs fixated on them.
"You should know that unisex bathing is definitely not allowed in a school environment!"
To Be Continued…
Greetings, my beautiful readers! A few crucial developments this time around, but what will come of it all? Will Alter Ego be able to help the students? How will all of the in-fighting affect moral? Is unisex bathing really unacceptable in a school environment? Keep on reading to find out!
As you may remember, I did say that I would be happy to discuss the DR 3 anime with anyone who PMed me. I should have mentioned that I usually won't be able to watch the new episodes until late night on the day they come out. If you want to ask me something, please ask if I've seen the episode first. I almost got spoiled, which wasn't anyone fault, but I HATE spoilers. Anyway, I do enjoy discussing the subject so don't be afraid to PM me!
Also, I want to give a huge shout out to my beta, Dixxy Mouri. I get a good amount of praise for this story but I know that it wouldn't be as great as it is without her help. She's the best beta any writer could ask for and works very hard to make this and all of her own stories amazing! Please go and check out some of her stories, she helped inspire me to write this story!
As always, I appreciate each and every review/comment that you all give me. Seriously, reviews/comments are the life-blood of writers like myself, so even if it's just to say you enjoyed the chapter or are enjoying the story as a whole, please let me know! It inspires me and helps pick me up when life gets tough!
Until next time, have a great day and keep on smiling, my beautiful readers!