Never Say Never
Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa or the characters associated with it.
Chapter 3
Act 14
The scent of chlorine hung in the air, making Celeste crinkle her nose as she perused a gothic style magazine taken from the Rec Room. Resting on a bench in the pool area, she was just getting into the article she was reading when an overly enthusiastic voice called out to her.
"Are you sure you're okay over there?" Hina shouted, grabbing onto the edge of the pool to keep afloat. Wearing a skintight school swimsuit, the Ultimate Swimming Pro kicked her legs excitedly under the water. "You should come on in! The water feels great!"
An almost inaudible groan, which Hina fortunately didn't hear, escaped Celeste as her concentration was disrupted. All she wanted was to momentarily take her mind off things, but it seemed that she was denied even that!
Despite the frustration she now felt, the gambler put on a smiling visage and replied, "I'm afraid that I am not fond of…swimming exercises…or anything having to do with water sports. It would ruin my make-up. Therefore, I am content to allow you the honor instead."
Instantly, Hina's mood sank and she lowered her gaze to the floor. "But…I feel kinda bad that I'm the only one having fun here…"
In almost any other situation, Celeste might have found the swimmer's concern endearing, which she considered one of Hina's only redeeming traits. However, being trapped in this hellish school had dulled her sense of kindness, and thus found Hina's worrying to be more annoying than usual. But that didn't mean she had to know that…
"I am fine, I assure you. We do not all have to be doing the same thing to enjoy each other's company," the gambler politely insisted, gesturing back toward the girl's locker room. "After all, Sakura elected to lift weights, you decided to swim, and I have chosen to read more on subjects that pertain to me."
"That's true…" Hina replied, obviously still a bit concerned.
Holding in a sigh, Celeste continued to encourage her, "Just because we have different interests, does not mean we cannot get along. In fact, having companions with a variety of skills is more beneficial, since we can learn from and support one another much easier than if we all had the same talents or interests. Do you not agree?"
Despite her insistence, Hina still held an apprehensive expression, which was utterly infuriating.
"How can she not understand such a simple concept?! The more people you have in your pocket, the more options you have! If I was ever in a situation that required anime or manga knowledge, I could manipulate Hifumi into helping me! It's basic strategy! How can she not get that?!"
Obscuring her frustration behind her perfect mask, Celeste continued to smile pleasantly as she further elaborated, "Simply put, we do not all have to do the same activities together to enjoy our time spent with one another. I am fine reading while you and Sakura do what pleases you. There is no need for guilt or worry."
"Well…yeah, I know that, but…I just figured we could, ya know…do stuff together? Get to know each other better and stuff…" the swimmer somberly stated, clearly feeling depressed about the subject.
At the same time, Celeste was at her wits end, having never experienced someone feeling guilty over such a trite thing! And even after multiple explanations, Hina still couldn't grasp that she just wanted to be left alone to read in peace! It wasn't rocket science! Nearly anyone else would have been able to read between the lines after the first explanation! But she just…God, this was getting tiring…
"If I'd have known hanging out with her would be so exhausting, I would have chosen someone else to manipulate…but she was the best choice, as her company includes Sakura, who I cannot afford to make an enemy of. I mean, I'm not asking her to put on a crap ton of make-up and look at clothes with me, so why…oh, now that's a thought…"
Her pleasant smile widened into a knowing grin as the gambler asked, "If you feel so strongly about it, why not dry yourself off and come join me? Would it not be fun to apply each other's make-up and discuss fashion or our interests in the opposite sex?"
"H-Huh?!" the swimmer stammered, confusion warping her features.
Celeste fought to keep from chuckling as each of her suggestions made Hina visibly flinch, though the swimmer tried her best to hide her obvious disinterest in the proposed subjects. However, despite her clear dislike of such activities, Hina forced a smile onto her face and reluctantly nodded.
"S-Sure! We can totally do that!" she insisted, slowly pulling herself out of the pool and heading for the girl's locker room. "Just let me go get changed and—".
"That will not be necessary," Celeste harshly cut her off, a serious expression decorating her visage. With a deep, convincing sigh, the gambler apologetically said, "You clearly have no interest in such activities and I do not wish to force you to do something you are not comfortable with. That would be wrong of me…"
Halting almost mid-step, Hina twitched as she heard those words and instantly whirled around to protest, "T-That's not true! I totally want to do make-up and boy talk and stuff!"
An even deeper sigh escaped the gambler as she waved her hand dismissively. "No, no. I can tell that you are not interested. You see, no matter how skilled, every single person has a 'tell' that shows when they are lying. For you…that would be when your nose twitches, which coincidentally happened each time I suggested one of my favored activities. It is a tell-tale sign that you are not being honest."
"W-What?! You can tell just from that?!" Hina shouted, hands flying up to her nose, somehow believing she could hide her intentions just by covering her face.
Shifting her expression into a light smile, Celeste shook her head and continued, "No…but your reaction just now proves that you do not, in fact, have any interest in such activities…"
"AH?!" the swimmer grunted, feeling tricked and a bit humiliated. However, now that her true feelings had been unmasked, Hina slowly lowered her gaze and muttered, "Well…that's not exactly…what I mean is…"
As she tried to verbalize her feelings, Celeste couldn't help but smirk at how easy it had been to derail the swimmer.
And yes, Celeste knew her tactic was underhanded, and if it had been anyone other than Hina, they probably would have called her out on how deceptive she was being. However, if it would give her time to read her magazine in peace, and let her concentrate on putting the finishing touches on her plan to destroy Taka, then she didn't care if she had to stomp all over the swimmer's feelings…it's not like she actually enjoyed hanging out with her anyway.
"I only came along so that I could build rapport with her and Sakura. I mean, me exercising? Fat chance! Besides…it's not like I know how to—".
"Well, that's not fair!" Hina practically screamed, startling the gambler and breaking her train of thought.
"…Huh?" was all Celeste managed to retort, obviously confused by the sudden outburst.
"You heard me!" Hina continued, leaning forward and complaining, "It's not fair for you to say that I'm not interested when you had no interest from the beginning!"
For a moment, Celeste sat there, staring wide eyed at the swimmer as she panted from having abruptly yelled. The gambler had barely noticed that Hina had gotten so close to her, their faces only a few inches apart. Usually, Celeste was the one to invade personal space, not the opposite, which made her feel all the more uncomfortable. Then, as she opened her mouth to question Hina's statement, the swimmer beat her to the punch.
"When I asked if you wanted to come to the pool with me and Sakura, you said, 'Yes, that sounds delightful'! But the second we got here, you complained about not liking water and decided to just sit and read a magazine! I wanted us to do something together but ended up having to swim all on my own!"
A bit offended by her abrasive accusations, Celeste put on a neutral visage and replied, "As I recall, you never said that you wanted me to go swimming with you—".
"Why else would I ask you to come to the pool with me?!" Hina interrupted, frustration and hurt clear in her eyes. Leaning back and away from Celeste, the swimmer groaned, "It's common sense! Pool equals swimming! I didn't think I needed to explain that!"
Almost against her will, a light gasp escaped Celeste as she absorbed Hina's words. Then, much to her own shock, a genuine smile graced her lips. It was only for a moment, long enough for her to realize that it had happened, but she quickly tucked it away as she was reminded of her own complaints just a few moments ago.
"…Maybe she's not as dense as I thought," Celeste was forced to realize, feeling the tiniest amount of regret for her earlier assumption. "It's ironic how hypocritical I am…thinking I needed to explain something to her when I didn't understand her obvious intentions…I must be slipping…"
Whether she admitted it or not, her exhaustion was beginning to affect her judgement. If it persisted for too much longer, she might make a critical error and ruin everything she'd been planning. But with sleep itself becoming difficult to achieve, her options were limited.
"Perhaps I need to speed things up. I know that I'll sleep better once Taka's sleeping with the fishes! But first I have to deal with this mess…"
In the silence that Celeste had allowed to follow, Hina took a deep breath, as if preparing herself for disappointment, and said, "Listen, if you don't want to hang out with me, then I'd rather you just say it. I don't want to force anyone to do anything they don't want to—".
"Allow me to apologize," the gambler interrupted, bowing her head deeply. "That was a cruel trick I played on you…and I never meant to upset you. I'm afraid that I'm not too skilled at simply…'hanging out' with someone."
Slowly lifting her head, Celeste looked up and saw exactly what she'd expected. Hina's expression dulled and guilt slowly overtook her face, making the swimmer stare down at the floor and fidget with her fingers nervously.
"…N-No…I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped like that," Hina apologized, her voice soft and sorrowful.
Celeste smiled as she knew that victory was close at hand. It was rather easy to turn someone's anger into guilt and force it back on them. It was one of her many talents as a gambler, along with word manipulation and suggestive propositions. Hina was an opponent that started out strong but their willpower fizzled out when confronted.
Which made it all the more easy to manipulate her…
"It is fine," Celeste reassured her before visibly sighing. As expected, Hina instantly took note of the sigh and the gambler knew she had her full attention. "We are very different individuals, and there is nothing wrong with that. However, it does seem difficult for us to find common ground—".
"I've got it!" Hina practically yelled, once again startling the gambler into silence. Celeste was truly stunned, having not expected the swimmer to rebound from her depression so quickly. Thus, she could only sit there as Hina beamed and suggested, "Just like you said, we can help each other because we're so different!"
Getting an inkling of what she might be alluding to, Celeste tried to protest, "I'm not sure that you understand—".
"Celeste!" the swimmer shouted, again getting right in her face, smiling brightly all the while. "You're gonna teach me how to do girly stuff! And in exchange, I'll teach you how to be more athletic! That way, we can learn all about each other while learning new stuff at the same time! Won't that be great?!"
Celeste's already pale skin whitened even more as Hina's enthusiastic proposal hung in the air. Like a fish out of water, the gambler found herself systematically opening her mouth to speak before clamming it shut, unable to properly form the best words to right this situation
Noticing her apparent dislike of the idea, Hina's mood instantly soured. "You…don't like that idea, huh?"
Realizing that her feelings were showing, Celeste quickly reapplied her perfect mask and smiled pleasantly at her classmate.
"I am not…directly opposed to the idea," Celeste tried to put it politely, struggling to keep her disapproval from showing. "However, I must admit that I do not think that I am the best fit for…'girly' activities. Sayaka or Junko would be much better suited to such a task."
Seeing the flaw in her proposal, Hina flinched once more before dropping her gaze slightly.
"Well yeah, but…" she hesitated before gathering her courage and abruptly shooting her head up and gazing directly into Celeste's crimson irises. "I want you to be the one to teach me Celeste!"
Startled and confused by such a proclamation, the gambler held her mask together as she questioned, "And…why is that? Surely you must realize that my tastes in fashion are quite different from the other girls in our class?"
Without taking her eyes away, Hina hardened her visage and replied, "Because I'm jealous of you, and not them!"
Without even realizing it, Celeste's mask slipped…crashing to the floor and shattering as her eyes widened and her mouth hung open.
"J-Jealous?!" Celeste choked out, her shock so deep she forgot to use her trademark accent. Instantly recognizing her mistake, she cleared her throat in an attempt to clear suspicion and asked, "I-If I may, why exactly are you…jealous of me?"
The gambler wanted to smack herself for sounding so unsure of herself. Even if she was startled and confused by Hina's sudden confession, she shouldn't be showing this kind of weakness in front of anyone! The only saving grace was that Hina was a simpleton who would never question her change in attitude. And while that helped dull the embarrassment, she still felt unbearable shame at having let her perfect mask slip so completely, even if only for an instant.
Unlike her, Hina didn't seem all that embarrassed or upset, keeping her gaze firm and determined.
"Because you're completely confident in yourself!" Hina insisted, smiling nervously as she continued. "You always do whatever you think is right and don't let anyone tell you differently. You have enough confidence in yourself to admit when you're wrong. And you were brave enough to convince me to peep on the boys with you—!"
"Please don't shout that!" Celeste warned, glancing around the swimmer's side and watching the locker rooms. Fortunately, it seemed that no one heard that declaration, making both girls sigh in relief.
"Sorry about that…" Hina apologized before smiling again. "But seriously, I'm super jealous of how awesome you are! Plus…you're a lot more feminine than I am…so that's why I figured you'd be the best person to ask!"
For almost an entire minute, Celeste sat on the bench blankly staring at the swimming pro. Her brain was caught in a torrent of ideas and notions that she was having trouble sorting out.
Mainly, she struggled with the idea that Hina was jealous of her! For many reasons, it should have been the other way around! A girl with huge 'proportions' and an upbeat and cheerful personality was jealous of a manipulative schemer who was plotting the downfall of her classmates. The irony was almost palpable.
At the same time…Celeste couldn't deny that she was incredibly flattered by Hina's statement.
No one…absolutely no one had ever complimented her the way that the swimmer had. Her talents were often praised, yes. But it was entirely different for someone to praise her rather than her talents. She felt…something akin to happiness at being told that she was as talented as she claimed.
And if Hina hadn't admitted that she was jealous of her…she may have never discovered that feeling…or realized that she could use it to bend Hina to her whims.
"Perhaps I misjudged Hina's usefulness…maybe her proposal will work out in my favor after all…"
Rising to her feet, Celeste brushed off her dress and adjusted her shirt before turning her determined gaze toward Hina. At first, the swimmer tensed, but eased up a bit as the gambler spoke.
"So then, let me see if I'm understanding your proposal," the gambler said politely, slowly resuming her usual persona. "I would be teaching you how to act more like a proper lady. And you would be educating me on improving my physical stature. Is that correct?"
Smiling nervously and rubbing the back of her head, Hina laughed as she answered, "Uh, yeah…I guess that's how it would go, huh?"
"Are you really sure you would like to learn from me? I am a harsh teacher," Celeste asked one last time, her voice and attitude completely serious.
Not fazed in the least, Hina held out her hand for the gambler to shake and replied, "I can take it. Besides, I won't be letting you off easy either!"
As Hina eagerly held out her hand, the gambler couldn't help but feel that her luck was finally changing for the better. All the pieces on her board were falling into place, it wouldn't be long now. Still, looking at the overeager expression on the swimmer's face brought an almost unsettling feeling…
"She's so easy, believing everything I tell her…it almost feels wrong to manipulate her like this…almost…"
However, Celeste knew that having more people on her side would benefit her later. She would need a pure-hearted and naïve girl like Hina in her corner should her plan fall to ruin. And if it ever came to it, she could always blackmail the swimmer with exposing their shared time of peeping in order to get what she wanted. That had been the whole reason for peeping in the first place, something to bind her and Hina together that would make them accomplices. She could hold that card over Hina and use it whenever she saw fit.
"I never waste an opportunity…" she told herself as she prepared to once again manipulate the poor, naïve swimmer girl over to her side. "…I can't waste this opportunity."
Celeste needed to have the swimmer's support, it was vital for her plan to succeed. She had chosen Hina to be her pawn because her blissfully cheerful nature, which was matched only by her stubbornness, made her a valuable ally against someone like Kyoko or Byakuya. After all, the swimmer practically came packaged with Sakura, a major boost to her side, and with the two of them protecting her, her victory was all but guaranteed!
It was tragic really…Hina would either end up an unwitting victim of Celeste's 'graduation' or the gambler would simply cut ties with her before having to fulfill her end of the bargain. No matter how you looked at it, this arrangement would end with Hina being utterly disappointed…which was…acceptable…
"She's a means to an end, nothing more. A promise to her is like making a promise to a wall…utterly pointless. I mean…once I graduate from this hell-hole, she'll be executed along with everyone else…and it will all be worth it to have my castle and the life I've…always dreamed of…"
Deep down inside, Celeste knew that a part of that thought was an utter lie. However, being the Queen of Liars, it took little effort to convince herself that it was all true. She did want her castle, she did want to get out of the school, and she didn't care about who had to get hurt in order to make it happen…that is the truth she told herself to believe as she delicately took Hina's hand and shook it.
"Very well, then. It is a deal."
The instant Kyoko, Junko, and Sayaka headed into the bathhouse, Hifumi made his move.
Like a blubbering ninja, he sped into the changing room, quickly but silently. He tip-toed his way through the room, glancing toward the bathhouse doors that he'd been on the other side of only a day ago. And as much as he wanted to study the 3D female body…for model building purposes of course…he actually had another objective that needed to be fulfilled.
"I must reunite with her…she must be so lonely without company," the manga artist insisted to himself, sneaking toward Alter Ego's locker. "Just a few minutes to check and see if she's doing alright…then I'll come back tonight!"
Opening the locker door, all of his excitement fell as he realized that it was empty.
Gasping, the fanfic creator whisper shouted, "W-Where is she?! What's become of my precious virtual maiden?!"
As quietly as he could manage, Hifumi began searching through the other lockers, tearing them open one by one…only to be disappointed again and again. With so many lockers to go through, he knew it would take some time to search them all.
Glancing at the bathhouse door, knowing he could be discovered at any moment, Hifumi steeled himself. "No matter what it takes…I will find her!"
"Ahhhhh, this feels so good!" Sayaka moaned as she sat in the large bath, the heavenly heat of the water lapping at her delicate skin as she let the water come up to her chin.
"Seriously…" Junko agreed with her, resting her arms on the rim of the bath while most of her body sunk beneath the soothing water's surface. "I may just have to be a good little prisoner if it means getting more bath time," the Fashionista joked as she sloshed some water onto her neck, moaning pleasantly.
Not far from them, Kyoko also sat chest deep in the bath, breathing calmly while keeping her eyes closed…as if concentrating on something.
For a time, none of them had the will to say anything, merely sitting in the large bath, letting themselves be refreshed from all of the horrors they had been through. It was a rare moment of peace, one that all of them desperately needed, whether they knew it or not. In the midst of that blissful rejuvenation, Sayaka stretched her arms over her head and pushed her chest out, inadvertently drawing the other two girls' attention.
"No need to stare," Sayaka jokingly said as she caught them staring. "It may not seem like it, but I work very hard to maintain my figure. Or are you two just jealous?"
Again, her playful attitude was more soothing than insulting, making Junko tease her back, "Oh yeah, I'm super jealous that I don't have to work out to maintain my figure. Metabolism is on my side! I can eat as much as I want and not gain an ounce of weight!"
Widening her eyes, Sayaka blinked at her in perplexion before stating, "…I think I might actually be jealous of you." The pop idol turned toward her and began scanning every inch of Junko's body, which made the Fashionista quite uncomfortable.
"W-What?! What are you staring at?!" she finally said, tired of being scrutinized.
In response, Sayaka sighed deeply, letting her mouth sink below the water's surface and saying something that made bubbles rise up and pop. Of course, her voice was obscured by the water, so neither Junko nor Kyoko could understand a word. The Fashionista glanced to the lavender haired girl, who merely shrugged.
"Hey, if you've got something to say, say it so that we can hear it!" a sudden demand from Junko erupted, making Sayaka pop her mouth above the water.
Almost nervously, she averted her gaze and said, "I said…I wish my skin looked as beautiful as yours…"
Completely shocked by that statement, Junko's mouth hung open as she tried to form words. When none came, their other classmate decided to chime in instead.
"I have to agree," Kyoko surprisingly concurred, glancing down at her gloved hands for a brief instant. But just as quickly, her eyes moved back to examine Junko's body, her lips curving into a tiny grin as she complimented, "Your skin truly is flawless."
A rush of heat flooded the Fashionista's face, burning her cheeks bright red. That is, until her eyes happened to glance at the back of her right hand, particularly the scar from where the spear had pierced her. All at once, her embarrassment fell away, leaving her staring sadly at the brutal scar on her hand. Noticing her gesture, both Kyoko and Sayaka fell eerily silent, no doubt feeling a bit ashamed for causing their classmate's distress.
"…I used to be flawless," Junko finally admitted, unable to tear her eyes away from her hand. "I was perfect…no one could hold a candle to me. I was the absolute best in my field. But now…now…now I've got nothing. This scar on my hand will forever serve as a sign of my own failure…and I have no one to blame for it but myself…"
A deep melancholy settled into her sky-blue irises as she closed her right hand into a fist, her arm shaking, or her perhaps trembling. At the same time, Kyoko's gaze trailed down to her own gloved hands, a sympathetic expression on her face.
Just then, a swishing of water startled both of them and they lifted their gazes to see Sayaka standing upright in the bath. If they weren't confused by that, they quickly became perplexed as the pop idol slowly pulled her towel open, giving them a view of her nude form. Both of them were startled for a moment before their eyes were drawn to the large jagged scar on her abdomen, which was still a bit red and obviously healing. Slowly, she dropped one side of the towel and allowed her now free hand to gently trace the length of her wound.
"Believe me when I say that I understand your pain," Sayaka softly told them, her eyes threatening to well up with tears. "Because of my stupidity…I'll never be allowed on stage again. Even if no one found out about what I did, my manager would never let me come back to the agency with this ugly thing. It hurts…it hurts to know that everything I worked for was for nothing. And…the feelings of acceptance and warmth from performing for my fans…is forever out of my reach. My career…my dream…has come to an end…and it was all my fault."
Hot tears spilled from her eyes, trailing down her cheeks until the droplets fell into the sweltering bath water.
"Sayaka…"
Junko's voice died in her throat, unable to find the right words to comfort her classmate. Simultaneously, Kyoko's gaze softened, knowing there was little that could be said or done to ease her suffering. However, much to both of their surprises, faint laughter began to echo. Strangely enough, it was coming from Sayaka, whose melancholy appearance suddenly shifted into a bright and warm smile.
"But you know…I'm actually kind of grateful for this scar," she told them, tenderly tracing the length of it with her fingertips. A smile warmer than either of them had ever seen spread out of Sayaka's lips. "At first…I hated it. But now…every time I see it, I'm reminded that I'm alive. That I survived. I made a horrible mistake that I can't take back…but at least I'm alive. And as long as I'm alive, I can move forward. This scar reminds me that I can't give up…because it's a symbol of when I did give up…but it's also a reminder that I can't let myself give up…ever again."
As she spoke, her voice grew stronger and more determined than ever before. Her smile practically lit up the room, and her melodic voice resonated all around them. In that moment, even if she never realized it, her talent as the Ultimate Pop Sensation grew stronger than she could have ever known.
"I'm not sure what I can or should be doing, but I know that we all have to do what we can to survive," Sayaka continued, smiling and winking at Junko, making the Fashionista flush unexpectedly. Covering herself up again, she gently set herself back into the water and sighed. "That was…actually pretty embarrassing…"
"I don't doubt that," Junko replied with a smirk, letting her arms fall into the revitalizing water. A deep sigh escaped the Fashionista as she smiled back at her classmate, "But sometimes…you just have to say what you think you need to…before it's too late."
She glanced down at her own scarred hand, seeing the ridges of the scarred skin in a light that she had never imagined before. At the same time, not far away, Kyoko glanced at her gloved hands once more. A deep frown settled onto her features as she stared at those gloves, closing her hands into fists.
"Oh, and before I forget," Sayaka announced before turning and facing Kyoko directly. Raising an eyebrow, the amnesiac girl was surprised when the pop idol bowed to her and said, "Thank you…for helping out Makoto."
"What?" Kyoko questioned, genuinely confused.
Lifting her head, Sayaka smiled softly at her. "Makoto told me that you were the one who encouraged him to talk to me after…the first trial. I did something horrible to him…and I almost lost his friendship forever…but because he never gave up on trying to be my friend…I didn't. And it was all because you were looking out for him. So…thank you."
As expected, Kyoko showed no hint of emotion as those words were directed at her. Instead, she averted her gaze and said, "It was nothing."
A heavy silence fell between the three of them. That is, until a low growl escaped from Junko's throat.
"Are you for real?!" the Fashionista suddenly shouted, glaring angrily at Kyoko. In turn, the lavender haired girl effortlessly met her ferocious gaze as she continued, "Sayaka's pouring her heart out to you and that's all you can say! Jeez, the least you could do is say 'You're Welcome' or something! I mean, you act like you don't even care—!"
Before she knew what was happening, a light slash of water hit Junko's face.
"H-H-Hey!" Junko sputtered, a hand flying up to make sure the towel around her hair hadn't gotten wet. Slowly shifting her gaze, she glared at Sayaka, who playfully splashed at her again. "W-What the hell, Sayaka?! K-Knock it off!"
"Oh, come on! A little water never hurt anyone!" the pop idol chided, obviously feeling more relaxed than before. "Besides, Kyoko's just a bit shy, that's all. No need to get upset over something so trivial."
"T-Trivial?!" Junko shouted, only to be lightly splashed with water again. Sayaka giggled as she playfully splashed at both her and Kyoko, who cracked the tiniest of smiles at seeing the elated expression on the pop idol's face. Unfortunately, the Fashionista was not so understanding, growing more and more frustrated until she finally exploded, "Would you stop that?! I don't want my hair to get wet!"
A confused look crossed Sayaka's face. "Why not?" she asked plainly, touching her own wet and matted hair. "Shouldn't you wash your hair before getting into the bath anyway?"
Flinching a bit, the Fashionista aggressively replied, "I-I didn't get the chance to fix my hair this morning! I wanted to use the special conditioners in my shower! Not the cheap crap they have in here!"
Again, a perplexed look crossed Sayaka's visage as she asked, "Wait…you have your own conditioner?"
"…Yeah?" the Fashionista answered, wary of the look the pop idol was giving her.
"But…our rooms don't come with anything but simple furniture, right?" Sayaka asked both her and Kyoko. "I mean, all I've got is a bed, a desk and a closet. Where did you get conditioner?"
Now it was time for a puzzled look to capture Junko's features as she replied, "Well, I brought it with me to school. Well, actually, it was delivered before I got here. In fact, most of the stuff that I sent ahead was in my room after we all woke up here. Wasn't it the same for you?"
Sayaka's face became overcome with shock as she answered, "…No. I…I don't have anything in my room! I sent my belongings ahead too but when I got here, none of it was waiting in my room! Why didn't…my stuff arrive?"
Slowly, Sayaka's hand rose up and she grasped her head, squinting as if in pain. She appeared to be trying to remember something…but it kept slipping from her grasp.
"Why…? Even my recording equipment is missing, and I know that I brought it with me. Not to mention all of my singles," she told them, struggling to find an answer. Looking over to her other classmate, she asked, "Do you have any of your belongings, Kyoko?"
"No, my room was also empty when I got here…"
Her answer was short and swift, and it brought more questions than answers. At the same time, Junko placed a hand on her chin and thought aloud, "Weird…why did my stuff get delivered when neither of yours did?"
"And Leon too!" Sayaka suddenly informed them, her voice growing louder. "Leon had his baseball equipment in his room! Not only that, he had posters and other stuff that he would have brought with him to school! He showed it all to me the other day!"
Despite the situation, Junko couldn't stop herself from smirking. "Oh, so you've already gotten inside his room, huh? Did he help you change your bandages too?"
The abrupt implication made Sayaka's face burned bright red as she answered, "What?! No! And that's not the point anyway!" She took a deep breath to compose herself and said, "It just doesn't make sense…why are some of us missing our belongings?"
"There's a possibility…it has something to do with our captor," Kyoko abruptly replied, her gaze downcast in deep thought. "I don't have enough evidence yet…but it's possible that—".
Suddenly, an audible screeching sound echoed in the distance. It only lasted for a moment, but the second she heard it, Kyoko abruptly shot to her feet. Startled by her actions, Junko and Sayaka slowly got up as well, staring at her while she glared toward the bathhouse entrance, her eye narrowing angrily.
"…That fool!"
After almost thirty minutes of searching, Hifumi was beginning to lose hope. He'd torn open each locker and rummaged through most of the room, but he was still unable to find his missing princess.
"It can't be…" he whispered angrily. "Could someone have…already taken her?!"
It wasn't inconceivable. After all, there were very few people Hifumi could trust in this school and with the possibility of a mole amongst them, it looked more and more like someone had spirited away Alter Ego, in service to the Mastermind. Or perhaps the Mastermind kidnapped her themselves! Or, either Junko or Kyoko could have taken her, considering they were the ones who were supposed to be on guard and therefore would seem the least suspicious!
Anger began to course though Hifumi's veins and he was just about to storm out and wait for the girls to finish bathing when he noticed something odd. One of the large lounging chairs that usually sat in a row had been moved. It was pressed up against the side of the locker cabinet…as if trying to obscure something!
Making a mad dash toward it, Hifumi gasped as finally caught a glimpse of his missing princess. The laptop housing her beautiful soul was wedged between the chair and the lockers, effectively hiding it from view! And since the chair had only been moved a short distance, not many would think to look there for it!
"Don't fear, my love! I am here to save you!" Hifumi nobly whispered as he bent over and grabbed the chair.
Carefully, he began to move it, an audible screech echoing. Although he knew that noise had the potential to lead to his discovery, at the moment, he was too concerned with Alter Ego's safety to care. Besides, the screech lasted for only half a second, and he swore he'd heard the girls splashing around. They would probably be none the wiser…
Giving one last shove, Hifumi moved the chair aside and freed the laptop from its imprisonment. Reaching a trembling hand down, the fanfic creator gently picked up the device the housed his love's soul. As he ran his hand over the cool surface, a warm smile spread across his face.
"…At last, we are reunited. And this time, I swear that nothing shall tear us apart…"
Carefully lifting up the screen, it took less than a moment for the laptop to awaken, the adorable face of Alter Ego coming back into view. Hifumi felt a tear slip down his cheek as he saw her, never realizing just how much he could miss her. Being separated from her had been agonizing enough, but the thought of losing her entirely made his stomach churn and his knees feel weak.
He could not deny it any longer, even though he never denied it in the first place, but he was truly in love with Alter Ego…
As the AI became cognizant, she smiled up at him and said, "Oh, Hifumi! It's great to see you again! Ah, and you brought friends this time! I'm so glad!"
At the mention of friends, Hifumi's body stiffened. His breath caught in his throat and his head slowly turned to gaze behind him. To his utter horror, there stood Kyoko, Junko, and Sayaka, all of them dressed only in a towel…glaring angrily at him. Of the three of them, however, Kyoko's infuriated gaze bore into his very soul as she seethed:
"…What do you think you're doing?"
"Mondo seems to be getting better," Leon commented as he and Makoto made their way back to the cafeteria, having just delivered breakfast to the biker. "He's got his appetite back, which is better than nothing!"
"Yeah, and hopefully Chihiro will wake up soon," Makoto optimistically concurred, a hopeful smile on his face. "That way, we can all put this behind us and—".
"EEEEYAAAAAAAHHHH!"
A feminine scream tore through the air, stunning both of the boys. They had just stepped inside the dorm area and could tell that the scream had originated from the bathhouse. Leon's face blanched before he gritted his teeth, his features slowly turning a furious red.
"Sayaka!"
Without warning he tore across the lobby area toward the bathhouse. He hardly noticed that Makoto was keeping pace with him, albeit just barely, a look of grave concern plastered over the lucky student's face. Together, they stormed through the entrance to the changing room, dashing around the sides of the divider just inside the door. However, upon getting a clear view of the room, they suddenly felt as though they had made a horrible mistake.
Inside the changing room, they found Hifumi cowering against the wall, clutching Alter Ego's laptop to his chest. What was truly surprising though, was that he was corned by three beautiful girls dressed only in bath towels…all of whom turned to see who had burst in.
"L-Leon! What are you doing in here?!" Sayaka abruptly screamed, her face turning pink as her hands shot over her already covered chest.
"M-Makoto too! What the hell are you thinking, barging in here like this?!" Junko shouted alongside the pop idol, her face also flushing as she gripped her towel tightly, making sure it was in place.
Both of the boys blushed a deep crimson as they found themselves unable to tear their eyes away.
"S-S-S-Sayaka! I-It's not what you think!" a flustered Leon shouted, trying and failing to avert his gaze. "It's not—we didn't mean—we heard a scream! Right, Makoto?!"
"Y-Y-Yeah!" the lucky student concurred, doing his best to look at each of the girl's faces. "W-We heard a scream and thought one of you might be—".
"As you can see, we're all fine," Kyoko cut in, her visage completely stoic…except for a hint of embarrassment buried deep within her eyes that only Makoto faintly noticed. "Actually, your timing is impeccable. Please keep watch while we deal with this one…"
Without acknowledging the disbelieving stares of the other two girls, or the shocked expressions on both of the boys' faces, Kyoko turned her full attention over to Hifumi, who had tried to sneak away during the confusion. Yelping in distress, the fanfic creator pressed himself against the wall again, gripping Alter Ego tightly.
Kyoko's lavender eyes narrowed at him as she said, "I believe I said that we should keep contact with Alter Ego to a minimum, didn't I? And yet, this is the second time you've come and accessed the laptop without permission. Explain."
Hifumi honestly tried to respond, but when he opened his mouth, only a light whimper came out. Displeased with his attitude, Kyoko's eyes hardened as she glared.
"Alter Ego could be our only means of uncovering the truth. You have jeopardized our safety by acting so recklessly. What do you have to say for yourself?"
Shame spread over Hifumi's features as she continued to berate him. His gaze traveled down to the laptop in his hands, Alter Ego's 'face' pressed into his chest. The AI must have been thoroughly confused, but was choosing to remain silent, possibly understanding that speaking might make matters worse. Adding to it that Hifumi still couldn't find the courage to form words, and this situation was quickly becoming disastrous.
"Hold on a second," Makoto bravely voiced, making Kyoko glance over her shoulder at him. Her gaze brought a faint flush to his cheeks but the lucky student managed to ask, "What do you mean 'the second time'? I thought that nothing happened last night."
"Actually," Junko spoke up, trying to get involved in the situation. "We never got the chance to mention it because Taka decided to stick around after the meeting, but we found evidence that someone accessed Alter Ego last night."
Makoto, Leon and Sayaka gasped, their eyes widening and their gazes turning toward an even more distressed Hifumi. Now with everyone in the room staring at him, the fanfic creator suddenly broke his silence.
"I-I-I…I never meant to cause problems!" he insisted, hugging the laptop tighter. "It was…it was…I just wanted to talk to her a bit, that's all! She listened to me…really listened! And…it felt so good to be acknowledged—".
"So, you put our lives in jeopardy for your own selfish needs?" Kyoko harshly cut him off, her words cutting deep. "Alter Ego doesn't belong to any one of us. Chihiro created her in order to help us survive. To monopolize her and distract her from her work decrypting those files puts us all at risk. What would have happened if Taka managed to—?"
"If I managed to what?!"
Everyone in the room froze as Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishimaru's voice rumbled. Makoto and Leon spun around to see the white haired, blazing eyed chairman standing directly behind them, a fury unlike any other burning in his eyes. Sayaka fought to keep from trembling, while Junko gritted her teeth. Even Kyoko's stoic visage shifted into an uncomfortable stare as her worst fears started to be realized. And Hifumi, who could only stare wide-eyed at the Disciplinary Chairman, couldn't help but tighten his grip on the laptop.
"T-Taka! We can explain—!" Makoto instantly tried to reason, only to be shoved aside by the Disciplinary Chairman.
"There is no need to explain! I have been listening this entire time!" Taka roared, sending accusatory glares at everyone present. "When you found something crucial to our survival…you all decided to keep it a secret from me! That is why you were all in the bathhouse together yesterday! I put my faith in you all and how do you repay me? With lies and betrayal! Is that not so, Makoto Naegi?!"
The lucky student opened his mouth to protest, but couldn't deny the truth. A pained look of guilt covered his face and at that moment, Taka knew he was correct.
"I would say that I cannot believe you would do such a thing…but clearly it was to be expected!" the Disciplinary Committee Chairman raged, making everyone flinch. "None of you have conformed to the rules that I have laid out for you! Time and time again, I find that you all not only distrust me, you go behind my back in order to benefit yourselves—!"
"It has nothing to do with that," Kyoko sternly refuted him, not even flinching as Taka turned his fiery gaze on her. "We chose not to tell you about Alter Ego because we feared you would react like this. We wanted to avoid any infighting as much as possible—".
"But it seems that infighting has occurred regardless! You are all fighting over who should retain ownership of Chihiro's laptop, are you not?!" Taka insisted, making Kyoko scowl at him.
"It's just a misunderstand that we were trying to clear up—", she tried to explain but was cut off again.
"A misunderstanding indeed!" Taka shouted, pointing from her to Sayaka and Junko. "You used the excuse of bathing in order to go behind my back! And after I graciously allowed Junko Enoshima to accompany you, this is how you repay my generosity!"
"Hey, lay off!" Junko interjected, a fire rising in her as well. "We didn't plan on accessing the laptop when we came in here! We just wanted a freaking bath! Don't go forcing your opinions on—".
"Be silent, traitor!" Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishimaru shouted at the top of his lungs. Stunned into silence by his comment, no one stopped him as he brazenly continued, "It doesn't matter what your intentions were! You still went behind my back and lied to me! After all I've done to try and keep everyone safe, you all continue to undermine my efforts! But that ends now!"
Marching over to Hifumi before anyone could stop him, Taka grabbed the laptop with both hands and abruptly jerked it out of the fanfic creator's sweaty grasp. Reaching his hands out in a futile attempt to stop him, the love-struck fanfic creator wept as the love of his life was taken from him.
"I am confiscating this laptop until further notice! If any of you wish to access it, you will come and speak with me directly! Good day!"
Everyone's eyes widened as Taka spared no time, heading directly for the changing room exit.
Hifumi took a shaky step forward, trying to pursue the Disciplinary Chairman, but he stumbled and fell to his knees. Hot tears poured out of eyes and stained his glasses as he realized just how powerless he truly was. His heart ached and he felt a void forming deep in his chest as the only 'person' to ever take interest in him was stolen away. However, the worse torture began as Alter Ego, who could barely see her surroundings, noticed that she was exiting the changing room.
A high pitch scream enveloped the area…
The instant Taka made it out into the lobby area of the dorms, a high-pitched scream erupted from the laptop.
"HEEEELP! SOMEONE'S TAKING ME! PLEASE! ANYONE! HELP ME!"
As the voice that sounded like Chihiro continued to endlessly scream for help, Taka paused for a moment, completely startled by the AI's shouting. For a moment, his aura flickered, the white in his hair momentarily shown black and his eye flames extinguished as that voice shook him to the core. However, his hesitation lasted for but a moment, his aura returning along with his whitened hair and blazing eyes. Steeling himself, he prepared to head directly toward his room when a voice called out to him.
"Taka! What is the meaning of this?!" a deep but feminine voice shouted over Alter Ego's wails.
Glancing over his shoulder, the Disciplinary Committee Chairman saw Sakura standing only a few feet away from him, with Hina and Celeste standing beside her. All of them had guilty but perplexed expressions, proving to him that they also knew of the laptop's existence.
This only strengthened his resolve as he fiercely shouted back, "I am confiscating this laptop due to its suspicious nature! It will remain in my care until further notice!"
"W-Wait! You don't understand!" Hina tried to reason with him, but her pleas fell on deaf ears.
"Please, give us a chance to explain!" Sakura insisted, but even her voice failed to pierce him.
Completely ignoring their protests, the Disciplinary Committee Chairman turned and headed toward his room, not letting the anguished wails of Alter Ego deter him.
Unbeknownst to all of them, Celeste's calculating eyes fixed on the laptop. And if only for an instant, a fiendish smile overtook her lips.
At the far end of the first floor hallway, Mondo heard the screams. At first, his eyes shot over to Chihiro, only to realize that she was still unconscious. Only then did it click that the screams were from Alter Ego, making the biker race to the door and slide it open. Even now, far off in the distance, the wails could easily be heard.
"HEEELP MEEEE! I'M BEING TAKEN! SOMEONE! ANYONE! HELP!"
Mondo clenched his fists and gritted his teeth before slamming his knuckles into the doorframe.
"I…I…I can't help you…I can't leave…I have to stay…and protect…Chihiro…I'm sorry…I'm sorry…" Mondo angrily whispered an apology, feeling utterly powerless.
As those wails of desperation echoed through the halls of the school, even if it was only a tiny bit…Chihiro Fujisaki began to stir.
To Be Continued…
Greetings, my beautiful readers! Now the ball is certainly rolling, isn't it?! How will the class react to Taka's 'theft' of their only hope? And just what does the Disciplinary Chairman plan to do with Alter Ego anyway? Is this the beginning of the end for Chapter 3? All of these questions and more will be answered in the next few installments!
On that note, I have an important announcement to make…I will need to take a short break from posting for a bit. I know, I know, I've done this too many times now, but I assure you I have a good reason…I've run out of backlog on my chapters and need ample time to write more. I try to stay a few chapters ahead of posting but thanks to DR3 (and all the stress/anxiety/awesomeness it brought me) I fell behind on writing. Because of that, I'm going to take some time to get further ahead in my own writing on this story.
I know it's annoying but I want to give all of you the best possible story I can create! And to do that, I need more time. My beta, Dixxy Mouri, has been very helpful and together we've got some absolutely amazing events planned for later in this story! I refuse to simply write faster just to get chapters out and not be satisfied with my own story. So again, I'm sorry but I'm going on another break. It shouldn't be a terrible amount of time, but long enough for me to hammer out ideas and get everything down on paper.
Above all, I appreciate each and every one of you for sticking with my story! I never imagined it would get this big or this amazing! Seriously, thank all of you beautiful readers for being here for me and I will be back as soon as I possibly can!
Until then, please keep on smiling, my beautiful readers!