A/N: Here's Chapter Three Daily Life Part Two. Please read, review, and enjoy!
Danganronpa 4: Next Generation Killing!
Chapter Three: Grief of a Sister and Suspicions of a Mother!
Daily Life Part Two: A Second Killing Game?!
"Fine! Forget it. If you aren't gonna leave, then I'll just-"
"Sorry! Gonta will stay in the corner, promise!"
Kiki and Shuichi sweatdropped as Gonta quivered in the face of Clover's temper. Guess having Gonta here with her wasn't the best idea…
"I take it she's not doing any better…"
Kiki and Shuichi turned to see Lotus standing behind them. Her frown intensified in concern as she ignored Sokyu.
Shuichi spoke up, muttering, "Ah, no, it seems like she's still as angry as she was when we split up."
"Well, that's not good." Seven muttered as he and Ryoma approached.
"Wh-what's with h-her?" Teruaki muttered, rejoining the group along with Keebo. "Why's she still so h-huffy…?"
"Perhaps all of our offers to assist her are merely pressuring her even more, worsening her emotional state." The robot offered.
"Heh, I didn't know robots could be that good at reading feelings." Seven commented with an impressed smile.
Keebo merely scowled at the remark. "I have recorded your robophobic remarks and will be reporting them to the proper authorities once we escape."
"Anyway, it looks like we've finished our investigations…" Ryoma glanced around, his lips tugging into a frown. "Where're Kirumi and Tsumugi?"
"…So much anime…"
Everyone turned to see Kirumi, shivering with every step she took. Her eyes had a haunted darkness within them as she approached with a much more energetic Tsumugi behind her.
"…So much anime…I don't think I've ever seen so much anime about maids in one sitting."
"I know! Wasn't it great, Kirumi!" Tsumugi grinned excitedly, stars in her eyes. "It's a total cla-"
"Never again…" Kirumi took a deep, shuddering breath as she vowed, "I will never watch another episode of Maid-Sama as long as I live!"
I…guess Kirumi's been thoroughly punished…
Everyone sweatdropped before Sokyu observed, "Anyway, it looks like we're all back. So…who wants to be the one to save Gonta from Clover?"
The entrance fell dead silent as nobody wanted to be the one to deal with a huffy Clover. At least, Kirumi volunteered with a heavy sigh.
"Very well, I shall consider this to be an official request and intervene." As she walked into the Dining Hall, she muttered under her breath "…Anything's better than being forced to hear more about anime…"
"…I feel bad for Kirumi." Kiri decided as Koto nodded.
"Yeah…I had no idea Tsumugi could be so…intense…"
We did… Makoto and Kyoko thought dryly.
The two parents shuddered, recalling the one time they were more or less forced to listen to one of Tsumugi's extremely energetic anime rants. Maki glanced over at her two friends, sweatdropping at their shared antics.
"Anyway, it looks like they're about to share the results of their respective investigations…"
Mokubo nodded. "…Maybe they'll find a clue about their situation."
We hope so, Moku…we hope so… His parents thought as they watched the survivors congregate around the table.
At least she's calmer now… Kiki sighed in relief once Clover fell into an uncomfortable silence at last.
Seven patted Gonta's back reassuringly. Eventually, he stopped shaking and calmed down from the verbal abuse the grieving girl subjected him to.
"Gonta's…okay now…" Gonta assured them with a small smile.
"Okay, then why don't we start by sharing what we found in our investigations?" Shuichi suggested.
"Alright then, guess I'll go first." Lotus volunteered. "The storage room on the third floor is basically identical to the one on the fourth floor."
"That would mean that there is nothing new to report as far as the storage rooms are concerned, correct?"
Lotus nodded at Kirumi's deduction. "Correct; we didn't find anything of note, even though we inspected every nook and cranny."
"Very well, then we'll go next." Kirumi explained "The AV Room has one big monitor and sixteen smaller monitors built inside. Its construction is fairly similar to Language Labs that used to exist in old high schools."
"Sixteen…" Shuichi realized "That's the number of participants that this Killing Game started out with."
"Yes, though I don't know why such a room was constructed on the third floor." Kirumi admitted. "It would have made more sense to have it available from the start."
"Maybe they just wanted to confuse us…" Seven suggested, causing everyone's eyes to lower in contemplation.
"Anyway…" Tsumugi interjected excitedly, "It's also stocked to the brim with DVDs of every anime you can think of! …Oh, and other movies and shows too, I suppose."
…Tsumugi is obsessed with anime… Kiki deadpanned as everyone sweatdropped at her enthusiasm.
"But that was everything we found." Tsumugi finished with a dejected look in her eyes. "Nothing about how we got here or how to escape…"
"Then we shall explain what we found in the classrooms." Keebo declared before Teruaki averted his eyes and scowled.
"N-Nothing…that's what we found, n-nothing…"
"D-don't say it like that!" Keebo objected. "We still found places where we can study and focus on learning! We can still make this into a real school if we want to!"
Everyone sweatdropped at Keebo's positive perspective. "But…" Keebo sighed "…it is true that we found nothing relating to our escape in the classrooms."
"Then I guess we're up." Ryoma told them "We searched the Physics Lab, and like the Chem Lab, there's a lot of science equipment in there. So anyone who wants to pass the time can grab a textbook from the library and go nuts in there."
"But…we didn't find anything useful in there either." Seven muttered with a disappointed sigh. "So…" He asked as he turned to Kiki and Shuichi "What did you two find?"
"Well…" Shuichi began "We searched the Rec Room. There's a lot of games in there. Board games, arcade games, even a few RPG sourcebooks."
"S-Sourcebooks?" Tsumugi exclaimed. "So…we can all escape this place and go on a grand mythical adventure? With character classes and dice and everything?!"
Everyone sweatdropped before Shuichi confirmed, "Ah, for a little while anyway."
"Well, it would seem as though we will have no difficulty entertaining ourselves between the AV Room and the Rec Room." Kirumi observed.
"Yeah, but that's not all we found." Kiki took out the book she found earlier and placed it on the table. "I found this mixed in with the sourcebooks."
"S-seriously?!" Teruaki pointed at her and Shuichi and demanded, "Why is it y-you two that always f-find the c-clues…?"
"Hey, it's not like I'm trying to beat you guys to the clues!" Kiki defended. "It just happened to be in the room Shuichi and I were searching."
"Teruaki, I suggest you calm down. This isn't helping our situation." Keebo interjected with a firm edge in his voice. "Please, continue, Kiki."
While Teruaki grumbled under his breath, Kiki nodded gratefully. "Before I open this book and start reading it, I have to ask…has anyone heard of the Second Nonary Game?"
"Gonta's never heard of it."
"I do not recall hearing about it either." Kirumi answered.
Ryoma shook his head after a moment of contemplation. "Maybe I heard it in prison, but if I did, I don't remember it."
"I've never heard of it. Though it sounds like the name of an arc in a mystery or thriller anime…" Tsumugi mused.
"I must admit, my memory banks are failing me right now." Keebo admitted.
"I can't even remember my own name, let alone this Nonary Game…" Seven muttered.
"Can't say I remember hearing about this." Sokyu shrugged.
"N-Nonary G-Game?" Teruaki stammered. "W-what kind of l-lame garbage is t-that…?"
"Well, seems like none of us are familiar with this Nonary Game…" Lotus concluded. "Guess the only way we'll find out what it is…is to read it."
Kiki nodded and opened the front cover. "The Second Nonary Game took place on a replica of a passenger liner called the Gigantic."
"Hey, wasn't the Gigantic a sister ship to the Titanic?" Seven wondered. "I could have sworn I've heard that somewhere before."
"What does that matter?" Lotus questioned. "It's not even relevant to the case here. Continue, Kiki."
Kiki nodded and continued, "An individual going by the alias Zero captured a total of nine people and placed them on the Gigantic: Gentarou Hongou, Light Field, Aoi Kurashiki, Clover Field, Junpei Tenmyouji, Akane Kurashiki, an amnesiac going by the alias of Seven, Hazuki Kashiwabara, and Teruaki Kubota."
"Wait…" Shuichi realized with widened eyes "…Those are six of the sixteen participants in this Killing Game!"
"W-What the hell are you talking about?!" Lotus objected forcefully. "I don't remember being on a cruise ship, let along in any Nonary Game!"
"Y-Yeah!" Teruaki stammered "I d-don't even know what a N-Nonary G-Game is…"
"…Yeah, but we can't exactly disprove it happened either…" Seven admitted.
"Perhaps we should investigate this book more; it might tell us more about what this Nonary Game is." Keebo suggested.
"Yeah, I'll keep reading."
Kiki nodded before she focused her attention back on the book. She took a deep breath before she turned the page.
"Each was equipped with a bracelet with a number from one to nine. In the Gigantic were nine doors, each with a number between one and nine painted on it. Only a group whose combined digital root equaled the number on the specific door could go through it by scanning their bracelets on a device called the RED. After that, they had 81 seconds to find a scanner in the next room, called the DEAD. If they failed, then the detonators in the bracelets would activate, and the owners would…explode…"
"E-Explode?!" Gonta's face paled in horror.
"Sounds like these guys faced their own Killing Game, only theirs was a lot more lethal…" Ryoma mused.
Yeah…no joke… Kiki shuddered as she fought her nausea and continued reading. "The participants were tasked with escaping through a door that had the number nine on it. If they failed to do so within nine hours…the replica ship would sink with them still on it."
"Hmph…Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors."
"I guess this Zero had some sort of fascination with the number nine…" Shuichi mused with a shaky smile.
"Okay, so we know how the Nonary Game worked…but what happened to the participants…?" Gonta wondered.
"Let's see…" Kiki turned the page and read, "After Gentarou Hongou tricked Teruaki Kubota into violating the rules and getting himself killed, the other eight survivors proceed through the Nonary Game. Eventually, it was revealed that Akane Kurashiki was Zero, and masterminded the game with her brother Aoi to get revenge on Gentarou Hongou, who subjected the two of them as children to the First Nonary Game."
"There was another Nonary Game?!" Keebo exclaimed, his eyes threatening to bulge out of his head.
"…If this account is true, then that might explain why Ace targeted Teruaki." Kirumi pondered. "If they knew each other from these Nonary Games, then he might have wanted to kill Teruaki in order to eliminate the possibility of his past being exposed."
"…Who cares…" Clover finally spoke. "Just get to the end already…"
Kiki frowned but stayed silent as she nodded and turned the page. "Junpei Tenmyouji exposed Gentarou Hongou as Teruaki Kubota's killer and the mastermind of the First Nonary Game. While Aoi and Akane Kurashiki disappeared to parts unknown, Junpei led Hazuki Kashiwabara, Seven, and Clover and Light Field out of the Gigantic. Upon their escape, they brought Gentarou Hongou to the authorities, where he was arrested for his crimes."
"…That's it…?" Shuichi wondered as Kiki closed the book.
"Yeah…that's it…" Kiki nodded.
"Th-this is all a l-load of c-crap!" Teruaki stammered, pointing at the book. "I d-died?! I-impossible! I'm s-still h-here! That book has to be a f-fake!"
"Gotta admit, he's got a point." Lotus commented with a reluctant nod. "I certainly don't remember anything like this, and I think I'd remember you guys if I survived a life-or-death game with some of you."
"Well, I have amnesia, so if it was only me involved, I could see this happening." Seven mused. "But if nobody else here who was mentioned in it remembers it, then maybe it didn't happen after all."
"Nyohohohoho!"
Not again… Kiki groaned as she and the others turned towards the table.
Monokuma sat on the edge, kicking his legs absentmindedly as he taunted "You're seriously gonna write this off as a work of fiction too? Are you the same kinds of guys who think the 2020 election was stolen as well?"
"B-But…it's just…i-impossible…" Teruaki stammered.
"Impossible…things are happening every day!" Monokuma exclaimed. "I assure you, this file is just as genuine as the last one I gave you guys after Kaede died."
"So if this one is fiction, then that one's fiction too, right?" Lotus prodded.
"Who knows?" Monokuma finished "Do what you wish with the information. I did my job by giving it to you; the rest is up to you! So trust or distrust, whether it's this information or the people around you, I don't care. As long as you guys feel the despair of discord, it's all good to me! Ahahahahaha!"
Monokuma hopped off the table and waddled out of the dining hall. Kiki's eyes lowered as she fiddled with her braid, missing the gleam in Lotus's eyes.
I can't deny that there are serious contradictions here…but should we just ignore it completely? I mean…it can't be a coincidence that six of the participants in this Nonary Game were also participants in this Killing Game…
"Oh, I just remembered something."
Everyone turned towards Lotus, surprise written all over their faces. "W-What…?" Seven breathed.
Sokyu's brow furrowed, betraying the slightest bit of worry as Teruaki stammered, "W-What is it…? W-what have you been h-holding out on us…?"
"Cool it, I only just found this out last night. Now then…" Lotus gave an extremely serious frown. "Remember when Shuichi came up with the idea that one of us might be a traitor? That one of us might be cooperating with the mastermind?"
"Y-yeah…what of it…?" Shuichi asked, reminding her, "I thought we already settled that my deduction was wrong-"
"…What if it wasn't though? Consider this…Kaede merely got the wrong person killed."
"The…the wrong…person…?" Kiki uttered, her eyes widened in shock.
"That's right; I believe that one of us is still aligned with the mastermind."
"You mean like…a s…spy…?" Tsumugi stammered.
"Spy, mole, traitor, double agent, call them whatever you will. The bottom line is that it's likely that somebody isn't being completely honest with us."
Kirumi's brow furrowed. "Assuming you're right…do you have any idea as to their identity?"
"As a matter of fact I do…the identity of the mastermind's ally…is you!"
Everyone else gasped as she pointed right at Sokyu. For his part, he averted his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest, staying impressively calm.
"I think you should tell us what you know, Lotus." Ryoma demanded.
"Very well, I'll tell you." Lotus explained "It happened late last night, while Clover was still asleep. I briefly left her room to get a pair of pajamas from my own room to change into. But when I got back…" Lotus scowled "I saw him talking with Monokuma."
"M-Monokuma?!" Kiki exclaimed in shock.
"That's right; he then let the bear in his room and closed the door." Lotus smirked victoriously as she posed, "Now then…what reason would anyone have for a secret meeting with the bear forcing us to kill each other…unless they were working with Monokuma in the first place."
Sokyu…the mastermind's co-conspirator? It…can't be… Kiki thought in disbelief.
"Sokyu, is this true?" Kirumi asked gently. "Did you meet up with Monokuma during nighttime?"
"…Fine…" He sighed, admitting, "Monokuma knocked on my door and asked to come in my room and talk. I figured he'd only continue to annoy me if I tried to ignore him. I let him in so I could get it over with and go back to sleep."
"Ah, and what did you guys talk about?"
Sokyu shrugged in response to Shuichi's question. "He just babbled nonsense like usual. I waited it out until he got bored and left."
"No way!" Lotus shook her head in denial. "No way am I believing you guys didn't share important information! What exactly did you two say?"
"I told you, it was nonsensical babble, and I was too tired to pay attention."
"Keh!" Lotus spat "You really think I'm gonna buy that kind of garbage? If you're not willing to be honest about this…how can we trust you at all?"
"She's r-right…" Teruaki stammered accusingly. "We c-can't trust him. We'll h-have to lock him in his room for our s-safety…"
"Now hold on!" Kiki interjected. "I know how this looks…I'm concerned about this information too…" Kiki sighed heavily. "…But we can't just submit to our worst impulses. We don't have any proof that Sokyu's with the mastermind, or that he's an active threat. We can't just treat him like he's a convicted criminal!"
"Plus, I'm a convicted criminal, and you guys let me walk around free…" Ryoma pointed out.
As Lotus and Teruaki gritted their teeth, Kiki spoke with a calming softness to her voice. "Lotus, Teruaki…I know how you feel…but we can't just lock up Sokyu. Taking action without hard evidence is wrong. It'll just shatter our unity, and that's exactly what Monokuma wants."
"Yeah, for all we know, this could be Monokuma's third motive…" Seven concurred.
Lotus sighed, shaking her head. "Fine…I'll back off…for now…" She glared at Sokyu and pointed at him as she warned, "But I'm watching you like a hawk."
"…Nothing I'm not used to…" Sokyu muttered.
"…Hey, Kiki…"
Kiki turned to Shuichi, who smiled at her and assured her "Let's not worry about this right now. Let's just…sleep on things for a little bit."
"Then can I go back to my room now…?" Everyone turned to stare at Clover, who stood up from her seat. "I just wanna be left alone…so don't bother me anymore today, alright?"
Lotus's eyes softened, the maternal woman clearly conflicted. She watched helplessly as Clover turned around and walk away.
"Well…maybe we should all call it a day." Seven suggested.
With mumbles of agreement, the others got up and left the Dining Hall. Alone with her thoughts, Kiki let out a heavy sigh and followed their lead.
"…All this did was make everyone more confused…" Maki sighed as Kyoko nodded.
"Indeed. Something like this must have been immensely covered up, since I never even heard of something like this."
"And this looks like something that would be a major news story, on par with the Tragedy." Makoto commented, a worried frown on his face. But what worries me the most is this bombshell with Sokyu…it's like what happened with Sakura all over again…
"…In the end, it was of no help, and Lotus's bombshell just cracked their already fragile alliance." Mokubo lamented.
"So what happens now…?" Koto wondered.
"They keep looking for a way out, and don't let things with Sokyu get to a boiling point." Kiri answered.
Kiki sighed, tapping her foot on the floor as she sat on her bed. Her lips tugged into a worried frown as the events in the Dining Hall weighed heavily on her mind.
"That Nonary Game…there's no way it's a coincidence that six of the participants were in this school…but there's also too many contradictions to take it as fact. Gah, this is so confusing!"
Kiki gripped the sides of her head in frustration as she found herself unable to reconcile the contradictions and come to a rational conclusion. Shaking the thoughts from her head, she reflected on the confrontation that happened soon after.
"Not only that…but now we're all suspicious of each other again…well…of Sokyu, anyway. I know it looks bad…but I…I can't believe that he'd be the traitor. All this is doing is driving us apart. But what can I do…?" She looked up to the ceiling and asked aloud, "What would you do, Kaede? How would you bring everyone together again…?"
Alas, the girl's pleas were met only with divine silence. Kiki sighed and shook her head.
"Yeah…I didn't think you could answer…still, it was worth a try, I suppose…"
As Kiki closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on the problems at hand, she felt a pounding headache in her lobes. With a heavy sigh, she stood up and shook her thoughts and headache from her mind.
"I can't think about this now…I need to clear my head."
With that, she stood up and walked to the door. Once she closed it behind her, she walked down the hall, hoping that it would improve her mood.
"Maybe playing some of these arcade games will cheer me up…" Kiki hoped as she approached the range of cabinets. "Let's see, what to play…Pac-Man, Tetris, Donkey Kong…"
"You must really like video games…"
Kiki's eyes widened as she spun around. "Ryoma?!"
Surely enough, the former tennis pro stood behind her, his candy cigarette in his hand and his eyes twinkling in amusement. "I guess you had the same idea I did, coming to the Rec Room to get away from all of today's bombshells."
"Yeah…hey wait, does that mean you like video games too, Ryoma?! Did you get into tennis by playing it on a Nintendo?"
Ryoma sweatdropped. "Um, no…I played it in elementary school like most kids. Anyways, I'm not a gamer, but I do have a soft spot for gambling…" Ryoma pointed to a small range of cabinets standing in the far corner. "Apparently there's a handful of slot machines. I was hoping to play one of them, for old time's sake, but I never picked up any of those Monocoins."
"Oh, I have some!" Kiki pulled out a handful of Monocoins and suggested, "Why don't we play together?"
"You…want to go gambling…with a criminal…?" Ryoma asked curiously.
"Why not? It's all fun and games, right? Besides, it's not like this is real money."
"…Suit yourself…" Ryoma shrugged as he walked towards a slot machine. "Just don't blame me if you get addicted."
Kiki pouted, grumbling, "I'm not gonna get addicted!" before she followed the former tennis pro to an adjacent slot machine.
Free Time Event #10: Kiki & Ryoma!
The competition was over in a heartbeat. A massive pile of Monocoins pooled at Ryoma's feet that would have made Scrooge McDuck jealous, while Kiki had just barely managed to recoup the small handful she started with.
"Wh-What? Why?" She gaped at the difference between her own winnings and Ryoma's fortune.
"Maybe you should stick to video games…" Ryoma muttered, smirking at her dumbfounded expression.
"Yeah, maybe…" Kiki admitted before her lips tugged into an amazed smile. "Still, that was so awesome, Ryoma! You must be as rich as a king by now!"
"…Winning at something like this isn't something to brag about…" Ryoma muttered, averting his gaze out of embarrassment.
"Are you kidding?! It's totally amazing how much you beat the odds! I could barely make back what I spent. Hey, do you have some sort of trick?"
Ryoma sweatdropped. "Nothing like that. I've just got a knack for it, I guess."
"I see…hey, Ryoma?"
"Hm?"
Ryoma glanced curiously at Kiki as she bit her lip anxiously. "Your motive video indicated that you had nobody to care for you…but…why is that? Surely everyone has someone they care for, who cares for them. So…"
"Hmph…you're shrewd, Kiki. That must be how we've survived this long." Ryoma sighed, admitting, "There was someone I promised my future to."
"You mean…like a lover!?" Kiki's eyes widened as Ryoma glanced at her in slight surprise.
"Is it that surprising I had a lover? Hmph, I'm used to that reaction…I met her in America when I was studying tennis abroad. At the time, I didn't believe in love…I thought it was a joke…Honestly, I don't know how we fell in love, but…she's…not a part of this world anymore."
"So…she…"
"Yeah. She died."
Kami, that's so awful! "I'm sorry…" She whispered, kicking herself as she was unable to stop her curiosity from voicing her next question. How did she die?
"I decided to throw everything away. It didn't matter if we loved each other." Ryoma shrugged, causing Kiki to furrow her brow skeptically.
"I can't imagine that you would do something heartless, Ryoma. You must have had your reasons. Something to do with the mafia? So why did you do it, Ryoma?"
"You…really want to hear about it?" Ryoma asked, disbelief oozing in his voice.
What if I'm going too far? I have no business prying so deeply into Ryoma's painful past… "You don't have to answer if you don't want to."
"You say that…but it's written all over your face you want to hear it. It started with an invitation. It was to an underground tennis competition held on a mafia-owned luxury liner."
"An underground tennis competition?" Kiki asked curiously.
"They were gambling on the matches. It was just a vulgar hobby of the rich. I didn't want to get involved with it, but they wouldn't let up. I thought I'd teach them a lesson by showing up and ruining things."
Gambling on tennis…There's a niche for everything, I guess… Kiki mused as Ryoma continued his story.
"They called it a tournament, but it was just a bunch of fixed matches. I didn't like that, so I pretended to go along with their plan…And at the last second, I crushed the opponent I was meant to lose against."
"What!?" Kiki exclaimed, her eyes widening in shock. "But if your opponent was with the mafia, that would mean…"
"Yeah. Mafias get really upset when their reputation is ruined. Back then, I was naïve…Too naïve…It never crossed my mind that they'd massacre my family for revenge."
"Massacre!?" Kiki felt sick as she imagined how Ryoma felt when he came home to his entire family being destroyed.
"My lover was safe, but I didn't know when they'd get to her. That's why I had her run away somewhere far away…But it was no use. They found her and killed her anyway. I was the only one who escaped the mafia, and even then, just barely…"
"I don't believe it!" Kiki couldn't stop the words from leaving her mouth, despite the evidence present in Ryoma's misty eyes.
He clenched his fist in self-loathing. "I shouldn't have let her go. I should've kept her by my side and protected her. If I'd done that then…at least she wouldn't have been alone. And then I massacred them for revenge. That's why I was thrown in prison."
This is more than I would have ever expected from Ryoma… Kiki thought, pitying the former tennis pro.
"See? You shouldn't have asked. I'm just a helpless fool."
"…No, that's wrong."
"What?" Ryoma stared in disbelief at Kiki, who was now staring intensely into his eyes.
"Ryoma…I'm really sorry about what happened to you. Losing your family and your lover…I can't even imagine what that feels like. But…I don't think they'd want you to be moping and eager to die when you've still got your whole life to live! Even if you have to go back to prison after we get out, eventually you'll have paid your debt, and you'll be able to truly live!"
"…Heh…" Ryoma chuckled. "Finding ways to cheer me up and giving me reasons to live, even after hearing all that…I guess I really have a ways to go…now I really feel bad for beating you at gambling." Ryoma reached into his cap and pulled out a dirty green tennis ball. "Here, catch."
Kiki just barely managed to catch the tennis ball as Ryoma tossed it to her. "W-what's this…?"
"A souvenir from my days in the tennis club. Even when I went pro, I kept it with me as a good luck charm. Consider that a consolation prize."
Kiki blinked, struck silent as Ryoma hopped down from his seat and walked away. Ryoma…even if I can't truly understand your pain…I'm glad you told me about it. It doesn't matter that you technically committed a crime…I'm glad I got to grow closer to you as your friend…
"That's…"
"…So sad…" Kiri finished Koto's teary thought, sniffling as the two twins were nearly brought to tears by Ryoma's sad backstory.
"Indeed…" Kyoko nodded. "Not all lawbreakers are bad people. Some are merely victims of circumstance themselves."
"Yeah, Ryoma didn't deserve to lose everyone he cared for." Makoto frowned at Ryoma's backstory. If only things hadn't turned out like they did…he would have fit right in at Hope's Peak Academy…and I would have loved to have him as a student.
"…The mafia were to blame, not Ryoma." Mokubo concluded.
"I'm glad I got out of that business when I did." Maki sighed. "It takes a special evil to wish death on someone's family, especially over a petty grudge."
The others nodded in agreement as they watched Kiki return from the Dining Hall to her room.
Kiki sighed as she settled under the covers, Monokuma's Nighttime Announcement only making her feel even more uneasy. Though she yawned with fatigue as she closed her eyes, her mind was restless as she fell into a fitful sleep.
So much for coming out of this stronger…we were given another confusing hint about another Killing Game…and on top of that, we get the revelation that Sokyu might be working against us. I don't believe that he's a mole for the Mastermind…but is that just me being naïve? I used to think I could work with everyone to get out of here…but I'm starting to wonder if that was wishful thinking.
Kaede, Kirumi, and Ace's faces flashed in her mind. Her lips tugged into a grimace, reflecting on the three people who had already planned to take lives.
Kaede and Kirumi's motives might have been honorable, but Hongou acted out of pure selfishness, and was willing to do whatever it took to get what he wanted. Who's to say anyone else isn't willing to do the same…no, I can't go doubting us now. I promised Kaede I'd get as many of us out as possible. If I start getting suspicious of everyone…then I'm just conceding defeat. I won't play into Monokuma's hands; I'm gonna believe in everyone…and get everyone out!
"Curious? Curious what I do when you're not around? I'll tell you. I listen to foreign music and laugh at the funny sounding words. When I hear words that sound perverted, I get really excited. I also wear pajamas all day, and lounge in an air-conditioned room…and when I go out, I steal! It's lots of fun! Except when I have to run away when I get caught stealing."
"…Too much information…" Makoto shivered as the Monokuma Theatre segment ended and the screen faded to black.
"Agreed." Kyoko nodded. "I'm just glad Maki took the kids to bed before it came on." Her lips tugged into a frown as she confessed, "…I'm worried about her, Makoto. Every day she's trapped in that prison, I can see her lose a little of the light that makes her unique."
"I know, honey. I know…" Makoto wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head as she leaned into him. "Come on, let's go to bed. I think we could all use it."
Kyoko nodded and stood up, supported by her husband as they walked out of the living room. They prayed that their daughter would come out of the Killing Game at least somewhat intact.