"Okay, we can stop looking for a weapon, then." Said Maizono. "But as long as we're here, let's hang out a bit more."

"Sure." I said. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Umm…" She began. "I know I said I wanted to talk to you, but now that we're here… I don't really know what to talk about. And I was the one who invited you to come with me, too. Sorry…"

"It's okay." I replied. "I mean, if there's nothing to talk about, then we can just not talk, right?"

"Huh?" Maizono asked in confusion.

"You don't have to force yourself to talk." I explained. "We can just, I dunno… Stare off into space or whatever."

"Stare off into space…?" Pondered Maizono.

"Oh, but you're probably super bored!" I retaliated. "Just standing around doing nothing…"

Maizono quickly shook her head. "No, it's not that it's boring, it's just that I've never really done it before. I don't have a lot of time to just… Do nothing."

"I-I guess that makes sense." I stammered. "You're not a normal high school student like me. You've got tons of stuff to do every day."

There was a short moment of silence before Maizono spoke again. "Hey, um… This is kinda out of nowhere, but, well, Naegi, do you have a dream?"

"Huh? A dream…?" I gasped. She was right. This WAS out of nowhere. "Umm… I guess you could say I'm still shopping around for one."

"Really?" Maizono giggled. "Well, I hope you find your dream someday."

"Thanks…" I replied. What's wrong with Maizono? Asking me about my dreams all of a sudden…

"Well…" I began. Still trying to figure out why she asked that. "What about you, Maizono? What's your dream? I'd love to hear…"

She seemed to light up at the question. "I…" She began. "My dream is, well, I've always wanted to be a star, as long as I can remember. I grew up without a mother, you know… And my dad worked really late every night. I was always home alone… I was just a kid, ya know? So I was really lonely. But all that changed when I saw a pop star on TV for the first time. She was so pretty, like a princess. And she could sing and dance… But more than anything else, there was her smile. Looking at her smile, I could feel my loneliness melting away. I decided that's what I wanted to be someday. I wanted to give that kind of encouragement to others. Eventually, that became my dream."

"That's so amazing, though." I said amazed. "You were able to actually fulfill your dream. Honestly, it's really incredible."

"I did whatever it took to reach that dream." She continued. "I mean it. Even some things that… Weren't so pleasant."

"Huh…?" I gasped. What on Earth does she mean by that?

"I honestly believed that as long as you kept chasing your dreams, someday they had to come true." Explained Maizono. "But to do that, you can't take your eyes off of your dream, not even for a second. Even if sometimes it's a bad dream… Whether you're awake, whether you're asleep… To make your dream a reality, you have to keep your gaze fixed on it no matter what. In that world, if you lose focus for even a split second, you get left behind. You have to keep on swimming against the current, without even taking time to breathe… That's the kind of world my dream lives in."

I was completely shocked after Maizono's speech. "I-Is it really that tough?" I asked her. "Is it not fun at all?"

"Oh no, don't get the wrong idea. It's super fun!" She explained. "But… That's exactly what scares me."

"Huh…?" Was all I managed to get out.

"I enjoy every single day I wake up and get to do what I do." Maizono continued. "We've been performing together since we were young, so they're all like family to me. Without them, I would have given up on my dream a long time ago. To work together, and fulfill our dreams together, has brought me so much happiness… But that's the thing that scares me the most. If the world gets tired of us, then what happens? What happens to us? Then the dream dies, those wonderful days come to an end, and everyone goes their separate ways…"

Maizono began trembling. She must be terrified. She worked so hard, sacrificed so much, to get where she is. She must be terrified of losing it.

"So that's the reason I decided to come to Hope's Peak." She finally said.

"Huh? What do you mean?" I asked her.

"Well…" She began. "They say that if you graduate from here, success is basically guaranteed. Which means I could keep on performing with my best friends, for ever and ever. At least, that's what I thought. I really did believe that, but no we're trapped here, with no way out. They're probably waiting for me… While I'm in here, the world out there is forgetting about me. Minute by minute, we're all disappearing. But still…" She trailed off.

"Maizono…?" I said while reaching out to her. But when I did, she completely freaked out.

"I can't afford to be stuck in here!" She screamed. That was the first time I heard her cry out from deep within herself. She sounds desperate, but I can understand why she'd feel that way.

Trapped here this way, the dream she put so much effort into is on the verge of disappearing forever. And that isn't something that can be fixed with kind words. The weight she's carrying… I can't even imagine it.

Maizono must have noticed that I was worrying about her. "Ah!" She gasped. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to complain… I kinda killed the mood, huh?"

"No, not at all." I reassured her.

"I'm really sorry." She apologized sadly.

I then spoke up. "Um, Maizono…" I began. "Actually, are you hungry? Before we head back, why don't we go to the dining hall and get some food?"

That made her happy. "So you want to make us something to eat?" She replied. "I might not look like it, but I'm actually a pretty good cook!"

"Wow, really? What's your specialty?" I asked.

"Chili oil." She said sternly.

"Y-You mean the condiment!?" I stammered.

"Just kidding!" She burst out laughing. Her earlier mood disappeared, replaced by the bright smile I'd quickly grown used to. But how did it happen so fast? It was almost like a mask, lie some kind of neutral expression.

Anyway, we headed to the dining hall to get something to eat before returning to our rooms.

The only thing different in my room is a fake sword covered in gold. All it does is make me feel that much more uncomfortable.

Anyway, there's still plenty of time left in the day. I really don't feel like just sitting here. Maybe I'll take a look around…