POV: NULL
On the fourth floor of Hope's Peak Academy, there's a room.
Inside this room, there's a chalkboard.
On this chalkboard, near the top, three words have been written:
HANGMAN'S GAMBIT DECLINED
Beneath these words, there's a chalk drawing of a black-and-white bear hanging from a gallows. The bear's neck has clearly snapped, and there are X's over its eyes.
Next to the chalkboard, there's an LCD screen.
On this screen, two words are displayed:
***N*O E******A
CHAPTER 2: Little Boy Blue and the Man in the Moon
DAILY LIFE
Hiroto's fast asleep. Ryu's standing over him, wearing a white bedsheet as a cloak, holding up a knife.
I scream. I run. I have to save him.
But no sound comes out of my mouth. And I'm not getting any closer. I'm running in place, like I'm on a treadmill.
Ryu stabs, and stabs, and stabs.
Blood everywhere. It keeps coming. More and more blood…
I look up, and see a giant gavel crashing down on me.
Ding dong, bing bong.
"Good morning, everyone! It is now 7 a.m. and nighttime is officially over! Time to rise and shine! Get ready to greet another beee-yutiful day!"
I wake up panting. I'm sweating. But… it's okay, now. It was just a nightmare.
…No.
It was all real.
This fact sinks in, and my relief melts away.
I'm out of my sleeping nightmare, and into my waking one.
It doesn't really sink in, though. I'm not sure it ever will.
It feels like Hiroto only existed in a dream. And now I'm awake, and he was never real.
Somehow, I'm at the breakfast table. When did I get here? I keep blanking out. I'm still trying to process everything. Trying to figure out reality's true form. It's taking all of my brainpower.
The world feels a little emptier than it should be. That's the only thing I know for sure.
There's a Hiroto-sized hole in the universe. A Ryu-sized one, too.
I feel those holes in my heart.
And I see them at the table. Hiroto's missing. Ryu's missing. It feels… empty.
Wait. Actually, Jun and Yuna are also missing. That's part of why it feels so empty.
Some people are talking. But they seem unsure about how to talk. They keep fluctuating between somber and casual.
I hear rhythmic clapping. Akiko, probably. I turn toward the head of the table.
But it's Mizuki who's clapping.
"Um…" Mizuki says. "Everyone…" She's trying very hard. She keeps looking people in the eye—and then looking back down at her hands. "I… um… I…"
Akiko saves her. "Our Captain has a few things to say!" she announces, beaming. "So listen up!" Akiko reaches out, and pinches Mizuki's cheek. "Yesterday was rough for all of us," Akiko says. "But this adorable face will light our way forward!"
For half a second, a shadow of a smile creeps onto Mizuki's face.
Then her face turns somber.
"Everyone…" Mizuki says.
She stands up, and bows.
"I—I'm sorry!" says Mizuki. "As C-Captain, I take full r-responsibility for what happened!"
"Hmm," Momoka drawls. "Ryu was responsible, though…"
"I ch-chose Ryu as my S-Second Mate," Mizuki says, still bowing. "He abused the t-trust I placed in him. I take responsibility for his actions. Also…" Her voice softens. "Ryu killed Hiroto b-because of my room check policy. I wanted the r-room checks to bring us closer together. But they only brought us m-murder. I apologize deeply to all of you."
She's still bowing. This is the most I've ever heard Mizuki say all at once.
"Point One of the Pirate C-Code," Mizuki says, "gives you the right to elect a n-new Captain at any time. I'll understand if you w-wish to exercise that right."
"What?" I say, shaken out of my stupor. "No, that would be wrong! We supported your decisions! And… they were good decisions! It's not your fault that Ryu tricked us!"
"Ryu was almost Captain," Tsubasa marvels. "He was just one vote away. It's seriously weird to think about."
"I'm sorry," Jeff says. He looks and sounds distressed. "I was the first one to endorse Ryu. It's… it's my fault, too."
"Having endorsed Ryu as well," Takeru tells Mizuki, "I have forfeited my right to question your leadership. I apologize for my lapse in judgment."
"Your decisions," Emi tells Mizuki, "were quite wise, in my opinion. Unfortunately, Ryu was a resourceful murderer. He would likely have committed murder no matter how many precautions we took. You ought to take credit, Mizuki, for his capture. Your policies ensured an orderly investigation, and helped us eliminate possibilities. Without your leadership, we may never have found the truth."
"Catching Ryu was a team effort," I add. "And you're the one who led that team."
Finally, Mizuki sits back down. "Th-thank you," she says. "Thank you for c-continuing to trust me. I will t-try to live up to that trust." She looks around at us—and doesn't look down. "I'll t-try to be a better Captain. I d-don't want what happened… to ever happen again."
"EEEeee!" Akiko squeals, clutching her gleeful face. "She's so cute when she's determined! I can't stand it!"
"As you've probably guessed," Naomi says, "room checks are cancelled for now."
Oh, yeah. I wasn't thinking about it, but I guess there was no room check this morning.
"On a brighter note," says Akiko, "the knives are gone!"
Oh, yeah. I wasn't thinking about it, but I guess the cafeteria is knife-free now.
"It seems that Monokuma has made his point," says Shingo. "The kitchen knives can't be removed. However, we'll be checking to make sure no one's taken any of them."
"Hey," says Tsubasa, "uh—question. Where's Jun?"
"And where's Yuna?" asks Jeff.
"Jun got sent to the brig!" Akiko says, pointing. "He's serving a six-hour sentence for his misbehavior!"
Naomi adds, "Yuna was… kind enough to watch over him."
"Seriously?" Tsubasa says, appalled. "You sicked Yuna on him? That's cruel and unusual punishment!"
"Poor Jun…" says Momoka.
"It s-serves him right!" Mizuki says sternly. "I understand w-why Jun withheld the information he h-had. But… he used that information to t-toy with us. Also, h-he acted on his own, by conducting that experiment. There was no telling what m-might have happened. I can't let behavior like that go unpunished!"
"Um…" Akiko says, smiling nervously. "…Be careful, Captain. If you're this adorable when you scold people, I might start misbehaving on purpose…"
Naomi sighs. "On a different note," she says, "today will probably be a day of exploration—if previous patterns hold."
"Oh, that's right," I say. "This is Danganronpa, so… now that we've completed a class trial, there's probably a new area to explore."
"Yes indeed!" says Monokuma.
We're not even surprised anymore. We just turn, and look at the black-and-white bear.
"Every time you overcome a trial here at Hope's Peak," Monokuma continues, "a whole new world will open up to you!"
"A new world?" says Jeff.
"Hmm," says Momoka. "He means a new floor…"
"So the second floor is open, huh?" says Tsubasa. "About time."
Monokuma just stares. He looks angry.
"You dang know-it-alls," he grumbles. "This is the problem with reusing an old setting. The characters know too much ahead of time!" His face softens. "Well, a good revival is all about cashing in on nostalgia. The pros outweigh the cons, so it's no big deal." He holds out his black hand. "By the way, there are three new Ultimate Offices on the second floor. Maybe one of them is yours! Probably not, though."
With that, he walks out the door, into the hallway.
"Koi?" says Kenji.
"Hm?" I say. I look around. The table's empty—it's just me and Kenji. "Hey—where'd everyone go?"
"They're exploring the second floor," Kenji says. "You've, um…" His voice lowers. "You've been staring into space for a while…"
"Oh," I say. "That explains it." I stare off into space. "You stayed behind, though."
"Um…" Kenji scratches his arm. "I was kinda worried about you, so…"
His eyes widen. He puts his hands up. "I—I'm sorry!" he says. "I d-didn't mean to make you cry…!"
"Am I crying?" I reply calmly. I touch my eye, and feel tears. "Oh. I guess I am." I wipe my eyes. "Sorry about that."
"…It's… okay…" Kenji mutters, clearly unsure of how to respond.
We're quiet for a while.
"My emotions…" I say softly. "I feel like… they're not even really mine. It's almost like I'm not really in my own body. I don't know how else to describe it."
More silence.
"If…" Kenji begins hesitantly. "If you want to talk, or… if you don't want to talk—if you, um, want me to go away… um…"
He trails off, leaving his thought unfinished.
Yet more silence.
"Kenji," I say, finally looking him in the eye. "What happened with Hiroto—it messed me up pretty badly. I think… there might be a limit to how close I can get with anyone. At least for a while. I'm… sorry."
"I get it," Kenji says quickly. He stands up. "You want to be alone, so—"
"No!" I say, also standing up. "That's not—I didn't mean…!" I pull myself together. "I still want to be friends with you. I just…" I sigh. "…I'm sorry. I don't even know what I'm talking about, anymore. Nothing I'm saying is making any sense. My brain is all jumbled up." I force a smile. "But… if you're willing to tolerate that… we could explore the second floor together."
Kenji looks away, blushing slightly. "…Sure," he mutters.
"Not right away, though," I add. "First, there's someone I need to apologize to."
We enter the Ultimate Moral Compass's Office.
…And immediately cover our ears. A loud, loud whistle is screeching.
"You will respect my authority!" Yuna says, pointing at Jun. "Backtalk will not be tolerated! Now drop down and give me twenty!"
Behind bars, Jun glares. "Drop down and die," he retorts.
Yuna blows the whistle. We cover our ears.
"That'll be forty pushups, mister!" says Yuna.
"Seriously, Yuna—cut it out!" says Tsubasa. He and Yuna are outside the jail cell; Jun is standing within, grimacing. Tsubasa reaches for Yuna's whistle—but Yuna keeps dodging. "I told you," says Tsubasa. "Mizuki said I could take over. Just… go explore the second floor, or something."
"No way!" says Yuna. "Not until Jun does forty pushups, a hundred jumping jacks, and two hundred crunches! Also, he needs to apologize twenty-seven times for talking back to me! And he has to promise to be a good boy from now on!"
"He's suffered enough, alright?" says Tsubasa. He grabs the whistle. "Just—"
"LET GO!" Yuna shrieks, pulling the whistle back.
Tsubasa recoils, startled. "Jeez, she's strong…"
"Um…" Kenji mutters. "Yuna… maybe you should give Jun a break?"
"You too, Kenji?" Yuna says, looking betrayed. "But this is a win-win! Jun is getting healthier and learning his lesson!"
"You've had all morning, though," I say. "I think he's 'learned' as much as he's going to."
Yuna pouts. She throws her whistle to the ground. "Fine," she says. "Be that way!"
She stomps out of the room.
"Jesus," Jun says, sighing. "Fucking finally."
"Rough morning, huh?" says Tsubasa.
Jun grimaces. "You have no idea," he grumbles.
"Good thing Tsubasa came to save you," I say.
"I couldn't let it go on like this," Tsubasa says, touching his spiky green-yellow hair. "So, anyway—what'd you guys drop by for?"
"Actually," I say, looking at Jun, "I… came here to apologize." My face falls. "I'm sorry I was so harsh on you during the trial. I know you're not responsible for Hiroto's death. I shouldn't have lashed out like that."
"No hard feelings," Jun says, nodding.
"I still think your 'experiment' was reckless," I add. "But… that's water under the bridge."
"Why'd you choose the four of us, anyway?" Tsubasa asks. "Me, Kenji, Rin, and Jeff?"
Jun shrugs. "You seemed most likely to say 'yes.'" He half-smiles. "Also, you seemed like prime targets for Ryu to frame. In case he was plotting something."
"He was…" Tsubasa mutters.
"And… he did," Kenji says darkly. "Try to frame one of us, I mean."
I blink. "So, you knew what Ryu was up to?"
"I had no idea," says Jun. "I thought he might be up to something, though. And if he was, I figured he might try to frame someone. Decided I might as well give these four an alibi."
I'm not sure how I feel about this. Was Jun helpful? Or did he allow a murder that he could've prevented? I'm not in any state of mind to wrap my head around it.
Kenji and I climb up the newly-accessible staircase. We pass a pair of metal plates that have been bolted onto the wall. Windows—before they were sealed shut. A visual reminder of our imprisonment.
We reach the top of the staircase. I look left—and see exactly what I was hoping for.
"Yes!" I cheer. "They didn't get rid of the pool!"
There's a door down the hallway with an anchor decoration. The word "POOL" is displayed above the door.
"Um," Kenji mutters. "W-wanna go check it out?"
I almost take him up on that. But then I change my mind. "Let's check out the rest of the floor first," I say. "I want to see which Ultimate Offices they added."
We walk down the hall—past the bathrooms—and turn right. A door awaits us. A label juts out from the top of the door, perpendicular to the wall:
2 – A
"Classroom 2-A?" I say. "Wait… is this just an actual classroom? They didn't change it into an office, or anything?"
"Maybe they didn't have room," Kenji suggests.
"…Yeah, that's probably it," I say. "This classroom is kind of in a corner, so there wasn't room to expand it. This might be the only normal classroom left in the school."
We open the door.
Yeah, it's just a classroom. Sixteen desks. A chalkboard on the wall. A snoozing Monokuma has been drawn in chalk.
We hear a snore.
On the farthest front desk, I see a mess of blue hair. A round face is resting on the desk, eyes closed. Momoka. She's fast asleep.
We tiptoe away, and gently close the door.
"I feel bad for Momoka," I whisper. "I think she has trouble sleeping at night. And she's tired a lot during the day. This killing game… isn't exactly the healthiest environment."
We walk down the hall.
"The Hope's Peak library was pretty big," I say. "They probably split it up into two Ultimate Offices."
Kenji sighs. "I was hoping for more reading material," he says. "You're right, though—they probably got rid of the library."
"I'm disappointed, too," I say. "But… there are bookshelves in every Ultimate Office. I think they did that to compensate. Every office is like a mini-library."
Finally, we reach another door—where the library would have been. But, as I expected, there's no library here. Instead, the plaque reads:
ULTIMATE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
We stare at the plaque.
"That's so unfair," I whisper.
"I know, right?" says Monokuma.
Even now, he still manages to startle me. Kenji gets it worse, though—he squeals and stomps backward. Then his face turns bright-red, and he turns away so I can't see it.
"It's so annoying!" says Monokuma, looking angered. "I put so much work into these Ultimate Offices—and Hiroto goes and dies before he can even see his! What a jerk!"
I decide not to say anything. I just glare.
"Well, it can't be helped," Monokuma says, putting his white hand behind his head. "I set up all these offices before the killing game began. It's not like I knew the exact order you guys were going to die in. This kind of thing was inevitable." He covers his smile. "If the blackened wins, it won't matter anyway. I've gotta keep my priorities in order!"
He lifts a tile, and disappears under the floor.
I glare at the spot where he stood moments ago.
Then I turn, and look at the plaque again. My face softens.
We stand there for a minute.
"Um," Kenji mutters. "Do you… want to skip this one?"
I shake my head. "Just… give me a sec."
He gives me a sec.
"Okay," I whisper. "Let's look inside."
We open the door, and enter Hiroto's office.
I see a large, fancy desk, with a chair behind it. I also see two leather armchairs near the center of the room. Someone's sitting in one of them. A brown-haired boy. He's staring off into space, looking troubled. He seems to be contemplating something.
"Hi, Jeff," I say.
Jeff turns quickly, startled, and looks at me. "Oh," he says. "Hi, Koi. Hi, Kenji."
"Um," Kenji mutters. "Is everything… okay?"
Jeff turns away, staring off into space again.
"Hiroto," Jeff says wistfully. "We only knew him for a few days, but… it feels like a lot longer, doesn't it?"
"Yeah," I agree. It really does. Time goes by differently in a killing game. It feels like every second matters. Like it carries so much more weight than a normal second.
"I still can't believe…" Jeff says, brow furrowed. "Ryu… I trusted him, and…"
He seems unable to put his thoughts into words.
"Sorry," Jeff says, standing up. "I don't think I should be here right now." He tries to smile. "We have to keep moving forward, right? But… I can't do that in this room." He walks to the door, and leaves the office.
"Poor Jeff," I say softly. "He's such a naturally trusting person. What happened with Ryu—it must be especially hard for him."
We look around the office. There are bookshelves everywhere. I see books about legal concepts, the history of law, the philosophy of law… and so on. There are way more books in here than in the other Ultimate Offices I've seen so far. There are also shelves with reading glasses and magnifying glasses—just like Shingo's office.
There's a little alcove, where I think the archives used to be. And… still are, sort of. Because the alcove is full of summaries of courtroom trials. Including trials for murderers, and other high-profile criminals.
Eventually, Kenji and I are just standing quietly in the center of the room.
"It feels like he's here, doesn't it?" I whisper.
Kenji doesn't respond.
"C'mon," I say. "Let's check out the next office."
Kenji and I make for the door. Before we leave, I turn around, and look wistfully at Hiroto's office one last time.
Then we're back in the hallway.
"Um…" Kenji says, looking concerned. "Are you… sure you're okay?"
I nod. "Let's just move on," I reply. "Maybe… seeing the next Ultimate Office will help me take my mind off… things."
We move on.
Down the hall, there's another door. This would've also led to the library. Now—as expected—it seems to be another Ultimate Office. I read the plaque:
ULTIMATE YAKUZA'S OFFICE
"You have got to be kidding me!" I shout. "Both of them? Hiroto and Ryu? That's two out of three offices on this floor!"
"Yeah…" Kenji says, unsure of what else to say.
I sigh. "Jeez. I can't believe this. Out of everyone it could've been…" I look at Kenji. "There's no way Monokuma planned this… right?"
"I doubt it," Kenji mutters. "But… it is kind of a strange coincidence."
I let a wave of frustration, resentment, and despair pass through my body.
"Okay," I grumble. "Let's… check out Ryu's office, I guess."
I open the door.
"Nope nope nope!" says Akiko.
Suddenly, there's an albino sailor in the doorway, blocking us from entering.
"Ummmmmm," Akiko says, smiling anxiously. "This office is currently under construction. Entering without the Captain's permission is very very forbidden. Sorry!"
She slams the door in my face.
Kenji and I glance at each other, cocking our eyebrows.
Soon, Naomi steps out of the office, closing the door behind her. She looks at us, and sighs. "Sorry about that," she says.
"What's going on in there?" I ask.
"Is it just you and Akiko?" asks Kenji.
"No," says Naomi. "The Captain and Quartermaster are in there, too. The four of us are dealing with a… little problem." She looks around. "I shouldn't be telling you this," she says quietly. "But I trust you two, and I feel bad for how you were treated during the trial. The fact is, there are all sorts of dangerous weapons in this office, and we have no idea what to do about it."
"Oh," I say. "Yeah—I guess I should've seen that coming. It is the Ultimate Yakuza's Office, after all."
"If we try to remove them," Naomi continues, "Monokuma will definitely replace them. He proved as much when we tried to remove the kitchen knives. All we can do right now is try to account for everything inside—and then permanently forbid anyone from entering this office."
"Well, good luck with that," I say.
Soon, Naomi's behind the door again.
We stare at it for a while.
"Ryu," I mutter. "I… still don't know how I'm supposed to feel about him."
Kenji is silent, as usual. I don't mind, though. He's kind of a comforting presence.
"Let's keep going," I say. "One living person is getting an office, at least."
We keep going. Eventually, the hallway turns right. We turn, and keep walking until we reach a dead end. There's a door to our left. Another Ultimate Office. "Here it is," I say. "And the lucky student is…"
I read the plaque:
ULTIMATE ORIGAMIST'S OFFICE
"…Emi?" I finish. "Well… good for her, I guess."
"You sound disappointed," Kenji notes.
I sigh. "I was really hoping for my own office, but… oh well."
"Maybe next t—" Kenji starts. But he shuts his mouth quickly.
There won't be any other offices unless there's another murder. I'll never see my own Ultimate Office… unless it happens again…
Shoving those thoughts aside, we open the door, and enter Emi's office.
It's… different. None of the other offices look like this.
For starters, it's very colorful. Pinks and reds, oranges and yellows, maybe some magenta… the walls and ceiling are painted in soothing, twilight-esque colors. And they're decorated with all sorts of paper creatures. Paper frogs, paper birds, paper mice… little origami critters are stuck to the walls and ceiling, everywhere I look.
And there are bigger origami creatures. Bears and dragons. Wolves and tigers. It doesn't seem possible that creatures so big and imposing are nothing but folded paper. Did Emi make these? Or were they here when she arrived?
Emi herself is sitting at a large desk, working diligently. Piles and piles of colorful paper are stacked up all around her, on the floor and the desk. And just beyond those piles, there are magnificent origami creations. This is definitely Emi's work—no one else could pull it off.
"Hello, Koi," Emi says, continuing to fold without looking up. "Hello, Kenji."
I'm startled. She hadn't reacted to our presence at all; I didn't think she'd noticed us.
"Hi, Emi," I say.
"Um… hi," says Kenji.
"Looks like you lucked out," I say, smiling at Emi. "You're the only one who got a new Ultimate Office on this floor."
Emi doesn't look at me. She just keeps folding like no one's here. Her face… I've never seen it like this before. It looks relaxed. Like she's finally at peace, after faking it for so long.
"I'm lucky now, am I?" Emi replies, still folding. "Yes, I suppose you're right." She folds. "According to legend," she says, "any person who folds a thousand origami cranes within a year will be granted a wish by the gods. I have folded far more than a thousand, year after year—yet my wishes always seem to elude me. Perhaps the gods have taken pity, and granted me this small request…"
She folds, exuding an aura that's somehow both extremely calm and extremely focused.
"Did you know," says Emi, "that my family is in the midst of a protracted legal battle? The larger Togami branch seeks to take everything from us. Should they win, the very clothes on my back would cease to belong to me. Their victory seems more and more likely as time passes. That's outside of my control, however."
She folds.
"Did you know," says Emi, "that I am the youngest of eight children? No matter how much or how little my family owns, I'm unlikely to ever inherit more than the leftover scraps. My entire life is a competition for seniority against my seven older siblings, in which they have an inherent upper hand. That's outside of my control, however."
She folds.
"Did you know," says Emi, "that origami utilizes more than a dozen different types of folds? With enough skill, practice, and knowledge of the craft, a boundless variety of creations can come to life from a mere sheet of paper." She finishes folding, and places an origami angel near the edge of the desk. "That," she says, "is very much within my control."
She picks up another sheet of paper, and starts folding again, her content expression never fading. I watch. For the first time, I feel like I get Emi.
I look beside the desk, and see a larger origami angel. Also, a tiger with angel wings. "These really are beautiful," I say.
"Is there a reason for the angel theme?" asks Kenji.
Emi keeps folding. "I had a dream last night," she says, "in which I grew angel wings, and flew away from this place." She folds. "Of course, that's ridiculous. In real life, I'd simply crash into the ceiling."
We look around a bit more, and then leave the office, closing the door behind us.
"I think that's the happiest I've seen Emi so far," I say.
"Really?" says Kenji. "I thought that whole conversation was… kind of depressing."
"Yeah. But, for once, she was too relaxed to hide how depressing she is."
We walk down the hall.
"So… pool time?" Kenji asks.
"Pool time!" I confirm.
But when we reach the classroom, we realize the door is open—and there's a voice talking. Yuna's voice. We sneak over to the door, and peek inside.
Yuna is standing by the chalkboard. Jeff is sitting at one of the front desks, listening attentively. Beside him, Momoka is still resting her head on her desk.
The snoozing Monokuma has been erased. In its place, Yuna has drawn some kind of diagram.
"And what's the bad kind of fat called?" Yuna asks.
"Um…" Jeff says, thinking. "…Saturated fat?"
"That's right! And what happens if you eat too much of it?"
Jeff thinks. "…You die?"
"You'll die!" Yuna glares at Momoka. "Are you even listening, Momoka?"
"Mmm," Momoka moans.
"Hey, no sleeping in class!" snaps Yuna. "It'll mess with your circadian rhythm, and give you diabetes! And then you'll die for sure!"
"Circadian rhythm…" Jeff mutters, jotting down notes. "…Diabetes…"
We slowly close the door, and tiptoe away, smiling to ourselves.
"I guess Jeff was able to move forward, after all," I say.
"Yeah," says Kenji. "Being around people helps."
"Even if it's Yuna," I agree, chuckling.
We stop walking. My smile wanes a bit.
"Thanks, Kenji," I say. "You're right—being around people is the best way to move forward. If we're all in this together, it's easier to get through it. So… I'm glad that you accompanied me today."
"Oh…" Kenji says, his face turning red. "I, um…" He looks away, and starts muttering. "I mean… it's nothing, really…"
"It's nothing?" I repeat, smiling slightly. "So, you don't feel the same way?"
"That's not—I don't…" Kenji stammers, his eyes zipping to me and away repeatedly. "I mean, I do feel, um, about you—I mean, about being with you—I mean, about being with everyone—everyone here—not just you, but, um… you know what I mean…"
"Yeah, I get it," I say, restraining my smile. "You're saying that I'm not special at all."
Kenji's eyes widen a bit. "That's not—I didn't mean—you are… but… not like…"
His face is bright red. I can't stop giggling. "I was joking!" I reassure him between chuckles. "Jeez. For a linguist, you sure do have trouble finding words sometimes."
Kenji looks down, his face still red. He leans against the wall, and crosses his arms. "Why do you think I became a linguist in the first place?" he says.
I lean on the wall beside him.
"I've always had trouble with words," Kenji says. "Writing is one thing, but speaking—it's like the words all jumble together in my brain, and I can't tell them apart, and… by the time I've found the words that I want to say… it's too late. The moment has already passed. That's why communication has always fascinated me. The different methods people use to transfer information from one brain to another—I wanted to learn all about them. But… learning new languages hasn't improved my ability to speak at all. No matter how many new words I learn… they still just get jumbled in my brain when I need them most."
"Those are some pretty eloquent words you just spoke," I say, smiling at him.
"Because I've said them before," Kenji replies. "If it's something I've said or written before—or something I've already decided to say—then I can just go on autopilot, and let the words spill out of my mouth. Saying new things, though… that's… the problem."
We're silent for a moment. I don't know what to say. And Kenji, from the sound of it, rarely ever knows what to say, or how to say it.
"So…" I say. "Pool time?"
"Um… sure," says Kenji.
We walk down the hall. Finally, we open the door with the anchor on it, and go inside.
I remember that there's a small room leading to the locker rooms, with pool equipment and stuff. And… yeah, there's a room here. But it's bigger than I expect. On my right, where I'd expect a wall… it's almost like there's another room connected to this one. A sleek, white room, full of… exercise equipment? I see a barbells, dumbbells, and a bench press. I also see Takeru, who's lifting a pair of dumbbells. He sees us, and puts them down. "So you've arrived," he says.
We walk over to him, and look around. "This wasn't here before," I say. "I guess Monokuma added a little weight room."
"Yes indeed!" says Monokuma.
"Gah!" Kenji and I gasp, startled.
"What business have you here, foul beast?" Takeru says, taking a fighting stance.
"Shouldn't you be thanking me?" Monokuma says, tilting his head. "I added this room so you could get all strong and muscly. You won't even need a murder weapon—just your bare hands will be enough!"
"Hmph," says Takeru. "The strength I gain from this room will only be used to defend others. For that is my nindo—my ninja way!"
"Yeah, yeah," groans Monokuma. "Enough about your Nintendo! I was more of a Sega kid, anyway."
"Um, excuse me," I say, "but I have a question." I point to the ceiling above the locker room doors. "In the first killing game, there was a Gatling gun mounted on that ceiling, and it'd go off if someone tried to enter the wrong locker room. But… I don't see anything like that now."
"Oh, that old thing?" says Monokuma. "Well…" Suddenly, he's downcast. "It's no use. There's just no way to keep you horned-up teenagers from giving into your basest, most primal urges. I might as well not even try."
"Intriguing," says Takeru. "You have removed the enforcement system?"
"Sure did!" says Monokuma, who's suddenly chipper again. "Anyway, now that everyone knows about the stealing-someone-else's-handbook loophole, there wouldn't be much point anymore." He covers his grin. "You still need to swipe your e-Handbook to get into the appropriate locker room. But if someone else happens to sneak in… well, that's between them and whatever deity they happen to believe in!"
"Hey… wait a moment!" I retort, feeling a flash of anger pass through me. "You said that you removed the bathhouse to prevent us from doing… inappropriate stuff! But now you're saying that it's no use, because we'll do it anyway? So why did you get rid of the bathhouse?"
"Hmm…" Monokuma says, tilting his head. "To be honest, I feel kinda bad about removing that bathhouse." He puts a hand behind his head, and shows us his white side. "So, to make up for it, I've added a surprise to the pool area! A little something to help you relax as you struggle with the burdens of your blossoming adulthood!"
"A… surprise?" says Kenji.
"Yep! Go see for yourself!"
With that, Monokuma disappears under a floorboard.
For a moment, the three of us stand in silence.
I sigh. "Well… at least the Gatling gun is gone," I say. Then I smile at Kenji. "That's good news for you, right, Kenji? You can sneak into the girls' locker room whenever you want, now, and no one can stop you!"
"W-what?" Kenji squeaks, his face turning bright crimson. "N-no! I-I'd never…!"
I laugh at Kenji's anxious stuttering. Sorry, Kenji! If you don't want me to mess with you, then stop being so fun to mess with!
"Okay—let's go check out the pool," I say, forcibly stifling my giggles. "C'mon, Kenji! You can come with me through the girls' locker room, if you want. No one can stop you!"
"…I'll… go through the boys' locker room," Kenji mutters. "Um… Takeru…?"
"I shall stay behind," says Takeru. "My inspection of this training chamber remains incomplete."
So, we leave Takeru behind. Kenji goes into the boys' locker room. I scan my e-Handbook to unlock the girls' locker room door; then I open the door, and step inside.
There's another girl in the locker room. A tall, blonde, dark-skinned gyaru. She turns, and sees me. "Oh!" says Rin. "Like… hey there, Koi."
"Hi, Rin," I reply. "Have you found anything in the locker room?"
"Not really," says Rin. "We all have, like. Our own locker? And it has, like. Our school swimsuit inside? But, like. I have a bikini in my room, so. I'd rather just wear that?"
Yeah, that makes sense. Rin has just about the perfect bikini body. Honestly, I'm kind of jealous…
"Anyway," says Rin, "I'm, like. Totally hyped to try out the hot tub."
I blink. "…Hot tub?"
"Yeah. They, like. Added a hot tub to the pool area? I don't remember seeing it in the brochures. So it's probably, like. Totally new."
"That's definitely new," I confirm. "You saw it already?"
"Yeah. Wanna go, like. Check it out?"
"Sure!" I say, feeling a bit excited.
A hot tub, huh? That must be the "surprise" Monokuma mentioned.
We exit the locker room, and enter the pool area.
Immediately, the smell of chlorinated water fills my nostrils. The humidity tingles my skin. Everything around me is white and blue. It's a large, spacious, echo-y room. In the center, there's a large pool, separated into several lanes by dividers. Kenji is standing near the pool's edge. We go over to him, and greet him.
"Have you seen the hot tub?" I ask.
"The what?" says Kenji.
"POOL!" someone shouts from the locker room entrance.
We turn—and see Akiko running toward us. Naomi is following her, looking disgruntled.
Akiko comes to a stop in front of me—but she's still bursting with energy. "POOL!" she repeats. "Koi, there's a POOL here! A pool! Pool pool pool!"
"Y-yeah, I can see that…" I mutter nervously.
Why does this feel familiar…?
Naomi sighs. "Mizuki and Shingo are still cleaning up the Ultimate Yakuza's Office," she says. "Even so, Akiko insisted that we investigate the pool."
"It could be dangerous!" Akiko yelps, staring at the pool with a wide smile on her face. "So we had to check it out, just in case!"
"Uh, sure," Rin says, rolling her eyes. "That's totally the reason."
"It totally is!"
"Well… you are the Ultimate Sailor," I point out. "So, it makes sense that you're so excited to see a new body of water."
"No way!" says Akiko. "This isn't about excitement! I'm just doing my duty! It's not like I'm happy… it's not like I'm so, so happy…" She wipes away tears of happiness. "Omigosh, I'm so happy! I'm so happy that there's a pool! It's like a tiny little ocean that's right here! It's… it's…" She sniffles. "It's a pool, Koi! A pool!"
"Y-yeah…" I mumble. Behind me, I hear Naomi sighing.
"There's also a… hot tub," Kenji mutters. "Apparently."
This gets Akiko's attention. "Omigosh, where?"
"I… think it's over there," I say, pointing to our left. I remember there being bleachers on both sides of the pool in Danganronpa 1. Now, though, the left-side bleachers are missing. And there's a raised section of floor on that side.
"Yeah," says Rin, "that's, like… totally where it is."
We follow Rin, and walk past the pool—then up a brief staircase to the raised area.
"Wow," I say. "There really is a hot tub here."
"There totally is!" Akiko agrees, beaming.
"I'm, like… super hyped for it," says Rin.
Looking down at the circular hot tub, I can feel its soothing warmth. It's about three feet deep; there's a ladder to go down, and a ledge for sitting that wraps all the way around. Clear, bubbly water. Blue tiles, and white cement. It looks big enough to fit maybe a dozen people.
"We have to try it!" says Akiko. "To… to makes sure it's safe! C'mon, Naomi!"
"No, thank you," says Naomi. "I was just thinking—it's about time I headed back to the Captain and Quartermaster. They might need my assistance."
"But Naooooomiiii," Akiko says, pouting. "The hot tub could be daaannngerouuus. Help me teeesssst it. Pleeeeaase?"
"You can test it on your own, if you'd like."
"No way!" Akiko snaps. "Being in a hot tub alone is, like, the most depressing thing ever! It's totally pointless!"
"I can go in with you," says Rin. "If that's, like. Okay, or whatever."
"It's way better than okay!" Akiko says, her smile returning. "Koi, Kenji—you can join us too!"
"Um…" Kenji mutters.
"Actually," I say, "I'm… feeling kind of tired, after all that exploring. Sorry, but… I think I'm going to go take a nap."
Author's note: guess who's back? Back again? DRR's back! Tell a friend!
It's been almost a year—but this fic is by no means abandoned. Now, finally, Chapter 2 has arrived! Most of it is already written (I'm working on the trial); hopefully, it'll all be posted within the next 2 months or so.
I know it's been a while, but I think this first segment serves as a good re-introduction. Chapter 2 will have a bigger scope than Chapter 1, and will become quite a bit more complicated later on. That's one reason this took so long to write. Honestly, fitting the many pieces together was a bit of a nightmare… but I think I succeeded in the end. This story arc is a wild ride; I hope it meets, or even exceeds, your enjoyment of the first arc.
More importantly—FTEs are back. It's voting time! Once again, Koi's free time companions will be chosen by readers. Use this poll to vote:
strawpoll dot com slash xVg7dG24RZr
Oh, and I've made one minor, aesthetic change. Mizuki now wears a pink armband, mirroring Kiyotaka Ishimaru's red armband in the original Danganronpa.
STUDENT E-HANDBOOK: REPORT CARDS
~·~·~
Female students:
~·~
Koi Amaki
• Ultimate Fangirl
• 5'4"
• Eyes: hazel
• Hair: auburn; has an ahoge
• Outfit: navy-blue sailor fuku with a red necktie; pixelated Kyoko and Chiaki earrings; a pixelated Kaede pin in her headband
• Freckles
The protagonist. An otaku who loves the Danganronpa franchise—among other things.
~·~
Rin Ono
• Ultimate Golfer
• 5'10"
• Eyes: gray
• Hair: blonde (bleached)
• Outfit: a white button-up shirt that isn't buttoned all the way up, and a short skirt
• Tanned skin, and glossy makeup
A gyaru who was raised in deep poverty. Her golfing skills have brought her fame and fortune.
~·~
Naomi Shimizu
• Ultimate Mangaka
• 5'6"
• Eyes: reddish-brown
• Hair: red; tied up in a professional-looking bun
• Outfit: a businesslike suit
• An intense gaze
She's written award-winning manga since she was a child. Her works span nearly every genre.
She was appointed Second First Mate by Captain Mizuki.
~·~
Emi Togami
• Ultimate Origamist
• 5'7"
• Eyes: blue
• Hair: black; clipped up in a traditional Japanese style
• Outfit: an elegant red kimono
• A pink origami flower in her hair
She's often smiling—but what's behind that smile?
The late Byakuya Togami was her second cousin twice removed.
~·~
Akiko Narumi
• Ultimate Sailor
• 5'4"
• Eyes: pink
• Hair: white; pixie cut
• Outfit: a sailor fuku with a white top, blue necktie, and short blue skirt; a white sailor hat
• Very white skin
Despite her albinism, she's sailed around the world several times.
She was appointed First First Mate by Captain Mizuki.
~·~
Mizuki Tenshi
• Ultimate Moral Compass
• 4'11"
• Eyes: green
• Hair: light-brown; pigtails that begin below her shoulders and reach down to her legs
• Outfit: a plain, black dress, with a white collar, and a skirt that goes down to her ankles
• A pink armband
She's shy and quiet. But she cares a lot about enforcing the rules.
She was elected Captain by a one-vote margin over Ryu.
~·~
Yuna Koyama
• Ultimate Dietician
• 4'8"
• Eyes: violet
• Hair: violet; tied up in a ponytail
• Outfit: a white lab coat that goes down to her knees
• Tiny
She can be pretty annoying—especially if she finds you eating junk food.
~·~
Momoka Ito
• Ultimate Perfumer
• 5'2"
• Eyes: dark-brown
• Hair: blue; frayed, tangled, and disastrously unkempt
• Outfit: a yellow sweatshirt that's too large, and a navy-blue skirt with little tears in it
• Looks like a mess, but smells amazing
She seems to barely have a grip on reality. As if she's drifting through life on good smells alone.
~·~
Male students:
~·~
Hiroto Oshiro (DECEASED)
• Ultimate Attorney
• 6'1"
• Eyes: blue
• Hair: dark-brown; combed back a bit
• Outfit: a black suit, and a navy-blue tie
• Tall and broad-shouldered
He hates seeing people locked in a cage, even if they've done something wrong.
~·~
Ryu Minamoto (DECEASED)
• Ultimate Yakuza
• 5'9"
• Eyes: green
• Hair: dirty blonde; greased back
• Outfit: an expensive-looking striped suit, and a black tie
• Looks tough—but he has a charming smile
Heir to the Minamoto Clan. He's pretty friendly, despite his family's notoriety.
He was appointed First Second Mate by Captain Mizuki.
~·~
Kenji Sasaki
• Ultimate Linguist
• 5'8"
• Eyes: brown
• Hair: black; slightly unkempt
• Outfit: a normal, dark gakuran uniform
• An all-around regular-looking guy
He speaks over 300 languages—but he's not much for conversation.
~·~
Jeffrey Silverstein
• Ultimate Kabuki Actor
• 5'9"
• Eyes: blue
• Hair: brown; short
• Outfit: white t-shirt, and blue gym shorts
• Strong-looking, though not too bulky
A good-natured, optimistic American who's loved kabuki theater since he was a child.
~·~
Tsubasa Haneda
• Ultimate Speedrunner
• 5'4"
• Eyes: green
• Hair: yellowish-green; spiky; sticks out in all directions
• Outfit: baggy jeans, and a loose, black t-shirt with a game controller design on it
• Several earrings. A sort of punk vibe.
A gamer who's easy to get along with. He's very straightforward, and tends to speak his mind.
~·~
Jun Mujun
• Ultimate Hacker
• 6'2"
• Eyes: brown
• Hair: black with blue highlights; hanging around his head in big, messy locks
• Outfit: jeans, and a leather jacket
• Tall and lanky. Bags under his eyes.
An enigmatic genius. It's hard to faze him.
~·~
Takeru Tao
• Ultimate Child Caregiver
• (not a ninja)
• 5'7"
• Eyes: violet
• Hair: violet; sticking straight up
• Outfit: a full black bodysuit, and a green camo vest
• Headband has a metal plate over the forehead; the Hope's Peak crest is carved into it
He seems to think he's a ninja. Kids love it. His parents don't.
~·~
Shingo Chiba
• Ultimate Accountant
• 5'11"
• Eyes: gray
• Hair: black; well-groomed
• Outfit: a black suit with a bowtie
• Thin-rimmed glasses
An orphaned prodigy. He's literally accounted for everything.
He was appointed Quartermaster by Captain Mizuki.