A/N: Here's Chapter Four Daily Life Part Four. Please read, review, and enjoy!

Danganronpa 4: Next Generation Killing!

Chapter Four: Pride and Prejudice!

Daily Life Part Four: Artistic Mediation!

A good night's sleep had done nothing to improve their morale. Half the group seemed to be glaring daggers at Sokyu as he tried to mind his own business, while the other half appeared lost for words, wanting to say something, but unsure of how to articulate their thoughts.

Eventually, Sokyu sighed, placing his chopsticks next to his bowl. "If you guys don't want me around, just say so."

"Ah, it's not that…" Shuichi trailed off, unsure of what point to make.

Kiki frowned in disappointment, though it was quickly overridden by the shock she felt from Ryoma's next words. "Why not? I think it would be the best option."

"Ryoma?!"

Ryoma ignored Kiki's cries. "I had the decency to offer to isolate myself, since I have killed before. Why shouldn't he do the same?"

"I…hate to admit it, but that does make sense…" Tsumugi lamented. "I don't really see a reason to keep someone so…uncollaborative in our active party."

"Logically, it does make sense to cut the source of friction from our daily interactions." Keebo admitted apologetically. "If asking Sokyu to isolate himself from us improves group morale, then I must reluctantly agree with Ryoma and Tsumugi."

"Well, Sokyu?" Kirumi stared expectantly at Sokyu. "Will you accept this request?"

"Whoa, that seems like going a bit too far!" Seven objected as Gonta nodded.

"Gonta cannot ignore this. We shouldn't make Sokyu leave. Gentlemen don't isolate others, even if they are disagreeable."

"Look, we all need to calm down!" Kiki exclaimed, a bit of franticness bleeding into her voice. "We're all just on edge because our opinions are so divided. We need to find a way to bridge the gap so we can work as a team again."

Kirumi's brow furrowed in curiosity. "And what are you proposing?"

Everyone stared expectantly at Kiki as she racked her brain for a solution. Think, Kiki, think! There's gotta be something we can all do together…let's see, we've used the Dojo, the Music Room…wait, that's it! "Why don't we have a group art session in the Art Room?"

"The Art Room…?" Tsumugi cocked her head in confusion while Sokyu snorted a tad too quietly for anyone else to pick up on it.

"Yeah." Kiki nodded. "There's plenty of supplies in the Art Room. And if we use them to make something together, it'll help to reinforce our bonds of friendship and trust each other more. It doesn't matter if we draw or sculpt or whatever. As long as we're doing it together, that's what's important!"

Ryoma stared skeptically at Kiki. "Isn't this the same concept as your slumber party idea from a few days ago?"

Kiki winced, reminded of how her plan to unite everyone flopped in the face of Monokuma's motive. "I know…I know that Hongou and Snake died in spite of my and Clover's efforts…" Kiki's eyes narrowed in desperate determination. "But that's why it has to work this time! I won't let Monokuma drive us further apart! We have to at least try!"

"Well…" Tsumugi admitted "I suppose it couldn't hurt…"

"I guess I could give it a try." Keebo agreed. "It could be a chance to put the data from my memory banks on artistic technique into practice."

"I still don't think this'll do much in the end…but I don't have any objections, either." Ryoma conceded.

"Well…" Seven rubbed the back of his beanie. "I'm not really an artist, but as long as we're not being judgmental about it, I guess it could be fun."

"Gonta agrees! Gonta can't wait to make a bug sculpture!"

"Ah, I guess I'm in too." Shuichi smiled softly, nodding in agreement.

"If everyone else agrees, then I shall adhere to this request." Kirumi decided.

Kiki's tense muscles relaxed as she quietly let out a sigh of relief. "Alright, then after breakfast, we can head over to the Art Room!"

With that, the group went back to eating their breakfasts. Kiki took comfort in the fact that nobody seemed to be sending accusatory glares at Sokyu, giving the group a peaceful ceasefire that hadn't been present the past couple days.

This has to work…it needs to work! I won't let us stay divided!

"…This isn't going to work…" Mokubo reluctantly commented, causing Maki to nod in agreement.

"Last time she tried something like this, it was a proactive exercise. Nobody was pointing fingers at each other, and everyone wanted to cooperate. Something like this isn't going to bring people together if they already distrust each other."

Kyoko sighed, unable to refute their words. "Unfortunately, you two might be right. The idea that her suggestion can mend the divide between them is…wishful thinking."

"So it's…meaningless…?" Koto asked, hurt shining in his and Kiri's eyes.

"Is Kiki just…wasting her time…?"

"Well…I don't know if it's a waste of time…" Makoto tried to reassure his daughter. "I don't know if this will help the others to trust Sokyu…but at least she's trying. Hopefully, the others will see that, and at least make an effort to extend an olive branch."

Mokubo, Kyoko, and Maki furrowed their brows in skepticism, but kept silent. The family turned their gazes back to the TV, praying that Kiki's efforts would be rewarded this time.

Kiki pushed the doors open, allowing the group to walk inside the Art Room. Several blank canvasses were already set up, inviting any curious artists to make their mark. Scattered across the room were several clay sculptures of different figures. Lastly, lining the walls were several supply cabinets, likely housing numerous art supplies.

"Well, there's nothing in here to help me make cosplays, but I guess this isn't too bad…" Tsumugi admitted.

"Alright, let's get this over with…" Sokyu grumbled.

This is for your benefit, you know… Kiki deadpanned. You could try to be a little more enthusiastic about this… Shaking the thought away, she clapped her hands. "Alright, let's figure out what we want to do. We could try making a sculpture-"

"Of me? Aw, you shouldn't have!" Kiki gasped as Monokuma stood on a nearby table, making numerous poses with his arms and legs. "I may be a bear, but as Headmaster, I of course encourage you to develop your talents in the arts. And there's no better artistic subject than moi! Sokyu, make sure you make a magnificent sculpture of me, okay? I could use one for my office!"

"…Why would I make a sculpture of you…?"

"Yeah, get out of here!" Kiki exclaimed, quickly losing her temper as she glared at the bear. "Nobody invited you, so get lost!"

"Hey, no fair!" Monokuma whined. "I'm literally offering you my body as inspiration, a muse for your enjoyment!"

"Your argument is completely illogical." Keebo countered, throwing his hands in the air in exasperation.

"Yeah, no art student on this planet would wanna made a sculpture of you." Seven muttered.

"Gonta doesn't believe gentlemen would tell people to get lost…but Gonta will make an exception for Monokuma."

"Wha-even you too?!" Monokuma sighed dejectedly, hopping off the table. "Fine, fine. I get the picture. Consider me gone with the wind."

Blowing air out of his mouth for dramatic effect, Monokuma waddled out of the Art Room, closing the door behind him. "I don't really feel like sculpting anything today…" Tsumugi reluctantly admitted.

Kirumi nodded, concurring, "Even without Monokuma souring the activity, I do not wish to get my hands unreasonably dirty."

"Okay…but we can still draw or paint." Kiki replied, undeterred by Monokuma's interference. "Why don't we work on paintings?"

"I've been here before, so I know where the paint is." Seven offered.

"Gonta can help too!"

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to develop my painting skills…" Tsumugi smiled softly before Keebo nodded.

"Though I'm not looking forward to washing any splattered paint drips off my chassis, I suppose it could be fun."

"Correct, this will be a cleaner alternative to sculpting, and one where I can still use my gloves." Kirumi agreed.

"I'm not opposed to giving it a try. I'm more used to doing subject sketches, and not really good ones at that, but most of the same principles should still apply."

Encouraged by Shuichi's willingness, Kiki exclaimed "Okay, then let's go get the paint and brushes and pick a canvas!"

Kiki smiled as she put down her paintbrush, satisfied with her artwork. On her canvas was a painting of her surrounded by a purple-haired woman, a brown-haired man, two smaller children, and a dog.

"Not the best painting ever, but it looks nice…"

"Yeah, it looks good."

Shuichi's voice nearly made her jump in her seat. Turning around, she sighed at the detective, resting a hand over her heart.

"Mou, don't scare me like that, Shuichi. I nearly spilled the leftover paint."

"Ah, sorry." Shuichi apologized with an awkward smile. "Still, it really does look nice." His brow furrowed beneath his hat as he inquired "Is that…your family?"

"Well…I can't really say for sure." Kiki admitted. "Some of this is what I saw in my motive video, while the rest is just my imagination. I have no way of knowing for sure if this looks anything like my actual family. Still, you don't have to fib; I know the painting's not that good."

"I do not agree." Both turned in surprise to see Kirumi carrying her canvas. "It might not be…professional artwork, but anyone can see you put your heart into it."

"Thanks, Kirumi…" Kiki smiled at the compliment. "What did you paint, by the way?"

As Kirumi rotated her canvas into view, Kiki and Shuichi's eyes widened. Covering the surface was a near-perfect replication of the Mona Lisa.

"Kirumi, that's amazing!" Kiki exclaimed. "I had no idea you were such an artist."

"I wouldn't call myself an artist, but as a maid, I learned a wide variety of talents, so I could be prepared to handle any reasonable request. Artistic recreation happened to be one of them."

"Wow!" Gonta walked over to them, his eyes sparkling in awe. "Gonta likes your painting, Kirumi! It's so beautiful!"

Kirumi's cheeks reddened, the young maid averting her gaze. "…Thank you…" Seeing Kiki and Shuichi smile at her and their eyes light up in understanding, Kirumi shook her head. "And what did you paint, Gonta?"

"Bugs! Gonta painted some of his bug friends!"

As the trio sweatdropped, Gonta turned his canvas around, revealing multiple, beautifully painted varieties of insects on the surface. Though the bright colors gave it a more cartoonish vibe, nobody could deny that Gonta had captured their forms with great proficiency. "Gonta…" Kirumi breathed "…That is remarkable!"

"Oh…" Gonta smiled bashfully, blushing as he rubbed the back of his head. "Thanks, Gonta is good at painting bugs…but not much else."

"Ah, don't worry about it!" Unlike the others, Gonta didn't flinch when Seven clapped him on the back. "If you just practice, I'm sure you'll be able to paint lots of other stuff!"

"Thank you…" Gonta smiled, nodding. "What did you paint, Seven? Gonta wants to see!"

"Oh, well…" A reluctant Seven sighed before he turned his canvas around. "Here, go ahead and laugh. I already know it's not good."

The others stared at Seven's amateur painting. Staring at the blobs of paint, Kiki could kind of make out the nine of them standing together on the canvas. The proportions were mismatched, and the colors were simple with no attempt at blending. In short, it looked like it was drawn by someone who had just been handed a paintbrush for the first time and asked to paint from memory.

And I thought my painting was bad… Kiki deadpanned, though she kept her thoughts to herself. Even if he tells me I can, I'm not gonna laugh at him.

"Ah, it's…" Shuichi trailed off, trying to come up with some feedback that wouldn't sound insulting.

"Not everyone's an artist." The others turned to see Ryoma walking up to them, lifting his canvas above his head. "It's okay if your artwork isn't as good as others, as long as you have fun doing it."

"Yeah, good point…" Seven muttered, turning his head curiously towards the former tennis player. "So, what'd you paint, Ryoma?"

With a brief grimace, Ryoma sighed and lowered the canvas. Once it was in front of him, he rotated it to display its contents. Everyone's eyes widened at the sight of an elegant young woman. A fair skinned beauty with long, blonde hair and lively brown eyes, her soft lips tugged while she petted a cat curled up on her lap.

"Aww, that's such a cute kitty!" Kiki gushed.

"The human subject is also beautifully drawn." Kirumi complimented with a faint smile.

"Ah, who is she, anyway…?" Shuichi asked, curiosity bleeding into his voice.

"…She was my lover." The others winced, realizing they had unintentionally opened an old wound. "I also like cats. She and I had talked about getting a cat before…" Ryoma shook his head. "Anyway, I…wanted to remember her, so I figured painting her would help with that."

Ryoma… Kiki smiled proudly, comparing their conversation in the Game Room to his admission just a moment ago. You're finally starting to move forward from her death.

"What character development! Your growth is truly something to behold, Ryoma!" Everyone sweatdropped as they saw Tsumugi walk over to them, canvas in hand. "After all these years without your soulmate, you're finally taking the first steps forward! Numerous anime protagonists can't even compare to you, Ryoma!"

I'd better change the subject before this gets out of hand… "So, what did you paint, Tsumugi?"

"Oh, well, it's not my best work, since it's not a cosplay. In fact, it's probably rather plain compared to someone like Kirumi or Ryoma, but…here it is."

Tsumugi turned the canvas, revealing a multitude of anime characters, recreated in presumably their original art styles. "Sailor Moon, Kagome Higurashi, Asuna Yuuki…" Kirumi gave an impressed smile at the wavy locks of hair, pristine skin, and form-fitting clothes perfectly captured on Tsumugi's canvas. "I must say, your repertoire of artistic recreation is quite impressive."

"Thanks, I guess the core tenets of cosplaying come in handy with other forms of expression, too." The cosplayer admitted. "I didn't know you had knowledge of anime characters, Kirumi!"

"…A handful of past clients were also very into anime and manga. I had to familiarize myself with their pastimes if I was to properly serve them. Though I was never forced to sit down and watch a marathon as a form of torture…"

Tsumugi smiled awkwardly before turning to the young robot. "Anyway, Keebo said he was going to try to test his theoretical understanding of art techniques, didn't he? I wonder how his art compares to mine-?"

"Say no more!" Tsumugi squeaked as a proud smile stretched on his face. "Behold, the culmination of my talents!"

Keebo proudly rotated his canvas in his hand. Everyone stared at the colorful surface, their brows furrowed in confusion as they tried to figure out exactly what Keebo had painted with the mishmashed shapes.

…What am I even looking at…? Kiki wondered as she tried to make sense of the admittedly beautiful blend of colors.

"Ah, well, it's…certainly abstract…" Shuichi commented.

"Keebo…" Tsumugi cocked her head. "Did you even have a subject?"

Keebo grimaced, admitting "Well…I wanted to explore how well I could do the various techniques in my database…I guess I…forgot to think about a subject…" Keebo hung his head, shame and disappointment evident from his slouched posture. "I can't believe I forgot such a crucial point in the process…"

"Well…" Kiki tried to comfort the depressed robot. "As long as you had fun painting it, that should be all that matters."

"Yeah, she's right." Shuichi nodded. "Don't worry about making a masterpiece, Keebo. As long as you had fun, that's all that matters."

"…You know what? You're right, you two!" Keebo stood up straight, the grin on his face and his hand son his waist showing how perked up he was. "This was fun! And I managed to avoid getting any paint on my chassis, so I'll consider this a win!" Everyone sweatdropped before Keebo asked, "By the way, what have you painted, Shuichi?"

As Kiki stared at the detective curiously, he adjusted the bill of his cap. Nervousness bled into his voice as he replied, "Ah, well…it's not much, but if you really want to see it…then follow me…"

The group followed Shuichi over to his canvas, stopping as he circled to the side of the white surface. He gestured to his artwork with his hand, their eyes following the direction of his fingers.

"There, it's not much, but it's something, at least."

"Shuichi, this is…really good!" Kiki exclaimed as she looked at the realistic face painted onto the canvas, its lips, hair, and eyes betraying Shuichi's artistic style. It's like I'm looking at a photo!

"You seem to have quite the talent for realistic anatomy." Kirumi observed. "The shading in particular is very well done."

"Ah, thanks. I worked with a lot of clients in my uncle's office, so I learned how to draw subject portraits from verbal description. I wouldn't really call this art, but…it certainly became useful whenever we needed to collaborate with the police."

"Still, it's really good!" Kiki complimented, smiling appreciatively at the detective before he blushed.

"Ah, thank you…"

Averting his gaze, Shuichi eyes settled on Sokyu. The reclusive young man had one leg crossed over the other, with his arms similarly crossed over his chest.

"So, what did you paint, Sokyu?"

Without even looking at them, he turned his canvas, stand and all, to show them a completely blank slate. Kiki frowned, cocking her head in confusion.

"Ano…did you…use invisible paint or something? I can't really see anything…"

Everyone sweatdropped, unsure whether she was being optimistic, or just plain dense. Eventually, Kirumi sighed, shaking her head.

"I do not believe he participated at all, Kiki."

As Kiki gaped in shock, Sokyu nodded. "Of course I didn't. This whole group bonding thing was your idea. You didn't even ask me if I liked to paint. Honestly, I would have been content with just minding my own business and isolating myself from the rest of you guys." He turned his head, narrowing his eyes at Kiki. "But someone who doesn't know how to mind her business kept dragging me places."

Kiki felt her heart break, her eyes suddenly feeling misty. "Kept…dragging you places…? But…this was…for your…your benefit. I just…" Kiki sniffled "…wanted to help you…"

Sokyu's glare seemed to crank up in intensity. "Who asked you to be my camp counselor? The others might be willing to entertain your stupid ideas, but you're just annoying."

"A…Annoying…?"

As the mist in Kiki's eyes turned to barely restrained tears, Tsumugi fretted "Kiki, don't cry!"

"Do you need a handkerchief, Kiki?" Kirumi offered.

As Kiki shook her head, Sokyu sighed and hopped off his chair. Adjusting the ring on his finger to hide the momentarily remorseful frown on his face, he stated "So…you guys mind your business, I'll mind mine, and we'll all agree to avoid each other. Please…just pretend I'm not even here."

"Sokyu, wait!" Kiki called out, to no avail. All they could do was watch helplessly as he disappeared from sight.

"Well…that didn't work out…" Seven concluded, rubbing his head in frustration.

"Honestly, even if he did participate, I don't think it would have gotten us closer." Everyone turned to Ryoma in surprise, who merely shrugged. "Think about it; all we did was tolerate being in the same room with each other. All of us went to do our own thing; we didn't collaborate on anything. Nothing we did gave us any reason to depend on each other."

Kiki gasped, a tear trickling down her cheek. "So…this was…meaningless…?"

"It wasn't meaningless!" Gonta exclaimed vehemently. "Gonta had fun painting with everyone! You all did too, right…?"

"It may have been enjoyable, but…" Keebo reluctantly sighed. "We seem to have missed the point of this whole exercise."

"Maybe…Sokyu was right…" Tsumugi exhaled and shook her head. "Maybe…it really is best for our party if we break it up."

"No, that can't be it!" Kiki exclaimed. "Maybe he's just not used to having friends! That shouldn't mean we should give up on him!"

"Yeah, Kiki's right." Seven agreed. "We just need to-"

"We don't need to do anything." Ryoma cut him off, taking his candy cigarette out of his mouth. "He's clearly not going to learn, no matter how hard we try. So why not just mind our own business, just like he said?"

"I agree…" Kirumi sadly nodded. "As valiant as your efforts were, Kiki, this might be one case where inaction is the best course of action."

"This does seem to be a problem without a meaningful solution…" Keebo admitted.

"Yeah…let's just agree to disagree on this one." Tsumugi suggested, her eyes softened in apology as she looked at Kiki.

"Well, no point in staying here. Let's go back to our rooms or whatever we all want to do."

"Wait, come back!" Kiki cried as the others started to shuffle out of the Art Room.

Her protests went ignored, however, leaving her and Shuichi alone in the Art Room. The detective frowned sympathetically, biting his lip as he saw more tears trickle down Kiki's cheeks.

"Ah, Kiki, I…" Shuichi trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"…Sorry, Shuichi…I just…wanna be alone for right now."

Before he could respond, Kiki dragged her feet, forcing herself to shuffle out of the Art Room. Shuichi watched sadly as the teary young girl made the lethargic trek back to her room, wallowing in despair.

How did this happen…? How did this all go so wrong…?

"Why did Kiki even bother with him?!" Kiri exclaimed, clenching her fist in anger.

Koto took it one step further, shaking it angrily at the TV. "Yeah, now he just made her cry!"

"Because Nee-chan is too nice for her own good…" Mokubo sighed.

"Indeed…" Kyoko smiled sadly, glancing at Makoto. "She's inherited her father's gentle heart the most out of the four of you. Unfortunately, that has negative consequences as well."

Makoto nodded, unable to refute that point. "Yeah, it hurts a lot worse when your attempts to bring everyone together fall apart."

"…I'm worried about her…" Maki admitted. "With how hard she's trying to keep things from coming to blows, I dread how she'll react when it finally does." Everyone frowned at Maki's point, the former assassin sighing. "Honestly, this whole situation could be avoided if he just made an effort to interact with everyone…even if I understand his perspective."

Kyoko glanced curiously at her friend. "I assume you feel a kindred spirit in him…?"

Maki averted her gaze, puffing her cheeks. "I…was the same way with Kaito, at first. Even when we were forced to share living spaces, I actively tried to avoid him. But the idiot kept dragging me along by the wrist, and before I knew it, I found myself attracted to him. And the rest is history…" The former assassin sighed with regret. "Now I wish I hadn't been so anti-social with him…and Sokyu should take that lesson to heart, instead of making my mistakes."

"Maki…" Makoto muttered in sympathy before she shook her head.

"It's fine…let's just…send Kiki our support. It looks like she really needs it right now…"

The Naegis nodded and closed their eyes, sending their best wishes to the girl who had forgotten them. They prayed that things would turn around soon, before the group ended up paying a price that couldn't be repaid.