A/N: Here's Chapter Four Daily Life Part Six. This chapter's AO3 counterpart will contain an art commission when it goes live tomorrow, so feel free to check it out if you like. With that out of the way, please read, review, and enjoy!
Danganronpa 4: Next Generation Killing!
Chapter Four: Pride and Prejudice!
Daily Life Part Six: Breakfast Blows!
"…What are you looking at…?"
"Huh?" Kiki's eyes widened as she stepped into the Dining Hall, Ryoma confronting Sokyu being the first sight that greeted her stunned eyes.
Everyone else stood to the side, anxious frowns on their faces as Kiki thought panically, W-What the hell's going on?!
"Ah, Kiki!" Shuichi exclaimed, surprise and relief evident in his eyes.
"Shuichi, what's going on?!" Kiki demanded.
It was Seven who spoke up, explaining "We just stepped in to get breakfast when we saw Sokyu in the Dining Hall with a plate of food. Next thing we knew, Ryoma was walking up to him and staring all suspicious-like."
…Not good… Kiki thought, biting her lip as she saw Ryoma and Sokyu glare at each other, the intensity feeling like lightning crackling between their eyes to her and the other spectators.
At last, Sokyu sighed, breaking the silence. "I just want to eat my breakfast and leave. Can't you mind your own business?"
"…Sorry, but I can't do that."
"Ryoma?!" Kiki exclaimed in severe disapproval.
Kirumi frowned. "Ryoma, are you sure this confrontation is the correct course of action?"
Ryoma nodded, unwavering in his resolve, which only worsened the pit in Kiki's stomach. "Positive. I'm afraid I can't let this go without speaking."
"Ah, what do you plan to say?" Shuichi asked, nervousness bleeding into his voice.
"I just want to warn him that we're all going to be watching him anytime we're in the same room."
"Is that a threat?" Sokyu's voice lowered, his glare intensifying as he shot back, "Careful, tennis boy. Lotus tried to threaten me too…and look how she ended up. I know you said you don't value your own life, but are you sure you really wanna tempt fate?"
"Sokyu!" Keebo angrily admonished, pointing a finger at him. "Such remarks only make you more suspicious! Do not threaten us!"
"I-I'm sure he didn't mean it like that!" Kiki stammered in a weak defense. "We've all been on edge ever since what happened with Lotus."
"Yeah, I'm not sayin' what Sokyu said was okay…but it's not okay to go startin' fights, either. That's how Lotus ended up dead in the first place." Seven argued, only for Ryoma to turn his glare towards the larger man.
"Why are you defending him?" Ryoma took his candy cigarette out of his mouth, musing "Unless you two are in cahoots with each other."
…WHAT?! Kiki's eyes practically bulged out of her head from the audacity of Ryoma's suggestion.
"W-What?!" Seven gasped, equally off guard from Ryoma's accusation.
"We never did test Lotus's assertion that Sokyu was the Mastermind." Ryoma explained. "If he is the Mastermind, and you're covering for him, then you could have conspired this Killing Game with him."
Th-that's not possible! Kiki denied in her mind, though she felt her voice caught in her throat. Sokyu…and Seven…responsible for this Killing Game?! That's…
"Ryoma, enough!" A now enraged Gonta clenched his fists. His eyes glowed red, steam seeming to come out of his nostrils as he demanded, "Take that back! Gonta cannot allow that to pass! Gentlemen do not allow rumors to pass as truth!"
"A-Are they gonna fight?!" Tsumugi fretted, clasping her hands as she shook in worry. "But if Ryoma pushes Gonta too far, even he can't stop a Super Saiyan like Gonta!"
"Yes, keep it up!" Everyone turned to see Monokuma sitting nearby in a movie director's chair. He held a megaphone in his paw, increasing his volume as he demanded, "More! Give me a good fight scene! Alright, action!"
"Get out of here!" Kiki hissed, her already shortened temper set off by Monokuma's antics. "It's too early to put up with you! Just get the hell out of here!"
Monokuma shivered under the intensity of her glare. "Oooh, you woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, didn't you? Fine, fine, I'm out of here."
Everyone watched as Monokuma hopped off his chair. Once he folded it and tucked it under his free paw, he waddled out of the Dining Hall. Kiki sighed in exasperation, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Everyone…" Once she regained some amount of control over her emotions and held back the angry tears that had building beneath her eyes, she looked at them and pleaded, "…Please stop. This is just what Monokuma wants; he doesn't even need a motive anymore!"
"No…motive…?" Gonta pondered, Monokuma's interruption having shaken him out of his rage.
"Ah, I think I get what Kiki means." Shuichi explained "Because we've been so divided, with half of us suspicious enough of Sokyu to start arguments unprovoked, Monokuma believes that his intervention is unnecessary."
Kiki nodded her lips tugging into a grim frown. "That's why all he's done for the past few days is egg us on. He knows that if he just agitates us even more than we already are, then eventually things will come to blows, like they almost did just now. Don't you see?"
The tears Kiki had been holding back filled her eyes. They threatened to fall as Kiki struggled to persuade the others to abandon their senseless path.
"He's turning us against each other, making us suspect one another! If we can't unite and cooperate with each other, if we can't stand against a common foe…he'll just continue to pick us off!"
"Kiki…" Shuichi breathed, seeing Kiki clench her fists as tears trickled down her cheeks.
"I'm tired…I'm so tired of seeing my friends attack one another. Please, don't let this happen again…don't let Monokuma win…"
"…Then what do you suggest we do…?"
"Huh?" Kiki turned to a suddenly reluctant Ryoma, who tugged his cap over his eyes.
"I don't want to be suspecting anyone either…but Sokyu's already proven himself to be a threat. Do you really think we should just ignore it?"
"I-"
"Whatever, I just wanted to grab my breakfast." Sokyu walked past them, plate in hand. "I promised I'd mind my own business. Just leave me alone, and I'll leave you alone."
"Sokyu!" Kiki cried out in frustration.
"Hey kid!" Seven called. "Don't just walk away! Don't you see you're only exacerbating the problem?"
Sokyu stopped in his tracks, standing just outside the doorway for a split second. His indecision was momentary however, as his voice echoed in their ears a second later.
"…That's your problem, not mine. I'll see you all later…or not at all, preferably."
"…I think we just lost a lot of friendship points…" Tsumugi lamented as Sokyu disappeared from sight.
"With things as they are, I don't think our relations are likely to improve." Keebo frowned, hanging his head.
"Ah, Seven, where are you going?" Shuichi asked, causing everyone to turn towards the imposing man, his back turned to them.
He clenched his fists, muttering "…End it."
"Huh?" Gonta cocked his head, frowning in confusion.
"I'm going to end this discord. Kiki's right; this infighting is only going to destroy us from the inside. I can't let Monokuma win. So, I promise, I'm gonna think of a way to end it."
"Wait, let Gonta help!" Gonta pleaded as he ran after Seven, the two of them disappearing from the Dining Hall.
"I wonder how he plans to rectify the situation…" Kirumi pondered, causing Ryoma to shrug.
"Beats me…" Seeing everyone's disapproving stares, the tennis player sighed. "Alright, fine, I won't start anything anymore…not unless I have proof."
What should have been a relieving statement only increased the dread in Kiki's heart. Before she could say anything, Ryoma walked out of the Dining Hall.
"Um…I'm kind of not hungry anymore…" Tsumugi muttered. "Excuse me…"
"I wish to be alone as well…" Keebo admitted.
"If nobody wishes for my services, then I suppose there's no use for a maid to take requests for the time being."
Kiki's protests died on her lips as she watched the others leave the Dining Hall. Before she knew it, she was alone with an awkward Shuichi.
"Kiki…"
He tried to rest a comforting hand on her shoulder, only to find his efforts shrugged off. After sending him an apologetic stare and shaking her head, she forced her legs to carry her out of the Dining Hall, leaving Shuichi alone and helpless to reassure his friend.
"…This is bad…" Makoto sighed, his lips curling into a grim frown.
"Indeed…" Kyoko nodded. "This brings back rather unpleasant memories." Only this is so much worse. Sakura at least actively tried to make amends before her death.
"Why doesn't Sokyu care that Kiki's actively trying to stand up for him?!" Koto demanded, clenching his fist in anger.
"Yeah!" Kiri slammed her fist in her lap. "He's being really ungrateful!"
"Still, he's not entirely to blame." Seeing his siblings balk at him, Mokubo clarified "I'm not defending his behavior. But…Ryoma didn't make it any better by picking a fight with him."
"I guess nobody's blameless here…" Maki sighed. "And with nobody doing anything to bridge the divide anymore, as much as I hate to say it…Kiki's worst fears might end up coming true."
Everyone else shivered at the thought that this feud wouldn't end with anything less than blood. A tense, palpable silence permeated the atmosphere. It wasn't until Kyoko's reluctant voice echoed that she was able to cut through it like a butter knife.
"I suppose…we'll just have to endure it until an outcome can result." Though I don't have much faith that such an outcome will be a positive one…
Kiki ignored her growling stomach as she laid on her bed. The near fight in the Dining Hall left her without her normally endless appetite, as well as any desire to do anything productive or even recreational. Having retreated to her room, she instantly collapsed on her bed, curling up as the plush mattress and soft blankets provided little comfort to the distraught girl.
What can I possibly do…? No matter what I try, no matter what I say…nothing seems to unite us anymore! With each passing day, we're being driven further apart…is it…is it meaningless? Even if by some miracle, we do come to an understanding, I'm sure Monokuma will just present another one of his motives to turn us against each other again. So…is it pointless to fight? Is Monokuma going to win regardless of what we do? Is it inevitable that we're going to turn on each other…?
Kiki let out a yawn, the strain from the dilemma exhausting her very spirit. Though it was still in the middle of the day, Kiki curled into a ball, closing her eyes as the room faded into the darkness.
Maybe…I'll just take a nap…and when I wake up…this whole Killing Game will have all been just a bad dream. I'll wake up in my bed, surrounded by my family, doing whatever I did before my memories got taken from me…yeah, that'd be nice…
With that final thought, Kiki's consciousness faded into her dreams, insulated from the despair of the Killing Game in a welcome reprieve.
*Bam Bam*
Kiki groaned, stirring into consciousness form the loud knocks on her door. Shaking the haziness from her mind, her brow furrowed in confusion.
"Who…who's knocking on my door…?"
*BAM BAM*
"Alright, alright, I'm coming…" Kiki grumbled, swinging her legs over the side of the bed before standing up. "What could be so urgent that they need to pound on my door…?"
Grumpy from having just woken up along with having skipped breakfast, she turned the doorknob and pulled. She opened her mouth to speak, only for her eyes to widen as a familiar, blue-haired form yelped and fell on her.
"Aah!"
"Waaaa!"
Kiki grunted as she fell on her back, briefly stunned from the impact. Once she got her second wind, she stared up into the familiar pair of grey eyes staring into hers.
"Sh-Shuichi?"
"K-Kiki…"
Their cheeks turned rose, averting their eyes from each other out of embarrassment. An uncomfortable silence passed as Kiki felt the detective's toned form pressing against her.
"Ano…Shuichi…? Can…can you get off me now…?"
"Ah, s-sorry!" Shuichi apologized, crawling backwards until he was on his knees in front of her.
Still blushing, Kiki shifted so she was kneeling as well. "W-What's going on? Why are you in my room?"
"Ah, well…"
"Sorry, Gonta didn't mean to cause you trouble…"
Both of them turned their heads, slowly standing up as they saw the bug enthusiast standing in the doorway. His eyes were lowered towards the floor as he bit his lip in guilt.
Kiki's eyes softened as she asked, "Gonta? What do you mean?"
"Ah, well…" Shuichi awkwardly interjected. "Gonta…kind of grabbed me by my jacket and dragged me over here. I, ah, still don't know why he brought me to your room or what he wants…"
"Is…is that true, Gonta?" Kiki's brow furrowed in confusion.
"Sorry, but…Gonta needed your help! Gonta wouldn't have done this if Gonta wasn't desperate!"
Gonta's pleading only served to confuse the two teenagers even more. They glanced at each other, and, with a reluctant nod, they turned back to Gonta.
"What is it, Gonta?" Kiki asked gently. "What was so important that you needed to drag Shuichi to my room?"
"Well…Gonta was taking a walk, to clear Gonta's head. Gonta approached the Dojo, thought that maybe some exercise would release Gonta's pent-up energy. But…the doors to the Dojo are sealed shut!"
"Sealed shut?!" Kiki and Shuichi's eyes widened in shock.
"Yes, but why would the Dojo doors be sealed shut? Gonta…" Gonta clenched his fists, crying "Gonta knows that something terrible must be in there!"
"Something…terrible…" Kiki breathed, her mind conjuring all sorts of terrible scenarios.
"So, Gonta needs help to break in the Dojo. So, Gonta decided to get you help, because Gonta trusts you both the most!"
"Ah, you do…?" Shuichi asked in slight surprise.
Gonta nodded solemnly before Kiki turned to Shuichi, a deadly serious look in her eyes. "Shuichi, we need to get to the Dojo, right now."
Shuichi nodded, returning her seriousness with a serious expression of his own. "Lead the way, Gonta."
With that, Gonta turned and ran into the hall. Kiki and Shuichi ran in hot pursuit, dread festering in Kiki's heart with each panicked step.
Please let this be a misunderstanding! Please please please, let everyone be okay!
"…It's happening, isn't it…?" Koto sighed sadly, not even pretending to hold out hope.
His sister nodded, looking as robbed of hope as her twin brother. "We knew this was coming. Everyone was fighting with each other, and not even Kiki could get everyone to play nice."
Makoto nodded reluctantly, unable to refute his children's comments. Still… He pondered with a furrowed brow, …Why does this feel…strangely familiar…?
Kyoko glanced at her husband with concern. "Makoto, are you alright?"
Makoto sighed, shaking his head. "I could never be alright with this…but I know what you mean." Makoto glanced down at his eldest son. "Are you hanging in there, Moku?"
Mokubo bit his lip, staying completely silent. The boy didn't trust himself to speak, fearing the possibility of succumbing to the maelstrom of emotions swirling inside him. Kyoko's eyes softened, completely understanding what her son was going through.
"It's alright to say how you feel." Maki gently interjected. "If you're feeling upset, just let it out. Neither your parents nor your siblings will judge you for it."
"…I'm fine…"
His parents frowned, understanding that it was merely a white lie to dispel their worries. Rather than press him on it, they let it go. Sighing in relief, he and the others turned their attention to the TV, hoping that this really was just a red herring.
"Okay, what should we do, Gonta?" Kiki asked as they skid to a halt in front of the double doors.
"Well, Gonta tried charging the door, and Gonta heard a crack. So, maybe if we all charge at the same time, whatever's blocking the door will break?"
Shuichi nodded, agreeing "That's as good idea as any right now. You ready, Kiki?"
Kiki nodded, the trio bending their knees and turning their torsos so that their shoulders were facing the door. "Okay, on three. One…two…three!"
The trio charged the door, though as their shoulders collided, the door held firm, forcing them back. "No…it wasn't good enough-"
"Ah, maybe it was!" Shuichi interjected, causing Kiki and Gonta to turn in shock. "It was faint, but when we charged the door, I heard a slight cracking sound. So maybe, if we keep trying, the door will eventually open."
"Let's do it!" Gonta nodded vehemently before he and the others stepped back a few feet and got back in position.
"Alright, one…two…three!" Kiki led their second charge as they collided with the door once more, bouncing them back again.
As Kiki skidded backwards, her eyes widened at the relatively quiet sound echoing in her ears. "Shuichi, did you hear that?"
Shuichi nodded. "Yeah, I heard another crack, only this one was louder. Alright, one more time should do it!"
"Gonta will break through this time!" Gonta vowed as they got back into position.
"Alright, let's give it everything we've got!" Kiki cried, her eyes narrowing at the obstacle in their way. "One…two…three! Charge!"
With a simultaneous bellow, the trio charged with all their might. Their feet carrying them with an extra burst of speed and power, they bashed into the door. Their eyes widened as an unmistakable snapping sound echoed in their ears.
It worked! Kiki exclaimed as the doors flew open, no longer impeded by whatever obstacle had been holding it shut.
"Th-Thank you…" Gonta smiled gratefully as the trio caught their breath.
Kiki and Shuichi nodded uneasily before the three of them hesitantly took their first steps into the Dojo. Alright, now that we're inside, let's see what ha…oh no…!
The three of them froze at the beginning of the archery range, their eyes widened and their faces pale as sheets. Staring from the very end of the range was Seven. His jaw agape and his eyes wide open, his large, imposing form was strapped to one of the targets. Blood leaked from his chest, a golden katana stabbed into it. Kiki's greatest fear had come true. Even without the pressure of Monokuma's motive, someone had decided to murder one of their own…and Seven had paid the price.