This took far too much longer then it needed to.

"Watch out, behind you."

"Oh god, it's those two, right?"

"What are they still doing here?"

"Terrorists shouldn't be attending school."

"Do you think they'll blow us up if they get mad in class?"

"Should we stop them?"

"Do you want to risk angering them? Who knows, maybe they'll stab you!"

"Yikes, let's stay away from them!"

…

"Even better, let's make sure they won't harm us."

The morning announcement shakes me awake. For a moment, I just lie still, staring at the ceiling. How…when did I go to bed? Jeez, is my amnesia getting worse? On the other hand…that's the third time I had a dream like that. Even if it's fussy…could it be a memory?

My mind acting weird is honestly the scariest thing ever since coming here. Trapped in a detention center with no hope of getting out? I can deal with that. Weird robot bear forcing us to kill each other? That sucks, but I haven't died or snapped yet. My own goddamn memory being in shambles and not knowing how or why? Fucking terrifying.

I've been here for a week and I haven't gotten any clue as to why I can't remember anything prior to coming here.

It makes me feel helpless. Knowing that I'm not a step further in discovering what happened to me.

Sighing, I rub my face into my pillow.

What am I going to do now? Who knows how long Monokuma will stay entertained before he introduces the next motive. And I can't even begin to think about where to start with solving the bigger mysteries here.

For a few more minutes, I lie in bed, my mind cluttered. Where do I start? How do I even get the information I need? Is there a way to regain my memories? And if so…do I want to know what happened?

But then, an image of Toshiya flashes before my eyes. And I remember our first conversation. How he explained to me what this place was. How I told him about my memory loss. And the thoughtful look on his face when I told him

That's right…Toshiya's the only one who knows…maybe I should ask him to help me. After all, blood phobia or not, he is the Ultimate Puzzler.

With that in mind, I finally manage to get out of bed. And at that moment, someone knocks.

"Coming, coming…"

The first thing I see when I open the door is purple. I slam the door shut.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck…"

"Yurika! Open the door!"

"I don't need you fucking lecturing me!"

"Jesus Christ, I'm just here to get you, considering how you're late. Again."

"What did I tell you?"

"Oh my…just open the door already."

Noriko's exasperation is what finally does it. I carefully open the door. I almost expect Noriko to throw a nasty fit the moment she sees me not showered and still in my dirty clothes, but she just crosses her arms.

"I just came here to get you and make sure you are…well…still alive."

The way her eyes briefly glance down…the way her stance seems a little too nervous…and the way her strong façade slightly breaks is what reminds me of Rea's words the previous day.

"Oh Yurika, when will you stop oversleeping? Next time, you may be bleeding out in your room and no one will come because everyone will think you're still out like a little light."

Even if that didn't happen, those words still cut me.

It's obvious Noriko thought the same thing…damn, now I feel guilty for oversleeping. Of course she is still on edge. Two people died under her watch. She doesn't want to make it three.

That's why I force myself to look at her. "I'm…I'll be right there."

She is silent for a moment. Then, her nose twitches and her face wrinkles in disgust. "Dear god…you know what, you know the way to the cafeteria. Go take a shower first. You reek. Wait, you still have all of your clothes on…don't tell me you sleep in them!"

I shrug. "It's not like I have a pajama or anything. Usually, I sleep in my underwear."

Noriko visibly cringes at the thought. "No wonder your clothes are so dirty. Put on something clean once you're done. I'll get you a proper nightgown."

Before I can disagree, she has already turned around and walked away. Jeez, it's not like sleeping in your underwear is a crime. What else do you want me to sleep in? Nothing? I'd rather not in this place.

Still grumbling, I close the door and take off my shirt. I briefly sniff all of my clothes when I pile them up on the bed.

…All right, she does have a point. I can't remember the last time I washed my bra. And my amnesia doesn't help.

The shower is definitely refreshing though, though putting on some clean clothes is a bit more difficult.

My spare clothes are dirty too and the only clean thing in my closet is that red dress. Fuck it, I'll put it on. I'll wash all of my other clothes later. Or I'll get Noriko to do it again.

Putting on the dress is…a whole new experience. I can only remember wearing a skirt with my school uniform. This is…a little tighter. Nevertheless, I do fit in it. Relieved, I start putting on my shoes when I pause.

Why is this dress in my room in the first place? I don't remember having it at all. Did the facility provide me with this extra dress for special events? Do the others have special clothes too?

But then I glance at the clock and realize I don't want to keep Noriko waiting for longer than I already have. I quickly head out to the cafeteria.

As I walk down the stairs, I notice Rea isn't tied down like yesterday. Slightly worried, I hurry to the main building.

"SHE'S A BITCH AND BITCHES SHOULD BE COLLARED LIKE THE DOGS THEY ARE!"

"IF YOU WANT TO PISS HER OFF, GOOD LUCK! BECAUSE I'LL BE GONE WHEN THAT HAPPENS!"

Frowning, I open the door to the cafeteria. Homura and Yuyami are practically in each other hairs, shouting and threatening. Noriko and Hanako do their best to hold back Homura, while Tomoe stops Yuyami.

"Do I want to know what's going on?" I mutter.

"They're fighting about me, like usual. So romantic." Rea sighs blissfully as she watches Hanako desperately trying to get a grip on Homura without damaging her already skimpy clothes. Her so-called 'blissfulness' fades away when she sees my outfit. "Looking good, Yurika. Trying to impress someone?"

The fight begins the stagger as more people notice me in my dress. Rea grins in an alarming way.

"Do you need my help confessing your feelings? I'm not a matchmaker, but since ours is gone…"

Everything screeches to a halt. Rea ignores it.

"Aw, what's with that look? I'm just trying to help you know. Not my fault you guys are so prickly."

Noriko takes a deep breath, visibly annoyed and done with Rea's shit. "Rea, you are not helping anyone right now."

"What? I got glass master and airhockey to stop arguing."

"Rea…"

"Jeez, you guys really can't let go of things, can you? I'd advice you to do so, because the more you hold on, the harder it is to let go. If you guys are so devastated by Ainosuke's and Kikoi's deaths, then I can only imagine the shitstorm that will happen when the next one bites the dust."

Mizuki narrows her eyes. "You're talking as if you know more people are going to die."

Rea immediately starts pouting. "Mizuki! I thought you were one of the smart and skeptical ones! Of course more people are going to die, that's the nature of this game! Would you be satisfied with only playing the demo of a video game? Of course not! Unless you are poor, you'd want to play the entire game!"

A nasty smile appears upon her face. "Besides, it'd be a waste if Monokuma set all of this up just to play a demo."

Her words are cold, terrifying and heartless. And yet, she smiles as if she had just told a hilarious joke. Everyone in the room is silenced by it. Just as Hanako starts to sputter out a response, Rea turns on her heels.

"Don't worry, I'll give you all room to think!"

The way she skips out of the cafeteria is almost unnaturally cheerful. And the silence she leaves behind is deafening.

"I told you we couldn't trust her." Homura suddenly says. "Now she is going to go on for days like this until someone snaps and kills her."

Yuyami glares back. "Last time I checked, it was Monokuma's motive that got people killed, not Rea."

"Why you—"

A chair scrapes over the floor. Isamu walks past me, face grim. "Rea is right. Someone is going to end up dead again. But it won't be me."

Yikes, looks like she did some damage. Then again, Isamu was never the trusting kind.

"Regardless, fighting over Rea seems pointless to me." Mizuki suddenly speaks up. "All this time she has been all talk. She can talk all she wants, but we can choose to ignore her."

"Even so, she still might try and do something." Hanako points out. "She's like a bully. If she isn't given a reaction that pleases her, she'll just up the game."

Noriko sighs. "How about this, we agree that someone stays near her to make sure she isn't doing something dodgy."

Yuyami groans. "Do we have to? She got me into trouble with you last time I spend time with her."

"We can work in shifts. That way, no one has to stay with her all the time." Noriko replies.

Shinri sighs from behind his mask. "The less we split up, the better I suppose."

Noriko nods. "If there are no objections, then it's settled. Who is willing to take the first turn?"

I'm not sure if I should be surprised or not, but Tomoe removes his hands from Masato ears and stands up. "Sure, I'll do it. Saved Masato from getting hysteric again, might as well do this too. Doubt she'd try anything with me."

Yuyami smiles and takes Tomoe's spot next to the biologist. "I'll cover for you. Go get her big guy!"

Tomoe rolls his eyes, huffs and leaves.

Now that Rea has been dealt with, tension slowly disappears. Some people, done with breakfast already, leave the cafeteria. I quickly grab breakfast before everyone is gone. Halfway through my rice I remember I still need to speak with Toshiya. I finish up as fast as I can and head out.

Before I can even begin to start searching for Toshiya, Noriko comes up to me, a bundle of cloth in her arms. She shoves it into my arms to shut me up when I protest.

"Hey, what—"

"Alright, so here is the plan. I discussed this with Ekorin and she insisted on giving you one of her nightgowns. Don't you dare disrespect her and cast it aside. I'm not your maid, so if you have no idea on how to wash it, then I'll teach you. Make sure you come showered and clean into the cafeteria every morning."

I roll my eyes, but take the bundle. "Yes mom."

Her glare is admittedly a little terrifying. "And what do you say?"

"…Thanks." I say as I look aside, too embarrassed to meet her eyes.

It's a good thing she seems satisfied with that. Although, just as she starts to turn around and walk away, I remember the dress I'm wearing and the pile of dirty clothes in my room.

"Oh, uh, wait!"

She turns back to me, eyes curious yet exhausted.

"This is a bit embarrassing…but my clothes…"

She sighs deeply. It's not a good sigh.

"Alright, we'll cut a deal for that. Come back to me later and I'll come up with a solution."

I guess I can't keep using the socialize technique anymore. Dammit.

But whatever she's thinking about, it's probably better than having to do work, so I just nod. She reaffirms my nod by giving a sharp nod herself and then she struts away for real.

All parts of my conscious screams to go find Toshiya, but the soft and delicate cloth in my arms reminds me that I should first stop by my room if I don't want to drop it and risk getting Noriko and Ekorin on my tail. So, suppressing a sigh, I head for my dorm.

When I'm done putting the nightgown on my bed and exit the room, I can finally focus my thoughts on finding Toshiya.

All right, where would he be? I'd say he's either in his dorm, in the library or investigating the facility. God, I hope it's not the latter.

I first try his dorm. And there must be a god out there to thank, because Toshiya opens immediately, pushing a string of hair from his face. "Ah, Yurika. What can I do for you?"

No more delay. No more waiting.

"I want to talk to you. About something important."

He is quiet for a moment. Then, his hand slowly goes through his hair. "Is it about…?"

I think he must be trying to tell me something, because he keeps rummaging through his hair.

Oh, he's asking me if it has something to with my head—with my memories.

"Yeah, it is."

He looks around one last time, then steps aside. "I-I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable by staying here, but I think…"

"…That your room is the safest place to carry this discussion. I get it, don't worry."

I step inside and he closes the door behind us. Toshiya's room is quite…elegant. He has an antique looking writing desk and a cabinet full of books. The walls are plastered with mahogany wood, though I suspect they only hide the solid concrete walls that separate the rooms. There is a nice looking chandelier hanging from the ceiling, bathing the room in a soft light. All in all, it looks like a pleasant room from a Victorian novel, sans the bars on the window.

I go to sit in one of the dark red fauteuils in the rooms. They're extremely comfy and I immediately wish I had one in my own room. Come to think of it, why is my room so lackluster? Well, I guess it doesn't matter right now.

Toshiya goes to sit on the one across me. His grey eyes are set on me, worried but suspicious. "What do you wish to talk about?"

I can't find it in myself to look at him directly. My eyes glance at the decorative chess pieces on a shelf as I begin to talk.

"I have been having dreams lately. Though, they feel more like…memories."

"May I ask what kind of memories?"

"…I'm not sure. The first two were conversations between me and…some other person. Every time they talk, it feels like I'm going through déjà vu, like I've heard the words before. But just before I put the pieces together, everything…becomes blurry."

Toshiya puts his hand to his chin, thinking as he murmurs softly to himself.

"This person…can you describe them?"

…I wish I could.

"No. Not even their voice. Their words go through my head, but I can even make out whether their voice is deep or high. And I don't have a clear image on them either. I don't even know their gender."

"What were you two talking about?"

It starts to feel more like an interrogation than a simple questioning, but I go along with it anyways.

"The first time…we were introducing ourselves. I didn't catch a name, but they said they had a generic name."

"It could be a common name." Toshiya thinks aloud "And what was the topic of the second conversation?"

"…The person seemed upset...and they asked that if I were to die, how I'd do it." For some reason, as I say that, my heart begins to ache. As if I'm being reminded of something sad. It only serves to harden my resolve.

"…Did you have any more conversations with them after that?" Toshiya asks gently.

I shake my head. "No…"

For a moment, it's silent. I'm not sure whether Toshiya is waiting for me to go on, deep in thought or afraid to ask the next question. Finally, he opens his mouth.

"Are you…okay with me asking what your third dream was?"

For some reason, I want to say no. I was so caught up with speaking with Toshiya that I didn't realize just how much of a bad vibe that last dream gave me. It felt…threatening. Painful. Fearful.

"I…I was…"

I can't.

"…No, I'm sorry."

Silence hangs in the air as he pounders over my answer for a minute. Then, he gives me a small smile.

"It's okay. You can talk about it another time."

And yet, despite his encouraging words, I feel like I'm drowning in darkness and insecurity. Toshiya, seeing I'm still upset over it, decides to change the topic.

"It's obvious this person was very important to you. They are both important enough to be erased from your memory and important enough to you to start remembering them."

I nod idly. "So, if they're that important to me…maybe they are part of the reason why I'm here. Any idea what kind of role they could have filled?"

Toshiya sighs and shakes his head. "As of right now, I do not have the necessary clues to have any kind of reliable theory. We could make attempts at guesswork, but I do not believe we will find an answer to your question right now. Perhaps if you gain more lost memories and we learn more about our location and this killing game, we could solve these mysteries."

Dammit…I really hoped Toshiya could pull up a great theory…but maybe we do have too much of a lack of clues. I guess I should start writing down my dreams…

"Thanks for your time Toshiya." I sigh. "I'll see if I can find more hints about the school and such."

Even though he doesn't say a word, he still looks disappointed. Like the gentleman he is, he opens the door for me when I leave his dorm and thanks me for coming to him. I just nod back.

Well, that was depressing…maybe I could find someone to cheer me up. Maybe I should talk to Homura, or Yoru, or Hanako…

I keep thinking as I enter the Kumachrome shop and roll another coin in the Monomachine. Somehow…somehow…a squeaky rubber dog toy duck rolls out. I just stare at it for a moment before I pocket it because fuck it – might as well give it to someone.

As I step out of the Kumachrome shop to survey who would be a good choice to give this rubber duck to, Noriko suddenly walks towards me.

I doubt she'd like a dog toy…but hey, might as well give it a shot!

But she cuts me off the moment I try to open my mouth.

"There you are. Hurry up, we don't have all day, and Tomoe is growing angrier by the minute."

I blink confused. "What?"

She rolls her eyes. "As compensation for borrowing Ekorin's nightgown and having me do your laundry, you're watching over Rea for the rest of the day."

"Wait, hold up, what the fuck?" I step back, raising my hands in defense. "That wasn't in the deal."

"I told you I'd come up with a solution. But I realized that if I continue to do every single thing for you, you wouldn't do anything on your own. Perhaps Rea can convince you to be more active – in her own way." Noriko says, crossing her arms.

"Yeah, fuck that. I'm not doing that."

I'm about to nope the fuck out of here, when Tomoe appears, holding Rea above his head and cursing even more than usual.

"I've fucking had it with her for today. Now she's your problem."

He unceremoniously drops her on the ground and leaves. Rea softly whines. We ignore her.

"No."

"If you don't, then fine. You can wash your own clothes."

We stare each other down hard, as knights on top of a hill, as cowboys in a duel, as rival gangsters in a back alley.

…Noriko you fucking bitch.

My resolve crumbles beneath my feet.

"One hours max. I want clean clothes tomorrow morning." I grumble embarrassed.

Noriko stands her ground. "One and a half for drying."

The prospect of having to wear cold and wet clothes is far too unappealing to refuse.

"Deal."

"Deal."

Noriko walks away, leaving me with the devil herself.

"My, my, Yurika, what a pitiful display. Defeated by your own laziness."

I can't suppress the urge to sigh anymore. "Let's get this over with."

"Now that is a far better attitude!"

I spend the next hour chasing Rea, trying to keep her out of trouble and wishing I'd never agreed to this. I wish I could say I grew a little closer to her, but then I'd be lying.

At some point, Rea steals the rubber duck out of my pocket. Despite the annoying sound it makes and way she keeps squawking it over and over, she seems happy, so I let her keep it.

"Aww, don't worry, I wasn't going to give it back anyways, so don't feel bad over it."

The two of us sit down on the grass. I hold my breath for what's to come. A minute passes by. Nothing happens. Thanking whatever god is out there for giving me a minute of peace, I sigh in relief.

Rea doesn't acknowledge my relief and instead absentmindedly plays with her new toy. I can only guess what she is truly thinking of right now.

She's probably conjuring up some sort of scheme to annoy us and drive us apart. Maybe if I distract her, the peace will last a little longer.

"So, what's the merit in annoying everyone?"

Rea looks up. "Hm?"

"You claim you say and do all kinds of annoying stuff because you're bored, but how does it help you?"

For a second, Rea actually seems to be caught off guard. But then her usual smile returns.

"Well, it helps to relieve me of my boredom. Isn't that all the reason I need?"

I snort. "Yeah, as if. You're the ultimate strategist. There has to be something else to it. A motive you're keeping from everyone."

"You're flattering me." She grins.

I'm starting to get annoyed. "Is that it? Are you being annoying on purpose so you can keep quiet about yourself?"

Rea rolls her eyes. "Jeez, how stupid. Everyone is super strict on me now, how am I supposed to keep secrets if everyone is watching me all the time?"

She does have a point there.

"You're annoying because you want to rifle enough people up to kill each other." I try, hoping to get a reaction out of her.

She laughs. "And have them all come after me. You're hilarious."

There has got to be a reason.

"Then, you're annoying because you want people to underestimate you?"

This time, she gives me a long look. Only to burst out in laughter seconds later.

"Haha! This is why I like you best! Your need to know the truth is as endearing and hilarious as it is annoying!"

I huff. "Annoying, huh? That's rich, coming from you."

"Just because I make a few witty remarks doesn't mean no one else can do the same." She points out.

Maybe I should try this in a different way. "If I fall in your favor so much, can't you just tell me? I mean, even if for some weird reason you're doing all of this just for 'fun', why not be upfront about it? Tell me, if you do have some depth to your character, then why won't you explain it?"

Almost immediately, I notice the rare silence that comes from her. She looks at me, her magenta eyes piercing me. Her usual smile has fallen and her brows are strangely frowned. And when she speaks, her tone is as cold as ice.

"I may like you the most, but I trust you the least."

Her sudden shift in tone is so out of character, I'm struck speechless.

The silence continues, until she averts her eyes and plasters a smile upon her face.

"Besides, our social rank isn't high enough to unlock my super-special sad backstory. So, if you want to know more about me, you'll have to hang out with me more~" She says in a sing-song voice.

I just stay quiet, watching her revert back to her usual self. So she is keeping something from me…and according to her, for a good reason.

I think I learnt more about Rea today.

We spend more time sitting together, bantering, until Noriko finally releases me from this nightmare. I gladly take the chance to get the fuck out of there and head for my room. Despite my hurry, Noriko easily keeps up with my speed. I dump the dirty clothes in her arms as soon as I can.

"I hope you realize now that there is merit in learning to be responsible for yourself." Noriko says.

I slam the door in her face. At that moment, my E-book beeps. With a sigh, I pull it out of my pocket to read it.

"Rea may have another reason for annoying everyone around here. When I asked, she laughed it off, telling me I was her favorite. When I tried to hook onto that, she told me she doesn't trust me. I wonder just what she knows…"

Interacting with Rea has left me exhausted. So, I hang my dress back in my closet and dive straight into my bed.

All right, so a few little things. I realized that the way how Yurika is, she'd refuse to willing interact with Rea as much as possible. So, similar to DR2, I found a way for Rea's FTE without breaking Yurika's character.

Secondly, I decided to use this chapter to let a little overhanging plot in. Always nice to have these weird dreams/memories get a bit more attention.

Finally, I made a bit of a mistake with only having Yoru's FTE last chapter, as now I technically still have to do two more Free Time Events before the next half of the chapter. I could skip them, but if people want to have two more FTE's, I'll oblige. Also, I made a poll for the FTE's! Check it out!