This chapter took longer than it should have. Still, at least I got to describe everyone's formal attire!

I'm nervous.

I'm not sure why, but I'm nervous. Maybe it's because I can't remember ever going to a party, or only knowing it from movies, but I feel like I made a mistake.

Come on Yurika, stop being silly. It's not anything special like prom or a fancy high-class party, it's just a fun night with the others.

It feels like I'm fooling myself. With a sigh, I trod downstairs. Just as my feet hit the ground, one of the dorm doors open. Yoru is clearly trying to keep himself from bouncing all over the place, looking like a child waiting to get into Disneyland. He is wearing a simple dress shirt with a blue vest and slighter darker blue pants, but he pulls it off quite well. He has tied his hair up in a little ponytail at the back of his head, and it makes him look dashing.

"Looking dapper there." I compliment him.

"Thanks! You look really nice too!"

Rubbing my neck, I awkwardly look away. "Heh, thanks…but you've already seen me wearing it, so it isn't much of a surprise…"

But Yoru seems determined to give me just as big as a compliment as I gave him. "But still! That doesn't mean you don't look nice. I'm sure everyone will look amazing, and that includes you. Let's go!"

He runs off to the main building before I can try to protest his compliment. Jeez Yoru, you really know how to compliment someone. Little rascal.

Shaking my head, I follow him outside. The sun is starting to go down a little, and the temperature is clearly cooler. Shivering, I quickly head to the main building. To my surprise, most of the lights are shut off, with the cafeteria as the exception. Homura is standing by the doorway, looking stunning. She is wearing a light yellow, strapless dress with a short transparent trail that is short of sparkling. Combined with gold-colored jewelry, she looks like candlelight.

"Yo, Yurika! Looking nice, despite the same outfit."

"Yeah, heh, don't forget it was me wearing this that lead to a party."

Homura laughs. "Oh, so if I die during this party, I've got you to blame for it."

It's supposed to be a joke, but it doesn't feel like one. I realize she is right. I…am to blame…if…

Noticing my downcast look, Homura apologizes. "Ah shit, sorry. I didn't mean it like that. Of course you're not to blame. Not that I'm saying that anyone is going to die, but… Ugh, you know what I mean!"

It doesn't help. I wrap my arms around myself, as dark thoughts flood my mind. But what if someone does die? I'm the one who inspired this; this wouldn't be happening if I weren't so lazy. I should have put on something else then; maybe then everyone would be safe. I shouldn't have come here this was a mistake—

Homura pulls me in for a hug.

"Look, I'm really sorry. Shouldn't have said that. But you aren't at blame for anything. Besides, who knows, maybe nothing will happen. It'll just be a fun party, at most awkward, and we'll have defied Monokuma's terror tactics. But even if something does happen, you're not to blame for it. If you haven't stabbed someone or beat someone over the head with a chair, I don't know, then there is absolutely no blame on you. How this party goes isn't in anyone's control. So just enjoy yourself, okay? Enjoy life, because that is in your control."

I chuckle. "Pretty wordy for someone who can't speak two sentences without putting a swearword in it."

Homura lets go, grinning at me. "Bitch. Just fucking go and enjoy the evening. I know I will."

She turns around and walks away, leaving me a little more hopeful. Is it me or is she speaking from experience? Whatever, I'll follow her advice. Let's leave the guilt and thinking for future me.

I head into the cafeteria. Seeing it nicely decorated brings a smile of satisfaction to my face. A bunch of others are already waiting inside. Ekorin is adjusting the microphone on the makeshift stage, while Yuyami watches, keeping an eye on Masato at the same time. Isamu stands in the back, eyes scanning the cafeteria in distrust.

"Yurika, I'm happy you decided to dress up as well."

I turn around to see Toshiya approaching me. He is wearing a black tuxedo, which makes him look like a prince from a romance movie. Now that's overkill.

"Wow, eh, you decided to go all out." I tell him.

He frowns. "Oh, you think this is a little too much?"

Ah crap, I don't want him to look like a kicked puppy! "That's not a bad thing! I honestly think it suits you!"

"…"

"…Get it, 'suits' you?"

Toshiya blushes, the color clashing with his red hair. "I think your dress suits you just as much."

His compliment causes me to blush as well. We awkwardly stand around for a few seconds when suddenly, someone grabs me from behind. I let out a shriek and turn around. Of course, it's Rea.

"Yurika! Looking like usual. I was almost expecting you to come in your normal clothes." She grins at me.

I roll my eyes. "And stand out like a sore thumb? No way."

Rea herself looks…annoyingly cute. She is wearing a white and pink Lolita dress with lots of frills and bows. Even her hair is put up into two cute ponytails. Her make-up is just the line between enough and too much, and she even smells like roses.

Great, now I hate roses.

Rea hums. "Silly Yurika, you'll always stand out from the rest of us!"

Wait…what?

Before I can demand an explanation, she already skips away.

Toshiya frowns. "That was strange…"

I nod. "Yeah, almost as if she…"

"Yurika."

I turn around. Noriko is standing behind us, crossing her arms. Her gaze pierces me for a second, arms crossed, before she smiles and shakes her head. "I wasn't expecting you to actually try and dress up a little nicely, but you did. I'm glad."

Trying to push Rea away from my mind, I shrug at Noriko. "Eh, I'll never be as cute as the other girls, but it doesn't hurt to try."

It's an honest statement. Noriko herself looks like a fairy in her lavender dress, which has a bell shape skirt and poofy sleeves. Ekorin has a beautiful white gown with the back of her dress almost reaching the ground and a soft yellow sash around her waist. Homura looks sexy yet elegant, and Rea looks admittedly adorable. Even Hanako – who just walks in from the kitchen – wears a very cute aqua blouse and skirt combination. Compared to them…I just look plain.

"You're plenty cute," Noriko compliments me, "but if you want to look as nice as possible, you need to put the effort in it. And by that I am referring to your hair."

I run my hand through my side tail. My fingers get stuck in it and I have to admit I forgot about even brushing it. Noriko, even if she is smiling, rolls her eyes and gestures me to sit in the nearest chair.

"Hanako? Do you have a brush?"

"Yeah, right here. Don't worry, you handle the food, I'll brush her hair."

And with that exchange, the girls swap positions. Hanako briefly put a hand to her chin, smiling, and then goes to stand behind me. I let Hanako do her thing as she unties my hair, letting it drop…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

"Done."

I blink. Did I doze off? Huh, that was weird…

"Are you okay Yurika?"

I look in the direction of the speaker. Toshiya is standing near me, looking concerned. "You suddenly looked like you drifted off into your own subconscious."

"Earth to Rika." Yuyami snaps with his fingers in front of me. "Did you come back home?"

For a few moments, I just blink at both of them. But then I shake my head. "Forget it. Must have started daydreaming."

I turn to face Hanako. She looks…concerned as well, but she is clearly trying to smile her way through it. "There is a mirror in the bathroom if you want to go look for yourself. I hope you like it."

"Thanks, Hanako." I quickly tell her before I dash to the bathrooms. The moment I close the bathroom door behind me, I release a sigh I didn't know I was holding in. I look into the mirror and see the bun that Hanako has made for me. It's…elegant. At the very least, it's better than how I usually wear my hair. Even though it doesn't look like it's very complex, I doubt I can recreate it. Well, at least I can enjoy it now.

Taking one last look at my hair and shoving away the weird feeling about my sudden daydreaming, I walk out of the girl's bathroom. Tomoe just goes down the stairs. I pretty much expected him to show up in his normal clothes, but he is wearing a light grey formal shirt, grey-green pants and a matching blazer. The only thing that seems to attribute to his usual behavior is the undone first few buttons and the bandana he wears like usual.

"Wearing that dress again?" He snorts.

"Wearing actual formal attire?" I shoot back at him.

"I'm not as oblivious to social cues as you might think. Shinri clearly wanted this to be a formal event, so formal clothes it will be."

Guess we both picked up on the 'please-go-formal' message. Even if he and Noriko were unnecessarily vague about it.

"It's still a little weird seeing you like this. I'm used to seeing you in a tank top."

"Consider this the first and the last time."

He walks away, but I still hide my smile behind my hand. Heh, dork. I follow him back to the cafeteria. Pretty much everyone is here, and by the looks of it, dinner is about to start. I take a random seat, which, to my displeasure, places me across Yuyami. He winks at me, but he is too occupied with talking to Masato to pay much attention. And fair is fair, the both of them are dressed up. Yuyami is wearing a white shirt with a dark blue vest and matching pants, while Masato is wearing a cream shirt with a dark orange vest and suspenders. Considering the state he's in, I'm amazed he's stable enough to even put in the effort. Which honestly makes me glad I didn't decide to be lazy.

If even Masato is wearing nice clothes, I have no reason not to either.

Isamu sits down next to me, his outfit not too different from his normal school uniform, but with an aqua vest, a dark aqua blazer and a silver tie, he still looks more formal than usual. Mizuki sits on the other side of me, wearing a long black gown that almost looks gothic. I look at her illusion neckline and black collar and decide that yes, she's looking gothic. Huh, not a side of her that I usually see. Guess I'm too used to her pastel colors.

"Well, even if this party turns for the worst, at least I know everyone is able to dress up nicely." Mizuki sneers. "Honestly, I still don't see the need for this."

I roll my eyes. "Jeez, take a chill pill and just enjoy."

She huffs at me. "Honestly, how can you enjoy any of this when Monokuma's motive still stands?"

"So the demonstration you're giving is just a tactical advantage?" I shoot back. "Besides, nobody forced you here. If you're that worried, take a plate of food and sneak back to your dorm. I'll distract."

Isamu glances my way. "If it weren't for the fact I put in so much effort for this party and I don't trust whatever tactic you'd use to distract, I'd take you up on the offer."

"Great to know I'm so trustworthy." I say sarcastically.

Neither Isamu nor Mizuki react to my statement, so I just ignore them. The others start sitting down too, allowing me to make a quick headcount to see if everyone's there.

…12…13…Wait, only 13? That still leaves one person—

Right before I can finish my sentence, Shinri walks into the room, and my mouth almost falls open. Like most of us, his outfit isn't anything too special, but he manages to pull it off perfectly. Black pants, a white dress shirt and most importantly, a golden tie that glitters in the light of the lamps.

"Sorry to let you wait, everyone." He says with a beaming smile. "But I'm glad everyone is here. This right here, us gathering together for nothing but a night of fun and pleasantness, is a symbol of deviance to the ones who wish to see us crumble to nothing but hate and despair. So, let us enjoy the night, knowing that we can and will resist the oppression of Monokuma and everything he stands for."

I know there are people who disagree. But it seems no one is willing to speak out against him. So, we all nod, raise our glasses in a toast, and begin to eat.

The food is simple, but good. It's, of course, nothing like the banquet that Kumachrome cooked for us, but the knowledge that this wasn't made by one of the bloodthirsty teddy bears makes it a whole lot tastier.

I stuff my face full with rice, ignoring Mizuki's eye roll and being almost pleased when Yuyami devours even more chicken rolls in response. Masato doesn't eat much, but it's something, even if Yuyami sometimes has to persuade him to take one more bite. Everyone is chatting, elevating any tension that was left.

"I still want to give a full concert." Ekorin says, "but it will have to be some time after this event."

"Only if I can play some music too." Homura interrupts between bites. "Kinda unfair if you're the only center of attention."

"We have plenty of time to organize all kinds of events." Noriko shushes them. "We don't need to do everything at once."

Homura shrugs. "Yeah, you're right. I'll just show up one day with a boom box and some cd's and turn this place into a dance club."

"As long as it is not…that kind of dance club, it seems like an acceptable idea." Ekorin says with distain, and Homura rolls her eyes so hard, I'm afraid they'll pop out of her sockets.

"Chill your tits, literally no one wants a stripclub. Except maybe Yuyami, but he's a pervert."

"I HEARD THAT!"

"YEAH, CUZ IT'S THE TRUTH!"

Noriko and Shinri team up to soothe the both of them, and I can't help but giggle over the childishness of it all. Mizuki gives me a funny look, but I ignore it. Hanako makes an attempt to help Noriko, but Rea distracts her by whispering something I can't hear, and instead, she decides to chew out an uncaring Rea. Yoru is talking to Tomoe and Toshiya, the latter trying to keep the conversation going while the former just nods a few times.

It's honestly not that bad. Sure, Rea might still want to try something, and I have this feeling—

"Cough, cough."

I turn my head faster than I intend to, which causes some people to look with me. Shinri is coughing, hitting his chest a few times. I'm about to stand up to help him, when Shinri hold up his hand.

"I'm okay—cough—just swallowed wrong."

"You sure you aren't getting sick or something?" Tomoe asks him.

"Nah, I'm fine, I can tell—cough—when I'm getting sick, and it's—cough—not now. Just need—cough—a bit of water."

"Are you absolutely sure?" Hanako presses on. "Do you need to rest?"

Shinri waves her—and everyone else's—worries away. "It's…fine. My health is pretty fragile, and thus I get sick a lot. It sucks, but it does allow me to tell whether I get sick or not. See, coughing's over." He chuckles, but it sounds kinda forced.

He takes a few deep breaths, and then smiles brightly at everyone. "Thank you all for being so concerned though, it really shows how much you care about me."

It's quiet for a single moment, but then Yuyami lets out a small laugh. "You're the one who wanted this party so badly, would've be a shame if you had to miss it."

"We care about you, Shinri." Yoru beams. "And this party will be amazing! I can't wait to show my act!"

"Neither can I." Mizuki muses, unclear whether she is referring to Yoru's act or her own. Regardless, it causes more people to nod in agreement.

"Let's make this night a night to remember!" Hanako says with a big smile, raising her glass in their air. A few people follow her.

I laugh, and then I notice Rea hasn't said a word. She's just smiling eerily, looking at Hanako. She then catches my glance, and winks at me. I feel immediately uncomfortable. She's planning something, I can feel it.

Mizuki sees my face, and then looks at Rea. Her frown deepens.

I wonder what she's thinking. Maybe…she also sees Rea is up to something?

I sure hope so. It's much easier having someone else on your side. But neither of us comments on it, and the meal continues.

When it ends, we all help Hanako and Noriko by collecting plates and silverware, and when the table it empty, Tomoe and Yuyami work together to split and scatter the tables again, so that we have more room in the middle to socialize. And while I'm not extremely bad at socializing, I really don't care to make an effort right now, so I just hang around, leaning against the wall.

As I look around the room, observing my classmates getting used to the party, I notice Mizuki walking out of the cafeteria. Maybe she is trying to stop Rea from doing something. Or maybe she's putting in an extra safety measure. I can imagine she wants to double check her lab.

I pounder going after her. She might need the help, even though she's probably too stubborn and proud to accept any. Before I can decide, Hanako walks up to me.

"Hey, are you having fun? You look pretty lonely."

I shrug. "Nah, It's fine, I'm just not a party girl. Dressing up is nice for a chance and I'll never turn down an offer for free food, but the entire dancing and socializing kind of thing isn't that appealing to me."

Hanako frowns, cocking her head slightly. "But you've been talking with people these last few days. How's that different from now?"

"Well, for starters, I mainly started doing that to get Noriko off my bag and for her to do my laundry." I laugh.

She gives a smile, but her question isn't fully answered yet. "Still…does that mean you only socialize if there is a benefit to it?"

I avert my eyes and cross my arms. "I mean, yeah, that's what I've being doing all this time. I went along with party preparation to not get harassed by Noriko for it and for the free food, I explore school grounds so I can learn everything there is to learn about this place and I helped in the trial because I didn't want to die. I'm selfish, I admit that, but really, is it wrong as long as my actions are helping people?"

Hanako doesn't really agree, or she just doesn't know what to say, but she is silent as a mouse while her face is crumpled in thought. I really hope she isn't pitying me or anything, this is just the life I choose to live.

"I-I just…can't see it." Hanako mumbles. "Does that mean you only talk to your friends if you can benefit from it?"

"Well, I don't have any friends in the first place, so, yeah." My mouth says, and I forget to close it too late. Ah shit, I didn't want her to find out—

But it's too late. Hanako turns to me with a sparkle in her eyes. "I'll be your friend then! Then you have someone to talk to even if you necessarily need something!"

"You sure you want to do that?" I ask her, lifting my hands in front of me, "If something happens to me…"

She doesn't smile and she averts her eyes for a moment, but the determined tone in her voice doesn't falter. "I guess, that could happen, yeah. But if something happens, I'm going to be upset no matter what. Then it's best to make the best of the time we have, right?"

She does have a point. If people are going to die, they're going to die regardless of whether I emotionally block myself out or not. Death is going to hurt. And if I can't do anything to prevent it, maybe I should make the most out of the time I have. I'm probably going to die. I'm a good murder target. But, if I die without my memories…without ever knowing if I ever had friends or not…maybe I should make new memories…

I chuckle and lower my arms to put one hand on my hip. "Well, I guess you're not going to leave me alone until I say yes. Sure then, let's be friends." I stick out my hand to her and she shakes it with a smile. And honestly? This feels not too bad.

Unfortunately, I may also have fallen into a trap, as Hanako suddenly drags me to the center of the cafeteria. "Friendship dance!"

"H-hey, I said I'm not into dancing!" I protest. "Besides, we don't even have music!"

"Yes we do! Ekorin, hit it!"

Ekorin let's out a small huff, unhappy with the way she is addressed, but she starts playing anyways. And while the tune is as cheerful as a violin can be, I'm not sure if it's really dance music. Despite that, Hanako starts dancing around, bumping me with her hip to encourage me to join. And as to not look too much of a fool, I grumbly accept my fate and join in. It seems to start a chain reaction, as Yuyami and Yoru start joining in, swiftly followed by Homura and Rea. Before Toshiya can try to run, I grab his arm and drag his protesting ass to the dance floor. I am delighted to see Hanako do the same with Isamu. Yoru begs Noriko to join in as well. She initially refuses, saying she wants to save her skills for her act. But Yoru's puppy eyes are too powerful for mortal eyes and so, she graces us with fine steps and an elegant swing of the arms, before she suddenly switches to a more modern dance.

"Go, go, Noriko!" Hanako cheers.

I laugh and cheer with her as I swing around with Toshiya, who is trying to at least make it into a proper dance. And so, I squeak as he suddenly pulls me closer, and I scramble to try to get my footing right. I accidentally step on his toe, and embarrassed, I look up. He is blushing bright red. Hmpf, that's his own fault! I wanted to dance, not waltz!

We make an unspoken agreement to end our dance with a simple pirouette from me. And yet, as I let go, I am still unfortunately enough to see Rea grinning at me.

"Hey, he was the one who wanted to waltz so badly!" I defend myself.

"Yeah, but you wanted to dance with him so badly." Rea shoots back. "Really, it's almost pitiful. Oh well, enjoy your sweet honeymoon stage while you can."

It's not worth it. As long as nobody else thinks too much of it, then I'll be alright. Of course, I tempted fate.

"Wow, that was a nice dance with Toshiya." Hanako says, smiling. "Is there something between you two?"

"W-what, no!" I stammer out. "I just wanted Toshiya to dance because he's always so uptight, and he tried to make it more like an 'actual' dance to not embarrass himself. That's it, really!"

"Well, he achieved the opposite." Isamu snarks.

"Yeah," Yuyami agrees, "besides, you two often hang around with each other."

"And you defended him at the trial." Homura says. "Give it up, you two are banging."

By this point, I'm bright red, but I still try to fight. "I defended Shinri too at the trial, doesn't mean I wanna bang him. No offence." I quickly say to Shinri. "Besides, I've only known him for a week or so. Who the hell falls in love within a week?"

To my surprise, Homura suddenly agrees with me. "Yeah, you've got a point there. Falling a love with someone after only knowing for a week. Haha, t-that's silly."

I ignore the way she blushes. "See, there's nothing to it, so stop grilling me!"

"Alright, alright, calm down everyone." Shinri intervenes. "Everyone is just teasing you Yurika. You're totally right, a small intimate-looking dance like that means nothing."

"Why you little—"

And at that moment, Noriko puts a hand on my shoulder. "Why don't you go to the kitchen and get everyone something to drink? I'll talk with everyone here."

I want to protest, but Noriko is already shoving in the direction of the kitchen. I finally agree to go inside, but I grumble all the way there. Inside the kitchen, the air is a lot less fun than it was on the dancefloor. Masato is staring into space again. Thankfully, Tomoe is with him, putting several treats on a tray.

"I'm here for the drinks." I grumble as a way of both greeting and explaining. Tomoe merely points to a row of glasses and a few cartons of fruit juice. I take another tray and start filling the glasses one by one.

"Hey, I need to take these out. Watch him for a moment, kay?"

Tomoe leaves before I can say anything, but at this point, I don't care anymore. I fill up the glasses until I'm certain I can't carry more on the tray. I keep my eye on Masato. Thankfully, he's isn't doing something dangerous, like toying with a knife or something. After a few minutes, Noriko walks into, letting out a deep breath.

"Alright, I've managed to convince everyone not to tease you anymore. I'll take care of Masato now, bring out the drinks and let's forget this 'incident' ever happened."

Out of pity, I muster up my best smile. "Sure thing. Refreshment coming right up!"

I lift up the tray, take one glass off after noting it's really heavy, and start making my way out of the kitchen. Sure enough, everyone's talking and dancing again. I scan the group to make sure I won't be missing out on anyone.

Hanako, Toshiya, Ekorin, Tomoe, Yoru, Toshiya, Isamu, Yuyami, Homura…looks like Mizuki isn't back yet, and I don't see Shinri…

Wait, where's Rea!?

The alarm bells in my head go off too late.

BANG!

I yelp and jump at the hard sound in my ear, and I lose my balance. The tray slips out of my hand.

CRASH! KABLAM!

Apple juice quickly spreads out over the floor, and broken glass is everywhere. I quickly stand up to avoid getting my dress stained, and only then I notice the confetti.

"Oops, sorry about that Yurika~" Rea grins. "I just wanted to make sure this last confetti canon didn't go to waste."

The anger inside me builds up like a raging fire, but before I can do something other than glaring at her, Hanako steps in.

"You better start cleaning that up right now." She says, gritting her teeth.

"Why?" Rea asks innocently, "Yurika's the one who broke the glass. I was just trying to pop some more fun into this."

"You little—"

But Rea interrupts her. "But, if you really want to, I guess I'll help clean up."

Wait, what the fuck?

I'm not the only one who's confused. Everyone watched in surprise as Rea bends down and starts collecting glass shards from the ground. She even briefly complains that she is about to get juice stains in her expensive dress. Suddenly, she is hauled to her feet.

"What the fuck are you planning, you little rat?" Homura growls at her.

"I'm only doing what I'm asked." Rea shrugs.

"You're not playing me for a fool! I know you're up to something shady. Now, tell me what you're really planning, or your dress isn't the only thing that is getting ruined!"

"Homura, that's enough."

I turn around to see Noriko standing in the doorway, holding Masato's arm. Yuyami quickly comes forward to collect Masato while Noriko walks up to Homura and Rea.

"I know you're suspicious of her, and that's not without reason. But violence won't make her tell. She isn't afraid of you and I thought you knew by now how little she cares about her own safety."

She looks at the mess and sighs deeply. "Alright, I'll clean this up. Everyone who has prepared an act, make sure you're ready, because Shinri should kick off the show soon. Hanako, could you please keep an eye on Rea for the rest of the night? Yurika, please set a tray of glasses on one of the tables. Let's all work together to make sure this will be a fun night."

And with that, the crowd falls apart. I sigh and head back inside the kitchen to get more glasses. When I step out of the kitchen, I first make sure I have Rea in my sight. Thankfully, I see her with Hanako, who is clearly annoyed by her.

Just when I set the tray on one of the tables, Shinri comes running into the cafeteria. "Sorry I'm late! Let's get this show on the road!"

He climbs up the makeshift stage, tests the microphone, and runs his eyes over a sheet of paper. Everyone has his eyes on him. Noticing this, he clears his throat and starts talking.

"First, I want to acknowledge everyone's hard work that went into this. Isamu, Yurika and Rea have decorated this place fantastically, and Tomoe and Yuyami were a great help in placing the tables and chairs where they needed to be. Tomoe, Toshiya and Hanako helped picking fruit for the desserts and the snacks, and Masato, Noriko and Hanako baked them to perfection. Especially Hanako and Noriko deserve great praise for their efforts in cooking our meal. And let's not forget our performers! Ekorin has provided us already with music and she will show us more later on. Yoru will teach us about space and its mysteries, Noriko will dance for us and Mizuki will give a demonstration on her chemistry skills, with a little help from Homura, who also helped with the microphone and speaker set-up. This party couldn't have been possible without all your efforts and you guys should be proud of that."

I can't help but smile when he says that. We really did do all of this working together. Shows just how much we're capable of when we aren't butting heads over stupid things. Even with Rea's existence.

Shinri seems to shine on stage and I suddenly notice he's wearing a different tie. A red one instead of the gold one. Huh, maybe he thought it was too flashy?

"And today, we will reap the efforts of our hard work. So, let's begin our night of—"

He suddenly cuts himself off as he starts coughing, covering his mouth as he looks apologetically at the rest of us. "S-sorry, couldn't—cough—keep myself—cough—in anymore."

He coughs a few more times, his body shaking with every movement. He grips his chest for a moment, closing his eyes in what seems like pain. But then, he takes a deep breath.

"As I said, let's—"

He doesn't get to finish. Another series of coughs escape his mouth, harsher this time. It almost makes me start to worry.

"A—cough—little water please?"

Ekorin immediately comes out from behind the stage, rushing over to the kitchen. She quickly returns with a glass over water, and Shinri walks over to her to grab it from her. He tries to calm himself down a little and takes a sip. Unfortunately, he promptly coughs it back into the glass.

"You're supposed to swallow water, not spit it." Yuyami jokes.

But Shinri doesn't react to his joke. He only looks at the glass in his hand. His eyes are wide with horror. And just before the glass slips out of his hand to shatter into thousand pieces on the ground, I see why.

The water is stained with blood.

Shinri starts coughing again, hands to his mouth and tears welling in his eyes. "Oh god. Not—cough—not now!"

Panic spreads through the crowd, amplified when everyone either sees the bloody water on the ground, or the blood that is starting to trickle out of his hands. Ekorin climbs upon the stage, putting a hand to his back. Noriko follows her and dammit, I'll climb up there too. The table starts creaking under all this weight, but I ignore it as I walk up to Shinri. By now, he's coughing up blood at an alarming rate. His shirt soaks up most of the blood, until it's no longer white anymore.

"Shinri, it's going to be okay!" Ekorin says to him, her voice high and panicked, but her words don't help. Shinri only starts shaking more, full on crying now as he begs for more time.

"No, please…I…I don't want…not yet…not yet…"

Noriko turns to Ekorin and I. "We need Mizuki."

She then turns to the crowd, scanning her eyes through it. "Mizuki! We need you! You're the only one with any medical knowledge! Mizuki?"

She's still not here?

"I saw her leaving the cafeteria after dinner." I speak up. "And I haven't seen her since."

"Maybe she's in her laboratory?" Ekorin suggest, her voice loud enough for the others to pick up.

"I'll go get her!" Homura shouts, and she's out the door before anyone can stop her.

With that set, I turn back to Shinri. He's only looking worse. His eyes are bloodshot, and blood is starting to leak out of his nose. He's gripping his chest, no, his stomach, tightly.

"No, no, no…I…I need more time…"

Noriko grabs his shoulders firmly, which causes him to look up. "You're going to have more time. Homura is on her way to get Mizuki, and she'll know what to do. You're going to be fine. Stay strong for a little more, okay?"

He looks scared, more scared than I have seen him be, which says a lot about the pain he's in. But a smile finally starts breaking through. It's a hopeful smile. His breathing starts evening out and with that, the coughing lessens. I'm starting to believe that this may be it. Shinri will live. We won't have another trial, if this even counts as a trial-worthy death. We won't lose someone we care about again. There won't be another tragedy.

But then, his legs give out under him, and he vomits up blood.

The blood stains Noriko shoes, and I see her hope crumble into pieces. I kneel down next to Shinri, holding his shoulder and I see Ekorin doing the same.

"Shinri!" She shouts.

"Come on Mizuki…" Noriko mutters, having turned her back to us and looking at the cafeteria entrance.

I look through the crowd. Toshiya is looking away, uncomfortable but unwilling to faint again. Yuyami is trying to alter between panicking and helping Masato, who is curled up into a ball, loudly crying. Hanako is doing a much better job at helping him, holding his wrist and saying firm, but comforting words to him. Tomoe is looking down, biting on his lip. Yoru is also crying, shaking his head and looking like he wants to run away. Isamu has turned his back, so I can't see his face, but I see his hands gripping his arms tight. And Rea...

…Has a strange look in her eyes, but a little smile as well. I can't say I'm surprised.

Ekorin yelps, and I turn back to her. Shinri has fallen onto her lap, blood leaking out from everywhere now. She freezes up for a moment, but then leans forward to him, helping him shift into a lying position and supporting his head.

"…No…please…one night…a few…more hours…one more…hour…just one…please…"

The panic is spreading through me as well, gripping my heart with an iron claw, swirling my head with maybe's and maybe not's. I'm seeing someone die right before me, and it's terrifying me, because I know I can't do a thing.

"I have her!"

Hope springs back up, pushing away the darkness that eats at me, and I jump up to see Homura pushing through the crowd, Mizuki behind her. She looks determined as she tries to climb up the stage. I rush over to her to help her. In the mere seconds that I grab her hand and pull her up, our eyes meet. There is no hostility, but understanding.

As soon as her feet meet solid ground, she takes over and yanks away her hand. The sudden movements cause me to lose my balance and I start falling to the ground below. However, Noriko grabs my hand before I can hit the ground again and pulls me up like I how pulled up Mizuki. I regain my balance again. Thankful, I give her a slight nod, as that is all the time I can spare. We both turn around.

…But we're too late. There is nothing to be saved anymore.

...

Ekorin stares with wide, horrified eyes as she holds Shinri. His eyes are rolled up, tears and blood still leaking out of them. His fingers still grab his dirty shirt, but his chest is no longer rising. He is still, too still to be alive anymore.

We failed him.

Chapter 2

Heresy of The New Age Philosopher

Deadly Life

Alright, next few chapters are going to take extra time since I'm going to write both the investigation and the trial before posting again, and it's not helped by the fact I've started a new Power Rangers fanfic. This time it should be a little faster though, since I've already had the experience of writing the trial.

See you then!