« You must kill someone if you want to leave. »
This thought paralyzed my entire body, as I was unable to move. It took everything I had to not collapse under this weight.
CHAPTER 1
To Survive
Daily Life
Then suddenly…
« So ? What are you going to do now ? Just stand around glaring at each other ? » Kyoko broke the silence.
« S-she's right ! Even if you're nervous or afraid, you just have to step forward ! To forgive such a simple fact, I can't forgive myself. I'm so ashamed ! » Taka declared.
« Well, what are we supposed to do ? » Kazuichi wondered out loud.
« To find a way out, dumbass ! » Miu growled, no longer in her panicking state after nearly being killed by Monokuma.
« Also to find out whoever was controlling that stupid bear and beat the hell out of 'em ! » Junko added.
« Hell yeah ! I like your thinking, girl ! » Miu smirked at her.
« Everyone, before we do all of this, let's check those handbooks we have just gotten. Especially regarding those rules. » Mahiru said.
« Indeed. If we don't, what happened with Miu might happen again. » Byakuya nodded.
I activated my e-Handbook, and like Monokuma said, my name appeared on it. The Main Menu popped up, and I selected the School Regulations icon.
Rule 1 : Students may reside only within the school. Leaving campus is an unacceptable use of time.
Rule 2 : "Nighttime" is from 10 pm to 7 am. Some areas, like the Dining Hall and Gymnasium are off-limits at night, so pleass exercise caution.
Rule 3 : Sleeping anywhere other than the dormitory will be seen as sleeping in class and punished accordingly.
Rule 4 : With minimal restrictions, you are free to explore Hope's Peak Academy at your discretion.
Rule 5 : Violence against Headmaster Monokuma is strictly prohibited, as is destruction of monitors and surveillance cameras.
Rule 6 : Anyone who kills a fellow student and becomes "blackened" will graduate, unless they are discovered.
Rule 7 : Additional school regulations may be added as necessary.
I looked up, and much like me, everyone were mad about these rules.
« T-this… This is fuckin' bullshit ! No way I'm obeying them ! » Miu complained.
« Nishishi.~ Why don't you break them and die like you were supposed to ? » Kokichi smirked.
« S-shut up, you little gremlin ! That was just a fluke ! » Miu snapped at him, but her panic returned at the same time.
« E-excuse me… I-I have a question… F-for regulation six… W-what does that mean… ? » Mikan asked timidly.
« You mean the second part, right Mikan ? I was wondering that myself. » I spoke up.
« It's simple enough. If you want to graduate, you have to kill someone without anyone finding out it was you. » Byakuya explained.
« Let us ignore for now this, and let's start exploring the school ! » Sonia said out loud.
« I agree with that ! We need to find out where we are exactly. Is there any way out ? What about food and supplies ? » Taka nodded.
« Then what are we waiting for ? Let's go already ! » Kokichi said.
« Indeed, let's split up in groups to cover more ground. I, Mahiru and Taka will be the first group. Junko, Himiko, Kazuichi and Rantaro will be the second group. Sonia, Mikan and Keebo will be the third group. Miu, Kokichi and Toko will be the fourth group. Finally, Makoto and Kyoko will be the final group.
« No. » Kyoko spoke.
« What ? » Byakuya looked annoyed at her.
« I don't want to work with him. » She replied coldly.
Ouch, Kyoko. That hurts a lot…
« Everyone is in a group, if you wanted to be with someone else- »
« Who said I wanted to work together ? » Shr frowned back at him.
« You're going to work with us, because you sound suspicious right now. » Byakuya looked pissed now.
Kyoko looked at us, some of us looked at her in suspicion.
« Fine. » She really didn't look pleased.
« Good. Now let's begin. Once you found something or not, go to the Dining Hall to report. » He told us, as everyone went to a certain place.
I followed Kyoko, and approached her with a smile.
« Hey Kyoko, I'm really happy to have you as teammate- »
« I'm not here to chit-chat. I'm here to investigate and get done with this so I can be alone. » She replied coldly.
I sighed silently, and followed her.
We wandered around the school for a bit, until I found something.
It looks like a map of where we are…
« Give me that. » Kyoko snatched the paper from me.
I would have complained, but I didn't want to damage our already fragile relation.
« A map of the school, it seems… » She spoke.
« I thought that as well. Should we return to the Dining Hall ? » I proposed.
She stared at me for a few seconds, but nodded. So we began to return to the Dining Hall in silence. I sat at a chair, while Kyoko stood away from me.
« Ah, Makoto ! Kyoko ! So you two got here first, huh ? Too bad… I was sure I would beat everyone here. I will have to try harder next time ! » He declared.
I chuckled at that, but a quick glance at Kyoko showed that she did not enjoy it as much as I did.
And thus, everyone joined the Dining Hall, taking their seat. I looked around, and this was the seat placement, starting from Taka, clockwise :
Taka, Me, Rantaro, Junko, Kazuichi, Sonia, Kyoko, Keebo, Kokichi, Miu, Mikan, Himiko, Mahiru, and Byakuya, then back at Taka, with Toko away from the main table.
Taka, Kyoko, Keebo, and Toko were the only ones standing up, while Kazuichi and Kokichi had their feets on the table, although the former stopped due to Sonia telling him it was a bad behavior.
« Okay ! It looks like everyone's here ! Time to start the meeting ! Let's all go around and share what we found out during our respective investigations ! The sooner we find out what's going on, the sooner we get out of here ! » Taka gave us his speech.
« Well, me, Byakuya and Mahiru decided to search around the first floor to find who was responsible for this. Unfortunately, we had no such luck. » Taka looked down in shame.
« Th-That can't be all you have to r-report, can it S-Student ? » Toko asked.
« No, because I made one discovery for myself at the dormitory… » Taka paused.
Everyone was waiting for his answer anxiously.
« There I discovered that there was exactly one room for each person ! » He declared loud and proud.
Mahiru facepalmed, Himiko nearly fell asleep at the mention of the dorms, while the rest either looked at Taka dumbfounded or groaned.
« Huh yeah, we all figured that by now. Each door has a nameplate on it, including a photo, so I guess all the rooms have been assigned already. » Junko rolled her eyes at him.
« Each room key has a keychain attached to it with the owner's name onto it. » Kyoko added.
« Also, Himiko and I found out all rooms are soundproof. » Junko noted.
« Yeah… You could scream as loud as you want, no one would wake up… » Himiko yawned.
« There are also private bathrooms in our dorms, but it looked like only the girls' dorms had locks on their bathrooms. » Junko continued.
« Well, better to have than have not ! At least we don't have to worry about surviving about wild animals ! Anyway, next ! » Taka said.
« We went all up and down the school, double-checking the windows in all the hallways and classes. We wanted to see if we could get any of those metal plates to come off. » Junko started.
« Nothing. It didn't even budge a little bit ! » Kazuichi cried, holding his beanie.
« Nyeh… We really can't escape… » Himiko sighed.
« We tried to find a way to communicate with the outside world, in hope to help us. » Sonia continued.
« W-we didn't f-find anything… I-I'm sorry ! » Mikan cried.
« After that, we went back into the main hall to see if we could open by force the metallic vault that is covering the entrance. Sadly, we failed. I couldn't even cause a dent on it ! » Keebo added.
« Wow, if the Ultimate Robot can't damage that, that vault be really strong ! » I exclaimed.
« How strong are you anyway, Keebo ? » Sonia asked.
« I'm glad you asked. My physical strength is approximate to a strong senior citizen. » Keebo declared proudly.
Another awkward silence, only to be broken by Miu.
« That's fuckin' pathetic ! » She laughed loudly.
« Professor Idabashi didn't want me to be too strong so I wouldn't hurt humans by accident… » Keebo looked down dejected.
« Anyway, if we want to get out of here, it's not through the main hall. » Sonia continued.
« T-there were stairs leading up to a-another floor, b-but t-there were gates blocking them… » Mikan added.
« And unfortunately, there was nothing we could do to open them, so we gave up. There might be a third or fourth floor, which means if we find a way to open these gates, we could find something that would help us to get out of here. » Keebo finished.
« Me, Toko and Miu went to the kitchen, and there was tons of food in it ! So we won't have to worry about food ! » Kokichi grinned.
« Yeah, but for how long ? There's fifteen of us, if case you have forgotten ! » Kazuichi stared at him.
« No worries ! Monokuma told me it gets restocked every day ! » Kokichi smirked.
« W-what ?! » Kazuichi's eyes went wide.
« Yup ! He appeared out of nowhere, told me that, and disappeared ! No way someone is controlling him with a remote toy ! » Kokichi continued.
« That reminds me… Tokunt Fukawa didn't even help us ! » Miu glared at the Ultimate Writing Prodigy.
« W-well, it's not like any of you i-invited me along ! Nobody said hey, c-come with us ! I blame y-you for leaving me out ! I-it's your fault ! » Toko snapped.
« How the hell is it my fault ?! » Miu snapped back.
« F-forget it. Like I would w-want to go anywhere with a dirty s-slut like you... » Toko sneered.
« H-hey ! D-don't talk to me like that, ok ?! » Miu began to panic.
« E-everyone, me and Kyoko found something. » I interrupted them, as Kyoko put the map on the table.
« A map ? Where did you find this ? » Taka asked.
« It doesn't matter where I found it. Right, Makoto ? » She looked at me in the eyes. She clearly didn't want me to say where we found it.
« Y-yeah, it's not a problem, really ! » I replied uneasily.
« Anyway, it appears the building we are right now is laid out in precisely the same way as Hope's Peak Academy. Either someone built an exact replica, or we really are in Hope's Peak, but with these… renovations done to it. » Kyoko continued.
« But if this is Hope's Peak, where are all the other students ? » Sonia wondered out loud.
« That's another unsolved question for now. Which brings us to an important point. We will have to stay here for now. Which is why I propose to add a rule. No one is allowed to go out at night. » Byakuya said.
« Huh ?! Why the hell you're acting like the leader or something, fatass ?! » Miu snapped.
« Insults about weight ? You're truly ignorant for an Inventor. Not that I was expecting anything from you to begin with. » He brushed off the insult.
« E-eek ! » Miu panicked again.
« Although, I have to agree with one point. Why do you think you're the leader ? » Kazuichi groaned.
« I'm not the sole leader of this group. Mahiru and Taka are also helping me. » Byakuya explained.
« That's right ! We are the most adequate to support you and lead us to our escape of this place ! » Taka nodded.
« We have to establish some leadership if we want to progress ! » Mahiru continued.
« If that's the case, why not have Kokichi join you ? He's the Ultimate Supreme Leader ! » Kazuichi kept complaining.
« That's right ! It is an insult to not have invited me ! Why not vote for me, everyone ? » Kokichi frowned.
« As if we would invite an immature child join us. » Byakuya sneered.
« T-that was totally uncalled for… WAAAAAHHH ! » Kokichi cried, but it was obviously fake tears.
« Plus, I would never vote for you. » Keebo added.
« Of course you won't vote for me ! Robots aren't humans, they don't vote ! » Kokichi smirked, interrupting his fake tears.
« Kokichi ! You will not discriminate our classmate simply because he is not a human ! » Taka frowned, pointing at Kokichi.
« Nishishi, I was just kidding. » Kokichi grinned, putting his hands behind his head.
« You're not funny… » Keebo looked at him dejectively.
« Of course you don't think I'm funny ! Robots can't understand human humor to begin with ! » Kokichi tilted to his left.
« D-don't mock me ! I have studied the complete history of stand-up comedy ! » Keebo snapped.
« Knock it already ! Both of you ! Jeez… » Mahiru groaned.
« Anyway, we are your leaders, and we will guide you all ! That is a promise. » Byakuya pointed at us.
« So what's this rule you wanted to add ? » Kyoko asked.
« Going out at nighttime should be prohibited altogether. » He replied.
« Uhhh… isn't that already the case already ? » Kazuichi asked in confusion.
« No, the school regulations just say that we are not allowed to sleep outside of our dorm. It doesn't say we can't go out at night. » Mahiru explained.
« So by making this rule, there will be no chance to commit a murder at night, should everyone accept to stay in their room at night. » Byakuya continued.
« Brilliant plan, am I right ? Which is why, on behalf of all the men here, I agree to comply ! » Taka nodded.
« Hey, hey ! You can't just decide to speak for us ! » Kazuichi complained.
« Well, I agree. This is the best solution to prevent murders. » I spoke.
« Well, looks like most agree on this. It has been decided then. It is getting late, so we should get a good night of sleep. » Byakuya smirked.
« Agreed ! This meeting is over ! You're all dismissed ! » Taka said.
And thus, we all went to our respective rooms. As I entered mine, I decided to check it, since I never did before. I noticed a paper on the wall, so I read it.
Announcement from Headmaster Monokuma :
Each room's lock has been designed to completely against tampering or lock-picking. Remaking an individual room key is quite troublesome, so please make sure not to lose yours. Your room comes furnished with a shower, but please note that the water is turned off at nighttime. Also, the bathrooms in the girls' rooms include a lock of their own. Finally, we have prepared a small gift for each of you. For the girls, a sewing kit, and for the boys, a toolkit. Since you're a boy, we believe a strong blow to the head with any of the tools should be ample. Don't think ! Just feel ! And let's all enjoy ourselves !
I groaned as I crumpled the sheet of paper and threw it in the trash. I checked the drawers, and soon enough, I did find the toolkit. Then I went to the bathroom door.
« Huh ? It's not opening. »
Wait… Junko said only the girls' bathrooms had locks… The sheet of paper as well… So why is my door not opening ?
« Something the matter, Makoto ? » I heard Monokuma's voice behind me !
« What the- ? What are you doing here ?! » I asked.
« Well, I noticed you were struggling with your bathroom door, so I decided to help ! Your bathroom in your room has a problem with the doorframe ! » Monokuma explained.
« And how do I enter my bathroom then ? » I kept asking.
« Simple ! Here's the trick ! You just gotta turn the doorknob, then lift up while you pull ! » It told me.
I did as told, and the door opened without a problem.
« By the way, your door is the only one that has this problem ! You're supposed to be the Ultimate Lucky Student, but looks like you're not lucky at all ! Welp, bye bye ! » Monokuma mocked me.
Before I could reply, I heard a noise.
Ding dong, bing bong
Suddenly, the monitor in my room turned on.
« Mm, ahem, this is a school announcement. It is now 10 pm, as such, it is officially nighttime. Soon the doors to the Dining Hall will be locked, and entry at that point is strictly prohibited. Okay then, sweet dreams, everyone ! Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite ! » Monokuma spoke.
The monitor turned off. Well, we all agreed we wouldn't leave our rooms, so I guess I will sleep. I collapsed onto my bed, with my eyes closing almost immediately, as I was extremely exhausted.
And this is how the curtain closed on my first day at Hope's Peak Academy.
End of Day 1
Beginning of Day 2
Ding dong, bing bong
« Good morning, everyone ! It is now 7 am and nighttime is officially over ! Time to rise and shine, and get ready for another beeee-yutiful morning ! » Monokuma's voice came out of the monitor before it shuts off.
I groaned as I woke up from this sudden noise. It's hard to tell it's 7 am due to the bolted windows.
Anyway, what should I do now ? There's nothing planned for now. Maybe go spend time with my classmates ? But who ?
« I know ! Mikan ! » I exclaimed, remembering what I told her when we first met.
Unsurprisingly, she was at the Nurse's Office.
« Hey Mikan ! » I greeted her.
« N-nyah ! I-I'm sorry ! » She jumped in surprise, as she dropped a tray of medical equipment.
« Hey, hey ! It's ok, it's my fault for scaring you. » I told her as I picked up the items back on the tray.
« R-really… ? » She asked me in disbelief.
« Of course, don't worry about it ! » I finished putting everything back on it, and put it on the table.
« N-no one told me that it wasn't my fault before… » She cried a bit.
Jeez… This girl needs to improve her self-confidence. Let's see…
« Well, they are idiots. » I told her.
« They… are idiots… ? » She repeated.
« Of course they are. If it's not your fault, then you shouldn't apologize, Mikan. » I smiled at her.
« T-thank you so much… N-no one has b-been so kind to me… » She started to smile too.
Ok good, we are getting somewhere.
« Let's keep talking, tell me more about yourself, Mikan. » I said.
« O-ok… W-what do you want to know… ? » She looked at me.
« For starters, maybe why you decided to become the Ultimate Nurse ? What motivated you to help people ? » I asked.
« O-oh, umm, well… I like to help people who are in need. It makes me happy when I see people smile and feel better. » She smiled at the thought.
« It makes sense. A nurse has to be there for their patients, huh ? » I smiled back.
« I would do everything for them, really. » She nodded.
« Like what ? » I asked.
« Well, some asked if I could be responsible to pay off their debts or draw anything they want on me… » She responded.
That… is slightly concerning…
« A-are you ok… ? I messed up again, d-didn't I… ? » She begun to cry again.
« N-no ! I was just thinking, don't worry ! » I quickly said.
« S-sorry… » She looked down.
« It's ok, because I had a lot of fun talking to you. » I smiled.
« R-really ? » She looked up in surprise.
« Yup, I have to go now, but I hope we can talk with each other again ! » I nodded.
« T-thank you so much Makoto… I never felt this happy before. » She smiled.
« No problem ! Hey, what's this ? » I noticed some kind of coin with Monokuma's face on it.
« Oh, t-that's a Monocoin… You can use them to buy gifts from the MonoMono Machine at the School Store… » She explained me.
« Ah, I see. Thanks Mikan ! See you later ! » I told her.
« B-bye Makoto ! » She waved goodbye.
I decided to spend the rest of the morning looking for these Monocoins. I managed to find three more, ending with four of them in total.
Alright, time to spend them. I used all my Monocoins in this machine, and I got a Bandage Wrap, Civet Coffee, Headphones, and some Mineral Water.
I know who to give one of these items…
I went back to the Nurse's Office, and this time, I didn't say anything.
« O-oh, you're back Makoto ? » Mikan asked in surprise.
« Yes, because I have something to give you… » I handed her the Bandage Wrap.
« T-this is for me… ? T-thank you so much ! » She took it happily.
« No problem Mikan ! I gotta go for now, I just wanted to give you this. » I told her with a smile.
« T-thank you Makoto… I will treasure this. » She gave me a small smile.
I left her, and went to eat, as we were entering the afternoon. After that, I was wondering who could I spend my free time with.
« Maybe Kyoko ? That time where we worked together to find clues was interesting. » I thought.
I found her near the gate preventing access to the second floor.
« What do you want ? » She asked coldly.
« W-well, I was thinking we could spend some time together. » I told her.
« No. » She replied bluntly.
Damn it… Looks like this will be harder than I thought…
« Well ? Are you just going to stand there ? » She asked nonchalantly.
« S-sorry, I just really want us to be friends, Kyoko. If you want, why not do something you want to do ? » I proposed.
She stared at me for a few seconds, then sighed.
« I suppose you could help find some clues regarding our situation here… Take it or leave. » She told me.
« Sure, no problem ! Let's do this ! » I nodded.
She looked surprised by my sudden acceptance, but nodded. And so, we began to search the surroundings for any information.
« So… How are you ? » I tried to talk to her.
« Good. » She replied flatly.
« So… found anything yet ? » I asked.
« If I did, I would have told you. » She told me.
I sighed silently, as I focused back on our task. It was fruitless, as we found nothing. But I still think that Kyoko and I grew a little closer today.
« This was a waste of our time… » She sighed.
« Not exactly. » I said.
She looked up at me in confusion.
« I would like to give you a present for spending time with me, because I really enjoyed this time with you. » I handed her the Civet Coffee.
She took it in her hands, and stared at it for a few seconds.
« Hmm… Thank you. » She seemed to like it. That's good...
A few seconds of silence passed.
« Are you scared, Makoto ? Being trapped in a place like this… » She asked me all of the sudden.
« W-well, yeah… Who wouldn't ? » I replied uneasily.
« That's good to hear. That means your imagination is functioning. I feel bad for anyone who can't feel fear, because without imagination, you can never decide the next course of action. » She explained me, as she began to open herself to me… I think ?
« What about you ? You're totally calm, how do you do this ? » I asked.
« Of course I am scared, I just hide my emotions. » She told me.
« Why ? » I asked.
« Because there's no advantage to let others know how you feel. Basically, I'm not as foolishly open as you are. » She replied bluntly.
« E-excuse me ? » I got surprised.
« Also, the 'fear' I experience is a little different from yours, I believe. » She dodged my question.
« What do you mean ? » I decided to let it slide.
« You're afraid of what you might lose, correct ? I'm afraid of what I have already lost. » She explained me.
Suddenly, she turned around. I guess she's leaving…
« Goodbye. » She spoke.
I guess my time with her wasn't completely useless as I thought… She did say goodbye instead of just leaving, so I consider that a victory.
I checked the hour, and while there was still a couple of hours left before nighttime, I decided to call it a day, as I spent time with two classmates.
And thus, ended my second day at Hope's Peak Academy.
End of Day 2
Beginning of Day 3
I woke up to the irritating sound of Monokuma's voice. I guess I should spend time with another of my classmates…
I got out of my dorm, and checked around the hallway, no one to be seen. Guess I will need to find of them-
« Hey Makoto. »
I turned around, and saw Rantaro behind me.
« Hi Rantaro, you're free today ? » I asked, smiling.
« Yeah, in fact, I was looking for you to ask you that, wanna hang out ? » He smiled back.
« Yeah, let's hang out ! » I nodded.
« How about we go to the Dining Hall and drink tea ? » He proposed as we began to walk.
« Sure, I don't mind tea ! » I nodded again.
And thus, we headed to the Dining Hall, and I sat down on a chair, while he was preparing the tea.
« Here you go. » He handed the cup of tea.
« Thanks Rantaro. » I took a sip of it.
« Anything you want to talk about ? » He asked me.
« Yeah, I would like to know how you became the Ultimate Adventurer. I wanted to ask you earlier, but we had to do our introductions, so I couldn't ask you. » I told him.
« Ah, of course. Where do I begin… Oh yeah, my family and I travel around the world a lot, especially by boat. We are rich, you see, so me and my sisters look out for trading partners while my parents take care of the transportation. » He explained.
« That sounds like fun. » I smiled.
« It is. You get to meet people, discover new locations, and so much more. Maybe you could join me when we get out of this place. » He continued.
« I would love too ! Maybe we could bring the others too ? » I proposed.
« That would be nice too. Then, we will all have a big travel when we get out of here. » He smiled.
« Thanks Rantaro. I would like to give you this. » I handed him the Headphones.
« Now this is what I like. I knew you had good taste Makoto. I can learn from you. » He puts it around his neck.
We kept talking for a while, and I think Rantaro and I grew a little closer today.
« Ah, perfect timing, guys ! » We heard Taka's voice behind us.
« Hi Taka. » Rantaro greeted him.
« I was thinking last night, maybe we all really need to come together. So, I thought, every morning from now on, we should eat together ! Good thing you guys are already here, since I will ask with Mahiru and Byakuya if everyone has made any discoveries recently ! » Taka declared.
And soon enough, everyone was in the Dining Hall, taking the same seats they had on our first day.
« Everyone, thank you for making time in your busy schedules to come together ! » Taka cheered.
« Uhh, you kinda dragged us in here, dude… » Kazuichi groaned.
« In order to get everyone out of here, it is essential that we cooperate with each other. » Taka continued.
« Indeed, that's why we must form bonds and build trust to accomplish that. So from now on, everyone eat together for breakfast, lunch and supper. » Byakuya explained.
As we were eating, we began to talk about new clues.
« So, did anyone happen to come up with any clues ? » Junko asked.
No one answered.
« Seriously ?! Nothing at all ?! Come on, it can be anything, like how to get out, or who's behind all of this ! » She snapped.
« I know who's behind all of this ! » Miu said out loud.
« Ah, finally ! Who is it ? » Junko asked.
« Some creep totally weird and insane ! » Miu replied.
« Miu, we meant actual clues, not thoughts. » Keebo pointed out.
« I know who's behind all of this, and I mean it, not like that dumb pig over there ! » Kokichi grinned.
« Y-you little… » Miu glared at him.
« Kokichi, you really know who might be behind all of this ? » I asked him.
« Of course ! It's Genocide Jack ! » He exclaimed.
« T-the serial killer ?! » My eyes went wide.
« I heard of him. He murdered hundreds of victims, leaving the word bloodlust at each murder scene, with the victim's own blood. No one even knows how he looks like. » Sonia explained in a serious tone.
« Wow, Miss Sonia. I never knew you knew all of that ! » Kazuichi was impressed.
« As Princess of my country, I must make sure I know any threats that could cause harm to my people. And please stop calling me Miss. » She explained.
« W-well, this is bad… I-if he is b-behind all of this… Are we d-done for… ? » Mikan began to cry.
« Everyone, I think we shouldn't worry, it's been three days since we arrived here .The police must be looking for us as we speak- » Keebo was interrupted.
« AHHH-HAHAHAHAHAHA ! »
Monokuma's laugh was heard, and he appeared in the center of the table.
« The police ? You're putting your faith in the police !? Do you understand what role the police exist to fill ? To being a foil against a villain or anti-hero or evil organization ! And they get destroyed by the bad guys ! Do you really want to rely on such an unreliable and useless group of losers ? Remember, all you have to do to get out of here is kill ! » Monokuma smirked.
« We won't do that ! » Taka pointed at him.
« Yes, I saw that. Nobody is killing anybody ! What you kids waiting for ?! » Monokuma looked down.
« There's nothing you can say that will make us start killing each other… » I said out loud.
« Hey, I got it ! We have a nice place, cool people, but we're missing the most important ingredient to this killing game ! The motive ! » Monokuma exclaimed.
« Motive ? » Byakuya raised an eyebrow.
« Of course ! You can't just kill each other for fun ! You need that motive to help you ! » Monokuma winked.
« Great job, Macockto ! You jinxed it ! » Miu snapped at me.
« S-sorry… » I looked down.
« Leave him alone, Miu ! » Sonia came to my defense.
« H-hey, but it's his fault ! » Miu panicked.
« Ahem, anyway, I have a little video I would like to give you. » Monokuma said.
« Video, you say ?~ » Miu smiled lustfully.
« Oh no, nothing adult, nope ! Gotta keep it E for everyone ! » Monokuma chuckled, causing the Ultimate Inventor to groan in disappointment.
« It's a special video for each of you showing what's going on outside the school. » He explained.
« What do you mean… ? » I asked.
« Well, why don't you go watch it and find out ? There's a specific place in this school you can go that has everything you need to watch the video. » Monokuma replied smugly.
« Good, but before we do that, I would like to know… What do you want from us? Why would you do something like this ? » Kyoko asked.
« What do I want from you… ? I will tell you… Despair. That's all. » He replied lowly.
Everyone froze at this sudden tone.
« If you want to know more, you will have to figure it out yourselves. I won't try and stop you as long as you don't break the rules. Plus, I gotta admit, it's entertaining as heck watching you guys search desperately for answers ! » Monokuma chuckled, as it left.
« Great… He didn't tell anything useful ! » Miu groaned.
« Actually, he did say something *very* useful. He has no intention of standing in the way of our pursuit of the truth. Interesting… » Kyoko explained.
« Anyway, what about those videos ? We should check them ! » Kokichi said.
« I agree, Makoto, you check this out for us ? » Rantaro looked at me after glancing around the Dining Hall.
« Huh ? Why me ?! » I exclaimed.
« Because you're the closest to the door, of course. » He chuckled.
« I will go with him. It's not safe to walk around this place alone. » Kyoko approached me.
« Sure thing ! If anything happens, yell and we will come running ! » Rantaro nodded.
We got out of the Dining Hall, and went to the only place we could think of that was set up to watch DVDs…
The A/V Room.
We immediately noticed a cardboard box full of DVDs with our names on their cases.
« Stay here. I will tell everyone about this. » Kyoko ordered as she left the room.
I took out of the box my DVD, and slid it into the player, as I put on headphones.
I saw my dad, my mom, and my sister, Komaru.
« You getting picked to attend Hope's Peak Academy is like a dream come true. Make sure you do your best ! » My mom wished me good luck.
« I'm so proud of you, son. But remember, don't push yourself too hard ! » My dad advised me.
« Are you really watching this, Makoto ? Good luck, okay ? » Komaru smiled at me.
I felt happy, I felt hope…
But that hope was quickly crushed…
As the couch my family was sitting on was ripped to shreds, with the window behind shattered.
« Makoto Naegi, accepted into Hope's Peak Academy. And his family, who supported such a lucky boy… But it seems like… something's happened to this family's well-being ! Oh boy ! This is bad ! What could have possibly happened to this family's well-being ?! » Monokuma's voice came out of the player.
Look for the answer after graduation !
…
…
I let out the biggest scream I ever did.
« Makoto ! What's wrong ?! » I heard Rantaro's voice behind me.
I turned, and saw everyone, either confused or concerned. I pointed at the cardboard box.
« So this is what Monokuma was talking about… We must not play them ! » Byakuya ordered.
« Hell no ! I wanna know what's on it ! » Kokichi grinned.
« Byakuya is right ! This is what Monokuma wants ! » Mahiru said out loud.
But no one paid attention to them… And soon enough… Despair filled them…
« N-no fuckin' way… » Miu was speechless.
« P-prof… Professor Idabashi ! » Keebo screamed.
« … » Sonia was motionless.
« M-miss Sonia… ? » Kazuichi approached her.
« I see… So this is what he meant by motive. He wants to fuel our desire to leave so that we're more likely to start killing each other. » Kyoko said somberly.
« Don't put those awful thoughts in our head ! That's exactly what they want us to do ! » Taka panicked.
« Why did you watch your video, Taka ? » Byakuya glared at him.
« I-I'm sorry ! » Taka bowed down to him.
« Everyone, look. Maybe we should start talking about what was in our videos… That will get everything out of our system, and we're all curious, no- » Junko proposed.
« No. »
« K-kokichi ? » Mahiru said in complete surprise.
And she was in the right to be surprised. Kokichi, the mischievous Ultimate Supreme Leader, eager to see his video, was now glaring down at his feet. He was like a completely different person.
« I'm not gonna say what was in my video. » He said lowly.
« Was it that bad, Kokichi ? » I asked.
He looked at us in surprise, as if he was breaking out of his stance. He said nothing for a moment…
« Nope !~ Everything is fine !~ » He puts his hands behind his head, smiling.
« B-but, y-you didn't want- » Mikan was confused.
« That was a lie !~ » Everyone groaned at his shenanigans.
« W-we are going to die… » Himiko cried.
« No we won't ! As long as we- » Mahiru was interrupted.
« As l-long as we what ?! C-cooperate ?! A-after this ?! Y-you guys are on y-your own ! » Toko snapped.
I looked around…
Everyone was suspecting each other like during the first day…
Without a word, one by one, everyone left the A/V Room.
For the rest of the entire day, everyone stayed away from each other, glaring to make sure the other wouldn't try to murder them.
I sighed, as I fell onto my bed.
End of Day 3
Beginning of Day 4
I got out of my bed due to Monokuma's announcement once again, and went to the Dining Hall. Unlike our previous days, everyone was sitting in different tables in small groups.
Byakuya, Taka and Mahiru were still at the main table, but the rest were on the surrounding ones.
Kazuichi was with Sonia, much to her dismay.
Kokichi was with Himiko, sharing stories about themselves, although it was likely that Kokichi might add in some lies, Junko with Miu and Rantaro with Mikan, the former trying to console her. Toko and Kyoko were nowhere to be seen.
Well, looks like Keebo was all alone. I sat at his table.
« Hey, Keebo ! » I smiled at the robot.
« Oh, hello, Makoto ! Good morning ! How are you doing ? » He smiled back.
« I'm good, I guess… » I scratched the back of my head.
None of us said anything, until I glanced around the Dining Hall.
« It took a video to destroy everything we worked for… » Keebo said somberly.
« Yeah… Monokuma knew what he was doing… » I nodded.
« And now everyone is diving into groups, but how long would they stay until they break and go alone ? » Keebo rhetorically asked.
I didn't reply because of that, making the situation more awkward.
« Hey, uhh, Keebo, I was wondering one thing, you can't eat ? » I asked.
« No, I don't have that function. » He glanced at Kokichi's table when he said that.
« Checking if he will taunt you ? » I smirked.
« He is so robophobic ! If we weren't in this situation, my recording would have been proof when I send him to court ! » Keebo groaned.
« Wow, that far ? » I raised an eyebrow.
« Of course ! Robophobia is a bad thing ! » He replied.
I chuckled, as we ended up having a good time. But I could tell the situation was too tense at the moment to continue the conversation, so I ended up leaving. I prefered to not interact with them, they needed some space for a while.
But then, came the dinner before nighttime.
« Everyone ! May I have your attention ? » Byakuya said out loud, with a cup in his hand.
« We have noticed you all are staying away from each other ! » Taka said the obvious.
« I mean, can you blame us… ? » Kazuichi said somberly.
« I know it's hard for you guys, but you gotta keep it together ! Monokuma is trying to divide us ! » Mahiru continued.
« Great, more of their bullcrap ! Quit it already ! » Miu snapped.
« No, they are right ! We must not lose hope ! » I took a step forward.
« I second that ! We must stand together ! » Keebo backed me up.
« S-shut up already ! I-I w-won't believe any of y-you, especially a r-robot ! » Toko pointed at him.
« Yeah ! Robots can't be trusted ! » Kokichi chuckled.
« That's robophobic ! » Keebo growled.
« Who cares about that ? We are wasting our time arguing about teaming up together, when someone could plan to kill us ! Screw this ! » Kazuichi stormed off.
« Look, cough, that's enough. It's going to be nighttime soon, so, cough, everyone go to sleep, and we will have a meeting tomorrow. » Byakuya said as he finished his cup.
Everyone headed for their dorm, not saying a word other than Byakuya's coughing.
And thus, ended another day at Hope's Peak Academy.
End of Day 4
Beginning of Day 5
I woke up, hoping tensions went down with last night, and everyone would finally get along again. I headed for the Dining Hall, and noticed that Mahiru, Taka, Keebo and Sonia were already here.
« Hello everyone. » I yawned.
« Good morning Makoto ! I was the very first to arrive here ! » Taka praised himself.
« Greetings Makoto. » Sonia smiled.
Those could be considered model high schoolers. Then a couple of more people arrived.
« Hey. » Rantaro greeted us.
« Sorry I'm late ! My make-up wouldn't cooperate this morning ! » Junko complained.
« Hey ! Your Ultimate Supreme Leader declares that you can take your time to wake up ! » Kokichi grinned.
« I-I didn't oversleep ! I-I tripped on my way here ! » Mikan apologized.
Those had a more relaxed sense of time, which is the majority of high schoolers. Finally, the last ones arrived.
« S'up ? » Kazuichi grinned.
« W-what ? I-Is it wrong to be late ? » Toko groaned.
« Yeah ! I wake up whenever I want ! » Miu agreed.
« Nyeh… I never wake up this early usually… » Himiko yawned.
Those were the kind who moved at their own pace. But at least, everyone was here…
« Hold it ! Where are Kyoko and Byakuya ? » Taka asked in worry.
I don't know about Kyoko, but Byakuya would definitely be with us after his whole speech yesterday evening.
« I supppose I'm late… » Kyoko finally entered the Dining Hall.
« Kyoko, have you seen Byakuya ? » I asked.
« No, I just left my room to come here. » She replied.
« Well, I'm not waiting anymore ! I'm going to check on him ! » Taka left the Dining Hall quickly.
No one decided to follow him, so we all stayed here, and everyone was going at their tables, not trusting anyone.
And then…
It happened…
« NNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOO ! »
That was Taka !
Everyone rushed to the dorms, where we saw Taka standing still, his mouth and eyes wide with terror.
« Taka ! What's wrong ?! » Mahiru asked in worry.
Without saying a word, he pointed at what he was staring at.
We all gasped and screamed…
As we all saw the body of Byakuya Togami, the Ultimate Affluent Progeny.
CHAPTER 1
To Survive
Deadly Life